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FANTASY GROUNDS Virtual Tabletop's D&D License!
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<blockquote data-quote="RSKennan" data-source="post: 7666749" data-attributes="member: 8256"><p>I'm just a long time Fantasy Grounds user (pretty much since it launched), and not a fanboy per se. I see things that I wish the software would improve on, but I'm confident that they will as time goes on. Still I wanted to chime in on this thread. </p><p></p><p>Roll20 vs Fantasy Grounds is a matter of false economy first, and completeness of the feature set second.</p><p></p><p>with Roll20, the base use of the software is "free", but they offer a subscription for extra storage and features like dynamic lighting. </p><p></p><p>With Fantasy Grounds, the best bet is a one-time purchase that you never have to make again, where you get as much storage as you have on your own computer. There is no dynamic lighting yet, but I've seen indications that it's coming. Instead, we have a good old fashioned fog of war mask that you delete progressively. </p><p></p><p>With Roll20, you get "character sheets" that don't interact with what's going on in the game. </p><p></p><p>With Fantasy Grounds you get character sheets that interact with the game. When you attack, you target a creature, roll a check or force a save by activating the ability on your character sheet, and the software remembers whether you hit, crit, or the enemy made their saves. Next you apply damage or effects, automatically increased for a crit. Conditions like blinded deafened, etc, are automatically modeled mechanically in the game, so that the creature will roll the appropriate checks at disadvantage, etc. Effects wear off when they are supposed to. </p><p></p><p>I could go on and on, but I won't belabor the point. </p><p></p><p>Fantasy Grounds comes into its own as game preparation aid for playing online, or as a map solution/GM aid at a live table game. For players it offers a lot of automation that allows them to focus on being in the game world rather than having to look everything up as often as can happen live. </p><p></p><p>The new modules are part of a system of Extensions and Modules that let you run a growing variety of rules systems, and apply your own house rules to the way FG automates things. Extensions generally change the scripting or add new features, while modules include things like content and randomized tables, in world calendars, etc. </p><p></p><p>The key is, you can create extensions and modules yourself, or benefit from the ones created in the community. </p><p></p><p>As for the price of the new 5e modules, you can avoid all of it with a bit of work. The cost then becomes your time. You can do what the rest of us have been doing and "Parse" the rules into usable modules that contain everything Smiteworks is offering and whatever else you want to add. Using the parsing tools, I've been adding my campaign-specific content in the form of a growing rulebook that my players can access. </p><p></p><p>I'm thrilled that Smiteworks is offering the work done for free, but I personally already have it done. I've been using the content I worked on for a while now. This doesn't change anything for me immediately, but it does promise that people who would rather just pay for the content might try out Fantasy Grounds. It's great in that sense. </p><p></p><p>So those of you on the fence, keep thinking about it. Watch some Youtube videos. There are even actual plays online. Smiteworks is made up of mostly coders, and not PR people. They sometimes don't have the time to devote to pointing out how awesome the software is, and why you really do need it if you play online. </p><p></p><p>Thanks, </p><p></p><p>-Someone who wants more people to game with.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="RSKennan, post: 7666749, member: 8256"] I'm just a long time Fantasy Grounds user (pretty much since it launched), and not a fanboy per se. I see things that I wish the software would improve on, but I'm confident that they will as time goes on. Still I wanted to chime in on this thread. Roll20 vs Fantasy Grounds is a matter of false economy first, and completeness of the feature set second. with Roll20, the base use of the software is "free", but they offer a subscription for extra storage and features like dynamic lighting. With Fantasy Grounds, the best bet is a one-time purchase that you never have to make again, where you get as much storage as you have on your own computer. There is no dynamic lighting yet, but I've seen indications that it's coming. Instead, we have a good old fashioned fog of war mask that you delete progressively. With Roll20, you get "character sheets" that don't interact with what's going on in the game. With Fantasy Grounds you get character sheets that interact with the game. When you attack, you target a creature, roll a check or force a save by activating the ability on your character sheet, and the software remembers whether you hit, crit, or the enemy made their saves. Next you apply damage or effects, automatically increased for a crit. Conditions like blinded deafened, etc, are automatically modeled mechanically in the game, so that the creature will roll the appropriate checks at disadvantage, etc. Effects wear off when they are supposed to. I could go on and on, but I won't belabor the point. Fantasy Grounds comes into its own as game preparation aid for playing online, or as a map solution/GM aid at a live table game. For players it offers a lot of automation that allows them to focus on being in the game world rather than having to look everything up as often as can happen live. The new modules are part of a system of Extensions and Modules that let you run a growing variety of rules systems, and apply your own house rules to the way FG automates things. Extensions generally change the scripting or add new features, while modules include things like content and randomized tables, in world calendars, etc. The key is, you can create extensions and modules yourself, or benefit from the ones created in the community. As for the price of the new 5e modules, you can avoid all of it with a bit of work. The cost then becomes your time. You can do what the rest of us have been doing and "Parse" the rules into usable modules that contain everything Smiteworks is offering and whatever else you want to add. Using the parsing tools, I've been adding my campaign-specific content in the form of a growing rulebook that my players can access. I'm thrilled that Smiteworks is offering the work done for free, but I personally already have it done. I've been using the content I worked on for a while now. This doesn't change anything for me immediately, but it does promise that people who would rather just pay for the content might try out Fantasy Grounds. It's great in that sense. So those of you on the fence, keep thinking about it. Watch some Youtube videos. There are even actual plays online. Smiteworks is made up of mostly coders, and not PR people. They sometimes don't have the time to devote to pointing out how awesome the software is, and why you really do need it if you play online. Thanks, -Someone who wants more people to game with. [/QUOTE]
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