WotC D&D Beyond Update: 2024 Core Rulebooks, Maps, and Third Party Content.

Maps has a number of updates.

• Lots of feature improvements to maps--tokens, fog, and user interface.
• 'Spectator Mode' allows DMs to open a separate tab as a player view on a separate monitor, streaming, etc.
• 'Draw Tool' allows you to freehand draw on the map.
• 6 products from back catalogue plus third party content added to library.
• Pointer added.
• You can now rename a token.
• Enhancement and support will include the 2024 core rulebooks.

Maps is 'here to stay' and will continue to be supported.

Regarding third party products, apparently they are inviting 'many third parties to the party'.

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[MNblockhead]

What I'll be curious to hear about is what differentiating features they decide to prioritize first to separate themselves from other VTTs already established like R20 and Foundry

I suspect it will be integration with DDB. This is not meant to compete with Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, and Foundry. That's what the 3D VTT they are working on is for.

I don't even think it really is meant to even compete with Owlbear Rodeo, Role, and other VTT-lite systems. It is meant to provide easy to use, basic battlemap functionality to DDB subscribers. I suspect that their focus will be on supporting tighter integration with DDB and official content.

 

[MNblockhead]

@Clint_L what do you use for chat/video/voice chat when you use maps? The one thing keeping me on Roll20 right now is the integrated chat/voice/video.

Maybe Roll20's audio/video has improved, but when I've been in games that used it in the past, it was pretty bad. It might be better now. I don't know because nearly EVERY game I play in, whether on-line convention games, paid DM games, pick-up games through the Find a Game feature all use Discord.

Even in systems where the A/V quality is good, I find it takes up more screen real estate than I'm happy with. I generally like to have voice running in a separate app for this reason. I generally don't use video, but if I did, I would want to be able to pop it out to another window to show in a separate screen. Maybe that's possible now in Roll20, but for the past few years, I've only been a player in Roll20, and none of the DMs use Roll20s voice and video features.

The only system with a GUI for integrated voice and video I've seen is Role. But its focus is being a video-conferencing system for gamers. The VTT portion is very basic. It is better for theater of the mind with decent dice rolling and character sheet features. But the battlemap is very basic.

 

[MNblockhead]

I think that is an opinion that isn't going to age well. There is no way their intent isn't to be substantially a Roll20-like. Or, frankly, killer. WotC isn't investing in it to do it halfassed.

Yeah, that's why there are separately developing a full-featured VTT. Maps will be there for new DMs or DMs that just want basic battlemap functionality. Those that an advanted VTT with 3D map support, line of sight, dynamic lighting, automations, and map-creation tools can subscribe to their advanced VTT or go with a non-WotC product like Foundry, Roll20, and Fantasy Groups that all have 5e support.

 

[MNblockhead]

I'll consider giving that a try. It still seems a bit silly to me to have to build fake characters just to give someone an Icon, but I appreciate your advice! The simpler the work-around, the better.

Yeah, its a kludge. It would be nice if they would let you just drop a token not tied to a sheet, but I'm sure their priority is good integration with DDB.

 

[MNblockhead]

I am not forgetting anything. The 3D VTT is a different beast entirely, aimed a different audience, designed for a different (monetization) purpose. Beyond Maps is intended to bring people to Beyond, and to do that it HAS to be better than VTTs where you can already leverage Beyond to use the VTT -- specifically, Roll20.

No. It really doesn't. WotC would be happy if you use Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, or Foundry and buy their official content for these platforms.

If they live up to their marketing, their official VTT will still support flat maps and will have the best automation for the official rules with some options for optional and homebrew rules. It will directly compete with the other major VTT platforms. The main thing that it won't do is support non-DnD systems. Which is why they are still licensing official content for purchase through competing VTT platforms.

I predict that Maps will have the most users among DnD players. People who want a simple flat, battlemap that is well-integrated with DDB's encounter building and character sheets.
The WotC VTT (is there an official name for it yet?) will be for DMs with the disposable income and interest in a full featured VTT with the best support for the official rules, and who appreciate the more video-game-like 3D presentation and automations.

Foundry will be the for the tinkerers and customizers. I don't see any other VTT that is close to having the modding community that Foundry does.

Roll20 will be for those who want support for a variety of systems but don't want to deal with having to install software, configuring network connections, and have access to healthy marketplace of content and a large community for finding campaigns and one-shots to join.

Fantasy Grounds...I think they are at the most risk of losing market share. I'm not sure what their niche is. One thing I think FG does well is in-house official support for suppored systems that do a good job at automating things. It is also perhaps the best VTT for those who want to both play remote and in-person games using a VTT. But the fact that all players have to install software and the high learning curve increasingly makes it a hard sell. Also a lot of people find the interface outdated and unintuitive (I don't mind it myself). In my experience, its customer base is more people who have been using it a long time and are invested in it. I don't see many people switching to it from other VTTs and see very few people choosing it as their first VTT.

d20pro. It is still around, I just never see it in the wild any more. I can't think of any reason to choose it over other offerings.

Then we get to a long tail of other VTTs that have their fans but I don't see winning a significant share of the VTT market.

 

[TerraDave]

And for bringing a new technology to the masses. It'll be far easier to onramp less-technical people into DDB Maps than the more feature-rich tools.

Maybe. Roll20 does have a free version and is not that hard to use, and its not alone in that.

 

[MNblockhead]

Most VTTs* have simple individual solutions for these things. it is when they come in aggregate that they become a problem.

*Except Fantasy grounds. Which I use. Because of sunk cost. Ugh.

Also except Foundry. I like foundry a lot and it has been my main VTT for years. But I would never recommend it for anyone wanting something simple. It doesn't even have manual fog of war without a mod (Simple Fog of War), which has historically be very unreliable. It is great for those who like to tinker and make their VTT its own hobby. But it is never my first recommendation for DMs just getting started with VTTs, especially if they want to run 5e. Even more especially if they are not very technically inclined and have simple needs.

 

[TerraDave]

What's the point of this post? They're in alpha..... In development for less than a year...

Right back at ya.

 

[MNblockhead]

I'm going to say it.

I miss the VT "Map Tools" by RPGtools.net. It's what we used before roll20.

Full of features and customization. It was a pain and a half to host a game. But I learned alot about routers and accessing them by going through the tutorials.

I loved you could turn invisible PC invisible to other players. Watching friendly fire AOE never gets old.

Me too. But I only used it for in-person play. Configuring things to host games remotely would be intimidating for most users. The learning curve is not that high if your needs are simple, but it I wouldn't call it intuitive. There is still a bit of a learning curve. But man, I could run a sandbox game so smoothly with Map Tools. There is no other VTT I've used where I can search for and select maps, apply a grid and fog of war, and drop some token on it as fast I could with Map Tool.

 

[MNblockhead]

Maybe. Roll20 does have a free version and is not that hard to use, and its not alone in that.

I agree. What I meant was that for those already using DDB, Maps integrations and being part of the DDB platform makes it much easier. If you are starting completely from scratch, you have more options, but for a new 5e player, DDB is a pretty easy decision unless you are very cost sensitive.

I do think that Roll20 is still intimidating for many people, based on posts I've seen on ENWorld. But yes, with a bit of time familiarizing yourself with the interface and tools, you can upload a map and use manual fog of war. You don't HAVE to use all the advanced features. And you can do it for free. It is a good product, especially if you play system other than, or in addition to, DnD 5e.