Which virtual tabletop do you use?

[knifie_sp00nie]

Since WotC isn't going to have their game table software anytime soon and the need for a virtual setup has come up for me, I've started looking at the different virtual tabletops out there. Several look nice and offer trials or are freeware, but a short tryout is different than extended use.

The plan is to use the software for playing 4e online. Later on I may use it on a big TV in normal games instead of a traditional battlemat. Paying for good software isn't a problem and neither is free.

What platform do you use and why?

[Arkhandus]

I don't know if it's the one for you, really, but I use OpenRPG. It's free, easy to learn (the basics anyway, you'd have to ask around the forum or the OpenRPG Dev II server to learn all the other options and uses, plus there are utilities and such you can find on the web since OpenRPG is open content for other developers), it has a map and an easy way to store and transfer character sheets/other data in the .xml file "nodes", and it has a decent number of gamers that've been using it for many years and gets new gamers all the time. You can save your chat-buffer as a session log for later review (or to send to folks who missed a session, since the chat-log is an .htm or .html file), and I think the current version of OpenRPG might automatically do that, but I'm not sure where it does so (I just know that it auto-saves some kind of log nowadays).

Now, while the map has an adjustable/optional grid and can display images you have stored elsewhere online (usually on PhotoBucket or a personal webpage or something of the sort), and can display images of miniatures that can be moved around the map, it does have some minor issues. I'm not sure if the fog of war is working reliably in the current version (I think it is, or at least I've seen it used in one game I played in), and the map can slow things down if you or others on the server don't have reasonably fast computers, but it hasn't caused me too many problems when DMing (and mine are generally because my own computer is old and slow). Also, I think miniatures have to be .jpg images, though one or two other types might work (.gif images either stall the program for a few minutes, or otherwise cause trouble, and won't display). Minis have to be images that are also stored online somewhere. You can draw on the map as well.

On OpenRPG, you can visit any of the servers online at the moment or run your own temporary server on your computer, easily enough (that's what I used to do, though lately I just host my games on the Dev II server). In each server, there's a lobby and people can create separate rooms for their games (the lobby isn't generally for gaming, just chatting). The rooms can be made private or open, with private ones using a password for entry.

Minor note: the only serious problem with OpenRPG is that, once in a while, something your computer does just might freeze up OpenRPG or corrupt its current Gametree file, forcing you to stop the program and possibly reset the computer (at least in my cases, because again, my machine is old and runs a cruddy version of Windows). This happens only rarely (in my 7 or 8 years using the program, I could count the number of times on one hand and still have fingers left, but it's been so rare that I can't even remember exactly how few times it's happened). I've only seen or heard a few other people having this problem.

This is easily compensated for by just saving a separate copy of your Gametree under a different filename, or better, saving your individual nodes separately from the Gametree. Whenever you finish a session and changed some nodes during that time, just save the changed nodes or the spare gametree file before closing out. The program automatically saves your gametree when closing out, but on the rare occasions where the gametree file gets corrupted in the process, or when the program freezes up from some background-program of your OS interfering once in a while (as it does on my machine, anyway), this auto-save won't help as a result of the corruption or freezing.

Other minor problem: Once in a blue moon, the OpenRPG website will be down for maintenance, and OpenRPG will not be able to start up properly during that time. This has only interfered with my games twice now.

[DMFTodd]

I use kloogewerks. Not the prettiest, not the easiest, not free and occasionally wonky on stability. Seems to have a better set of tools though than the other ones out there: Zoomable map, easy to create tokens, full character sheet to support all dice rolling, quick and easy rolling and applying of damage, automated spells rolling penetration/saves, applying of effects to modify die rolls on the fly (hit, damage, saves, skills, you name it).

[Delak]

I use Maptools which can be found Here

I have been using this program for several years now first with my 3.5 game and now with my 4e game. It provides a great deal of functionality out of the box plus it has a great user community that have created many useful tokens specifically for 4e.

I use Maptools for my maps, init tracking, managing in game time, state tracking on the tokens (very useful for 4e with all the conditions and marks.), I have even started to use it for Campaign Management.

The developers are constantly updating the software with new versions coming out ever few weeks. Best of all its Free.

I can't recommend it enough.

[heruca]

Click on the link in my sig if you're interested in a virtual tabletop program that has a full-screen map and a hidden-until-you-need-it interface that's ideal for use with a projector or HDTV. Works great with D&D 4E or pretty much any other roleplaying system.

Or click here for a complete list of all the virtual tabletop software already available or "coming soon", so you can do your own "comparison shopping".

[Redrobes]

Hi, Dev of ViewingDale here - if you have any Q's for that then drop me a line.

I think each have their pros and cons depending on what is the most important feature for you. If playing as a battle mat then big map ability is a must. Some people like the PC doing all the rolling and calculations and others don't. Each one is written by a very small group or one single person so they produce the system that they want.

[azhrei_fje]

Originally Posted by Redrobes

[...] Each one is written by a very small group or one single person so they produce the system that they want.

Of course, it's best if the code is open source (if not free) since when the developer gets put in an insane asylum () someone else can step into their shoes to keep the application up to date.

Those of us here that have used DM Genie are probably familiar by now with how Mad Scientist Studios seems to have abandoned the project. (Of course, a wife, a baby, and a PhD thesis can tend to get in the way. )

[Hand of Evil]

Like Fantasy Grounds just find it easy to navagate and use.

[DonTadow]

Originally Posted by Delak

I use Maptools which can be found Here

I have been using this program for several years now first with my 3.5 game and now with my 4e game. It provides a great deal of functionality out of the box plus it has a great user community that have created many useful tokens specifically for 4e.

I use Maptools for my maps, init tracking, managing in game time, state tracking on the tokens (very useful for 4e with all the conditions and marks.), I have even started to use it for Campaign Management.

The developers are constantly updating the software with new versions coming out ever few weeks. Best of all its Free.

I can't recommend it enough.

I swear by maptools. Every few months I go back to some of the commercial and non-commecial programs (including all of the other ones mentioned here0 to see if they have caught up and I still haven't seen anything that comes up to the features. Easy to use, click and drag capability, allowing you to drag pngs, jpgs and bmps right on to the map. Several layers to create background and interactive objects where you can hide handouts that can be clicked on and easily reveal the gems. Vision and walls allow pcs to reveal the map depending on their sight . There's also a nice 1 gig download floating around the internet that has hundreds of tokens, creatures and spell effects for the program. It operates in full screen and there are many user generated add-ons to make it system specific (4e, pathfinder, 3.5).

It's opensource which is quite nice. There's a good donation program you can contribute too to put points into future features you want to see. The one feature I'd love to see soon for it is an import feature for statblocks, which none of the other programs have yet to my knowledge either.

[azhrei_fje]

<threadjack>

Originally Posted by DonTadow

The one feature I'd love to see soon for it is an import feature for statblocks, which none of the other programs have yet to my knowledge either.

Oooo, good idea. You should start a thread about that over at the RPTools forum.

Of course, any type of import would have to be tailored for the campaign framework you wanted to use. That might be pretty tough. I'll be thinking about this, though...
</threadjack>

[DMFTodd]

Originally Posted by DonTadow

The one feature I'd love to see soon for it is an import feature for statblocks, which none of the other programs have yet to my knowledge either.

DM's Familiar (my program, not a VTT) can import stat blocks and can then Export to the Klooge format. I do all my data entry in DM's Familiar, click a button to export to Klooge format, and then import everything to klooge.

[Hand of Evil]

My concern and why I was hoping WotC would get their act together, was a universal platform / system. It would be nice to just find people that you could just game with without having to get the application for. WotC should have went to one of these 3rd party vendors, evaluated, and selected.

WotC has not show good judgement on their software projects.

[RSKennan]

I swear by Fantasy Grounds II, despite its problems. It's fickle, but not buggy. In play it feels almost exactly like a very focused tabletop session of D&D. You move your tokens, roll your 3d dice, the GM can change lighting and show visual aids, etc. You also have a character sheet that you can click to roll that field's associated dice automatically. Playing with text chat is tedious, but over Skype things move along very well. It's literally the only reason I keep a Windows partition.

Some features that become drawbacks in certain situations- it uses a square grid, and the only option for anything else is to disable the grid altogether. With the grid on, your tokens snap into position when you drop them. Without it they don't. That means that it's excellent for any game that uses a square grid, and not as cool for games that don't.

There's no official 4e ruleset. There is an unofficial one of questionable legality, though. Same for SW Saga. The rulesets define how the program interprets your interactions with it. Other systems, like Savage Worlds, have official rulesets and you can code your own.

It doesn't know how to do dice pools for success-based systems, but that might be a ruleset issue. It's really geared towards d20, and getting it to do other things is harder than it needs to be.

[RSKennan]

Oh, and I'm sure this is a common feature, but in Fantasy Grounds, there's a combat tracker that allows you to resolve your attacks by rolling dice on your foe. If tells you if you hit, and if you do damage, it applies it automatically. It speeds up combat quite a bit, and frees the GM to describe things, IMO.

[mastermaven79]

All I need from a virtual tabletop is the board or mat, with square grid(and the ability to make the mat/board smaller or bigger to accomadate different sized battlefiels). Tokens for PC's and NPC's and monsters(they must have a front and back for facing). A dice roller so that all players can see your rolls. A drawing tools so i can draw on the mat/board. Thats all i really need. I don't need any of those bells and whistles.

[Redrobes]

You dont have to use every feature on a VTT. The important thing is that for the features that you do need that the program does those bits of it very well.

Most VTTs have a graphical map and for all of those they all have a grid option. They all have tokens which you can move and they all update everyone elses tokens when one person moves theirs. Thats the essential bits for a graphical VTT.

You say that you dont want other features but if you find it hard to connect with outhers or that it crashes or that its clunky to install or use then you would find that there are differences between programs. All of them have strengths and weaknesses. Theres no one that is better at everything.

[azhrei_fje]

Originally Posted by RSKennan

I swear by Fantasy Grounds II, despite its problems. It's fickle, but not buggy. [...] It's literally the only reason I keep a Windows partition.

I used to say the same thing about DM Genie. But I don't use that program any more.

In addition, with the advent of MapTool (and the other RPTools applications) which are Java-based, I don't need a Windows virtual machine at all. (I still have one for that stupid, icky LiveMeeting crapware, but that's for business, not for gaming. )

Some features that become drawbacks in certain situations- it uses a square grid, and the only option for anything else is to disable the grid altogether.

MapTool has square and hex grids, or you can go gridless.

There's no official 4e ruleset.

Ditto for MapTool. It doesn't have any game-system specific code in it except for the movement counting stuff (1-2-1 or 1-1-1), but this simply means that users can define their own rules via the macros they write to implement game functions.

It doesn't know how to do dice pools for success-based systems, but that might be a ruleset issue.

Oops. I said above that MapTool doesn't have game-system specific stuff besides the movement counting, but it does have a large variety of die rolling features, including success-based rolls, exploding rolls, and a bunch of others. So I guess that's two exceptions instead of one.

Also on the list for inclusion soon is some kind of card deck support. MapTool won't be making decisions based on the cards, but it will provide support for drawing cards from a deck, placing them back into the deck, shuffling the deck, and so on. It will be up to user macros to make decisions based on the cards that are drawn or used.