How do you use Scenes in your games?
Added 2024-07-31 00:15:26 +0000 UTCA quick, simple poll to get some Scenes insight!
There's a lot of ways we can set up the perspective and environment in the scenes and we want to create something that's most useful to you all. :)
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Comments
im mostly theater of the mind set it sets the tone for an encounter
Spencer wills
2024-10-10 23:15:58 +0000 UTCI primarily use scenes, as I play a lot of RPG's that don't have tactical combat. If we are playing a more tactical game I will still use the scene first, then transition to the battle map if need be. Switching to Alchemy VTT has really helped facilitate this style of play for our group too.
Elliott
2024-08-05 19:35:42 +0000 UTCI tend to use them on lobby pages or for dialogue / RP scenes. Generally quite good for setting a tone at the start while summarising the previous session and introducing the new one.
Spey
2024-08-04 08:25:55 +0000 UTCI use scenes as a default all the time, preferably animated. I only use battlemaps once combat starts, so often preparing a map without using it in the end.
Kitty
2024-08-03 18:35:15 +0000 UTCI use scene for my lobby page, as well as "cinematics", when my players don't have to move and or to describe more the related battlemaps to the scenes
Alix may
2024-08-02 20:59:33 +0000 UTCI mostly use scenes in places where there's going to be heavy dialogue/exposition, or for merchant interactions. Sometimes I'll use them to showcase an area before I switch to a battlemap though if the corresponding maps happen to match what I need. Generally speaking, the scenes give me a chance to describe the surroundings without distraction.
ThePrussianBlue
2024-08-02 18:21:34 +0000 UTCI often use them largely as Theatre of the Mind scenes, while I tend to use Maps when I want players to explore an environment or a combat is going to break out there. Prime example, I just used your map and scene for the Underground Dwarven City - I initially used the map because I wanted the players to explore the space and take in the scope of the Dwarven capital they were in. Later on in the session, I used the scene to represent the overall city, as the character were no longer exploring, but were still in the same environment.
Peter Marsh
2024-08-01 17:43:23 +0000 UTCI've been experimenting by photoshopping together little "posters" for each episode of my campaign, and will use a scene where something has gone down as the backdrop.
Odd
2024-08-01 16:40:42 +0000 UTCI like to use them as establishing shots to kinda set a vibe, the city ones are especially helpful to have up before jumping into an interior for example.
Jake Chappelle
2024-08-01 15:01:05 +0000 UTCDepends on the session for me. I sometimes mix up how I do combat between grid vs theater of the mind. Sometimes I use scenes for inspiration to myself, or sometimes I use them to help set the mood for theater of the mind or general exploration
Kevin
2024-08-01 14:30:51 +0000 UTCI use the scenes independently of the battle maps. In my current campaign, I have a bunch of overworld points of interest that don't lead to any specific combat encounters. They're just places the party can explore and find lore and items. So I use the scenes to give them something pretty to look at. And I use the battle maps for combat that's unrelated to these points of interest (namely their actual quests/missions).
Thomas Ryefield
2024-08-01 12:44:09 +0000 UTCMost of the scenes I'll use will be moments I don't want players to think of combat or anything like that, I noticed when you present a battle map first players will tend to go towards the side of battle even when there are other possible options. So I like more generic, less specific style settings, to help be able to use for multiple different scenarios, or revisiting places that the players have had interactions.
GammaFiend
2024-08-01 04:56:39 +0000 UTCI run a system which doesn't benefit from battle maps, but I do use Scenes as a way to set the, well, scene and to represent which region or city my players' PCs are in at the given moment.
WardenMongward
2024-07-31 20:31:27 +0000 UTCIf I use a scene, my players realize they need to listen to me. Otherwise they miss key lore or misunderstand a puzzle. Keeps them from getting prematurely distracted about movement or a battle. Sometimes you don't need a map at all! If there is a tavern map with people already drawn on, it they will drum up deep conversation with every. blessed. person. on the map.
Sarah Cartwright
2024-07-31 19:02:03 +0000 UTCI use scenes most often for non-combat situations, like showing where they're camping for the night, or the vista they see from the top of the mountain. They're usually unrelated to battlemaps.
Nathaniel Kreiman
2024-07-31 16:51:22 +0000 UTCI usually have scenes for lead-in to the battle map. I also use various scenes for vibes for in-between NPC interaction or narration. I also use them for pre-game screen like for a video game. There’s lots of possibilities and I don’t always use the scene that has a direct correlation to the battle map. There’s so many it’s easy to mix and match.
KodzuKenzie
2024-07-31 16:01:28 +0000 UTCOn top of pre-battle and wallpaper, I also use Worldanvil for our codex and often use Scenes to represent significant locations. Honestly, Scenes are awesome!
Geoff Gilbert
2024-07-31 15:06:35 +0000 UTCI use the scenes for theatre of the mind. I am a big fan of Zen mode on Alchemy (we game in person) and use it to create a mood and atmosphere even for generic settings. If I am using a battlemap, however, and I have the luck to have an associated scene, I use that to "set the stage" upon arrival at the location before transitioning to the fight.
Katherine White
2024-07-31 14:47:17 +0000 UTCAgain, a mix a match and I know I've said before. They're great for establishing a space without showing them an encounter map that gets their battle brains going. They're also good for quieter moments or general exposition and roleplay segments, like the city market for when we're clomping about a busy settlement. As the Riverwood Toll Castle map is the player base I sort of have that set up as their "management screen" with major NPC tokens and states shown below.
Unwated Arcana
2024-07-31 13:25:29 +0000 UTCIt's a mix of scenes and battle maps. I use Alchemy so I love to use the scenes to add atmosphere and give a sense of the visual environment, as well as for theatre of the mind moments. However, if I know we're going into something that requires a more tactical approach or view... then it's battle map loading time! So it's fantastic when I can match both the scene and battle map, since it gives my players a sort of seamless transition (also thanks to the way Alchemy works). They're always impressed.
Stéphane Aubin
2024-07-31 12:57:41 +0000 UTCScenes I like for theatre of the mind or without a map. Send up a beautiful scene and start telling the story, don't need much more than that.
D Benza
2024-07-31 10:23:34 +0000 UTCI use the scenes whenever I can, at the very least to set a scene for the players and help make it obvious when the environment changes. As such, I will use battlemaps at the same time coincidentally, I don't take the scenes down I only replace them with another.
Mirriky
2024-07-31 09:05:36 +0000 UTCLike lot of people here, I use scenes to set the tone or give a glimps of where they are to players. And if I have a battlemap I always forgot that I have a corresponding scene so in most of the case battlemap and scenes have 2 very different use for me. xD
Jeremy Guette
2024-07-31 08:24:19 +0000 UTCI think more "general" scenes would be a great addition. Like scenes for environment (desert, plains, forest, marsh, etc). I use scenes between battlemap so players have something to see and to help them visualize their environment better
Strategic Display
2024-07-31 08:19:11 +0000 UTCI love to show Scene to avoid spoiling player "It will be a fight ... may be ..." But when I have no choici, I'm using Battlemap only, even out of battle.
Vincent BOYER
2024-07-31 07:46:45 +0000 UTCSame as a lot of people here, I use scenes for the vibes but rarely used the connected battlemap (unless it was perfect for that location and there's a fight). Also as wallpapers!
Mo
2024-07-31 07:26:16 +0000 UTCI'm using scenes to set the tone for a new place, fight or not. And I'm using a battle map for "dungeons" like places with many rooms to explore
Julien Bousquet
2024-07-31 07:25:58 +0000 UTCI use the scenes for exploration, and roleplay situations, often not connected to battles. Also as starting screens, to set the scene and give a subtle reminder of where we left of last. I also just like the pretty art.
Tanja Mueller
2024-07-31 06:46:47 +0000 UTCScenes are great for establishing place, tone, etc. even when a battle is not on the table. I've used scenes for systems like Candela Obscura where there are no battle maps, but atmosphere is key. They look amazing as seasonal standalone art on a Samsung Frame TV.
Kate
2024-07-31 06:05:11 +0000 UTCScenes for non-battle to establish where they are. Battlemaps for battles!
Joey Lanuza
2024-07-31 05:35:57 +0000 UTCI use scenes to establish vibe for the session, as well as roleplay immersion when describing and building environment/atmosphere. I'll take details within the Scene and build on them, incorporating structures or mechanics from that into the battlemap
BeeGneiss
2024-07-31 04:46:23 +0000 UTCI use scenes in the games to represent a location that is too complicated/vast to be displayed on a battlemap, like a Cave network or a city. I often start with the scene, then transition to a battlemap, but not always. I also plan on using Scenes together with hand-drawn dungeon maps, to expand upon what might exist in battlemaps, or to make my trap-ridden corridoors more lively. In addition, I use scenes as the background image of "overland travel", and I use the "Natural" scenes a lot. I pair this with an empty Hexgrid that the players are filling up when traveling, or when they are traveling/exploring.
Petja
2024-07-31 04:36:00 +0000 UTCI use the scenes for my landing pages (swapping the image out to reflect their location close I can) or for theatre of the mind scenes. I only sometimes use the battle maps, since I run mostly published adventures.
Siren1101
2024-07-31 04:05:35 +0000 UTCI use scenes for common places the PCs visit or as a backdrop to a narrative where they are travelling. Like if we are based in one city I might have a scene of city streets or common buildings they would visit.
Wulfsbane
2024-07-31 03:42:46 +0000 UTCThis 100%
Denise Atwood
2024-07-31 03:23:56 +0000 UTCYup, this.
Malek
2024-07-31 02:58:44 +0000 UTCI use the scenes before and after combat and use the maps for combat. I also use them when I'm narrating and when players are traveling.
Ink-empress
2024-07-31 02:51:46 +0000 UTCI use scenes for placers that are hubs/where I'm not going to use a battlemap.
Lev Vaesinis
2024-07-31 02:33:23 +0000 UTCI usually use scenes as flavor in between battle maps! To help illustrate areas that don’t require a full blown map.
Everi
2024-07-31 02:28:23 +0000 UTCI use a mixture of scenes and battlemaps depending on the session and system. I rarely use the scene just to introduce the battlemap, it's usually its own location.
The Monster Mensch
2024-07-31 02:21:35 +0000 UTCI use scenes in VTTs. I spent *a lot* of time in scenes, whenever there is no combat or dungeon crawl. So its before and after battlemaps. Scenes are to set the mood for the overall world and campaign. They also help with people who are not that good at visualizing descriptions (aphantasia). I spent a lot of time on the scene when people do roleplay in cities, villages, travelling, shopping, talking to NPCs, etc. I re-use most landscapes for the general area my players are in to set the mood. I especially use scenes in combination with ambience and music to generate a vibe and feeling. Basically, I want my players to have something nice to look at that fits the mood and gives them a reason to stare at the scene instead of opening a different tab. What I could use more (you didnt ask for this) are scenes with people in it. I know, I know: Harder to draw. But sometimes it does feel a little lifeless to just have buildings but nobody who lives in them, and shops but nobody who sells or buys. I usually pull up NPC portraits for that (popout), but I could also do that with a lot of background people. As an example: I love that some artists do known cities (Baldurs Gate, Phandalin, ...), but it is always from the birds eye perspective and arriving there. What I see rarely done is a street-view. I miss those for so many scenes, even the generic ones. This is why I love the Caravanserei one!
Matthias Löhr
2024-07-31 01:17:04 +0000 UTCI should mention that I've used it this way both virtually and in person.
J
2024-07-31 01:16:55 +0000 UTCThat is actually how I use the scenes!
J
2024-07-31 01:14:44 +0000 UTCI use the scenes whenever players are not on a map, be it downtime in a city, traveling, non-battle encounter, ambience, RP, etc. It often times helps my players to get the vibe of what's going on faster and helps me with creating a clearer picture when describing the environment and the situations.
Lapis Alois
2024-07-31 01:14:07 +0000 UTCI've seen the idea of using scenes as a theater of the mind section - where there's no combat planned. I've been wanting to incorporate that into the game myself
Arachnid Arcana
2024-07-31 01:13:43 +0000 UTCScenes are a "landing page" for non-combat gameplay-- skill checks, social encounters, etc. I've been doing this for years with other random images, but really glad I can use ones that lead into battlemaps too!
Patricia Wallinga
2024-07-31 01:08:40 +0000 UTCMainly to set the scene. It can often be better to show players "You are in this big castle" rather than the narrower scope of a battlemap. Wonderful for intrigues too as it lets people focus on the words rather than the tiny details of the room.
Leland D Vaughan
2024-07-31 01:01:19 +0000 UTCHuge mix of answers for me. Using them as background when a map isn’t necessary yet, prep going into a location, even occasionally as background imagery for little videos I record in the VTT we use to hype up upcoming sessions
Matthew Helbig
2024-07-31 00:57:46 +0000 UTCLike others, when I used to run still, I mainly used scenes and would switch to battlemaps if combat occurred, which was much rarer. These days, I mostly do text-based improv roleplay (systemless), and I'm beginning to throw in art for special scenes and locations to make them stand out visually. It gives them that extra oomph and elevates it for all the participants.
Jane B.
2024-07-31 00:53:16 +0000 UTCI mostly use scenes as ambiance for an area in Foundry. This means that I have a scene up for like 90% of the time. If it comes to combat or an area where a map matters (traps, movement is important, etc), that's the only point in time when I transition to a map.
Walther Wennholz Johnson
2024-07-31 00:50:45 +0000 UTCI use one of the scenes as a landing page on foundry. Nothing fancy, it just has some lighting effects and ambient sounds as well as the logo for the adventure path. I keep it active when I’m working on other maps outside of a session.
Benjamin Henson
2024-07-31 00:47:47 +0000 UTCEchoing using Scenes as ambiance and not always paired with the battlemap, in addition to my selected 'show before using with battlemap'. I always have something up in roll20 to help with immersion. Thanks for your work!
Kit Ortega
2024-07-31 00:37:37 +0000 UTCThis. I'm trying to stay away from battlemaps to force myself to be more descriptive, until combat happens. (Combat usually happens)
Will
2024-07-31 00:32:35 +0000 UTCI use the scenes as visual elements in my actual play live streams
Michael Robinson
2024-07-31 00:31:48 +0000 UTCI always use a Scene, I sometimes use a battlemap if combat breaks out (maybe 30% of the time)
Trax
2024-07-31 00:25:49 +0000 UTCDepends on the circumstance! For every part of my games, I have SOMETHING set as the Scene. I only involve battle maps if actual combat breaks out, because in my experience, using battlemaps when it's not fully necessary leads to a lot of tedium. I'll do as much in theater of the mind as possible--so scenic art is WAY more valuable to me because I get way more mileage out of it, and will have way more opportunities to use it! In other words, the party isn't always going to be in combat in every location they're in--but my players thrive when given visual aids, so I love having illustrations to act as splash art for their current environments as much as possible! I then also use those "splash art" illustrations for things like the banner image on a Discord event widget that's scheduling the relevant session, or as a banner image on LegendKeeper, where I chronicle all game-related stuff. Specifically: I don't JUST use them within the confines of a VTT. A lot of my games are "play by post" style much of the time, so illustrations like this will even get attached to narration writing to literally illustrate the scene I'm describing.
Daarka
2024-07-31 00:23:26 +0000 UTCI use the scenes for ambience during TTRPGs focused on homebrew maps and storyline.
Francesca Preckel
2024-07-31 00:21:22 +0000 UTCThis is what I do. The scenes are more immersive for story telling, and maps are for tactics
ShadowSama13
2024-07-31 00:21:17 +0000 UTCI'll typically use Scene art for encounters/scenes where I don't have or don't need a battlemap, so it's typically one or the other but not both for me.
Aaron Olkin
2024-07-31 00:18:56 +0000 UTCAlways love when I can use a cool scene as an intro for a battlemap. Especially for one shot games. I use scenes as a way set the tone for a large portion of the roleplaying, then move to a battlemap once an encounter starts.
The Titans of All'Terra
2024-07-31 00:18:42 +0000 UTCI use the scenes for downtime (traveling, misc activities), for framing a scene before a battle and for conversations
Lekii
2024-07-31 00:18:28 +0000 UTCI use the scenes when the party are not using a map but we still need roll20. I put the scenes as the map on roll20 to keep the immersion of where the party are…..it works wonders
Joel Hunt
2024-07-31 00:18:09 +0000 UTCIf I expect a battle or it's a long exploration - I use battlemaps. For everything else - scenes are enough. 🙂
Андрей Соковых
2024-07-31 00:17:59 +0000 UTCDepends on the game. for dnd it's great to set the scene at times pre or post battle or even both. for Fabula Ultima you don't need full on maps so it's more for setting the scene for an encounter, which doesn't have to be flat out combat
K. A. Winter
2024-07-31 00:17:22 +0000 UTC
