In all honesty, while the perception of being let down again is admittedly bad -- I expect that the real answer is simply that this is too expensive for the relatively small audience this appeals to. This does not surprise me at all.
Moreover, every time I use a VTT, I am convinced it is YESTERDAY'S ANSWER that doesn't make real sense to use with today's technology.
If we are all on broadband, we already have a crap ton of miniatures, (or Pawns), battlemats and flip-mats and 4 lbs. of polyhedral dice in a leather satchel and a bazillion books and pdfs -- why are we reinventing the wheel with the dozens of VTT's that exist so that we DO NOT use the stuff we love to own and collect and that the game companies have already sold us? Seriously: WHY WOULD THAT BE A GOOD IDEA? It's REALLY not necessary.
If you have Skype, a microphone stand to act as a webcam tripod and another webcam (the GM needs two -- the players only need one) then there is one program you need to run a game online. It's called XSplit. That's it and that's all.
XSplit is camera management software that allows you to create your own live television studio online. All the cool watermarks and screen fades and wipes to enable live streaming of still and live content you could ever want. In a slick and professional package, for about the cost of a new videogame.
When you want to roll dice? You just pick up the damn dice and roll them. You use a flip mat and some minis for the monsters. You look at the people you are playing with in the eye. It's not "like" real gaming -- it IS real gaming.
I do it two to three times a week. It doesn't simply work well -- it is outstanding. Given the sheer convenience and the HUGE savings in travel time, I frankly prefer it to attending in person.
I am convinced that remote play via multiple-cameras is the future. We dont need to reinvent the wheel. The way we game face to face is the way we need to game remotely, too.
Every time we move away from that -- we take a step in the wrong direction.
http://www.xsplit.com/
Honest question, of those of you complaining about the cancellation oft he VTT who actually uses it on a regular basis?
They are pulling it because not enough people are using it so it is not worth them spending the resources on it. This is purely a business decision, one the every business around the world has to make from time to time.
It is failures like this which undermined the effectiveness of 4E.
Moreover, every time I use a VTT, I am convinced it is YESTERDAY'S ANSWER that doesn't make real sense to use with today's technology.
If we are all on broadband, we already have a crap ton of miniatures, (or Pawns), battlemats and flip-mats and 4 lbs. of polyhedral dice in a leather satchel and a bazillion books and pdfs -- why are we reinventing the wheel with the dozens of VTT's that exist so that we DO NOT use the stuff we love to own and collect and that the game companies have already sold us? Seriously: WHY WOULD THAT BE A GOOD IDEA? It's REALLY not necessary.
If you have Skype, a microphone stand to act as a webcam tripod and another webcam (the GM needs two -- the players only need one) then there is one program you need to run a game online. It's called XSplit. That's it and that's all.
XSplit is camera management software that allows you to create your own live television studio online. All the cool watermarks and screen fades and wipes to enable live streaming of still and live content you could ever want. In a slick and professional package, for about the cost of a new videogame.
When you want to roll dice? You just pick up the damn dice and roll them. You use a flip mat and some minis for the monsters. You look at the people you are playing with in the eye. It's not "like" real gaming -- it IS real gaming.
I do it two to three times a week. It doesn't simply work well -- it is outstanding. Given the sheer convenience and the HUGE savings in travel time, I frankly prefer it to attending in person.
I am convinced that remote play via multiple-cameras is the future. We dont need to reinvent the wheel. The way we game face to face is the way we need to game remotely, too.
Every time we move away from that -- we take a step in the wrong direction.