Traders and Gunboats - Has Landed!

[MasterGwydion]

A VTT deckplan is meant to be used as a travel/battle map. What is the point of a map that has no accessible points on it? Or even one that has one elevator shaft connecting it to the levels above and below?

I am in the minority here as I don't even know what a VTT is, much less actually use one. lol I swear that I am becoming a Luddite! lol

 

[Arkathan]

Video Table Top... unless I'm getting it wrong too.
Fantasy Grounds, Roll 20, etc. Computer apps/game platform that help you run a game remotely. Rolls dice, handles formulae, in fantasy it handles spell affects. Lets the players access any of the rulebooks that you have on the platform and make available. Images, maps, text, character sheets, vehicle/ship sheets.

 

[Terry Mixon]

Video Table Top... unless I'm getting it wrong too.
Fantasy Grounds, Roll 20, etc. Computer apps/game platform that help you run a game remotely. Rolls dice, handles formulae, in fantasy it handles spell affects. Lets the players access any of the rulebooks that you have on the platform and make available. Images, maps, text, character sheets, vehicle/ship sheets.

Virtual tabletop.

 

[MasterGwydion]

Virtual tabletop.

Yeah. I looked the term up, but I have never used one and have never even seen a game run that way. If I am not close enough to hit My fellow players with thrown cheeseballs, then I haven't ever played that way. Not to say that I wouldn't, but to Me a lot is lost if I can't look around My group and read their faces and body language while they are playing their characters. Just the same way a lot of communication is misunderstood when communicating via text. Although, I have also never Zoomed or used a video call of any kind. So, yeah. Luddite. lol

 

[Sigtrygg]

I am in the minority here as I don't even know what a VTT is, much less actually use one. lol I swear that I am becoming a Luddite! lol

<raises hand>
me too.

I don't even use spreadsheets, every one of my FF&S->CT designs is done with pencil, paper, and sometimes calculator.
Although now I have found I can ask Copilot to give me surface areas for ship shapes/volumes...

 

[OriginalCaruso]

I don't use VTTs and have no intention of doing so

To an earlier post regarding deck plans: I regard these as schematics, not literal physical models and where needed, use dungeon tiles and minis to represent scale and movement. I 3D print specific items too

I fitted an overhead camera above my table along with a wide-angle camera for my remote players - works well enough though people do prefer to play F2F

I am exploring using ChatGPT to generate images noting there are usage limitations which is annoying

 

[Anstett]

I don't use VTTs and have no intention of doing so

I fitted an overhead camera above my table along with a wide-angle camera for my remote players - works well enough though people do prefer to play F2F

That is the definition of a Virtual Table Top. Players being able to play remotely/virtually. Sometimes all remote, sometimes a hybrid.

I have run my D&D game through VTT since 2003. Many different versions out there.

 

[Anstett]

A VTT deckplan is meant to be used as a travel/battle map. What is the point of a map that has no accessible points on it? Or even one that has one elevator shaft connecting it to the levels above and below?

It totally depends on the VTT you are using.

At its most basic you are correct, but you are using mostly Theater of the Mind (ToM) just to describe things with a small map if needed to explain.

At the most complicated a VTT program can calculate the distance, etc automatically and show that restricted access tunnel and the what ever creature/gas/effect is advancing up the shaft at the travellers. Plus being able to link maps together, so the players can move throughout a large ship on their own without the Referee needing to move their tokens.

It is not for everyone, but it can create some great roleplaying experiences for a group.

 

[Arkathan]

It totally depends on the VTT you are using.

At its most basic you are correct, but you are using mostly Theater of the Mind (ToM) just to describe things with a small map if needed to explain.

At the most complicated a VTT program can calculate the distance, etc automatically and show that restricted access tunnel and the what ever creature/gas/effect is advancing up the shaft at the travellers. Plus being able to link maps together, so the players can move throughout a large ship on their own without the Referee needing to move their tokens.

It is not for everyone, but it can create some great roleplaying experiences for a group.

I was thinking we were talking about the fuel levels being omitted. If I display a partial map, the accessible areas maintain the proper scale and distance. You usually need some method of linking different levels anyway, so a 6m gap is no more problem than a 3m gap.

 

[Anstett]

I was thinking we were talking about the fuel levels being omitted. If I display a partial map, the accessible areas maintain the proper scale and distance. You usually need some method of linking different levels anyway, so a 6m gap is no more problem than a 3m gap.

Yes to fuel levels being omitted. I fully get they are not needed for 95% of customers, and never in a dead tree version.

But for some games they are 'needed' to be able to keep the accuracy correct. Of course I can do the math by hand, but it is much easier to let the program compute the range, DM, etc when firing down that long corridor. I create maps as needed currently when I need the extra accuracy, just expressing it would be great to keep the same art across all the image.

 

[-Daniel-]

I was thinking we were talking about the fuel levels being omitted. If I display a partial map, the accessible areas maintain the proper scale and distance. You usually need some method of linking different levels anyway, so a 6m gap is no more problem than a 3m gap.

Just curious, maybe I am looking at the wrong ships, but how many ships have a whole level with just fuel and nothing else? I just looked through quite a few of my deck plans and I am not seeing many.

 

[MongooseMatt]

Just curious, maybe I am looking at the wrong ships, but how many ships have a whole level with just fuel and nothing else? I just looked through quite a few of my deck plans and I am not seeing many.

Normally large warships and some freighters - if a ship is very high jump, it is not unusual for it to have a deck of fuel.

 

[Arkathan]

That's because they were omitted.
More likely is a map showing only the accessible areas of that level, with maybe a few areas showing fuel next to them.
point being, inaccessible areas waste time, paper, bandwidth and strain the resources of some smaller laptops on VTTs for no gain in functionality.
If a fuel level only has elevators or ladder shafts, there is no point in including them. If there is 20 (or 200) tons of access in a 1000 ton deck, map the area you can game in and link the access points to the maps above and below. Maybe you have structures similar to wings that spread out to twice or more the usable width. It contains nothing but fuel, processors and armor. Omit that and note it was omitted. It adds nothing.

 

[-Daniel-]

That's because they were omitted.

Sorry, I was looking at deck plans for my whole collection, not just Mongoose deck plans. Most of them list X levels and show X levels and show the complete shape of those levels. But of course, each publisher does what they think it best for their specific game/edition. I can respect that. Does not mean I have to like it though.

 

[tytalan]

Sorry, I was looking at deck plans for my whole collection, not just Mongoose deck plans. Most of them list X levels and show X levels and show the complete shape of those levels. But of course, each publisher does what they think it best for their specific game/edition. I can respect that. Does not mean I have to like it though.

And you’ll notice that in almost all of them there’s some none fuel areas in each level. The listed levels are the usable levels not the fuel only areas. You be hard pressed to fine a deck plans that has all the fuel tonnage mapped out

 

[AndrewW]

I am exploring using ChatGPT to generate images noting there are usage limitations which is annoying

Could try Stable Diffusion

 

[Grognardia]

And you’ll notice that in almost all of them there’s some none fuel areas in each level. The listed levels are the usable levels not the fuel only areas. You be hard pressed to fine a deck plans that has all the fuel tonnage mapped out

I give you the Summerkin Patrol Frigate from Traders and Gunboats

 

[tytalan]

View attachment 2820

I give you the Summerkin Patrol Frigate from Traders and Gunboats

I’m wondering if your missing the turret that is shown as part of the fuel deck or do you consider that fuel?

 

[MasterGwydion]

That's because they were omitted.
More likely is a map showing only the accessible areas of that level, with maybe a few areas showing fuel next to them.
point being, inaccessible areas waste time, paper, bandwidth and strain the resources of some smaller laptops on VTTs for no gain in functionality.
If a fuel level only has elevators or ladder shafts, there is no point in including them. If there is 20 (or 200) tons of access in a 1000 ton deck, map the area you can game in and link the access points to the maps above and below. Maybe you have structures similar to wings that spread out to twice or more the usable width. It contains nothing but fuel, processors and armor. Omit that and note it was omitted. It adds nothing.

If the fuel tanks are empty and you cut a hole in them to attack the enemy from an unexpected direction, then it is very relevant.

 

[shirgall]

Even Death Station, where you literally get into the fuel system (spoilers!), does not have the fuel system mapped out.

That being said, a 400T ship is 800 tiles to map, and over 150 of them are fuel tanks and mechanical systems under the floor of the ring.