The software

[GreyFalcon70]

Hello,

I have played D&D for years from pen and paper to online. I am looking to maybe get back to my roots as it were and like the idea of a tabletop. I fooled around with roll 20 years ago. it seems that fantasy is the newest thing. I would like a straight forward answer though is it worth it? is it hard to find groups? is it worth my 40$? Looked at it I like what I see but want some feedback.

Thanks,
Grey

[Zacchaeus]

Hi GreyFalcon welcome to FG.

Since this is the FG forum of course we are going to say it is worth it. The only way that you can determine that for yourself is to play around with it.

If you are going to be a player then the chances are very high that you will only need to demo version since most DMs have the Ultimate license which allows any number of players with the demo to join their games. You only really need to invest in a license if you are going to be a DM.

I'd suggest that you join the FGCollege and they'll give you a handle on the software. You may also find games in the looking for groups channel here or in the DM looking for players channel on the official Discord.

[SirGraystone]

I have been using Fantasy Grounds for the last two years, it brought me back to D&D, I play twice a week as DM and 1 or 2 night as a player so even at 150 for the ultimate version it was worth it for me.

You see many game looking for players in the LFG forums you can have a look before buying anything, or post you availability with the day of the week, the hours and time zone you are in, but it is of course easier to find a game if you are DM.

About the 40$, if you join a game in which the DM as the ultimate version of FG then you can use the free version to play.

[LordEntrails]

Well, FG actually isn't the New thing, I think it pre-dates Roll20 by 3 or 4 years. Note that it is also always improving. We get several significant release upgrades a year (roughly 3 or 4 I think?). So don't worry about thinking the software is old or stale.

I did my research on VTT's back on 2015 I think. There were many reasons I chose FG at the time. The biggest ones were;
1) DM prep time and making homebrew content is much easier here than Roll20 or elsewhere. Still true today, plus if you make custom 5E content you can sell it on the DMsGuild.com if you want (and you should check their under "Virtual Table Top" format to see lots of community made content).
2) The community here. It's active, it friendly, and it's open. Unlike other places, as long as you show civility you can talk openly about FG and gaming. If you look hard enough, you'll find complaints etc and they are openly discussed with the developers. To me, a company that suppresses discussion about its weaknesses versus a company that openly admits and discusses areas for improvement is a big difference. Not to say I think FG has lots of flaws or problems, I don't, I think it's very solid. But there are design choices and practical limitations that not everyone agrees with. And such is discussed openly and civilly with FG.
3) Official content. At the time FG was the only one with licensed 5E content. Now you can get most of it on Roll 20, but at full price where on FG it's about half off (or less). So even after buying an FG license (required to use the 5E books unless a GM shares them with you), FG is still cheaper once you buy 2 books.
4) FG is client-server and not Software as a Service. This means if FG ever goes out of business I still have access to the program and all my content (unlike if Roll20 ever shuts down or changes their terms of service.)
5) I found FG much easier to use than Roll20. I'm an anomaly I know
6) FG is, at least for the way I like to run games, is the better VTT.

So yea, imo, its worth every dollar I've spent on it.

[ddavison]

Try it for 30 days and then return it for a full refund if you don't like it.

[seycyrus]

...is it worth my 40$? ...
Grey

Yes, it is worth three times that.

[damned]

fantasy grounds is a much more feature rich platform.
finding games though is still up to you. it is a social hobby built on social interactions. you will need to engage with people and explore opportunities as they present.

[GavinRuneblade]

I don't regret a penny I've spent.

And the two biggest reasons for me have both been mentioned by others: the community here is amazing and helpful; and if anything happens years down the road the software is still functional on my computer for as long as I want to keep using it.

[GreyFalcon70]

Thanks For all the Info

[Arion]

I have been using FG since early 2009 (mainly to GM) and we are still playing at least once a week. It now feels more real than face to face gaming does!