URGENT: RpgMapShare going for pay!

[RosenMcStern]

Hi folks,

I have just seen that RpgMapShare.com, [one of the] the most popular online rpg asset sites is going for pay on Dec 1st because the site owner cannot afford to pay for the bandwidth.

This might seem unrelated to Fantasy Grounds, but since many of us use this really convenient site as a source of free maps, having to pay $5 per month or $25 per year would create a sudden increase of the Total Cost of Ownership for all virtual tabletops currently on the market, including FG. As the cost is already a barrier to the diffusion of FG, I would not hesitate to define such an event as a major setback.

I have already offered advice and help to Steel Rat, but please do not hesitate to go here (https://www.rpgmapshare.com/?q=content/major-change-coming) to add your comments and consideration to mine. This must be stopped somehow (at least with a redistribution of costs on the most involved users and not on everyone), or it will damage all online gamers.

[hangarflying]

Nope. Asking for $25.00 for a yearly subscription is not inappropriate. Nor is it inappropriate for him to *gasp* make a profit. I have absolutely zero sympathy for anyone who would complain about having to scrounge up to what amounts to 7 cents per day in order to have access to maps that they, themselves, did not create. If you don't want to pay, then there are two other options open to you:

A) host your own website, or
B) make your own maps.

In any case, zero f&#*s are given just because you want something for free.

[RosenMcStern]

I was not complaining because _I_ do not want to pay. The point was to avoid making payment a "general requirement" for rpgmapshare because this might keep more people from getting involved in online gaming.

[mattcolville]

I think the fact that you can get a ton of great tactical maps, at all, is an incentive for people to try the VTT experience. The fact that it costs $5 or whatever is insignificant.

[GunnarGreybeard]

I like the kickstarter recommendation that was made. Some may be in position to help out more than others but every little bit would help. Having worked for a hosting company, $190 per month does seem a little steep though. Does the site get that much traffic to warrant a VPS (or Dedicated server)?

[Griogre]

The site most likely does use that type of bandwidth on peak. The art files are extremely large in most cases and you can download terabytes of art. I think its situation is very much like ENWorld, but with much smaller and largely transient user base that shows up and makes massive downloads.