Account/Licence Questions

[tysonxy]

So I'm not sure how this would work so maybe someone could help clarify some questions I have.

I have a FGC and FGU licence(both standard) and a LOT of D&D 5e stuff purchased. I have used FG mostly as a way to organize my campaign(I DM) and use it as a map. With FGC I would run 2 instances on my PC(one a demo version) and use a projector as a second monitor. I'd just display the map with the demo on my projector and move around NPC's on the licenced version. It has worked very well so far. this has been my use of FG 95% of the time.

I am now switching over to FGU since it seems to be quite stable at this point.

So, I've tried doing this same thing with FGU but it doesn't seem to work. If I try running a second instance it wants me to close the first one. Not too big of a deal though. I can use my kids laptop as the "2nd Monitor", run the demo on that and output that to the projector. But my first question is:

1. Should I be able to run more than one instance of FGU on the same PC as you can with FGC?

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OK, second situation. Our main D&D group would meet about every 2-4 weeks for our games. Since COVID we haven't met at all. There were a few who really didn't want to learn Roll20 or FG to play on line. But there is one in our group who is VERY immune compromised and can't take any chances. So everyone is willing to finally take the plunge. A couple already have FGU and a couple will have to buy it. My wife is one of the players in our group that needs to buy one. She does not currently have a FG account. So questions for this are:

2. If I purchase a second FGU Standard license on MY account, can I log in with my account on 2 different PC's at the same time? Could I just purchase another licence on my account, install it on the other PC and log in on both PC's with my account use one licence on one and the other on the other? So I would have ONE account, 2 licences on 2 PC's. Is that possible?

3. If I did that would both PC's have access to all the content I have purchased?

4. Or would I need to have her create her own FG account and purchase the second licence there?

I hope this was clear enough and not too long winded. And before anyone suggests it, I do know I can get an ultimate licence as well. I just don't want to spend that amount of $$$ right now.

Thanks for any help. :)

[Trenloe]

Quick answer for #1. You don't do a second install of FGU (of FGC) on the same PC - you start up a second instance of the same install - assuming you're on Window, right-click on the currently running GM instance in the Windows taskbar and click on "Fantasy Grounds" in the little menu that comes up. This opens a second instance of FG, from the same install. Don't run an update or anything like that when two instances are open - just "Join Campaign" on the second instance and use localhost in the "Join By IP and Port" entry.

Make sure the GM is running a "LAN" campaign, not "Cloud".

[Trenloe]

For the second question(s) - FG licenses are user licenses. Therefore your wife should make an account, buy a license with that account and log into FG with the account. Her license could be a one-off "Standard" license or a standard subscription - which is currently on special at $3.99 for three months (then $3.99/month after that). I'm not sure how long the special offer will last.

[Kelrugem]

Quick answer for #1. You don't do a second install of FGU (of FGC) on the same PC - you start up a second instance of the same install - assuming you're on Window, right-click on the currently running GM instance in the Windows taskbar and click on "Fantasy Grounds" in the little menu that comes up. This opens a second instance of FG, from the same install. Don't run an update or anything like that when two instances are open - just "Join Campaign" on the second instance and use localhost in the "Join By IP and Port" entry.

Make sure the GM is running a "LAN" campaign, not "Cloud".

As an addition to Trenloe's answer: For some (or now all new installs?) people the windows shortcut somehow directly link to the updater, causing it saying "Close the other instance". You need to start the launcher of FGU directly, do not start it via the updater :) (relink the shortcut then when you're using that)

[Granamere]

If you upgrade to an ultimate license then on one else needs to buy anything. Your wife and friends can connect with just a demo copy.

Everything you buy is links to the account that purchased it. Once a person connects to your campaign they have access to whatever you are sharing. So if you share players handbook they have access to use of it content to make characters when they are connected. Small note, they will need to go into modules and select to load it the first time they connect, then they will have access to it.

Now if that same player account goes and buys Mythic Odysseys of Theros because they want to be a centaur well once they connect into you campaign since you are not sharing that content it will not be available to them. There are work arounds for this. You could buy the book to share or code your own centaur, etc.

[tysonxy]

That's awesome.
Thanks for all the help.

[Ampersandrew]

If you upgrade to an ultimate license then on one else needs to buy anything. Your wife and friends can connect with just a demo copy.

Everything you buy is links to the account that purchased it. Once a person connects to your campaign they have access to whatever you are sharing. So if you share players handbook they have access to use of it content to make characters when they are connected. Small note, they will need to go into modules and select to load it the first time they connect, then they will have access to it.

Now if that same player account goes and buys Mythic Odysseys of Theros because they want to be a centaur well once they connect into you campaign since you are not sharing that content it will not be available to them. There are work arounds for this. You could buy the book to share or code your own centaur, etc.

The "work around" is that you allow them to acces the content they own in your game.

[Granamere]

The "work around" is that you allow them to acces the content they own in your game.

If by that you mean they gift you the content yes that would work.

[Ampersandrew]

If by that you mean they gift you the content yes that would work.

No, I mean they try to open the content they own and you say yes. Then it works for them in your campaign. But only for them because no-one else owns it.

[Granamere]

No, I mean they try to open the content they own and you say yes. Then it works for them in your campaign. But only for them because no-one else owns it.

I have not tried this and I do not have a secondary account to really do it from. I did just try with a demo account connected into my main. On the main I unloaded everything to see if the computer running the demo version could try and open the default 5e free stuff and it could not. Not sure if that proves anything or not. I will have to try and test this out with some friends.

[LordEntrails]

No it does not prove anything, since demo accounts can not own/use any purchased DLC. What Ampersandrew says works. I've used it in others games and players have used it in my games.

[Ampersandrew]

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?54985-Player-purchased-module-not-showing-up-for-DM-to-activate&highlight=approve

Be aware, there seems to be an issue with it at the moment (possibly only in FGU).

[Granamere]

Interesting. So with my demo account I went and bought Unearthed Arcana. Nothing stopped me from buying it. I do agree when I logged in and made a test campaign I did not have access to it. I from the demo account also connected into a campaign on my main computer which has my account with an unlimited license that I had everything disable and I did not see it as an option to load it. Which again points to demo account can not access anything they have purchased. Good to know.

So what happens if a DM has a book disabled and the player owns it can they even try to ask to open it or since the DM has it disabled do they not even get to try? Sorry first time this has came up for me so I am learning here.

[LordEntrails]

Interesting. So with my demo account I went and bought Unearthed Arcana. Nothing stopped me from buying it. I do agree when I logged in and made a test campaign I did not have access to it. I from the demo account also connected into a campaign on my main computer which has my account with an unlimited license that I had everything disable and I did not see it as an option to load it. Which again points to demo account can not access anything they have purchased. Good to know.

So what happens if a DM has a book disabled and the player owns it can they even try to ask to open it or since the DM has it disabled do they not even get to try? Sorry first time this has came up for me so I am learning here.
Look at the product requirements on the product page. It says you have to have an active subscription or a one-time license. Then pay attention to what happened after your purchased and did an update, FG did not download the product to your vault, therefore it is not in your vault and not available for your demo account to load.

Items marked by the GM as not available (red x) will not be available for a player to load, it doesn't matter if they own that product or not.

If a player owns a module that the GM does not, then that item will show up (without an icon) in the GMs module activation window. They can chose to then allow it, disallow it, or leave it unmarked. If allowed and the owning player loads it, it will load. If disallowed they will not be able to load it. If unmarked, they can attempt to load it, which will then cause a pop-up for the GM to allow or not.

Note, this is current FGC behavior. As pointed out earlier their is a bug with FGU that is hindering this capability in FGU, but that is the intended/designed functionality.

Testing with demo accounts will not see this, because a demo user doesn't have the prerequisites to own any content. Jump on one of the discord servers and ask someone to test with you if you don't understand, or don't think any of this works like detailed.

[Granamere]

I bought the Savage world Jumpstart (hey they are free) and Unearthed Arcana. They did download and are all in my vault in both Classic and Unity on the demo only account.

I would say a demo account can not access any content they have bought because my demo account does have content and has downloaded it.

I have bought all the 5e stuff so I would need to try with a different game set. This is all neat. I continue to fine that there is always stuff to learn with Fantasy Grounds.