Probally heard this 1,000 times.

[shearnn]

Well, hey there. How to start... Well I guess i'll get straight to the point. I'm here to ask basically is Fantasy Grounds for me?

I've been looking at this program for over a week now and wonder if I should buy it or not... first time tonight i've really stopped and read through the features and such. A couple of question sprung to mind...

If I don't intend to run any games as a DM/GM then I don't need the full licence right? (Thats what I gathered at a glance.)

And is the community "noob" friendly?

I ain't going to lie to you, i've never played a game of tabletop in my life. I've been wanting to get into it for some time but my friends are "to cool" for it... I was reckoning this was the best way to go about it as i'm a little shy around new faces so i'd prefer to just type my RP.

I have RP experiences though... I used to RP over MSN with my mates 5 years ago or so now... was usually Dragon Ball Z RP or such (har har) and i've been on World of Warcraft for 2 years now on the roleplaying servers. (Probally looked down on from playing WoW... just a typical wannabe your probally thinking.) I just find that these limit your boundries or give you to much power over it (MSN wise) so I read up on D&D and it seems the perfect game for me. I've been reading up on some rules (got my hands on Dungeons and Dragons for Dummies) and now really wanna try it.

So... the question in all is am I welcome into the community really? Can [[I]] get games without having much experience?

Thanks in advance

Niall

[John_Geeshu]

Yes.

It's $19.95.

What are you waiting for?

[Griogre]

Most of the players here are more experienced than you because most learned in a table top environment and then for whatever reason found it convient to play online.

Like John_Geeshu said you only need the light version to play. There is no upgrade to the full version from the light version, though.

I can't really speak from anyone but myself - and I am not running any low level games right now - but most DM's running a 1st level game don't have a problem with new players joining in on their games who are interested enough in learning to play to actually read the rules or the SRD.

[Tropico]

Hey Shearnn, we actually have similar gaming backgrounds. Only I come from text-MUD games intead of WoW (but really, same thing anyways).. and I'm also scrambling to learn d20 well (though I might switch over to Savage Worlds.. but that's another story :p).

Like you I found the mechanical nature of those games limiting and ultimately immersion-breaking for me, and am looking for something else now.

Anyways I've had nothing but a warm welcome into the community. Like Griogre says, just be ready to put your part in, be cool, know your rules and pay attention in games, and you'll be fine.

If you look at recent and past Guild House threads you'll see there are usually a few games who look for / accept newbies. You might take a few days to find the right game for you, but keep at it and you'll be fine.

[Sigurd]

I used to RP over MSN with my mates 5 years ago or so now
D&D has a fair number of rules but as a player you can expect to have them explained to you and they are printed in the books. You need the books for whatever rule system you are going to play. One of the strengths of this program is that it doesn't replace the authentic game rules.

Wizards of the Coast has published the System Reference Documents (SRD) which contain most of what you need for standard D20 Dungeons & Dragons. I still recommend the main books.

People involved in the game tend to forget to explain what the shortform letters mean. Some also tend to forget that what the whole experience is eventually is interactive storytelling\narrative challenge.

You may find that your gaming experience on MSN is actually pretty useful. Online nobody can tell what you're wearing or see you when you scream :).

Mostly, you need a dedication to a storyline and a willingness to help people enjoy some suspension of disbelief. Don't be afraid to say "I dont know what this means?". Most eveyrone I've met has been very friendly with helping to figure things out. I wouldn't worry about being treated badly as a newb. Be punctual and have fun and you may quickly be the star player :).

Good luck.

One word of advice I give people is to take the upgraded server license. You can't upgrade later and its not really that much more. If you ever want to dm then its just a simple step. Dming is a lot of work and I always feel better if I take my turn occaisionally.


Sigurd

[Yenooc]

I can attest from personal experience that this group is extremely noob friendly. :D

[Kalan]

I can attest from personal experience that this group is extremely noob friendly. :D

No we're not...its all lies we use to lure in unsuspecting vict...


Errr...Welcome Shearman!

If you're willing to read the bg info on campaigns, most GMs are more than willing to sit down and show the ropes to "newbs" :) Tho if number crunchin ain't yer style, d20 can be a little intimidating at first...so try Savage Worlds ;) jk...most games out right now are running d20...but soon my precious...sooon we will...

Ehhm...sorry bout that...Evil Vinny sneakin thru AGAIN!

Anyways, have fun, lurk around, and if you're interested in just sittin in on a game or two, most are cool with that too :)

Later!

V

[Tokuriku]

This community is the most noob friendly I have ever seen and believe me I have seen a lot.
And even the long timers get along very well!
I suggest you go for the Full version though because as soon as they get to like Table Top, people usually want to try their hand at DMing and that means a Full Version and you don't want to buy both. Believe me, it's worth it.

[Azrael Nightstar]

Personally I find experience with roleplaying, rather than with a particular system or tabletop gaming in general, useful in a "noob". Explaining rules is easy enough and tends to come along with play. This is a very friendly and welcoming community, and I really doubt you're likely to run into any problems arising out of noobishness. As Sigurd said, just don't be afraid to ask questions if you don't know something; people are likely to be more than willing to answer, and glad you asked rather than trying to "wing it".

d20 D&D might not be a bad choice to start out with, as it enjoys the most support here (ie most everyone knows the system, lots of games to try out, FG comes customized for it, etc.) If you decide to try d20 D&D all you'd need to pick up other than FG is the Player's Handbook.

I'll also echo what others have said about getting the full license. I won't say you SHOULD get it, but you should definitely consider it. I've also found most people tend to want to try their hand at GMing at one point or another and buying the lite AND full versions isn't a good route to go. So think about it a spell, at least.

These discussions would be so much easier if there was an "upgrade to full license" option for sale... *hint, hint* ;)

[shearnn]

Wow... well from the replys I can tell that its a very strong community of like minded players. As of the main package... I think I will get that just incase I ever become a "D20 Veteran"!

Well, i'm going to leave it a couple of days and learn the ropes of D&D just to make it that bit easier. So I can run a game smoothly enough without asking about EVERY action someone takes.

Hope to see you guys in game soon!

Shearny~

[Sigurd]

Good, Now he's bought it we all agree never to play with him,,, Right!


:D:D:D :D:D:D :D:D:D



Sigurd

[shearnn]

I've not bought it just yet! Your plan was foiled!

[Kalan]

I've not bought it just yet! Your plan was foiled!

Soon tho my lovelies...soon...our plan will be complete ;)

[richvalle]

I've not bought it just yet! Your plan was foiled!

Thats what you think! Just be being here we've tracked you down and charged a full version and 6 lite versions to your credit card. You have been assimilated!!

:)

Welcome to the boards at least and, maybe, FG. If you have any d20 rules questions you can just post them in the Commons area and we'll get them answered for you.

rv

[Yenooc]

Good, Now he's bought it we all agree never to play with him,,, Right!


:D:D:D :D:D:D :D:D:D



Sigurd
Shhhhh! You said that with your outside voice! :D

[Azrael Nightstar]

Once you do get the program, be sure to check out the Combat Cheat Sheet mod in the Armory, Shearnn. In my experience the combat rules are the most difficult part of d20 to wrap your head around, so that would be a good place to start getting yourself acquainted. It's also worth looking back over/re-reading the Combat chapter of the Player's Handbook a couple times.

(Who's got the dust of forgetfulness? We really need to get better at this whole "not announcing the evil scheme" thing... Oh, and Plexiglas visors for the Legion of Doom, I'm telling you all!)

[SirJoe]

Hey ha Shearnn!

After a lot of humming and stuffing about, I forked out for the full version of FG2 and dove right into the forums as a noob... and not just any ol' nood, but one in a wierd time zone (Sydney Australia.) Within a couple of days I had arranged a game and have spoken with a couple of remote fellow gamers.

I can only say that so far, the forums have been very friendly, the chats interesting and support pretty damn good.

I am now putting together a bulk license order for some of my old uni gaming friends and hope the get them online soon.

Cheers,
JS