FGCon . . it could happen. ;-)

[GunnarGreybeard]

So, having seen at least one other tabletop site running their own online version of a small gaming convention I was thinking why not a FGCon.

Basically a date or several days (maybe over 3 days such as Friday, Saturday and Sunday) are set up and then coordination made with a few GM's with ultimate licenses' to volunteer to host games on those days at various times. Nothing long, just 1-2 hour one shot demo type sessions throughout the weekend.

The key would be, a coordinated effort.

[Valarian]

I'd be up for this. I think the game sessions need to be a "normal" length though (3 to 4 hours).

[madman]

I agree, the session lengths need to be about 4 hours. I would sign up for a few slots.
Though I would have to get an ultimate license to make it happen. I will find a way if it ever comes to pass. Good idea, lets make it work.

Chris

[Zeus]

I'd happily support a FGIICon. Count my Ultimate Lic in.

I can offer time as a GM for a game or for FGII Demonstrations as well as make myself available for a Ruleset & General Development Clinic (if this would be of any use).

Hey, you never know I may even be able to finally get a game of Savage Worlds in (if someone is planning to run a session or two and is kind enough to offer a seat). ;)

[Dracones]

I think this would be really cool and I'd upgrade to ultimate to run a session. The main needs would be a good scheduling tool for the game sessions and advertising of the event out there to try to get some new players into FG.

As a GM you'd just need to put together a decent 1 shot and have a bunch of pre-made characters setup.

Maybe a standardized voice chat? I know everyone loves their own teamspeak, ventrillo, mumble, skype, whatever, but as a player it'd be easier if there was sort of just 1 method. Maybe that isn't important though.

The first con would really be working out the kinks anyway. What works and doesn't.

[Valarian]

Maybe smiteworks would be willing to host a teamspeak server for theduration of the convention weekend?

[GunnarGreybeard]

I'd be up for this. I think the game sessions need to be a "normal" length though (3 to 4 hours).Yeah, that's probably a good idea especially if the goal is to bring in new players not familiar with FG. They'll need some "prelude" time at the beginning to get oriented with the character sheet for the ruleset in use and the longer time would allow for this plus some actual game action.

[Dracones]

I can offer Linux based hosting as needed. Right now I have a pretty light VPS, but I can always bring online something larger dedicated for the event. I already have Teamspeak3 running on my current server.

I'm kind of thinking maybe we can set this up, see what works and what doesn't and if works then Smiteworks can always take it over. I'm looking at this right now for the event scheduling: https://eventespresso.com

[GunnarGreybeard]

Maybe a standardized voice chat? I know everyone loves their own teamspeak, ventrillo, mumble, skype, whatever, but as a player it'd be easier if there was sort of just 1 method. Maybe that isn't important though.Agreed. You would want any interested players to have to jump through the least amount of hoops possible beyond installing FG to get involved.

[Doswelk]

Hey, you never know I may even be able to finally get a game of Savage Worlds in (if someone is planning to run a session or two and is kind enough to offer a seat). ;)

Consider your seat reserved on any SW game I run at said online con :D

[Dracones]

Okay, some initial infrastructure setup for this. FGIICon.com and FG2Con.com are registered and hosted. I'll give over the domain names to Smiteworks when they ask for them. I just wanted to start putting example stuff in place.

Current site setup is a Wordpress blog, no theme yet, but a free version of Event Expresso is installed. You can put up events and people can register for them. Very simple and if this was "the" tool everyone wanted to use I'd likely want to upgrade to the basic version to add a calendar and be able to edit the layout of the events. Ideally I think each GM would have an account on the blog to add/update/view events, create their own event pages and so on.

The primary domain(FGIICon.com) is also on Google Apps. I'd recommend that each GM have an account with that(I'm [email protected]) which can be used for email, docs and calendars. One option might be to instead of using the Wordpress Event Expresso plugin, maybe tie into the Google Apps Calendar and use email for the event registrations. This would give the GMs a lot more control than with Expresso, but it'd be a little less automated.

Then the third part would be Teamspeak(or some other voice chat). I can setup accounts on Teamspeak for each GM. However this server is a real cheap $5 a month VPS, teamspeak would probably crush it for any real event. It wouldn't be a big deal to put up a temp VPS on the event days, a nice big server to handle the VOIP, but that'd be another piece of logistics and I'm wondering if there isn't something easier to manage for an event like this.

So, does the above setup sound like the right direction? Any GMs want accounts to start playing with email/calendaring and what not? Maybe get a decent theme installed and some artwork?

[madman]

I think this is a nice start. ([email protected]) I like it. As far as a VOIP I would recommend Teamspeak 3. Over the years I think I have tried most of the software out there (starting with Roger Wilco) and have had the least amount of problems with TS3. New users seem to be able to figure out the settings quickly. It has push to talk like most others, and I think it uses the least amount of bandwidth (or can be set too).

I pay for a server every month, with a ten user limit for only (3.99). I'm sure that the M$ name will bug some people but I still think it is the best choice. IMHO

I would love to see this happen!

Chris

[ddavison]

Moon_wizard and I are both interested in supporting this in some way. I've never used Teamspeak, but if that is the consensus, then we can probably sponsor some sort of setup here. I'm wondering, though, if it makes sense to highlight one of the free to host solutions out there, such as Skype, just to minimize the perceived "buy in" for hosting your own Fantasy Grounds games.

Dracones, since you've already got the ball rolling on some of the infrastructure items, why don't you shoot an email over [email protected] and we can discuss ways to compensate you for this.

Also, for any Ultimate license holder who commits to run at least one 4-hour session, we will reimburse you for up to $20 worth of Fantasy Grounds add-on products. Details for this are not set yet, but it will probably have a few basic requirements:

1. You'll need to schedule the event within the scheduling system for the Con (probably using Dracones system once this is up and running)

2. Forward your store receipt email to [email protected]. The subject message should be changed to "FGIICon 2012" and it should include the Ultimate license key you plan to use for the hosted game along with a link to the event.

3. Reimbursement will be up to $20 and will be sent to your paypal account used for the store purchase.

4. A list of names for your attendees (if they are willing to share this) and a recording of the game if you have this capability would be nice but is not required.

[phantomwhale]

Colour me interested - I'm quite bad at breaking out FGII with anyone other than my own group - so would be good to run something else (or join in).

Of course, timezone may be the killer for me, but we'll see.

[lachancery]

I would run Rolemaster one shots or tutorials. I already have an unlimited license.

Here, I throw a challenge to Doswelk: Whichever one of us who introduce the most new players to our ruleset gets to have the loser post praises to the winner on their Ruleset's forum. You game?

[madman]

In the grand scheme of things www.gameservers.com could host 4 250 user servers 220.00 for the month. I sent them an email inquiring about the cost to rent them for a few days, and if they would do it. more info on that when I get it.

The always on connection that Skype (https://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/home) uses IMO, would not be the best way to introduce new people to the game. You can hear everything from setting down a cup, to moving a bag of chips, not to mention all the breathing into the mic. It took weeks to get to the point where, my old groups that used Skype, were not just a total distraction to the game. Blah, blah...... Also in order to use [/URL]Skype you need to create an account, share the contact information. This seems to me that it will end up being more difficult then most of the other options. Using [URL="https://www.mumble.com/"]Mumble (https://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/home) or Teamspeak (https://www.teamspeak.com/?page=downloads), all you need to do is enter the connection info and connect.

Anyways, my two cents again.
GOAL: work some extra hours in the next few weeks for the ultimate upgrade to be able to participate.

Chris

[mr_h]

I have a personal server (linux) that does have a version of Mumble on it. I'm not sure if it's the latest version, but I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to upgrade. I'd be happy to offer it up for use. I haven't had a ton of people on it, so I'm not sure what it'd be like performance wise, but it's a tower server I built myself (Dual 2.2 ghz, 2 gig ram, 100 mb connection).

[damned]

i have an ultimate license and i would be prepard to run at least one session and it would most likely be at different times to many of you making it easier to play games round the clock.
i agree TS or similar is best way to go. you can register a 100 user account for about $32/month. You could easily run 10-12 concurrent games on that.

is your primary audience current FG users or new players?

[Dracones]

4. A list of names for your attendees (if they are willing to share this) and a recording of the game if you have this capability would be nice but is not required.

I sent off some pre-sale questions to the Event Espresso people. But if that's used Smiteworks would have site admin access to the site and would be able to view all of the events:

https://tarsis.org/me/event_overview.png

That includes viewing all the attendees for each session, emailing all of them(good for an after con feedback request and maybe a coupon) and so on. Plus you'll be able to export the entire Wordpress site(event plugin included) and keep a copy of it for future cons. Ideally anyone could host future cons with a simple Wordpress install.



In the grand scheme of things www.gameservers.com could host 4 250 user servers 220.00 for the month. I sent them an email inquiring about the cost to rent them for a few days, and if they would do it. more info on that when I get it.


Yow, that's a lot of teamspeak slots. Looks like a 100 slot server is only $25 for a month. That'd support 10 games with 8 players running at once. Wouldn't that work?

Either way looking at the bandwidth requirements using something like gameservers is going to be the best route I think. Can this support GMs having admin access over their channel or room? So they can kick or mute a troublesome player?

Would it be possible to host a pre-con GM training session on how to use Teamspeak as channel admin?

[Doswelk]

I would run Rolemaster one shots or tutorials. I already have an unlimited license.

Here, I throw a challenge to Doswelk: Whichever one of us who introduce the most new players to our ruleset gets to have the loser post praises to the winner on their Ruleset's forum. You game?

Sounds like fun... how do we "score" it?

That said if you run me a game of Rolemaster (which I have never played - I have a copy of the ruleset and do not understand it!) I'll sing your praises anyhow :D

[Doswelk]

Colour me interested - I'm quite bad at breaking out FGII with anyone other than my own group - so would be good to run something else (or join in).

Of course, timezone may be the killer for me, but we'll see.

Well we keep seeing OZ/NZ requests popping up lately so you can downunder and the UK/Europe who have bouts of insomnia :)

That said you run a game that would be Friday Night/Saturday Night UK time I'll play it just to finally be in a game with you :p

[lachancery]

Sounds like fun... how do we "score" it?
Gimli/Legolas style: Whenever you host a game or tutorial for a player that has never tried the Savage Worlds ruleset, you brag "One more!". :D

That said if you run me a game of Rolemaster (which I have never played - I have a copy of the ruleset and do not understand it!) I'll sing your praises anyhow :D
Haha! Let's keep the praise singing for the loser - I've never tried Savage Worlds either, so I guess we'll each start with a score of 1!

[trialaccess]

I am def. interested in working this out. I have ran in a couple of in-person conventions, and this would be fracking sweet. I can run nWOD, Shadowrun, or even Mutants and Masterminds (depending on when the con is taking place and if that ruleset is out). I have this thing about not understanding how to use registration sites, so when this all gets ironed out, I might need some extra help :) Other than that, I think this is a genius idea.

--Trial

[phantomwhale]

Half-baked thought :-

If we make it a 24/48 hour event, e.g. running 24 hours a day, then all time zones will be able to participate. Not sure if that might be stretching the number of games we have available, but might help cater for people who work odd hours or live in odd places, and send out the message of "hey, doesn't matter WHEN, as long as you've got 2-4 hours to spare over these days, then there's a game out there for you".

[ronnke]

Count my Ultimate license in and my Teamspeak 3 server which I have already configured for fantasy grounds.

[phantomwhale]

And my AXE !!!

just in case... https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/you-have-my-sword-and-my-bow-and-my-axe

[Valarian]

Half-baked thought :-

If we make it a 24/48 hour event, e.g. running 24 hours a day, then all time zones will be able to participate. Not sure if that might be stretching the number of games we have available, but might help cater for people who work odd hours or live in odd places, and send out the message of "hey, doesn't matter WHEN, as long as you've got 2-4 hours to spare over these days, then there's a game out there for you".

Not at all half-baked. I'd assumed that this would be the case, and was the case for the old FUMCon run by the Four Ugly Monsters a few years back. This would be the only way it would work, unless you plan to exclude Europeans and Aussies from the convention.

We would need a game scheduler that would convert offered game times to local time. If a GM is running a game in the UK evening, US players should seen an afternoon game available.

[balrik]

For the mumble and TS3...TS3 is easier to set up and simple to change peoples volumes while mumble takes a min or 2 to setup but after everyones volumes is generally set....IMO if you are going to gather people who dont use voice operated system very much I would go with TS 3 they jsut download and are good to go and it is easy to show them how to adjust volume while mumble would always take time to instal but if people are gonn get on FG one would assume they know of Voice operated things SO

[leozelig]

I would definitely be in for running a game, and I would love to join one as a player, since I mostly DM. :)

If we get a $20 credit, then I might just grab something from the FG store and run that!

[Trenloe]

I'll be interested too - and, completely coincidentally, I've just upgraded to Ultimate! :D

[MisterAmazing]

Well, every one should get a case of the insanity willies from CoC. It is intriguing, this whole concept. >.>

[Dracones]

We would need a game scheduler that would convert offered game times to local time. If a GM is running a game in the UK evening, US players should seen an afternoon game available.

I haven't found a scheduler that'll convert times yet :(

[Griogre]

I use to use timeanddate.com for this type of thing. You set the event time and then just paste the link. IE Here's a link for 4/1 at noon pacific for 4 hours:
https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=Test+Game+Test&iso=20120401T12&p1=770&ah=4

Alternatively you just give all the times in GMT and just give a link to the current time: https://timeanddate.com/worldclock/

I think that's what they use to do at FUMCon just give all the times in GMT or UTC. It be nice to find a scheduler that did that already though.

[ElectricCaveman]

Would it be possible and practical to set up some sort of temporary ultimate license for people GMing as part of this potential con? I'd be totally keen to run a game, but I'm just on full license. With my present circumstances, with money and type/frequency of play, it's not reasonable for me to get an ultimate license now. I'd still be willing to run games for people who already have licenses, but if part of the point is to get new players interested, I don't know how useful I could be. I figure I'm not the only one in this situation, either. Maybe I'm overly optimistic about how many games we would want or need, but I figure the more people the better if we're wanting to have games going for three days straight.

[balrik]

yes the more GM's the better because then it would give the regular GM's a chance to game you dont wonna have to see people have to GM more then once unless they want too right?? or is that assuming to much??

[Valarian]

I think that's what they use to do at FUMCon just give all the times in GMT or UTC. It be nice to find a scheduler that did that already though.
I thought for the last one they did, we had a scheduler where you put the time in your profile's local time and it showed times in the player's profile local time. Maybe not. I know I tended to put the timeanddate.com link in too.



Would it be possible and practical to set up some sort of temporary ultimate license for people GMing as part of this potential con? I'd be totally keen to run a game, but I'm just on full license. With my present circumstances, with money and type/frequency of play, it's not reasonable for me to get an ultimate license now. I'd still be willing to run games for people who already have licenses, but if part of the point is to get new players interested, I don't know how useful I could be. I figure I'm not the only one in this situation, either. Maybe I'm overly optimistic about how many games we would want or need, but I figure the more people the better if we're wanting to have games going for three days straight.
The full license people can run games for the existing community. New players can join in the games run with Ultimate licenses. It would also serve as incentive for new players who have tried a game or two using a free license, then see a game they'd like to join requiring a Lite license.

[Dracones]

I use to use timeanddate.com for this type of thing. You set the event time and then just paste the link. IE Here's a link for 4/1 at noon pacific for 4 hours:
https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=Test+Game+Test&iso=20120401T12&p1=770&ah=4


Okay, how does this look: https://fgiicon.com/?page_id=29

This is created automatically when a GM adds the event. You just add the event in UTC time.

[Griogre]

That looks good. Would it be possible to do the end time as well? That would help make sure people didn't schedule two things that are overlapping.

[Dracones]

I could easily add "Local Game Start Time" and "Local Game End Time" links. It's harder for me to do a format like this one (https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=Local+Time+For+Game&iso=20120420T09&p1=211&ah=4) though as that takes an ah=hours tag and I don't have an "event hours" element.

I might be able to extend the plug in and add that element though or otherwise use PHP to pull or calculate it.

Also someone mentioned full vs ultimate games. I might be able to add in a custom tag so the games show up in the events list tagged as Full or Ultimate games. I'm using this plugin (https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/events-manager/) and it seems to be fairly extendable.

[VenomousFiligree]

Colour me interested in running games (bit late to the party, on holiday :) ). How does one register on the FGIICon website, I only see login links.

[Dracones]

I think I just need to reskin the site with a decent theme and it'll be ready. I was going to do that today, but the store for Dundjinni came back online so I was able to buy it and I spent today organizing 3G of objects and tiles to work with it :hurt:

Registration is turned on now. For creating/managing games you'll need a higher level of access than the default registration. Right now myself and Madman are site admins and I need to email Smiteworks to give them that level of access.

I also migrated the site to a much better server.

[ddavison]

Hello Dracones,

Any luck re-skinning the site yet?