Threads that make us Laugh, Cry, or Both, Continued

[shau]

Rich Baker's flavor sucks. Wallop sounds better than 'Dragon Tail Strike'.

I don't have book of nine swords, but am I the only person who really prefers the name dragon tail strike to wallop?

[MrWaeseL]

1192549677[/unixtime]]At this point, I can't tell if MrWaeseL hates things sincerely, or just to keep up his cred.

That movie was just "Wah wah wah I don't like nice things". I know it wasn't serious but that didn't make it good either.

[Count Arioch the 28th]

1192571547[/unixtime]]

1192549677[/unixtime]]At this point, I can't tell if MrWaeseL hates things sincerely, or just to keep up his cred.

That movie was just "Wah wah wah I don't like nice things". I know it wasn't serious but that didn't make it good either.

Dude, it wasn't a nice thing. It's a fucking table. Which in and of itself is hilarious.

But the table does thing! Do you not see the comedy in that?

[Crissa]

1192571547[/unixtime]]That movie was just "Wah wah wah I don't like nice things". I know it wasn't serious but that didn't make it good either.

It's an ironic look at a technology which is all knockoff components and overpriced - nor does it actually do any of the things shown.

I'd love an interactive table to play games on - but they'll price it to commercial customers. The technology in it (and power) is the same as in an iPhone, which is available now. At no point will you ever walk into a store and place objects on a surface to get information about them.

-Crissa

[JonSetanta]

New careers for the future: Bigass Table Repair Technician and Bigass Table Cleaners

Sure it looks nice when new, but as with every other machine being used hundreds if not thousands of times in a day in public, it's not so hot all scratched up, gum-wadded, and graffiti'd.
It becomes just another phonebooth, or bank teller machine, or TV in a store window.

[MrWaeseL]

Dude, it wasn't a nice thing. It's a fucking table. Which in and of itself is hilarious.

But the table does thing! Do you not see the comedy in that?

None of the comedy in that was added by the movie though. You're laughing about the concept of the table, not the movie.

[CalibronXXX]

I think Mr.Waesal has the right of it, the concept is silly, but the actual movie is meh at best.

[Cielingcat]

1192575509[/unixtime]]At no point will you ever walk into a store and place objects on a surface to get information about them.

-Crissa

Why not? We've totally had the technology for barcodes for a long time, and we already use it all the time. Or is it just not commercially viable to use them to give consumers information on objects while still in the store?

[Crissa]

It's actually inconvenient. Most customers don't want information overload. They just want to know which one is 'better' or 'cheapest'.

Stores encourage disinformation. If customers knew what the fine print said, then they often won't buy the product the store would prefer to sell.

Theft discouragement. As stupid as it sound, people stealing/breaking things in stores is a real problem. While most theft is from employees statistically, store 'loss' or 'shrinkage' hits the bottom line. The last thing they want is customers touching, carrying, or holding the actual product.

This is why we have actual laws on what goes on labels. Otherwise we'd never even have the basic idea of what was in the items we are purchasing. And to some specific points, we don't know.

We don't know where something was manufactured.
We don't know when it was manufactured.
If it contains alcohol, we don't know what other ingredients are in it.
If it is a food product, we don't have to know where it was grown, prepared, or even what preservatives were used on it.

Bar codes are not meant for consumers, and as such, many stores use their own, incompatible system.

-Crissa

[Cielingcat]

I was thinking more for expensive, possibly electronic items, where you really do want to know everything there is to know. Or at least all the info you can get online.

[Leress]

Rise from your grave

Swiftblade, has anyone played it

I wasn't told...
Swiftblade Handbook

[JonSetanta]

1192655402[/unixtime]]Rise from your grave

Swiftblade, has anyone played it

I wasn't told...
Swiftblade Handbook

haha I remember when that arrived. First the flames against the draft copy, then the flames against "version 2".
They are still at it???

[MrWaeseL]

Swiftblade Handbook

Goddamn. Is there one of these for each shitty PrC?

[CalibronXXX]

Yup, and one for each good one too.

[RandomCasualty]

1192663502[/unixtime]]

Swiftblade Handbook

Goddamn. Is there one of these for each shitty PrC?

Some Classes I can see when they got somewhat of a cool concept behind em. But the swiftblade? Seriously, I don't even get it. What's even the appeal of this class? It's kind of like making a handbook for the dread pirate.

[Fwib]

I guess its because people like the idea of a character who goes really fast. They like the fluff.

[MrWaeseL]

Which is why we hate them.

[Fwib]

Oh, c'mon. Plenty of people get into D&D because they like the idea of beating things up, or throwing cool magic spells - Just because they stick with what is fun for them at first, you don't need to hate them for not taking the next step playing the rules rather than the fluff.

Of course, if they don't give the same courtesy - that those who find it fun to find interesting stuff about the game-rules 'because they're there' - and complain that that isn't how the game should be played - maybe that approach is ok to hate.

[JonSetanta]

It eventually grants the ability to recreate the old 3.0 Haste on yourself.

[Koumei]

Yeah, but at the cost of 4 caster levels. I'm not even sure anyone cares.

[Judging__Eagle]

Fvcking gleemax and their automated client fvcking up my old WoTC account.

Sorry, I have been trying to get my account transferred and a hiccough kept it from happening. So I can't post there.

Not like it really matters though.

[Voss]

Yeah, it was a weirdass obstacle course just to read the damn articles on the front page. Why they now want an email address rather than a login name is a bit obscure to me, to be honest.

But there is news (which leads to questions)

4E Release Date

Finally, I wanted to share this last bit of exciting news with everyone. After conferring with our various trade partners, the Sales Team here at Wizards came back with word that they'd rather have the three core rulebooks release in the same month than over three consecutive months. As that's how we originally wanted to release them, Brand and R&D got together with our Production Team to see if we could accommodate the request.

The answer is YES! The new release schedule looks like this:

April: D&D Miniatures Game Starter and Dungeons of Dread boosters.

May: H1: Keep on the Shadowfell 4th Edition D&D adventure with Quick-Start Rules.

June 6: 4th Edition Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual.

We delay the original release date of the first book by a couple of weeks, but we put all three books on the shelves at the same time. Many of you asked us to do this, and I'm glad to report that we can make it happen. All the core rules will be available at the same time!

I've got a few more things to tell you about, but I'm all out of room for this column. I'll just have to catch up with you next time. 'Til then...

So... if the Design team wanted a simultaneous release all along, and the Sales team just decided that was a good idea, who the hell wanted the original staggered release schedule? Who the hell else is involved with that decision?

Its probably a good idea in any case. The MM has sounded a lot more set for release than the PH, though it sounds (from various blogs) like they finally have playtest versions kicking about with actually people.

[Jacob_Orlove]

Is the Soulknife a better fighter than, well, the Fighter?

[Koumei]

That's a tough comparison: they both suck.

[Crissa]

Sales team and Printing team wanted it, because printing three books at once is more expensive than one book at a time: You have to schedule more machines. It's an exponential cost.

Also, stores prefer to have their sales spread out over time, more trips in and out, etc. Makes them more money, and they have more time to do all the work of checking in the product.

It's actually a bad idea to send three $40 products out all at once. They will sell less product total.

-Crissa