D&D (2024) Review of 1D &D VTT

[PJ Coffey]

Summary:

Minor technical issues but nothing that time and money can't sort.

However, the QoL improvements which WoTC/ Hasbro are baking in are also means to restrict homebrew settings and "Hacks" such as 3rd party content.

If you're heavily invested in running RAW, don't worry about it. You're going to have a great time! You'll have to buy the new online access and pay a subscription and there'll be lots of in-app purchases for cosmetics but it won't be pay to win.

If you're into RAW but like using DMs Guild material to supplement your systems then hopefully they will allow it to be supported. I very much suspect that if the creators roll up their sleeves and learn to code and comply with the new more restrictive licences than you'll see the work again at some point. You will obviously have to rebuy it. I strongly suspect that Eberron won't be seen beyond RFTLW because Keith wants to move on to other projects and having to put in all the work to pay half the money to WotC/Hasbro and then pay tax doesn't seem worth it. Maybe you'll get fans willing to push the content through? Speculation there.

If you have hacked your ruleset with house rules or you have 3rd party non-DMG content? You're going to have a bad time. "No user accessible parts inside."

Dungeons & Dragons Digital: Initial Impressions

My thoughts from the first closed playtest of the upcoming D&D virtual tabletop (VTT)

danielhkwan.substack.com

 

[deganawida]

Thanks for sharing this! For those of you just looking here, the meat is in the linked Substack article.

I won’t comment too much, other than your notation of objects being static assets seems to confirm to me that, at this point in time, this is, essentially, a NWN/NWN2 multiplayer campaign, in that it’s more video game with live D&D role-playing and game mastering without true environmental interaction. While I am a video gamer and love some D&D CRPGs, I want more out of a tabletop RPG than what video games, and thus far this preview, provide.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Kind of what I was expecting, a NWN type experience rather than a tabletop. I do hope they will add tabletop functionality. I will continue to regard it as interesting and keep an eye on it as it matures.

 

[PJ Coffey]

Thanks for sharing this! For those of you just looking here, the meat is in the linked Substack article.

I won’t comment too much, other than your notation of objects being static assets seems to confirm to me that, at this point in time, this is, essentially, a NWN/NWN2 multiplayer campaign, in that it’s more video game with live D&D role-playing and game mastering without true environmental interaction. While I am a video gamer and love some D&D CRPGs, I want more out of a tabletop RPG than what video games, and thus far this preview, provide.

Oh! I hope no one thinks I'm claiming authorship of the article!

 

[Oofta]

Nothing all that surprising given that it's an alpha version of the software and it's still rough around the edges. Some of the features, like being able to knock over a table would be nice, but I don't have that now with my table top if I've just drawn that table on my mat. I don't expect a fully interactive experience with the environment at this point, although doors being able to open/close (at least by the DM) would be nice. Not being able to put their mini on a higher spot is odd, since that was shown in the demo. Maybe there was an issue they're working on?

This

....
If you have hacked your ruleset with house rules or you have 3rd party non-DMG content? You're going to have a bad time. "No user accessible parts inside."
....

is something I didn't see at all. If you're using the D&D integration tools and combat tracker, they implement some of the D&D rules. But they said in the first video that the combat tracker is optional and something you don't have to use. It will give you tools for implementing D&D, but they explicitly stated that it won't be limited to D&D, it can be used as just a virtual table top with no rules integration whatsoever.

In any case I'm not exactly holding my breath for this. But I also don't put too much stock into very early builds and I don't expect every function I could want even in the initial release.

 

[tetrasodium]

Summary:

Minor technical issues but nothing that time and money can't sort.

However, the QoL improvements which WoTC/ Hasbro are baking in are also means to restrict homebrew settings and "Hacks" such as 3rd party content.

If you're heavily invested in running RAW, don't worry about it. You're going to have a great time! You'll have to buy the new online access and pay a subscription and there'll be lots of in-app purchases for cosmetics but it won't be pay to win.

If you're into RAW but like using DMs Guild material to supplement your systems then hopefully they will allow it to be supported. I very much suspect that if the creators roll up their sleeves and learn to code and comply with the new more restrictive licences than you'll see the work again at some point. You will obviously have to rebuy it. I strongly suspect that Eberron won't be seen beyond RFTLW because Keith wants to move on to other projects and having to put in all the work to pay half the money to WotC/Hasbro and then pay tax doesn't seem worth it. Maybe you'll get fans willing to push the content through? Speculation there.

If you have hacked your ruleset with house rules or you have 3rd party non-DMG content? You're going to have a bad time. "No user accessible parts inside."

Dungeons & Dragons Digital: Initial Impressions

My thoughts from the first closed playtest of the upcoming D&D virtual tabletop (VTT)

danielhkwan.substack.com

Why would someone who knows how to code use a vtt they need to fight against a hostile design that tries to resist their efforts to step away from RAW?


The more I hear about the wotc vtt the more it sounds like it's run with the 90s Microsoft mindset where OSS was the enemy and a thing to be resisted. That old mindset is in opposition to the more modern one of OSS as a useful thing many of their most lucrative customers have a desire to use with an ease of interoperability and willingness to go elsewhere even with increased costs if it improves their total aggregate needs.

Wotc seems to have just swapped out OSS with dungeon masters and adventure designers.

 

[mamba]

Why would someone who knows how to code use a vtt they need to fight against a hostile design that tries to resist their efforts to step away from RAW?

not sure what it has to do with knowing how to code, it’s not like creating a full blown VTT is something you can implement in a week as one person…

Use the existing one that best suits your needs, whether you can code or not

 

[tetrasodium]

not sure what it has to do with knowing how to code, it’s not like creating a full blown VTT is something you can implement in a week as one person…

Use the existing one that best suits your needs, whether you can code or not

History repeating itself. It's also extremely noteworthy because of the former Microsoft and Zynga (?) folks high up at wotc.

 

[mamba]

History repeating itself. It's also extremely noteworthy because of the former Microsoft and Zynga (?) folks high up at wotc.

What history is repeating itself? That they do not use Open Source? I am not aware of there being any viable open VTT they could base it on. They certainly are using an existing 3D engine... I am not seeing a repeat here. Likening implementing D&D RAW with little ability to customize (if that is even true...) to not using OSS is a stretch at best

 

[dave2008]

Summary:

Minor technical issues but nothing that time and money can't sort.

However, the QoL improvements which WoTC/ Hasbro are baking in are also means to restrict homebrew settings and "Hacks" such as 3rd party content.

If you're heavily invested in running RAW, don't worry about it. You're going to have a great time! You'll have to buy the new online access and pay a subscription and there'll be lots of in-app purchases for cosmetics but it won't be pay to win.

If you're into RAW but like using DMs Guild material to supplement your systems then hopefully they will allow it to be supported. I very much suspect that if the creators roll up their sleeves and learn to code and comply with the new more restrictive licences than you'll see the work again at some point. You will obviously have to rebuy it. I strongly suspect that Eberron won't be seen beyond RFTLW because Keith wants to move on to other projects and having to put in all the work to pay half the money to WotC/Hasbro and then pay tax doesn't seem worth it. Maybe you'll get fans willing to push the content through? Speculation there.

If you have hacked your ruleset with house rules or you have 3rd party non-DMG content? You're going to have a bad time. "No user accessible parts inside."

How did you come up with this opinion about the 3D VTT? I didn't see anything in that review about being able to use 3PP content or homebrew. Heck, they don't even have DnD Beyond compatibility yet. Where are you getting these ideas from?