The Randomness of the Pen and the Paper

[Redfive]

Any suggestions on tools to use? I have all the source material in PDF format so that's not an issue. I don't really want to spend a bunch of money on a dedicated product like Fantasy Grounds since I don't know yet if they'll like it or if this will turn into a long-term commitment. So I'm thinking we may just do a simple Zoom or Google Hangouts call.

FWIW, CoC, like most games, is free for Foundry. link You'd still have to buy one copy of the program itself, which is $50 for a lifetime, and like I said - the rules for most games are free. It's also less... counterintuitive than Fantasy Grounds.

I don't know the game at all, so you'd need to check that it's the same edition.

FGU isn't that bad, or maybe it is since there have been ...issues when we play. Not having the two usual FGU wiz kids around from my normal group has exposed my weakness in that area.

EDIT: Also, random thought, is it (CoC) available on Tabletop Simulator? That's pretty cheap.

This maybe?

[YellowKing]

EDIT: Also, random thought, is it (CoC) available on Tabletop Simulator? That's pretty cheap.

Ooh good call. The group I'm getting together all have TTS because we play board games together online from time to time. I didn't even think to look there. Even better, it has the "Edge of Darkness" scenario I'm running built-in.

[Blackhawk]

FWIW, CoC, like most games, is free for Foundry. link You'd still have to buy one copy of the program itself, which is $50 for a lifetime, and like I said - the rules for most games are free. It's also less... counterintuitive than Fantasy Grounds.

I don't know the game at all, so you'd need to check that it's the same edition.

FGU isn't that bad, or maybe it is since there have been ...issues when we play. Not having the two usual FGU wiz kids around from my normal group has exposed my weakness in that area.

It's not bad at all - and it wasn't my intention to say it was. It is, however, not exactly the most user-friendly of the bunch. It doesn't try to be - that's not its niche.

Having now used all three major platforms, I see it this way:

Roll20's niche is the polished experience. It's easy to learn, easy to use, and very straightforward. The trade-off is that it's relatively pushy with the subscriptions and microtransactions, and isn't as customizable under the hood. It's like Apple - everything is simple, easy, and ready to go, but at a price.

Foundry's is the one-time-purchase that focuses on versatility, balancing that and usability. Most of the content (including rule systems) is community-generated rather than being additional purchases. Tabletop Simulator isn't a bad analogy.

Fantasy Grounds' niche seems to be the deep-dive crowd. It's incredibly customizable and versatile, which is awesome, but the trade-off here is that all of those options make it less intuitive and creates a much steeper learning curve. If you're the kind of person who prefers Linux, writing batch files, and handling tasks through a command line, then this is for you. With a person who really knows all of the nuances, FG/FGU could doubtlessly blow the others out of the water. But if you're not that person, it's a bit of a struggle.

Every one of them is good, and every one is usable. It's more of a matter of which flavor suits you the best.