D&D (2024) I am highly skeptical of the Unreal VTT

[Ruin Explorer]

I imagine that both will be an option. YOu'll be able to have a totally abstract map or a really high-res photo realistic one, depending on what you want.

I think you're being very optimistic to think that. If they'd launched this a different way I might think that was likely, but they're pushing it as an ultra-glossy, ultra-flashy UE5 VTT, and pushing the monetized aspects (terrain is monetized - they say that in the video), so I don't think it's likely there will be a nice abstract map. If there is, great, but I'll be surprised unless development on the 3D aspect falters and they decide to make a 2D version first.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I'm concerned that WotC may have created a Cyberpunk 2077 situation here, based on reactions on non-TTRPG sites.

The issue is, they've gone for a fake/bullshot trailer, promised the earth, and yet are absolutely new to this, working with a new engine (not saying that's not the right choice, but if this was a KS, that'd be a major risk factor), and have presented absolutely no timeline, but sort of implied it might be kind of soon (I think accidentally).

Looking at people on TTRPG sites, a lot of them have played D&D, or do play it, and the problem is, they think this is going out soon, and that that stuff was in-engine (rather the CGI fake-o stuff it actually is). There are people talking about how this is going to solve their VTT problems, because it'll be so easy to use (!??!), people seem to think they'll have this sometime next year (?!?!?!?!) and people don't seem to get that, to look like that, it ain't going to run on your laptop or tablet or anything, you'll need a serious gaming PC. They also don't seem to think it'll be monetized. Intentionally or otherwise, WotC have created a ton of hype, and set a ton of expectations. That is not necessarily good.

So I think there's going to be an awful lot of disappointment over the next several years as this product both:

A) Fails to come out promptly.

and

B) Isn't the product people want it to be.

And that's before any monetization stuff hits, even.

 

[Blackrat]

This is a deja wu. Back in ’07/’08 WotC promised us a ”character visualizer” and a vtt, and a bunch of other digital goodies if I remember right. I’m still waiting on those…

 

[Ruin Explorer]

This is a deja wu. Back in ’07/’08 WotC promised us a ”character visualizer” and a vtt, and a bunch of other digital goodies if I remember right. I’m still waiting on those…

Yes they promised pretty much exactly everything they're promising here.

By very near the end of 4E, they had a 3D VTT working, kinda-sorta (it wasn't great, by all reports, and was ugly as heck), but it never made it out of basically early alpha before they shut it all down.

Here I feel like they may have this working before 7E (I'm going with "D&D Refresh" as the codename there) in like 2030, but I'll be shocked if anything that resembles the trailer is out before 2027.

 

[Hussar]

Well we’ll just have to see. Bookmarking this thread though. We’ll come back to this in a couple of years and see who was closer.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Well we’ll just have to see. Bookmarking this thread though. We’ll come back to this in a couple of years and see who was closer.

I will be genuinely falling out of my chair in surprise if WotC have a 3D VTT that looks/functions anything like that CGI trailer in two years. I will definitely have to take back my "WotC are bad at IT stuff" accusations.

My guess is this is still vapourware in two years but it is possible they'll have a much simpler Beyond-integrated VTT (that isn't fancy as hell, and probably is 2D or very limited 3D) that does not work the way described, but is more like a D&D-specialized Beyond-integrated Roll 20. Which will still cause massive wailing and gnashing of teeth from the people who thought the CGI trailer was "factual".

 

[Hussar]

I will be genuinely falling out of my chair in surprise if WotC have a 3D VTT that looks/functions anything like that CGI trailer in two years. I will definitely have to take back my "WotC are bad at IT stuff" accusations.

My guess is this is still vapourware in two years but it is possible they'll have a much simpler Beyond-integrated VTT (that isn't fancy as hell, and probably is 2D or very limited 3D) that does not work the way described, but is more like a D&D-specialized Beyond-integrated Roll 20. Which will still cause massive wailing and gnashing of teeth from the people who thought the CGI trailer was "factual".

Meh. If people get that bent out of shape over a 3 second preview from what will be two years previously, I really won't take them very seriously.

 

[HaroldTheHobbit]

I'm thinking about the monetization aspect. Having a higher subscription level for Beyond where the VTT is included would be fine. But micro transactions for terrain etc is very off-putting for me - I would never use a VTT where I have to pay 2 bucks to get access to a moss-covered dungeon wall. And as others have said, I'm very skeptical about development time and quality.

With that said, I'm not interested in UnrealVTT anyway. Today I run D&D in AboveVTT and everything else in Foundry, and it works great. The only digital play thingy I will get in the foreseeable future is Owlbear Rodeo 2.0, which have a very affordable subscription cost and lots of nice features, while still being super easy to use by the looks of it.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Meh. If people get that bent out of shape over a 3 second preview from what will be two years previously, I really won't take them very seriously.

I mean, in the trailer I watched it was a hell of a lot longer than that, more like 2 minutes or so, yeah, sure. And the wording WotC is using is actually quite weasel-y, despite the enthusiastic/earnest presentation - for example, the guy talking about how they're going to make you buy adventures to get blocks to build maps with couches it was a "we might", but then goes on speaking like it's a done deal and is quite flowery about it.

But yeah lots of more casual-end people seem to think this is what we're getting, and we're getting it soon, and sure don't take them seriously, but they're going to be pretty loud and pretty mad.

But micro transactions for terrain etc is very off-putting for me - I would never use a VTT where I have to pay 2 bucks to get access to a moss-covered dungeon wall.

Yeah and from the trailer we have reason to be concerned, because they seem to be saying that rather than giving us all the stuff for our subscription, they're thinking of giving us dungeon blocks based on what we've purchased.

Again this is a good reason to be deeply skeptical of the development time, of course - they apparently haven't even decided on their business model. They're still waffling about it. If it was coming out in two years, you'd need to planning the "dungeon blocks" into the development and release of adventures to be released in 2024, and you'd have to start on that now.

 

[Imaro]

So anyway, do you really honestly believe that in two years, we will have VTT from WotC that resembles the hype CGI they put out?

I think this is largely dependent on where, in development of this tool, they are at. Given what happened with 4e I believe this has been in development for a while now. I certainly don't believe they announced it and started development the next day.