Running Star Wars on Fantasy Grounds?

[Quickeaf]

Hi everyone! Aaron here, also known as Quickleaf among gamers on the web.

I've been a Roll20 user for a couple years and while there's some cool functionality, I was spending about 3 times my normal game prep just figuring everything out and setting up my games. That left me really burnout.

Now, I'm looking at options for running FFG's Star Wars system (e.g. Edge of the Empire) online. Researching Roll20, I found that I'd need a Pro membership ($9.99/month) to simply get character sheets with buttons on them that roll Star Wars dice.

How does Fantasy Grounds compare for running Star Wars?

Specifically:

• How many users on Fantasy Grounds are playing FFG Star Wars? By comparison, in Roll20 about 11% of a 65,000 sample of 2 million players were playing Star Wars. Source: https://blog.roll20.net/post/1569070...report-q4-2016
• What level of subscription would I need to GM Star Wars in Fantasy Grounds? How much would it cost?
• I saw there is a user-created ruleset for Star Wars. Are these easy to install? Do they actually work? Is there a certain catch or a certain membership level required to use them?

Thanks in advance!

[vodokar]

Hi. Quickeaf.

How does Fantasy Grounds compare for running Star Wars? As compared to Roll 20? The same as running pretty much anything on Fantasy Grounds compared to Roll20. Better. But, I'm a little biased.

I can tell you, however, the Star Wars ruleset is developed by one of our most talented community developers, Trenloe; also a jolly good person and elder statesmen of the community. You definitely won't go wrong there.

I am uncertain as to the actual uptake of Star Wars in the community, but can tell you, in general, that between 5e and Pathfinder, that accounts for about 85% plus of games played here, with every other game fighting it out for that last 10 - 15 %. But, that's the same on Roll20 or any other place, pretty much. It's just the way things seem to be. That doesn't mean you can't or won't find someone to play with; it just means you need to be a little more patient, determined and proactive.

What do you need to DM? Only the "Standard" licence, which costs you either a one time fee of $40.00 or a monthly subscription of, I think, $2.00 a month. If someone at Roll20 or elsewhere told you it cost more than that, it was simply disinformation.

Again, welcome. If you have further questions, I'm sure more of the gang will be along shortly to greet you.

[Wookiee420]

i can tell you i would LOVE to play if you run a game!!!

[Quickeaf]

@vodokar Ah, great to hear that Trenloe has a good place in this community. I could tell from the videos he put out on the Star Wars ruleset that he was really doing it as an act of service, for love of the game.

Hmm. Is there any user data collected by Fantasy Grounds that's shared? Like the Orr Industry Report I linked in my post?

@Wookiee420 Haha, well thanks! I actually used to live in Colorado but I'm now in Hawaii...being 2-3 hours behind PST (no daylight savings in Hawaii so it alters) makes scheduling a real pain-in-the-rancor. So for now I'm contenting myself with setting up a play-by-post game until I can manifest one face-to-face or via a VTT.

[vodokar]

Here is the most recent numbers. https://www.enworld.org/forum/conten...s#.WL-PC_nyuUk

It looks like I was slightly off. 5e + Pathfinder is about 70%, not 85%. Lot's of different games are being played here. Just that there are a couple very large gorillas in the room we need to keep out from underfoot.

That being said, in general, as every place else, for any game, the issue usually isn't finding players. It is a shortage of Game Masters. As you are one, I am sure that "if you build it, they will come."

I might even be interested in playing if can find a schedule that meshes.

[Quickeaf]

Here is the most recent numbers. https://www.enworld.org/forum/conten...s#.WL-PC_nyuUk

It looks like I was slightly off. 5e + Pathfinder is about 70%, not 85%. Lot's of different games are being played here. Just that there are a couple very large gorillas in the room we need to keep out from underfoot.

Ah, cool! Well, to be fair, I play D&D so I'm guilty of being in with the 1,000 pound gorilla in the room.

So...how do I interpret these results?

I'm assuming it's a sample size and not total absolute numbers?

6,427 (2%). Are these numbers of players or numbers of games?

If number of players, it's comparable to Roll20's 7,220 (11%) Star Wars players.

If number of games, that would be crazy compared to Roll20's 1,590 Star Wars games.

[Trenloe]

6,427 (2%). Are these numbers of players or numbers of games?

That is the total number of gaming sessions ran using the Star Wars EotE ruleset in 2016.

[vodokar]

Right. My understanding is that SmiteWorks is able to somehow actually monitor when a Game Master opens an online session with players connected and what ruleset they are using. So, those are actual numbers of real games played and not simply some type of user survey response.

[Quickeaf]

That is the total number of gaming sessions ran using the Star Wars EotE ruleset in 2016.

Brilliant. Btw, thank you so much for the work you've put in on the Fantasy Grounds ruleset for Star Wars!

[Quickeaf]

Right. My understanding is that SmiteWorks is able to somehow actually monitor when a Game Master opens an online session with players connected and what ruleset they are using. So, those are actual numbers of real games played and not simply some type of user survey response.

Very cool. So with Fantasy Grounds...would the players in my Star Wars need to buy subscriptions/copies of Fantasy Grounds as well? If so, at what level?