D&D 5E More details about the VTT from D&D Beyond

[Paul Farquhar]

If you’re kitchen table let’s you and your friends from across the country play with digital maps remotely at the same time? Sure!

But does the VTT hold your snacks and drinks?

 

[Matchstick]

Graphically Talespire is already doing very similar things, with animations etc., and has been for a few years.

 

[CommodoreKong]

Graphically Talespire is already doing very similar things, with animations etc., and has been for a few years.

Yeah it makes sense it looks a lot like Talespire, they're both going for the same thing of miniatures in 3D environments to represent a TTRPG play space.
I haven't played Talespire but I know it's a couple of years old and it will be interesting to see what kind of state the DND VTT launches in compared to Talespire.

 

[bert1001 fka bert1000]

I know what you mean. For me, the difference lies in imagination, and how much you need to use. The more imagination you need (like in theater of the mind) the more "cinematic" your immersion. The less imagination (really good miniatures, really good VTT), the more you feel removed from the immersion.

I know it's not just me, but this might not be true for everyone. I also know that some people really need as many imagination aids as you can give them. It's not that their unimaginative, it's that their imagination doesn't form particularly vivid pictures.

Still, this looks to me like it would have the danger (I'd have to try it to be sure) of feeling like playing a really, really slow video game with friends. Like in the old days when you had to pass the joystick over and wait for them. I think that I'd grow impatient. I'll have to see.

Yeah, I'm not taking the position that this type of VTT will ruin gaming or whatever. Playing on a VTT aleady feels different enough to me from being in person so perhaps I will come to the position that if we are going to play on VTT might as well take full advantage of the unique strengths of this different format.

That said, I do feel like we are getting into territory here that is different. We are now going beyond simulating what many people have on the real table during a game (with rare exception perhaps for people that have full sets of 3D terrain and minis but even then).

To some extent, we are already there with current VTTs with dynamic lighting, automation, etc. but for some reason this graphical upgrade seems like another level of evolution to me.

Currently, the table top experience for those that use paper print outs of maps and tokens and a VTT are somewhat similar. But if I played a session with this new VTT because people couldn't make it in person and then the next session in real life without the VTT, I know it would feel pretty different to me.

That doesn't even get into the use case they showed of playing with the VTT in person with everyone around the table on seperate computers. Did they do that just to demo it or were they highlighting that as a prime use case? THAT feels even more different to me than my current rpg experiences and something I would not want to move to anytime soon.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

That doesn't even get into the use case they showed of playing with the VTT in person with everyone around the table on seperate computers. Did they do that just to demo it or were they highlighting that as a prime use case? THAT feels even more different to me than my current rpg experiences and something I would not want to move to anytime soon.

Yeah, I think I'd enjoy using a system like they've shown if I had to play remotely (assuming that it meets their goals of being convenient to use) but I'd HATE to use it around a table. I'd probably be okay with it on a single big tablet or something like that, maybe.

That all said, I think there being even more ways to do it than there already is will always be a good thing, even if a particular way is not for me. I don't personally prefer to play with miniatures at all, but I sell them, so it's not like I don't like them to exist. I play with them quite a lot, it's just not my favorite way to play.

I absolutely DO appreciate that they are not making this system enforce rules. I hate that stuff. Not only does it require more unnecessary programming on their end, but it NEVER WORKS. It always gets in the way.

 

[Oofta]

Yeah, I'm not taking the position that this type of VTT will ruin gaming or whatever. Playing on a VTT aleady feels different enough to me from being in person so perhaps I will come to the position that if we are going to play on VTT might as well take full advantage of the unique strengths of this different format.

That said, I do feel like we are getting into territory here that is different. We are now going beyond simulating what many people have on the real table during a game (with rare exception perhaps for people that have full sets of 3D terrain and minis but even then).

To some extent, we are already there with current VTTs with dynamic lighting, automation, etc. but for some reason this graphical upgrade seems like another level of evolution to me.

Currently, the table top experience for those that use paper print outs of maps and tokens and a VTT are somewhat similar. But if I played a session with this new VTT because people couldn't make it in person and then the next session in real life without the VTT, I know it would feel pretty different to me.

That doesn't even get into the use case they showed of playing with the VTT in person with everyone around the table on seperate computers. Did they do that just to demo it or were they highlighting that as a prime use case? THAT feels even more different to me than my current rpg experiences and something I would not want to move to anytime soon.

I think there are many ways to play, even in person. Some people only ever do TotM, some people use a grid for little more than location, others build amazing dioramas with all sorts of in-between. Nowadays I have everyone use DDB for character sheets and using a VTT, if it's simple enough, is something I may experiment with. Roll20 didn't add enough for me to even consider it, but this new VTT? We all have laptops or tablets when we play anyway ... so maybe?

I don't think there's any assumption that this will be the default, just one more option.

 

[HaroldTheHobbit]

I assume there will be ways to downgrade the graphics. You don't have to have animation for the spells for example. But if I understand it's supposed to support tablets and phones as well, so the requirements can't be too high.

I'm extremely bad - or rather uninterested and uninformed - regarding computer tech. But it runs on Unreal 5, right? And when I see Unreal 5 flagged as a feature in game trailers etc, I take that as a hint that my oldish machine (i5, 16 gig Ram, Geforce 1060/6Mb etc) at best can run the stuff at minimum settings while still puffing like an early steam engine and have a slight glow in the dark.

So my guess is that it take something more than the oldest potatoes to get some descent looks from the VTT. I personally will still cling to Foundry since my lump of tech run it nicely, I no longer play D&D, and a 2D playing area works fine for my group. That and I simply refuse to pay micro translated overprices for simple assets to make custom stuff - as has been hinted on earlier. Currently I make my own maps with the pay-once -draft tools and am happy with the very usable results.

With that said, folks that actually enjoy D&D and WotC campaigns, have phat computers and wallets, and ain't as stuck in their grognard ways will probably have a great time, so I'm sure corporate monetization goals will be successful.

 

[Greg K]

Indestructoboy asked his livestream viewers what laptops were being used for the VTT demo. Someone recognized them as Alienware gaming laptops that run $3k (refurbished) to $6k (iirc). Indestructoboy followed a link and sure enough the laptop looked just like the model being used which is way more expensive than the laptop Indestructoboy uses for editing videos, livestreaming, book layouts, and gaming. He questioned how the 3D graphics will run on some average person with a laptop of $600 to $1k or even a chromebook user.

 

[mamba]

Indestructoboy asked his livestream viewers what laptops were being used for the VTT demo. Someone recognized them as Alienware gaming laptops that run $3k (refurbished) to $6k (iirc). Indestructoboy followed a link and sure enough the laptop looked just like the model being used which is way more expensive than the laptop Indestructoboy uses for editing videos, livestreaming, book layouts, and gaming. He questioned how the 3D graphics will run on some average person with a laptop of $600 to $1k or even a chromebook.

That in no way means that you need that kind of horsepower. We will get min / optimal requirements soon enough

 

[Zaukrie]

Indestructoboy asked his livestream viewers what laptops were being used for the VTT demo. Someone recognized them as Alienware gaming laptops that run $3k (refurbished) to $6k (iirc). Indestructoboy followed a link and sure enough the laptop looked just like the model being used which is way more expensive than the laptop Indestructoboy uses for editing videos, livestreaming, book layouts, and gaming. He questioned how the 3D graphics will run on some average person with a laptop of $600 to $1k or even a chromebook user.

This means nothing about what we'll need. You want them using crap for a demo? You never use anywhere near the minimum for a demo. Never.