MT delayed?

[xmanii]

Quote from www.wizards.com/mastertools :

"Some notable changes to Master Tools are currently in development. Its release has been rescheduled. We will post further news when it is forthcoming."

Ummmm, WotC, whats up this time?

Sounds more and more like vaporware as the days stretch into weeks and into months. Its been about a year and half now (longer now, I just looked), and its been nothing but delays.

As I am waiting for this vaporware to appear, I will admit that it will take something pretty spectacular to convince me to buy it, after having played PCGen some.

So WotC, the D&D community would like to hear whats up.

Thanks

</soapbox>

 

[CRGreathouse]

What, are you surprised? I gave up a year ago.

 

[Hand of Evil]

This has been a rumor for a little while now, at least they are confirming it.

I just wonder how much the beta testing has had in this message? Are they getting a general 'this is crap' feedback and have to make major fixes.

Maybe we will still see it by GENCON. HA!

I do think they will pul the plug on it before it gets released.

 

[bushfire]

Actually, I think it just that the Mastertools web page has finally caught up with what Ryan has already posted on the Wotc message boards months ago.

I doubt that the "notable changes" are any that hasn't already been announced on the message boards. I just have serious doubts that the Wotc Web Team would *ever* manage to get a scoop posted.

 

[Mynex]

What, are you surprised? I gave up a year ago.

Uhrm... Beta Testers were selected in January and Beta Testing itself startd in February.

I know this for fact, as I am a Beta Tester (can't speak for when Alpha Testing was done though).

And no, I can't say anything about how it's going, other than it is in Beta test and there is feedback going to WotC.

It's not Vaporware, and there's been no official or unofficial word from WotC about pulling the plug.

Will it be seen by/at Gencon? No idea, but it would be nice.

As for WotC's MT website... well, they've not exactly been up to date now have they.

I would wait for Ryan Dancey to post about such things, as he's the man in charge of the MT project.

 

[Fast Learner]

Yah, just confirmation of the "late 2nd quarter to GenCon" timeframe already revealed.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Uhrm... Beta Testers were selected in January and Beta Testing itself startd in February.

I am fully aware of this. It hasn't changed my mind, though.

 

[EricNoah]

That's fine -- WotC and Fluid are well aware that MT as it is initially released won't be everyone's cup of tea. It has some neat features that no other program currently has, but also fails to deliver in some areas that other programs/spreadsheets/etc. currently deliver. In any case, testing proceeds, bugs are being squashed, and I've been using the program regularly in my games for some time to great benefit.

 

[WizarDru]

Beta-testers, I merely request one thing: USABILITY . If you can drive no other point home to Ryan's team, make it this one.

I like PCgen more and more with each release, but it's interface is still like pulling teeth. All I ask is for an application that simplifies my work as a DM, not forces me to reinvent my process. I don't want to do things the MasterTools way or the PCgen way...I want to do them the WizarDru way.

There are a ton of applications out there that do PART of what I want, and my expectations for MT aren't that dramatic. I merely want a simple tool with clean output, and an even cleaner interface.

Deliver that, and I'll deliver my money. It's that simple. I know some folks have an almost pathological desire to see MT fail, but I'm not one of them. I'd love to see as many quality tools thrive as possible....because they each improve the quality overall.

 

[bolen]

Maybe Eric you can shead some light on this. I do not understand why this is not Wizard's highest priority project.

It really seems to me that interfacing the game and computer are a natural combo. But Wizards seems to place this as a nice extra side project. Read how long it is taking. What is the thought process here.