I can’t see any way that online could be better.
LWD is giving up control of the user interface to whatever browser the end user has. While they can try to control it the browser manages how the cod gets implemented. Often modern CSS and HTML needs numerous adjustments to get a browser to even display the page.
LWD is giving up user experience to extremely random internet connections and speeds. Yes they do the same to platform, processor, and RAM but at least you can set standards.
LWD is giving up control of the technology. I would hope they had learned with Realm Works. They wrote all their code to work on a code base written by another company who then upgraded and stoped support for several things that RW required. The issue put LWD in a serious hole and there is no guarantee that the rug won’t be pulled out from under them again.
In the USA it is believed that over a third of the population has no high speed connection within 25 miles of them (the communications companies claim less than 10% while some research companies are claiming as high as 50%). By placing your product as online only you cut the potential number of customers and will, in the long run, make far less profit.
The customer is giving all control of THEIR data. My characters, my story lines, my plot hooks are mine to control and use. By placing them online only I am now a hostage of some company. I can hope that they won’t sell my ideas to someone else. I can hope they don’t hold my data hostage for who knows what. Then, what happens when they go out of business
An online system is an incomplete product. You are selling me the ability to do something provided I connect to your infrastructure and use you to facilitate and complete the process. They are trying to sell a product as if it were a service. Providing me with internet access is a service, offering me access to media for viewing but not ownership is a service, offering me something that is consumed is a service. A database to design and store character and story data is not a service, it is a product and I should be able to use it as a complete system after my transaction with the company.