FGII for Android?

[nomailx]

Will there be a FG 2 for Android 3.0 anytime soon?

Or is that even in your plan?

tnx for answers.

[Moon Wizard]

Right now, FG requires too much memory and processing power for mobile phones, due to its implementation.

Providing a product for mobile devices is on our list of future products, but we have no schedule right now.

Regards,
JPG

[nomailx]

Right now, FG requires too much memory and processing power for mobile phones, due to its implementation.

Providing a product for mobile devices is on our list of future products, but we have no schedule right now.

Regards,
JPG

tnx for the quick reply, but I was writing more about an application for tablet pads. Your product would be perfect for tablets powered by Nvdia Tegra 2.

[phantomwhale]

There was quite a strong thread around iPad development. At the end of the day though, that's a niche use for a niche app, so might not be financially viable, I'd suspect. Unless some independent developer / hero wants to pick up the project for love and not money ?

[ddavison]

Nothing in the immediate plans -- although it would be pretty cool and we've got some good ideas on how to make it shine on that platform. It's just a matter of resources at the moment.

[DanLal]

Don't forget WebOS

[osarusan]

Don't write it off as a niche app for a niche product just yet... if you've used an iPad you will realize that it is the perfect gaming aid. Just look at tools like the Dicenomicon and iGM, among others. This is the future of computing, and whichever VTT gets on a tablet first is going to have pretty much a monopoly on the mobile RPG market.

In addition, people are much more likely to drop dollars on in-app purchases, and FG is perfectly suited for that type of business. If the token packs, adventure modules, and rulesets were all integrated into a kind of "Fantasy Grounds Store" the way many iPad games have in-game purchases, there would probably be a lot of business to be had there.

I'm sure it must be insanely expensive and energy consuming to make an app for the iPad, but when you consider all the features it has -- built in camera, built in mic, just to name a few -- its clear that this is the PERFECT device for VTT gaming. I even use mine religiously in regular tabletop games, as it can store all the PDFs I need.

[ddavison]

The different tablet operating systems do make it more of a pain. I have a droid pad and a Web OS tablet and moon_wizard has an iPad. If we can get enough bandwidth and have our major upgrade plans taken care of, you can bet we'll look for ways to get this to market at some point.

[RosenMcStern]

Although I really wish there was a FG version for mobile devices, it is not true that tablets are the perfect tool for VTT gaming. The point is not what cool features the iPad has, but who and where and when uses it. How many people have an iPad? At the moment, about 15-20% of tablet users, with Android gaining momentum. When do you use a VTT? Well, in the evening, or during lunch break at work. That is, when you have your PC or Mac available. Do you play games in the subway or at the park (i.e. the moments you are most likely to use your tablet?). Generally no. This means that the main platform for VTT games is, and shall remain for a long time, the desktop computer.

Doug is also perfectly right when he says that memory constraints are a major factor. Maptools has been ported to the iPad by the guy who did Dicenomicon. I have not used it yet, but those who have say that it... well, it sucks.

Still, VTT must move to mobile platform at one moment. There is no reason to cut out that 15-20% of potential users who will, in the future, choose to have a mobile device and no PC.

[phantomwhale]

Quite interested in what possibilities there are for other FGII client applications. Would be quite cool to have a "cut down" application, such as a smartphone app that allows you to page between a chat window and a character sheet.

Had an inspiration to start hacking a 'droid one together, but not sure if the FGII network protocols are documented anywhere ? Or if it's even possible to write a non-official client on an FGII session given license key restrictions ? (even ultimate licenses ?)

[Spyke]

At the moment I can't see a VT centred around typing working on a tablet, with the constraints on screen real estate and virtual keyboards. While FG would look great, shrunk down to a 10" screen it would be quite fiddly to move tokens and I'm sure you'd prefer to use it with a VOIP app running in the background - which requires good multitasking.

If you're talking about also making use of the webcam, then you're constraining the position that you hold or prop the tablet (who wants to roleplay up other people's noses?) and you also have to consider where the video windows appear for the other gamers.

I suspect that a VT written from the ground up for a tablet-sized screen and touch interface would make most sense. Ideally it would also need to work cross-platform.

Spyke

[demonsbane]

I agree with such comments.