Advice on on-line gaming for a complete novice

[Jd Smith1]

So after nineteen years with the same group (and gaming FtF since 1979), I am considering trying gaming on-line. The local game community here is drying up since the last FLGS closed.

I have used VTT at my table for years (MapTools). I have high-speed Internet access.

I've looked at Roll 20 and Fantasy Grounds, but I'm not sure which is the better choice. The cost isn't an issue.

I've never done Zoom or Skype or similar programs.

I've starting watching gaming sessions on YouTube, but without any practical background I'm not able to evaluate the technical aspects involved.

Anyone have advice or input?

 

[Morrus]

At the very basic level (assuming you are OK with theatre of the mind) all you need is Zoom or something similar. Otherwise it’s exactly like in person.

It sounds like you know how VTTs generally work. Roll20 v FG is largely a matter of preference. I hear Roll20 is a little easier to use, but I haven’t really tried FG.

 

[Yora]

Roll20 is easy because it's free and works in the browser. So it's very accessible.
It does have a voice chat feature, but everyone I know does that through discord instead.

I find that it works best for games with simple rules that don't require a lot of dice rolling and tracking of things in addition to hit points. Fancier stuff can be made to work, but that's all additional work to set up.

Even more so than with table games, smaller groups work best. More than 6 people at the same time gets too crowded for everyone to fully participate.

 

[ShadowAssassin]

There's also Foundry VTT which is relatively, just over 12 months old, but is community supported with about 150 game systems up and running. One time fee and you local host or there are several companies providing hosting services if you are technically unable to host off your home PC. Loads of people decamping from Roll20 turn up there as well as refugees from other VTT's.

 

[Jd Smith1]

There's also Foundry VTT which is relatively, just over 12 months old, but is community supported with about 150 game systems up and running. One time fee and you local host or there are several companies providing hosting services if you are technically unable to host off your home PC. Loads of people decamping from Roll20 turn up there as well as refugees from other VTT's.

The bold part is where you stopped speaking English.

Also, why is Roll20 losing people?

 

[payn]

The bold part is where you stopped speaking English.

Also, why is Roll20 losing people?

I'll try my best to answer, but roll20 has an instance of your games where anybody can log in whenever via their browser. Foundry is hosted locally on your own PC (out the box). That means folks can only log in when you have Foundry up and live on your PC, unless you find a site to host it.

I dont know if Roll20 is losing people, but folks are enjoying Foundry a lot. Its mostly preference, but to me roll20 feels like windows 95 and Foundry feels like Windows XP. They do the same things, mostly, but Foundry has a few more bells and whistles and looks aesthetically much better, imo.

 

[Mallus]

My experiences are limited to 2 pandemic campaigns: an old-fashioned dungeon crawl-heavy game using Labyrinth Lord over Roll20 and a story-focused, theater-of-the-mind game using simplified 3.5e over Zoom (so no virtual tabletop, just the occasional iPad screen held up to the camera).

Both are going well. Both would suck if we swapped platforms. We don't take advantage of many of Roll20's tools, but just the basic, revealable map and tokens are really helpful.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Interesting information. Would I need a headset, or a microphone, or any other hardware, and if so, a suggestion of make & model would be appreciated.

 

[payn]

Interesting information. Would I need a headset, or a microphone, or any other hardware, and if so, a suggestion of make & model would be appreciated.

I currently live alone so I just use my PC speakers and on board microphone. Though there are tons of headsets out there in pretty affordable prices. Also, lots of expensive sets that have features like bluetooth wireless and high quality sound if you feel you need such.

Cheap set

Expensive Set

 

[Yora]

Speakers and microphone often has the issue that the microphone picks up the sound coming from the speakers.