5E Product Walkthrough Playlist
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  1. #1

    A year (almost) of FG for me

    I bought a FGU license last year to be able to play ttrpgs again during the pandemic.
    Today I got my second shot of the vaccine.
    And while I'll probably run games in person again sometimes, I'm going to be online with FG for the vast majority of my play from now on.
    I've gotten to play with old friends who were far away, and made new friends from far away. I've introduced the hobby to new players, and played with people on the other side of the planet! Thailand, New Zealand, the UK... (i'm in the US)

    I've been running 2 long running 5e campaigns, one has met every week with only 3 sessions missed since july 2020! I've done a bunch of one shot or short adventures too. I've played more often and more consistently than I ever played before.
    As a DM I love how much easier it is to provide maps and handouts. No running to the print shop, no more of my horrible scrawling wet erase marker on mat.
    Combat is so much easier to run. Battle against a dozen or more baddies? No problem!

    Sometimes I miss real dice, but honestly not that much, and I, or my players, can still roll em for big dramatic rolls if i want to.

    Anyway, I guess I just wanted to write a little love letter to the platform. It's really kept me sane and provided socialization during this very difficult year. Thank you Smite Works, this is a great bit of soft you've made, and I couldn't love it more.

  2. #2
    Thanks for sharing!

    JPG

  3. #3
    Zacchaeus's Avatar
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    Jolly Good
    If there is something that you would like to see in Fantasy Grounds that isn't currently part of the software or if there is something you think would improve a ruleset then add your idea here https://www.fantasygrounds.com/featu...rerequests.php

  4. #4
    I'll echo this.

    I bought my FGU licence a year and a few weeks ago. I started online VTT play with my long-standing group via Roll20 but quickly got frustrated with the lack of automation. FGU was the tool I tried to write myself when I was in University (on an Acorn Archimedes, for Rolemaster combat of all things). I fell in love with doing my prep on FGU and when we go back to playing in person I'll very likely have it running on a laptop - if I don't go the full TV play surface or data projector route!

    My group went from playing a few weekends back to one night a week, as we did for many years but had to stop when we moved too far away from each other. It's just brilliant to see all my closest friends every week for a fun romp through the Forgotten Realms.

    Now I have a second regular weekly game that I run stuff for in a home-brew world, taken online courtesy of FGU. I've met new friends from around the world and that solidifed into a new group. I've run one-offs and introduced a bunch of people to FGU - and although we all also play on other platforms because that's still where a lot of people are, we REALLY like the automation, the immersiveness of maps. Simple FX go a long way - I'm running a game with rifts in reality and all I have to do to let the players spot them is a little masked area with a bit of "water droplet" where it shouldn't be. Syrinscape provides the sounds and chat triggers time them to the players' actions. I even crafted a complete new magic system on the basis of being able to do that, centred around different sounds. I feel like it has unlocked my creativity again, with the limitations and the possibilities of online play both suggesting new ways to do it and new ways to share the fun.

    Playing on FGU is the absolute highlight of my week and, like the OP, it has absolutely kept me sane through the pandemic. I've not been into a shop in a year, but the FG store has seen a lot of custom from me! I absolutely love playing RPGs with the tools you have made!

    Best regards,

    Hywel

  5. #5
    Totally agree. I started FGU about a year ago. I roleplayed a LOT back in the 1980s and 90s, but stopped when I moved away from my group. Then, when I moved to Japan, I just figured I'd never roleplay again. Last year, with the pandemic, a guy locally started setting up D&D games for people. I started on Roll20, and it was all right, but I felt limited, especially by the upload limits, and wasn't interested in a monthly subscription. I did a ton of research and kept coming back to Fantasy Grounds as the most recommended option. I started a new group using FGU, and we've been playing together since.

    We did once-a-week for a long time, but a couple players recently suggested going to once-every-two-weeks, but to be honest, I'm so busy at work (and I love to homebrew), that I thought that was a good idea. So we've JUST switched. I love having more time now to prepare, and I can pursue my other hobbies on alternate weekends.

  6. #6
    For me it has been a 5 year ride, as I bought FG Classic Ultimate in 2016 and have been GMing since then my italian RL friends, of which most of them still living about 20km from me and one living in Germany.

    FG allowed us to continue playing. We did not have anymore the time to stay at the table for 4 hours and also one of our friends is living in Germany.

    We moved since 1 month to FG Unity.

    Also I started playing and GMing D&D 5e AL on warhorn.net and it was great to play with people coming from all over the world!

    What I can say is that, pandemic or not, we will continue playing with FG Unity.


    The experience at the physical table is different and maybe better but it requires a lot of money to do something like the FOG OF WAR, and 4 times the investment to play.

    If I didn't have the VTT, we probably will have stopped completely playing RPGs.

    Other thing to consider is that by playing once a week with friends on FGU, we still remain in contact even if everybody has family , kids and stuff to do IRL.


    Let's hope FGU will keep improving in the coming years and be the best VTT around!
    Neuronblaster GM on warhorn.net

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by *Neuro* View Post
    For me it has been a 5 year ride, as I bought FG Classic Ultimate in 2016 and have been GMing since then my italian RL friends, of which most of them still living about 20km from me and one living in Germany.

    FG allowed us to continue playing. We did not have anymore the time to stay at the table for 4 hours and also one of our friends is living in Germany.

    We moved since 1 month to FG Unity.

    Also I started playing and GMing D&D 5e AL on warhorn.net and it was great to play with people coming from all over the world!

    What I can say is that, pandemic or not, we will continue playing with FG Unity.


    The experience at the physical table is different and maybe better but it requires a lot of money to do something like the FOG OF WAR, and 4 times the investment to play.

    If I didn't have the VTT, we probably will have stopped completely playing RPGs.

    Other thing to consider is that by playing once a week with friends on FGU, we still remain in contact even if everybody has family , kids and stuff to do IRL.


    Let's hope FGU will keep improving in the coming years and be the best VTT around!
    and continue to be the best VTT around

  8. #8
    I startee using FG in 2018..the last full year before covid would become a common term in everyone's vocabulary. My need was besides my brother i dont know anyone IRL who plays. My friends from school used to.in the 80s and 90s but they moved on. Some literally..moving across the country and we lost touch. Hobby shops near me aren't that great and believe it or not the two that seem ok are not playing 5e..thats my main interest.

    So that's why i got into fg and i really like the system. Im well invested at this point having spent hundreds at the official store and DM's Guild. Its good to see Smiteworks pouring so much into fgu with constant improvements and features...i like that makes me feel good about my purchases lol.

    At any rate i agree its my VTT of choice. By far.

  9. #9
    About a year in for me also - no regrets
    Free(Forums/Forge) Extension(FGU 5E):
    Paid (Forge) Extension(FGU 5E):

  10. #10
    I have been playing for just over a year, too. It was costly at first, mostly because no-one else helped with the cost until they had played it a fair bit, but I'm glad I did as it's saved me time and it's allowed for a much larger campaign in scale.

    Without FGU, we wouldn't have had the map support nor the easy organisation that allows us to play more often and do much grander things. Thoroughly chuffed with it.

    One thing I have always been curious about, though, is whether those dice are truly RNG.....

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