Roastbeef
May 17th, 2020, 12:19
Greetings everyone, Lieutenant Newbs here reporting in!
I am happy to report that I have purchased Fantasy Grounds along with pretty much every Pathfinder 1st edition accessory / sourcebook available on the site (not the adventure campaigns though-- I would prefer to create my own...I don't see the fun in just going through the motions with someone else's static adventure). I'm somebody who likes to have a huge library of classes, feats, spells, races, monsters etc. and rule options available to me for both the creation of characters and campaigns.
This is why I am waiting for Pathfinder 2nd edition to build up over time with more books...I do intend on getting into this edition as well at some point (I like the fact that you can take character customization ever further with the wide choice of feats at every level... no two characters from the same class ever play exactly the same way).
Anyways, I am merrily plunking away with the books and program while watching a ton of youtube videos to take notes on combat and the like to get more comfortable with the 3.5 - 3.75+++ system (or whatever you would like to call it :)).
I have the following questions for you Fantasy Grounds veterans:
1) What is the best battle map software available out there? I am more interested in battle map software that can be used to plot out tactical combat on a detailed (lots of items, furniture and other objects you can use to decorate the maps) encounter / small area map as opposed to world building - creating a large continental map (I would prefer wilderness, urban and dungeon areas as well). I'm thinking of using the Forgotten Realms setting as the world for my first campaign all the same. I've been doing research and right now I am looking at Mapforge and Arkenforge as the two primary contenders. I know that Arkenforge is made to be compatible with Fantasy Grounds (this is a huge plus), but I feel that Mapforge has more content and their maps just look more appealing to me (the art style).
Which of these two programs would you consider the most functional and easy to use? Do you have other suggestions for other software that might be better and cheaper?
How easy is it to take one of your created maps and export it to Fantasy Grounds to properly apply the squares necessary to gauge combat?
2) Where can we find information on how to properly enter new spells, equipment, feats and the like into Pathfinder? What I mean: Is there available information on how exactly to correctly enter new spells, feats, weapons, armor etc into the program so that these new additions will be recognized and operated properly within the software during battles and the like? Is there a certain format you need to follow? Entering new items is easy enough, but I would like to make certain that I am entering the information correctly in order to have the database and software run the effects properly...I do not feel like spending a large chunk of my time adding hundreds of new items in the system only to have them not be entered correctly and not be recognized by the program's functions.
Are there any available utilities or software out there that make the process easier / ensure that your new items are properly programmed - formatted?
I have a bunch of physical - hard cover D&D 3.5 Forgotten Realms sourcebooks (Races of Faerun, Underdark, Champions of Ruin etc) that I would like to input into the program to give me even more options. I would like to start adding all the spells, feats, classes and other items from those books at some point.
3) How do you include all the newly entered items (feats, classes, races, equipment, spells entered by yourself) into the library of all the items already available to me through the official Pathfinder 1st edition sourcebooks I have purchased?
Must you add your manually entered items somewhere else or can you just add them into the list of spells, classes, races, feats already available to you in a campaign when you open up all the other modules you want to use for the campaign?
4) I've noticed that the Pathfinder 1st edition library on the Fantasy Grounds site is not complete: you are missing a few of the Bestiaries and other books that are still available elsewhere in the hardcover - soft cover formats.
Does Fantasy Grounds have any plans to keep releasing new books (I know that they have released that Planar book recently) or is this it for 1st edition?
As always, thank you very much for your help!
- Chris
I am happy to report that I have purchased Fantasy Grounds along with pretty much every Pathfinder 1st edition accessory / sourcebook available on the site (not the adventure campaigns though-- I would prefer to create my own...I don't see the fun in just going through the motions with someone else's static adventure). I'm somebody who likes to have a huge library of classes, feats, spells, races, monsters etc. and rule options available to me for both the creation of characters and campaigns.
This is why I am waiting for Pathfinder 2nd edition to build up over time with more books...I do intend on getting into this edition as well at some point (I like the fact that you can take character customization ever further with the wide choice of feats at every level... no two characters from the same class ever play exactly the same way).
Anyways, I am merrily plunking away with the books and program while watching a ton of youtube videos to take notes on combat and the like to get more comfortable with the 3.5 - 3.75+++ system (or whatever you would like to call it :)).
I have the following questions for you Fantasy Grounds veterans:
1) What is the best battle map software available out there? I am more interested in battle map software that can be used to plot out tactical combat on a detailed (lots of items, furniture and other objects you can use to decorate the maps) encounter / small area map as opposed to world building - creating a large continental map (I would prefer wilderness, urban and dungeon areas as well). I'm thinking of using the Forgotten Realms setting as the world for my first campaign all the same. I've been doing research and right now I am looking at Mapforge and Arkenforge as the two primary contenders. I know that Arkenforge is made to be compatible with Fantasy Grounds (this is a huge plus), but I feel that Mapforge has more content and their maps just look more appealing to me (the art style).
Which of these two programs would you consider the most functional and easy to use? Do you have other suggestions for other software that might be better and cheaper?
How easy is it to take one of your created maps and export it to Fantasy Grounds to properly apply the squares necessary to gauge combat?
2) Where can we find information on how to properly enter new spells, equipment, feats and the like into Pathfinder? What I mean: Is there available information on how exactly to correctly enter new spells, feats, weapons, armor etc into the program so that these new additions will be recognized and operated properly within the software during battles and the like? Is there a certain format you need to follow? Entering new items is easy enough, but I would like to make certain that I am entering the information correctly in order to have the database and software run the effects properly...I do not feel like spending a large chunk of my time adding hundreds of new items in the system only to have them not be entered correctly and not be recognized by the program's functions.
Are there any available utilities or software out there that make the process easier / ensure that your new items are properly programmed - formatted?
I have a bunch of physical - hard cover D&D 3.5 Forgotten Realms sourcebooks (Races of Faerun, Underdark, Champions of Ruin etc) that I would like to input into the program to give me even more options. I would like to start adding all the spells, feats, classes and other items from those books at some point.
3) How do you include all the newly entered items (feats, classes, races, equipment, spells entered by yourself) into the library of all the items already available to me through the official Pathfinder 1st edition sourcebooks I have purchased?
Must you add your manually entered items somewhere else or can you just add them into the list of spells, classes, races, feats already available to you in a campaign when you open up all the other modules you want to use for the campaign?
4) I've noticed that the Pathfinder 1st edition library on the Fantasy Grounds site is not complete: you are missing a few of the Bestiaries and other books that are still available elsewhere in the hardcover - soft cover formats.
Does Fantasy Grounds have any plans to keep releasing new books (I know that they have released that Planar book recently) or is this it for 1st edition?
As always, thank you very much for your help!
- Chris