Question About Public Usage and Promotion of Fantasy Grounds

[Galach]

Hello everyone!

I am writing this topic searching for advice from Fantasy Grounds Community, but as well from Smite Works, concerning rights of use in public demonstrations of the product.

I purchased FG some years ago (Ultimate License), but never truly used it to play RPGs until the start of this year (I used it mostly to organize my games), but I liked it so much as a VTT that I promptly became a “Fanboy” of Fantasy Grounds. I am constantly advocating the use of it over other VTTs; I even started a Fantasy Grounds Community in Facebook, started to host games to complete strangers, and also just created a YouTube Channel. Cool, but there are many similar things on the internet, isn’t it? Well, not on written/spoken Brazilian Portuguese.

Thing is, Brazil have lots of RPG players, and in the last 3 or 4 years, the base of players using VTTs grew a lot too. People are using primarily Roll20, because it is free, but every player who played with me just loved how FG looks and work. Some even bought it, just for the sake of being able to create their own characters locally.

In addition, with Fantasy Grounds on Steam, things are even better: since Steam have a local office, we can now purchase products from it in local currency, without paying huge amounts of custom taxes for imported goods (if bought directly from Smite Works, the taxes would apply).

Anyway, since I am starting to promote Fantasy Grounds around, in my own language, I would like to ask about what I can show around on videos, tutorials, and gaming conventions. What is cool and what is not to promote? What is ok to record, and what would be copyright infringement? What kind of things do you recommend me to start with?

For example, can I reproduce the FG official videos in my own language, or it would be copyright infringiment? Can I translate some of the tutorials on FG Wiki? Can I record my D&D gaming sessions, and show them on YouTube, when we are using official modules, like Curse of Strahd?

Well, this kind of thing. Finally, if Smite works have the interest, I can help to translate the interface of Fantasy Grounds to Brazilian Portuguese too, as volunteer. I think that there is a big, unexplored market share here for you, and I would be happy to help you explore it, so FG can grow as a software, but also as a community.

[Zacchaeus]

Hi Galach welcome to FG.

I think you are answering your own questions really since the videos that you speak of are already on YouTube and Twitch channels etc. If you make your own videos in your own language you aren't doing anything different from any of the other videos. A quick search of YouTube reveals that virtually every adventure from WotC has or is being transmitted.

What you can't do is distribute copyright material but that's not what you are suggesting, and I don't see the problem of taking an existing video and overdubbing it in a different language. You may want to send a PM to any of the authors of those videos and get their permission.

[Galach]

Hey Zaccheus.

Thank you for the answer. I had imagined that, but I thought better to ask first, since a lot of people on the Internet is found of doing things first and asking later for permission. Better not taking any chances, especially because probably people at Smite Works do not speak Brazilian Portuguese , and this would avoid possible misunderstandings. LoL

About sharing copyrighted material, you got it right; I am not planning to do it and I had already been expelled from some Facebook RPG communities because I public criticized piracy acts committed by members.

Whenever I see a copyright infringement, I take proof of it (like printing my screen, for example) and send a message to the owners so they take notice – after all, if someone work hard to produce something, they deserve to be paid for it.

Finally, since you are among the "pillars" of the Fantasy Grounds community (thanks for your maps, I've already used a bunch of them in my games), beyond character creation, what do you think would be the most important topic to focus, for a video/tutorial, aiming to promote, but also teach the basics of FG?

Once more, thank you for the help =)

[Mortar]

Any of the tutorial videos that are out there would help your fellow Brazilians, but to cover the basics from start to finish I have to recommend the tutorials by Dulux-Oz here (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-pNvUFwsrAHTtuQna02FEA/videos). Some might be a little bit dated in the UI visible in them, but they literally cover everything a bit at time.

[Zacchaeus]

Mortar are you suggesting Dulux-Oz is dated? :)

Galach It's difficult to say where to start but I think Mortar is right in that it's better to break things down into small chucks like Dulux does rather than do a massive "here's everything you need to know" type video. However a good overview video showing how combat works for example (which is the heart of the software) would certain get the interest going. I think the 'Official' videos which Doug has done are also a pretty good starting place but there are others out there which cover some of the rulesets other than 5e.

[Galach]

Mortar, I liked your ideia very much, especially taking in account the tip of Zacchaeus of breaking the topics in samller videos. I think I will start with a video saying what FG is, as well explaining why I think it is better than the other VTT options (interface, organization, automation - right out of the box... lol), and then stat with presenting things like that - interface and program organization, and then specific topics, like combat, etc, using Dulux-Oz as guide.

Thanks again for your insight.

I hope to promote FG, so the player base grows around here. =)

[Mortar]

Mortar are you suggesting Dulux-Oz is dated? :)

Just don't tell him I said it though :p


Mortar, I liked your ideia very much, especially taking in account the tip of Zacchaeus of breaking the topics in samller videos. I think I will start with a video saying what FG is, as well explaining why I think it is better than the other VTT options (interface, organization, automation - right out of the box... lol), and then stat with presenting things like that - interface and program organization, and then specific topics, like combat, etc, using Dulux-Oz as guide.

Thanks again for your insight.

I hope to promote FG, so the player base grows around here. =)

Awesome! Good to hear.

[dulux-oz]

Just don't tell him I said it though :p

Too late, I heard!

[Mortar]

Lol

[dulux-oz]

I can help to translate the interface of Fantasy Grounds to Brazilian Portuguese too, as volunteer. I think that there is a big, unexplored market share here for you, and I would be happy to help you explore it, so FG can grow as a software, but also as a community.

Hi Galach, have you seen the LPak Community Project? That's the Project the Community is running to translate FG into all sorts of languages - and we can always use more volunteers.

The link is here (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?27202-LanguagePak-%28LPak%29-Community-Project-Program)

[Galach]

Hey, Dulux!

I wasn’t aware of this project, but I am already looking into the posts on the discussion you shared here.

I am less than useless on coding, but I can translate the text without much trouble. As soon as I finish reading things there, I will probably ask some questions, so I can start working on it.


Thank you guys, for the answers and also for welcoming me around here.

[Nylanfs]

Also look into Twitch.tv to stream games for public also.

[Galach]

Hi, Nylanfs.
I think I will record my game sessions on OBS or XSplit, and then upload it on my Youtube Channel with my tutorial videos.

Twitch was my first option – and my first try – but for some reason, I really did not liked it… And since I do not plan to stream the games online, I don’t see any strong reason to use Twitch.

Unless it have a groundbreaking and amazing feature I am not aware of… has it? lol

[Nylanfs]

Well there is instant live interaction.

[ddavison]

We are glad to have you as part of the community. You have an official blessing to recreate anything from our videos. You don't even need to ask for permission for that sort of thing, but we are happy to grant permission anyway just to make it super clear. The only thing we ask is that you clearly identify yourself as a user of the software, and not an official representative of the company.

[Galach]

Hello, ddavison!

After some days without a keyboard, I am now able to post here again… lol
First, thank you very much. I am enjoying to use FG to DM online, and I think it will be very enjoyable to make some videos and tutorials. My FB community started with barely 5 players to run Curse of Strahd; now, every day there is someone asking for join the community and also asking me about when I will be able to take another table.

One of my players bought FG last week, another said me he will bay it this week, and that he intends to DM too – and I am very glad to be able to play as a player too. Sadly, I can read well and write (not so well) in English, but my skills on conversation are poor, so I think it will be some time until I join a game in English.

Anyway, I started to build a blog where I will put written tutorials and my videos, as well useful links, like FG homepage, RPG stuff, etc. One of my players already recorded our last session, and soon I will be posting there. When I have something more concrete, I will let you all know.

Thanks again!

[Nylanfs]

How about running a game in FG-Daze (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?31977-FGDaze!-Saturday-June-25th-2016-Game-announcement-thread) in Portuguese?

[Galach]

Hey, Nylanfs, that seems very nice indeed! I will think about something, maybe I try to take a shot on converting an Eberron adventure to 5th ed – I curse WotC everyday since 5th ed launch because Eberron remains unpublished.

Anyway, yes, I will just think about the game and maybe tomorrow I will be posting the details in the specific topic.
Nice you pointed FG-Daze for me, I wasn’t aware of it.

Thanks!