Epic VTT - A Web Based Tabletop RPG platform

Why We’re Raising Funds for Epic VTT

Epic VTT is being developed by D20 Epic Level LLC, a small independent tabletop gaming company behind d20epiclevel.com.

We started this project because we wanted to build a virtual tabletop that brings more of the RPG experience into one place. Our goal is to give Game Masters and players the tools to create their worlds, manage their characters, run their campaigns, and play together without having to jump between several different programs.

We want to bring the world of tabletop RPGs to your fingertips.

Where Epic VTT Is Today

Epic VTT is already in active development. This Kickstarter is not being used to decide whether or not we are going to build it. We are building it, and development will continue whether this campaign is funded or not.

What funding can change is how quickly we can get there.

As a small company, we have limited resources and a lot of ground to cover. Building a VTT involves much more than creating a map and putting tokens on it. There are character sheets, campaign management, multiplayer systems, lighting and vision, game system support, libraries, chat, journals, backend services, account systems, storage, testing, security, optimization, and dozens of smaller pieces that all have to work together reliably.

A lot of that work is already underway, but there is still plenty left to do.

Why We’re Asking for Your Support

One of the biggest things Kickstarter funding would allow us to do is bring additional people into the project.

Hiring programmers would allow us to divide up some of the development work instead of handling each part one at a time. Additional designers could help us improve the interface and make the platform easier and more enjoyable to use.

It would also give us more resources for testing. A VTT needs to work reliably when a Game Master and several players are using it at the same time. Before we begin heavily advertising Epic VTT, we want to know that the software is stable enough to handle the people we're inviting to use it.

That is important to us. We don't want to spend a large amount of money advertising an unfinished platform just to get people through the door. We would rather put development and stability first, then push publicity and advertising once Epic VTT is ready for a larger audience.

Where the Money Goes

Funds raised through this Kickstarter would go directly toward getting Epic VTT closer to a full public launch. That includes programming assistance, UI and visual design, testing and bug fixing, multiplayer and backend development, server and storage costs, performance improvements, infrastructure, website and launch preparation, and eventually advertising and publicity.

Some funding would also allow us to work on multiple parts of Epic VTT at the same time. For a small development team, that can make a very large difference.

Instead of finishing one system before being able to move to the next problem, we could have additional developers and designers working alongside us.

What Happens if We Don't Reach Our Goal?

We keep building.

Epic VTT is going to continue with or without Kickstarter funding.

We have already put a tremendous amount of time into this project, and we aren't walking away from it simply because development is difficult or takes longer than expected.

Without additional funding, we continue working with the resources available to us. That may mean a longer road to public launch and that some features take considerably longer to complete.

With funding, we have the opportunity to bring in additional help, move through development faster, spend more time testing, improve areas that need professional attention, and eventually put a real advertising budget behind the platform.

That's ultimately what this Kickstarter is about.

It isn't about whether Epic VTT gets made.

It's about giving a small company the resources to take what we're already building and turn it into a stable, polished VTT that we're comfortable putting in front of the tabletop gaming community.

Our Goal

D20 Epic Level LLC is a small company with a pretty big project in front of us.

We know we aren't going to build everything overnight, and we aren't expecting crowdfunding to magically solve every challenge that comes with developing a platform like this.

What it can do is give us more hands, more resources, and more time to concentrate on doing things properly.

We want Epic VTT to become a place where a Game Master can sit down, build a world, invite their players, and have the tools they need to actually run it.

If you decide to back us, you're helping us get there faster.

If you share the project, follow our development, or simply come play when Epic VTT launches, that matters too.

Either way, we're going to keep building.