Press release:
https://pressreleases.triplepointpr.com/2022/07/13/roll20-and-onebookshelf-joining-forces-gain-5-to-intelligence/ (https://pressreleases.triplepointpr.com/2022/07/13/roll20-and-onebookshelf-joining-forces-gain-5-to-intelligence/)
Roll20 post:
https://blog.roll20.net/posts/roll20-onebookshelf-are-uniting-the-party/ (https://blog.roll20.net/posts/roll20-onebookshelf-are-uniting-the-party/)
OneBookShelf post:
https://medium.com/oneblogshelf/roll20-onebookshelf-are-uniting-the-party-889ef8d4cb46 (https://medium.com/oneblogshelf/roll20-onebookshelf-are-uniting-the-party-889ef8d4cb46)
This has to be to setup a competitor to DNDBeyond's super secret VTT project that has yet to be released.
Edit 2 (I was right):
Quote
Seamless adventuring experience. OneBookShelf and Roll20 want to provide innovative digital tools for every GM and player. As the newly designed DriveThruRPG marketplace (preview here) and the Roll20 platform become more closely integrated, we will be able to offer users all of the advantages of the biggest and most accessible virtual tabletop platform, plus the quality-of-life benefits that a new store design, industry-veteran staff, and our huge catalog of content can provide.
Improved store functionality embedded seamlessly into the Roll20 VTT means publishers and content creators will gain access to a wider audience of GMs and players, right in the game space where they play those games.
Reading between the lines here it looks like OBS is making R20 be a subsidy or wholely owned partnership.
Ankit Lal (R20 CEO) will remain in his position and Steve Weick will join the R20 board but remain as CEO of OBS.
It looks like the major changes so far are OBS shutting down Astral VTT next month and working on integration of existing PDF content into R20.
Will there be double the censorship now?
Quote from: Spinachcat on July 14, 2022, 04:03:25 AM
Will there be double the censorship now?
Who knows. I'd be worried that they may try to link your accounts. They'll say it'll make thing easier, have access to all your pdfs right inside R20. Then they'll pull some shit like if you get banned on R20 you also lose access to your DTRPG account.
Quote from: rgalex on July 14, 2022, 07:32:11 AM
Quote from: Spinachcat on July 14, 2022, 04:03:25 AM
Will there be double the censorship now?
Who knows. I'd be worried that they may try to link your accounts. They'll say it'll make thing easier, have access to all your pdfs right inside R20. Then they'll pull some shit like if you get banned on R20 you also lose access to your DTRPG account.
Friends don't let friends use R20 ever since R20 stated they don't need "White Males" as their partners in the gaming market.
Quote from: THE_Leopold on July 14, 2022, 07:35:34 AM
Friends don't let friends use R20 ever since R20 stated they don't need "White Males" as their partners in the gaming market.
I hate Roll20. It's so unintuitive. I like Fantasy Grounds. Setting things up, dropping maps into the folder and the automation makes things so much easier.
Whelp, I put creating a competitor to OBS on the backburner because I thought it might be doomed to fail from the start. Now, I am rethinking that idea.
Even posters on TBP are concerned about the monopoly and what it will do and the possibility of screwing over other VTT's.
I don't really see how this will affect the average consumer. PDF integration is irrelevant, since people just play with multiple screens/alt-tabbing. Roll20 having access to better cash flow is a good thing, maybe they can iron out some of their jankiness. No other VTT can compare because you can't just drag and drop assets into it. The only way I could see it being a problem is IF they start scanning stuff for assets that you don't have the copyright for - but I doubt they will.
Quote from: drayakir on July 14, 2022, 11:54:34 AM
I don't really see how this will affect the average consumer. PDF integration is irrelevant, since people just play with multiple screens/alt-tabbing. Roll20 having access to better cash flow is a good thing, maybe they can iron out some of their jankiness. No other VTT can compare because you can't just drag and drop assets into it. The only way I could see it being a problem is IF they start scanning stuff for assets that you don't have the copyright for - but I doubt they will.
Fantasy Grounds is MUCH better. I hate Roll20, it is so unintuitive to use. Fantasy Grounds has the automation thats good to go, a folder where you can drop pictures, tokes and other things that are easily pulled up.
Roll20 only has more users because it has a free component and FG doesn't.
Quote from: drayakir on July 14, 2022, 11:54:34 AM
I don't really see how this will affect the average consumer. PDF integration is irrelevant, since people just play with multiple screens/alt-tabbing. Roll20 having access to better cash flow is a good thing, maybe they can iron out some of their jankiness. No other VTT can compare because you can't just drag and drop assets into it. The only way I could see it being a problem is IF they start scanning stuff for assets that you don't have the copyright for - but I doubt they will.
They've had the cash flow to iron out their jankiness for, what, at least five years at this point? They've shown little sign of improving their rubbish VTT, whilst numerous other competitors have been happily getting fat from the runoff.