In Praise of Virtual Tabletops
University was, for me at least, when I really got into the tabletop hobby.
The combination of personal freedom, more time to spare (at least in first year) and like-minded individuals with similar interests meant that, for the first time in my life, I could really dive into RPGs. And dive in I did; over the course of my four years as an Undergraduate, I got to experience a whole range of games and systems from D&D and Pathfinder to stranger affairs such as Shadowrun, Scion, Paranoia and several homebrews.
It gave me the chance to meet guys who’d been playing RPGs since the 70s, who could talk your ear off with stories about AD&D and other classic systems that have inspired the games we play now. It allowed me to create friendships that have lasted to this day, almost seven years on (holy shit that’s depressing) from when when I arrived on campus.
Sadly, all good things must come to an end.
As novel as the “forever a student” concept is (and I know people who’ve given it the old college try), everyone has to graduate eventually. Myself and my gaming friends scattered to the winds, moving across the country in search of work or postgraduate programs; in some cases, moving to different continents entirely. No longer would it be possible for us to gather in someone’s flat for a day’s worth of gaming (and naturally hit the pub afterwards for some well-earned drinks).
Once upon a time, this rather sombre note would be where the story ends. Perhaps we’d find new gaming groups in the areas we’d moved to, perhaps not, but with the exception of a rare meet-up it would be extremely difficult to get the gang back together for a new campaign.
This, however, is where I directly benefited from the spread of virtual tabletops.
Virtual tabletops (commonly abbreviated to VTs or VTTs) is a fantastic example of the way modern digital technology can be used to enhance this hobby, allowing players from across the globe to connect to a shared platform in order to play through campaigns together. Many of them offer text, voice and even webcam chat, and even if you don’t like the way in which such services are offered you can always make use of third party voice chat such as Skype (or Discord, my group’s current personal favourite and a burgeoning TeamSpeak killer).
Through a virtual tabletop, distance is no longer an issue. It doesn’t matter where in the world you are, so long as you can log into the game at the same time as your fellow players. Virtual tabletops come equipped with dice rollers, and their user interfaces allow for map graphics, tokens and other visual aids to bring a campaign to life. A sufficiently dedicated GM can create all manner of impressive visual stimuli in order to bring their players into the game further.
This isn’t to say that virtual tabletops don’t have their hindrances, of course. The whole process does rely on everyone involved (including the servers) maintaining a stable connection, and the digital format can slow down aspects of the game: combat can be particularly troublesome and long when conducted via a VT, and this is especially true in games such as Pathfinder and Shadowrun that have crunchier systems for the application of violence in-game.
Such issues don’t overly detract from what appeals most to me about a virtual tabletop system: the ability to game with people no matter where they are in the world. Not only can my university friends and I keep up with our games even after we’ve moved off out into the big wide world, I can play with folks who literally live across the Atlantic. Virtual tabletop allows more and more people to get involved with tabletop and enjoy this hobby, and that can only be a good thing.
Virtual tabletops are a growing format, which means you have a wide variety to choose from.
Several of these VTs are browser-based, making them extremely easy to access no matter what sort of set up you might be on. These browser VTs can run on everything from my main gaming PC to the Chromebook I’m typing this article on, making them extremely versatile and open for everyone no matter what they might be working with. If you’re looking for something a little bit fancier and specialised, there are plenty of options out there too. Battlegrounds is one such example, having been on offer for a while now; though it requires users to download a program in order to use, it boasts a wide range of features including animations, dynamic maps and the ability to customise the engine to suit a wide range of games and systems. Such things don’t come for free, of course, the GM client coming in at $39 and the player client at $19.
Another premium (read: it’ll cost you) VT program that’s popular amongst online tabletop players is Fantasy Grounds, an extremely focused and well-produced piece of software that has a well-crafted and thematic UI, cuts out a lot of faffing around with rules for a number of different systems and has officially-licensed sourcebooks and materials for popular games like D&D 5E (Wizards of the Coast are pushing into the online format in a big way right now). All of this doesn’t come cheap, naturally, with a core license setting you back by $39 and an Ultimate license (ie. pay once and invite your players for free) coming in at $149. Quality products cost a fair bit of bank, at the end of the day, but as of late Fantasy Grounds has started offering a subscription-based model that makes it a little more palatable for people who only want to try it out rather than dive in deep.
When it comes to my personal opinion on these pieces of software, I’ve always preferred the ones that allow for as many people to make use of it as possible. With this in mind my personal favourite of the (very solid) bunch has to be Roll20, which is arguably the best example of the browser-based VTs. Whether you’re just wanting to play some games with friends or run the game yourself it has you covered, and all for the reasonable price of $0 (not sponsored content, honest). The more advanced features and token sets will cost you (either through a subscription or a one-off purchase), but you can do a lot with the basic package (especially if you have a bit of knowledge when it comes to Photoshop/image editing). It may not be as refined and polished as some of the other VTs out there, but my focus here is on suggesting software that has very few barriers for entry: by this category, Roll20 wins by a country mile.
Whilst it’s true that a virtual tabletop might not always match up to it’s physical counterpart, it remains a fantastic alternative for groups wanting to play across large distances regularly. It also offers an in-road to the tabletop hobby that previously wasn’t available. Not everyone has access to a group of friends interested in trying a game out, after all, and not everyone has a local gaming store close to hand (and even if they do, they might not be comfortable making use of it). Virtual tabletops offer an excellent compromise between these issues, allowing people to connect with like-minded groups across the globe.
The internet has revolutionised the tabletop hobby, providing outlets, communities and resources of players across many different genres, styles and systems. Virtual tabletops are a fantastic example of the ways in which our hobby is constantly being refined and enhanced by modern technology. I look forward to seeing where they’re going in the future.
