Last night we resumed D&D 5th edition, albeit in Roll20. I've posted plenty of blogs in recent months decrying the slow death of live gaming in my circle, and lamenting some of what was lost in moving to virtual table tops, but today I am going to take a different track. I have some nice things to say about Roll20, which I can summarize as follows:
It's an Organizational Godsend
You can do a lot with Roll20 and other VTTs from handouts and quick illustrations to having loads of battle maps and terrain stacked and ready to go. This is handy, and easier to deploy than in real life. It is only a chore if you are also seriously in to customizing everything in great depth....but you may enjoy doing that, so win-win?
It Makes Maps and Minis Quicker and Easier
Being able to quickly deploy a map and minis (quick in contrast with the game table) is an incredibly convenient feature of VTT systems, or at least Roll20 for sure. I can do an encounter on the fly with a pregenerated map and tokens with less fuss than at the game table.
It Still Lets You Do Abstract Combat Just Fine
I have a splash page with graphics illustrating where the PCs are which is the "action page" and that works just fine for holding theatre of the mind combat (TotM), I just establish that when we're doing combat that way I default to what I like to call "13th Age Rules" or sometimes Cypher System rules, two system which have excellent abstract combat mechanics that boil down to "far away, near by, engaged" as the three areas/bands you can fall in to during battle.
If you Like Using Graphics and Illustrations Roll20 is Key
I do actually like finding cool illustrations of NPCs, monsters and locations, and thanks to the state of the internet in 2022 it is possible to find hundreds of amazing and useful illustrations on the internet without ever using up precious printer ink or killing trees. This is a big plus of the medium for me, as while I'm not that good at messing with making my own illustrations or battle maps, I appreciate the works of those who do.
Distracted Players Will be Distracted (But At Least You Have Tools)
One thing I have figured out is a distracted player on VTT is also a distracted player at the game table. The difference is you as GM can see them reading a book and not paying attention IRL and if they are on Roll20 or some other VTT you can skip over them and assume they died or something. A player who is known for making horrendous levels of noise can be muted on VTT, but IRL you have to hope they get up and go to another room (well, they usually do). Bottom line is: if a distracted player is sitting at a live table, as GM you feel more inclined to involve them, despite their lack of will. On Roll20 it is easier to skip over them and focus on the players who are actually engaged and paying attention.
It Bridges Gaps in Distance
I have at least one game where I get to game with old friends who moved to the east coast and west coast, respectively. That alone makes VTT worthwhile!
Roll20 and other VTTs are not perfect, but these are some important perks to consider. As I get older (just turned 51) I begin to realize and accept that more and more of my tabletop gaming will be in the VTT environment, it just makes more sense.
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