D&D (2024) BG3 and the new VTT

[Malmuria]

Interesting video from Dungeon Craft about the potential impact of BG3 on Wotc's new VTT. The argument is that the proposed VTT sits awkwardly between a videogame like BG3 and the tabletop experience. The result is that it might not have much of an audience. In other words, if you want isometric, graphically immersive dnd, you'll play BG3. And if you want a more social table top experience, you'll either play in person or use one of the many other cheaper VTTs that get the job done. This is especially the case being that BG3 doesn't have microtransactions and that it can and will be modded in interesting ways

 

[Scribe]

I mean if they created a way to make your own adventures as mods, but thats a massive amount of work if even possible I'm sure.

The mods could be great, but its still going to be running through the same story no?

 

[mellored]

Mods could, potentially, be thier own story.

Or at least their own one shot.

 

[Malmuria]

Divinity Original Sin 2 had a GM mode where you could create your own scenarios. Here is Matt Mercer showing it off 6 years ago

Aside from that, I think the point is that a potential 3d vtt from wotc isn't going to be as visually impressive as BG3 for those that want that. For other people who are more into the social aspect of the game, existing VTTs or playing in person is preferable.

 

[payn]

I think this is faulty reasoning. A lot of folks are not happy with cheaper VTTs. They just really like the fact they are cheap. They can be amazing, but require a lot of work. How much work the WotC VTT can cut away and make seamless will really be key to their success. With how much they are investing, I expect it to be very popular with gamers.

 

[Zaukrie]

Ya, no. There is a huge market for VTTs.....this is just not true at all. If WotC can put out a decent, not even great, VTT, they'll print money.

 

[mellored]

Ya, no. There is a huge market for VTTs.....this is just not true at all. If WotC can put out a decent, not even great, VTT, they'll print money.

Just one tied to the character builder, and it's a safe bet.

 

[Parmandur]

I think this is faulty reasoning. A lot of folks are not happy with cheaper VTTs. They just really like the fact they are cheap. They can be amazing, but require a lot of work. How much work the WotC VTT can cut away and make seamless will really be key to their success. With how much they are investing, I expect it to be very popular with gamers.

I'll go one further: we don't even know if the competition are the cheaper VTTs, in terms of cost of entry.

I have no interest in any of them, but WotC could easily use a freemium model that undercuts other VTT options, with micro transactions replacing the big bulk purchases most options currently use.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I think this is faulty reasoning. A lot of folks are not happy with cheaper VTTs. They just really like the fact they are cheap. They can be amazing, but require a lot of work. How much work the WotC VTT can cut away and make seamless will really be key to their success. With how much they are investing, I expect it to be very popular with gamers.

Every six months or so, I have one of my online players get excited about some VTT or other. Then when we dig into how to do it, the user-unfriendliness of it (always the DM, but sometimes the players, too) always weans them off it.

The company -- probably well-funded -- that makes a robust VTT truly easy is going to do great business, because there are a lot of customers out there who find the existing VTTs merely "good enough" or -- probably many more people -- not worth the enormous hassle.

 

[Azzy]

Yeah, I don't think that's a very logical argument and it seems to show a serious lack of understanding of VTTs.

While I'm rather happy with Foundry VTT (and I will shill for it) and very unlikely to switch to WotC's offering. However.... I think that WotC's VTT is going to appeal to anyone that is interested in playing actual D&D with a VTT. There will definitely be those that ooh and ahh at having a 3D VTT (which, considering there already are some, shows that the argument doesn't hold). Really, the fate of the WotC VTT is going to live or die on a) how expensive it is, b) how easy it is to use, c) how well it implements the D&D ruleset, d) there is no "d"), e) how well it integrates into D&D Beyond, and f) how easy it is to implement house rules and 3PP material.