First experiences

I've run three sessions using the VT now. I have only a single remote user that connects via Skype for audio. It has been excellent.

At first, all I did was get the maps created so I could plop creatures and players on it and played as if it was a battlemat and miniatures. The next session we began using the VT to handle initiative, which is SO nice. I think even if I didn't have a remote user, i'd probably continue to use the program. I drive it from a laptop and have a second PC connected for the players.

Some of the things that I kind of wish it had was short cut keys for invisibility. As it stands you have to navigate the menu to get to it. The reason this was clumsy was because the module I ran was a pre-made I down loaded. I cut all the maps out of it and created them with appropriate mobs. When I rolled initiative, it rolls for all maps loaded, not just the current map - which isn't really a huge deal, but when you find your self in a situation where you want to toggle between two or more maps because of the extents of the drawing, you have to have the mobs set to invisible, or they get added to initiative.

All that being said. Is there a better approach to what is and isn't included in combat? Done in a fashion that doesn't get broadcasted.

What I intent to do next session is load hit points for all the mobs so I can let the program track damage instead of me with scrap paper. I'm not sure I have the time or motivation to fill the remaining stats for the mobs. I do wish there was an import/export feature that would allow us to fully share each others work with regards to that. Even if you can't import directly from WotC, a collective effort would, over time, could be just as effective.

I own the Profantasy software, which I know isn't the most user-friendly, but I was a CAD designer for several years so I took to it fairly well. I'm still learning the best ways to do thigns with it, but it is kind of fun creating your own floor plans and such to import into D20.

The last thing I am curious about is the Role Playing portion. In the old days, when advanced D&D was the new thing, RPing meant that a story line ended up at a point where the players at the table might debate what to do, or what is, for hours before anything actually happened with regards to combat and mechanics. 4th Edition is inherently bad for this, which I honestly think makes some of the earlier editions of D&D better than 4th. But add in the fact that multiple players may be attempting to do this over a vent channel through a little set of speakers, and it loses some of its ambience.

What I have begun doing to alleviate a decent portion of the 'setting' and more 'heavy' information is using myth-weavers.com which is a play by post site. I've run games there before but the mechanics are slow and clumsy, thus my efforts there have remained freeform and completely story based. So my maps, my sand-box land background, stories and information are stored there. It also lets players expand on the background of their toon and have a place to put it that is assessible to other players and the GM so that all information can be rolled over into itself.

This PbP thing got me thinking too. That might be a great market for your tool. I can see a game that is a PbP being strictly freeform, but when the time comes to delve into a dungeon the players hook up and D20 the actual meat and potatoes of the session.

I could keep babbling, but lunch is over. Must get back to work.

I am enjoying the program.

Thanks!

GS