When the query of which digital tabletop (VTT) is one of the best emerged, FoundryVTT and Roll20 had been main the polls for various and the identical causes.
However now it’s time to settle the query as soon as and for all. Which one in all these two monoliths of tabletop gaming is one of the best? We checked out their options and what they’ve to supply, and we got here up with a conclusion.
What Options Do FoundryVTT and Roll20 Provide?
We’ve highlighted some core options we are able to have a look at to match these tow VTTs.
Character Sheet and Creation Instruments
Character sheet administration and creation might fluctuate enormously relying on what system you run. However for the sake of argument, we’re going with the most well-liked TTRPG, Dungeons & Dragons fifth Version (D&D 5e).
Roll20 has a comparatively easy D&D 5e sheet you’ll be able to create whereas in a recreation. When you add a brand new character, it prompts you for a reputation and an image then you’ll be able to select whether or not you need an NPC (non-player character) or a PC (participant character).
For participant characters, Roll20 lets you use the Charactermancer, a device that helps you construct your sheet step-by-step, or you’ll be able to simply edit the sheet straight.
Due to the simplicity of the Charactermancer and sheets, Roll20 has a friendlier UI for newbies. So long as the sport grasp has all of the books required for the sport digitally on Roll20, then it’s actually handy to create a personality.
Nevertheless, with none of the books, Foundry has the sting. Creating customized objects so as to add to character sheets on Foundry is way simpler.
For instance, if you want to create the courses and sub-classes you want for a recreation, you possibly can simply create these courses on Foundry as an merchandise after which drag and drop them into the character sheet you want to edit. Whereas that’s attainable on Roll20, it’s not so easy.
Each of those VTTs do enable plenty of flexibility of their sheets: whereas Roll20 customers can add customized fields, macros, and even HTML and CSS to its character sheets, Foundry’s character sheet editor is extra superior, giving customers the choices to make use of exterior automation (modules) to enhance the sheets.
Map and Token Administration
Foundry blows Roll20 out of the water with its map and token administration system. Roll20’s token permission system is murky and unclear, with totally different permissions for the character sheet and its tokens.
All it’s important to do on Foundry to assign a token’s (and its connecting character) permissions is right-click the actor and choose configure possession. From there, it’s a simple drop-down menu that allows you to select what diploma of permission every participant within the recreation has on that character.
Whereas including a brand new map as a scene on each platforms is comparable in you could navigate the scenes from the highest of your web page, the distinction comes when you could align the pictures to a grid. Foundry makes it straightforward to do with an intuitive grid configuration device.
It even helps differentiate the scene’s grid out of your map’s by robotically coloring the scene’s grid purple. Then you’ll be able to align each grids by altering the offset alongside the x and y axis along with your keyboard.
Roll20 has a clunky Align Grid device that makes you draw a pattern 3×3 grid. The scene’s grid is meant to alter and match into your picture primarily based on the pattern grid, however it fails, and you continue to need to spend treasured time adjusting the picture till it matches good. This makes map administration a nightmare for Roll20’s new customers.
Foundry additionally has higher lighting animations, partitions, doorways, and token imaginative and prescient. Roll20 has a cruder model of those options, that are solely obtainable to premium customers.
And another factor: Foundry has a function that lets you transfer totally different gamers to totally different scenes. Which means you could have the celebration’s paladin holding the drawbridge on one other map whereas the remainder of the celebration is looking the fort for the princess in misery. Fairly cool.
Recreation Administration and Group
That is the one function by which Roll20 has a transparent benefit over Foundry. It’s means simpler to maintain monitor of your video games, the gamers, and handle general participant entry to the video games on Roll20.
Roll20 hosts all video games on a central server and doesn’t require the sport host to do any greater than share the hyperlink to present everybody entry. Nevertheless, Foundry requires the sport host to both discover their very own server or play by means of LAN. You may be taught extra about what precisely an internet server is in our devoted information.
Foundry additionally makes use of passwords and usernames to handle who has entry to video games. So, you would need to purposefully set a password as a gamemaster for every recreation in case you don’t need your gamers snooping in your notes once you’re not round.
It may rapidly get tedious managing all these passwords and usernames— on high of that, you continue to have to fret about internet hosting your video games on a server in case you select to play on-line.
Utilizing servers additionally limits how a lot knowledge you’ll be able to have in your video games. Many servers might cap your add knowledge to about 10GB. Roll20 has its servers capped at 8GB. So, in case you plan to host video games working into tens of gigabytes, it might be higher to play utilizing LAN on Foundry.
Neighborhood and Assist
Tabletop gaming is all about socializing, and this function is a fairly large deal for the success of any digital tabletop.
First, we should always set up that the 2 have a robust neighborhood however manifest otherwise.
For example, Roll20 has a big forum-based neighborhood, whereas Foundry makes use of Discord for extra direct communication with its customers. Whereas each have professionals and cons, Foundry does come out forward when resolving issues rapidly since you’ll be able to simply attain out to skilled neighborhood members who’re keen that can assist you out.
Nevertheless, in case you want gamers to use to affix your video games, Roll20 has a bigger pool of gamers due to how accessible the web site is. Your spots will get stuffed up far more rapidly on Roll20 in comparison with Foundry.
How A lot Do FoundryVTT and Roll20 Price?
Theoretically, Roll20 is free. You can begin a recreation, host it, and construct the whole lot you must considerably run a recreation easily in Roll20 with out paying a dime. That is nice in case you’re simply beginning out and need to get a really feel for on-line TTRPGs earlier than committing.
However the second you are feeling that you simply need to do that for the remainder of your life, then Foundry is available in with a robust provide of shopping for the VTT solely as soon as for $50. In any other case, you possibly can pay the identical $50 for Roll20’s Plus or $100 for Professional yearly (or $5.99 and $9.99 month-to-month).
This doesn’t imply that Foundry is one of the best reply. Do not forget that you could nonetheless pay a server to host your recreation in case you play on-line (except you will have a workaround). So, you possibly can pay the one-time price and nonetheless need to fork out a month-to-month or yearly subscription to host your recreation on a server.
It’s safer to say that Roll20 is cheaper for on-line video games, however working a recreation on LAN will prevent some huge cash on Foundry in the long term.
Which VTT Performs Higher?
Foundry primarily wins within the efficiency part as a result of it has a extra fashionable offline engine. It might be a bit tasking on an older PC with poor specs, however most common computer systems will run the VTT advantageous.
Foundry additionally wins partly as a result of no matter servers you host it on could be means much less crowded than Roll20’s. Roll20 will get uneven and gradual about as soon as weekly resulting from server overload in peak hours.
However you’ll usually get extra reliability from one thing you will have extra management over, which, on this case, is Foundry.
Consumer Interface and Expertise
If accessibility was the metric for this part, then Roll20 would win the prize. With no downloads wanted, Roll20 is the extra interesting expertise for brand new gamers.
Frankly, Foundry is a bit overwhelming. All of the speak about LAN, servers, putting in techniques, and modules might be actually difficult for not-so-tech-savvy folks. Nevertheless it offers a lot room for personalization and extra superior options. Nevertheless, it’s a far smoother and richer expertise when you get the hold of it.
Additionally, you are able to do the whole lot you want on Roll20’s web site, together with voice and video. Foundry doesn’t have that, that means you’ll nonetheless want third-party software program on high of a server for a clean on-line recreation. You may discover our record of free voice chat apps for gaming to choose one which works for you.
FoundryVTT Is Higher Than Roll20
When you’ve crossed the brink of newbie, then it’s straightforward to see that Foundry is solely the higher alternative. It really works higher, is extra fashionable, and has the backing of a neighborhood that merely loves it sufficient to maintain it related.
Roll20 doesn’t appear desperate to open its doorways to newer concepts, which can be holding it again from its spot because the primary VTT in our books.
