It has been three years since my last virtual table top (VTT) game. I know the last time I did VTT selection, I ended up using Roll20.net. Now I could just be lazy and just go back to it, but I thought it would be good to go though an evaluation process of some sort.
So, I think the first important thing is determine what is going to be important for me to have
- Runs on Linux
- A Easy way to find available games and gamers
- Support to run the games I want to play or easy to adapt to them
- Savage Worlds
- Traveller
- Price
- Easy to use
The first item is of major importance to me. You see, I do not really do MS Window nor Apple's MacOS. So whatever is chosen has to be able to run well on Linux. If it run under Wine, that is fine but I do not want to have to try run it under a virtual machine of some sort.
It should have an easy way to find games. After all what is the point for me unless I can find the games I want to play. I am quite sure you also find this of importance.
The VTT should also have either some sort of support for a game I want to play or it should be easy to adapt to a game I want play. Right now the short list is Savage Worlds and Traveller. Any VTT should be able to run those games without too much effort. I am not saying that if I have to do some work it is a no go. Rather I am saying that It should not take me too long to make the modifications to play a game I want.
Price is also a factor here. Is there a set cost, what is it? Is there a subscription cost? If so what it? When considering cost, it is not the number that I am concerned with but rather what am I getting for my money. Basically is the VTT worth the cost that I am paying?
Finally, I think the VTT should be easy to use. I should not have to fight the interface to either play my game or run my game. I remember using GRIP a long time (yeah that was eons ago) and besides working only on Windows, I know I had a fight with the interface more than once. So any VTT I use should not make me want to throw my hands up and say "I Quit!". If I want to say do a map on the fly, it should be easy for me to do that. I should not have to worry that the players go somewhere I do not have planned.
There are things in the VTT that I do not care about. Things like having it handle all the rules for me. I don't care if you can do fancy things with maps. As long as I can put a basic map and use the VTT, I am going to call it good.
Well that is the short list of requirements. Do you think I missed anything? What is important to you for selection?