rkjanik
April 10th, 2020, 07:16
Thanks for the help guys. Overall the session went well. Players had fun. Here's a few lessons learned from my first FGU experience for you FG vets to add to the catalog of user advice...
1. UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE! Even after a session zero and several reminders, players using FGU tried to connect before updating FGU. All the changes happening to FGU in beta make it a requirement to update before you start play. Even the Host.
2. Make sure you load and connect FGU FIRST before loading any audio or video calling software. Older machines and low end current machines tend to choke when loading FGU and Discord together, or even having Discord open first. They tend to fight for CPU, especially in machines without GPUs (i.e. nice graphics cards with their own RAM and processors.)
3. While having the adventure ready for the first session is super important, your first session online will seem to crawl, especially if the Host has spent more time creating the adventure than learning how to use the combat tracker (guilty). I had my players telling me how to use the combat tracker, even though they didn't know I was looking at something quite different from their own view.
4. Prior to your first game, run a localhost players instance of FGU and verify all your maps work as intended. I had a couple maps appear very small when I masked them during play, and I could have prevented that earlier.
5. When you are exporting adventure content to a module, remember your tokens! (BTW, not a fan on the currently separate interface for tokens especially if you're using a lot of 3rd party tokens. The export interface for tokens is thus very awkward and cumbersome! OR maybe I should just read the manual first - maybe it is in there. ;))
6. Read the online manual BEFORE you play. It's actually very helpful when getting started, unlike many other manuals.
7. DISCORD TIP: If your players have never gamed online before, your players will no doubt be very chatty and it'll drive you nuts as you try to help others work out connection troubles. Use a server and set up a separate IC vs OOC voice chats so you can go somewhere quiet to help those with troubles before the game starts.
8. DISCORD TIP: Players will talk over one another once the session begins. To remedy this quickly without yelling at them, ask each player to enable PUSH TO TALK. After about 30 min using that setting, players will ask if they can turn that off, and once they do, that are very respectful about unneeded chatter afterwards.
Well that's all for now. I think I may keep compiling tips based on our groups experiences and share them somewhere on the boards. Overall I am happy with FGU - an Ultimate license was definitely a great purchase.
Thanks for the help and encouragement!
1. UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE! Even after a session zero and several reminders, players using FGU tried to connect before updating FGU. All the changes happening to FGU in beta make it a requirement to update before you start play. Even the Host.
2. Make sure you load and connect FGU FIRST before loading any audio or video calling software. Older machines and low end current machines tend to choke when loading FGU and Discord together, or even having Discord open first. They tend to fight for CPU, especially in machines without GPUs (i.e. nice graphics cards with their own RAM and processors.)
3. While having the adventure ready for the first session is super important, your first session online will seem to crawl, especially if the Host has spent more time creating the adventure than learning how to use the combat tracker (guilty). I had my players telling me how to use the combat tracker, even though they didn't know I was looking at something quite different from their own view.
4. Prior to your first game, run a localhost players instance of FGU and verify all your maps work as intended. I had a couple maps appear very small when I masked them during play, and I could have prevented that earlier.
5. When you are exporting adventure content to a module, remember your tokens! (BTW, not a fan on the currently separate interface for tokens especially if you're using a lot of 3rd party tokens. The export interface for tokens is thus very awkward and cumbersome! OR maybe I should just read the manual first - maybe it is in there. ;))
6. Read the online manual BEFORE you play. It's actually very helpful when getting started, unlike many other manuals.
7. DISCORD TIP: If your players have never gamed online before, your players will no doubt be very chatty and it'll drive you nuts as you try to help others work out connection troubles. Use a server and set up a separate IC vs OOC voice chats so you can go somewhere quiet to help those with troubles before the game starts.
8. DISCORD TIP: Players will talk over one another once the session begins. To remedy this quickly without yelling at them, ask each player to enable PUSH TO TALK. After about 30 min using that setting, players will ask if they can turn that off, and once they do, that are very respectful about unneeded chatter afterwards.
Well that's all for now. I think I may keep compiling tips based on our groups experiences and share them somewhere on the boards. Overall I am happy with FGU - an Ultimate license was definitely a great purchase.
Thanks for the help and encouragement!