Deja Vu All Over Again - Just Like 4e, 5e's Digital App is a Bust

Dungeonscape, formerly Codename: Morningstar, is no longer going to be 5e's Virtual Companion. Sound familiar? (read about it at OSRToday and ENWorld for more details)

WotC just can't seem to get this right, can they?

With 4e, they tried twice with Virtual Table Tops, and never were able to integrate it into their DDI. One failed due to personal tragedy, and the second version just failed. Although the first version did steal the graphics from Fantasy Grounds for the 3d dice "visualization" if I recall correctly. The 2nd version never made it out of beta and was killed without much fanfare in July of 2012.

Is there money to be made from a VTT for WotC? Sure. Even with the options already out there, Dungeons & Dragons brings a HUGE player base to whatever VTT they aim for.

I'm going to make a suggestion to WotC - don't reinvent the wheel. Put your marketing might behind a VTT that is already out there.

I'm going to suggest one I no longer use, but could and a few silvers to WotC's coin pouch.

Fantasy Grounds 2

There, I said it.

Give them enough funds to simplify creation of adventures within the software, make a free ruleset for 5e for use with FG2 and get them to integrate an audio Teamspeak / Skype feature into it.

Proven software improved for all with some investment by WotC and they make their money back by selling adventures for use with FG2.

Me?

I'll be sticking with Swords & Wizardry, DCC RPG and AD&D using Hangouts and Roll20 ;)

(and yes, Dungeonscape was going to be a VTT as such, but if WotC is looking to make money digitally from 5e - and they aren't selling the books in PDF at this point either - investing in a VTT is the way to go. In any case, another misstep by the fine folks at WotC. Get ready for the Christmas Purge of 2014...)