Why I am disappointed in Demiplane: a thousand projects started, none completed

[MichoBkk]

Hi there, I am the original poster of these threads from over a year ago:

Pathfinder Character Tool recommendations

Hello there, I suppose you receive a large amount of requests for features, and you might not need yet another one, but I though I would create my own list of “nice-to-haves”. They are a combination of quality of life improvements, or possible features I think would help Nexus stand out from the competition. Presented in no particular order: The “gradual ability boost” option On top of the “show legacy content” toggle, the ability to choose which sources/books are enabled for that particular …

Gamemastery Gradual Ability Boost

Hi there, I have noticed the new GM Core book doesn’t include a lot of the optional rules from the previous Gamestary Guide. Some are already implemented in the Demiplane character creator, but I was wondering if Gradual Ability Boost was on your roadmap. Thanks!

I must say I am a bit disappointed by the progress made with the character tool. I signed up for Demiplane 21 months ago because I saw great potential, and at the time, we were six months away from finishing our previous campaign. Over this period, I have invested thousands of dollars into it for our new campaign, which started six months ago, yet we are still using Pathbuilder.

Our campaign uses Gradual Ability Boosts, a very popular variant rule, and a couple of our players prefer playing on paper after building their characters using a digital tool and exporting them to PDF. That rules out Demiplane.
Here is a reddit thread from 5 months ago showing 16% of games are played with this variant rule: https://www.reddit.com/r/Pathfinder2e/comments/1dshymk/new_data_variant_rules_popularity/

I’ve posted something similar in the past, but I’ll say it again: it is a poor decision to continue adding new games and working on dozens of less-used platforms when your core ones are still incomplete. Or at least a poor decision for the users, but it does allow Demiplane to keep adding subscribers who are hoping the service will one day deliver on its promises.

I hope the team does better and communicates more effectively. Providing an actual timeline would be a good start, instead of deflecting by saying that giving a timeline leads to disappointment: the disappointment is already here.

[romepw]

Hi @MichoBkk - We aim to deliver great support for great games across the entire industry. That’s a promise we hold on hard to. I never like to see folks that we connect with disappointed, and it means a lot to me when people leave posts on our site when we aren’t meeting expectations. I appreciate that you called things out for us last year and are doing so again now.

I also feel it is important for me to stick up for our team - these are people who are working hard to deliver on our promise of creating these great tools. I don’t mean to stick up for the team with the intention to invalidate how you feel, but your claim of “thousand projects started, none completed” is really unfair to them. Since I lead these folks, I’ll take accountability for the areas you highlighted in your message last year:

• Gradual Ability Boost - We didn’t bring this specific rule into production, but we are actively supporting Free Archetype, Ancestry Paragon, Proficiency Without Level, and Voluntary Flaws (which is more for Pathfinder Society, but I’ll count it here). That’s over 60% of variant use coverage. Now - we aren’t shooting for 60%, but that’s certainly more than what is being implied.
• Showing/Hiding Content - This is admittedly harder than it appears but we haven’t lost sight of it. When it is completed, we’re looking to implement it across the entire ecosystem of games.
• Advancing Search Capabilities within Character Creation - we’ve implemented several ways to search, sort, and filter the significant amount of Pathfinder content over the past year in the builder and sheet (although not in the specific way you’ve requested).
• Unlock option - I don’t expect this will ever go away, but I also expect solving “Showing/Hiding Content” above will be help.
• Export to PDF - The first wave of this has been completed and is starting to be implemented across game systems. We’re collecting great feedback on the next wave of value here.
• Speed / Performance - A constant project for our team, especially with the tens of thousands of game elements being utilized every day. [EDIT - I didn’t explicitly say that I believe we’ve gotten significantly better here, so I’ll say it in an edit: I do believe we’ve gotten significantly better here]
• Purchasing Equipment in Sheet - I have prioritized other initiatives on top of this one, but I do see this as an ‘up and coming’ area of interest. This is an easier item to request than fulfill, but we know the effort.
• Spells - We have implemented unused spell slots for casters. I may be misunderstanding the original request (and want to know if I am).
• (New) Homebrew & API / Cross-Platform Capabilities - This isn’t something you listed on your list specifically, but they are two big items on MY list and things I want badly for our users.

In addition to the above, I’ll also add that we’ve supported every Pathfinder Playtest, implemented several class specific features to the sheet, added support for containers, formulas, alchemical crafting, and regular crafting (including the ability to “save” projects over time). We’ve implemented Resting options, advanced Mythic support, joined our Starfinder 2e and Pathfinder 2e Nexuses together so users can create PC’s in either system with cross functional content, added on-sheet journaling features, enabled sharing by QR Code (for our conference players out there), and digitized 53 different Pathfinder 2e titles to date (in 2024). This includes working our hardest to stay up to date with Pathfinder Society adventures. We’ve completely redone the ability to modify/customize items and equipment in the sheet based on user feedback, as well as redesigned our Rune Upgrade system from the ground up. None of these were on your list, but they were all items on someone’s list. We source our next offerings based on user feedback and while some take longer than others, I want you to know we take them seriously.

When it comes to our team doing better and communicating more effectively - that is something we strive for, as well. We meet with our community in-person every week live on Discord hosting AMAs, Q&A, giveaways, and more. We regularly discuss what’s coming next, announce any changes to our plans, and when the team wrestles me in front of the camera it is generally to let folks know that either something exciting or unfortunate is coming because of the realities of developing technology. We’re active in our Discord and this forum answering questions regularly. If you don’t trust me on this, feel welcome to visit the Discord and ask the group there. We aren’t perfect but we work hard to keep folks who want to be “in the know” informed without sending a bazillion emails.

So, before I wrap up, I want to make certain I share a few things:

• First, Thank you for believing in us and I really am glad that you’ve shared this with us. Our fire stays lit when we see users who care about us continuing to deliver great offerings. My goal is to have every one of your group members in love with Demiplane (and if they’re not, I want to know why – this post helps).
• Second, I really want you to know that we do care about making a great product. When we aren’t talking about the app, we’re working on it.
• Third, I wanted to defend the team and let you know that there has been way more progress and completion than the title and content of your post implies. We have not been sitting idle, but it is fair to say that our deliverables have not been the top items on your list.
• Fourth, and finally, I think the industry needs a platform like Demiplane. It’s been our goal since the day we launched to bring a home for every game to life. It’s why Travis and I started the company. We’ve never been quiet about working with multiple partners and we’ve never hid it from the industry. Admittedly, there’s more work involved with doing anything at this scale but I am glad to be taking this route. Additionally, we literally are staffing up for it. We have been hiring for positions these past four weeks. One of those openings is still open, if you (or anyone you may know) is interested.

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted you to know that I am glad you care and we do to. I’ll get together with the team here mid-December and take a look at this variant rule. I can’t promise it will be in by the end of the year based on what we have ahead of us, but I’ll let you know the outcome of the discussion.

Thanks, @MichoBkk - Reach out anytime.
Peter

[MichoBkk]

Thanks for your thorough reply, Peter; it’s much appreciated. I also want to acknowledge all the hard work you and your team have been putting in, and it’s refreshing to see you defend your team so passionately.

My post was focused on what’s missing, and perhaps it would have been more fair to also highlight the progress that has been made. I want to clarify that I do not doubt your professionalism or dedication in any way. However, I will double down on the fact that the tool, in its current state, is of no practical use to me or my party.

To avoid the hyperbole of “a thousand projects started,” I’ll simply say this: two incomplete products are not as effective as one complete product. It’s a matter of straightforward project management common sense.

I understand that you evaluate progress by looking at the deliverables across your overall project, but I hope you also understand that, to consumers, this perspective doesn’t matter in the end. The product is either usable, or it isn’t.

That said, I’d like to end on a positive note. My subscription is still active, and I plan to continue purchasing the books I’m interested in—despite already owning physical copies. I still believe in the incredible potential of what you and your team are working on.

Have a great day!