Fantasy Grounds usage stats through 2020-03

[ddavison]

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/blog.php?do=list

This is posted over at ENWorld.org as well.

Enjoy.

[Zacchaeus]

Good grief that’s a big jump.

[Moon Wizard]

Yeah, and Doug is a taskmaster... :)

JPG

[Three of Swords]

Yeah... more than doubled the user base recently. Wow. I'm sure part of that is FGU and part of it COVID.

[Mortar]

Crazy and impressive.

[GavinRuneblade]

I hope most of the new crowd stay around.

[JohnD]

Is there a link to earlier stats somewhere?

[gmask1]

On top of that, I wonder if there's people like me (new user to FG), that bought the FG license and 5e modules in preparation to play during this work from home period, but haven't yet?

(I have no statistics to prove it, but from my experience at least, I reckon that working from home tends to increase the number of hours you work, thus it's equally hard to get full time working people to get together for a session!)

[GavinRuneblade]

On top of that, I wonder if there's people like me (new user to FG), that bought the FG license and 5e modules in preparation to play during this work from home period, but haven't yet?

(I have no statistics to prove it, but from my experience at least, I reckon that working from home tends to increase the number of hours you work, thus it's equally hard to get full time working people to get together for a session!)

I dunno if or how it tracks Unity, but Doug mentioned before it only tracks games that use an alias to start the game, not direct connection by IP address.

[GavinRuneblade]

Is there a link to earlier stats somewhere?

2018:
https://www.enworld.org/threads/fantasy-grounds-toolset-usage-report.665809/

2019:
https://www.enworld.org/threads/fantasy-grounds-usage-stats-through-q1-2019-d-d-up-pathfinder-down.666335/

[gmask1]

I dunno if or how it tracks Unity, but Doug mentioned before it only tracks games that use an alias to start the game, not direct connection by IP address.

So it probably includes the 'gmask1 learns FG badly' campaigns I've been starting with FGU Cloud server type in order to come to grips with the UI, location of everything I'd need as DM, etc. etc.

[Valyar]

Impressive. Still, shame that D&D leads with such extent.

[damned]

So it probably includes the 'gmask1 learns FG badly' campaigns I've been starting with FGU Cloud server type in order to come to grips with the UI, location of everything I'd need as DM, etc. etc.

If players connect to the campaign then it will count it.

[Neovirtus]

I know I personally have connected two new DM's and about 10 new players to the platform in recent weeks. Hopefully the influx of users allows Smiteworks to expand do more with the platform.

[alfarobl]

2018:
https://www.enworld.org/threads/fantasy-grounds-toolset-usage-report.665809/

2019:
https://www.enworld.org/threads/fantasy-grounds-usage-stats-through-q1-2019-d-d-up-pathfinder-down.666335/

Numbers from 2018 to 2019 match but when you go to 2020 the total number of games played doesn't? D&D5e goes from 600K to 200Ks?

[JohnD]

Did Castles & Crusades really drop that much over the last year?

[ddavison]

Numbers from 2018 to 2019 match but when you go to 2020 the total number of games played doesn't? D&D5e goes from 600K to 200Ks?

I'm not sure I follow. The data from 2020 is only 3 months so far, compared with a full 12 months of data for 2018 and 2019.

[alfarobl]

I'm not sure I follow. The data from 2020 is only 3 months so far, compared with a full 12 months of data for 2018 and 2019.

Monthly games don't match... but now I see issue is that 2018 and 2019 were adding games played each month, but new 2020 graph each month is not added but individual. That is the issue? Also the 2020 pie chart says 2019-04 to 2020-03 but you are saying that it is only 2020-01 to 2020-03? That would make sense then.
Please correct it as it is confusing versus past posts.

UPDATE: No I still don't see it... 2018 and 2019 montly numbers on 5E games are also monthly last 2019-03 shows 63K but new chart on 2020 shows 2019-03 is only 21K. Something is confusing there.

[ddavison]

The previous charts were using the alias system to calculate sessions, whereas the new method is using our stats DB. It's possible that this results in the difference.

[alfarobl]

The previous charts were using the alias system to calculate sessions, whereas the new method is using our stats DB. It's possible that this results in the difference.

But change is so dramatic? D&D 5E games played each month go from 2019-03 63K games to new system only 2019-03 21K? So you should warn people not to compare with 2018 or 2019 numbers then.

Title makes 1 Year but they are only 3 months:
33674

[alfarobl]

The previous charts were using the alias system to calculate sessions, whereas the new method is using our stats DB. It's possible that this results in the difference.

Thank you but you must have something wrong... those Pie Chart numbers are 1Year if they were only 3 months it would be 5E games 90K not 200K. Problem is with monthly games new system decreased all totals and Pie Chart is still 1 Year not 3 months as I thought.

[ddavison]

But change is so dramatic? D&D 5E games played each month go from 2019-03 63K games to new system only 2019-03 21K? So you should warn people not to compare with 2018 or 2019 numbers then.

Title makes 1 Year but they are only 3 months:
33674

The title is all months added up for that date range for each ruleset and then compared with one another. That pie chart is not 3 months. I said that we only have 3 months of data for 2020, not that the pie chart was for 2020.

[alfarobl]

The title is all months added up for that date range for each ruleset and then compared with one another. That pie chart is not 3 months. I said that we only have 3 months of data for 2020, not that the pie chart was for 2020.

Ok. Another example 2020 Pie Chart Savage Worlds games played 12months almost 17K games. Last year 2019 12 months 39K. With 5E 12 months Pie Chart 2020 is 263K but 2019 12 months was 619K. I see a lot of differences on a 12month period. Sorry to bother you with it but I don't see how this can be right.

https://www.enworld.org/threads/fantasy-grounds-usage-stats-through-q1-2019-d-d-up-pathfinder-down.666335/

[Laerun]

Good to see the other rulesets growing. Glad to be a part of helping this grow with all of you.

Laerun

[damned]

The pie chart does appear to be incorrect - either the numbers are wrong or he title is wrong....

[ddavison]

The pie chart does appear to be incorrect - either the numbers are wrong or he title is wrong....

The sum of all games from April 2019 through March 2020 for 5E are 263K. This is from the stats database. That matches with the line drawing if you add those 12 months up and stop at March 2020.

There is a separate topic about these numbers globally reporting much lower than the previous method I used -- the alias system. They seem to be across the board, so the numbers of one system relative to another should be about the same and the change from month to month should be about the same. The total # reported seems to be about only 1/3rd though based on dates where numbers were available from both methods.

[damned]

How does the stats database record things differently to the alias system? As the stats system seems to report 1/3 to 1/2 of the number of games that the alias system used?

[ddavison]

Evidently it must.

[damned]

I like the old stats system better :)
You mention There is a separate topic - is that a topic that has been posted somewhere?

[ddavison]

No... just the topic of "pie chart is labeled wrong or has the wrong data" and "these numbers are lower than past reports". Those are 2 separate topics. The first topic doesn't appear to be an issue. The second topic probably needs some research to explain the drop/difference.

[Graylock]

I think those are impressive numbers. I'd love to know how many people worldwide play D&D. Those would be hard facts to come to, but surely those playing it on FG must be a small part of the total.

[GavinRuneblade]

I think those are impressive numbers. I'd love to know how many people worldwide play D&D. Those would be hard facts to come to, but surely those playing it on FG must be a small part of the total.

Raw numbers Wizards does not release. Some information comes out in the annual report for shareholders of Hasbro:
2018: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/23/hasbro-ceo-dungeons--dragons-is-having-its-best-year-ever.html
2019: https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2019/10/dd-weak-hasbro-sales-propped-up-by-dungeons-dragons.html

[Graylock]

Ah, good info @GavinRuneblade, thanks. It sure feels like a lot of people are playing these days, at least in my neck of the woods. I could throw a cat in a tavern and hit someone who has played, its seems. Good time to be a gamer, indeed.