Yeah the desire to get more money out of gamers seems to be increasing.
The new 4th edition will have the usual costs involved (ie rulebooks, modules and adventures to be released etc).

They are also introducing an online virtual tabletop, which will likely have a cost between $10 and $15 a month. And there is talk that "virtual miniatures" may cost more.

Now, D&D probably isn't as popular as it was in the past, but $15 a month is pretty expensive, when you consider the only thing this has to pay for is server power and a pre-built application (which of course will need bug fixex/updates etc but it is not the same as running an MMPORG where they have to come up with, and update the game content). Users will be creating the content, the makers only have to provide the tools.

It certainly has come a long way from the spirit of AD&D.

Pretty much.

what i had imagined was an online rpg engine that could be modified to allow any games to be played online. if i ever get time to map it out, i will probably draft a spec then recruit other C# programmers online to make one. Open source, of course, so it would be free and beyond any copyright problems.

There are a few tools around for playing pen&paper based RPG's online (eg OpenRPG, Gametable) but in my experience they are a bit cumbersome.

OpenRPG I think is written in python, and Gametable I think is Java.

It would be excellent to see something a bit more polished (which the official D&D online product probably will be, but at a significant cost).

Would probably run a bit better if written in a C variant too.

Can you make some kinda...website...where you could design your own levels and have a random dice roller program thing, a character design and upgrade system, the rules, and a visual representation with maybe basic flash animation to show the events as they unfold?
Would that be hard?

We could play it then...Vod would help you.

i actually have something in mind that would use web services and a database. basically, you would have aprogram that you have on your computer that would connect to the internet for playing with other people, although a web interface woulod probabloy be there too, in case you wanted to play from someone elses computer.

Lol sounds pretty complex.

The thing is, the rules are quite complex, and no computer game has managed to incorporate all the complexities of the rules. Neverwinter Nights is based on D&D rules, but it is limited.

The rest of the things you mention are already available to some extent. OpenRPG gives a visual representation of the game map, and has character sheets. There are numerous dice rollers online (including on the official D&D website).

dice rollers are very easy. i could write one in probably 10 minutes. if i did get around to writing a program for playing online, a dice roller would definitely be included.

Sure, the dice roller is easy, but the rest of Phalanx's suggestions were a bit more complex! :)

i usually use my hands to roll the dice -though i have been known to blow them out my nose for dramatic effect


:D

I imagine the 4 sided dice would be quite sharp and painful up the nose :D