this post was submitted on 14 Jul 2023
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As a DM, I tinker with 2d maps for hours to get them "just right." I can't imagine the amount of extra effort it'll require to get 3d maps perfect.
Just sounds like a headache, and you KNOW their tools are going to be clunky as shit
Every time I see 3d VTT, I'm like why do you hate DMs so much?
https://store.steampowered.com/app/720620/TaleSpire/
This is the only one that has looked fun to play around with to me, pretty excited for it to leave early access
I own it. It's fun to play with but ultimately suffers from the same problem that almost every tool in this style does. The resources you get to use are limited to the ones that they've thought to include. If you want to make a jail, that's fine, you can make it work. A tavern? Easy. An ancient Greek temple? Eh, you can get there with a bit of imagination. A bathroom? Sorry, bud, you're on your own.
I've traditionally used Dungeon Painter Studio for my maps, and while it has similar limitations, it has the benefit of being able to import other art, and you get a whole dimension to hide your crimes in. That vaguely bookshelf- looking rectangular thing on the map? It's an armory cabinet in the barracks. Now in the bathroom it's a medicine cabinet. In the bedroom? A wardrobe. You can't see what's in it, can't see how tall it is or how high it's mounted on the wall, so you get to fill in the details with my description. 3d limits your ability to do that because everything looks like what it is. So if you don't have a model of what you're looking for, it's more obvious when you're making do.
Yup. Until there are some powerful AI tools, 2D is superior just by virtue of fewer details.
It looks great. I'm still afraid of more mapmaking work tho.
I'm with you. Don't get me wrong, I have a tv and use arkenforge for maps. But 2d is enough of a time sink (epically when the map is only one part of the whole session)...
That's been my biggest struggle as well. I can spend way too much time finding the right map for an encounter, only to never actually use it.
The other option is building the encounters around the map, but a lot of the maps I find don't 'inspire' me a whole lot, or aren't thematically relevant to what I want to run (this dwarf king's tomb looks cool, but I'd want at least a few other rooms in this dungeon, with other encounters. And my players are on a quest to kill a dragon, not a dwarf king)
I almost prefer a minimalistic tool; just a basic map that I can draw up quickly, basic tokens for enemies, and just flesh out my descriptions more.
This is precisely why I love Owlbear Rodeo. Just what I need, no unnecessary fluff or mechanics, super easy importing, website with no installs. I'm interested in the new version, but I'm not DMing an online game right now so no subscription from me yet.
i’d you’re gonna do a 3d map, dungeon alchemist is the way to go. that’s what i’ve been using. it’s pretty versatile and gets frequent content updates. nice looking maps in 2 or 3 dimensions.