Its it just me of hasn't there been any new features or significant updates to DDb in a very very long time, it feels like DDB has been shelved apart from the new books and very very small user updates. The last one i can remember was the encounter builder and running encounters but that is still in beta and that has had no changes in what feels like 2-3 years now.
D&D Beyond has hardly been shelved - it has taken over as the primary hub for D&D. Beyond’s Twitter feed is increasingly supplanting the main D&D Beyond Twitter for news announcements. We’ve seen the recent addition of contracts with a popular third-party publisher. We’ve seen new products in the form of physical and digital bundles. Further, growth potential of Beyond is a consistent selling point to Hasbro investors—Hasbro regularly brings it up as a major new selling point, worth spending $143 million on. Hasbro needs to have it succeed—their stock is in a very precarious position, and if Beyond collapses, all those “trust us, we have Beyond and that’s going to be great” promises will shatter, tanking investor confidence.
Now, yes, there have not been any feature updates for a while - but the reasons behind that are pretty easy to surmise with a bit of context. For starters, Beyond is working on a virtual tabletop - and while Wizards and Hasbro are not exactly small companies, Beyond is a fairly small section of a single product with a relatively small development team. That team is busy working on something that likely could become a flagship product - that is where they will be focusing their limited resources.
Additionally, new semi-edition is in the works - and it has been in testing for quite some time. Right now, not even Wizards knows what the final product is going to look like right now—and that means it does not make too much sense to put efforts into developing systems which may or may not need substantial updates in less than a year.
So, all told, while it would be nice to see more updates for Beyond, it does not take all that much effort to see why they have not been forthcoming recently—there are bigger fish to fry, and Beyond doesn’t have enough cooks to do everything all at once.
The new books come out in about a year but that doesn't mean the VTT will be ready by then.
It will. It's due out this year.
Not everyone is going to want to use the VTT.
They're still developing it and while that may suck for those who don't want it... it's still a priority for DDB.
The new PHB, MM, and DMG aren't a new edition. They'll work with existing content. Continuing to work on the current tools won't be a waste of time.
It would be a waste when they have to prioritise. They can work on stuff that will need updating in a year and not do other stuff that needs to be done, or they can work on stuff that won't need updating in a year and needs to be done and do next year the stuff that would otherwise need updating but won't because they can just code it correctly straightaway. If they do it your way, they'll have to do the extra job of updating the new code that they won't have to if they work on other stuff first.
I've stopped buying books because DDB isn't improving. I might not renew my master tier subscription if DDB keeps stagnating.
Making people wait years for improvement while still paying isn't a good business model.
I do sympathise, and the lack of development over the last couple of years is one reason I'm reluctant to invest more into DDB, but I also recognise that with the WotC takeover (and therefore more funds to invest) and the tumultuous period we're going through with 1D&D round the corner, now is not a good time to say "this is what it's always going to be like". I'm waiting for '25 to see what WotC sees in the future of DDB.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Wizards appears to think that the purpose of D&D Beyond is as a digital publishing platform, not a RPG tools platform.
They are literally in the process of making one of the most popular types of RPG tools—a virtual table top. Your statement just doesn’t reflect reality. Now, perhaps that isn’t a tool you intend to use—I certainly do not plan to use a VTT anytime soon—but it very clearly is a RPG tool and one that Wizards thinks is a major purpose of this platform.
Wizards appears to think that the purpose of D&D Beyond is as a digital publishing platform, not a RPG tools platform.
They are literally in the process of making one of the most popular types of RPG tools—a virtual table top. Your statement just doesn’t reflect reality.
They are making a VTT. That VTT is not D&D Beyond, it's its own product.
Wizards appears to think that the purpose of D&D Beyond is as a digital publishing platform, not a RPG tools platform.
They are literally in the process of making one of the most popular types of RPG tools—a virtual table top. Your statement just doesn’t reflect reality.
They are making a VTT. That VTT is not D&D Beyond, it's its own product.
I think Wizards is well aware that the character generator is a major driver of use out of DDB. It's clearly not just a bookstore.
DDB will be the "nexus," so to speak of D&D as One D&D's rolled out as whatever they'll calling it. The VTT, marketplace, tools, community hub, etc. will all be accessed through DDB. Given all those dynamics, while it may be frustrating for long term users, especially those who were early adopters well before WotC's purchase of DDB, it's also understandable that any significant further development of DDB will be integrated into all the other novelties WotC's going to try to roll out starting in 2024.
My guess is the VTT and DDB will have some integration on the tool and "running levels." Whether you use the actual or virtual table top or not, the way you make characters, design encounters, and take notes etc. will be the same via the same tools. They want this place to be the one stop shop for D&D however you play it. I don't know if I'd go so far as saying they're consequently acting with great care, but I think especially after the events earlier this year, they're trying to be careful.
That's because all the good programmers went over to Demiplane. They're launching support for 5e now with multiple 3rd party publishers.
I may not work here any more, but that's not true.
There are still some great developers at Wizards, on the teams that work on D&D Beyond.
Many of the original staff from D&D Beyond are no longer working at Wizards of the Coast, and work elsewhere - some of them still within the TTRPG industry.
Demiplane is definitely doing a great job of building on it's original premise though!
That's because all the good programmers went over to Demiplane. They're launching support for 5e now with multiple 3rd party publishers.
I may not work here any more, but that's not true.
There are still some great developers at Wizards, on the teams that work on D&D Beyond.
Many of the original staff from D&D Beyond are no longer working at Wizards of the Coast, and work elsewhere - some of them still within the TTRPG industry.
Demiplane is definitely doing a great job of building on it's original premise though!
I'm willing to accept this point. However, it still stands that the old roadmap is gone and virtually no new features have been delivered since the WotC acquisition. Forgetting about new features, support for old rules such as epic boons is still MIA. Talent isn't the issue. Prioritization is. WotC are keen on throwing all their talent at the next shiny (money-making) thing without having fully supported 5e RAW.
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Its it just me of hasn't there been any new features or significant updates to DDb in a very very long time, it feels like DDB has been shelved apart from the new books and very very small user updates. The last one i can remember was the encounter builder and running encounters but that is still in beta and that has had no changes in what feels like 2-3 years now.
D&D Beyond has hardly been shelved - it has taken over as the primary hub for D&D. Beyond’s Twitter feed is increasingly supplanting the main D&D Beyond Twitter for news announcements. We’ve seen the recent addition of contracts with a popular third-party publisher. We’ve seen new products in the form of physical and digital bundles. Further, growth potential of Beyond is a consistent selling point to Hasbro investors—Hasbro regularly brings it up as a major new selling point, worth spending $143 million on. Hasbro needs to have it succeed—their stock is in a very precarious position, and if Beyond collapses, all those “trust us, we have Beyond and that’s going to be great” promises will shatter, tanking investor confidence.
Now, yes, there have not been any feature updates for a while - but the reasons behind that are pretty easy to surmise with a bit of context. For starters, Beyond is working on a virtual tabletop - and while Wizards and Hasbro are not exactly small companies, Beyond is a fairly small section of a single product with a relatively small development team. That team is busy working on something that likely could become a flagship product - that is where they will be focusing their limited resources.
Additionally, new semi-edition is in the works - and it has been in testing for quite some time. Right now, not even Wizards knows what the final product is going to look like right now—and that means it does not make too much sense to put efforts into developing systems which may or may not need substantial updates in less than a year.
So, all told, while it would be nice to see more updates for Beyond, it does not take all that much effort to see why they have not been forthcoming recently—there are bigger fish to fry, and Beyond doesn’t have enough cooks to do everything all at once.
The new books come out in about a year but that doesn't mean the VTT will be ready by then. Not everyone is going to want to use the VTT.
The new PHB, MM, and DMG aren't a new edition. They'll work with existing content. Continuing to work on the current tools won't be a waste of time.
I've stopped buying books because DDB isn't improving. I might not renew my master tier subscription if DDB keeps stagnating.
Making people wait years for improvement while still paying isn't a good business model.
That's because all the good programmers went over to Demiplane. They're launching support for 5e now with multiple 3rd party publishers.
https://sayeth.itch.io/
It will. It's due out this year.
They're still developing it and while that may suck for those who don't want it... it's still a priority for DDB.
It would be a waste when they have to prioritise. They can work on stuff that will need updating in a year and not do other stuff that needs to be done, or they can work on stuff that won't need updating in a year and needs to be done and do next year the stuff that would otherwise need updating but won't because they can just code it correctly straightaway. If they do it your way, they'll have to do the extra job of updating the new code that they won't have to if they work on other stuff first.
I do sympathise, and the lack of development over the last couple of years is one reason I'm reluctant to invest more into DDB, but I also recognise that with the WotC takeover (and therefore more funds to invest) and the tumultuous period we're going through with 1D&D round the corner, now is not a good time to say "this is what it's always going to be like". I'm waiting for '25 to see what WotC sees in the future of DDB.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
This is true - but does not discount that work is being done. It's just work being done on something you aren't interested in.
The site is active, constantly improving, with a major new feature in development (VTT). I have no complaints.
Wizards appears to think that the purpose of D&D Beyond is as a digital publishing platform, not a RPG tools platform.
They are literally in the process of making one of the most popular types of RPG tools—a virtual table top. Your statement just doesn’t reflect reality. Now, perhaps that isn’t a tool you intend to use—I certainly do not plan to use a VTT anytime soon—but it very clearly is a RPG tool and one that Wizards thinks is a major purpose of this platform.
They are making a VTT. That VTT is not D&D Beyond, it's its own product.
I think Wizards is well aware that the character generator is a major driver of use out of DDB. It's clearly not just a bookstore.
DDB will be the "nexus," so to speak of D&D as One D&D's rolled out as whatever they'll calling it. The VTT, marketplace, tools, community hub, etc. will all be accessed through DDB. Given all those dynamics, while it may be frustrating for long term users, especially those who were early adopters well before WotC's purchase of DDB, it's also understandable that any significant further development of DDB will be integrated into all the other novelties WotC's going to try to roll out starting in 2024.
My guess is the VTT and DDB will have some integration on the tool and "running levels." Whether you use the actual or virtual table top or not, the way you make characters, design encounters, and take notes etc. will be the same via the same tools. They want this place to be the one stop shop for D&D however you play it. I don't know if I'd go so far as saying they're consequently acting with great care, but I think especially after the events earlier this year, they're trying to be careful.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
The popularity of a VTT is not the driving force, the profitability is. Wisbro has stated this ad nauseum.
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There are still some great developers at Wizards, on the teams that work on D&D Beyond.
Many of the original staff from D&D Beyond are no longer working at Wizards of the Coast, and work elsewhere - some of them still within the TTRPG industry.
Demiplane is definitely doing a great job of building on it's original premise though!
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I'm willing to accept this point. However, it still stands that the old roadmap is gone and virtually no new features have been delivered since the WotC acquisition. Forgetting about new features, support for old rules such as epic boons is still MIA. Talent isn't the issue. Prioritization is. WotC are keen on throwing all their talent at the next shiny (money-making) thing without having fully supported 5e RAW.