Looking for Discussion of Your Experience using Maps VTT

Hi all,

In preparation for Gen Con, I'm going to be running some people through Legends of Greyhawk modules.  We've all played and run games online.  I'm getting a handle on the somewhat awkward Maps VTT UI, but I was wondering, for those of you who are using or have used the Maps VTT. what do you do?  Bring everybody into the Maps VTT when there's combat, but otherwise use Discord (or some other chat app)?  With the Maps VTT, is there a way to just present an image while you're the exploration or roleplay, and then move to the map?  

The Maps VTT seems completely focused on combat encounters right now.  Perhaps not surprising at this level of beta, but between combats, how does one use Maps VTT, or do you just ignore it, and go Theater of the Mind for everything else?  Is there a way to pass handouts to players?

Looking for advice and experience from those of you who have used Maps VTT.  If this becomes too awkward, I may just set something up on Foundry, but I'd rather give Maps VTT a try.  

Thanks!

I mostly use Discord for RP/exploration and switch to Maps VTT only for combat. Right now Maps feels very combat-focused honestly.

I tried using it for everything once and it just slowed the session down too much.

Quote from VaultRunner854 >>

I mostly use Discord for RP/exploration and switch to Maps VTT only for combat. Right now Maps feels very combat-focused honestly.

I tried using it for everything once and it just slowed the session down too much.

 Thanks, that's about what I was thinking.  

We use Maps in-person. I share whatever map we need, and one of the players casts it to the TV. The Reveals option lets me share artwork from the books, which is really nice.

I LOVE the combat tracker.

Maps still has a ways to go, but it's easy to use, fairly cheap, and does most of what I want it to.

I use theater of the mind for most non-combat related situations. I don't really think you need a map for just looking around the place or sitting in a tavern talking to people. Describe it well and people's imagination should do the rest. So I mostly use it for combat and it has pretty much everything that I need for that.

I do wish it was a little friendlier for tablet use, but there are workarounds for most of the things that are problematic with a tablet so that's fine. One day I'll have a computer in then it won't matter anymore LOL

Yeah, don't forget that MAPS is meant to be feature-lite in general. So you just aren't going to get all the fancy addons and doodads that other VTTs like Foundry have. That includes a lot of fancy scene swapping I'm pretty sure. Combat is a major focus for what most people need a map for, not a nice picture of the countryside. So if you want to have all of that in one place, MAPS is not for you. But for general ease of use for both players and DMs, quickly and easily integrated into DnDBeyond, it is really coming along and they are still adding to it.

Personally, if I want to share a picture of something that isn't a reveal available I just post it on Discord and no one seems to mind. But again, if you like or need it to always be on one screen, MAPS may not be the best choice.

Thanks for all the feedback.  I'll be running these sessions from my multi-monitor setup, so keeping Maps on one tab, the content on another tab and Discord on the other monitor is likely what I'll be doing.  Going to have to do some testing.  

I am used to building out sessions in Foundry, but it's not trivial so this way of doing things has appeal.  

Regards@

Quote from battleaxe_DM >>

The Maps VTT seems completely focused on combat encounters right now.  Perhaps not surprising at this level of beta, but between combats, how does one use Maps VTT, or do you just ignore it, and go Theater of the Mind for everything else?  Is there a way to pass handouts to players?

Thanks!

 

 To be fair all battle maps physical or virtual have always been completely focused on combat encounters. that is their function. they are not needed for non combat.