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View Full Version : D&D 4.0 Character Builder (Is there anywhere I can still legally dl the old program?)



Akulatraxis
2011-03-15, 09:29 PM
I know it has been a while since the changeover to the new online Silverlight 4.0 Character Builder. I have tried using it several times and I'm really not getting along with it, the format and layout of everything from character creation menus to the character sheets it generates really irk me. The old downloadable version is much better as far as I am concerned, and besides, its what I have gotten used to.

So my question is just as the title suggests; if I get a new computer and have an active D&D Insider subscription is there any way to download the old character builder program and update it to the point where it was discontinued (legally)? I have looked around and I can't seem to find anything about downloading it. Have WOTC just given up on it altogether?

Part of me feels I am being a little bit whiny but I really just don't get along with the Silverlight Character Builder, IMO its slow and clunky and.. well I really do not like the idea that WOTC will just delete all my characters if I should ever not renew my subscription.

Any info or views on the new style character builder are appreciated.

Katana_Geldar
2011-03-15, 09:33 PM
No, you will have to try some sort of Torrent. I had to get the old program from a friend when I got my new computer.

Sorry.

Erom
2011-03-17, 12:15 PM
Yup, no officially sanctioned dl locations. One thing to note also is that it doesn't contain any materials or errata post last October.

It's still pretty playable, but I am starting to hurt from lack of update (the update to the races to make every race have a choice for their second +2 in particular). If I knew how to inject new material manually I would but the data structure of the program is surprisingly complex.

Surrealistik
2011-03-17, 12:34 PM
Yup, no officially sanctioned dl locations. One thing to note also is that it doesn't contain any materials or errata post last October.

It's still pretty playable, but I am starting to hurt from lack of update (the update to the races to make every race have a choice for their second +2 in particular). If I knew how to inject new material manually I would but the data structure of the program is surprisingly complex.

There is a fan made patcher to the off-line character builder called CBLoader. It integrates and fuses likewise fan made patches to the CB so it has new content.

MeeposFire
2011-03-17, 12:40 PM
There is a fan made patcher to the off-line character builder called CBLoader. It integrates and fuses likewise fan made patches to the CB so it has the new content.

It is ironic that something designed to reduce "piracy" is leading to more piracy.

Dalek-K
2011-03-17, 01:10 PM
poetically so

But that happens quite a bit really

Erom
2011-03-17, 01:45 PM
It is ironic that something designed to reduce "piracy" is leading to more piracy. While download patches made by someone else and injecting them would be piracy (well, depending on the content, though we all know the most common use (to grab wotc content) would be), using a data injection tool to make changes yourself for your own use is hardly piracy.

Tools are not content, but I doubt we can get any farther into this on this forum.

Jack_Banzai
2011-03-17, 09:06 PM
well I really do not like the idea that WOTC will just delete all my characters if I should ever not renew my subscription.

Any info or views on the new style character builder are appreciated.

Just FYI, if your subscription ends, your characters aren't banished to the land of wind and ghosts. They are archived until you reactivate your subscription.

cfalcon
2011-03-18, 02:06 PM
Sorry, I just saw the thread- you can't save the character locally in a format that you can then read later? As in, the online character builder's output, when saved on your local drive, can't be then loaded later from your local drive (with like, an upload)?

Tankadin
2011-03-18, 02:54 PM
Sorry, I just saw the thread- you can't save the character locally in a format that you can then read later? As in, the online character builder's output, when saved on your local drive, can't be then loaded later from your local drive (with like, an upload)?

Yes and no. You can "print" the file as a .pdf or other digital document file and then read it or print it off elsewhere. However, it wouldn't be a file you could upload to back to the character builder.

At least that's my understanding/experience. If there's more artful weaseling to be done, I'm all ears.

MeeposFire
2011-03-18, 03:34 PM
Yes and no. You can "print" the file as a .pdf or other digital document file and then read it or print it off elsewhere. However, it wouldn't be a file you could upload to back to the character builder.

At least that's my understanding/experience. If there's more artful weaseling to be done, I'm all ears.

Yes you can use cute PDF to do that for instance. However if you do you may find that the file size might be much larger than you would think. I am told that the reason for this is that the information sent is not sent as text (like you would think) but is sent as an image which would be much larger.

Tankadin
2011-03-18, 03:51 PM
Yes you can use cute PDF to do that for instance. However if you do you may find that the file size might be much larger than you would think. I am told that the reason for this is that the information sent is not sent as text (like you would think) but is sent as an image which would be much larger.

Yeah, this is precisely what has been happening.

My printer has since unionized. I'm threatening it with Pinkertons, but so far the impasse continues.

Jack_Banzai
2011-03-18, 04:07 PM
Yes you can use cute PDF to do that for instance. However if you do you may find that the file size might be much larger than you would think. I am told that the reason for this is that the information sent is not sent as text (like you would think) but is sent as an image which would be much larger.

It's in the known issues list, so it will probably be resolved soon.

MeeposFire
2011-03-18, 04:08 PM
One can only hope. I love playing 4e and the old builder but the new builder has definitely been a turn off for me.

Hzurr
2011-03-18, 07:40 PM
Sorry, I just saw the thread- you can't save the character locally in a format that you can then read later? As in, the online character builder's output, when saved on your local drive, can't be then loaded later from your local drive (with like, an upload)?

yes, you can do exactly this. There's an export and import function in the online CB.

Jack_Banzai
2011-03-18, 10:11 PM
yes, you can do exactly this. There's an export and import function in the online CB.

Right. The import and export functions are in the Load screen.