A few questions from a potentual.

[Grey Hunter]

Hello there.

I've been interested in getting back into roleplaying for a year now, but have never found anyone in my area who is interested.
So I've been looking into programs like this, but I thought I would ask a few questions.

I've only really played Shadowrun, and one horrible game of D&D that was ruined by a powergamer who knew the module and just ran though it almost without us. But I'm a quick learner, and willing to try most systems. so on to my questions.

1) The most important one, of course, How easy is it to find a regular campaign game using the system/site - as I know no one, it would have to be a a totally new group to me.
This would in all likelyhood involve someone putting up with a total noob for a few games, but then again, I suppose that thats not much different from real life, except a lot internet people are not to patient.

2) What "Extras" would I need - The base licence says that it is 3.5 ready - does this mean it has the D&D 3.5 rules in a PDF format, or would I have to find them somewhere else - I notice that CoC and Rolemaster in the store say they do have the PDF, but its not specific for all rules.
I'm also assuming that these modules are not needed by the player, only the GM, but could be a useful purchase.

3) Finally, how easy is the program to use? Am I going to be slowing people down while I try to rember Alt+Ctrl-X+P-Q is the hotkey to attack, and I need to press three buttons to talk.

I'm sure these are questions you hear all the time, but I'm just trying to get my head around things before I commit to a system, then have trouble getting a satisfactory game becasue I've brought an obscure version populated by elitest trolls.

Not that I think thats the case here, but I know the internet. and have learnt to be careful.
Thanks in advance.

Grey

[Ayiden]

1) Finding a game here is not to difficult. Just go to the the community link at the top and then click on Guild House. It is very active. There is also the game calendar tool at the top right of the home page which can be used to locate DM's. As far as how easy it is to find a good DM... You will have the same trouble finding good patient DM's and players as you will offline. It is a lot easier to find DM's and players online though.

2) The extra's for a player are minimal, Modules are purchased by the DM. You will need the core player rule book for whatever you are using. Fantasy Grounds does not include the core books. The interface is customized to work with certain systems. The program is able to be used with DnD 3.5 and 4e out of the box. You may not even need to purchase the program, if you can find a DM with the new ultimate license.

3) Out of all the other Virtual Table Top programs, it is my opinion that Fantasy Grounds is the easiest to use, the prettiest visually, and the best at looking like a role-playing program. Fantasy grounds really sets the mood for an RPG game.If you really want to find out how easy it is to use, download the demo. The demo can be found under "Downloads" at the top of the page.
Fantasy grounds has some small competition: KloogeWerks: www.kloogeinc.com, Battlegrounds: www.battlegroundsgames.com, and openrpg: www.openrpg.com to name a few. Fantasy Grounds is the most balanced system out there. KloogeWerks is the only real competition and has a lot of features but its complexity and learning curve make it much more difficult to just sit down and play a game. Fantasy grounds acts more like an actual table. It is a very easy to use yet feature rich role-playing program.

[cpbs]

Welcome to the forums :D and I hope we are not all elitist trolls, but I bet someone out there is wishing they had more then just regeneration! Lets see if I can answer your questions as best as possible.

1. Depending on your willingness to never give up and continue to ask, search, request and beg sometimes, you will get into a group pretty quick. There are plenty of GM/DM out there that are willing to take on "newbies" to show them the robs of Fantasy Grounds. But you also have to keep in mind, the GM might be willing and be patient but that does not mean everyone out there is. At first it might be a little discouraging in finding the right group, but over time, I think you can fit in nicely with the group here. Sad to say, some groups that you join will just disappear randomly, the GM having real life problems or members of the group just stops showing up. Its the life of online pencil and paper but if you keep on looking, I have no doubt that you will find a group that meets your needs.

2.The basic licenses version, is the lite. It is able to allow you to connect to other players who host their games. That about it. The full license, which I recommend if at all in the future you want to run your own game, allows you to create, host and share your games to other people. As well as being about join any other game out there. The basic information that comes with Fantasy Grounds is just the basic SRD information you get from places like https://www.d20srd.org/. It gives you the over all information you need to play, if you already know how to play. It does NOT teach you how to play or create character or any back story to monsters or classes, as that is mostly all closed content. But it gives you a basic out line. There are other free rulesets out there, besides just 3.5 that, if you wish to look into. Can be located the Fantasy Ground wiki, https://oberoten.dyndns.org/fgwiki/index.php/Category:Rulesets.

3. I would say, at first. The program can be a little difficult, I still, sometimes find new paths in which to do things with the program that I never thought of before. The program is very powerful, allowing for a high amount of customization. Learning it is key in being able to join groups fast and smoothly. I would not say there is a drastic learning curve, and most people on the forums or in groups are kind enough to point you in the right direction when try to figure out the program. But the best part is to just try to figure it out on your own, or if at all fails, using the search function in the forums section. 9/10 times someone else on here has had the same problem and by looking it up, you can see what they did and figure it out yourself :D

I hope that answers most of your questions. I would recommend the program, its great, great community and a great new owner as well, bringing more content to the program. I would say, go for it, and you will soon be gaming as much time as you put into it. :D

[Grey Hunter]

Thanks for the reply, I'll get myself a copy of 4th Edition D&D and get to reading that. I can't commit to a game for a couple of weeks, so that's a good time to sort out rule learning.

I found the video on the front page after posting here, and the actual interface looks like It should be fairly straightforward.

Thanks for your answers.

[Moon Wizard]

Also, don't forget the user manuals. I just spent a fair amount of time updating them with all the latest capabilities.

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/library/

Cheers,
JPG

[Grey Hunter]

Will do, my current plan is to spend a couple of weeks learning the rules in the PHB before starting to look for a game. so I'll add that to my list of things to learn.

[summotran]

i am also new to this but thanks to your question and their answers i have a much better idea of what i am getting into