Pure perfection
As a newcomer to D and D I love this app so much so easy to play and I can’t wait to explore it more and have new adventures
Near Perfect App, but…
The app itself is great. I can finally play d&d asynchronously in a play-by-post format on a platform that has dice rolls, character sheets, and maps all included.
The map maker is basic but gets the job done. It’s not great for setting up overworlds for scene setting, but it’s good for combat encounters. The main downside, and it’s actually quite a big one now that I’ve been playing for a while and DMing my own game, is that I can’t SAVE maps and switch between them. That means I have to decide when to make a map and the map has to either be easily rememberable to remake, or just not make the map at all.
The town my players frequent, for example. I’d love to set up a town for them, but there’s no point because I can’t save it. The party enjoys the town for a bit before delving back into a crypt (which I also have to make maps for), so without a save function, there’s really no reason for a town map since they spend most of their time in the depths of the crypt.
I also have to make each floor of the crypt from scratch every time. If they ever revisit a previous floor, I have to either try to remember the layout exactly or just have them use their imagination so I don’t have to delete the floor that they’re currently on. Not having a save-and-switch function means that I also can’t prep maps in advance when I have the time. This means that the party has to wait for me to make each map. In a world where everyone is busy and getting all of your players online at the same time is so rare, it’s a huge time killer that ultimately slows our game down.
Another glaring issue is the lack of tooltip assistance for rolls. It’s easier for the DM to roll attacks FOR the players because it applies all of the modifiers for you. That’s not fun for the players. The descriptions on weapons doesn’t show the applicable modifiers and that means that players might roll with less modifiers than they should be (or more) which hurts the game’s balance and can lead to players becoming disinterested in the game. Showing the applicable modifiers on weapons would make it much easier for the players to roll damage themselves. Same thing with attack rolls. Everyone knows you roll a d20. Not everyone knows you can add proficiency and certain stats, or bonuses to ranged or melee. It’s not clear what people are supposed to roll with which harms new players learning curve.
Another thing that I would love to see fixed is having a slider for items. The best example would be currency (gold, copper, silver) Say one of my players finds 70 copper pieces in a chest. I have to press the + icon on copper pieces 70 TIMES. In the campaign I’m running, we only use gold and as such, I have to give them more gold. Dividing 400 gold between 4 people is EXTREMELY tedious because I have to hit the button 100 times per person. Just give me a slider or let me hold the + button down so I don’t have to tap it so many times.
There is also no way of tracking spell slot usage. This means that as a DM, I have to. As a player, I have to track it myself and be honest about it. In a play-by-post format, a day or two might pass before anyone is available to play. People forget what spells they used and how many slots they have available in that time.
I would also like to be able to access this app on my computer. A PC version would be incredible. Even a browser version. That way when I’m at school or work, I can just open it up, type a few things, and go back to my work. It’s also much easier to type long messages on an actual keyboard and make maps with a mouse instead of the finicky tapping system on the in-app map maker. That would really set this app into the next level.
This app has huge potential to change the way that d&d is played. I have full faith in it. My main concern with this app is that as of writing this review, the last update was 6 months ago. I’m worried that it might be abandoned as the developers aren’t particularly communicative with the players in-app or on the app store here. Even a pop up message in the app that says “What we’re working on:” and then describes what the team is actively working on would be great. It would let me know that there are still changes being made and updates being pushed out that keep me excited for the future. Even the website has outdated update information.
I love this app and I want to see it succeed. It has re-sparked my love of d&d and it’s the perfect medium to get new players invested in the hobby. Just needs to be updated.
The map maker is basic but gets the job done. It’s not great for setting up overworlds for scene setting, but it’s good for combat encounters. The main downside, and it’s actually quite a big one now that I’ve been playing for a while and DMing my own game, is that I can’t SAVE maps and switch between them. That means I have to decide when to make a map and the map has to either be easily rememberable to remake, or just not make the map at all.
The town my players frequent, for example. I’d love to set up a town for them, but there’s no point because I can’t save it. The party enjoys the town for a bit before delving back into a crypt (which I also have to make maps for), so without a save function, there’s really no reason for a town map since they spend most of their time in the depths of the crypt.
I also have to make each floor of the crypt from scratch every time. If they ever revisit a previous floor, I have to either try to remember the layout exactly or just have them use their imagination so I don’t have to delete the floor that they’re currently on. Not having a save-and-switch function means that I also can’t prep maps in advance when I have the time. This means that the party has to wait for me to make each map. In a world where everyone is busy and getting all of your players online at the same time is so rare, it’s a huge time killer that ultimately slows our game down.
Another glaring issue is the lack of tooltip assistance for rolls. It’s easier for the DM to roll attacks FOR the players because it applies all of the modifiers for you. That’s not fun for the players. The descriptions on weapons doesn’t show the applicable modifiers and that means that players might roll with less modifiers than they should be (or more) which hurts the game’s balance and can lead to players becoming disinterested in the game. Showing the applicable modifiers on weapons would make it much easier for the players to roll damage themselves. Same thing with attack rolls. Everyone knows you roll a d20. Not everyone knows you can add proficiency and certain stats, or bonuses to ranged or melee. It’s not clear what people are supposed to roll with which harms new players learning curve.
Another thing that I would love to see fixed is having a slider for items. The best example would be currency (gold, copper, silver) Say one of my players finds 70 copper pieces in a chest. I have to press the + icon on copper pieces 70 TIMES. In the campaign I’m running, we only use gold and as such, I have to give them more gold. Dividing 400 gold between 4 people is EXTREMELY tedious because I have to hit the button 100 times per person. Just give me a slider or let me hold the + button down so I don’t have to tap it so many times.
There is also no way of tracking spell slot usage. This means that as a DM, I have to. As a player, I have to track it myself and be honest about it. In a play-by-post format, a day or two might pass before anyone is available to play. People forget what spells they used and how many slots they have available in that time.
I would also like to be able to access this app on my computer. A PC version would be incredible. Even a browser version. That way when I’m at school or work, I can just open it up, type a few things, and go back to my work. It’s also much easier to type long messages on an actual keyboard and make maps with a mouse instead of the finicky tapping system on the in-app map maker. That would really set this app into the next level.
This app has huge potential to change the way that d&d is played. I have full faith in it. My main concern with this app is that as of writing this review, the last update was 6 months ago. I’m worried that it might be abandoned as the developers aren’t particularly communicative with the players in-app or on the app store here. Even a pop up message in the app that says “What we’re working on:” and then describes what the team is actively working on would be great. It would let me know that there are still changes being made and updates being pushed out that keep me excited for the future. Even the website has outdated update information.
I love this app and I want to see it succeed. It has re-sparked my love of d&d and it’s the perfect medium to get new players invested in the hobby. Just needs to be updated.
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Response from developer
Hi! Wow, this is such a great review - we take every single thing you said to heart and we promise to work on those things! Happy to discuss more on our Discord https://discord.gg/tUhrUWU if you have time :) Jan, Dungeon Realms team
Dead game?
I downloaded the app, made a character and applied to several campaigns and got nothing. I tried creating my own campaign and couldn’t even add a creature to the map. Everything just felt extremely limited from character creation to campaign creation. Maybe it’s a good game, who knows I couldn’t play it.
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Response from developer
Hi! Sorry that your experience wasn't that great - we definitely want to improve. We're working on a new way for players and Game Masters to match. When you create a campaign, and players join, you can start adding monsters via chat and then into the map. Jan, Dungeon Realms team
Awesome game that needs GMs
This app has much potential. A few things are lacking but the experience was made enjoyable by a great storyteller named Jabronius. They kept me engaged throughout my the game and checked in when I didn’t post as frequently. If you find a great storyteller this app is definitely worth it even with it still in beta.
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Response from developer
Hi! Thank you so much for the review! Jan, Dungeon Realms team
So many possibilities
This app is great for those times when you have the itch to play DND but can’t find the time to sit down and play or find a group to join. DM’s like Jabronius have been great to work and play with, learning and discovering what the app has to offer together. Keep the updates coming 👍
Just amazing
You can rp, combat, make maps and and a bunch more! I’ve been around since the alpha and they are constantly adding new things! Also the discord is helpful
Immersive
I love this app! I have played text TRPG on another app and I feel this app has a much more immersive feel to it that doesn’t make me just feel like I’m texting on a different platform but really actually getting into another realm. It is very exciting.
I was very impressed with the free tutorial module the app provides. It made DM’ing a fairly easy and fun experience for me, who had almost no DM’ing experience. I am highly considering paying for the other pre built campaigns.
There are definitely still things that need to be improved upon, but the developers are aware for his and constantly looking for feedback and improving the app.
I was very impressed with the free tutorial module the app provides. It made DM’ing a fairly easy and fun experience for me, who had almost no DM’ing experience. I am highly considering paying for the other pre built campaigns.
There are definitely still things that need to be improved upon, but the developers are aware for his and constantly looking for feedback and improving the app.
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Response from developer
Hi! Thank you so much for this review. We promise to improve and we hope it will get better. Jan, Dungeon Realms team
Finally! play all day any time of day
Finally, after 40 years of playing asynchronously via forums, bulletin boards, and video messaging... a powerful compendium-based platform that makes the game so much easier. Play all day, every day, even during water cooler, coffee, and lunch breaks. Still in open beta, with a lot to add, but it is a masterpiece design, destined for greatness. A+++ recommend.
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Response from developer
Hi! Thank you so much for this review! This is amazing to read! Jan, Dungeon Realms team
Rolling a Nat 20!
This is a fantastic method of playing D&D with a group of people, at a pace that suits everyone.
Got a minute spare to roleplay a fighter getting into a tavern brawl, then have at it!
A few updates needed to really make this a great app, like better visibility into rolls and how the number are worked out, battle maps and more monsters and attacks. Once these things are in, this will be an easy pickup for any fans of D&D.
I’m Kailas and I hope to be DM’ing a game for you soon ❤️ - Keep rolling 20’s, they won’t save you though 😵😉
Got a minute spare to roleplay a fighter getting into a tavern brawl, then have at it!
A few updates needed to really make this a great app, like better visibility into rolls and how the number are worked out, battle maps and more monsters and attacks. Once these things are in, this will be an easy pickup for any fans of D&D.
I’m Kailas and I hope to be DM’ing a game for you soon ❤️ - Keep rolling 20’s, they won’t save you though 😵😉
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So far so great
Beautifully implemented and well thought out app. Seems they also have great things in the pipeline that will enhance the gameplay experience. Looking forward to how it all develops!
Response from developer
Hi! Thank you so much for this review! Jan, Dungeon Realms team
