The Road Ahead: Join Our Journey to Improve the Maps VTT

Would love a way to add pins that could display location notes. It’s cumbersome to go back and forth between a dungeon map and the adventure book or other world notes.

Dynamic lighting, we beg.

I believe that dynamic lighting is a major undertaking that will take a considerable amount of time. For dynamic lighting to function properly, we need the ability to draw walls, place doors and windows, light sources must be made available and all have the correct range, darkvision must be transferred to maps, and if these things are only released step by step, there will be a lot of complaints again. Looking at the speed and size of updates being released for Maps, it could still be a long time.

I am aware. However, a lot of other mainstream vtt have the same feature already, even if new (Owlbear). 

I guess, I am on the group that don't want dynamic lighting.

I like it how simple it is.  If you want dynamic lighting use the other mainstream vtt's.

having the option is at least nice.  You wouldn't need to use it.

Agreed, the option would be nice, but there are a lot more features I'd rather have first than them spend the time with Lighting.

I would much rather have a campaign planner and more useful maps folder that I can organize myself than all of the work that would go into dynamic lighting.

Dynamic lighting would essentially require being able to draw up the entire map in Maps VTT, and I fail to see the point of all of this if I still lack a way to meaningfully organize maps. Maybe this is because I want to have older maps on hand while prepping major locations and also have several different potential encounters to have, and the current maps system is just untenable for that.

@flynnbuservakt I definitely can agree there.  Campaign planner is MUCH more important.  I'd still want it on a roadmap though.

Dynamic lighting helps with immersion. Beyond has the funds. It if it’s added & you don’t like it. At least you have the option of not using it. Some people just prefer putting time behind the sessions. 

Quote from CrimsonWitchcraft >>

At least you have the option of not using it.

 A Honda Accord, not an F-15.

I would honestly LOVE to see the below:

1. Resizing tokens on the fly.
   • As a DM this would be a game changer. I waste hours of my life re-creating tokens etc to represent larger versions of monsters etc, a simple click and drag size increaser would be so simple and would please hundreds of thousands of users overnight. Really amazes me it's not been included yet. It already exists with stickers. 
   • Another reason for this is setting "realistic" token sizing for much bigger monsters. an ancient dragon is depicted in all the artwork as being as big as a building- yet the token is only 20x20, which is hey, fine mechanically, but when you want to make the creature bigger for the sake of grander than grand combat, as a DM having the tools to do this would be incredible. 
2. CONDITION RINGS!!!!!
   • Oh my god Condition rings / support would be next level. The times i or my players have lost count of a condition, only to remember down the line is so frustrating. 
   • Again, this is also partially already implemented. There are condition sliders already on character sheets, just implement visual elements on the VTT that reflect this when a slider is hit, sorted!
3. Dynamic Lighting
   • This one is a Biggy, and I understand why it's not been implemented yet. But it would be awesome as it really helps immersion.

Those are my top 3 wishlists for 2026. The character sheets on maps is a massive win so far this year, if I get Condition Rings and Resizing of Tokens, I'll be incredibly happy and consider my subscription money well spent. 

We need token vision, this feature would greatly improve maps making it easier for DMS to have dark dungeons and allowing players to understand how far they can see with dark visions or no dark vision also makes finehons infinitely more better as players lose track of where they have been and a DM doesn't have to keep erasing and replying fog of war which takes time and effort away from game play. 

Quote from joetex666 >>

We need token vision, this feature would greatly improve maps making it easier for DMS to have dark dungeons and allowing players to understand how far they can see with dark visions or no dark vision also makes finehons infinitely more better as players lose track of where they have been and a DM doesn't have to keep erasing and replying fog of war which takes time and effort away from game play. 

 https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/comments/1r94yae/comment/o76ize6/

As I’ve said elsewhere in this AMA, our product philosophy is “Honda Accord, not F-16.” We want anyone to be able to sit down and immediately understand how to play, instead of being overwhelmed by a dashboard of a thousand knobs and switches.

Dynamic lighting is tricky. The effect can be very cool and save a lot of time, but in my research people also say its time consuming to set up and it’s very fragile. That’s not really in line with our philosophy, so we haven’t done it yet.

We have prototyped a few versions of what the Maps version of this could look like, but we haven’t quite gotten to what feels like the right answer for us yet. If and when we do, we’ll happily release it!

Thank you for replying with this reply.

I've seen a lot of people on here requesting dynamic lighting, and I'm one against it.

Having DM'd in other VTTs with Dynamic Lighting and although it is very immersive to the players, it is very HARD to setup.

I love Maps VTT for the fact that it is a "Honda Accord, not F16".

Please keep this philosophy.

Just have it as optional feature if it sounds as complex as F16-

of course it'd be optional. Everything is "optional".  

Spend resources in other areas.

Quote from CrimsonWitchcraft >>

Just have it as optional feature if it sounds as complex as F16-

 Limited development resources.

Option A) Build a complex element that a fraction of the playerbase would use.

Option B) Build two straightforward elements that most players and DMs would appreciate.

If you want an example of option B, making a standalone Encounter Tracker/Builder outside the VTT sidebar, that can import to and export from the VTT itself.  You can't build everything at once, and there are things that everyone will use that haven't been implemented yet.  Once that's all done, sure, go for the optional "sometimes someone will use it" ideas.

Quote from Perringaiden >>

Quote from CrimsonWitchcraft >>

Just have it as optional feature if it sounds as complex as F16-

 Limited development resources.

Option A) Build a complex element that a fraction of the playerbase would use.

Option B) Build two straightforward elements that most players and DMs would appreciate.

If you want an example of option B, making a standalone Encounter Tracker/Builder outside the VTT sidebar, that can import to and export from the VTT itself.  You can't build everything at once, and there are things that everyone will use that haven't been implemented yet.  Once that's all done, sure, go for the optional "sometimes someone will use it" ideas.

Saying that only a fraction of players will use this feature is questionable in my opinion.
After all, it's one of the most requested features.
Yes, only the DMs use it, but I can tell you from my own experience that all my players are waiting for this feature.

Quote from DerBlooob >>

Saying that only a fraction of players will use this feature is questionable in my opinion.
After all, it's one of the most requested features.
Yes, only the DMs use it, but I can tell you from my own experience that all my players are waiting for this feature.

 There's a reason why people keep saying

Quote from CrimsonWitchcraft >>

It if it’s added & you don’t like it. At least you have the option of not using it. 

 Because it is something that people don't use in many platforms that do provide it.  Everyone "wants" it, but it's more of a "that's cool in principle" but the setup and work tends to become not worth the effort.

When all the key features that make a VTT worthwhile to everyone are complete, they can work on the things that only a fraction of the people want.