PC Gamer post

[Ardem]

This is nice just came across this, was in my google news suggested for me.

https://www.pcgamer.com/fantasy-ground-steam-dungeons-dragons/

[Nylanfs]

Wow, those comments...

[GunnarGreybeard]

I've been running a 5e campaign for some time without ever dropping a dime on DLC. It's funny how some will harp on Roll20 being free, you just need to code everything but then the same people go all ballistic when they are told without the DLC they need to enter the content manually. So code for hours or enter content for hours. It's still hours of work. Some are only going to hear what they want to hear.

[sturtus]

Maybe it's time to start giving away the software to sell DLC...?

[Mask_of_winter]

Some people are never happy no matter what. Like Gunnar mentioned, last year people were complaining there was no official or easily accessible 5e content and now people are outraged at the price for the modules. Smiteworks getting the license from WotC is an amazing feat. Whether or not you play 5e (I don't) means so much for every FG user. The more financially stable Smiteworks is, the better the support for the whole platform.

[damned]

Maybe it's time to start giving away the software to sell DLC...?

Unless 5e blows thru the roof - DLC is I think the smallest (by a long shot) of the businesses revenue.
Most people dont buy much DLC at all.
I personally think that the Roll20 business model is skewed and skewed badly.

[viresanimi]

The complete idiocy of some people, when they say there is so much DLC and saying that is a rip-off. Its like they walk into a store and shout: I CAN'T AFFORD EVERYTHING IN HERE... RIP-OFF!!!

And people's inability to do simple math is downright frightening. The price of FG is sooo high, so no thank you, they will keep paying again and again.... and again... for something else.

Roll20 is really, really bad. And I've spend a fair amount of time with it. I can see why they are popular, but it is soooo lacking for me as a GM to setup large campaigns in. There is one, and absolutely, only ONE thing I've used it for: cards. Cards are needed for Castle Falkenstein. Dice are for the "riff raff".

The money I've spent on FG is one of the best investments I've ever done. It is so versatile a tool, and its constantly being updated and improved on. And I get all of that for something I bought almost 5 years ago and I use it for every campaign I work on and my players love it.

Keep up the good work Smiteworks. Ignore the mentally challenged haters out there - you do good work.


Vires Animi

[ddavison]

Thanks guys. I have to be on top of almost any news posting because we do seem to see a lot of the same sort of comments each time we get press. Thankfully between me discussing things in a non-agressive, but assertive fashion and the help from existing FG users, we seem to be able to shift the conversation into a more logical one.

[Rondor]

A player's ability to get a game going online is far, far better than face to face often times. How much is that worth to you is an individual choice. Why bash? Smiteworks has to pay a fat licensing fee to WotC so the pricing is set and split between two companies rather than one. I, for one, feel that the amount of time needed for me to create what they have done SO well is a BARGAIN in the long run.

[GunnarGreybeard]

I see the cost thing come up a lot, along with dynamic lighting. I made my 1 time FG unlimited license purchase ($149.99) back in 08. Yeah, that was a large chunk of change (yeah tax refund) and I understand that # can cause many to balk at the purchase at that license level.

So . . . if I had gone with Roll20, to get access to the advanced features like I get with FG it would have cost me $479.04 for supporter level access or $959.04 for Mentor access level over the same time frame. And that, iirc would not even give me access to any rule system DLC. And why is dynamic lighting and line of sight only listed under the paid subscription plans? Is it not included with the free access? Some of the Roll20 supports certainly seem to insinuate that it is. That and I have to be a paid subscription member to get rid of the advertisements in my campaign?

No, I know I made the right choice.

[Dracones]

Roll20 is free!!!! (if your time is worth nothing)

I spent over 100 hours coding a Pathfinder framework for Maptool. Probably another 60+ hours writing a Fate Core framework for it. But hey, free right!

How long would it take an average person to covert LMoP over into Roll20? Frag man, just go outside and mow a neighbors lawn for 20 bucks or something to buy the module in FG. It's less work and will be quicker.

[sturtus]

I love FG, and I'm not going back to Roll20 for playing DnD 5e, but the Roll20 marketplace is REALLY hot for maps and tokens and art assets. I'm sure they make a killing. It's my go-to over RPGNow or any online seller of those assets. They just make it really easy to buy that stuff. There's potential for more of that in FG. They just need to get those developers interested in making modules for the platform. If a lot of those guys start putting down assets for FG in the marketplace, it might entice Smiteworks to lower the barrier of entry for GM's who will put down money on "DLC". Start thinking of FG as a marketplace. Just spitballing.

[sturtus]

Dracones, you are so right. I did the same. MANY hours building frameworks for DnD in MapTool and Roll20, and even parsing in FG. I'm much more confident with FG now that I know my money is being put towards time saved.

I did build out a number of scripts in Roll20 for Dungeon Crawl Classics including the community character sheet for Roll20, and it took some serious efforts.

[ddavison]

Hey sturtus, we have a fair amount of maps and token packs available in the store already and a good amount of these are the same people who publish in the Roll20 marketplace. The pricing should be the same if I'm not mistaken. If you see some that you like that we should add, feel free to send examples my way or ping those creators and tell them to reach out to me. We try to take good care of our content producers and publishers.

[sturtus]

Oh ya. THIS guy. So great:

https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/search/Gabriel%20Pickard/1

[ddavison]

Oh ya. THIS guy. So great:

https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/search/Gabriel%20Pickard/1

Very nice indeed. I shot him a note to his G+ account. Thanks for the referral.

[Nylanfs]

Roll20 is really, really bad. And I've spend a fair amount of time with it. I can see why they are popular, but it is soooo lacking for me as a GM to setup large campaigns in. There is one, and absolutely, only ONE thing I've used it for: cards. Cards are needed for Castle Falkenstein. Dice are for the "riff raff".

Vire, you did see that you can do cards in FG now right?

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?23099-Basic-Card-Tables-Extensions

[JohnD]

There's a lot of stupid people on the internet.

[Rondor]

There's a lot of stupid people on the internet.

No way!

[Rondor]

Very nice indeed. I shot him a note to his G+ account. Thanks for the referral.

I had to have those frames!!

[Nylanfs]

No way!

Man, I saw this and INSTANTLY thought of Bill and Ted.

[viresanimi]

Vire, you did see that you can do cards in FG now right?

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forum...les-Extensions

I've looked at it. And no, it is not what I am looking for. That is a table thingie, not integrated support for cards between players.


Vires Animi

[damned]

I've looked at it. And no, it is not what I am looking for. That is a table thingie, not integrated support for cards between players.

you are right its not for players to be able to play cards.

[Ardem]

Doug, I have restrained myself as much as I can and had to walk away, any further and I would be using abusive words and tones. I even rewritten some my posts proir to posting, because they were border line.

But the idocacy of some people I can not tolerate, however sometimes it not idocacy is just certain people pushing other agendas. When they make a quote and misrepresent to facts that when I get angry. If they did a simple quote such as 'here is an alternate that is free, but it not as good'. That is a fair and factual quote.

Also some these idiots are border lining copyright laws and they do not even know it, when they do what they do with roll 20.

[Tarycan]

I tested the Demo over the last days and i love it. Bought FG2 just now on Steam.

I decided for FG2 because it just looks so much better, i find it easy to use and i don't
like online apps, because i want to have my stuff on my hd and not flying around somewhere
in a cloud. And, if the internet connection doesn't work i still can fiddle around with FG, working
on a campaign e.g., but Roll20 would be useless. And if an online service shuts down all of your
work, extensions etc. are lost.

And all this people crying when have to pay for something make me sick. FG is a good software,
that i will use for a long time to come, i can play a huge amount of games with it and have endless
fun. I don't **** money, but i have no problem paying for a good product.

[Trenloe]

Hear, hear. :)

[Ardem]

Welcome Tarycan,

If you have any questions you will find the people in these forums super helpful. A good tip is to fill in your location details in the forums, makes it a bit easier if you decide to GM a game people will know what timezone your in.

Also the calendar has a number of games in progress that you can sign up too if your looking for a group.

[Tarycan]

Thanks Ardem! I want use FG for a german pen&paper rpg ("Das Schwarze Auge" / "The Black Eye"). There is an active german community, that made a custom rulseset for it and also has a forum for meet players. I wish to play D&D, too, but i think it's a bit hard for a non-native speaker. :)

[damned]

I think you can only get that extension/ruleset from the game forum/website itself.
There are a number (ok a small number) of german speakers here.

[dulux-oz]

There are a number (ok a small number) of german speakers here.

Jawohl!

[drvolk]

Jawohl!

wow, you speak also german ? That's great, so you could publish all your nice FG youtube tutorials also in german; would be amazing! ... or funny ? ... ;)

[Thete]

Thanks guys. I have to be on top of almost any news posting because we do seem to see a lot of the same sort of comments each time we get press. Thankfully between me discussing things in a non-agressive, but assertive fashion and the help from existing FG users, we seem to be able to shift the conversation into a more logical one.

Well done MrD, on the venn diagram where table top and PC gamers overlap there has always been a reactive element to a) changing something b) not changing something or c) comparing the price of apples to oranges. However once over the outburst, and they see a project dev responding most gamers lighten up and drop their pitchforks

[dulux-oz]

wow, you speak also german ? That's great, so you could publish all your nice FG youtube tutorials also in german; would be amazing! ... or funny ? ... ;)

Yes, I speak German - very, very badly! ;)

I taught / I'm teaching myself, so its pretty awful (as opposed to awesome, or maybe its awesomely awful). I know enough to watch some German TV/Movies and "get the gist" of what's going on, and I can almost definitely get my face slapped picking up someone in a bar (Hallo Schöne, Wie geht Ihr Tag? Sag mir : Machst du irgendwelche beliebig Australier in Sie? Würden Sie gerne einige?), but doing the Vids in German?

Yeah, I don't think so. :)

[Mellock]

Come on, we could dress you up in those lederhosen, and you could do an jodeling intro. Fantasy Grounds Mit Hanz!

[dulux-oz]

Come on, we could dress you up in those lederhosen, and you could do an jodeling intro. Fantasy Grounds Mit Hanz!

In case you haven't noticed, I don't appear visually in ANY of my Videos - and there's a reason for that!

So if you think you're gonna get me in lederhosen - leather, maybe, but not lederhosen - then there's this bridge in Sydney that I'd like to talk to you about you buying.

[Nylanfs]

I finally watched the video in the PCGamer article, and I find it funny that some of the commenters saying that it's windows only didn't realize that the video was done on a Ubuntu system. :)

[JohnD]

Come on, we could dress you up in those lederhosen, and you could do an jodeling intro. Fantasy Grounds Mit Hanz!

I see a Kickstarter opportunity so we don't have to see that. :ninja:

[AstaSyneri]

Thanks Ardem! I want use FG for a german pen&paper rpg ("Das Schwarze Auge" / "The Black Eye"). There is an active german community, that made a custom rulseset for it and also has a forum for meet players. I wish to play D&D, too, but i think it's a bit hard for a non-native speaker. :)

Why do you think it is? If you are playing with a fully German group, group communication can be in German. I did it back when with my group when I was in school (and incidentally all members improved their English grades by an average of 1.5 grades ;-)).

If you do have any questions and would rather ask them in German, shoot me a Private Message.

As for the article: Yes, there are lots of dumb asses and it really ticks me off, too. I love Fantasy Grounds despite the learning curve involved with it.