D&D virtual tabletop vs. BG3

[ahsanford]

In a somewhat unrelated PCGamer article, today I stumbled in to a first look at D&D's virtual tabletop software (dated March of last year):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RiRoslMaa0

I know WotC using the BG3 engine is fraught with difficult issues:
* Cost
* Willingness of Larian to let it go and then see it messed up by a third party
* May not run brilliantly on all platforms WotC wants to run this on (web browser or maybe cell phones for the people in your party traveling that week)

But my goodness, those issues need to be sorted out because this demo feels cartoonish and super basic. Surely -- despite all headwinds -- starting from Larian's engine would generate a better end product sooner, would it not?

- A

[EricHVela]

Divinity is a video game engine. It expects to control a lot of stuff, which limits what it will allow.

A Virtual Tabletop is a toolset that expects players (including the DM) to control everything which expands what it will allow.

They also want to mimic the "mini" aesthetic versus video game animations. Divinity's features would be wasted while gaining almost nothing in development time for static minis as avatars.

I see more problems arising to adapt Divinity into a virtual tabletop, especially for a mobile or web-based platform.

[ahsanford]

Originally posted by EricHVela:

Divinity is a video game engine. It expects to control a lot of stuff, which limits what it will allow.

A Virtual Tabletop is a toolset that expects players (including the DM) to control everything which expands what it will allow.

100% expected that comment -- totally fair. But can't whoever gets access to the engine turn off things a more traditionally DM'd affair would manage on the fly?

You can turn off animations, responses, etc. but a lot of Larian's implemenation has core / useful 5e interface stuff: who is in range, can I walk or walk+jump there, etc.).

Is making Divinity work here more about knocking down X% of all-user features and empowering the DM to do Y% *more* things on their end?\

Originally posted by EricHVela:

I see more problems arising to adapt Divinity into a virtual tabletop, especially for a mobile or web-based platform.

*This* one strikes as a potential deal-breaker, ya. If this doesn't work on all conceivable platforms (and run well without proper GPU hardware), this thing is DOA for an all-comers sort of platform.

- A