D&D General Maps on D&DBeyond

[Reynard]

Yeah it just tracks initiative, let’s you have all your statblocks in one place, and let’s you change monster and PC HP in the tracker.

And it is always online? Lame.

 

[Retros_x]

The thing with 2d is that one does not really need an immersive map, it is more a reference for tactical positioning. With 3d the visual aspect of the map will become much more important.

My point was not about immersion itself, but more than many DM dont draw ugly abstract maps, but download / buy maps that are well-drawn so they don't have to in prep. I think the same will happen in 3D, people will just download 3D maps that somebody more talented already created. Especially generic stuff like taverns etc.

 

[Dire Bare]

And it is always online? Lame.

D&D Beyond is an online service. The initiative tracker is a part of the encounter builder and not a separate app. And it's still in alpha.

It would be more valuable if it was tied to the encounter builder, but also available separately. And available offline. Sure.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

2) Something weird is happening with the 3D VTT and it's not going to be part of Beyond, even if it can draw information from it. So this is actually the VTT that the Beyond team was previously working on maybe, just developed to a near-usable level (and later to be fully usable). This seems slightly more likely because there have been rumours for a while that the 3D VTT team leaders are pretty territorial and don't want to be part of Beyond (and indeed, recommended against buying Beyond), but it still doesn't seem very likely.

There's a whiff of vapor around the 3D VTT today.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

There's a whiff of vapor around the 3D VTT today.

Lol not really. They talked about having a 2d solution alongside the 3D vtt pretty far back. At least when we saw people actually use it for the first time.

Maps launching has no bearing on the 3D vtt.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Maps launching has no bearing on the 3D vtt.

I don't know what corporations you've worked for, but in my experience, having an internal rival put a competing product out into the marketplace always affects how the other product is viewed internally, whether it's "this other thing is not getting any particular audience; why do we think your thing has an audience" or "this other thing is going phenomenally; why don't we just double down on it?"

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I don't know what corporations you've worked for, but in my experience, having an internal rival put a competing product out into the marketplace always affects how the other product is viewed internally, whether it's "this other thing is not getting any particular audience; why do we think your thing has an audience" or "this other thing is going phenomenally; why don't we just double down on it?"

I don’t know why we would assume this is an internal rivalry situation but okay.

Either way, they aren’t competing products. The 2d map solution has always been part of the plan for the digital tools, alongside the 3d vtt.

 

[Clint_L]

First, Amy Dallen is a sheer delight and frankly I wish my HR would hire her to record all their presentations. Her radiant positivity always makes me feel better about my day.

Secondly, this video is very well done, as is typical of WotC, and has me excited to try Maps. I'm kinda dumb with technology, so if I can figure it out, that bodes well for everyone else.

Thirdly, I start a new beginner campaign at my school tomorrow and just got Phandelver, so I have shifted plans and will be running it with this new feature, and we will see what happens. I will report back, in the appropriate thread!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I don’t know why we would assume this is an internal rivalry situation but okay.

Two separate products in the same space are technically rivals, even if everyone on each team loves each other.

Either way, they aren’t competing products.

There is going to be some portion of the user base larger than zero that will opt to not use the 3D VTT because they're already paying for a master subscription and find the 2D VTT to be just fine for their purposes. That is absolutely competition.

The 2d map solution has always been part of the plan for the digital tools, alongside the 3d vtt.

That it's always been the plan doesn't make it a good plan or make them not competing products.

 

[Clint_L]

Yeah, okay, it's incredibly easy to use, at least as far as setting up an encounter goes. Stupidly easy, because, as stated, I'm technology stupid and I am having no trouble intuiting it.

Ummm....this is a pretty incredible feature to just get added to my subscription. DDB was already an incredible bargain.