[PC Gamer] Roll20 Discord integration

[Kyonshi]

Not using Roll20 (and never have), but we did use a VTT, and yes, we
were using Discord as the voice chat.
But to be fair, I would prefer not to use it because it locks basically
everything into a single company's ecosystem.

Source:
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/board-games/roll20-will-cut-out-the-alt-tabbing-middleman-and-let-you-run-your-dandd-and-ttrpg-games-directly-in-discord-which-you-were-probably-using-for-voice-chat-anyway/

Roll20 will cut out the alt-tabbing middleman and let you run your D&D
and TTRPG games directly in Discord, which you were probably using for
voice chat anyway
News
By Harvey Randall
published 3 hours ago

Roll20 Pro subscribers will be able to take the feature for a test spin
later this month.
If you play D&D online, there's a chance you use—or have used—Roll20.
While it's far from the most versatile or powerful virtual tabletop
(VTT) on the market (with others having far more extensive modding and
addon support) it's both free and straightforward enough to use that I
feel its popularity is deserved. You also probably haven't used its
integrated voice chat system.

Whether it's improved since the last time I tried to use it or not, the
fact remains that there are just better options. For example, Discord is
a program everyone's already familiar with and setup for, while its
servers work as great hubs to run campaigns out of, letting you keep
channels for lore handouts, hold discussions, and passive-aggressively
tag that one player who is always inexplicably having a nap when the
session starts despite everyone being pretty sure it's like 3 PM in
their timezone. We've all been there.

Fortunately, a newly-announced feature lets you cut out that particular
middle-man and save on some alt-tabbing between Discord and your
browser: Roll20 is coming to Discord's activities feature, and while I
hesitated at first, I think the integration here makes a lot of sense.
At least, in theory.

"When you launch the Activity Beta for the first time," reads the
announcement, "you can choose to either create an account or log into an
existing account. If you log into an existing account, you will have
access to all of your campaigns, characters, marketplace content, etc.
These will remain synchronised between platforms (the Activity on
Discord and the Roll20.net web application)."

An image showing a Roll20 game taking place in Discord.
(Image credit: Roll20.net)

Basically, you don't have to remake your campaign in Discord to use it
or anything. The only pain in the rear is that your Roll20 and your
Discord account need to be registered under the same email—other than
that, you can flit between the two just fine. The gist I get from this
is that it's essentially letting you boot up a web browser in Discord,
with all the positives and negatives that entails.

Personally-speaking, I might take this for a whirl—but I juggle Google
Docs and other rules websites for the Pathfinder 2e campaign I'm
currently running, to the point where it's probably not helpful for me
specifically. For my players, though? As long as I can seamlessly run
both without the app throwing a tantrum, it's a great quality-of-life
option. The feature's beta will be available for Roll20 Pro subscribers
starting April 30.

[Justisaur]

Post by Kyonshi
Not using Roll20 (and never have), but we did use a VTT, and yes, we
were using Discord as the voice chat.
But to be fair, I would prefer not to use it because it locks basically
everything into a single company's ecosystem.
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/board-games/roll20-will-cut-out-the-alt-tabbing-middleman-and-let-you-run-your-dandd-and-ttrpg-games-directly-in-discord-which-you-were-probably-using-for-voice-chat-anyway/
Roll20 will cut out the alt-tabbing middleman and let you run your D&D
and TTRPG games directly in Discord, which you were probably using for
voice chat anyway
News
By Harvey Randall
published 3 hours ago
Roll20 Pro subscribers will be able to take the feature for a test spin
later this month.
If you play D&D online, there's a chance you use—or have used—Roll20.
While it's far from the most versatile or powerful virtual tabletop
(VTT) on the market (with others having far more extensive modding and
addon support) it's both free and straightforward enough to use that I
feel its popularity is deserved. You also probably haven't used its
integrated voice chat system.
Whether it's improved since the last time I tried to use it or not, the
fact remains that there are just better options. For example, Discord is
a program everyone's already familiar with and setup for, while its
servers work as great hubs to run campaigns out of, letting you keep
channels for lore handouts, hold discussions, and passive-aggressively
tag that one player who is always inexplicably having a nap when the
session starts despite everyone being pretty sure it's like 3 PM in
their timezone. We've all been there.
Fortunately, a newly-announced feature lets you cut out that particular
middle-man and save on some alt-tabbing between Discord and your
browser: Roll20 is coming to Discord's activities feature, and while I
hesitated at first, I think the integration here makes a lot of sense.
At least, in theory.
"When you launch the Activity Beta for the first time," reads the
announcement, "you can choose to either create an account or log into an
existing account. If you log into an existing account, you will have
access to all of your campaigns, characters, marketplace content, etc.
These will remain synchronised between platforms (the Activity on
Discord and the Roll20.net web application)."
An image showing a Roll20 game taking place in Discord.
(Image credit: Roll20.net)
Basically, you don't have to remake your campaign in Discord to use it
or anything. The only pain in the rear is that your Roll20 and your
Discord account need to be registered under the same email—other than
that, you can flit between the two just fine. The gist I get from this
is that it's essentially letting you boot up a web browser in Discord,
with all the positives and negatives that entails.
Personally-speaking, I might take this for a whirl—but I juggle Google
Docs and other rules websites for the Pathfinder 2e campaign I'm
currently running, to the point where it's probably not helpful for me
specifically. For my players, though? As long as I can seamlessly run
both without the app throwing a tantrum, it's a great quality-of-life
option. The feature's beta will be available for Roll20 Pro subscribers
starting April 30.

I used to run Roll20 and initially (something like 8 years ago) the
voice chat was very bad, but it improved to decent within a few years.

I hate Discord, but I've agreed to join a game starting in June that
will be using Roll20 and Discord, but it's a friend I knew in person.
The people playing like to use video, frankly I'd rather play/run a text
chat only game, and definitely not one with video. However finding
those games or people willing to play that way is unlikely (not PBP, but
text chat.)

[Kyonshi]

Post by Justisaur
I used to run Roll20 and initially (something like 8 years ago) the
voice chat was very bad, but it improved to decent within a few years.
I hate Discord, but I've agreed to join a game starting in June that
will be using Roll20 and Discord, but it's a friend I knew in person.
The people playing like to use video, frankly I'd rather play/run a text
chat only game, and definitely not one with video.  However finding
those games or people willing to play that way is unlikely (not PBP, but
text chat.)

I do have to admit that text chat is maybe a bit too heavy for me to do
an actual roleplaying game in. There's just too many ways to be
distracted with that.

I prefer games without video at least. I am ok with voice chat, but
video sometimes is rather distracting in a lot of ways that aren't good
for the game.