Using FG at a Table Top game

[Xuub]

I'm just curious if any of you use FG in conjunction with your table top games. My table top group is considering it, and I wondered if anyone has tips, tricks, or experience with such a venture.

Thanks.

[Malovech]

I personally would not, instead I would recommend Heruca's VTT BattleGrounds. The fact that it's map is full screen really does it for me, if that were projected onto a big screen, or better yet projected downward onto a table it would be truly amazing.

[Sederien]

If you wanted to use FG at the table, I would suggest only two machines. One being the GM and the other being a player. The GM's would obviously remain hidden in control of the GM while the player's view would be projected onto a screen, television, or table (or even better a touch-screen table!).

But I wouldn't go as far as having individual players bring their laptops, etc.

[Xuub]

It would be cool if Fantasy Grounds could just do the full screen map. That doesn't seem too difficult. Do you think the designers might add that someday?

[Sederien]

Uh...

If I'm not mistaken, you can already do that. Set you maximum image/map size in your files to equal your screen height and width. I haven't done it myself, but I am relatively certain it is an option.

[Tokuriku]

I have modded my images so that they can appear any size I want on the screen, even bigger then the screen itself. I can open 5000x5000 pixel maps. If I used four screens positionned 2 by 2, I could see the whole map :P

I described the process below in another thread but it seemed easier for you if I just copy and pasted it rather then provide the link. Keep in mind that it was for FGI so some smaller code might have changed but the important stuff is still the same. Don't worry, if you can type the size you want for your images, that's all you need.

Here are the steps to make your maps the size you want:

- Open your FGII content folder (the one situated in the "Application Data" folder
- Make sure to make a custom ruleset
- In that ruleset, find and open: "adventure_images.xml" in you favorite text editor (I use Notepad ++)
- Change the code in red to the values you want.
- Save
- Reload your campaign

	<windowclass name="imagewindow">
		<datasource>image</datasource>
		<frame>imagebox</frame>
		<sharable />
		<minimize>minimized_image</minimize>
		<sizelimits>
			<dynamic>
				<hostcontrol />
			</dynamic>
			<maximum>
				<width>700</width>
				<height>700</height>
			</maximum>
			<minimum>
				<width>200</width>
				<height>200</height>
			</minimum>
		</sizelimits>
		<tooltip>
			<field>name</field>
		</tooltip>
		<sheetdata>
			<imagecontrol name="image">
				<bounds>20,22,-26,-27</bounds>
				<indicators>
					<availability>indicator_sent</availability>
					<locked>indicator_locked</locked>
					<loading>indicator_loading</loading>
					<zoom>indicator_zoom</zoom>
					<shortcuts>indicator_shortcuts</shortcuts>
				</indicators>
				<shortcut>
					<icon>pin</icon>
					<hotspot>2,21</hotspot>
				</shortcut>
				<drawingdefaultsize>500,500</drawingdefaultsize>
				<script file="scripts/imagewindow_image.lua" />
			</imagecontrol>
			<scrollercontrol>
				<bounds>-70,-75,40,38</bounds>
				<target>image</target>
				<button>
					<normal>button_scrollerpan</normal>
					<pressed>button_scrollerpan_down</pressed>
					<zoom>button_zoomer</zoom>
					<zoompressed>button_zoomer_down</zoompressed>
				</button>
			</scrollercontrol>
			<viewerlist>
				<anchored>
					<left>
						<anchor>left</anchor>
						<offset>21</offset>
					</left>
					<bottom>
						<anchor>bottom</anchor>
						<offset>-27</offset>
					</bottom>
				</anchored>
			</viewerlist>
		</sheetdata>
	</windowclass>

I use this and I have a blast since you can place images too and notes and the combat tracker if need be
It as been described by some people here on the boards that the sessions with FG take a little more time to resolve then in real tabletop games. A player of mine remarked on an online session that the combats where actually faster then the ones that we did in real life before. He remarked it without even knowing what the popular belief was here One thing though is that we use voice online to keep things in combat flowing.

On another note, I would recommend RPGSoundMixer for you table sessions as it gives a heck of a boost on the immersion side of things. You can "craft" ambiances and events with it that are just outstanding. I am considering using it online too.

[demonsbane]

Very good. Perhaps I would do that image modding as well.