2022 has been a fast-moving year for the team at Roll20. Let’s take a look back at what we’ve accomplished so far and chat about what updates are planned for the summer and fall. And if you haven’t read it yet, be sure to check out our goal of closing five of your top ten Suggestions & Ideas from the forums!
Operation: Fire Bolt
We doubled down on finding and obliterating performance issues on Roll20 this year and named the project Operation Fire Bolt. We have a dedicated team blowing up slow load times and getting you into your games faster.
We started with “lazy loading,” which is a new way that your games are loaded into the VTT. In the past, we loaded all character data like hit points or spells all at once, contributing to a longer initial wait. We now load character data for individual characters when you need them, massively reducing initial load time and memory usage.
Now, the vast majority of games load up to 50% faster. If you have a big game with lots of characters, it should be a lot faster to get in and play. Half of all games are ready to play in under four seconds.
Next on the list for Operation Fire Bolt is adding blazing speed to your dice roll results. Although the dice will move faster, we still can’t promise you’ll get those natural 20s.
Spring Updates
Dark Mode
We’ve brought dark mode to the virtual tabletop. The VTT detects your preferences automatically, or you can flip the switch to turn on dark mode. We updated our D&D 5E sheet to look good in dark mode, and more character sheets will be modified to make sure they work in both light and dark mode.
One-Way Barriers
Our latest release for Dynamic Lighting now adds one-way barriers. This lighting is great when you want to show something that blocks vision, but you still want your players to see – like statues, columns, or tombstones. We updated the Tool Bar so that you can see what type of lines you’re creating, and which way the vision will move.
Updated Compendium Sharing
Sharing your purchased content on Roll20 has gotten even easier. When someone shares their Compendium with you, it’ll now appear on Your Bookshelf outside the VTT.
Dynamic Bundles
You can save more on the Roll20 Marketplace when you buy in bundles. And now, if you own one or more items in the bundle, you get the rest at a discounted price. It’s a great way to complete your collections.
Companion App Updates
The mobile companion app has added some more features for Roll20 players. We’ve added a stand-alone dice roller for those times when your DM casually asks you to roll a d6. We also added the free SRD version of D&D 5E so you can search and use the Compendium while you’re out playing.
Your purchased 5E compendiums are available now too, giving you even more power at your fingertips. Don’t forget that the app is free for players to download from the Apple Store and Google Play.
Summer and Fall Updates
We’re showing you some early designs and sneak peeks on what we have coming soon to the VTT. These designs are subject to change.
Dynamic Lighting
Two big Dynamic Lighting updates will brighten up your games this summer: placing doors and windows.
You’ll be able to set up windows and doors with one step from the Tool Bar, and how your players can interact with them. Yep, they’ll be able to try to open a window and sneak inside, or unlock a door and let themselves in.
Additional Updates
We’re also adding smart image placement, which will size and scale your maps and pages for you. You’ll be able to print your 5E character sheets to PDF, and we have at least four new character sheets in development, including the Marvel Multiverse RPG Playtest Rulebook.
Fall/Winter 2022
It feels a long time away, but we’re already working on:
- A refresh of the UI on the VTT
- Updated page menu organization
- A revamp of voice and video
- Faster, smarter next-generation character sheets
- An overhead layer for weather effects and ambience
We’ll have more designs and news at our next update. Thank you for being a part of the Roll20 community and joining us as we create the best gaming experience for you!