Source
r/tabletopsimulator•
Sebeck

Looking for advice on running TTRPGs in TTS

Hello everyone!

My group and I have been playing TTRPGs in FoundryVTT (a 2D virtual table top) for the past 2 years (mainly D&D 5e) and it's been great, but I'm considering switching to TTS(which I already own), and I'd like to ask this community for some advice.

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Considerations:

  • I'm currently working on my own rules-lite TTRPG so sticking with FoundryVTT would mean I would have to create my own custom game system for it.
  • I have programming and some 3d modelling experience.
  • I don't have a problem with creating/tweaking/coding custom character sheets or other automations in TTS.
  • I have tested TTS, modeling in Blender (or downloading and decimating models from the web), importing in Unity, and exporting to TTS. Worked great.
  • Using downloaded or self made models I'd like to create and run 3d maps, characters, enemies and objects in TTS.
  • I have looked throughout the TTS steam workshop and seen, and tested, many awesome mods (like OneWorld) that I do plan on using, so I don't have to create everything I need from scratch.

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Questions:

  1. Do you have any general tips, advice or workflow ideas considering the above?
  2. If I would use a low poly and flat-shaded look for my models, with a single material (like Imphenzia on youtube does) and use the Secondary field from the Custom Asset Bundle object for that, would it lead to a significant increase in performance?
  3. If I want to add shaders to my objects, considering TTS uses Unity 2019, what should I use instead of shader graph? Amplify? (I have zero shader-writing experience)
  4. Is it possible to create a "ghost object" with sort of a cut-away shader in order to have character tokens moved inside buildings with roofs/multiple stories? (As in using the ghost-object to "cut away" part of the building object?) Or is there a mod for this already I haven't found?
  5. Am I crazy going for TTS(that I do find incredibly intuitive) when new programs like The RPG Engine are coming out?

Thank you kindly for any input you may have.

Posted May 23, 2022, 1:11 PM UTC

84
Rich_PL•

I'm no defacto expert but here's my take...

  1. --
    1. Rules... Doesn't matter, TTS has no 'engine' it's a physics sim, the rules are whatever you want them to be...
    2. Cool, that will help! LUA and blender will go far win TTS if you want custom content.
    3. LUA all the things, even me - a dullard... has edited my own character sheets.
    4. Yup, keep it low poly tho, as TTS can be a bit feisty with high-count poly models.
    5. Cool
    6. Yup sounds like you're already on top of things.
  2. Asset bundles can do a LOT more than just imported models... sadly I never got my head around it...
  3. This question goes well above my head... umm? Asset bundles? maybe change the scene lighting... I have literally no idea.
  4. Yup, as long as the object's collider is nothing more than a flat base, a model can go anywhere, it will clip through everything tho, so maybe not what you'd want? from my limited experience, TTS is not perfect as a good looking 3d scene recreation tool... it can be glitchy, awkward and wrought with problems...
  5. Nah, I love TTS for TTRPG my groups and I have tons of fun. Played D&D, Vampire, Fallout and more.
3
spudule•

Here's how I run my game. I use OBS as the main interface for the players (through video conference) that way I can share 2d maps, artwork of locations and screenshots of hero forge characters on green screen for the players to interact with. I run encounters in TTS and use key locations the same way. You get great control over the look and feel of the game this way.

My hot take: if you're playing remotely, you should take the players back to seeing each other as often as possible. The maps, 3d worlds and locations are for when they've made a decision and are interacting with the world, the default for me is always the players seeing each other.

My second hot take is start with the workshop content on TTS, there is so much you can use that is amazing quality (whole locations, minis etc) with the setup I've described you can get started in about half a day. I have For me at the speed I create 3d models and environments I think it would take me a couple of weeks to get started with a few sessions worth of content.

So, my advice is start small and simple, if you add a little bit of new content each session, then by the end of the first campaign you will have lots of content, you will also have playtested your system completely.

2
SebeckOP•

Here's how I run my game. I use OBS as the main interface for the players (through video conference) that way I can share 2d maps, artwork of locations and screenshots of hero forge characters on green screen for the players to interact with. I run encounters in TTS and use key locations the same way. You get great control over the look and feel of the game this way.

This... I've never thought of it... You mean you use OBS in stream mode and stream to the players, maybe add a TTS Source in a corner of the screen, maybe discord with player faces in another? I've only used OBS for screen recording. Can you provide a bit more info on your setup? If it leads to more player engagement that would be a huge win for me.

Even in FoundryVTT, with almost 0 math, huge amounts of automation and visual effects on spellcastings and whatnot, the game still feels a bit slow sometimes. (one of my players is also my DM in another campaign, so I know how it is on the player's side).

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My hot take: if you're playing remotely, you should take the players back to seeing each other as often as possible.

We've started our TTRPG playing only online, and we've almost never used webcams, and, indeed, I suspect that this is quite a loss for the experience. I was actually considering using the tablet in TTS , linked to discord to have the players see each other in game. But I don't know if that's feasible yet.

Side note: We've only played a live game of Mausritter once.

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My second hot take is start with the workshop content on TTS, there is so much you can use that is amazing quality (whole locations, minis etc) with the setup I've described you can get started in about half a day.

Yeah, I think that's what I'll have to do as there's A LOT of things I'd need to model. Still most things on the workshop aren't of the lowPoly+flatshaded aesthetic I was thinking of going for, but I was leaning towards that only to "skip" over texturing, and to save some time and VRAM. But I guess I could go for that PS1 style look, texturing can go really fast with the stencil method.

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So, my advice is start small and simple

Agreed. I've drawn maps with a drawing tool in FoundryVTT, live, and we still had tons of fun. Besides, I can find a map online in 10 seconds and drop it in TTS, same for an item and drop it as a 2d token.

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Thank you for your advice <3

2
spudule•

Glad it helped, I have a different scene for whether it's an NPC interaction, map, combat and switch between them you can load images in and for example move an icon around on the map that represents your team.

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