MT: Not all it was cracked up to be

[The Purple Dragon]

Well I was reading some of the older posts about the delays and changes made to MT due to cost and other reasons. I remember the days when MT was talked about as the dream of every Player and DM. It was supposed to be a tool, something useful. What good is it going to be if it cannot be changed? It is just frustrating to see WotC take such a horrible step with this. Master Tools could have been something really great, especially if the ability to add and customize was going to be included. Now it looks more and more like a money pit... something WotC wants you to just drop your money on.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Pale]

It can be changed... There are some things that you can ad using the interface and some things that can be done with the code. There's even a fan/programmer who is already working on a program called MTHelper, that would be an add-on to the product (as a free download).

No, 'm not an insider, but I have been reading Ryan's posts over at WoTC. Saying that there will be no ability to customize it is a gross misstatement to say the least.

 

[EricNoah]

I'm not surprised that there's misinformation about MT out there (i.e. that you can't customize stuff -- that's incorrect, you can customize some kinds of data, some to a great extent, some to a minimal extent).

I'm not surprised that there's sort of a hazy collective memory about what the original "promise" of MT was supposed to be (to my recollection prestige class customization, for instance, was never in the original plan).

I'm not surprised that people have given up on following MT's (there has been a virtual information blackout on the program for the past year, with a couple of notable exeptions -- my "tour" of MT at GenCon, and the current beta test).

I'm not surprised that people want more from MT than it will deliver initially (other programs can do things MT won't do, though MT can do things no other program currently does too).

I'm not surprised that people are harsh on MT because it will cost money, unlike the other programs/spreadsheets out there that are free.

I'm not surprised that people feel like MT isn't a high priority for WotC (it clearly isn't and hasn't been for some time).

Speaking as a DM, I can say this: even a half-done, buggy version of MT has been a considerable time-saver for prepping monsters and NPCs for play. There are notable ommissions in what one would hope such a tool could do, but given the situation and my particular style of play (few if any prestige classes used), it serves my needs pretty well.

 

[Pale]

I'm not surprised at the backlash, either, but many examples come to mind where people dismissed a product (book, record, movie, whatever) as lame or not worth the money based only on rumours and assumptions and then that product being a complete success. Reserve judgement on a product until after it's completed and out there and you have actually seen it. Saying that you don't plan on getting it is one thing, slamming it as useless is quite another.

 

[Jack Haggerty]

*SHRUG*

I'll wait until it comes out, and it gets a little use before I decide.

Eric...

Out if curiosity, do you know if there is any word or consideration on making add on's for or different versions of MT for use with other D20 games?... SW, CoC, WoT, D20 Modern, etc...

If not, that might be a suggestion to pass along.

 

[xmanii]

I'm not surprised that there's sort of a hazy collective memory about what the original "promise" of MT was supposed to be (to my recollection prestige class customization, for instance, was never in the original plan).

If I had the time to go through all the posts from Fluid, Jim, or Byrt, I would, maybe someone else who has the time can...

The links is:
http://oracle.wizards.com/archives/dndmastertools-l.html