Playing Aids

[Bidmaron]

This thread will contain information about Playing Aids and Lasting Tips that are worth preserving. I will keep the master threads updated with links to the relevant posts both inside and outside this thread where people can find the information. Simply post here either with information you believe should be included or threads with information that should be included.

8/10/2014 (Post updates are in italics)
I added the first material in the Miscellaneous Aids, Tips, and Tools post below (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?21761-Playing-Aids&p=182729#post182733).

I added some more requests for adding audio and music in this post below (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?21761-Playing-Aids&p=182729#7).

In the audio post (the next post):
1. I added several tools.
2. I added some new sources of audio tracks and sound effects.
3. I added another tip on multiple headphone usage.

[Bidmaron]

Audio Playing Aids, Tips, and Tools (Updates during the week are in italics)
Note that other stickied threads already discuss TeamSpeak (see here (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?17071-Voicechat!-Community-TeamSpeak3-Server)).

Sound and Music Sources:*

Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) - A site with Creative Commons licensed material free for download and use or playable straight off the web site. This thread here (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?21678-tableopaudio-com-Free-background-music-ambiance-for-your-gaming#3) also contains hints about how to use this with Teamspeak.

Syrinscape (https://syrinscape.com) - A site containing RPG inspirational tracks you can purchase or, alternatively, you can subscribe and have free access to all the materials on the site for free during your subscription (and you own materials published while you subscribe).

Ambient-Mixer (https://www.ambient-mixer.com) - A site containing nature and other sounds that can play multi-channel sounds from your browser. You can also download material from here.

Shadowrun (cyberpunk) sources (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?50122-Shadowrun-Sound-Track&p=445696#post445696) - Thread contains several mood music items for Shadowrun and cyberpunk games (thanks to LE, Nylanfs, and others for contributing.

Darkraven Games (https://www.darkravengames.com/audio-products/4578987775) - Aside from other gaming products, Darkraven has fantasy, Cthulu, and science-fiction soundtracks and effects for sale. The samples sound excellent.

Audio Tips:

Ambiance (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?20301-Ambiance) - This thread discusses use of Teamspeak, Virtual Audio Cable (VAC), foobar, smart phones, and oog so you can pass music (and other sounds) over to players as well as the voice channel where the players can individually control the volume of each channel.

Background Music (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?21290-Background-music-sound-effects-app-now-has-Paizo-Rise-of-the-Runelords-support&highlight=audio#7) - Discusses Syrinspcape, but the linked post also discusses how to use stereo mix mode with Teamspeak to broadcast two channels.

Running 2 instances of TeamSpeak on the same PC (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?21678-tableopaudio-com-Free-background-music-ambiance-for-your-gaming&p=181792&viewfull=1#post181792)

Virtual Audio Cable (VAC) Tutorial (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?20350-TUTORIAL-Using-Virtual-Audio-Cable-to-add-ambient-music-amp-noises-to-Teamspeak-gamin&p=166910) - An excellent tutorial by Blacky that gives a detailed setup for using VAC and Teamspeak to push multi-channel audio to players, such that you will have independently volume-controllable sound for ambient music, voice, and sound effects.

Enabling Stereo Mix (https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/39532/how-to-enable-stereo-mix-in-windows-7-to-record-audio/) - *A step-by-step description telling you how to enable stereo mix on Windows 7, which permits you to record all audio going to your computer system's output -- very useful when you are using more than one program to generate that output (e.g. sound effects stream, music player). This is supposed to work with more modern Windows OSs if you have updated sound card drivers, but I am (forever?) stuck in Windows 7 and cannot confirm.

Using Two Headsets without a Splitter (https://www.fusiondub.com/using-2-headphones-in-1-pc-without-using-splitter/) - *This tutorial shows how to use the Realtek HD Audio driver software on many motherboards to permit using two headphones.

Audio Tools:*
Audacity (https://audacity.sourceforge.net) - A freeware, cross-platform audio editor and recorder.

Virtual Audio Cable (VAC) (https://software.muzychenko.net/eng/vac.htm) - A Windows program capable of pushing multiple sound channels (such as voice and ambient sounds / music) to Teamspeak or other consumers. Costs $25-$50, depending upon support desired.

VB-AudioVoiceMeeter (https://vb-audio.pagesperso-orange.fr/Voicemeeter/index.htm) - A Windows donationware (recommended about $20) program that appears to have the functionality of VAC and more. (Thanks to Saithan for this one)

JackOSX (https://www.jackosx.com) - A freeware Mac program that is an analog to VAC.

Foobar (https://www.foobar2000.org) - A Windows freeware media player suitable for directing the output to VAC and ultimately Teamspeak (note that the free Windows player cannot do this).

Teamspeak (https://www.teamspeak3.com/teamspeak-download.php) - A cross-platform program capable of pushing sound over the internet to multiple connected clients using a central server. The client(s) are free, and the link above shows how to access and configure the free Fantasy Grounds Teamspeak server for use with Fantasy Grounds games.

DJ Streamer (https://www.screamingbee.com/product/DJStreamer.aspx) - A simpler, less powerful VAC replacement for Windows ($9.95).

Voice Again (https://www.screamingbee.com/product/VoiceAgain.aspx) - A program to slow down voice tracks without tonal distortion for Windows ($29.95).

MorphVOX Pro (https://www.screamingbee.com/product/MorphVOX.aspx) - A program that allows you to modify your voice to another sex, pitch, etc (e.g. Cylon, robot, chipmunk) for Windows and Mac ($39.95). This program also has a series of free and low cost voices that you can add and some other plug-ins (see below). There are also sound effect packs and ambient noise packs available. There is also a free version on the web site.

Batch Converter Plugin (https://www.screamingbee.com/product/BatchConverterPlugin.aspx) - A plugin for MorphVOX to allow batch voice changing for Windows($19.95).

Effects Rack Plugin (https://www.screamingbee.com/product/EffectsRackPlugin.aspx) - A plugin for MorphVOX that lets you use industry-standard VST modules within MorphVOX for Windows($19.95).

Text-To-VoIP Plugin (https://www.screamingbee.com/product/TextToVoIPPlugin.aspx) - A plugin for MorphVOX that lets you convert text to voice tracks (using any of the voices you have) within MorphVOX for Windows($15.95).

Voice Splicer Plugin (https://www.screamingbee.com/product/VoiceSplicerPlugin.aspx) - A plugin for MorphVOX that lets you have multiple voice channels in a single sound file (using as many voices as desired) for Windows($19.95).

ScriptVOX Studio (https://www.screamingbee.com/product/ScriptVOXStudio.aspx) - A program that allows you to assign voices to script characters or text blocks and to make storyboards for Windows and Mac ($34.95). This program also has a series of free and low cost voices that you can add and some other plug-ins (see below).

* Entries marked with an asterisk link to off-site locations.

[Bidmaron]

Graphic Playing Aids and Tips (Updates during the week are in italics)

Science Fiction:

Maps

Heroic Maps* (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/5371/Heroic-Maps/subcategory/10143_22733/SciFi) - general science fiction maps on DTRPG.

Hand-drawn SciFi maps* (https://www.patreon.com/miskasmaps/overview) -Miska Fredman Patreon approx 200 maps

Tokens

Store SCI-FI Tokens (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/store/?page=1&typ=11&sort=1&search=sci) - Brannon Hollingsworth DBA Monster Grin; there are several SCI-FI sets in the store

Store Modern, Cyberpunk, and Steampunk Tokens (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/store/?sys=-1&pub=-1&typ=11&search=punk&sort=1) - Colin Richardson, Devin Knight and more

Devin Knight website free tokens* (https://immortalnights.com/tokensite/?post_type=product) - Several free (and low price) sets, including a community-contributed Space Opera free set

Themes

Starfinder Theme (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?48877-Hacking-a-Theme) - Very nicely done theme by swbuza


Fantasy:

Maps

Against the AEON Throne Adventure Path (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?49889-Against-The-Aeon-Throne-Maps&p=443597) - Maps by Madman.


* Entries marked with an asterisk link to off-site locations.
Note that this location in the forums (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?90-Maps) has a ton of maps that are useful in a wide variety of games, but they are already collected in one spot, and I don't intend (at this point) to catalog them.

[Bidmaron]

World Building Aids and Tips
[reserved]

[Bidmaron]

Miscellaneous Aids, Tips, and Tools (Updates during the week are in italics)
Material that didn't fit the other categories.

Writing Tips:*

Creating Horror in Fantasy Grounds (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?19871-Creating-Horror-in-Fantasy-Grounds&p=160931) - A great discussion on how to achieve horror in a VTT, which posters argue must be viewed much differently than horror movies. Also contains some links to great horror source material and treatises from such luminaries as Lovecraft.

Inspirational Material:*

Of Monsters and Men - King And Lionheart ("https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A76a_LNIYwE&list=FLtKXLWuppsQFxsBGLrWJ05Q”) - A music video with a brother and sister trying to reunite in a fantasy world filled with monsters and magic - really well-done.(Thanks to Willot)

Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks ("https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghb6eDopW8I
”) - A music video with a high fantasy feel - really well-done again. You may be getting the idea that the group Of Monsters and Men may be worth looking at for other material.(Thanks to Willot)

* Entries marked with an asterisk link to off-site locations.

[Bidmaron]

Fantasy Grounds Programming Aids and Tips (Updates during the week are in italics)

[I]Extensions:

Code Snippets

Access all nodes across campaign and modules (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?49991-5E-Get-the-list-of-all-classes) - Thread showing how to get all the classes defined, whether in the ruleset or modules (5e).

Tutorials

TBD - TBD



Modules:

XML

TBD - TBD

Author Tool

TBD - Thanks to Celestian for this excellent tool


* Entries marked with an asterisk link to off-site locations.
Note that I am not intending to duplicate the excellent resources for programming located on the FG Wiki here.

[Bidmaron]

Reserved (Used to discuss sound through FG, but our good friend Dulux has cracked that nut with his excellent extensions)

[alfarobl]

[U]Audio Playing Aids, Tips, and Tools
[B]Also, if anyone uses JackOSX in place of VAC with Teamspeak, I'd be curious of those results (if I have time, I'll try the setup myself and put up a tutorial similar to Blacky's).


I think I will be able to mix VLC playback with some mp3 files with mic input using something like this: https://thisevilempire.com/blog/?p=442

Idea is to use VLC to output to Soundflower 2ch and use Line App to output Mic input thru to Soundflower 2ch. Then with Teamspeak you use as input Soundflower 2ch and get both audio mixed together. Did some testing and looks like it works, but need to test on a real audio chat.

[dmkevin]

Excellent Posts Bidmaron!!!

[Bidmaron]

OK, folks. I'm asking for help here. Please go to the RealmWorks forum and register your desire for them to make a syrinscape-like URI interface so that I can write an extension for Fantasy Grounds that will import RW information on your campaign world. The vision would be that you could highlight text in a story (or almost any) entry, and FG would bring up a window with the RW information imported.

Using this interface, you could keep your world almanac in RW (which has a much more efficient database mechanism to store voluminous amounts of information), and FG could perform lookups through the URI mechanism.

Please go to this location (https://forums.wolflair.com/showthread.php?t=57001#post238097) and register your wish to have this supported!

[LordEntrails]

I don't know RW, but have you looked at the DOE OLE extension? If I understand the extension, you can link to sources outside FG. Would that work or help you get what you want?

[Bidmaron]

That is precisely what I will use, but first we need to get Lone Wolf Development to build URI support into RW.

[Talley Darkstar]

RW already integrates Syrinscape into it.

From Realm Works: https://www.wolflair.com/realmworks/2015/10/30/syrinscape-realm-works/

From Syrinscape: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aM30zA9CLg

[Bidmaron]

Sorry, the URI support I was talking about is so RW can take URIs (just like Syrinscape already does) to display and/or export given topics.

[Disemboweler]

This is just the kind of stuff I was looking for. Lots of info to take in but it does give me lots to work with. Thanks for all the effort put in by everyone.

[Bidmaron]

I added science fiction graphic resources in this post (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?21761-Playing-Aids#3). Thanks to TRENLOE (as always) for his assistance to the OP in this thread (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?49836-Starfinder-campaign-addons&p=443151#2) for providing these resources.

If someone notices a post I miss with resources appropriate to capture, please advise me in this thread, and I'll update when I have time (a July 4th resolution).

[Bidmaron]

Added madman's Against the AEON Throne maps.

[Bidmaron]

Added Shadowrun mood music to audio post.
Added a Programming post.
Deleted the OBE (overcome by events) FG sound post, which had been obsolete for a while due to Dulux's fine work.

If anyone wants something recorded here, please add a post, and I will try to accommodate reasonable additions.