Ultimate License Question

[bigbsonnier]

Is the Ultimate license just that, a license? so could my group (6 people - 3 rotating gm's) purchase an Ultimate license and then the gm at the time sign on using that license and the rest of us sign on using the lite unregistered versions? The next time one of the other GM's sign on using the Ultimate License and the other use the lite unreg. versions, etc..

If this has already been answered i apologize and could a link be posted to the answer

[Moon Wizard]

The license agreement states that each license is for one user on one machine.

For multi-GM scenarios, we recommend looking at the pricing difference between multiple ultimates vs. full/lite licenses based on your group dynamic.

Thanks,
JPG

[bigbsonnier]

Ok, thats what i was hoping it wasn't but i just ran the numbers and for 3full and 3lite its cheaper than 1 ultimate. Still though i think so long as each individual license was unique they could have the program ping their servers to see if the license is in use, if not it would check it as in use and no one else could use that license while its in use so you still have only one user at a time using one license which would make the piracy issue obsolete IMO but i've got like "ZERO" programming experience so i'm sure pirates could work around it and i'm sure they've thought of it, just seemed like a good idea to me.

[bigbsonnier]

are there open games run by Ultimate users that i could sign on to to see the program in action?

[VenomousFiligree]

Ok, thats what i was hoping it wasn't but i just ran the numbers and for 3full and 3lite its cheaper than 1 ultimate. Still though i think so long as each individual license was unique they could have the program ping their servers to see if the license is in use, if not it would check it as in use and no one else could use that license while its in use so you still have only one user at a time using one license which would make the piracy issue obsolete IMO but i've got like "ZERO" programming experience so i'm sure pirates could work around it and i'm sure they've thought of it, just seemed like a good idea to me.
On a quick google of Fantasy Grounds crack/torrent/etc I'm pleased to see there is nothing for the current versions of FG :D

[VenomousFiligree]

are there open games run by Ultimate users that i could sign on to to see the program in action?
I can give (Savage Worlds) demos during some midweek GMT evenings.

[bigbsonnier]

seriously i wonder if the FG guys were approached by WOTC for a contract, cuz i mean really the only thing quicker (programming wise) and more integrated than using FG with parsed data is actually putting the data in while you build the compendium. I mean seriously FG does everything that needs doing simply enough. the only thing that kind of make FG feel clunky to me is the fact thatalmost all the options are off of radial menus and there are text commands. i think if they could also be part of some fly out menu at the top it would be even more awesome. also easier would be if WOTC made token packs that went with the MM and various books.

[Doswelk]

seriously i wonder if the FG guys were approached by WOTC for a contract, cuz i mean really the only thing quicker (programming wise) and more integrated than using FG with parsed data is actually putting the data in while you build the compendium. I mean seriously FG does everything that needs doing simply enough. the only thing that kind of make FG feel clunky to me is the fact thatalmost all the options are off of radial menus and there are text commands. i think if they could also be part of some fly out menu at the top it would be even more awesome. also easier would be if WOTC made token packs that went with the MM and various books.
Ah but then Hasbro would have to share the profits... Anyhow there super 3D version was released the same time as 4e

Oh hang no it wasn't was it?

Oh I'm sure it will be released soon... oh hang on it's not 3D any more is it.

I am sure it will be superior in every way to FGII :p

Seriously though your suggestion would have been so logical it does make you wonder sometimes. That said if it had I would not have been surprised if one of the conditions was it could only be allowed to support D&D all other systems would have to be dropped. (If you think that's far fetched remember the limitations put on companies having 4e and OGL versions of the same product)

[bigbsonnier]

yah your right, i guess in a way with FG being its own entity and possesing the ability to piggy back (via parsers and the like) the 4e system it allows flexibility and the ability to have a super huge user mod base for additional rulesets and the like. Just watching the 4e tutorial vids and fidleing with the basic demo version material, i think the user based is about as good as possible without actually throwing serious money (which obvioulsy WOTC has failed to do) and serious time at an actual marketable product. just what little i've seen of the beta (pics and vids) FG still rips it a new one.

I really think the only thing holding FG back is the fact that it appears to require work to really do a propper job. Not much but still work as apposed to just dragging some tiles dragging pc's and dragging some monsters onto the board and going at it. That and a little advertisement would be awesome, like somehow get some youtube videos and some decent graphics (ad style graphics, fg graphics are great for doing what fg does), and get some links over at Penny Arcade, d20 monkey, etc.. I really think given the functionality of the various rulesets FG could practically blow the lid of this mother, and have WOTC and even the other game companies (star wars etc..) come to them hat in hand wanting to work with them.

As a business model WOTC could drop the (possibly lame VT) they are doing and develop Library modules for FG for the games they own, and rig it so you only get access to the modules if you have a DDI account (as is the current case just the players are left doing the parseing work).

Fantasy grounds could be a proverbial Game Hub where any game who wishes to be legit would tie itself in to FG. I mean given the FG frame work it would be a matter of paying a mildly tech savy guy $15/hour to turn their Adventure Modules (H1, H2, H3, etc..) into an FG module and Bam! they up the price of their Adventure module $5 ship the module with a download code and there you go, done and done. I shiver to think what the FG company and community could do with the resources that WOTC has at its disposal.

Hell, just thinking out loud here in general but Imagine the response from the community if they offered 5% profit share on all sales of a program to do what they wanted. Make it a year long contest with a prize bonus too. I'd bet you'd see some real community development.

anywho gots to get back to work.

[Moon Wizard]

We have talked to Wizards many times over the last year (when I joined the SW team), but we have not gotten any traction with them on D&D. Also, last I heard, there is some sort of lawsuit with Atari over the electronic rights to D&D that is probably slowing things down.

Heck, I even approached them over a year before that to try and create data modules for FG and other virtual tabletops as a third party developer. I never could understand their electronic gaming strategy. At the time, I probably would have done it for free just to get the data for my own game.

We already have a process to work with community developers to get them a share of rulesets and modules they build for FG:
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11156

Cheers,
JPG

[bigbsonnier]

and thats why you guys rock!