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RPG: TaleSpire Brings Beautiful 3d Terrain To Your Virtual Tabletop

3 Minute Read
Apr 16 2021
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A new program combines the aesthetics of 3d miniatures and terrain with the expansive creativity of a virtual tabletop. Check out Talepsire.

Talespire is a newly released virtual tabletop platform that does what few others out there I’ve seen do–it takes ideas like gorgeous “dynamic lighting” and “realistic textures” but then it goes very hard into the idea of tabletop terrain. The whole thing makes for a kind of Lego-game aesthetic, where you get all of the details like flickering fire or even spell effects, but it’s all delivered with this stylized miniatures kind of look that feels like what you could achieve with the minis and terrain sitting on your gameroom’s shelves.

They’ve made everything look like sculpted plastic and/or painted metal and I’m here for it

Right down to the way miniatures move or shake and everything. And that overexaggerated feel really works in a situation like this, because it doesn’t have to compete with your imagination, which will always beat out pre-rendered graphics, because it uses the most powerful graphics processor out there–the human brain, but it gives you that good visual shortcut language to trigger your imagination.

It’s also chock full of details like this amazing bear skin rug?!

Yeah there are some elements that feel kind of cheesy, but that actually helps a lot. Because you’re not trying to recreate the perfect paladin of someone’s imagination, you’re trying to recreate a well painted tabletop miniature paladin. And the goofy lookin’ sahuagin raider they’re squaring off against.

With lots of visible bases and a robust initial library, Talespire feels like one that’s definitely worth watching (if not jumping in on today) because if you want to keep your games as customizable as pen and paper let you be, you’ll want a good toolkit. And this feels like they’ve captured something that other toolkit’s haven’t–they’ve made it fun to play with, which is an important part of D&D.

We’ve all had moments where you make your minis stomp around on the table like unrepentant ogres, right? At any rate, I haven’t come across a virtual gaming aid that feels quite as playful as TaleSpire. Check it out in full below.

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TaleSpire is a beautiful way to play pen and paper RPGs online. Bring your stories to life and embark upon campaigns together with your friends, regardless of where you are in the world.

With Talespire, the beauty and physicality of tabletop gaming meet the endless possibilities of a digital world. Here you can collaboratively build your worlds without compromising the handcrafted aesthetic of using traditional miniatures.

As a player, you can take on the mantle of multiple heroes and creatures, manage your stats, and express yourself using the growing emote system. Perform dice rolls directly on the board and interact with your environment — at least, as far as your GM will let you!

As a GM, you can dazzle and thrill your friends by building expansive maps, setting up shots, and controlling immersive soundscapes to bring all your delightful and devious designs to life.

TaleSpire is not tied to a specific game or ruleset. Whether you’re running a one-shot or a sprawling campaign, if it’s on a square grid then we have your back. We are now in Early Access, so now is your chance to raise up your sword, rally your friends, and take your next adventure online with us.

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Happy Adventuring!

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Author: J.R. Zambrano
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