Help me pick a virtual tabletop

[Lwaxy]

Flash games unfortunately do not work with my screen. It keeps blinking (yes, I have one of those annoying ASUS monitors). I might still give it a try though.

 

[perseus99]

If you're looking for something easy to learn then I'm going to put my vote towards Fantasy Grounds.

It has a great UI and tons of different rule sets. It doesn't have integrated voice, but you can always run something like Skype in the background. To be honest, my group really likes to just use the chat. It makes for decent roleplay.

 

[Agamon]

I've used Roll20, Tabletop Forge, Fantasy Grounds II and MapTools. And I recommend them in that order.

 

[tenkar]

I like Fantasy Grounds as a player, but as a GM it has a steep learning curve, especially if you want to run your own adventures and get the most out of the interface. I am not a programmer, so there is a lot I can't do with FG that others may be able to.

Roll20 has lots of promise, but I am waiting on a workable whiteboard in it. I'm not sure if they have one yet. Video and voice, and also can be used via G+ Hangouts. If they do have the whiteboard up and running, it should be a good choice. Oh, and it's free.

TableTop Forge also uses G+ Hangouts. It's an app to be used within the Hangout. Has a functioning whiteboard, and that plus a die roller is all I need to run games. It has a lot more coming up (and other features that I barely touch, like importing maps, tokens and such) as it is having a very successful kickstarter (Roll20 had a very successful kickstart too - it's nice to see free VTTs getting a good amount of support these days). TTF is also free.

 

[dammitbiscuit]

I wonder what it's like, sometimes, to be someone who's been toiling away on a project since before Kickstarter was a thing. You've been having to protect your product, justify its cost, and compete with / stay ahead of free or open source alternatives.

Then Kickstarter people come around, and it must feel like... maybe like they're having their cake and eating it too? They get a bunch of publicity and popularity for being free, and that in turn draws the attention of supportive, paying types. It appears to give you all the popularity and userbase that free products normally get, along with more than enough paying customers (if your idea is good).

I certainly know what business model I'll be using if I ever create something, hehe...

 

[tenkar]

In the cases of Roll20 and TableTop Forge, the kickstarters are allowing them to add art assets and push the apps beyond their initial visions. So, it's a win-win if you ask me

To monetize beyond the "now", they would need to tie in online stores where you could buy additional assets. I think Roll20 is working on that and I'd be surprised in TableTop Forge wasn't thinking along the same lines.

 

[wbcreighton]

I you want to give Fantasy Grounds a try, check out the Fantasy Grounds Virtual Gaming Convention July 20-22, 2012.

Details of the convention and how to sign up can be found here:
Convention details - Fantasy Grounds Message Boards

There is a google spreadsheet with a schedule of games and applicable times:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...jWHZMOGc#gid=0

The basic idea is for experienced GMs/users of Fantasy Grounds 2 Virtual Table Top to host one shot rpg adventures during the weekend of July 20-22, the same way that role playing games are played at such real world conventions like GenCon. The majority of GMs hosting games have an Ultimate license, meaning that no software purchase is required to play in the majority of sessions. We are hoping to show off the functionality of FG2 to new users, and have a fun weekend of gaming.

We currently have 17 game sessions scheduled over the weekend using rule sets including D&D 4.0 and 3.5, Pathfinder, Rolemaster, Runequest, Mutants & Masterminds, Savage Worlds, The One Ring, Castles & Crusades, and Dresden Files (Fate). This is a global convention so there are games scheduled around the clock.

Come to a convention without leaving the comfort of your own home !

 

[heruca]

I wonder what it's like, sometimes, to be someone who's been toiling away on a project since before Kickstarter was a thing. You've been having to protect your product, justify its cost, and compete with / stay ahead of free or open source alternatives.

Then Kickstarter people come around, and it must feel like... maybe like they're having their cake and eating it too? They get a bunch of publicity and popularity for being free, and that in turn draws the attention of supportive, paying types. It appears to give you all the popularity and userbase that free products normally get, along with more than enough paying customers (if your idea is good).

I certainly know what business model I'll be using if I ever create something, hehe...

Man, you nailed it.

As a developer of a VTT (Battlegrounds) who had to "rough it" before Kickstarter was a thing, who had to compete with dozens of both commercial apps and free apps, gambling everything on whether my risky commercial venture would succeed or fail, I have to admit I'm jealous of the VTTs that got Kickstarted. Especially the free ones. I mean, that's freaking BRILLIANT! Getting boatloads of money UP FRONT and then being able to claim FREE in your marketing, that's so rich. And it galls me when they put relatively basic features (e.g. hex grid support, drawing tools, support for playing cards, etc.) as Stretch Goals, and people shower them with money to unlock those things, when my software has had those features for years, developed at my expense.

PS: Sorry for the thread necromancy, I just stumbled across it now.

 

[Janx]

Man, you nailed it.

As a developer of a VTT (Battlegrounds) who had to "rough it" before Kickstarter was a thing, who had to compete with dozens of both commercial apps and free apps, gambling everything on whether my risky commercial venture would succeed or fail, I have to admit I'm jealous of the VTTs that got Kickstarted. Especially the free ones. I mean, that's freaking BRILLIANT! Getting boatloads of money UP FRONT and then being able to claim FREE in your marketing, that's so rich. And it galls me when they put relatively basic features (e.g. hex grid support, drawing tools, support for playing cards, etc.) as Stretch Goals, and people shower them with money to unlock those things, when my software has had those features for years, developed at my expense.

PS: Sorry for the thread necromancy, I just stumbled across it now.

As a software developer I feel your pain.

As a guy who also has to make business decisions, I guess the question is, what are those guys doing differently?

To you, you might be just seeing features that you already have.

I haven't seen Battlegrounds, but I have seen MapTools and I've seen Roll20.

Roll20's initial point was to be like Apple's design strategy. Less is more. Less features, easier to use. MapTools was muy powerful, and pretty complex to use.

For the most part, Roll20 suceeded at their goal. It was pretty easy to start a game and get non-tech saavy people in. it was easy for the GM to just start GMing, instead of preloading all his maps and data into the engine.

Thus, you may have a situation, where you see essentially the same product but there's actually some big differences in design strategy, rather than features.