What VTT do you use for online gaming?

Tarrasque.io

John Eckert

So if I wanted to use this on Roll20 without it slowing down to a sloth pace, does everyone that is in the game have to download WebM or anything else or just the DM?

Zero The Grimm

Shard TableTop

Arkenforge

Joeri Jean

Miro

Arkenforge! I use both Arkenforge and Fantasy Grounds.

Kailey Smith

Foundry VTT!

Austin W

@DynamicDungeons, Speaking on using maps on other VTT's, could we get the 3 sections of the Sea Queen stitched together into 1 file (even if it's lower res).... this is because with Roll20, there is no way to synchronise the animation start so you end up with the 3 different sections of the ship wobbling in different directions at different times, kinda like a funhouse.

WebM is the newest (and arguably) the best compression type available. If Foundry accepts WebM, you are golden.

So getting the WebM version of the file will probably be worse for Roll20 users than just converting the current files to 720p Mp4 (to get around the Roll20 upload size limit). It's the best method I have found so far.

So I'm already using your animated maps on Roll20... Roll20 automatically converts the file to WebM from Mp4.... but awkwardly, it also converts WebM to further WebM compression which reduces the resolution further than the original.

I host Foundry on a remote server. For informational purposes, the server is running Ubuntu on a virtual server with 2 CPUs and 4GB RAM. It does run the m4v files fine without modules. For face to face games, there are a few modules you should consider that will allow you to draw and mark the maps on the fly. I use The Furnace which includes advanced drawing tools.

Both should work just fine for the .m4v files. Personally, I actually wound up preferring Foundry VTT. Arkenforge wins with the simplicity of scaling, as it is literally made for the purpose, but I find that I like the structure in Foundry much better over all. Foundry needs some modules to work well with the setup, but when it's up and running, it works great. The effects from Arkenforge are good, and it is much better at drawing maps on the fly, but you can recreate those effects fairly simple in Foundry, and Arkenforge still doesn't have weather effects, which is almost a dealbreaker for me. The basic drawing tools in Foundry can get you surprisingly far when you learn to combine them with texture filling, and there are plenty of other ways to solve it. And Foundry wins on how good and simple the lighting is. Especially when you want to change it on the fly. Lastly: Setting it all up in Foundry means that moving the game online if circumstances suddenly demands it, is almost no work.

Eivind Husby

Does Foundry allow for the high def dynamic maps or will I still have to figure out how to compress it?

Rich Van Meter

Does anyone have any opinions on whether Arkenforge or Foundry VTT can support the .m4v files better for use during in-person games, running the Host client on a laptop, and the Player view on a seperate monitor?

roll20 for online play and starting to use Dynamic Dungeons as a digital table top for table play.

Foundry my dudes, life changing-ly good.

Jake Saltzman

Whoot! TaleSpire is also fantastic, I'm in there too. Roll20 was my first love, but now it's Foundry, with some TaleSpire sprinkled in when I want a very tangible experience.

BrotherHanan

I agree, it's good to have a griddles WEBM of each map, that is optimized for streaming.

BrotherHanan

Foundry was officially released in April 2020. Its place on the graph is an indication of how fast it's grown and how rapidly people, like me, have left Roll20 to go to Foundry. Foundry also has great support for Animated Maps, and they've just made an official announcement about their first Animated Map module. If love to see Dynamic Dungeons get in early! If Roll20 does ever support animated maps, they might hide access behind their premium member paywall, as they do with many other features. Foundry is rapidly updated, and once you've purchased it, it's yours forever, along with all features. It has an extremely active Dev community and Discord you can share your work and test ideas in. I think Foundry has community and longevity on its side!

BrotherHanan

Foundry all the way! I tried Roll20, Astral and Arkenforge, but Foundry was the one that stuck. The ability to customize the experience through mods was the main selling point for me. If you're missing something, chances are someone made a module for it, or you could even develop your own.

Cristian Deenen

Arkenforge

Lee

Arkenforge

Arkenforge

Foundry, taking to the inside coming up fast on Roll 20 as they round the corner....

Tigon

Arkenforge (for local meetings)

FoundryVTT is the new and upcoming and quickly catching up and getting better than Roll20. Your maps work great within already.

Philippe Boujon

I switched to Arkenforge a while back and really like it.

If it works it works, Its DND dude no bad way to play it

I use PowerPoint - you're judging me now, I can feel it - and share through Zoom. It works remarkably well (Zoom streams video smoothly with the "Optimize for Video Clip" option turned on).

Yep, Astral here; started using it over Roll20 specifically to use Dynamic Dungeons maps, and we've been getting on with it great.. The roll20 VTT enhancement suite just wasn't doing it for me and my group.

I use Astraltabletop.com, several dynamic dungeon maps are already integrated if you are a patreon member, has the same features as foundry and roll20. Very easy to use

Try out the VTT enhancement suite browser extension for firefox. You can keep the video file in a cloud based storage site such as drop box and stream it to Roll20 via a live URL. You can even drop props and tokens in over top of the video background. My players love it.

I use Roll20 but unfortunately I can't use any of your video maps on there. Would it be extremely difficult to make a gif (less than 5 MB) that is compatible with Roll20? I'm not sure that the quality of resolution could be maintained at that file size though.

Joshua Mock

If it’s not too late, I’d like to request that future maps be available in additional formats, not just webm. On the Discord server for Encounter+, someone pointed out that webm is not natively supported on Apple devices. This includes both macs and iOS. This change could impact a significant portion of your subscribers.

Dynamic Dungeons over Zoom, works good and easy to use :)

🤣 Yeah playing online is good, but I also can’t wait to get back to the table.

Dynamic Dungeons

I use layered battlemap scenes in OBS, moving grouped token elements live while streaming, on top of your animated maps as a background, and my camera feed overlay on top off to the side, and map-less transition scenes, all fed to my players via google meet.

I use foundry vtt with the jitsi module for a/v

Endor

Encounter+. EXCELLENT app and I can run via my tablet.

I use Dynamic dungeons map system through my laptop to my tv gaming table I built

Foundry VTT with Discord for audio/video and DnD Beyond for character sheets. I absolutely love Foundry and being able to use dynamic maps with zero issues. That with being able to integrate Beyond seamlessly has been amazing. It has been a game changer since coming over from Roll20.

I use Roll20 with the VTT Enhancement Suite plugin that lets me use animated maps (among other features).

Spike Murphy

Do it. Foundry is incredible.

I hate them all,

Reed Mister

I use Fantasy Grounds, which I love except for the fact that it doesn't allow video maps. I am enjoying your static maps more now.

Michael Klieman

We use Roll20 with character sheet modifications, libraries, etc. But it is sad to only use the static images from Dynamic Dungeons. I am considering changing to Astral simply to get better animation options.

Dynamic Dungeons over Discord.

JAMES HERRMANN

I use Google Meets with an additional webcam on my 50" table tv.

Stuart Collins

EpicTable

FoundryVTT. Amazingly intuitive interface. Limitless Customization. Phenomenal Module Community.

Dread

Count me as another vote for Astral (with Zoom video) and love it. I switched over early this year from Roll20 (and before that Fantasy Grounds) and it's by far the easiest for me as a DM. Also, they're constantly improving it, which makes me feel like it's just going to get better.

3DVTT

Intriguing poll.

Guoccamolé

I only use Zoom, it allows my players to focus on the game and what they are experiencing, instead of having to manipulate things on their end. It's the closest I have found to being in person. Not a fan of digital dice or combat trackers or anything that removes the tangible parts of what makes a roleplaying game different than a video game. Plus I record our sessions so I can go back and review things I may have made up on the spot but not had the opportunity to write down.

Adam G Pope

Foundry has awesome automations, open customization, and just keeps getting better and better. (Plus zoom for face-to-face.)

Guoccamolé

I was considering Roll20 when I realized for me Discord on its own has everything I need. There are even bots that can pull in D&D content and set up automatic initiative trackers.

Ryan Hipp

I've been using Roll20 but recently backed Role on Kickstarter, which is now out in early access, so we've just started to try it out.

Zoom and Roll20 with the VTT Enhancement suite extension. I've never had a problem with the dynamic maps. I however only use them for battles and not to run an entire dungeon (I do theatre of the mind for that, much like Critical Role). Battle maps are just for fights so players can see where they are positioned relative to enemies, etc.

My one recommendation is maybe have a high rez gridless, gridless still and a gridless WebM folder for each set of maps and separate out the gridded versions to their own folder as now that I use a virtual tabletop instead of just 'playing' the maps in QuickTime the real difference for me is grid or no grid not sizes.

I use Astral and love it. The fact that you made the DD maps useable by Patreons sold it for me. The exclusives were easy enough to convert but now that they are available as well in Webm it is perfect. I have used Roll20 and play in a game that uses it but find Astral much better experience. I also own Arkenforge was was switching to that for in person from your Dungeon Builder when COVID hit but I think because Astral is so easy I might stick with that when we get back to in person gaming. Discord I use for audio only.

Also Discord and Dndbeyond. Also toying with Talespire.

Canyon C Cappola

Foundry.

Canyon C Cappola

I use Arkenforge. It's been the easiest one for me to learn.

Steven Hughes

I personally use zoom, as I find most of the other systems clunky and restrictive. Once we are playing in person again I will use Dynamic dungeons exclusively as everybody loves physically rolling Dice and moving miniatures. and having their sheets to keep track of things

Todd Pickens

We use Arkenforge and Discord

Dwayne Tucker

I exclusively use Foundry now as it is perfect for what I need and highly customizable. I have already used .mp4 maps for remote play and it worked fine. I am selfhosting the server and it is no problem at all.

Rainer Rösch

I have just started using Arkenforge as well.

Jason West

I thought Arkenforge is for in person games. Or do you use it with screen sharing?

Dynamic Dungeons

Arkenforge. I can get a dozen 4K videos on a single seamless map with no problems. We used to play on a TV in person before Plague Stalked the Land. Now, Zoom.

Loyd Blankenship

I'm currently using roll20. I'm able to use your maps but it's a bit of a mess. I need to compress the file, remove the audio, and do a bunch of changes in order to get the file under 10MB for the limits on roll20. Even then the uploader on their site is pretty garbage and only works about 40% of the time. I haven't tried the VTT enhancement that people have mentioned here, but I guess I will look into that when I get home from work.

Roll20 - which only supports 10mb webm format.

Yes, You can even use the mp4 or m4v file as it is, it’s already a feature in Foundry. WebM files are not so demanding for the computer and for the network, thats why we started the conversions.

Dynamic Dungeons

What?! Using animated maps in Foundry VTT? That would be insane! Insane!

Sebastien Rodrigue

We're using Astral as it hits the sweet spot of usability and power. I can whip together a map at a player prompt in under two minutes, and the game management tools are outstanding.

I’m importing the maps into ArkenForge and then screen sharing via Discord for remote play and using a large flatscreen TV for in-person play.

Jim Carsone

Great news !

Tarrasque.io

I've used Roll20 (with VTT Enhancement) for years for my professional games, but I've been eyeing Foundry and Arkenforge for a while in hopes that the support will grow great enough that I can convince my players to give one of them a try and convince myself to spend the time learning a different platform.

Donathin Frye

I really hope that D&D Beyond gets into the VTT game as someone mentioned. For me they are the only online tool I use and they would be 10x more useful if I could create my maps on there as well.

BoldNotBald

Foundry is easily t he best and smoothest experience. I started with roll20 and it was good for it's time, but the coding is just so clunky. Foundry offers such great functionality. Attempted to use fantasy grounds and...well..it was just bad. Bad UI. So many technical issues. etc.

Arthellion DM

Same here.

Dungeon 20 +discord

José María (Overdaus)

Foundry + Zoom

Theodore M Cory

I base my usage on the game I'm running and which system has the best integration for it. SO it's a mix between Fantasy Grounds, Foundry and Roll20. Roll20 I'd probably only use for easy-don't-need-much-automation one shots. I've picked up foundry coz of the amazing integration for Warhammer.

Vincent Henrotte

Roll20 for the maps, improved initiative for combat management, and discord for the video and audio.

I think your customer base is large enough to at least warrant a discussion. I might be completely wrong, though, so all of this is my opinion. In a perfect world, for me, I could use D&D Beyond for everything, and content providers, like you, could provide maps for players to use through them. They could purchase bespoke ones, that you develop, and you could make official maps for their published content. That's just my day dream. I don't want to use Roll 20, or any other product out right now. I think they're all finicky and unreliable.

Jake Dray

So happy I've switched over to Foundry as of a couple weeks ago. I feel like I was playing with sticks and stones, and somebody handed me a set of lego! Those of you holding off switching over because your game is on Roll20, there's a great mod that works really well to transfer Roll20 campaigns over.

Nathan Martin

I haven’t contacted them yet in this case, but if they want to be competitive they should support webm or mp4 files. I did contacted roll20 two years ago and they did not want to develop their platform further to this direction at that time. We all can see that roll20 supports webm theoretically, but it practically doesn't really work.

Dynamic Dungeons

Have you approached D&D Beyond or have they approached you about maps and map editing? They've said that VTT is in their future. In my uneducated opinion, they will be the top selling platform in the market once they have that functionality. Now that's on a timeline I don't think any of us can reliably speculate on, but I'd be curious on their position, and yours, if they had a standard format they intended to use.

Jake Dray

Arkenforge

Foundry for Map and Discord for Audio and Cams

FoundryVTT has become the best decision of my gaming life

Julio Ortiz-Forero

Vassal engine

Stamperwolf

Arkenforge

Roll20, but considering a move to Foundry

Currently (due to covid): foundry for the maps and discord for comms. Usually a selfmade digital map screen: youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk3PY8-F8c4 photo 1: https://www.dinandmentink.com/storage/media-library/993/conversions/2020-01-18-11.17.44-regular.jpg photo2: https://www.dinandmentink.com/storage/media-library/994/conversions/2020-01-24-21.26.49-1-regular.jpg blog with foto's (Dutch though): https://www.dinandmentink.com/article/2020/02/11/maximaal-nerden-digital-dungeon

Discord using Avrae...specifically the !map alias

Encounter Plus

Malcolm Wolter

Roll20 for so long but now foundry

Arkenforge primarily and sometimes Foundry VTT.

Tesh

Roll20 for gameplay, but might be moving to Foundry in 2021. Discord for video/audio with the players.

Rob Leonard

Roll20 but hope to try TaleSpire when it's available

Adam Pletcher

I use Arkenforge in conjunction with fantasy grounds.

Michael Klinger

Foundry VTT for sure

Valerie Vixen

I primarily use Roll20 but used Arkenforge when we could gather with folks in person.

Same as Christian above, I use Arkenforge and share the screen by discord.

Encounter Plus.

Owelbear Rodeo

Use arkenforge with google meet.

Christian Thériault