I remember back about a year or two ago, I really wanted to get some kind of online RPG going. Not the CRPG kind, which we had in spades, but the old school pencil and paper version. Problem was, there were only a handful of apps available, and most of them were legacy holdovers that hadn’t been updated since Windows 3.1 (I kid).
But what a difference a year or two can make. I already covered a few choice virtual tabletop options in an earlier post, but since then, three things have happened. First, we completed a D&D module using Fantasy Grounds. Second, a lot of people have spoken up about wanting to get in on the online RPG resurgence craze. Third, there’s been a rapid increase in the number of high-quality vTabletop options. Since a few have come to my attention since my last post on the subject, I thought I should update the list with a few more that I’ve found. I haven’t had a chance to really use these, but for a second foray into D&D, we’ll be considering alternatives to Fantasy Grounds (we like FG, but we want to give up and coming software a chance, too).
iTabletop: I’ve played around with iTabletop a bit way back when it was being developed, but I didn’t really get too far because the UI isn’t the most intuitive, and because now there’s a pay gate on the service. The basic one-time fee of $14.95 is good for all players, and for “light” DMing, with up to 6 games and 10 GB of media storage. The $29.95 one time version is good for the average DM, with 20 games and 20 GB of assets. The massive $149.95 one time fee has a lot of features, including unlimited games and unlimited media. What sets iTabletop apart from the others is that they have an isometric view which allows your PnP games to be played Diablo style. But you have to buy that from the store. Free accounts can’t make worlds, so I haven’t been able to really test it unless I shoehorn myself into someone else’s game, but if you’re hell-bent on having that iso look to your vTabletop, check this one out.
Roll20: Roll20 was a very successful Kickstarter project. If Fantasy Grounds is the Mercedes of the vTabletop world, then Roll20 is the sensible family sedan alternative – that’s not a slam, because although Roll20 lacks the calculating power of FG, it’s easy to use, and doesn’t make itself top-heavy with features. It manages your maps and tokens, has a chat with macros, and has a built in web search which allows you to find assets like maps, tokens, and even audio that can be broadcast to players. It includes integrated voice and video, and can be played through your browser or via Google+ Hangouts. It’s currently free in open beta, with the potential to offer premium subscriptions later to increase storage limits for your games.
Tabletop Forge: Tabletop Forge appeared in our D&D Google+ Hangout one day, which was like Ford slipping advertising flyers into your new Chevy. Like Roll20, TF has just successfully completed a Kickstarter campaign. This may be the one we try when we start a new D&D campaign, mainly because it’s integrated into the Hangouts we use, and because I’m in agreement with their roadmap for future expansion: dynamic character sheet design, persistent Hangout data between sessions, and integration with Obsidian Portal campaign wiki. Right now, it offers a lot of the same functionality as Roll20, with it’s primary use being for map display and token tracking. Kickstarter supporters (like me!) get some pro artwork for their campaigns, which is actually a very nice perk. Finding decent art for these games can be a chore at times.
On a sad (but not unexpected) note, I received an email this morning with the unfortunate news that Wizards of the Coast will be discontinuing development and shutting down their own D&D specific virtual tabletop. This had potential to be a really decent product, since it could be tied into the wealth of proprietary WotC material which would have made design and execution of sessions insanely easy. When it was first announced, it was promised to feature full 3D tokens with animation, dungeon building, and session management. The current version only uses top-down digital versions of WotC’s line of Dungeon Tiles, and isn’t even well integrated with their asset database. Considering this has been “in development” for years now, would have required DM’s and players to have a D&D Insider subscription, and has experienced both a slide backwards in features and progress, the writing really was on the wall for quite some time. I’m sure the upheaval of the rules for D&D Next played a large part in this decision, but with the explosion of virtual tabletops from independent parties, this is certainly a missed opportunity for WotC to get a piece of the action and re-ignite people’s interest in the D&D brand.
Update: Looks like the WotC vTabletop app is not going quietly into the endless night. The company that was developing it for WotC, GameTable Online, is taking it over the operation of the WotC product. Currently, there’s not a lot of information, but the eventual home for the product will be at www.rpgtableonline.com. You can see the update at this forum post.