So I've seen the screenshots of D&D Online Tabletop (or whatever it's called), with the 3D characters facing the 3D beholder, and with the "character avatar designing" image.
My #1 hope for Online Tabletop is: I hope that players, and DMs, will be able to upload their own textures and 3D models for the backgrounds, monsters and characters. I think this is a really, really big deal. The actual graphical quality of the existing models seems pretty decent, of course. But if every Lizardfolk and every Beholder looks the same, that's fine for Wizards of the Coast's Product Identity Branding, but that's not fine for players trying to make a really individualistic character or DMs trying to make an individualistic campaign world. (One in which, for instance, Tieflings are noseless freaks with glowing red eyes and snake's tongues. Or goblins look like Brian Froud goblins instead of D&D goblins. Or any number of little changes.) Even as a player, whenever I play MMORPGs, I generally resent having to stick to their set number of character designs.
Now obviously for the D&D Miniatures line, and the basic D&D rulebook illustrations, they need to stick to a particular set style. But there's no reason that the Online Tabletop shouldn't support as much customization as possible. Obviously some people will abuse the power and upload fighters with pornographic images overlaid on their faces, or orcs who look like Storm Troopers, or whatever. That's unavoidable. And obviously most gamers won't even use the customization feature. But for people who really want to run a "campaign" using Online Tabletop, as opposed to a pick-up game ("I wonder who's online? Let's have them fight some kobolds"), this kind of thing could really add a lot to the value of the system.
(Incidentally, it would obviously have been a lot easier to make everything customizable if Online Tabletop was 2D, but it should still be possible in 3D.)
So -- Wizards, please make it customizable!
My #1 hope for Online Tabletop is: I hope that players, and DMs, will be able to upload their own textures and 3D models for the backgrounds, monsters and characters. I think this is a really, really big deal. The actual graphical quality of the existing models seems pretty decent, of course. But if every Lizardfolk and every Beholder looks the same, that's fine for Wizards of the Coast's Product Identity Branding, but that's not fine for players trying to make a really individualistic character or DMs trying to make an individualistic campaign world. (One in which, for instance, Tieflings are noseless freaks with glowing red eyes and snake's tongues. Or goblins look like Brian Froud goblins instead of D&D goblins. Or any number of little changes.) Even as a player, whenever I play MMORPGs, I generally resent having to stick to their set number of character designs.
Now obviously for the D&D Miniatures line, and the basic D&D rulebook illustrations, they need to stick to a particular set style. But there's no reason that the Online Tabletop shouldn't support as much customization as possible. Obviously some people will abuse the power and upload fighters with pornographic images overlaid on their faces, or orcs who look like Storm Troopers, or whatever. That's unavoidable. And obviously most gamers won't even use the customization feature. But for people who really want to run a "campaign" using Online Tabletop, as opposed to a pick-up game ("I wonder who's online? Let's have them fight some kobolds"), this kind of thing could really add a lot to the value of the system.
(Incidentally, it would obviously have been a lot easier to make everything customizable if Online Tabletop was 2D, but it should still be possible in 3D.)
So -- Wizards, please make it customizable!
