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Message: <blockquote data-quote="iserith" data-source="post: 8134678" data-attributes="member: 97077">Some of what I'm saying here will be specific to Roll20, but can probably be applied to other VTTs.Use the visual medium to its maximum effect: Include beautiful maps and images that evoke the game you're trying to present. There should never be a white screen with a grid and some art tool doodles. You can do better! This helps keep players' eyes on the screen. But also take advantage of ways to present game information to cut down on back and forth which eats up a lot of game time. As an example, make monster HP bar visible and add the monster's AC to the name plate of the token e.g. "Orc | 13." This eliminates the need for asking "How's that monster looking?" and "Did I hit?" and the DM responding. Instead the DM can just go right into narration. To that end, have all the players change their display name to their character name and passive Perception e.g. "Bruenor - PP 15." This makes it easier for the DM to scan across the bottom of the screen to check passive Perception as needed.This doesn't necessarily need to be just in online games, but it may address one of things you were seeing in your game: Consider making a distinction between moving around the adventure location and exploring it thoroughly. While moving around, the characters (with player buy-in) are keeping alert for danger while the DM describes the environment including the basic scope of options that present themselves. But if they want to explore more thoroughly, you go into an "exploration phase" that takes 10 minutes in a given area (say 1000 sq. ft.). Each player declares what they want to do - check for traps, hide, keep watch, loot, perform a ritual, pick a lock, search for secret doors, track, work together etc. Resolve each task as normal, then make a wandering monster check (or otherwise take note of the time spent if there's a countdown to doom). Repeat as needed. Figuring out a trap or secret door and disabling a trap would, in this setup, be another 10 minute task that occurs only after the trap or secret door is detected. This means that any given trap interaction takes about 30 minutes of game time or 20 minutes for a secret door. As well, to deal with everyone splitting up, you might have one of the party designated the point character in the marching order. Then all characters/tokens must follow that person. They move when he or she moves and stops when he or she stops. The only time they split up potentially is when they're engaged in exploration as above. Again, this requires players to buy in on this approach as a means to streamline gameplay.</blockquote>

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