Considering Purchasing FG and have questions.

[Silver Wolf Alpha]

Hey folks,

I'm a game store owner and am exploring creating an RPG table where folks can plug into a monitor/tv and use products like FG to run their campaigns through the table. Therefore, I'm looking for a good program that can do a couple of things, which brings me to my questions:

Can FG do the following:

-Allow the DM to create maps as well as import them into the software?
-Have a window solely for the DM on his or her computer and then project the map and other relevant information for the players onto the larger screen built into the table?

Basically I want a solid program that I can use to supplement my players' experience while we are playing at my store. I need a dungeon maker that will allow me to control what my players see. Everything else that FG provides is a bonus and will make running the game better, I just really want the ability to build maps and project them on the screen for starters.

[dulux-oz]

Hi Alpha, and Welcome!

You can't make maps with FG (most of us use Campaign Cartographer for that) but any png, gif or jpg can be versy easily imported into FG for use - basically, drop the file into the correct directory.

Yes, you can use FG the way you describe - have the GM's instance on one screen and run a 2nd instance (from the same PC) onto a 2nd screen. If the players bring along a laptop they can also connect the the GM's instance over the LAN (best to use wired if you can - wireless can get bogged down, but you can use wireless).

My group plays face-to-face and we use FG around the table just like this - it works very well.

Cheers

[Trenloe]

There are a few different mapping applications that FG users use outside of FG - some of them are listed here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?20879-Map-Making-Software-summary

Whereas Campaign Cartographer 3 is an excellent application (I use it a lot), it has a high learning curve. Dungeon Painter online and Tiled (both mentioned and linked in the thread I link above) are great quick-and-easy applications that can produce good results. You can import image files into your FG campaign live, i.e. while playing, so it's possible to have these apps running, quickly throw a map together and load it into FG during a short few minutes gaming break where the players wander your store and buy things! :)

As dulux_oz mentions above, you can run another (player) instance of FG on the same computer as the GM instance (using a full/GM license) and this could be displayed on a large screen to show the player view of maps, combat tracker, handouts, etc.. If you want to allow players to connect over local WiFi then they would need at least a full licence or the GM would need to ultimate to allow as many players to connect as you want, without them needing a licence.

[Silver Wolf Alpha]

Great, thank you both for your reply.

[ddavison]

The only real concern I have with running at a game store is that if you grant access to the machine that runs FG, anyone that opens the Settings window would be able to see the license key and could use that to install the game at their house.

[Silver Wolf Alpha]

Customers would only have access to the screen. They would have to bring their own laptop to use it.

[gaara6666]

I think you wil greatly enjoy using fantasy grounds because as well as projecting maps onto the table you will be able to share images like hand written notes, monster pictures, and loot lists so all players can get more immersion.

[Nylanfs]

This wouldn't work then. Each DM would have to have FG installed on their laptop to run the game (which means you would have to hand out the license key).

[Griogre]

It would work if the DM is a store employee.

[damned]

There are a few different mapping applications that FG users use outside of FG - some of them are listed here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?20879-Map-Making-Software-summary

Whereas Campaign Cartographer 3 is an excellent application (I use it a lot), it has a high learning curve. Dungeon Painter online and Tiled (both mentioned and linked in the thread I link above) are great quick-and-easy applications that can produce good results....

Ill add a vote for both Pyromancers Dungeon Painter and Tiled. I do most of my mapping in those two fine apps.

[Silver Wolf Alpha]

This wouldn't work then. Each DM would have to have FG installed on their laptop to run the game (which means you would have to hand out the license key).

Part of the reason I was doing it like that is so if a customer preferred using a different program they could. The games run by the shop would be done through FG, but by not making it mandatory it allows the customer to use other programs like Roll20 if they so choose.

[Nylanfs]

That would work then. :-)

[Silver Wolf Alpha]

Ill add a vote for both Pyromancers Dungeon Painter and Tiled. I do most of my mapping in those two fine apps.

I was checking out Pyromancers' this morning and it looks handy, I'll have to check out Tiled.

[damned]

This is a map map with Tiled and a commercial tile-set - Raymond Gaustadnes Fantasy RPG Art Kit - in about 10mins or so.
https://www.fg-con.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/map4.jpg

https://www.fg-con.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Dagour.jpg

and here is a short video using pyromancers -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpg_-fUrGnU

and a quick city corner in pyromancers..
https://www.fg-con.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/cross-road-2.jpg

[Silver Wolf Alpha]

Nice

[Ken L]

Silver, I think you're asking for an unbiased answer in a biased location. Given your situation, pretty much none of the VTTs available can, in one smooth motion, from the same client, have the ability to project the map alone and have the DMing tools on a laptop.

What can be done for d20pro, Fantasy Grounds, and Roll20, is you can have the DMing machine launch two clients, one as a player, and one as the DM and project the player view on the projector which the laptop/computer recognizes as a second monitor.

As to which is best, depends on how much automation you need.

- If easy import is your thing, D20pro and Roll20 have built in import options to load on the fly where as Fantasy Grounds loads during each start-up for tokens, where as maps will load like the prior two.
- If you want more automation for your ruleset, Fantasy Grounds and d20pro do this very well with fantasy grounds having a superior combat tracker, and more supported systems
- If you don't have access to the internet, d20pro and Fantasy Grounds will still function.
- If you want to have easy improvised maps and games where many things will be 'done on the lamb' with no prior setup, d20pro and Roll20 require less effort in terms of drawing maps on the grid with drawing tools which Fantasy Grounds lacks.

[Zacchaeus]

in about 10mins or so.

Ah, but after how many months of practice? :)

Nice video by the way. Oh, and can those RPG kits be used in Campaign Cartographer?

[Trenloe]

Oh, and can those RPG kits be used in Campaign Cartographer?
Yeah, they are PNG files so you can either use them as straight off basic symbols in CC3, or you could spend some time making them into a proper symbol set (https://www.profantasy.com/annual/2008/february08.html)(tagged for layers/effect sheet, size, etc.).

[Zacchaeus]

Yeah, they are PNG files so you can either use them as straight off basic symbols in CC3, or you could spend some time making them into a proper symbol set (https://www.profantasy.com/annual/2008/february08.html)(tagged for layers/effect sheet, size, etc.).

Cheers, young man. :)

[Silver Wolf Alpha]

Thank you for your analysis.

[damned]

Silver, I think you're asking for an unbiased answer in a biased location.

:) to be fair the OP asked two questions and the answers were No and Yes. the rest of the responses were options to work with the No



Ah, but after how many months of practice? :)

No - it does not have a learning curve like Campaign Cartographer - it just doesnt have that many options.
It uses layers - so thats the first thing to get your head around.
Secondly those layers dont work like most graphics apps - in DP there is one single drawing/movement/element on each layer.
It really only takes a very short while to get used to it.

EDIT: just realised you could be talking about Tiled too! Tiled is just placing pre-prepared assets in a grid. You can release the grid and position freely. I do think this had a bigger learning curve than DP but there are so many brilliant graphics packs available that Tiled can produce some great maps really quickly.

[Zacchaeus]

Nah, damned I was just pulling your leg really :)

I'm sort of reluctant to learn another drawing tool, but I am really impressed with the results.