Fantasy Grounds as a Persistent Game?

[greentongue]

Has anyone ran a game where it was "always on" and players could take there turns as time allowed?

So that people on different schedules could play together sort of like a Play by Post only using Fantasy Grounds as the engine.

Has anyone done this?

Would it even work? Why or Why not?

[Booker Grimm]

That is something I'd love to try. I could set up a game log in every day and then just calculate any players moves. Would be great way to play at leisure.

[Ampersandrew]

The only issue I see with it is tying your license up for months at a time. Leaving the server running 24/7 means your's tying up the license and can't join other games.

[Trenloe]

The main issue is that you only see things that happen in chat while you’re joined to the GMs FG server, so players who join for a brief time to do some actions wouldn’t know what had happened previously.

[SirGraystone]

The main issue is that you only see things that happen in chat while you’re joined to the GMs FG server, so players who join for a brief time to do some actions wouldn’t know what had happened previously.

The GM whole have to create a shared Story entry and keep moving stuff from the chat window to the story entry so the players could follow the story.

But you would be better to create text channel on discord for example have all your player join it and share in it what their characters do all week, and when they all get together for an evening us FG then.

[greentongue]

I'll have to review those options.

Glad to hear that it won't timeout from sitting idle or something.

Gives me hope that since I have been able to run a PbP for over a year, this new format has that potential.

[greentongue]

The only issue I see with it is tying your license up for months at a time. Leaving the server running 24/7 means your's tying up the license and can't join other games.

It is hard enough to find a single Hellfrost game so I'm not worried about being limited to only one.

[damned]

I dont think your license is locked up as such.
If you were hosting one game you can still connect to another from the same computer without violating the license.
The asynchronous nature of PbP is what would make this less than ideal in my opinion.
I have played in a long running PbP game where the GM did all char management and actions etc in FG but the players interacted only with the google doc and that way we could keep all actions in order - you could put your action/interaction above or below an existing one.

[greentongue]

I have played in a long running PbP game where the GM did all char management and actions etc in FG but the players interacted only with the google doc and that way we could keep all actions in order - you could put your action/interaction above or below an existing one.

Interesting workaround.

So move plotting wasn't done directly by the players?

[damned]

Interesting workaround.

So move plotting wasn't done directly by the players?

The GM posted FG battle maps with grids and token placements and he put A-Z on columns and 1-24 on rows and we would say "I move to C8 and cast cone of cold targetting Ettins 3 and 5 and the Goblins 3 and 4."

[The High Druid]

I have been thinking of running a long term Shadowrun game like this through Discord, hadn't yet occurred to me to manage it in FG, and screenshot battlemaps for the players when necessary. So thanks for that flash of inspiration.

[Mytherus]

In all my years of gaming (started in the 80's) I've never gotten the draw for play by post RPG games or play by email games, and yes I have tried them. IMO if you are taking the time to play an RPG Table Top (whatever your flavor Pathfinder, Savage World, Starfinder, DnD, etc. etc.) its gotta be real time.

BUT I will say it's an interesting concept to see if FG could facilitate that "play by post" type of play style for those that enjoy it. Just out of my curious nature of wanting to know how things I'm interested in work or how other people play their games I'd be interesting in at least learning how this is carried out successfully.

[greentongue]

In all my years of gaming (started in the 80's) I've never gotten the draw for play by post RPG games or play by email games, and yes I have tried them.

The "draw" is actually getting to play. Not everyone can have a set time for gaming and when you have multiple adults with Lives, getting in sync for live play is iffy. Especially multiple times in a row with the same people.

For those that don't have this sync problem you don't know how lucky you are.

[LordEntrails]

In all my years of gaming (started in the 80's) I've never gotten the draw for play by post RPG games or play by email games, and yes I have tried them. IMO if you are taking the time to play an RPG Table Top (whatever your flavor Pathfinder, Savage World, Starfinder, DnD, etc. etc.) its gotta be real time.

BUT I will say it's an interesting concept to see if FG could facilitate that "play by post" type of play style for those that enjoy it. Just out of my curious nature of wanting to know how things I'm interested in work or how other people play their games I'd be interesting in at least learning how this is carried out successfully.
For me, PbP is more like a joint writing collaboration set in a RPG world with a given set of rules for interaction. It allows for deep role play interaction and development. It's very different than TTRPG play. To me, they are not interchangeable experiences.

[Nembrot]

Was there any change to FG(U) regarding persistence since 2019?
I'd love to have my players be able to login, drop msgs to each other and npcs in the between sessions without me running it on my pc.
Right now I'm having them use an old school BBS, Discord and aggie.io to draw together. Having all those things in one place would be great. The biggest struggle is talking as npc (hence a BBS)
If a GM could assign another user to be a 2nd GM would also be cool, as then I could just run the game on some VPS and GM from home.

[LordEntrails]

No, the architecture is still client-server. You game has to be 'running' somewhere, and that's on your computer as there is no hosting available unless you go and stand up your own server or rent one from someplace like Amazon.

[Nembrot]

Well that can be done, but how do I GM on such server if only the host can be GM?

[Sarteck]

For Windows, I guess you could RDP to it. Not sure about Mac, and (AFAIK) FGU doesn't have a Linux release, yet, but with FGC you can probably administrate via RDP (or VNC if you run Linux locally as well).

[Valyar]

Rather than trying to force the technology into something it is not designed for, use the proper tools for this activity. Using the right tool for a job has always been the best approach.

https://rpol.net is one of the older places where you can PbP and has dice roller as well.

[Wizards Ghost]

Having all those things in one place would be great. The biggest struggle is talking as npc (hence a BBS)
.

Have a look at the new Player Agency Extension. Maybe tthis ticks some of your boxes.