It seems that the "game season" will be exciting with all costs/benefits and so on.
One point that is frustrating and concerns me is about the contents we need to pay to release the "options" when play any adventure it does not matter where you are playing; it seems the contents are not interchangeable.
I will try to be very direct. When we buy the PHB, MM, DMG and Volo's as well as the other adventures modules such as Curse of Strahd and etc. That material should fit for any platform like Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, (very soon) DnD Beyond and any other one. The content should be interchangeable.
Let's think...... The books itself contain information, data that is used for different systems, however the data is the same: information about Characters, Classes, Races, Background, Features, Stats for Monsters, Maps, metadata, JPEG (tokens, maps), etc. Everything is there like text, which can be converted to numbers, tables, arrays, matrices, etc.
The program/game, whether is Roll20, FG, DnD Beyond, just need to read those data and their format and use them into their calculations and processing, as result showing to the players and DM the graphics and results as a real game board. The way each platform handles the game, whether with more graphical resources and some fancy effects like gradual lightning or spells effect when the characters are fighting doesn't depend (only) on the data which is inside the digital content
So, if we buy the digital contents from WotC those contents should be used in any platform by just loading the files into the game or exporting them from to another system.
But it seems that if you have a Roll20 subscription you need to buy the content from them to play. If you have a FG subscription you buy the contents from them. If you will have a DnD Beyond subsc. You will need to buy from them to play (?). I am not sure if it is really like that; I just bought a FG standard subscription 2 weeks ago and I did not tried playing adventures yet, I am exploring the Character creation step yet. It seems I have to pay for the same content in each system.
By saying that, even without knowing if we can export the contents from/to systems, it seems to me if you like very much one campaign like Curse of Strahd and you play it at Fantasy Grounds, which means you have already paid for all that content, and now when DnD Beyond starts running if you have a group of friends who you would like to play with them you have to pay again for the same content in DnD Beyond.
That sounds to me like paying twice for the same content that belongs to the same company just because you can not use it in 2 different game systems. Again, I would like to stress that I am not saying WotC will do something like that. I don't have experience in playing DnD in digital media.
If we think this already happens inside the computer/software industry and we have to swallow that, maybe that softens a little the pain for paying more money for the same contents.
I mean, you buy MS Office for Windows and just in case if you also have a Mac you need to pay for the same MS Office but Mac version; and the same happens to games, if you have Xbox and play assassins creed there, if you get a PS4 you have to buy the same game for PS4 platform.
Would be great if the WotC books, in digital media, could be used in any platform/system. We continue paying for the subscription in any system we like, but the content (files) is just one which can be loaded to the games.
I think that is the best way for the users/players specially in terms of saving money and at the end everybody receives the right share: WotC by producing the contents, the systems (Roll20, FG) by getting more subscribers and offering awesome graphical resources to them and the players by playing in any system they want for a "fair" and more affordable price.
Anyway.... It is what it is. And let's try having fun.
This has been brought up before in a few threads, so I'd rather not repeat what others or I myself have said. I was curious though, is there a particular reason you're going with Fantasy Grounds? I've had to use that program for one game and Roll20 for others, and I can honestly say that Fantasy Grounds seems counter-intuitive and rather out of date.
Reading the title of this topic, I also thought you were asking if content from various editions could be used in newer/older ones :P Like, the content from older Modules or monster manuals.
Thanks for your comment. No, there was no particular reason for going with FG other than a recommendation of a friend who plays a lot of games in STEAM. He is always saying very good things about STEAM and how nice are the deals where you can buy games very cheap.
When I say interchangeable content I mean, if I already bought the "PHB" from STEAM/FG can I use that material also in DDB when it starts running?
Sometimes STEAM has a really good deal for some games, and I thought I could buy the adventurers there cheaper and use the same "file" in DDB because at the end of the day he info inside those files is the same doesn't matter which system we are using.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Just sharing something else with you; I don't play digital games.
I play, weekly, DnD the old fashion way with the hard copy of PHB/MM/DM guide/Volo's Manual and the campaigns, a group of friends, battle maps, etc. we have all hardcopy for 5E, plus several materials that I buy from DMSGuild.
I decided to try a DnD digital version after watching some videos on Youtube and some streams. It seemed so cool.
I use MAC (iMac) and STEAM runs on everything, MAC/WIN/Linux. I installed STEAM months ago and it runs OK. 2 Weeks ago there was a deal on FG, standard subscription (only CAD33.00, in my case) and I bought it; even worse (or not) I also bought it as a gift for my older son, who is the DM of our group.
With the FG subscription, I got only the basics for creating characters and etc. I liked it, I am exploring those features and it is nice (nothing greater than some character sheets we can buy from DMSguild).
When I tried to create a War Cleric I could not because I have to buy a Core Class Pack (CAD55.00). Ok I was aware of that.
The point is, I can buy the pack to my son, the DM, and I thought that I could use his pack to create my War Cleric. However,I can only use my character when he, the DM, is in share mode with his players. So, I can not have my character sheet offline, in my computer.
The Other frustrating point is that although STEAM runs on MAC/WIN/Linux and the FG subscription also runs in those platforms, the other packs are only for WIN. It seems if I by the packs for me I can not install them in my iMac (UNBELIEVABLE!!!!)
I thought that by having STEAM everything would be transparent and when I buy a content I would be installing just some modules/libraries in my MAC but the main "content" would run from STEAM. It seems not.
So...... should I buy a PC/Windows to play DnD on Fantasy Grounds?
I think you got your question answered in another thread but to be clear there is no crossover of content between platforms such as fantasy grounds, roll20 and DND beyond. They are all independent of each other and all content must be purchased separately. As for Accessing DND beyond on a Mac it's just an online tool that's web based so if you can access the internet with a web browser you can get to the content. It is NOT however a virtual table top like fantasy grounds and roll20 despite my hopes for such ;)
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Hi DND Beyond Staff and Friends,
It seems that the "game season" will be exciting with all costs/benefits and so on.
One point that is frustrating and concerns me is about the contents we need to pay to release the "options" when play any adventure it does not matter where you are playing; it seems the contents are not interchangeable.
I will try to be very direct. When we buy the PHB, MM, DMG and Volo's as well as the other adventures modules such as Curse of Strahd and etc. That material should fit for any platform like Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, (very soon) DnD Beyond and any other one. The content should be interchangeable.
Let's think...... The books itself contain information, data that is used for different systems, however the data is the same: information about Characters, Classes, Races, Background, Features, Stats for Monsters, Maps, metadata, JPEG (tokens, maps), etc. Everything is there like text, which can be converted to numbers, tables, arrays, matrices, etc.
The program/game, whether is Roll20, FG, DnD Beyond, just need to read those data and their format and use them into their calculations and processing, as result showing to the players and DM the graphics and results as a real game board. The way each platform handles the game, whether with more graphical resources and some fancy effects like gradual lightning or spells effect when the characters are fighting doesn't depend (only) on the data which is inside the digital content
So, if we buy the digital contents from WotC those contents should be used in any platform by just loading the files into the game or exporting them from to another system.
But it seems that if you have a Roll20 subscription you need to buy the content from them to play. If you have a FG subscription you buy the contents from them. If you will have a DnD Beyond subsc. You will need to buy from them to play (?). I am not sure if it is really like that; I just bought a FG standard subscription 2 weeks ago and I did not tried playing adventures yet, I am exploring the Character creation step yet. It seems I have to pay for the same content in each system.
By saying that, even without knowing if we can export the contents from/to systems, it seems to me if you like very much one campaign like Curse of Strahd and you play it at Fantasy Grounds, which means you have already paid for all that content, and now when DnD Beyond starts running if you have a group of friends who you would like to play with them you have to pay again for the same content in DnD Beyond.
That sounds to me like paying twice for the same content that belongs to the same company just because you can not use it in 2 different game systems. Again, I would like to stress that I am not saying WotC will do something like that. I don't have experience in playing DnD in digital media.
If we think this already happens inside the computer/software industry and we have to swallow that, maybe that softens a little the pain for paying more money for the same contents.
I mean, you buy MS Office for Windows and just in case if you also have a Mac you need to pay for the same MS Office but Mac version; and the same happens to games, if you have Xbox and play assassins creed there, if you get a PS4 you have to buy the same game for PS4 platform.
Would be great if the WotC books, in digital media, could be used in any platform/system. We continue paying for the subscription in any system we like, but the content (files) is just one which can be loaded to the games.
I think that is the best way for the users/players specially in terms of saving money and at the end everybody receives the right share: WotC by producing the contents, the systems (Roll20, FG) by getting more subscribers and offering awesome graphical resources to them and the players by playing in any system they want for a "fair" and more affordable price.
Anyway.... It is what it is. And let's try having fun.
So, thanks again for your attention.
Sincerely,
Drakortex.
Drakortex, cleric of Bahamut.
This has been brought up before in a few threads, so I'd rather not repeat what others or I myself have said. I was curious though, is there a particular reason you're going with Fantasy Grounds? I've had to use that program for one game and Roll20 for others, and I can honestly say that Fantasy Grounds seems counter-intuitive and rather out of date.
Reading the title of this topic, I also thought you were asking if content from various editions could be used in newer/older ones :P Like, the content from older Modules or monster manuals.
Hi nsanelilmunky,
Thanks for your comment. No, there was no particular reason for going with FG other than a recommendation of a friend who plays a lot of games in STEAM. He is always saying very good things about STEAM and how nice are the deals where you can buy games very cheap.
When I say interchangeable content I mean, if I already bought the "PHB" from STEAM/FG can I use that material also in DDB when it starts running?
Sometimes STEAM has a really good deal for some games, and I thought I could buy the adventurers there cheaper and use the same "file" in DDB because at the end of the day he info inside those files is the same doesn't matter which system we are using.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Just sharing something else with you; I don't play digital games.
I play, weekly, DnD the old fashion way with the hard copy of PHB/MM/DM guide/Volo's Manual and the campaigns, a group of friends, battle maps, etc. we have all hardcopy for 5E, plus several materials that I buy from DMSGuild.
I decided to try a DnD digital version after watching some videos on Youtube and some streams. It seemed so cool.
I use MAC (iMac) and STEAM runs on everything, MAC/WIN/Linux. I installed STEAM months ago and it runs OK. 2 Weeks ago there was a deal on FG, standard subscription (only CAD33.00, in my case) and I bought it; even worse (or not) I also bought it as a gift for my older son, who is the DM of our group.
With the FG subscription, I got only the basics for creating characters and etc. I liked it, I am exploring those features and it is nice (nothing greater than some character sheets we can buy from DMSguild).
When I tried to create a War Cleric I could not because I have to buy a Core Class Pack (CAD55.00). Ok I was aware of that.
The point is, I can buy the pack to my son, the DM, and I thought that I could use his pack to create my War Cleric. However,I can only use my character when he, the DM, is in share mode with his players. So, I can not have my character sheet offline, in my computer.
The Other frustrating point is that although STEAM runs on MAC/WIN/Linux and the FG subscription also runs in those platforms, the other packs are only for WIN. It seems if I by the packs for me I can not install them in my iMac (UNBELIEVABLE!!!!)
I thought that by having STEAM everything would be transparent and when I buy a content I would be installing just some modules/libraries in my MAC but the main "content" would run from STEAM. It seems not.
So...... should I buy a PC/Windows to play DnD on Fantasy Grounds?
Would be happening the same in DDB, for instance?
Thanks for your time and attention.
Sincerely,
Drakortex.
Drakortex, cleric of Bahamut.
I think you got your question answered in another thread but to be clear there is no crossover of content between platforms such as fantasy grounds, roll20 and DND beyond. They are all independent of each other and all content must be purchased separately. As for Accessing DND beyond on a Mac it's just an online tool that's web based so if you can access the internet with a web browser you can get to the content. It is NOT however a virtual table top like fantasy grounds and roll20 despite my hopes for such ;)