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

While I can appreciate the idea of keeping things separated, I for 1 want everything relevant in 1 place. Screen real estate is super important. Playing in the VTT, DM view, spectator view, voice chat in discord, dm notes/adventure book in another window. FB messenger in another, and if I ever wanted to stream sessions, then there is OBS and chats the list goes on and on, but screen space does not.

Instead of focusing what we need i want to list things that you should not focus on singe what we need will be covered from lots of great comments. People want usable basic features first =).

1. AI Assistant
2. Voice chat / Video integration
3. Monetization ( I understand this is a business and management creates pressure. But create a finished great product first)
4. Skins or any other "unlockable perks".
5. Resource hungry processes like 3d rendering for animated dice. Some people have potato computers :P. I understand that if feels and looks cool bit is is in no way something that should have priority over basic functionality (like condition markers, Notes, sharing images...)

Could you also highlight the token when it's their turn in initiative.

Dear Zac,

I think layerd maps will be a major upgrade for VTT. Apart from that a minor but meaningfull upgrade, would be to have condition circles, apart from the colored circles we have now.

Keep up the good work.

Kind regards,

Dobbrosan

Update encounter builder with 2024 rules and allow encounters built in the tool to be imported into maps. This will make both tools far more valuable.

More stickers and customizable tokens, please. Otherwise, keep up the amazing work!

Realistically wise DDB maps was ages behind even OBR rodeo which promoting point is accessibility rather than complexity and have devs team from 3 guys, i honestly idk in what aspect DDB better rather than integration and better visually looking initiative checker, what to say about comparing it to foundry

Let's start with magic monster spellcasting (and pc too) that is kind of mess (can't spellcast from monster statblock at all/ can't properly spellcast with using higher lower slots) to a degree i would rather spellcast via Avrae, -this is whole giant flaw which need to be fixed in encounters and maps before doing literally anything else

Talking about other feature -i just throw things Obr had last time unlike Maps - and you decide priority,

custom made dices for free via dddice,

calendar in game,

phases automated basically helping to smoothly automatize part dming
,
animated spells, support for animated tokens,

music player inside vtt, weather extensions,

card extensions,

support for few maps on one screen, support of any map, especially actual in campaigns- like  there is random encounters written in any official module, obv dm want specific maps for them (which books never cook),

journal which allow to keep writtings in much better way than ddb campaign notes,

better tools to work with fog, portals

which let player token teleport from a to b when reach specific object, p

refabs which is saving some setup of tokens to quickly unload them on table,

theatre and rumble which allow not bad rp inside vtt,

bag which kind of give interactive element of collecting items,

dungeon generator,

pdf viewer, and other extensions i forgot about, various trackers, combat trackers, hp bars (btw frame can be attached to token so i can decorate my animated top down dragon token that have animated fire, and have animated frame of healthbar - cool shit) with an and aura stuff so player could choose, also supporting extensions for different systems, and there is probably some usefull i forgot or their rogue store stuff

I don't use foundry but i seen some landing pages and how they done - pure art https://www.reddit.com/r/FoundryVTT/comments/1ihz8im/new_videogamelike_landing_page/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button or
, also some amazing built in modules like eg FA one with 1000s tokens

So personally in my eyes even despite integration and my players using ddb sheets, maps aren't neither good indy bang for buck and even further from top contenders, to make it good amount of work equal to sigil (if it would be fully released not quickly axed) needed, until that moment DDB maps isn't my vtt of choice

Definitely worth being able to run the Maps combat encounters in their own tool separate from Maps. Encounters has been left behind in this pursuit of a Maps tool which is applicable to less groups of players

I just wish they would finally fix the problem where the Hit point box for Familiars and Sidekicks remain blank when they appear in maps when uploaded from that section. Granted the DM can always put them in as monsters and they show remaining HP and damage that way but this problem has been an issue for a couple of years now and still no fix.

I`d also add my voice to those who want the old Encounters app to remain supported even with an encounter system now existing within maps as the old setup is far better for people who use physical setups and minis. I use both as I have to run games in venues with limited space where I need to use a laptop and a tablet (and some player devices) for visuals and Maps VTT is great for that, but I still like running with a lot of physical dice, scenery and minis where I have the room and the time to set something up.

Dynamic lighting is what my group is missing the moste at the moment. 

I really hope maps doesn't become another tool/ site flooded with micro-transactions. I already pay for a master tier subscription and purchased a lot of the content. If I am going to use this VTT, I need to be able to homebrew/ upload maps and other content. Perhaps you can make it easier to create tokens and stickers? 

100% agree.  I would really like to have "Encounters" updated to 2024 rules and not tied to Maps.  We use a competitor VTT but I love having the DDB monster stats and ability to determine diffculty rating in my campaigns, etc.  DOn't need the Maps part of Maps.

Quote from Eshende >>

Realistically wise DDB maps was ages behind even OBR rodeo which promoting point is accessibility rather than complexity and have devs team from 3 guys, i honestly idk in what aspect DDB better rather than integration and better visually looking initiative checker, what to say about comparing it to foundry

Let's start with magic monster spellcasting (and pc too) that is kind of mess (can't spellcast from monster statblock at all/ can't properly spellcast with using higher lower slots) to a degree i would rather spellcast via Avrae, -this is whole giant flaw which need to be fixed in encounters and maps before doing literally anything else

Talking about other feature -i just throw things Obr had last time unlike Maps - and you decide priority,

custom made dices for free via dddice,

calendar in game,

phases automated basically helping to smoothly automatize part dming
,
animated spells, support for animated tokens,

music player inside vtt, weather extensions,

card extensions,

support for few maps on one screen, support of any map, especially actual in campaigns- like  there is random encounters written in any official module, obv dm want specific maps for them (which books never cook),

journal which allow to keep writtings in much better way than ddb campaign notes,

better tools to work with fog, portals

which let player token teleport from a to b when reach specific object, p

refabs which is saving some setup of tokens to quickly unload them on table,

theatre and rumble which allow not bad rp inside vtt,

bag which kind of give interactive element of collecting items,

dungeon generator,

pdf viewer, and other extensions i forgot about, various trackers, combat trackers, hp bars (btw frame can be attached to token so i can decorate my animated top down dragon token that have animated fire, and have animated frame of healthbar - cool shit) with an and aura stuff so player could choose, also supporting extensions for different systems, and there is probably some usefull i forgot or their rogue store stuff

I don't use foundry but i seen some landing pages and how they done - pure art https://www.reddit.com/r/FoundryVTT/comments/1ihz8im/new_videogamelike_landing_page/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button or
, also some amazing built in modules like eg FA one with 1000s tokens

So personally in my eyes even despite integration and my players using ddb sheets, maps aren't neither good indy bang for buck and even further from top contenders, to make it good amount of work equal to sigil (if it would be fully released not quickly axed) needed, until that moment DDB maps isn't my vtt of choice

 By calendar in game do you mean some sort of digital time-keeping system? There is a simpler work-around that works for most D&D worlds if you have a graphic from an old sorcebook or can even create one from scratch if you happen to have a decent graphics program. You just need an image of the world calendar in .jpeg form that`s less than 10mg that you can upload as a map then create a counter as a homebrew "monster" or even a PC counter to use to keep track. I`ve done this in my Dragonlance campaign both with a year calendar and a moon phase display from the old source material and they work for timekeeping reasonably well.

The Reveals feature is a nice addition, but still needs a lot of work. 

Aside from the obvious wishlist item of being able to add your own custom reveal items, the search function is very clunky. It is absolutely great if you are running a set adventure from a published book and just happen to remember what Chapter of the book the art is in, but beyond that you are going to need a lot of browsing. The worst offender here is probably the one book that needs this the most - the Monster Manual. Blowed if I can remember what chapter to find a Revenant in, and with no tags on the images, you would need to browse to find it if you don't know. At which point its actually quicker to just load up a window with the Monster Manual and open the image directly. 

Could you add dynamic lighting?

Same. If they're ever going to allegedly use "AI", this is it. If I want to put 20 wild boar or 20 zombies down, then having them prepopulated with Brown Boar, Black Boar, Brindled Boar, Broken Tusked Boar, etc. is SO much easier than doing all of that ourselves. Even having the HP rolled would be nice, so that they aren't all the EXACT same. And if some people don't like/need this, then let us toggle it on/off for our own encounters/maps.

How exciting! I’ve loved opening the VTT every time a new feature dropped. Especially since reviewing the roadmap, and seeing so many of my privately wished for additions listed as planned future updates. 
I’m already brainstorming how I can implement the new “reveals” function into my current campaign. I think I’ll be spending a fair amount of time combining through all the available content tabs, just in case there’s something I may need in a pinch. (Fingers crossed for a search function)

I second this! 
I‘ve very much enjoy what’s there, and the updates have been well received by my players, (especially the stickers).
There’s exciting potential for expanded functionality, and generous room for refinement and quality of life improvements, like everything listed above for example!

Will make a short list of things I would like to see, I do the majority of the games I run fully digital.  Even with in person play I use many of the digital functions.

1st Dynamic Lighting.  For the DM side this will allow for a quick glance at the maps to dictate things such as sneak. cover, disadvantage and advantage for myself and the players.  The players being able to see the lighting dictates many of their choices and actions.  being able to see a visual of how the can use cover to their advantage, for hiding in shadows for stealth and sneak attacks, or possibility of ambushing or being ambushed.

2nd Status rings, currently you have the few colors to place on the tokens.  For myself and the players being able to see what the effect is by inserting a label, and also tie it into the sidebar for the status and imitative.  For myself as a DM this will allow me to not forget an effect applied when the combat takes a long period of time.

3rd Being able to manipulate the NPC HP is very useful, as some times I do adjust HP based on the situation. I would like to suggest that a section be added to also track temp HP for the players to the display.

Lastly for this post.  The stickers, they are great and make my map building so much easier to handle and build.  I just ask for more stickers, while also breaking them up into different types sets to allow easier access to locate what you want, such as tabletop items, house furnishings, animals that are 0 CR.  Also with furnishings/items that effect light could you please allow for the option to turn on or off such as if a PC is holding a lantern or torch.   such as adding a sticker to the player token allowing to see the lighting change based on movement of that source, allowing that sticker to be assigned to the token with an option to turn on or off.  

Have more thoughts, will leave it as this for now.  thanks for actually working with the players for VTT changes to help game play.

#3 is already do-able