D&D 5E Most User-Friendly VTT? (Dice Games In The Time of Covid)

[Retreater]

Tried a free class at www.fantasygroundscollege.net?

In my case "yes." I've been on the Facebook Group for nearly two years. Watched numerous videos. Played in a couple sample games. I get regular tips emailed to me. I've put in more work on it than I have in several undergraduate courses. It's simply not intuitively designed (for me).
I have friends who are professional computer programmers who can't get it either, who have bought the licenses and really wanted it to work (the same as me). We have all migrated to Roll20. I hate that I'm not being more supportive of Fantasy Grounds because they do seem like a great community. I just can't get it working properly. (And now there's an added barrier due to the differences in our computing setups. I can't even get it on my Chromebook working right. The "hack" solution out there just doesn't cut it. Browser-based is the only way to go.)

 

[Nebulous]

In my case "yes." I've been on the Facebook Group for nearly two years. Watched numerous videos. Played in a couple sample games. I get regular tips emailed to me. I've put in more work on it than I have in several undergraduate courses. It's simply not intuitively designed (for me).

I think it might just come down to how people are wired and what clicks with them or not. If I keep taking classes and playing as a player I hope it will become more intuitive.

 

[Ovinomancer]

Yeah, we have the same wish with regards to dropping in assets and having them just work.

As it is, it isn’t worth the time involved, for me, to throw together a map during play, which means the program is just a dry erase board, like you said.

You might want to look into the many collaborative whiteboard apps out there, then. If simple drawing is all you need, they'll do a better job of it. VTTs are more integrated apps, and the more "drag and drop" they are, the less they're able to be flexible for customization.

The kind of automation you're talking about is also expensive in programmer and artist resources and, let's face it, this is a cheap hobby.

 

[GlassJaw]

Biggest barrier for online gaming right now is that you can't find webcams in stock anywhere.

 

[Oofta]

Biggest barrier for online gaming right now is that you can't find webcams in stock anywhere.

Use your phone? Most have a camera that's good enough.

But yeah, I'm glad I ran out and got a new headset with mic a couple of weeks ago.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

You might want to look into the many collaborative whiteboard apps out there, then. If simple drawing is all you need, they'll do a better job of it. VTTs are more integrated apps, and the more "drag and drop" they are, the less they're able to be flexible for customization.

The kind of automation you're talking about is also expensive in programmer and artist resources and, let's face it, this is a cheap hobby.

A cheap hobby? Not IME. People drop a lot of money every year on gaming aids, both in form of Kickstarter campaigns and FLGS purchases.

 

[DND_Reborn]

A cheap hobby? Not IME. People drop a lot of money every year on gaming aids, both in form of Kickstarter campaigns and FLGS purchases.

I find as that I am typically the DM it is more expensive for me. I owned a lot of the 1E/2E books (still have many 1E but sold off my 2E a while ago). Investing in 5E was big because I knew I would DM. Some of the players in our group have chipped in for "group" expenses like our battle mat, etc.

On the player side of things, it doesn't have to be very expensive unless you buy tons of dice and minis IME.

 

[GlassJaw]

Use your phone? Most have a camera that's good enough.

Not really, and running VTT apps or Zoom on your phone or tablet is way less efficient. For a player it's ok but not DM.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I find as that I am typically the DM it is more expensive for me. I owned a lot of the 1E/2E books (still have many 1E but sold off my 2E a while ago). Investing in 5E was big because I knew I would DM. Some of the players in our group have chipped in for "group" expenses like our battle mat, etc.

On the player side of things, it doesn't have to be very expensive unless you buy tons of dice and minis IME.

I mean in terms of people in the hobby being cheap. People are quite willing to spend, IME.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I mean in terms of people in the hobby being cheap. People are quite willing to spend, IME.

Hmm... I've seen both. I know players who won't even buy a PHB and others (DM and players alike) who buy every single thing that hits the shelves.

Personally, I am on the cheaper side, myself. There are a LOT of supplements for 5E that WotC has put out that I will never buy! They just aren't worth it because there is very little material I want. I recall feeling gypped by the DMG since IMO the first 100 pages are just about useless (to me, that is--I know novice DMs find it useful) and hated paying for it.