seeing those people around the table all on laptops is so dystopic. i understand the VTT is designed for distance playing, but god, it looks so soulless and grim the way they shot it.
Yeah. The only reason I use a VTT is to play with my friends and family who are halfway across the Country. If I get together with local friends we don't use any electronics because we find the use of them causes a big disconnect between the people their.
@@tyrrax you, my friend, need to employ more of the professor’s lessons! there are many things you can do to make your players much more excited to play next time, including injecting more tension into the sessions themselves! they’ll keep coming back for more!
It really feels that the Hasbro execs looked at how many people were playing online in 2020 and 2021, but somehow didn't realise that there happened to be a global event going on at the same time that caused this. They just turned back to each other and said "I can only assume these numbers will keep on going up!" It reminds me of Disco Stu in the Simpsons: "Did you know that disco record sales were up 400% for the year ending 1976, if these trends continue...AY!"
went from 2 in person DnD games a week (Game Store AL DM & home game DM) to pandemic shutdown of 2 games a week online (1 dm, 1 player) to the end of the pandemic now game stores have very few people playing in the space (we had 60+ people every week) and most (myself included) enjoy playing online (less hassle, no pants required). I enjoy in person, but for regular recurring games, online is the most convenient. And VTT's should have the ability to run on potatoes - treat it like running DOOM on anything!
It's sort of like the CBO scratching their heads as to why the Veterans Administration costs 6x more to run now than it did 20 years ago. Gee...I wonder what happened around 2001?
@@BrentRogers5 Same here, I tried to organize one IRL game before the pandemic for 6 months then decided to go online. Well then pandemic happened. Now, I mostly GM online.
i give you these 2 quotes: "to believe that infinite growth with finite resources is possible is to either be insane or to be an economist" "there is only one thing that grows even where there is no room or reason to grow : cancer "
This is what I don't get, to be honest. Does participating in the hobby mean buying stuff, and why? Everyone keeps talking about having enough material to play for multiple lifetimes, and yet it's all about buying something new.
Professor Dungeon Master said, "If you're going to feed me, I will jump on a plane and go just about anywhere." Hey Professor DM, we are having pizza tonight, come on over. Probably some hot wings too.
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 funny thing, we get one of each. 1 person in the house wants NYC and the other Chicago. I'll take either, depending on the toppings. Downside is the pizza is now cold.
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 What's so sad is that you don't even consider that it might be authentic Italian pizza ... you know, in Italy. Sure, the hot wings give the game away, but still ...
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 As a native Chicagoan... they're the same thing. The only difference is that in Chicago we usually cut pizza in squares, pub-style, and in New York it's always in triangles. I know people mean deep dish pizza when they say "Chicago style" but most Chicagoans only eat deep dish once in a long while (I haven't had it in years and the last time was when some friends from out of town were visiting and wanted to try it) and when we say "let's get pizza tonight" that's not what we mean. If we want deep dish, we'll say "let's get pizza from...." Sorry, just a weird pet peeve of mine.
The urge to produce programs that only operate on the most recent technology seems endemic for tech companies. It often feels to my wife and me, who buy things expecting to use them basically forever, that there is no consideration for the end-user. But then, I'm still rocking a flip phone and car with manual windows.
I totally agree and I don't think they necessarily understand how much they're limiting their potential audience by making the tech only accessible to folks with high end computers.
I honestly do believe that you should purchase a smartphone, even if you are not going to be attaching cellular services to it. a $40 phone with a $5 case can access Wi-Fi in a store to access online coupons and pay for itself. I also find it handy way to keep reference materials on my persons when I'm not going to be home for long periods of time
@@jadoaesra3011 Some of us don't use our phones for anything but being a phone. I hate having apps on my phone but my work requires it. I still have a 2018 blackberry as my main phone because I hate touch screens with the heat of a thousand suns. Email, Some internet browsing and a guitar tuning app. The rest I do on my laptop because it usually has a better site than any mobile ones. I can actually read the PDF on my laptop, unlike my phone.
@@sh36 Yeah I tried the Diablo 4 beta... it ran like garbage until I turned down a BUNCH of over-tuned settings. Most notably, I reduced the framerate from 150 down to 30. Here's the really screwball part.... the FPS meter... had 150 as the LOW end. Yeah, but in PC gaming, and well console games too, real FPS is a function of the refresh rate of the monitor. If it only refreshes 60 times a second you CAN'T see more than 60 FPS. But hang on a second.... my monitor can't do more than 60FPS. why did they code the game to be able to go as high as 300+ FPS??? what sort of monitor is capable of refreshing 300+ FPS????? It's a complete waste of CPU clock cycles and GPU clock cycles too, when you, the person playing the game... CAN'T see it.
Because they originally wanted to make a video game and it's much easier to make a video game that only the latest hardware can play simply because making so older machines can also play it fine requires both expertise, imposition on the design and additional work. Having no upper limit on the poly-count so your models look über-detailed and cranking up as many effects as the engine has is simpler to arrange ("just make it look good! don't worry about it being a resource hog, that's the programmer's problem") and better for marketing, which is why video games publishers also do this: good graphics are easier to sell than bad graphics. Of course now they hit the problem that their audience does not want their tabletop game turned into a video game along with all of its limitations, so now they have a video game that's desperately trying to pretend its a VTT.
Watching some of the other youtuber's summit videos it seems to me that wotc didn't anticipate any backlash at their summit. To me, it's as if they thought here's the "new thing" for you to be thought of as "cool", "now go back to your caves and tell everyone to give us their money!"
That is the feeling I've gotten from the different RUclips videos. WotC thought everyone would be wow that is cool, and convince others to also go wow cool. This just shows WotC is out of touch with the D&D market. People like their dice, dice trays, miniatures, flipping through the books, and talking and joking with each other. I'm a DM at a Game Store in my town. I often have to adjust the situation on the fly, the PCs don't roll good enough to spot something, or they anger an NPC and now the town guards have been called. Or the worst night mare they go left off the map and you have to get them back on track. You can't suddenly adlib an encounter in a VTT, as setting up something in a VTT. There are countless jokes about some of the DMs that use the pre-printed maps, the ones that WotC sell with the sewer, or city street, or the road outside with a bridge across a stream. The jokes are usually is that the same farmer we saw in the last town, or didn't we burn that bridge down to stop the raiders? A big part of D&D is the improv on the DMs part, which a VTT will kill. It will be rail road central where you have to go to this next room because that is what is on the map.
Reminds me of the BlizzCon announcement for Diablo Immortal a few years back. The designers who made 5e may be old school gamers but the folks calling the shots at Hasbro/WotC are clearly corporate stooges who don't know anything about the hobby or why people enjoy it. All they see is a juicy IP cash cow that needs a thorough milking.
Prior to the OGL fiasco they had no reason to suspect otherwise. They simply did not understand that the kids would be resentful and still throw a fit about it when given a chance.
Those of us who have been playing since the 70’s just aren’t the target audience. They know we won’t be rabid consumers and they don’t bother trying to reach us. My inner curmudgeon isn’t bothered and most of this won’t change the way I run my table.
That to me is almost a nail in the coffin when they said oh, that's something you want in regards to a virtual tabletop that can be played on an average PC. Like if I've got 2,500 to spend on a gaming rig, what the hell am I doing playing dungeons& dragons for? It's like buying a Lamborghini to commute to work it and nothing else.
Yeah THIS, what do they NEED that kind of CPU time for? Super-detailed minis that you can't see because the resolution of your monitor isn't high enough?
Bought and painted a bunch of great minis? Well you can just put those all in a box somewhere because now you get to buy them all again in virtual form 🤬
if it doesnt run on a 60$ tablet its a flop, as that is where their core buyers will be located. unless they go crying for an Ipad. oh wait, Then WOTC will need to pay apple for the Store App placement ...
@@vicente.palmer yeah their target audience doesn't HAVE 1000$ gaming PCs. Making an app that only works on expensive gaming PCs is suicide if you want widespread adoption.
@Dungeon Craft as a Bond fan I've been let down for years. I love the series so much I bought the original books so I could see what Fleming had for the vision and what the movies changed.
@@newtpondskipper I've been in the same boat. While I loved the Casino Royale reboot and what they did with it all, the latest installments have been more "meh" At this point I would rather see a Bond Reboot as a Period piece set starting in the 1950's like the novels.
@@commenter2240 You'd never get a period piece that was authentic to those times made these days. Too many things would have to be changed for "modern audiences".
Daniel Craig's Bond just hasn't done it for me. Skyfall was boring and couldn't even live up to its intro sequence, Spectre turning Blofeld into Dr Evil was right out, and I don't even want to see No Time To Die
I first played D&D in 83 with the Redbox at a friends house. But the first campaign was Traveller. Then Marvel Superheroes. Over the years I have played dozens of RPGs. I wish more people would expand out. There is a universe of different games besides D&D.
Traveller boxed set. What a game! I just rolled a character. GREAT stats! then he died on his fourth tour. I needed to roll a 4+ to survive. Rolled a 3. Dead before the game even started!
Also started with the Redbox in the early 80's. Been running Call of Cthulhu for years now and just picked up Traveller... can't believe I didn't check out this awesome system earlier.
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 - Yeah, your awesome character dying in classic Traveller was a right of passage. In the latest MgT2e, you get injured after a failed Survival roll and lose something like an arm. Then end up in debt because you decide to buy a cybernetic replacement. Start off those desperate PCs in a hole! 🤘
Getting new players to even take a look at literally any other system than D&D has always been my primary frustration in the hobby. Part of me wishes it hadn't taken sociopolitical BS getting involved to _finally_ get people to branch out but, ultimately, I'm just glad some folks are actually willing to consider different options now. The difficulty of selling people on Savage Worlds, Fate or D6 has gone from using rusty pliers to forcefully rip out healthy teeth by main strength to merely an uphill battle. I can fight an uphill battle. Especially if it ends with me getting to run Savage Worlds or Earthdawn or 7th Sea and never having to play fucking D&D ever again.
Seeing those people all at the same table and not even making real eye contact broke my heart. Because that will become a normalized part of in-person games soon and the next expected aspect for players. The Matt Mercer effect for a DM's performance will be followed by the Dnd Beyond/Live VTT effect on a DM's presentation. I think the leaps and bounds made in virtual gaming is great for connecting people across distances, but will be an inhibiter to in-person gaming and fellowship. Thanks for your updates and news, Prof.
I am kind of glad to see D&D step on a couple rakes. Not because I want them to fail but because I think that other systems getting more light shed on them and WotC having more competition is better for everyone. Player/creator/business doesn’t matter. Competitive space usually ends up a net positive for everyone involved.
Part of me wishes it hadn't taken sociopolitical BS getting involved to _finally_ get people to actually try out systems other than D&D but, ultimately, I'm just glad more people are actually willing to consider different options. The difficulty of selling people on Savage Worlds, Fate or D6 has gone from using rusty pliers to forcefully rip out healthy teeth by main strength to merely an uphill battle. I can fight an uphill battle. Especially if it ends with me getting to run Savage Worlds or Earthdawn or 7th Sea and never having to play fucking D&D ever again.
@@BlindMarksman There are plenty of great systems that don't require an investment of reading 500 pages and learning an entirely new system. Shadowdark is my current favorite. DCC looks cool too and is slightly different but only about 20 pages of the really required game mechanics.
@@nemooh I'm aware, and I'm generally a big fan of said games. The problem, as stated, has been convincing my _players_ to try something different. I don't know when it happened but somewhere between myself and millennials/zoomers everyone seems to have decided they can only ever play one TTRPG, and that one is invariably D&D. I used to enjoy D&D. I still recognize the system's strengths. But over a decade of every gamer I know who didn't grow up with it like I did adamantly refusing to play or even read about anything else has soured me to the point I'd honestly rather not game at all than play/run more fucking D&D.
I think... I'll keep playing OSR RPGs (D&D or otherwise) at the table as much as possible. Sail on WOTC, I'll wave fro the OSR shore. -Ol' Man Grognard
LOL. "Errgh! I'm angry ..take my money!" LOL! He is totally right. The hypocrisy is astounding and it has always amazed me when people buy more than just the Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, and DMG.
No I believe they only dropped that moniker recently. They LOVED the name oned&d, until the fans told them its stupid as fuck. Like the xbox one. A very stupid name. Then when they realized they were losing face and probably won’t sell more books from the fiasco going down, They pulled the plug and just said “screw it, we’ll just work on 5th edition expansions then” We essentially scared them out of trying to make the next edition of dnd digital, They just ended up calling it a 5th edition expansion and a new way to play
I like this guy: he gives his opinion in a clear and apparently honest way, need more people who are willing to share their opinions whether other people like it or don't. "This is my opinion" and then the reasons behind it without malice. Love the video, just came across Dungeon Craft from another channel, lets keep the honest review coming : )
Those bases on the virtual minis are hilarious. I mount my minis on thin transparent base so that my little dudes don't "float" constantly so to see it in a video game feels weird.
When I saw the announcement about D&D in Minecraft I was really excited. I play Minecraft and D&D with my kids (tween and teen) so combining the two looks great. Their new VTT looks visually amazing. My problem is that, like you, I prefer a more analog approach. I want to hold physical dice. Having D&D Beyond for character sheet and die rolls is nice but sort of breaks the shared storytelling. In the video they showed, there are 4 people all separately looking at their own laptop screen. That’s fine if you can’t be physically near your gaming group, but if you are in person, that just seems really isolating to me. For folks who like VTTs, that might not be an issue, but it isn’t what I’m looking for so don’t think I’ll use it often.
If I was going to us a VTT at a table, it would be a single computer running off a projector or a screen built into the table. Basically a replacement for a battlemap and minis. I want my players looking at me and each other, not a screen. VTTs are great for playing with friends that are in different parts of the country/world (and I use them for that regularly) but the idea of everyone sitting around a physical table looking at their own screens is profoundly silly to me.
I've been using a VTT for a few years. I find the more video game like the experience the less engaged the players are. Sparse art inspires and promotes questions. Full rich art tells a more complete story and players are less likely to poke around.
Perhaps I'm old school, growing up with AD&D in the 80's, but you are spot-on with your analysis of the new TTRPG WoTC will be rolling out soon, It's a slow-rolling video game. Now, the interface looks great and I will probably play it a bit, but it will never replace six people around a table with dice and miniatures and books and soda and popcorn, etc. I lament that kids in their teens and twenties learning this game may never experience the way D&D was meant to be played. It was about a social event - often including people who were not particularly social - and community, teamwork, problem solving, education, fun and above all imagination. Digitizing game play the way WoTC intends to will largely remove the the use of players (and DMs) imagination. For that I am sad. The good news is that we can still enjoy the 'greatest game ever made' in any way we choose to. My group will continue old school gameplay. Heck, we even use miniatures on our weekly stream and our viewers really like that about us. Still, technology will march on and soon enough many will be playing D&D VR. I'll try that too, but always, always, return to the table with friends.
Best RPG content on RUclips! I like that they're doing ridiculous things and scrambling, it seems fitting somehow. I think I'll wait to watch the D&D movie when I can watch for free on broadcast television.
If the future of D&D is going to be the rich kids playing a slow video game on high-end computers, and, and the poor kids kicking it with pencils and paper, I know who I want to play with and where the real creativity is going to be happening.
Love your take on it, I test all the VTT and the best is not a VTT, its Microsoft Team with whiteboard, but only for online games, the Game is best with a room, 4-6 peoples in it with food & drink preferably hidden in a basement... 💜💜
You're quite right, sometimes the whistles and bells can really get in the way. My all time best online RPG experience was using OpenRPG, which was little more than an IRC chat room with a dicebot. We played the Alternity RPG, set in the GM's homebrewed version of Bruce Sterling's Schismatrix universe. What a ride. I have very fond memories of that campaign.
Excelent video Professor. When the guy playing the VTT says "I roll Perception to see if there is something there" I lost it 😂 I already knew this line of product is not for me, but this showed me it is not even about the VTT, its all the game style.
It will also kill the DM describing the room the PCs are in. If I set the VTT room to be dark and heavily in shadows, my players will complain about vision issues. But I can describe it as dark and heavily shadowed, where even your light spells are not penetrating the shadows. But the VTT would have to be lit well to make my PCs happy. No this VTT is not for me. If I want to have 3D PCs, I'll just play the old Atari Temple of Elemental Evil PC video game again (for the 20th time).
Playing video games in the same room as your friends can be fun but good video games have existed for years. The ideal Dungeons and Dragons experience though is without everyone staring at their screen and actually looking at each other. The best benefit of the game is the real social interaction.
I am totally with you. I see it not only with WotC, but other RPG companies too. The "I hate the company, they are producing the worst! Let me buy everything." I don't get it.
To be honest I’ve always viewed it as harvesting good ideas. While I don’t care for 5E there are things I think are improvements. I do like ad/disad rolls. I view any book as a roll of the dice to see if there is something useable. If not it goes in the shelf as an object. The cost is minimal to me - plus I hate reading pdf’s or printouts - so I always get the book.
@@davidmuzia814 That is not what I meant. I am talking about fans of the RPG that feel betrayed for whatever resaon by the company they formerly adored, they state openly that they hate was has been done to "their" game, but then still buy every product that is produced. This behaviour baffles me.
Always appreciate your insight! especially with you +1 Jacket. Keep up the great work! Edit: I use a VTT to put maps on a TV just because I do not have time to prep physical maps and scenery. I use the cheapest laptop (sub $300 running Windows lite) money can buy in conjunction with maptool which is free and does everything I need. Players can use their phones or laptops to view character sheets or look up rules on the fly but, I typically run the game in such a way to prevent the players from having the time or ability to get distracted by their devices. During combat, I use your method to speed up combat and resolve everything at once (it rocks) During Role Play, I simply do the same exact thing and if the PCs are in different places I go around and resolve only what I need to with each before moving to the next telling them to think of what they want to say to an NPC or think about what they want to do while the other players are going. There's simply no time for distractions. We go for 4 - 5 hours with a 10 min. break in the middle with little to no distractions.
Digital tools are helpful and open up the game to people who don't want to learn the rules...and there are a LOT of rules to remember....but there is something to be said about the pen and paper character sheets. Our home game didn't feel the same with everyone starting at computers.
Rules are an illusion in a cooperative game of make believe with dice. The DM makes up everything but the player reactions and dice rolls just serve a a mental framework aid. Does a dice roll matter when the DM can set the dc or modifiers to move the result any direction and as far as they need?
The electronic tools will be the death of D&D. Oh the tools are great but if that is the only way to join in the game it will kill it. I DM at my Game Store. At least twice a month I end up with a table of at least 2 if not 5 new players (out of 7) that have never played. They get a paper, premade, character, borrow dice, and a figure and off we go. The same for conventions. Now those people that want to try the game need a D&D Beyond account, a VTT account, and anything else WotC dreams up, to just try the game and see if they like it. This will reduce the number of new players entering into D&D by just making it harder to try it. Not to mention some Game Stores don't have free internet and at conventions if there is free internet it is swamped by all the people using it for other things.
As a GM I use a laptop to run the game, as does the GM of the game I am in. As a player I only use a computer to fill out a character sheet, then print it out for use at the table.
@@earmarkaudiologyllc8444 “welcome to who’s dnd is it? Where the rules don’t matter because hit-points are made up anyways. Here’s your host the DM!” “This next game is for all four contest- er um - player characters. It’s called scenes from my brain, I’ll give you a description and you react to it. . .first guy to die loses.”
My bet is that the physical books will come with a digital code to be activated in the VTT, thus enabling that books content in-game. This would be in line with their quote about getting more people than just the DM to buy their books.
I doubt it... My best guess would be each player buys the "cd-key" for what supplement / feat/ class / book / expansion their character they want to play is, like DndB, and they also have to buy it IRL/physical, if they want the art and what comes with the book. (ofc, extra art for limited edition / gold foil cover / holo foil platinum editition , etc. etc. With some analogues modified backgrounds for some items, for the VTT purchase). I mean... think about it, the DM designs an "event" that gives a character a certain feat, that fits the narrative, the DM just read about it in the new expansion that he preordered. Now... in order for that player to ACTUALLY have that feat on its character, they also have to buy it. ;)
@@reddjack340 Yep, my point exactly. Also, my bet is that the VTT is going to be a live server, subscription based. And when VTT v2 comes out 3-4 years later, with RTX of course, the current VTTv1 stuff is not forwards compatible or transfarable; and the company can't afford the upkeep for the old and new servers. I mean... C'mon! Don't you want RTX in your imagination? Just works.
Why would you think that? Do you get a code for a free .pdf in the back of the books you buy from them now? This company is a bunch of pretend woke sympathizers just out for your money.
I completely respect everything you've just said about everything you spoke about. Thanks for taking the time. I'm with you 100% on the way to play D&D, TTRPGs, etc. I don't allow screens or VTTs at my table either. The image @8:18 in my experience is all that anyone needs to play. I intend to keep it that way.
WotC invited people who they believe have extremely impressionable fanbases. They believed if they could "sway" some of these people that their fans would follow and it would be good PR for them. They didnt realize everyone they invited has no room at all for bullshit, nor do their subscriber bases. The summit backfired HARD on WotC.
heh, even the dice are optional. the old fighting fantasy books printed random die rolls on the bottom of the books, while white hack has pages of randomly generated nnumbers for you to drop a pencil on. (funnily enough this actually makes white hack prison-compatible as normal dice are disallowed)
I agree with you about the movie. I'm mystified by why some people can't see the problems; maybe they just want the content, good or bad. But that sets a low bar.
This felt more like the PDM I know and love, more fair and balanced. The fact that people unsub’d over a film is ridiculous. I disagreed with you but you try to keep things respectful and we need more of that, not less. If I had the disposable income, I would become a patreon member just knowing people acted so poorly. Keep doing what you’ve been doing. I don’t have to agree with everything you say to know you still have value. Thanks for not being inappropriate or otherwise disappointing. #stillAfan
They'reso hell bent on moving into the video game market that they'll sacrifice 40+ years of fan base, history, game development, and being one of the leaders in the TTRP market. RIP, WotC.
I hate how clueless Blizzard & WoTC are when they make those 'cinematic' documentary segments. They always make me feel so adverse to engaging in what they're trying to sell, vs an authentic sit down and session, chat, product review. Could it be a bit jankier? Sure. Does the authenticity add much more to it than these? Hell yes.
The thing is, things like D&D direct aren't actually made for us. They're made for investors and corporate partners. They're trade show presentations that they let us watch too.
Too independent thinking? Sheesh. Professor DM you are the best! 100% agree with everything you said. I had the same problem with the D&D movie, and you hit the nail on the head regarding that Bond movie. BTW I loved that video you did at the Fleming estate. I wrote down notes while watching that & found it really useful. I'm going to see if I can find you 8 more subscribers. 😊
I am entirely playing online at the moment but thank you for standing up for the virtues of real, in-person games, and more broadly defending the real essence of the hobby.
From a marketing standpoint, I suspect they want to establish the "gold standard" of VTT's for their brand before someone else does, since the tech is just about there.
Enjoyed your take on the situation as always PDM. I'd like to address a few points you made in the video: 1) I was going to boycott the DnD movie until HASBRO made a full apology and released the SRD under the creative commons license. At which point, I felt the issue was resolved to my satisfaction. Greedy corporations are gonna greed, but I do feel like they actually listened for once. 2) I'm keenly interested in the VTT. I will always prefer to sit down with friends around a table, and play face to face. The reality however, is that I work weird hours for months at a time, and am in an isolated environment. Further, all my friends are scattered across the US, Canada, and Europe. The only way I can actually play is virtually. It's not ideal, but it's VTT, play by mail, or not at all. 3) The film was not your cup of tea, and I get that. But I suspect DnD players just wanted something they could point to that was theirs, competently done. I expect a lot of DnD fans feel like the movie wasn't the end point, but rather a starting point for (hopefully) better DnD media in the future. And lastly, I would like your feedback on a completely different issue: You may be familiar with a content creator called Indestructoboy who was at the center of the OGL controversy. He recently had a kickstarter go live for his game Vagabond, which is his take on DnD. If possible I'd very much like your analysis on his game, or just thoughts and feelings about it.
In regards to whether those people are "Shills" or not. Well, Follow the Money remains a thing. These people are fans--they WANT to be fans, and if they go to these PR events--that's up to them. People should just realize this and take that into consideration. Whether or not these "Influencers" supposedly challenged WotC is irrelevant. WotC will continue to accuse innocent people or racism, or whatever Red meat they need to pander to their Hateful "Community.
The fact that Hasbro put an ex-executive of Zygan, a cellphone game developer, in charge of reeling more money from the franchise speaks volumes on what they want the game to become.
I ended up switching to OSE after watching plenty of your vids about it- Then came the OGL debacle and that fueled the fire even further, and I sold plenty of my 5e books... While searching for gameplay I like, Grimdark and less uhh "fluffy, everyone's super" gameplay... I came across Mork Borg (and spin offs like Vast Grimm, and Pirate Borg). My players love the simplicity and brutality of them.
I felt your critique of the movie was well placed. I may disagree with some, but it is true, current cinema has many flaws. However there was plenty to enjoy. I’m happy it was made and was successful. I am really holding out for a TV series. I feel that will have a better chance of inspiring new players. This movie was just a lot of cgi cool, and not a lot of lore to munch on. Entertaining but not inspiring. Now the virtual tabletop appeals to me as a full time RVer. Finding people to play in person is difficult when I’m in a different place every month. But I still crave in person play, and I’d not like to use this in person.
Sorry, but Guardians of the Dungeon is a box Office bomb, even bigger than Shazam 2, and Will lose money, as expected from a mediocre film like this one.
@@spacerx it may not have hit the big target, but it’s done better than I expected. In that way I’d say it was successful. In the long run I think it will have more success than even you believe possible.
@Will Smith That is not true. A few months ago, it was tracking for a $70+ million opening a couple of months ago. It was revised down to less than 50% of that, and then it beat that lower estimate by a couple of million.
Thanks for this, I also thought it odd that folks were gathered around a physical table each staring at their own screen. I have played VTT, it allowed us to play when we couldn't meet in person, it allowed an old friend 6000 km away to join. It just isn't my preferred style. It is a great crutch for when one is facing challenges, but after one is able to run (or jog in my case) again, why hang on to the crutch?
I love videogames a lot, and I'm on my computer a lot. I don't understand why I would want to play D&D on a virtual tabletop. Even when I play online, I try to keep it as minimalist as possible, because D&D's power is from using your imagination. I also prefer to play D&D in person. D&D is a story around the campfire that everyone participates in--it's kind of primal, in that way. I don't know why I'd want to digitalize that.
OMG so freaking funny!!! "I hate what Wizards did and I don't wanna give them my money. But, I'm gonna give them my money." hehe so freak'n funny. Addicts gotta feed that need I guess.
I agree with what you say about the VTT and how D&D is better analog. The thing is, not everyone has that luxury. Some people don't have friends nearby to play with, or they want to play with friends in other locations. So VTTs are a great tool for a lot of people. I don't see at all that it will ever be required. D&D 5e will always be playable around a table, but the VTT opens up D&D for a lot of people who wouldn't get to play otherwise. Enjoyed the vid!
Thing is, there are already quite a few VTTs of varying degrees of complexity out there. Some are free with optional subscriptions, others have a paywall. Roll20 is about the most popular, and it's little more than a 2d sheet of graphing paper. The WOTC VTT is likely to be the most locked-down creativity strangling VTT for DnD on the market. Which is to say, an official VTT is wholly unnecessary. The market has already provided the solution to the problem, and WOTC wants a monopoly in the space created by others.
I've been playing physical with the same Lads for twenty years. The three things we always want are New Settings (not adventure paths per say), New Options (Classes, subclasses, spells, magic items, subsystems etc), and everyone's schedule to line up (and no last minute cancel). With 3D printing taking off, and crowdfunding letting you back whatever particular setting or ruleset that grabs you, Wizards seems to be pivoting to something where their strength of being a large corporation can come to play. I agree with that assessment of yours of the VTT Future for them. The other strength they have, of course, is the stable of writers and designers to craft new stories alongside cat wrangl- I mean editors to keep said creatives' on target. While a lot of books like Wildermount or Candlekeep were hit-and-miss, the fact that WotC can throw a bundle of money at a team, with periodic checks that's they're on schedule, IS an asset. The mentality of essentially being a Patron, being very hands-off while the product is being made, and then marketing AFTER it's done just isn't common.
I'm not sure. But I have been thrilled to hear my "zoned UDT" has been helpful to blind players. It's the thing I'm most proud of. I want everyone to enjoy RPGs.
I think you have a room-temperature take on VTTs in general. I would argue that VTTs as a whole actually make the game more accessible. It's prohibitively expensive to fly players across the country for a game night once every two weeks when they all own decent PCs. They cut down on prep time, especially when running publisher-generated content. And while some have pretty solid system requirements, more than two can be played from a web browser. To paraphrase the immortal words of Blizzard announcing Diablo Mobile, "You guys all have web browsers, right?" That said, in regards to the WotC VTT in particular, your arguments about accessibility apply and are totally valid. I also think *forcing* the use of a VTT (or even primarily publishing for a specific VTT) is definitely going to be a turn-off for a lot of people. I also agree with others who feel it's kind of soulless to have players *sitting in a room together* using a VTT. That's aggressively antisocial.
Great video. I totally agree the face to face aspect is what differentiates this game from so many other pastimes. No doubt the VTT will bring in new curious players but will any of them then transition to analog?
I will say, as someone who has tried to play dnd with close friends over discord many times, I don’t think VTT will work. There were always interruptions, distractions, technical issues, and a lack of focus. All causing frustration. Good luck Hasbro. Hope you crack it!
It's okay to like what you like. I still plan to see the Dungeons & Dragons movie, and hope to have fun. As for virtual tabletops, I'm with you there, I like throwing dice in person with friends.
My group will have no interest to switching to a VTT game. We love playing in person. Now, if WOTC was smart, they'd include a "presentation mode" where the DM can display a map, characters, etc to more effectively bring to life a grid on the table for us all to enjoy in the same room.
I thought the "great great grandfather" ghost was actually the embodiment of his self doubt, which Simon did mention he came from a long line of great spellcasters and he why he thought he was failing them. Him punching out his "ancestor" was just him finally believing in himself; or I could just be looking too much into it. As for the VTT, if they're not gonna do a monthly fee for it, I could imagine they would either focus heavy on the marketplace where you have to buy enough assets to run a decent game or the VTT is gonna have ads galore; the alternative I could think of is if they just add it the DnDBeyond membership like Amazon Prime or Playstation Plus, which could possibly mean a price hike on the membership.
Being from the old school of D&D, I started with the three little books in the wood grain box from 1975. for me the only to play was face to face, rolling two 20's in a row and laughing when your character miss's that death saving throw. You're right in line with the way things should be. Saturday night, a few good friends, hard fought battles over the last slice of pizza. ah the good ole days.
Great overview, I agree that playing with laptops and phones out just takes away from the emersion for me. I started with D&D back in the mid 80s it was all theater of the mind. We didn’t even have miniatures. As for the 8 who unsubscribed, well what can you do, that’s the world we live in now, no room for differing views. Lord know you’ll probably lose another 8 just because Death Bringer was in Jamaica with Dua Lipa ❤😂 🤘🏼🔥🔥🤘🏼Rock on Prof DM!
Speaking about the D&D film, I enjoyed it BECAUSE of your review. I went into it expecting it to be like Guardians of The Galaxy. I did fall asleep from the helmet scene to the point where the tentacles got them. Thanks again for all you do!
Thanks for the analysis! I've noticed quite a few YT creators raking Wizards over the coals. Personally, I have no personal qualms with WotC, even considering some of the horrendous decisions they've made in past that seem to be connected with breaking into the VTT space. While I have no qualms with WotC, I'm not a fan of recent editions of D&D. Will I buy other things that WotC? Sure, if it's interesting (to honest, I haven't been taken by much these days). The VTT presentation was simply odd. You pointed out the dice on the table. My comment right then and there was, "why in heck are you playing on a VTT when you're at the table?" This just gives me the feeling that WotC doesn't know their customer base very well and like many of their recent decisions, skews into clueless territory.
I prefer an in-person game. But it's just gotten to where it's easier to find hen's teeth than a good in-person game. VTT has become a necessity for the game to grow.
It depends on where you live I guess. I was able to find a great group by advertising on the corkboard at my FLGS. I then expanded the group by inviting a few coworkers who had never played an RPG before.
Hello everyone. This VTT does not change the game or how you play it. It is simply a Virtual Tabletop for people who cannot meet in person and do want or have the capabilities to run it (such as PC gamers.) I'm not sure why there is so much hate on how others can or will play the game. The VTT isn't for everyone, pen and paper isn't for everyone, and 5e isn't even for everyone. Just let Wizards develop tools. You don't have to use them. I myself prefer a classic in-person experience but sometimes that is not possible and this looks like a great virtual alternative. Have a nice day.
Predictably, the "5e Community" rushed back to Boot Licking. Is that unkind to put it that way? It was pretty clear that the outrage at the OGL was directed and people who don't think a lot simply did what they were told by their "influencers" and when those influencers stopped--they went back to their trough.
@@leem2155 Oh really--the People that RUSHED to go get their treats from WotC are "sick of WotC"? Please--the vast majority of people are more than happy to going back to lapping up every bit of nonsense Wizards throws out to them.
@@KAM1138a like the prof said, they were getting paid and fed, and them being there didn’t do WotC any favours, especially because of how they absolutely lambasted them at every opportunity, pushed back against the VTT jargon and asked hard-hitting questions. if you read any of the live tweets, or watch Taron Pounds’ video on the topic, you’ll see what i mean. this wasn’t ‘lapping’ anything up, this was them showing up because they thought there was a genuine conversation (and some accountability) to be had, realising there wasn’t, and getting mad about it.
@@leem2155 YYou seem to think that ALL of this isn't WotC PR and that they're not in control of this situation. They are. And it isn't just about the people who went to this little PR Event.
Professor, I love everything you said about avoiding screens. Before I play, I like sharpening pencils. I make them extra sharp, pair them with marbled composition books. It’s a great joy of my life. No VTT, you’re wrong.
I would agree with your comment about WoTC keeping things 5th edition if the changes they have released weren't so impactful. I would like to see how they apply these new recommended changes while keeping it 5th edition-compatible. Perhaps as a set of optional rules? I still wonder how Adventurer's League would address these new rules.
I read somewhere that WotC said you can still use anything from any of the older books in your games. Which to me makes it even more baffling as to why even bother with a new "edition"
I think it's a big mess. They want to change rules and rebalance things, yet still call it the same edition. It only leads to questions of "Which 5e are we playing? The 5e or 5e?"
@@tuomasronnberg5244 they don't want those who are buying books now to think they need to wait until next year. It is all about monetizing and ensuring cash flow is uninterrupted.
@@JustIT69 if you follow the money it is not too much of a mystery. Big thing is they know DMs constitute something like 80 percent of purchases so they want to tap into player wallets fo a change.
I've been playing D&D since 1980, and DMing since 1989. I think the majority of players in my age group will likely continue to play in person. The 30-something and younger crowd will likely be more attuned to the VTT. Nothing wrong with that, we all have our preferences, and WOTC is gearing their future for the group that has more years left above ground. Oddly enough, the two groups I DM are both comprised of people around the age of 30. So far as PDM losing subscribers due to his opinion on a movie, it's a shame that so many people take a difference of opinion as a personal attack. We only learn and grow when someone challenges our beliefs and opinions.
As I've said, Hasbro has enough of my money. I still love my D&D, but I'm in with the small creators (like myself). But RPG your way. Whatever makes you happy and have fun is great.
1. Those Tabaxi had it coming for their part in the Mouseling genocide 2. I make awesome stuffed peppers, so if you're willing to hop on a plane and come to Star City, there is food involved. 3. 5E is the final edition of DnD because it's not made by designers anymore. The current staff isn't connected to previous designers. At best, they'll have programmers.
Agreed I’ve been worried about where D&D was headed since WotC bought D&D Beyond. The Art and Arcana book is awesome. Yes WotC is probably going to try to run out roll 20 and foundry to get all the money from a VTT
I can't say I blame them. They've needed to fill this niche since 2014. I don't understand why they haven't done it already. I don't know about Foundry, but Roll20 is trash. The company that owns it is trash, the product is trash, and I'm sick of buying everything twice. WotC needs to have everything available in one place and focus more on quality over quantity. I like the idea of buying a physical book that comes with a code to add my new purchase to DnD Beyond and VTT. No more 3rd party trash.
I have noy played in person for nearly a decade, since my group and I all moved around as we got older, but we still play on roll20. That said, in-person is always better, and I will not be playing with this new VTT... In fact, my friends and I are slowly working on our own system, no longer depending on the OGL. WotC may have reversed course, but if they did it once, they can do it again. Just done with this company. And people. If you can, play in oerson. So much more fun that way!
How will this new version work if someone wants to do a cool thing that is not in the rules? Is it just too bad then, or will you be able to tweak that? That is what I love about ttrpgs, making rulings on the fly that fits the fiction
The biggest road block to playing D&D is finding a group and everyone meeting the schedule. If a VTT allows people to play from home with others around the world then WotC will have created a platform that can significantly grow the hobby.
seeing those people around the table all on laptops is so dystopic. i understand the VTT is designed for distance playing, but god, it looks so soulless and grim the way they shot it.
Yeah. The only reason I use a VTT is to play with my friends and family who are halfway across the Country. If I get together with local friends we don't use any electronics because we find the use of them causes a big disconnect between the people their.
I actually thought it was good. But it seems like...acting...at times.
What got me was the extreme hyperactive extroverts. I love D&D but I've never been that excited to play. Are they high on life or something?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAN_party
@@tyrrax you, my friend, need to employ more of the professor’s lessons! there are many things you can do to make your players much more excited to play next time, including injecting more tension into the sessions themselves! they’ll keep coming back for more!
It really feels that the Hasbro execs looked at how many people were playing online in 2020 and 2021, but somehow didn't realise that there happened to be a global event going on at the same time that caused this. They just turned back to each other and said "I can only assume these numbers will keep on going up!"
It reminds me of Disco Stu in the Simpsons: "Did you know that disco record sales were up 400% for the year ending 1976, if these trends continue...AY!"
that Disco Stu clip is great!
went from 2 in person DnD games a week (Game Store AL DM & home game DM) to pandemic shutdown of 2 games a week online (1 dm, 1 player) to the end of the pandemic now game stores have very few people playing in the space (we had 60+ people every week) and most (myself included) enjoy playing online (less hassle, no pants required).
I enjoy in person, but for regular recurring games, online is the most convenient.
And VTT's should have the ability to run on potatoes - treat it like running DOOM on anything!
It's sort of like the CBO scratching their heads as to why the Veterans Administration costs 6x more to run now than it did 20 years ago. Gee...I wonder what happened around 2001?
@@BrentRogers5 Same here, I tried to organize one IRL game before the pandemic for 6 months then decided to go online. Well then pandemic happened. Now, I mostly GM online.
i give you these 2 quotes: "to believe that infinite growth with finite resources is possible is to either be insane or to be an economist" "there is only one thing that grows even where there is no room or reason to grow : cancer "
Instead of wasting my money on WotC, I've already bought Deathbringer, Hero's Journey 2, Knave, Mausritter and others.
Thank you.
Knave 2 is getting a Kickstarter!
Hero's journey is excellent!
@@VanDavis eagerly anticipating this
This is what I don't get, to be honest. Does participating in the hobby mean buying stuff, and why? Everyone keeps talking about having enough material to play for multiple lifetimes, and yet it's all about buying something new.
Professor Dungeon Master said, "If you're going to feed me, I will jump on a plane and go just about anywhere." Hey Professor DM, we are having pizza tonight, come on over. Probably some hot wings too.
NYC or Chicago pizza?
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 funny thing, we get one of each. 1 person in the house wants NYC and the other Chicago. I'll take either, depending on the toppings. Downside is the pizza is now cold.
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 What's so sad is that you don't even consider that it might be authentic Italian pizza ... you know, in Italy. Sure, the hot wings give the game away, but still ...
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 As a native Chicagoan... they're the same thing. The only difference is that in Chicago we usually cut pizza in squares, pub-style, and in New York it's always in triangles. I know people mean deep dish pizza when they say "Chicago style" but most Chicagoans only eat deep dish once in a long while (I haven't had it in years and the last time was when some friends from out of town were visiting and wanted to try it) and when we say "let's get pizza tonight" that's not what we mean. If we want deep dish, we'll say "let's get pizza from...." Sorry, just a weird pet peeve of mine.
@@markissleepy Thank you for sharing. My parents were from Chicago and NYC. So I love thin crust AND deep dish.
The idea that they didn't think about needing a high-end gaming computer to play D&D just boggles my mind. That is just insane.
The urge to produce programs that only operate on the most recent technology seems endemic for tech companies. It often feels to my wife and me, who buy things expecting to use them basically forever, that there is no consideration for the end-user. But then, I'm still rocking a flip phone and car with manual windows.
I totally agree and I don't think they necessarily understand how much they're limiting their potential audience by making the tech only accessible to folks with high end computers.
I honestly do believe that you should purchase a smartphone, even if you are not going to be attaching cellular services to it. a $40 phone with a $5 case can access Wi-Fi in a store to access online coupons and pay for itself. I also find it handy way to keep reference materials on my persons when I'm not going to be home for long periods of time
@@jadoaesra3011 Some of us don't use our phones for anything but being a phone. I hate having apps on my phone but my work requires it. I still have a 2018 blackberry as my main phone because I hate touch screens with the heat of a thousand suns. Email, Some internet browsing and a guitar tuning app. The rest I do on my laptop because it usually has a better site than any mobile ones. I can actually read the PDF on my laptop, unlike my phone.
@@sh36 Yeah I tried the Diablo 4 beta... it ran like garbage until I turned down a BUNCH of over-tuned settings.
Most notably, I reduced the framerate from 150 down to 30. Here's the really screwball part.... the FPS meter... had 150 as the LOW end. Yeah, but in PC gaming, and well console games too, real FPS is a function of the refresh rate of the monitor. If it only refreshes 60 times a second you CAN'T see more than 60 FPS.
But hang on a second.... my monitor can't do more than 60FPS. why did they code the game to be able to go as high as 300+ FPS??? what sort of monitor is capable of refreshing 300+ FPS?????
It's a complete waste of CPU clock cycles and GPU clock cycles too, when you, the person playing the game... CAN'T see it.
Because they originally wanted to make a video game and it's much easier to make a video game that only the latest hardware can play simply because making so older machines can also play it fine requires both expertise, imposition on the design and additional work. Having no upper limit on the poly-count so your models look über-detailed and cranking up as many effects as the engine has is simpler to arrange ("just make it look good! don't worry about it being a resource hog, that's the programmer's problem") and better for marketing, which is why video games publishers also do this: good graphics are easier to sell than bad graphics.
Of course now they hit the problem that their audience does not want their tabletop game turned into a video game along with all of its limitations, so now they have a video game that's desperately trying to pretend its a VTT.
Watching some of the other youtuber's summit videos it seems to me that wotc didn't anticipate any backlash at their summit. To me, it's as if they thought here's the "new thing" for you to be thought of as "cool", "now go back to your caves and tell everyone to give us their money!"
That is the feeling I've gotten from the different RUclips videos. WotC thought everyone would be wow that is cool, and convince others to also go wow cool. This just shows WotC is out of touch with the D&D market. People like their dice, dice trays, miniatures, flipping through the books, and talking and joking with each other.
I'm a DM at a Game Store in my town. I often have to adjust the situation on the fly, the PCs don't roll good enough to spot something, or they anger an NPC and now the town guards have been called. Or the worst night mare they go left off the map and you have to get them back on track. You can't suddenly adlib an encounter in a VTT, as setting up something in a VTT. There are countless jokes about some of the DMs that use the pre-printed maps, the ones that WotC sell with the sewer, or city street, or the road outside with a bridge across a stream. The jokes are usually is that the same farmer we saw in the last town, or didn't we burn that bridge down to stop the raiders?
A big part of D&D is the improv on the DMs part, which a VTT will kill. It will be rail road central where you have to go to this next room because that is what is on the map.
Reminds me of the BlizzCon announcement for Diablo Immortal a few years back. The designers who made 5e may be old school gamers but the folks calling the shots at Hasbro/WotC are clearly corporate stooges who don't know anything about the hobby or why people enjoy it. All they see is a juicy IP cash cow that needs a thorough milking.
I haven't left D&D (I still have my old books), but D&D has left ME.
I'm a TTrpg'er
Prior to the OGL fiasco they had no reason to suspect otherwise.
They simply did not understand that the kids would be resentful and still throw a fit about it when given a chance.
Those of us who have been playing since the 70’s just aren’t the target audience. They know we won’t be rabid consumers and they don’t bother trying to reach us. My inner curmudgeon isn’t bothered and most of this won’t change the way I run my table.
That to me is almost a nail in the coffin when they said oh, that's something you want in regards to a virtual tabletop that can be played on an average PC. Like if I've got 2,500 to spend on a gaming rig, what the hell am I doing playing dungeons& dragons for? It's like buying a Lamborghini to commute to work it and nothing else.
Yeah THIS, what do they NEED that kind of CPU time for? Super-detailed minis that you can't see because the resolution of your monitor isn't high enough?
Bought and painted a bunch of great minis? Well you can just put those all in a box somewhere because now you get to buy them all again in virtual form 🤬
if it doesnt run on a 60$ tablet its a flop, as that is where their core buyers will be located. unless they go crying for an Ipad. oh wait, Then WOTC will need to pay apple for the Store App placement ...
@@vicente.palmer yeah their target audience doesn't HAVE 1000$ gaming PCs. Making an app that only works on expensive gaming PCs is suicide if you want widespread adoption.
We love you, man. And this was awesome. Your explanation of why you didn't like the Bond movie made me cackle with glee.
Glad you enjoyed it! I've been wanting to get that off my chest for a year.
@Dungeon Craft as a Bond fan I've been let down for years. I love the series so much I bought the original books so I could see what Fleming had for the vision and what the movies changed.
@@newtpondskipper I've been in the same boat. While I loved the Casino Royale reboot and what they did with it all, the latest installments have been more "meh"
At this point I would rather see a Bond Reboot as a Period piece set starting in the 1950's like the novels.
@@commenter2240 You'd never get a period piece that was authentic to those times made these days. Too many things would have to be changed for "modern audiences".
Daniel Craig's Bond just hasn't done it for me. Skyfall was boring and couldn't even live up to its intro sequence, Spectre turning Blofeld into Dr Evil was right out, and I don't even want to see No Time To Die
I first played D&D in 83 with the Redbox at a friends house. But the first campaign was Traveller. Then Marvel Superheroes. Over the years I have played dozens of RPGs. I wish more people would expand out. There is a universe of different games besides D&D.
Traveller boxed set. What a game! I just rolled a character. GREAT stats! then he died on his fourth tour. I needed to roll a 4+ to survive. Rolled a 3. Dead before the game even started!
Also started with the Redbox in the early 80's. Been running Call of Cthulhu for years now and just picked up Traveller... can't believe I didn't check out this awesome system earlier.
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 - Yeah, your awesome character dying in classic Traveller was a right of passage. In the latest MgT2e, you get injured after a failed Survival roll and lose something like an arm. Then end up in debt because you decide to buy a cybernetic replacement. Start off those desperate PCs in a hole! 🤘
Getting new players to even take a look at literally any other system than D&D has always been my primary frustration in the hobby. Part of me wishes it hadn't taken sociopolitical BS getting involved to _finally_ get people to branch out but, ultimately, I'm just glad some folks are actually willing to consider different options now. The difficulty of selling people on Savage Worlds, Fate or D6 has gone from using rusty pliers to forcefully rip out healthy teeth by main strength to merely an uphill battle.
I can fight an uphill battle. Especially if it ends with me getting to run Savage Worlds or Earthdawn or 7th Sea and never having to play fucking D&D ever again.
@@BlindMarksman Savage Worlds is my current go to system.
If I had a Creator Summit I'd invite Deathbringer.
He declined to meet up with Dua Lipa in Jamaica.
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 you need a shirt that says, "I went to Jamaica to meet up with Deathbringer but all I got was Dua Lipa."
@@AdamK1095 Good one.
@@AdamK1095 😂
Seeing those people all at the same table and not even making real eye contact broke my heart. Because that will become a normalized part of in-person games soon and the next expected aspect for players. The Matt Mercer effect for a DM's performance will be followed by the Dnd Beyond/Live VTT effect on a DM's presentation.
I think the leaps and bounds made in virtual gaming is great for connecting people across distances, but will be an inhibiter to in-person gaming and fellowship.
Thanks for your updates and news, Prof.
I am kind of glad to see D&D step on a couple rakes. Not because I want them to fail but because I think that other systems getting more light shed on them and WotC having more competition is better for everyone. Player/creator/business doesn’t matter. Competitive space usually ends up a net positive for everyone involved.
Part of me wishes it hadn't taken sociopolitical BS getting involved to _finally_ get people to actually try out systems other than D&D but, ultimately, I'm just glad more people are actually willing to consider different options. The difficulty of selling people on Savage Worlds, Fate or D6 has gone from using rusty pliers to forcefully rip out healthy teeth by main strength to merely an uphill battle.
I can fight an uphill battle. Especially if it ends with me getting to run Savage Worlds or Earthdawn or 7th Sea and never having to play fucking D&D ever again.
@@BlindMarksman There are plenty of great systems that don't require an investment of reading 500 pages and learning an entirely new system. Shadowdark is my current favorite. DCC looks cool too and is slightly different but only about 20 pages of the really required game mechanics.
@@nemooh I'm aware, and I'm generally a big fan of said games. The problem, as stated, has been convincing my _players_ to try something different. I don't know when it happened but somewhere between myself and millennials/zoomers everyone seems to have decided they can only ever play one TTRPG, and that one is invariably D&D.
I used to enjoy D&D. I still recognize the system's strengths. But over a decade of every gamer I know who didn't grow up with it like I did adamantly refusing to play or even read about anything else has soured me to the point I'd honestly rather not game at all than play/run more fucking D&D.
I just love "Grrr. I'm angry! Take my money!"
I think...
I'll keep playing OSR RPGs (D&D or otherwise) at the table as much as possible. Sail on WOTC, I'll wave fro the OSR shore.
-Ol' Man Grognard
Right there with you. I haven't bought anything from WotC since 2017. OSR all the way.
LOL. "Errgh! I'm angry ..take my money!" LOL! He is totally right. The hypocrisy is astounding and it has always amazed me when people buy more than just the Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, and DMG.
Gamers are weird.
Comedy is on point in this video.
Hey thanks! I tried my best.
That's where the "theatre of mind" goes to die.
Yup.
Hahaha I can't believe they scratched the "One D&D" moniker! Hahahah they were so proud of it at first.
It was always meant to be a placeholder, like “D&D Next”. The final product was never going to be called One D&D.
Got to change the publicity/marketing away from all those negative comments that will show up to a "oned&d" google search.
No I believe they only dropped that moniker recently.
They LOVED the name oned&d, until the fans told them its stupid as fuck.
Like the xbox one.
A very stupid name.
Then when they realized they were losing face and probably won’t sell more books from the fiasco going down,
They pulled the plug and just said “screw it, we’ll just work on 5th edition expansions then”
We essentially scared them out of trying to make the next edition of dnd digital,
They just ended up calling it a 5th edition expansion and a new way to play
@@nicks4802Man, what a victory for us all who were dumbfounded by their decisions. That's so good to hear!
@@Thornspyre81 It's still on their playtest materials though!
really enjoying the new Shadow Dark RPG. Its basically exactly my house rules in an official ruleset
I like this guy: he gives his opinion in a clear and apparently honest way, need more people who are willing to share their opinions whether other people like it or don't.
"This is my opinion" and then the reasons behind it without malice. Love the video, just came across Dungeon Craft from another channel, lets keep the honest review coming : )
I appreciate your kind words!
Those bases on the virtual minis are hilarious. I mount my minis on thin transparent base so that my little dudes don't "float" constantly so to see it in a video game feels weird.
probably a micro-transaction to buy a better mini base. :p
They’re virtual.. they don’t need bases, they can just hover or something omfg lol
Clear mini bases all the way.
When I saw the announcement about D&D in Minecraft I was really excited. I play Minecraft and D&D with my kids (tween and teen) so combining the two looks great.
Their new VTT looks visually amazing. My problem is that, like you, I prefer a more analog approach. I want to hold physical dice. Having D&D Beyond for character sheet and die rolls is nice but sort of breaks the shared storytelling. In the video they showed, there are 4 people all separately looking at their own laptop screen. That’s fine if you can’t be physically near your gaming group, but if you are in person, that just seems really isolating to me. For folks who like VTTs, that might not be an issue, but it isn’t what I’m looking for so don’t think I’ll use it often.
I want to be excited to see what they're going to come up with. but they keep on creating products that are going to cost enormous effort.
If I was going to us a VTT at a table, it would be a single computer running off a projector or a screen built into the table. Basically a replacement for a battlemap and minis. I want my players looking at me and each other, not a screen. VTTs are great for playing with friends that are in different parts of the country/world (and I use them for that regularly) but the idea of everyone sitting around a physical table looking at their own screens is profoundly silly to me.
Nothing beats rolling a fistful of dice around a table with friends.
Dragonlance tv series? But Tanis is a half elf. It’s in his name!
I've been using a VTT for a few years. I find the more video game like the experience the less engaged the players are. Sparse art inspires and promotes questions. Full rich art tells a more complete story and players are less likely to poke around.
Perhaps I'm old school, growing up with AD&D in the 80's, but you are spot-on with your analysis of the new TTRPG WoTC will be rolling out soon, It's a slow-rolling video game. Now, the interface looks great and I will probably play it a bit, but it will never replace six people around a table with dice and miniatures and books and soda and popcorn, etc. I lament that kids in their teens and twenties learning this game may never experience the way D&D was meant to be played. It was about a social event - often including people who were not particularly social - and community, teamwork, problem solving, education, fun and above all imagination. Digitizing game play the way WoTC intends to will largely remove the the use of players (and DMs) imagination. For that I am sad. The good news is that we can still enjoy the 'greatest game ever made' in any way we choose to. My group will continue old school gameplay. Heck, we even use miniatures on our weekly stream and our viewers really like that about us. Still, technology will march on and soon enough many will be playing D&D VR. I'll try that too, but always, always, return to the table with friends.
Only a level 6 monk can properly punch the ghost of his dead great great grandfather in the face!
Best RPG content on RUclips! I like that they're doing ridiculous things and scrambling, it seems fitting somehow. I think I'll wait to watch the D&D movie when I can watch for free on broadcast television.
Thanks for the compliment.
If the future of D&D is going to be the rich kids playing a slow video game on high-end computers, and, and the poor kids kicking it with pencils and paper, I know who I want to play with and where the real creativity is going to be happening.
Love your take on it, I test all the VTT and the best is not a VTT, its Microsoft Team with whiteboard, but only for online games, the Game is best with a room, 4-6 peoples in it with food & drink preferably hidden in a basement... 💜💜
Im using Google Sheets as VTT and it works pretty well
You're quite right, sometimes the whistles and bells can really get in the way. My all time best online RPG experience was using OpenRPG, which was little more than an IRC chat room with a dicebot.
We played the Alternity RPG, set in the GM's homebrewed version of Bruce Sterling's Schismatrix universe. What a ride. I have very fond memories of that campaign.
With too much Mountain Dew and some dank schmoke.
Looks like we need to make a Neon Lords pizza summit and invite the Professor and offer up FREE PIZZA!
Fly me there and I will attend.
I was wondering what your take on this was just the other day. Great content as usual Professor!
Glad you liked it!
They don't invite you because you say the truth, you're not commercial, safe and sterile enough.
You're just yourself. That's why I'm still here.
Excelent video Professor.
When the guy playing the VTT says "I roll Perception to see if there is something there" I lost it 😂
I already knew this line of product is not for me, but this showed me it is not even about the VTT, its all the game style.
It's a peculiar way of playing.
It will also kill the DM describing the room the PCs are in. If I set the VTT room to be dark and heavily in shadows, my players will complain about vision issues. But I can describe it as dark and heavily shadowed, where even your light spells are not penetrating the shadows. But the VTT would have to be lit well to make my PCs happy.
No this VTT is not for me. If I want to have 3D PCs, I'll just play the old Atari Temple of Elemental Evil PC video game again (for the 20th time).
Playing video games in the same room as your friends can be fun but good video games have existed for years. The ideal Dungeons and Dragons experience though is without everyone staring at their screen and actually looking at each other. The best benefit of the game is the real social interaction.
I am totally with you. I see it not only with WotC, but other RPG companies too. The "I hate the company, they are producing the worst! Let me buy everything." I don't get it.
To be honest I’ve always viewed it as harvesting good ideas. While I don’t care for 5E there are things I think are improvements. I do like ad/disad rolls. I view any book as a roll of the dice to see if there is something useable. If not it goes in the shelf as an object. The cost is minimal to me - plus I hate reading pdf’s or printouts - so I always get the book.
@@davidmuzia814 That is not what I meant. I am talking about fans of the RPG that feel betrayed for whatever resaon by the company they formerly adored, they state openly that they hate was has been done to "their" game, but then still buy every product that is produced. This behaviour baffles me.
@@sungeziefer7421 oops - sorry - responded to wrong thread.
All fandoms are filled to the brim with people trapped in what they feel is an abusive relationship that they can’t leave.
They’re addicts. And addicts will always be pathetic wastes of skin.
Loved the last comment "argh i'm angry, take my money " made me chuckle.
Thanks for watching the entire video!
Always appreciate your insight! especially with you +1 Jacket. Keep up the great work!
Edit: I use a VTT to put maps on a TV just because I do not have time to prep physical maps and scenery. I use the cheapest laptop (sub $300 running Windows lite) money can buy in conjunction with maptool which is free and does everything I need. Players can use their phones or laptops to view character sheets or look up rules on the fly but, I typically run the game in such a way to prevent the players from having the time or ability to get distracted by their devices.
During combat, I use your method to speed up combat and resolve everything at once (it rocks)
During Role Play, I simply do the same exact thing and if the PCs are in different places I go around and resolve only what I need to with each before moving to the next telling them to think of what they want to say to an NPC or think about what they want to do while the other players are going.
There's simply no time for distractions. We go for 4 - 5 hours with a 10 min. break in the middle with little to no distractions.
Thanks.
You are my spirit animal. I use R20 simply for maps, initiative and saves. I’m fairly old school so it’s way more theatre of the mind
This is the corporatization of our imagination and creativity. And I will have none of it.
Digital tools are helpful and open up the game to people who don't want to learn the rules...and there are a LOT of rules to remember....but there is something to be said about the pen and paper character sheets. Our home game didn't feel the same with everyone starting at computers.
Rules are an illusion in a cooperative game of make believe with dice. The DM makes up everything but the player reactions and dice rolls just serve a a mental framework aid.
Does a dice roll matter when the DM can set the dc or modifiers to move the result any direction and as far as they need?
The electronic tools will be the death of D&D. Oh the tools are great but if that is the only way to join in the game it will kill it. I DM at my Game Store. At least twice a month I end up with a table of at least 2 if not 5 new players (out of 7) that have never played. They get a paper, premade, character, borrow dice, and a figure and off we go. The same for conventions.
Now those people that want to try the game need a D&D Beyond account, a VTT account, and anything else WotC dreams up, to just try the game and see if they like it. This will reduce the number of new players entering into D&D by just making it harder to try it. Not to mention some Game Stores don't have free internet and at conventions if there is free internet it is swamped by all the people using it for other things.
@@phookaziz3 That's crazy talk man.
As a GM I use a laptop to run the game, as does the GM of the game I am in. As a player I only use a computer to fill out a character sheet, then print it out for use at the table.
@@earmarkaudiologyllc8444 “welcome to who’s dnd is it? Where the rules don’t matter because hit-points are made up anyways. Here’s your host the DM!” “This next game is for all four contest- er um - player characters. It’s called scenes from my brain, I’ll give you a description and you react to it. . .first guy to die loses.”
I called it. I knew it wasn't pronounced "One D&D". It was "D&Done" all along.
My bet is that the physical books will come with a digital code to be activated in the VTT, thus enabling that books content in-game. This would be in line with their quote about getting more people than just the DM to buy their books.
I doubt it... My best guess would be each player buys the "cd-key" for what supplement / feat/ class / book / expansion their character they want to play is, like DndB, and they also have to buy it IRL/physical, if they want the art and what comes with the book. (ofc, extra art for limited edition / gold foil cover / holo foil platinum editition , etc. etc. With some analogues modified backgrounds for some items, for the VTT purchase).
I mean... think about it, the DM designs an "event" that gives a character a certain feat, that fits the narrative, the DM just read about it in the new expansion that he preordered. Now... in order for that player to ACTUALLY have that feat on its character, they also have to buy it. ;)
I'd be surprised if they'll give up the opportunity to double dip when they have numbers that prove that people will pay for the same book twice.
@@reddjack340 Yep, my point exactly.
Also, my bet is that the VTT is going to be a live server, subscription based. And when VTT v2 comes out 3-4 years later, with RTX of course, the current VTTv1 stuff is not forwards compatible or transfarable; and the company can't afford the upkeep for the old and new servers. I mean... C'mon! Don't you want RTX in your imagination? Just works.
No, selling keys with books is tough. You only really see this in academic books that aren’t sold on shelves
Why would you think that? Do you get a code for a free .pdf in the back of the books you buy from them now? This company is a bunch of pretend woke sympathizers just out for your money.
I completely respect everything you've just said about everything you spoke about. Thanks for taking the time. I'm with you 100% on the way to play D&D, TTRPGs, etc. I don't allow screens or VTTs at my table either. The image @8:18 in my experience is all that anyone needs to play. I intend to keep it that way.
I appreciate that
WotC invited people who they believe have extremely impressionable fanbases. They believed if they could "sway" some of these people that their fans would follow and it would be good PR for them.
They didnt realize everyone they invited has no room at all for bullshit, nor do their subscriber bases. The summit backfired HARD on WotC.
Hell you dont even need the book just the dice and paper and pencil
You are correct.
heh, even the dice are optional. the old fighting fantasy books printed random die rolls on the bottom of the books, while white hack has pages of randomly generated nnumbers for you to drop a pencil on. (funnily enough this actually makes white hack prison-compatible as normal dice are disallowed)
I agree with you about the movie. I'm mystified by why some people can't see the problems; maybe they just want the content, good or bad. But that sets a low bar.
What good is the Vest of Protection if you never need to use it? :)
Ah, true.
Icy Hot!!!! Amazing. Great sidebars on this one!!! Thanks for your honesty!
No doubt!
This felt more like the PDM I know and love, more fair and balanced.
The fact that people unsub’d over a film is ridiculous. I disagreed with you but you try to keep things respectful and we need more of that, not less.
If I had the disposable income, I would become a patreon member just knowing people acted so poorly.
Keep doing what you’ve been doing. I don’t have to agree with everything you say to know you still have value.
Thanks for not being inappropriate or otherwise disappointing.
#stillAfan
Thanks, fuzzy waffles!
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 thanks for your time, energy, and effort
They'reso hell bent on moving into the video game market that they'll sacrifice 40+ years of fan base, history, game development, and being one of the leaders in the TTRP market. RIP, WotC.
I hate how clueless Blizzard & WoTC are when they make those 'cinematic' documentary segments. They always make me feel so adverse to engaging in what they're trying to sell, vs an authentic sit down and session, chat, product review. Could it be a bit jankier? Sure. Does the authenticity add much more to it than these? Hell yes.
I hear you.
The thing is, things like D&D direct aren't actually made for us. They're made for investors and corporate partners. They're trade show presentations that they let us watch too.
One of the funniest terms I heard was 'hate watching'. They hate it but going to watch it anyway.
Too independent thinking? Sheesh. Professor DM you are the best! 100% agree with everything you said. I had the same problem with the D&D movie, and you hit the nail on the head regarding that Bond movie. BTW I loved that video you did at the Fleming estate. I wrote down notes while watching that & found it really useful. I'm going to see if I can find you 8 more subscribers. 😊
Thanks. If you get the chance, save your money and go to Goldeneye. Off season (July) is half price. That's when I went.
lol Subscriber Quest
I am entirely playing online at the moment but thank you for standing up for the virtues of real, in-person games, and more broadly defending the real essence of the hobby.
From a marketing standpoint, I suspect they want to establish the "gold standard" of VTT's for their brand before someone else does, since the tech is just about there.
Yes. That's accurate.
Enjoyed your take on the situation as always PDM. I'd like to address a few points you made in the video: 1) I was going to boycott the DnD movie until HASBRO made a full apology and released the SRD under the creative commons license. At which point, I felt the issue was resolved to my satisfaction. Greedy corporations are gonna greed, but I do feel like they actually listened for once. 2) I'm keenly interested in the VTT. I will always prefer to sit down with friends around a table, and play face to face. The reality however, is that I work weird hours for months at a time, and am in an isolated environment. Further, all my friends are scattered across the US, Canada, and Europe. The only way I can actually play is virtually. It's not ideal, but it's VTT, play by mail, or not at all. 3) The film was not your cup of tea, and I get that. But I suspect DnD players just wanted something they could point to that was theirs, competently done. I expect a lot of DnD fans feel like the movie wasn't the end point, but rather a starting point for (hopefully) better DnD media in the future. And lastly, I would like your feedback on a completely different issue: You may be familiar with a content creator called Indestructoboy who was at the center of the OGL controversy. He recently had a kickstarter go live for his game Vagabond, which is his take on DnD. If possible I'd very much like your analysis on his game, or just thoughts and feelings about it.
I will look at it when I get the chance. I know Indestructoboy and watch him.
In regards to whether those people are "Shills" or not. Well, Follow the Money remains a thing.
These people are fans--they WANT to be fans, and if they go to these PR events--that's up to them.
People should just realize this and take that into consideration.
Whether or not these "Influencers" supposedly challenged WotC is irrelevant. WotC will continue to accuse innocent people or racism, or whatever Red meat they need to pander to their Hateful "Community.
The fact that Hasbro put an ex-executive of Zygan, a cellphone game developer, in charge of reeling more money from the franchise speaks volumes on what they want the game to become.
The VTT just looks sad. People sitting at a table ignoring each other…that ain’t D&D
I ended up switching to OSE after watching plenty of your vids about it- Then came the OGL debacle and that fueled the fire even further, and I sold plenty of my 5e books... While searching for gameplay I like, Grimdark and less uhh "fluffy, everyone's super" gameplay... I came across Mork Borg (and spin offs like Vast Grimm, and Pirate Borg). My players love the simplicity and brutality of them.
I felt your critique of the movie was well placed. I may disagree with some, but it is true, current cinema has many flaws. However there was plenty to enjoy. I’m happy it was made and was successful. I am really holding out for a TV series. I feel that will have a better chance of inspiring new players. This movie was just a lot of cgi cool, and not a lot of lore to munch on. Entertaining but not inspiring.
Now the virtual tabletop appeals to me as a full time RVer. Finding people to play in person is difficult when I’m in a different place every month. But I still crave in person play, and I’d not like to use this in person.
Sorry, but Guardians of the Dungeon is a box Office bomb, even bigger than Shazam 2, and Will lose money, as expected from a mediocre film like this one.
In what sense was it successful?
@@spacerx it may not have hit the big target, but it’s done better than I expected. In that way I’d say it was successful. In the long run I think it will have more success than even you believe possible.
@@ricardojuanlopeznaranjo6651 your opinion is noted. I liked it.
@Will Smith That is not true. A few months ago, it was tracking for a $70+ million opening a couple of months ago. It was revised down to less than 50% of that, and then it beat that lower estimate by a couple of million.
Agree completely with your version of DND. Now, back to priming my gnolls for In Person Play.
Thanks for this, I also thought it odd that folks were gathered around a physical table each staring at their own screen. I have played VTT, it allowed us to play when we couldn't meet in person, it allowed an old friend 6000 km away to join. It just isn't my preferred style.
It is a great crutch for when one is facing challenges, but after one is able to run (or jog in my case) again, why hang on to the crutch?
I love videogames a lot, and I'm on my computer a lot. I don't understand why I would want to play D&D on a virtual tabletop. Even when I play online, I try to keep it as minimalist as possible, because D&D's power is from using your imagination. I also prefer to play D&D in person. D&D is a story around the campfire that everyone participates in--it's kind of primal, in that way. I don't know why I'd want to digitalize that.
OMG so freaking funny!!! "I hate what Wizards did and I don't wanna give them my money. But, I'm gonna give them my money." hehe so freak'n funny. Addicts gotta feed that need I guess.
Thank you. That was an unscripted line.
Addicts will always be pathetic wastes of skin, no matter what they’re addicted to.
That sounds like a video game with extra steps.
I agree with what you say about the VTT and how D&D is better analog. The thing is, not everyone has that luxury. Some people don't have friends nearby to play with, or they want to play with friends in other locations. So VTTs are a great tool for a lot of people. I don't see at all that it will ever be required. D&D 5e will always be playable around a table, but the VTT opens up D&D for a lot of people who wouldn't get to play otherwise. Enjoyed the vid!
I agree. I had a line to that effect but I cut it. I say it in ever video. My vids have to come under 11:00.
Thing is, there are already quite a few VTTs of varying degrees of complexity out there. Some are free with optional subscriptions, others have a paywall. Roll20 is about the most popular, and it's little more than a 2d sheet of graphing paper. The WOTC VTT is likely to be the most locked-down creativity strangling VTT for DnD on the market. Which is to say, an official VTT is wholly unnecessary. The market has already provided the solution to the problem, and WOTC wants a monopoly in the space created by others.
I've been playing physical with the same Lads for twenty years. The three things we always want are New Settings (not adventure paths per say), New Options (Classes, subclasses, spells, magic items, subsystems etc), and everyone's schedule to line up (and no last minute cancel).
With 3D printing taking off, and crowdfunding letting you back whatever particular setting or ruleset that grabs you, Wizards seems to be pivoting to something where their strength of being a large corporation can come to play. I agree with that assessment of yours of the VTT Future for them.
The other strength they have, of course, is the stable of writers and designers to craft new stories alongside cat wrangl- I mean editors to keep said creatives' on target. While a lot of books like Wildermount or Candlekeep were hit-and-miss, the fact that WotC can throw a bundle of money at a team, with periodic checks that's they're on schedule, IS an asset. The mentality of essentially being a Patron, being very hands-off while the product is being made, and then marketing AFTER it's done just isn't common.
I think they excluded the topic of Disability Access to VVT's.... Hmmmm wonder why lol
I'm not sure. But I have been thrilled to hear my "zoned UDT" has been helpful to blind players. It's the thing I'm most proud of. I want everyone to enjoy RPGs.
I think you have a room-temperature take on VTTs in general. I would argue that VTTs as a whole actually make the game more accessible. It's prohibitively expensive to fly players across the country for a game night once every two weeks when they all own decent PCs. They cut down on prep time, especially when running publisher-generated content. And while some have pretty solid system requirements, more than two can be played from a web browser. To paraphrase the immortal words of Blizzard announcing Diablo Mobile, "You guys all have web browsers, right?"
That said, in regards to the WotC VTT in particular, your arguments about accessibility apply and are totally valid. I also think *forcing* the use of a VTT (or even primarily publishing for a specific VTT) is definitely going to be a turn-off for a lot of people. I also agree with others who feel it's kind of soulless to have players *sitting in a room together* using a VTT. That's aggressively antisocial.
Great video. I totally agree the face to face aspect is what differentiates this game from so many other pastimes. No doubt the VTT will bring in new curious players but will any of them then transition to analog?
Glad you enjoyed it!
I will say, as someone who has tried to play dnd with close friends over discord many times, I don’t think VTT will work. There were always interruptions, distractions, technical issues, and a lack of focus. All causing frustration. Good luck Hasbro. Hope you crack it!
i’m glad they’re going for the safe, cheap option. it means everybody will get bored of the system someday :)
Many are now, they just won't admit it.
@@calvanoni5443 i’m only recently coming to terms with it! it’s the OSR for me from here on out.
I'm for not supporting a Game Company that puts out crap product & Virtue signals, & the has too much politics involved too!
Hahahaha I cannot believe you put that half frog, half pig bit in there! Absolutely brutal. I promise I will never unsubscribe now!
Thank you.
On a serious note I've watched or listened to most of your videos twice and your channel has inspired me a lot.
It's okay to like what you like. I still plan to see the Dungeons & Dragons movie, and hope to have fun. As for virtual tabletops, I'm with you there, I like throwing dice in person with friends.
Welcome, my brother!
Monsters tend to attack player characters whose players are checking their phone. Just something that tends to happen.
What a great timing
Thanks.
My group will have no interest to switching to a VTT game. We love playing in person.
Now, if WOTC was smart, they'd include a "presentation mode" where the DM can display a map, characters, etc to more effectively bring to life a grid on the table for us all to enjoy in the same room.
6:02 That's because you're really old and you don't want to learn anything new and arguably better.
That is incredibly agist. Don't gatekeep.
Love professor DM I learned how to DM from him so my friends and I enjoyed the first session of the ultimate game of dnd. 💪
Many thanks, Miguel!
I thought the "great great grandfather" ghost was actually the embodiment of his self doubt, which Simon did mention he came from a long line of great spellcasters and he why he thought he was failing them. Him punching out his "ancestor" was just him finally believing in himself; or I could just be looking too much into it.
As for the VTT, if they're not gonna do a monthly fee for it, I could imagine they would either focus heavy on the marketplace where you have to buy enough assets to run a decent game or the VTT is gonna have ads galore; the alternative I could think of is if they just add it the DnDBeyond membership like Amazon Prime or Playstation Plus, which could possibly mean a price hike on the membership.
There's no actor credited as Elminster and Justice Smith plays the appearance of Elminster in Simon's mental space, so yeah, that's pretty much canon.
Being from the old school of D&D, I started with the three little books in the wood grain box from 1975. for me the only to play was face to face, rolling two 20's in a row and laughing when your character miss's that death saving throw. You're right in line with the way things should be. Saturday
night, a few good friends, hard fought battles over the last slice of pizza. ah the good ole days.
Great overview, I agree that playing with laptops and phones out just takes away from the emersion for me. I started with D&D back in the mid 80s it was all theater of the mind. We didn’t even have miniatures. As for the 8 who unsubscribed, well what can you do, that’s the world we live in now, no room for differing views. Lord know you’ll probably lose another 8 just because Death Bringer was in Jamaica with Dua Lipa ❤😂
🤘🏼🔥🔥🤘🏼Rock on Prof DM!
Speaking about the D&D film, I enjoyed it BECAUSE of your review. I went into it expecting it to be like Guardians of The Galaxy. I did fall asleep from the helmet scene to the point where the tentacles got them. Thanks again for all you do!
LoL 8 people unsubscribed because you had the common sense to dislike a bad movie? One the writers even admitted to just using the IP as a skin?
Yup.
Thanks for the analysis! I've noticed quite a few YT creators raking Wizards over the coals. Personally, I have no personal qualms with WotC, even considering some of the horrendous decisions they've made in past that seem to be connected with breaking into the VTT space. While I have no qualms with WotC, I'm not a fan of recent editions of D&D. Will I buy other things that WotC? Sure, if it's interesting (to honest, I haven't been taken by much these days). The VTT presentation was simply odd. You pointed out the dice on the table. My comment right then and there was, "why in heck are you playing on a VTT when you're at the table?" This just gives me the feeling that WotC doesn't know their customer base very well and like many of their recent decisions, skews into clueless territory.
I prefer an in-person game. But it's just gotten to where it's easier to find hen's teeth than a good in-person game. VTT has become a necessity for the game to grow.
It depends on where you live I guess. I was able to find a great group by advertising on the corkboard at my FLGS. I then expanded the group by inviting a few coworkers who had never played an RPG before.
@@xczechr This is the way
Hello everyone.
This VTT does not change the game or how you play it. It is simply a Virtual Tabletop for people who cannot meet in person and do want or have the capabilities to run it (such as PC gamers.)
I'm not sure why there is so much hate on how others can or will play the game. The VTT isn't for everyone, pen and paper isn't for everyone, and 5e isn't even for everyone. Just let Wizards develop tools. You don't have to use them.
I myself prefer a classic in-person experience but sometimes that is not possible and this looks like a great virtual alternative.
Have a nice day.
Predictably, the "5e Community" rushed back to Boot Licking. Is that unkind to put it that way?
It was pretty clear that the outrage at the OGL was directed and people who don't think a lot simply did what they were told by their "influencers" and when those influencers stopped--they went back to their trough.
what are you talking about? what bootlicking is going on? from what i’ve seen, people are still very much sick of WotC.
@@leem2155 Oh really--the People that RUSHED to go get their treats from WotC are "sick of WotC"?
Please--the vast majority of people are more than happy to going back to lapping up every bit of nonsense Wizards throws out to them.
You wouldn't know it seeing the reaction to my video review. Some of the comments were harsh.
@@KAM1138a like the prof said, they were getting paid and fed, and them being there didn’t do WotC any favours, especially because of how they absolutely lambasted them at every opportunity, pushed back against the VTT jargon and asked hard-hitting questions.
if you read any of the live tweets, or watch Taron Pounds’ video on the topic, you’ll see what i mean. this wasn’t ‘lapping’ anything up, this was them showing up because they thought there was a genuine conversation (and some accountability) to be had, realising there wasn’t, and getting mad about it.
@@leem2155 YYou seem to think that ALL of this isn't WotC PR and that they're not in control of this situation. They are.
And it isn't just about the people who went to this little PR Event.
Professor, I love everything you said about avoiding screens. Before I play, I like sharpening pencils. I make them extra sharp, pair them with marbled composition books. It’s a great joy of my life. No VTT, you’re wrong.
I would agree with your comment about WoTC keeping things 5th edition if the changes they have released weren't so impactful. I would like to see how they apply these new recommended changes while keeping it 5th edition-compatible. Perhaps as a set of optional rules? I still wonder how Adventurer's League would address these new rules.
Good question.
I read somewhere that WotC said you can still use anything from any of the older books in your games. Which to me makes it even more baffling as to why even bother with a new "edition"
I think it's a big mess. They want to change rules and rebalance things, yet still call it the same edition. It only leads to questions of "Which 5e are we playing? The 5e or 5e?"
@@tuomasronnberg5244 they don't want those who are buying books now to think they need to wait until next year. It is all about monetizing and ensuring cash flow is uninterrupted.
@@JustIT69 if you follow the money it is not too much of a mystery. Big thing is they know DMs constitute something like 80 percent of purchases so they want to tap into player wallets fo a change.
I've been playing D&D since 1980, and DMing since 1989. I think the majority of players in my age group will likely continue to play in person. The 30-something and younger crowd will likely be more attuned to the VTT. Nothing wrong with that, we all have our preferences, and WOTC is gearing their future for the group that has more years left above ground. Oddly enough, the two groups I DM are both comprised of people around the age of 30.
So far as PDM losing subscribers due to his opinion on a movie, it's a shame that so many people take a difference of opinion as a personal attack. We only learn and grow when someone challenges our beliefs and opinions.
As I've said, Hasbro has enough of my money. I still love my D&D, but I'm in with the small creators (like myself).
But RPG your way. Whatever makes you happy and have fun is great.
1. Those Tabaxi had it coming for their part in the Mouseling genocide
2. I make awesome stuffed peppers, so if you're willing to hop on a plane and come to Star City, there is food involved.
3. 5E is the final edition of DnD because it's not made by designers anymore. The current staff isn't connected to previous designers. At best, they'll have programmers.
Agreed
I’ve been worried about where D&D was headed since WotC bought D&D Beyond.
The Art and Arcana book is awesome.
Yes WotC is probably going to try to run out roll 20 and foundry to get all the money from a VTT
I can't say I blame them. They've needed to fill this niche since 2014. I don't understand why they haven't done it already. I don't know about Foundry, but Roll20 is trash. The company that owns it is trash, the product is trash, and I'm sick of buying everything twice. WotC needs to have everything available in one place and focus more on quality over quantity. I like the idea of buying a physical book that comes with a code to add my new purchase to DnD Beyond and VTT. No more 3rd party trash.
Foundry and Fantasy Grounds are going to be hard to compete with as they are multisystem while theirs is exclusively 5e
Hmm…there is a reason why I’ve stuck with TSR AD&D since 1978.
I have noy played in person for nearly a decade, since my group and I all moved around as we got older, but we still play on roll20.
That said, in-person is always better, and I will not be playing with this new VTT... In fact, my friends and I are slowly working on our own system, no longer depending on the OGL.
WotC may have reversed course, but if they did it once, they can do it again. Just done with this company.
And people. If you can, play in oerson. So much more fun that way!
Thanks for sharing.
How will this new version work if someone wants to do a cool thing that is not in the rules? Is it just too bad then, or will you be able to tweak that? That is what I love about ttrpgs, making rulings on the fly that fits the fiction
The biggest road block to playing D&D is finding a group and everyone meeting the schedule. If a VTT allows people to play from home with others around the world then WotC will have created a platform that can significantly grow the hobby.
True.
one wonders how Table Top Role Playing Games survived before the Internet, oh wait we got off our butts and spent time with one another