I'd like to buy a clue, Bob

[Jhalad]

I am sooo lost. I downloaded the demo to this program and it explained... nothing.

I read the manual on the website and it explained.... nothing

I'm really interested in how this program works, but all I can do so far is roll some dice, send obscene messages to myself as myself, and open up various books (only as the DM). The character sheet seems to be totally open to editing (so I made a level 1 Chimney Sweep), with no control over what can and cannot be done. I have no clue how to run the demo "adventure", nor access any of the information on it (lot's of blank nothings). What am I doing wrong? I'm looking for a way to run a game for a few hours during the week with widespread players, and I saw this site, but so far.... bumpkiss...

Please assist!!!!

[Alkaven]

In comparison to alot of virtual tabletops out there, this doesn't rate as the king of features. Alot of it just look prettier so that people are suckered by it's 'fanciness'.

Still, saying that the demo and manual don't explain anything is highly inaccurate. It's designed to be a virtual tabletop. Not a game. If you've played D&D before, you know that alot of game takes imagination. This application contains alot of the tools that make it easier for you to play online with your friends.

There isn't any automation of the character sheet because alot of the applications that do that really only make it longer to create a character in the long run. Take the oh so crappy PCGen for example. I might be able to create a level 1 fighter and alot of it will be done for me, but what if I want to give my character a very special property, or include a prestige class from a seperate book, or use a totally different ruleset altogether? I would have to manually add that into it's class library, and there are so many different alterations out there. Because there is no automation, you can put ANYTHING you want. I think it's great!

What you are probably doing wrong is your not playing with anyone else. Find someone (a friend) to play the demo with. One of you DM, the other plays.

As for whether it's worth the price, well... I'll once again keep quiet, knowing how eager people are to tear me down.

[Jhalad]

I'm totally aware that this isn't a game. I've used another client program called MegaMek for help in running some long distance Battletech games. I'm just looking for how to operate this. I'm assuming that it is possible to run your own adventure against yourself (like I can in Megamek). I finally figured out how to grab a map in the DM screen, but no clue how to get it to the PC screen or bring up a "battlemap" for lack of a better term. The directions leave a fair amount in the fog of war, as it were.

[wavecutter]

somewhere in these forums there are links to 3 visual FAQ's. I suggest using the search feature to find them. They are quite good.

[richvalle]

I'm totally aware that this isn't a game. I've used another client program called MegaMek for help in running some long distance Battletech games. I'm just looking for how to operate this. I'm assuming that it is possible to run your own adventure against yourself (like I can in Megamek). I finally figured out how to grab a map in the DM screen, but no clue how to get it to the PC screen or bring up a "battlemap" for lack of a better term. The directions leave a fair amount in the fog of war, as it were.

I think you are looking for something else... you can't really 'run your own adventure against yourself' with this. Its not something where you create an adventure as and then jump on as a player and run though it.

Its a way to play d20 games (mostly DnD) with other people. As in a table top game, one person is the dm and runs the game and the others are the players.

The character sheet is 'open' as it represents the paper you write your character on at a table. In this medium though the dm has instant access to it and can modify it as the game goes (as can the player).

As the dm you can share maps, place tokens on the board, send messages to everyone or just one player, and 'run' the adventure for the group.

I'm currently running friends though The Worlds Largest Dungeon' using this software and TeamSpeak for voice comms. Works great (though there are some current disconnect problems but, so far, they have not been game stoppers for us).

rv

[Sigurd]

Fgrounds basically doesn't automate the game at all, other than dice generation and a few lists. It is basically like a telephone for game conversations - thats why I like it. The people in the game are the strength. They play D&D, with books and tables, and arguments over rule interpretations and everything.

You can share a map. You can roll a Die. You can share some text and even look up some SRD data in the program. You can move a custom token around on your shared map and draw on it for everyone to see. I'm undoubtably missing something but that is most of it.

The best thing so far is that Smite Works has concerned themselves with the common denominator necessary for Playing D&D. Its not a replacement, its a prosthetic.

Sigurd

[Alkaven]

And that's what I like most about Fantasy Grounds. Most virtual tabletops you use, alot of it is automated. However, I don't think they've limited to only D&D entirely. You can play by many different rulesets if you wanted to. I can make my character sheet work for a BESM game if I wanted to. Or even d20 modern.

*sigh* I miss running d20 modern games... Makes me wanna run one right now. Not much point in it though.

Also, I withdraw my unnecessary comment about PCGen. PCGen is a character generator, so it's supposed to be automated.

[Jhalad]

And that's what I like most about Fantasy Grounds. Most virtual tabletops you use, alot of it is automated.

I guess that is what I'm looking for. Something that does a little bit of the automation for you. I've been DMing for 15 years, and I guess I'm looking for some sort of DM assistant. I have the SRD's and they are great. I've also found a website that has some generators for making instant treasure, PC's, dungeons, and towns. They're decent, but I was hoping that in this modern age of computers, that someone had a program out there that would simulate the tabletop environment, allowing the PCs and DM to sit in their respective houses and play across the web, assisted by the program, which could do such things as control atttack and damage rolls, listen, spot, hide, and move silently rolls and counter rolls, and stuff like that. If I hadn't abandoned programing in highschool, I'd have taken a wack at it myself. The game Megamek for Battletech does this sort of thing, but still allows A LOT of control by players or DMs. I was hoping that there was something like that out there for D&D. If this is basically just a virtual table, then I'll probably have to keep looking. I appreciate the help, though, and will check back on this product periodically.

[richvalle]

I think there is stuff out there like this. The topic has come up before. DMGenie maybe?

[gurney9999]

I guess that is what I'm looking for. Something that does a little bit of the automation for you. I've been DMing for 15 years, and I guess I'm looking for some sort of DM assistant. I have the SRD's and they are great. I've also found a website that has some generators for making instant treasure, PC's, dungeons, and towns. They're decent, but I was hoping that in this modern age of computers, that someone had a program out there that would simulate the tabletop environment, allowing the PCs and DM to sit in their respective houses and play across the web, assisted by the program, which could do such things as control atttack and damage rolls, listen, spot, hide, and move silently rolls and counter rolls, and stuff like that. If I hadn't abandoned programing in highschool, I'd have taken a wack at it myself. You tried Neverwinter Nights?

[Alkaven]

Good lord! How can you even mention such a piece of crap game? It doesn't even have all the strength skills in it! It doesn't even have all the spells! It doesn't even have the proper gaming mechanics!

A DM assistant application isn't hard to find. There's a free application called PCGen that you can get from uh... I think... pcgen.sourceforge.net ? It's the most automated character generator I've ever seen, and with it's new DMGen feature, you can also automate some DM stuff too. It might not be the best, but I've never been disappointed with it. Sadly, it's done in Java, so don't expect it to run fast and smooth.

[Spyke]

Jhalad, have a look at KloogeWerks. It's a D&D-based tabletop that goes to the opposite extreme from Fantasy Grounds, with automation very much the buzz-word.

[Crusader]

And version 1.6 of FantasyGrounds might be a step in the direction you're looking for as well.

<edit>Hey, my 200:th post, and a rank to match my avatar - cool!</edit>

[Sigurd]

And version 1.6 of FantasyGrounds might be a step in the direction you're looking for as well.

I don't think that's a fair response. The truth is that we have no idea what the next patch to fantasy grounds will do\be like so we can say nothing on the topic.

The next version might be better for you or you might discover your own way around your objections. In the absence of any link, data, or statement I would recommend the trying PCGEN and looking for a support program to help you with your issue. You can run multiple programs on your PC during an Fgrounds session for DM backup.

I'm not trying to knock you Crusader, especially with your shining new rank, but unless you know something you can say about the next patch I think its only fair to stick to solutions available.

Sigurd

[Crusader]

Yeah, that's true. I'm really looking forward to the next version because from what I have seen on the LUA site I think that it will be able to make some grand things for me and my rulesystem. Maybe my optimism got the better of me, and for that I'm sorry.

But to my defence I said that it might be a step in the right direction. :wink:

[richvalle]

Yeah, that's true. I'm really looking forward to the next version because from what I have seen on the LUA site I think that it will be able to make some grand things for me and my rulesystem. Maybe my optimism got the better of me, and for that I'm sorry.

But to my defence I said that it might be a step in the right direction. :wink:

Thread hijack here... will the stuff people make in 1.06 be easily transportable to others? Say Crusader makes some nice macro's he wants to share can he export them or cut and paste the code and we have to paste it in on our side?

rv

[Crusader]

Well, LUA is a language made out of commands like everything else so I don't see why not. This of course is dependent on the data that my code calls on is present in your rulesystem as well. But in the end, it's just code. If I did something special with my rulesystem, then at least examining my code would tell you how to do the same with your rulesystem if you can't copy and paste my code as it is.

[gurney9999]

Good lord! How can you even mention such a piece of crap game? It doesn't even have all the strength skills in it! It doesn't even have all the spells! It doesn't even have the proper gaming mechanics!I was mentioning NWN (mostly) in jest, since the initial poster was talking about automating most of the activities that make tabletop gaming what it is. Sorry to push one of your various buttons, alkaven :)

[Alkaven]

You know how jumpy I get when you talk about such things. :( It hurts you know. Can you imagine how I must feel to know that of all the d20 games Bioware has made, they've made each one suck more than the last? I'm almost breaking down in tears because of it. I remember when I first heard about Neverwinter Nights, I was so hyper and eager to play it, thinking that it was going to follow all the standard rules of D&D... But no... Instead... I got a box with a disc that once installed, it played out just like diablo... *sniffle* I don't think I'll ever get over that day...

Then they came out with Knights of the Republic... And I couldn't bear it anymore...