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General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
What VTT(s) do you most dislike and why? (Defenders welcome to defend)
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<blockquote data-quote="MNblockhead" data-source="post: 9593658" data-attributes="member: 6796661"><p>Yeah, intentionally so. I think starting with what you don't like can highlight issues that may be meaningful for those deciding from among the various VTTs on the market. I suppose, ultimately, a long enough "favorite VTT" thread will get there. Also, I personally like all of the VTTs I've used. I don't have strong negative opinions on any one VTT, it is just that some better meet my needs in certain contexts than others.</p><p></p><p>I'm finding that GUI doesn't have as much of an effect of my like/dislike of a VTT than others. If it has the features I need for the game I want to run and if I can make the interface get out of my way to focus on the battlemap, I don't much mind after I get past the initial learning curve when confronted with a new GUI. For most games you'll need to buy the rules, regardless of the VTT. If you already have a D&D Beyond subscription, you can import official content into Foundry and Roll20 (and I think, but am not certain, Fantasy Grounds). But if you only have the physical books or PDFs, you'll have to do the work yourself to enter the content. Some publishers offer steep discounts if you already purchased the content (through it usually has to be through their ownline marketplace, though I've heard of but have never seen in the wild discounts on or free digital content through the "Bricks and Mortar" program). </p><p></p><p>A lot of people complain about having to buy the books again for a VTT if they already have the physical books. I'm 100% on board with that sentiment when it comes to PDFs (and appreciate publishers who give the PDF free or at least at a steep discount when you buy the physical book). But less so with VTT content. It is a lot of work to get content into a VTT properly and to continue to support it. Most TTRPG publishers don't have the resources and for those that do, there just isn't that much profit in it. Most can only select one of the major VTTs to develop for. I see a lot of people who complain that if they buy content in, say, Roll20, they shouldn't have to pay for it again in Foundry. Many publishers would find themselves going out of business if they tried to support that model.</p><p></p><p></p><p>I kinda like the FG interface. My main issue is that it can get a bit cluttered. It is probably my lack of familiarity and experience with that platform, but when I have used it, I found myself wishing it was easier to hit a lot of the menus and boxes. Roll20 is pretty good at getting out of my way. I really like how clean Foundry is out of the box and how I can get more screen real estate by collapsing the side bars and macro bar. Pop up windows for character sheets, articles, etc. can get annoying, especially as a DM, and that is one area where I really rely on community modes. I run my games on a three-screen setup (two external plus my laptop screen) and the PopOut! is a must-have for me. I also like combat carousel so I don't have to have the default initiative tracker poped out or keep toggling between the chat and initiative tracker. Also, learning Foundry's keyboard shortcuts pays dividends. Just hitting the C key to open and close the character sheet greatly allows me to be more fluid when running games.</p><p></p><p>Many if not most games will have some form of core rules or SRD content, but to get the full content of the rules and adventures you have to pay. I suppose you could run Warhammer Fantasy RPG (which you listed) using only the content that comes with the core game system, but you are missing most of the game. Even the starter set requires purchasing the content.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="MNblockhead, post: 9593658, member: 6796661"] Yeah, intentionally so. I think starting with what you don't like can highlight issues that may be meaningful for those deciding from among the various VTTs on the market. I suppose, ultimately, a long enough "favorite VTT" thread will get there. Also, I personally like all of the VTTs I've used. I don't have strong negative opinions on any one VTT, it is just that some better meet my needs in certain contexts than others. I'm finding that GUI doesn't have as much of an effect of my like/dislike of a VTT than others. If it has the features I need for the game I want to run and if I can make the interface get out of my way to focus on the battlemap, I don't much mind after I get past the initial learning curve when confronted with a new GUI. For most games you'll need to buy the rules, regardless of the VTT. If you already have a D&D Beyond subscription, you can import official content into Foundry and Roll20 (and I think, but am not certain, Fantasy Grounds). But if you only have the physical books or PDFs, you'll have to do the work yourself to enter the content. Some publishers offer steep discounts if you already purchased the content (through it usually has to be through their ownline marketplace, though I've heard of but have never seen in the wild discounts on or free digital content through the "Bricks and Mortar" program). A lot of people complain about having to buy the books again for a VTT if they already have the physical books. I'm 100% on board with that sentiment when it comes to PDFs (and appreciate publishers who give the PDF free or at least at a steep discount when you buy the physical book). But less so with VTT content. It is a lot of work to get content into a VTT properly and to continue to support it. Most TTRPG publishers don't have the resources and for those that do, there just isn't that much profit in it. Most can only select one of the major VTTs to develop for. I see a lot of people who complain that if they buy content in, say, Roll20, they shouldn't have to pay for it again in Foundry. Many publishers would find themselves going out of business if they tried to support that model. I kinda like the FG interface. My main issue is that it can get a bit cluttered. It is probably my lack of familiarity and experience with that platform, but when I have used it, I found myself wishing it was easier to hit a lot of the menus and boxes. Roll20 is pretty good at getting out of my way. I really like how clean Foundry is out of the box and how I can get more screen real estate by collapsing the side bars and macro bar. Pop up windows for character sheets, articles, etc. can get annoying, especially as a DM, and that is one area where I really rely on community modes. I run my games on a three-screen setup (two external plus my laptop screen) and the PopOut! is a must-have for me. I also like combat carousel so I don't have to have the default initiative tracker poped out or keep toggling between the chat and initiative tracker. Also, learning Foundry's keyboard shortcuts pays dividends. Just hitting the C key to open and close the character sheet greatly allows me to be more fluid when running games. Many if not most games will have some form of core rules or SRD content, but to get the full content of the rules and adventures you have to pay. I suppose you could run Warhammer Fantasy RPG (which you listed) using only the content that comes with the core game system, but you are missing most of the game. Even the starter set requires purchasing the content. [/QUOTE]
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