D&D (2024) What do you think One D&D will do to the VTT industry?

[Hex08]

Let me start by saying I don't play D&D anymore, I stopped when 4E came out, so I am probably not totally up to date with all of the latest news. However, from what I understand, with the integration and updates to D&D Beyond One D&D is going to offer a 3D VTT environment. For those of you who play 5E, or even if you don't, what do you think will happen to the existing VTT industry where D&D is generally the most played RPG on most of them? If you are a 5E player, assuming the new VTT works and is any good, do you envision abandoning your current VTT in favor of D&D Beyond?

It seems to me that this will probably hurt the existing VTTs as people migrate to D&D Beyond although I don't believe they will all disappear. Even if WotC still offers support for other systems with everything else One D&D will offer it just makes sense to me that a lot of people will move there. My hope is we end up seeing more support for other systems on existing VTTs but they are such a small slice of the pie compared to D&D that the player base gained won't equal what may be lost.

 

[SakanaSensei]

I have a very hard time believing, after seeing a lot of other kinda clunky 3d VTTs, that WotC is going to somehow make it as usable as something like Foundry. It sure as heck ain't gonna be as easy to plop things into as Owlbear Rodeo. And people aren't going to be able to use their very pretty, evocative maps from creators like Czepeku Maps.

So I don't think it's going to have all that big an impact after the first year or so when people are trying to make it work. Humans are inherently lazy and I just don't see it being laziness compatible.

 

[payn]

Well, I bought foundry and so far I haven't had to spend much money on it. I can do whatever I need to do with it (though it can be time consuming). So, its not like 1DD VTT is going to take it away from me.

 

[overgeeked]

WotC will absolutely be pulling the licenses from other VTTs and saber rattling over them including anything that’s not in the SRD once their VTT is on the market. Guaranteed.

I don’t know that I completely agree with this video, but it’s worth a listen.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

WotC will absolutely be pulling the licenses from other VTTs and saber rattling over them including anything that’s not in the SRD once their VTT is on the market. Guaranteed.

I don’t know that I completely agree with this video, but it’s worth a listen.

Nah. While it’s possible, they don’t need to in order to protect their profits, and it would be an enormous blow to their image.

They sell more product by letting other platforms sell their product, than they’d gain in customers who they just screwed out of their past purchases on a platform they’ve already learned to use.

 

[Mort]

So far pretty skeptical of the 3D VTT.

It looked pretty on a demo. But for actual DMs to use it for actual play? It just seems like it will be difficult and clunky to use.

I, for one, can't stand having to be a set designer as well as DM!

It was hard enough to adjust to Roll20 during the pandemic, and that's 2d and fairly easy to find stuff for and drop it in.

If they can make this so it helps with prep or is even prep neutral (as opposed to highly involved and time consuming) I'll be truly impressed. But I have serious doubts.

 

[Hex08]

WotC will absolutely be pulling the licenses from other VTTs and saber rattling over them including anything that’s not in the SRD once their VTT is on the market. Guaranteed.

I'm inclined to agree. Walled gardens are common enough and accepted by user bases; whether it's Apple's app store or Sony selling PlayStation games. I see no reason why WotC won't move as much of their content as possible to their new system. It may take some time to mature but I believe it's going to happen. If Hasbro can make more money with a subscription or microtransaction model, they will, and I don't see it alienating enough players to matter. Plus, it's not like the VTT is all you will be getting out of the subscription so if you are getting other content and WotC integrates everything migrating to a new VTT, once it matures will just make sense.

 

[Malmuria]

Mike Shea talks about this in this video at 26:49. Basically, there is a significant chance they just won't get this thing to work well enough. Shea also thinks they will keep their license with roll 20 etc, and just let other VTTs do 2d tabletops. Personally I have no interest in a 3d VTT

 

[Catolias]

I imagine at first there will be no big changes. Over time, though, it would be reasonable to assume that Hasbro/WotC will want to restrict access and redirect to their proprietary VTT. If they don’t make people use their VTT and pay the subscription, why develop it?

At first too, this might be necessary as the 1D&D VTT might be buggy at first and criticised for being crap (remember Apple Maps first foray?). I also imagine they might take over an established vtt too. I would not be surprised if rules-neutral VTT will become a fond memory.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

My suggestions:

- The PC miniatures can be virtual avatars of the players, at least to be useful for streamers who produce their actual-play shows, or machinimas. Youtubers using this VTT would be a great advertising.

- Quest creator with the option of solo-games, something like the classic gamebooks "Endless Quest" or "Choose your own adventure", with the IA as DM.

- Option of VTT to be used for wargames.

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Haven't you thought about it? Hasbro may have got a special advantage for its VTT, the licences. We shouldn't be surprised if in a future this VTT sells packs based in famous franchises: Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, Elder Ring, Warcraft, Elder Scrolls, Everquest, God of War.. in later VTT for modern and sci-fi settings, then we can see Flash Gordon, Terminator, Predator, Aliens, Ghostbuster, Walking Dead, Resident Evil.