Syrinscape integration, only if I share my initial link can everyone else hear it.

[chriscaouette]

Unless I am doing something incorrect, I have tried this in two different sessions with the same result.
in FG:

Generate URL
Share URL



If I click the shared link that appears in the chat, it will open the web player, and I can start it. For anyone else that does this, it will not work unless I share the unique link that I received.

Should I be waiting for everyone to click the link before clicking the Start Listening on the web player? Some people join late so that doesn't seem logical.

[JohnD]

Players need to click on the link you push to chat. You can push the link multiple times as successive players connect.

Personally I like to have some quiet tavern or camp mood music on during the pre-game show.

You can start the webplayer before any of your players have clicked the link in chat; when they connect they'll get the sounds/music you've got playing as soon as it loads.

[chriscaouette]

Players need to click on the link you push to chat. You can push the link multiple times as successive players connect.

Personally I like to have some quiet tavern or camp mood music on during the pre-game show.

You can start the webplayer before any of your players have clicked the link in chat; when they connect they'll get the sounds/music you've got playing as soon as it loads.

That's what I've been doing but it never starts for the other players, just me. I have to re-share my link from the browser URL for it to work for the players for some reason.

[JohnD]

That's what I've been doing but it never starts for the other players, just me. I have to re-share my link from the browser URL for it to work for the players for some reason.

Hmm... that seems like not the way it's supposed to work.

[Zacchaeus]

Indeed. My players don't hear anything either (most of the time). Every so often it works for whatever reason. But my experience is still problematic. I thought something was still needing to be fixed but I could be wrong. I didn't try the sharing url that the OP mentions - so maybe I'll try that next time.

[Griogre]

I think that if a player is late and clicks the link after you have started some audio they will not hear the playing audio on the web player until you start something else. IE if something is already playing they won't hear anything until the audio changes (I read that somewhere but no idea if it was here or on the Syrinscape site). You don't have to send the link again you just need to change or restart the same sound link.

Keep in mind the usual caveats, that players joining after something was displayed in chat don't see it - so yes you are going to either have to wait until everyone is connected to share the link or just reshare it after each player connects. And then restart or change the audio

[Trenloe]

Here are the steps that I follow and I haven't had any issues.

Do once: I follow the steps outlined in the Wiki for the initial settings here: https://fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FGCP/pages/2078932993/Using+Sound+Links#Sound-Settings This should only have to be done once.

A) In my game, after players have joined, I'll use the Invite button in the Sound: Context window, which puts two links in Chat for the GM and one link in Chat for the players. GM view:

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=58148

You can use the "Invite" button to re-post the links to chat for any players that join later, or have to re-join and have closed their browser. The Invite button will always use the same session ID that you generated in the "Do once" section above. Don't "Generate" a new Web Player Session URL once you have it setup - you should only need to do this once.

B) As the GM, I'll click on the "Syrinscape session controls" link (#2 in the screenshot above) and I accept the URL confirmation that appears - I select Yes to All. This will open the GM's instance of Syrinscape web player in the default browser on your computer:

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=58149

A couple of things here - #1 shows that sounds are being played. #2 is the unique reference for your session - use this if there are issues on the player side (see below) to check they're in the same session. If you don't see a session ID in the URL then you're not in a shared session, you're in stand-alone player mode.

The GM doesn't do anything else from their side - other than play music as desired, either directly in the Syrinscape web application or via sound sets in FG.

C) The player will only have access to the "Join my Syrinscape session!" link in chat - they should click this and accept the URL window that appears in FG. Then the following window will appear in their default browser outside of FG:

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=58150

#1 is the Syrinscape session ID - it should match that of the GM. If you "Generate" a Web Player Session URL through the FG Sound: Settings window, this ID will change - hence you should only Generate the Session URL once within FG.
#2 - the player should click the "Click to Start" button - they should not click the "New Game" button in the top right.

D) Once the player has clicked on the "Click to Start" button, they should see the following window:

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=58151

They don't need to do anything else - it may initially take a few seconds for audio to start playing (if the GM has something playing). All the player should do in this window is adjust the volume as desired using the volume slider in the middle of the window. The player should *never* press "New Game".

Summary

The key take aways are:
1) Only Generate the Web Player Session URL once - if you do it again then you'll get a new session ID and will need to use that in all links - so if you've stored any Syrinscape FG link within a Story or Message of the Day entry, these will need to be recreated.
2) The GM uses only the GM "Syrinscape session controls" link to start their Syrinscape session and should ensure that they are in the Web session with their session ID (see #2 in the screenshot in B above). If you don't see a session ID in the URL then you're not in a shared session, you're in stand-alone player mode.
3) Players only use the "Click to Start" button in the browser page that opens from their "Join my Syrinscape session!" FG link - they shouldn't click "New Game".
4) If a player has followed the instructions, check that their session ID in their browser address is the same as that in the GM's browser address.

[Zacchaeus]

Thanks Trenloe; I'll give this a go.

I've been opening Syrinscape in my browser and logging into my account and starting up a session; then using the Generate button and then putting out the Invite. So clearly that's the problem. Just opening the account generates a session. Also, of course, when it doesn't work I then start clicking generate again, and invite again etc. The crucial piece of diagnostic information though is that the session ID is shown in the url which I didn't know.

Update: Managed to get a quick test done with one of my players and the method outlined above is definitely the way to go. Thanks again big man :)

[Trenloe]

Update: Managed to get a quick test done with one of my players and the method outlined above is definitely the way to go. Thanks again big man :)
No worries fella. Glad you managed to follow my blather! :)

[Griogre]

Great tutorial, Trenloe. :D

I should have mentioned I don't use the Syrinscape session controls from my homebrew games, I just listen from the player browser and run the sounds from inside FGU from the "Sound: Context" Window.

I've found that tieing general moods to a map image soundset, and combat sounds to the main monster in an encounter makes the Sound: Context window work well. For smaller areas/dungeons with thematic monster encounters you only need a few custom soundsets.

If you need a monster combat sound on the fly that you don't have a sound set for, in 5E, can just open a similar monster from the Monster Manual - right click and "coin it" - to load monster sounds into the "Sound: Context window" without taking up much screen real estate.

That said, there are some real advantages to using the Syrinscape session controls. The biggest to me is you can search and mix sounds into a specific mood.

Here's a image of a homebrew where you can see most of the sound sets are tied to maps, story entries and a few monsters not in the Monster Manual.