Fantasy Grounds Unity Kickstarter Has Launched

smiteworks · May 4, 2019

MNblockhead said:
Are you saying that any map I build you your pre-built tiles will already have LOS settings preconfigured‽ That's huge for me.

That may be what get's me to back this.

One thing that keeps me from using VTTs when running my games is the extra prep works to get the maps ready. If I can replace dungeonographer with Fantasy Grounds to build my maps with tiles sets and have those maps already have LOS set...wow!

Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying. If you scale it up or rotate it, the LOS data scales and rotates right along with it too.

Myrdin Potter · May 4, 2019

One of the things I like about Smiteworks is their positive attitude and their honesty towards competitors. They are here posting that today they don’t have. Jolt in mapping tools (you can add grids and such, but nothing to build the maps themselves). They also think the total market is growing and there is room for more than one VTT.

LordEntrails · May 4, 2019

Besides the feature aspects of FG, and as an occasional user of Roll 20 and fervent user of FG, I think FG has two outstanding features compared to Roll 20;

1) Stability. FG is stable, polished and reliable (and gets regular updates and new features). Just over the last two months or so numerous "key" features of Roll 20 (like sound and advanced FOW) have been broken by updates often for weeks or months at a time. This seems to be common over the ~2 years I have been paying attention to the VTT world. That's not acceptable to me.

2) Culture. Admittedly ever since the big blow up on the Roll 20 reddit the Orr Group has been making huge strides to be customer focused. But prior to that, their culture was absolutely atrocious in regards to their own customers. I have worked with and for major international software companies that have had such cultures, it is not something I choose to support, and it takes more than a few months for the culture to change completely, it takes many years. In fact it will not truly permeate the culture until the current executive team is gone. SmiteWorks has never had such a culture and continues to show outstanding customer focus.

Congrats on the Kickstarter's success

mach1.9pants · May 4, 2019

smiteworks said:
The 1-time licenses for Ultimate are replacements for not paying $10/month. After 15 months, they basically become free to play compared with someone who is still paying the monthly fees. Someone who just bought the Ultimate license outright hasn't yet recouped their value out of it. Therefore, we give them a bigger discount on buying a 1-time license for FGU. Older 1-time licenses should have a minimum of $240 saved value if they bought right before the cut off in Dec 2017 by the time FGU launches this December. Customers who bought when the Ultimate first launched will have saved roughly $810 in monthly fees. We think that is valuing our older customers very well. We still grant those supporters $90 off of the post-Kickstarter list price and essentially put them into a situation where they only have 6 months before they get back into free play mode again.

We are not charging anything for DLC enhancements we plan to do or asking anyone to re-buy any content they already bought for FGC.

Thanks for your reply, that's fair enough, I didn't even know you'd gone to a subscription model. I buy from steam, and have not kept up with your stuff. Just to confirm if I get the veterans upgrade, I still will never have to pay a subscription on the unity version?

smiteworks · May 4, 2019

mach1.9pants said:
Thanks for your reply, that's fair enough, I didn't even know you'd gone to a subscription model. I buy from steam, and have not kept up with your stuff. Just to confirm if I get the veterans upgrade, I still will never have to pay a subscription on the unity version?

Yes, that is correct. You won't have any monthly or recurring fees.

mach1.9pants · May 4, 2019

smiteworks said:
Yes, that is correct. You won't have any monthly or recurring fees.

Backed, then

Myrdin Potter · May 5, 2019

One other big advantage to Fantasy Grounds is the very deep catalog of DLC for the games they support. For the DMs Guild, they negotiated with One Bookshelf and Fantasy Grounds conversions for many popular items are sold there. You can always convert things yourself, but if you want to save time, there really is a lot already available.

Hussar · May 5, 2019

Mistwell said:
I thought they said dynamic lighting and fog of war was "in the works" years ago? Both are already a part of Roll20 and have been for years. Why can't they afford to develop this using their ordinary income source from Fantasy Grounds?

In fact, if Tile Based Map Building is what I think it is, Roll20 has had that from day one and for free! [Edit - I just watched their video on Tile Based Map Building and yes, I was doing just that with Roll20 for free all the way back to the 5e beta]

Heh. I've been a pretty outspoken critic of Fantasy Grounds for years. While, it's true that their automation in terms of mechanics has been great (although, frankly, not any really better than anything else out there), their actual map tools and UI are terrible. There's a shopping list of features that other VTT's do and do a lot better. The only reason I use FG is because of the WotC license.

That being said, Smiteworks DOES upgrade the VTT constantly. They are always adding in new functions. With the Unity build, if it delivers (and I've already pledged my $ on the kickstarter because I think it will), it will finally be the best VTT on the market. It will finally have the map functionality of programs like Roll20 or Maptools and the automation for FG.

I am actually quite excited about this.

LordEntrails · May 5, 2019

FYI [MENTION=87795]smiteworks[/MENTION] snuck in some new add-ons without telling us, Darkwoulfe token packs! I can say I commissioned him to do some custom tokens for one of my groups and was really happy with what he did. Great to see more add-on options, and some that I need and within my budget

EthanSental · May 5, 2019

I know I’ve been busy and not keeping up but I missed FG’s 2e D&D support completely. I’ve got a few DLCs to pick up!

edit - picked up the 2e core books and the reptile god adventure....Thanks Doug and FG crew!

Fantasy Grounds Unity Kickstarter Has Launched

smiteworks

Explorer

Myrdin Potter

Hero

LordEntrails

Hero

mach1.9pants

Hero

smiteworks

Explorer

mach1.9pants

Hero

Myrdin Potter

Hero

Hussar

Legend

LordEntrails

Hero

EthanSental

Legend

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