D&D General What is this VTT missing?

[jayoungr]

I'd say Fantasy Grounds.

That's my guess too, based on the "want to control 100% from my own computer" point.

 

[Hussar]

To be fair that’s not entirely true of Fantasy Grounds. You do not control the content you buy as it can be and has been multiple times changed at the whim of the Fantasy Grounds devs.

 

[LordEntrails]

some of those things I hadn't even considered as being used in a VTT. Thanks for the list! Do you use all those features? is it safe to assume its foundry you use?

Fantasy Grounds. And yes I do.

To be fair that’s not entirely true of Fantasy Grounds. You do not control the content you buy as it can be and has been multiple times changed at the whim of the Fantasy Grounds devs.

Yes and no. They do make errata updates and I'm fine with that. If I wasn't, I could keep my own copies and replace them when they update them, but that would be a PITA. What updates have they made that you thought were inappropriate?

 

[LordEntrails]

Some of this is going to turn on what they expect a VTT to do in the first place. I don't consider some of the mechanical support in the least necessary, but for other people its apparently a must-have.

I agree not all of the stuff in my list is needed to be a VTT. I would say to call something a VTT you need:

• dice roller/random number generator
• character sheets (no automation required)
• maps/images with movable tokens (being able to draw on would be really nice but not essential)

 

[CleverNickName]

• It's web based, I want a system I control 100% from my computer, not on someone else's

See, and I want the exact opposite--I want the VTT to be hosted on a server where it can be accessed independently of my computer. As a DM, I already have a ton of stuff on my plate...I don't want to add "run and maintain a server in my living room" to my to-do list.

 

[LordEntrails]

See, and I want the exact opposite--I want the VTT to be hosted on a server where it can be accessed independently of my computer. I don't want to run a server in my living room.

I get it. And you want is accessible to your players 24/7 too right? Totally makes sense.

But my laptop works fine for me as a server. And I'm in control of when it gets backed up. When things get updated. I know the content I create today I will still have in 30 years.

Different folks want different things. That's good.

 

[Thomas Shey]

That's my guess too, based on the "want to control 100% from my own computer" point.

That's a problem with a number of higher-end VTTs though. Its the reason if I went to a commercial VTT the only one I'd be likely to go to is Foundry.

 

[Thomas Shey]

I agree not all of the stuff in my list is needed to be a VTT. I would say to call something a VTT you need:

• dice roller/random number generator
• character sheets (no automation required)
• maps/images with movable tokens (being able to draw on would be really nice but not essential)

I don't even feel a need for the first two (though the first is nice to have). I can use separate fillable PDF sheets.

(I actually do need some ability to draw on the map, and would prefer to have some fog of war capability).

 

[Thomas Shey]

See, and I want the exact opposite--I want the VTT to be hosted on a server where it can be accessed independently of my computer. As a DM, I already have a ton of stuff on my plate...I don't want to add "run and maintain a server in my living room" to my to-do list.

Honestly, the ones I most know of have most of the work on that up-front. Its been a long time since I had to do much of anything with Maptool beyond "start server" to use it.