Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Why no blog posts about Roll20
If you're wondering why I'm blogging about Fantasy Grounds and not Roll20 it's because I've climbed the steep learning curve of Fantasy Grounds but not of Roll20. I play games as a player on Roll20, but I don't know enough about the behind the scenes things to provide useful info. Sorry. Just to be clear, Roll20 is a good way to play AL Online. I just don't know that much about it.
Moving your character from game to game in Fantasy Grounds
You've played in your first Fantasy Grounds game, and you'd like to take that character and use it in another DM's campaign. In ALOnline this will happen almost every game, and while a DM can export your character and email it to you -- good players recognize that everything that you can do to make the DM's job easier is something you should do. You're a new player, and allowances will be made, but becoming skilled in doing these tasks in Fantasy Grounds is one of the behaviors that is expected of you. Adding effects to your character sheet comes next, but with a Level 2 character (you started with Level 1, and you're probably Level 2 now), you've still got some new player goodwill you can use until you get that proficiency under your belt.
This is a multi-step process.
1) When you've finished playing your game, and possibly updating your character, return to the loading screen. You can accomplish this by right clicking on the FG background (not the chat window or other buttons). This brings up an exit option. After selecting that option, you have the choice to exit game or return to the loading screen -- click on the left arrow option.
2) Choose the "Manage Characters" option. There should be a campaign listed in the window to the right of the button that you clicked. Choose it. Click on "Start."
In the future that window will get full of many different campaigns -- too many. Personally, about every 10 games or so, I use the windows file manager to find the Fantasy Grounds\cache directory and while FG is not running, I delete that directory. That gets rid of most of the campaigns from ages past.
3) Select the "PC" button and look at the PCs. Notice that some of them are "Local" and some of them are "Server." Any local character can be uploaded to any new campaign you join. Server characters can't. So we need to export the server character to a directory, and then import that file as a local character. The character is stored as a file in the *.xml file format. If we then have two local versions of the same character, we should delete the old one.
You may need to start with the "edit" round button. That will make the "new," "delete," "upload," and "download" buttons appear.
If you need to do this to multiple characters on multiple campaigns, you'll return to launcher, manage characters and choose the next campaign to continue.
I've found that I should import all of the characters that I'm going to import *before* deleting old characters. Sometimes when you import a character, if you've recently deleted a character, some of the characteristics of your deleted character merge with your imported character. If you find that you'd deleted a character and want to import one, I'd exit FG first, and then restart the program before importing the *.xml file.
A note on version control. Some people are gamblers..they resave their new character sheet to the same name as their old character sheet. I risk averse, and so I save every *.xml with a different file name. Yukitaro, then Yukitaro1b, then Yukitaro2, then Yukitaro2b -- where the number is the level of the character, and a,b,c is just my way of figuring out which one came first without looking at the time stamp. This way, if your character sheet becomes fubar, you can go back one version and fix it from there.
4) Every so often, you will want to print out your character sheets. When you do, go to ALOnlinetools.net and click on that big "Character Sheet from Fantasy Grounds XML" button. If you don't want to waste paper, you can print to a *.pdf.
This is a multi-step process.
1) When you've finished playing your game, and possibly updating your character, return to the loading screen. You can accomplish this by right clicking on the FG background (not the chat window or other buttons). This brings up an exit option. After selecting that option, you have the choice to exit game or return to the loading screen -- click on the left arrow option.
2) Choose the "Manage Characters" option. There should be a campaign listed in the window to the right of the button that you clicked. Choose it. Click on "Start."
In the future that window will get full of many different campaigns -- too many. Personally, about every 10 games or so, I use the windows file manager to find the Fantasy Grounds\cache directory and while FG is not running, I delete that directory. That gets rid of most of the campaigns from ages past.
3) Select the "PC" button and look at the PCs. Notice that some of them are "Local" and some of them are "Server." Any local character can be uploaded to any new campaign you join. Server characters can't. So we need to export the server character to a directory, and then import that file as a local character. The character is stored as a file in the *.xml file format. If we then have two local versions of the same character, we should delete the old one.
You may need to start with the "edit" round button. That will make the "new," "delete," "upload," and "download" buttons appear.
If you need to do this to multiple characters on multiple campaigns, you'll return to launcher, manage characters and choose the next campaign to continue.
I've found that I should import all of the characters that I'm going to import *before* deleting old characters. Sometimes when you import a character, if you've recently deleted a character, some of the characteristics of your deleted character merge with your imported character. If you find that you'd deleted a character and want to import one, I'd exit FG first, and then restart the program before importing the *.xml file.
A note on version control. Some people are gamblers..they resave their new character sheet to the same name as their old character sheet. I risk averse, and so I save every *.xml with a different file name. Yukitaro, then Yukitaro1b, then Yukitaro2, then Yukitaro2b -- where the number is the level of the character, and a,b,c is just my way of figuring out which one came first without looking at the time stamp. This way, if your character sheet becomes fubar, you can go back one version and fix it from there.
4) Every so often, you will want to print out your character sheets. When you do, go to ALOnlinetools.net and click on that big "Character Sheet from Fantasy Grounds XML" button. If you don't want to waste paper, you can print to a *.pdf.
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Fantasy Grounds Licenses and Modules
This post begins with an attempt to describe the capabilities of the various Fantasy Grounds licenses from the perspective of a new Adventurers League Online participant. It ends with a listing of the ways that FG DMs can purchase ready made modules for AL legal play.
There are three currently available licenses (as of July, 2016). They are 1) The Free/Demo License, 2) The Standard License, and 3) The Ultimate License.
The good news is that if you're never going to DM the Free/Demo license is all that you need. As a player, the most important benefit you get from purchasing a standard license is that you can play with DMs who also only have the Standard License. The majority of DMs currently advertising games on ALOnlinetools.net have the Ultimate License. But there are some very good ones who only have the standard license. If you wish to play with them, you need a standard license.
An analogy presented to me by Bryan Britt is that if the DM has the Ultimate License, she has purchased the rights to the table, and may seat whoever she wishes, but that if the DM has the Standard License, she has only purchased the rights to her own seat and you have to purchase the rights to your seat.
Purchasing a standard license, along with the Players Handbook (in Fantasy Grounds speak, it might be called the Complete Class Pack, interestingly all of the other Hardcover books seem to have the WotC name, except the Players Handbook), or a hand crafted Players Handbook substitute will also allow you to maintain your character without excessive typing and while not connected to someone else's server.
If you're not interested in being a DM -- you might not find the rest of this post interesting.
If you want to DM using Fantasy Grounds, then you need to purchase at least a standard license. Doing so allows you to DM a game for everyone who has a standard or ultimate license. If you purchase an ultimate license, then your players can play with the Free/Demo license.
Creating up an adventure module from a DDAL or DDEX *.pdf requires climbing a steep learning curve. There are many video tutorials on how to do this on youtube and I'm not going to try to replicate that information here. There are other ways to get AL legal material prepared for use in Fantasy Grounds.
1) DMSguild has just started (July 2016) to sell Fantasy Grounds DDEX modules. In the months to come, I expect to see most (but not all) of the Season 1-3 adventures to be available in Fantasy Grounds format. There are many Fantasy Grounds modules that aren't AL legal for sale at DMSguild, if you want to DM AL adventures, be sure to get DDEX, DDAL, or DDEN adventures.
2) Smiteworks (the Fantasy Grounds company) has a few DDEX modules available at their store.
3) DMSguild, Smiteworks and Steam have the WotC hardcover DDENs available for purchase.
4) If you join the Quest of the Week DM team, you get access to the Fantasy Grounds modules for the current season. Note that you still need to purchase the *.pdf from DMSguild. If you'd like to join the Quest of the Week DM team, you can post your interest in the https://www.facebook.com/groups/onlineadventureleague/ facebook group.
There are three currently available licenses (as of July, 2016). They are 1) The Free/Demo License, 2) The Standard License, and 3) The Ultimate License.
The good news is that if you're never going to DM the Free/Demo license is all that you need. As a player, the most important benefit you get from purchasing a standard license is that you can play with DMs who also only have the Standard License. The majority of DMs currently advertising games on ALOnlinetools.net have the Ultimate License. But there are some very good ones who only have the standard license. If you wish to play with them, you need a standard license.
An analogy presented to me by Bryan Britt is that if the DM has the Ultimate License, she has purchased the rights to the table, and may seat whoever she wishes, but that if the DM has the Standard License, she has only purchased the rights to her own seat and you have to purchase the rights to your seat.
Purchasing a standard license, along with the Players Handbook (in Fantasy Grounds speak, it might be called the Complete Class Pack, interestingly all of the other Hardcover books seem to have the WotC name, except the Players Handbook), or a hand crafted Players Handbook substitute will also allow you to maintain your character without excessive typing and while not connected to someone else's server.
If you're not interested in being a DM -- you might not find the rest of this post interesting.
If you want to DM using Fantasy Grounds, then you need to purchase at least a standard license. Doing so allows you to DM a game for everyone who has a standard or ultimate license. If you purchase an ultimate license, then your players can play with the Free/Demo license.
Creating up an adventure module from a DDAL or DDEX *.pdf requires climbing a steep learning curve. There are many video tutorials on how to do this on youtube and I'm not going to try to replicate that information here. There are other ways to get AL legal material prepared for use in Fantasy Grounds.
1) DMSguild has just started (July 2016) to sell Fantasy Grounds DDEX modules. In the months to come, I expect to see most (but not all) of the Season 1-3 adventures to be available in Fantasy Grounds format. There are many Fantasy Grounds modules that aren't AL legal for sale at DMSguild, if you want to DM AL adventures, be sure to get DDEX, DDAL, or DDEN adventures.
2) Smiteworks (the Fantasy Grounds company) has a few DDEX modules available at their store.
3) DMSguild, Smiteworks and Steam have the WotC hardcover DDENs available for purchase.
4) If you join the Quest of the Week DM team, you get access to the Fantasy Grounds modules for the current season. Note that you still need to purchase the *.pdf from DMSguild. If you'd like to join the Quest of the Week DM team, you can post your interest in the https://www.facebook.com/groups/onlineadventureleague/ facebook group.
Monday, July 18, 2016
A conceptual framework for someone new to D&D online play.
Often I see someone who is interested in playing Adventurers League D&D 5e games online.
If you don't know what D&D is ... this isn't going to help you much.
If you don't know what Adventurers League is ... this isn't going to help you much.
But if the "Online" part is what you're needing information on .. read on.
I wrote this in July of 2016, so if it's a long time since then, YMMV
Adventures League Online play consists of a network of rules, customs, software platforms, and an amazing number of amazing DMs who make use of this network to deliver a satisfying game experience to you.
The parts that we'll deal with are:
The ALOnlinetools.net website that coordinates many DMs with (3 to 7)*many players. The tools site has many other features, but the DM/player coordination is its reason for existence. The site itself is created and maintained by David Williamson who is not getting any money for his work on the site. If I were paying $5/month to have access to the site, I'd be disgruntled by its many quirks. Since I get to benefit from the site for free -- I'm quite gruntled. The games are reserved quite often far in advance, and people should drop their reservations when they know they won't be able to make it, but frequently don't. I'd guess that when you're listed as an Alternate, you have a better than 50% chance of being seated.
The Voice Platform: Commonly used voice platforms are Teamspeak and Skype, less frequently used are Google Hangouts and Discord. The DM chooses the voice platform (and the software platform) and you need to be able to communicate via voice in addition to text chat (with very few exceptions, DMs will not allow you to play using only text chat). I'm not going to get into the details of setting up all of the various voice platforms here. If you're just starting out, you might choose your first game to match a voice platform that you're familiar with.
The Software Platform: Commonly used software platforms are Fantasy Grounds and Roll20. In general Fantasy Grounds DMs prefer Teamspeak and Roll20 DMs prefer Skype, but there are exceptions. Both platforms allow you to play for free, with catches. In Fantasy Grounds, you can play for free if the DM has purchased the Ultimate License. In Roll20 you can play for free if you enter your character from scratch for every new DM that you play for. As a new player, you should try one game in each system before deciding which you want to focus on -- Also, even if you have a Tier 2 or Tier 3 character -- don't use it -- start online with a new Level 1 character.
Things to keep in mind:
In Fantasy Grounds, you can create your character on anybody's server -- find a game that is going to begin in a half-hour join the server and work on your character. When the DM comes on ask if you can keep working on your character, and if not, exit and save the work you've done so far.
In Roll20, you need to get an invite to the game before you can start work on your character, so sign up for a game at least a week in advance.
In general, the community is very supportive of people who are new to the software, and even new to D&D in the Tier 1 adventures for characters between level 1 and level 4.
So:
1) Get a Level 1 character.
2) Download the Voice platforms your DMs will use.
3) Download Fantasy Grounds, and set up a Roll 20 account
4) Sign up for a game, e-mail the DM to let them know it's going to be your first game.
Other things to keep in mind.
You can play D&D using these platforms that is not AL legal. Roll20 and Fantasy Ground (forums) are full of those games. You can even play other non D&D games using these platforms.
You can play AL legal D&D face to face. You might want to see if you have a local FLGS (Friendly Local Game Store) in your community. You can even play AL legal D&D at home.
If you don't know what D&D is ... this isn't going to help you much.
If you don't know what Adventurers League is ... this isn't going to help you much.
But if the "Online" part is what you're needing information on .. read on.
I wrote this in July of 2016, so if it's a long time since then, YMMV
Adventures League Online play consists of a network of rules, customs, software platforms, and an amazing number of amazing DMs who make use of this network to deliver a satisfying game experience to you.
The parts that we'll deal with are:
The ALOnlinetools.net website that coordinates many DMs with (3 to 7)*many players. The tools site has many other features, but the DM/player coordination is its reason for existence. The site itself is created and maintained by David Williamson who is not getting any money for his work on the site. If I were paying $5/month to have access to the site, I'd be disgruntled by its many quirks. Since I get to benefit from the site for free -- I'm quite gruntled. The games are reserved quite often far in advance, and people should drop their reservations when they know they won't be able to make it, but frequently don't. I'd guess that when you're listed as an Alternate, you have a better than 50% chance of being seated.
The Voice Platform: Commonly used voice platforms are Teamspeak and Skype, less frequently used are Google Hangouts and Discord. The DM chooses the voice platform (and the software platform) and you need to be able to communicate via voice in addition to text chat (with very few exceptions, DMs will not allow you to play using only text chat). I'm not going to get into the details of setting up all of the various voice platforms here. If you're just starting out, you might choose your first game to match a voice platform that you're familiar with.
The Software Platform: Commonly used software platforms are Fantasy Grounds and Roll20. In general Fantasy Grounds DMs prefer Teamspeak and Roll20 DMs prefer Skype, but there are exceptions. Both platforms allow you to play for free, with catches. In Fantasy Grounds, you can play for free if the DM has purchased the Ultimate License. In Roll20 you can play for free if you enter your character from scratch for every new DM that you play for. As a new player, you should try one game in each system before deciding which you want to focus on -- Also, even if you have a Tier 2 or Tier 3 character -- don't use it -- start online with a new Level 1 character.
Things to keep in mind:
In Fantasy Grounds, you can create your character on anybody's server -- find a game that is going to begin in a half-hour join the server and work on your character. When the DM comes on ask if you can keep working on your character, and if not, exit and save the work you've done so far.
In Roll20, you need to get an invite to the game before you can start work on your character, so sign up for a game at least a week in advance.
In general, the community is very supportive of people who are new to the software, and even new to D&D in the Tier 1 adventures for characters between level 1 and level 4.
So:
1) Get a Level 1 character.
2) Download the Voice platforms your DMs will use.
3) Download Fantasy Grounds, and set up a Roll 20 account
4) Sign up for a game, e-mail the DM to let them know it's going to be your first game.
Other things to keep in mind.
You can play D&D using these platforms that is not AL legal. Roll20 and Fantasy Ground (forums) are full of those games. You can even play other non D&D games using these platforms.
You can play AL legal D&D face to face. You might want to see if you have a local FLGS (Friendly Local Game Store) in your community. You can even play AL legal D&D at home.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)