Virtual Tabletops

[crossmlk]

I'm refering to things like Screen Monkey, Fantasy Grounds or Open RPG. Has anybody used any of these yet? If so are any of them better for MGT? Which ones have the best background/miniatures sets, especially for SciFi RPGs? I used Screen Monkey once or twice a couple of years ago and it was good, the only thing I found wanting was the background/miniature sets. If anyone has any insight, please share. Thanks.

Mike Cross
Terra/Sol Games
http://terrasolgames.com/

 

[AndrewW]

I'm refering to things like Screen Monkey, Fantasy Grounds or Open RPG. Has anybody used any of these yet? If so are any of them better for MGT? Which ones have the best background/miniatures sets, especially for SciFi RPGs? I used Screen Monkey once or twice a couple of years ago and it was good, the only thing I found wanting was the background/miniature sets. If anyone has any insight, please share. Thanks.

I've used OpenRPG awhile back. You don't have a specific set but can pull one from a website wherever, you aren't restricted in that.

There's also MapTools:

http://www.rptools.net/

 

[crossmlk]

Isn't there one of these VTTs that can use the 2d maps that you can get from places like DriveThrough RPG? Does anyone know if that's true and if it is which one(s) of the VTTs that is?

Mike Cross
Terra/Sol Games
http://terrasolgames.com/

 

[AndrewW]

Isn't there one of these VTTs that can use the 2d maps that you can get from places like DriveThrough RPG? Does anyone know if that's true and if it is which one(s) of the VTTs that is?

You can load maps into MapTools.

 

[Claybor]

I have tried them all at one point or another, and I prefer maptools if you are looking for a free solution. Fantasy grounds 2 is a good choice, but it is lacking a bit in mapping technology, and battlegrounds is extremely nice if you are only looking at the mapping and token end of things. The last 2 are both purchasable.

 

[crossmlk]

Does Battlegrounds not do a good job on dice rolling and chat?

Mike Cross
Terra/Sol Games
http://terrasolgames.com/

 

[AndrewW]

Does Battlegrounds not do a good job on dice rolling and chat?

Mike Cross
Terra/Sol Games
http://terrasolgames.com/

One doesn't have to use the same program for both map purposes and chat. One game I was involved with (in theory still am but alas haven't played for a while now, scheduling conflicts) used IRC for the chat, later added MapTools, tried the chat in there but decided to continue to use IRC for the chat and just use MapTools when doing combat.

 

[Claybor]

Does Battlegrounds not do a good job on dice rolling and chat?

Oh, it does fine in those areas. Battlegrounds is an excellent choice for a vtt. Of the 2 pay services (bg and fg), I would rate then pretty equal, but I would use bg if I had a more 'board' style game involving a lot of token/map use, and fg if I had a more narritive style game. I haven't purchased either yet as maptools has done what I needed it to do and is free.

 

[Treebore]

Yep, Maptools all the way, why pay when you can get something so good for free?

 

[kristof65]

Another voice for maptools.

The others are decent from my investigations of them, but the problem I ran into was my players and I were all new to VTTs and online play, and not everyone in the group was willing to fork over some money to buy a program to do so.

So we use Maptools and Ventrillo.

 

[Chumbly]

A question for those using maptools, I went and looked at it, but I couldn't locate a framework for traveller. What do you guys use?

 

[AndrewW]

A question for those using maptools, I went and looked at it, but I couldn't locate a framework for traveller. What do you guys use?

For myself nothing, don't use that part of it.

 

[kristof65]

I don't know that there are any Traveller frameworks for MapTools. I'm currently using it to play WFRP, my framework is real simple - a bunch of die rolling macro buttons - when I finally get around to using MapTools to play Traveller, I doubt my framework for it will be any more complex than the WFRP one is.

You don't actually have to use a framework to use MT, it just makes things more convenient.

 

[dragonladytoo]

Has anyone built a simple framework for the user stats, (I'm talking Maptools here). or have all of you simple rebuilt the wheel yourself?

I realize that a full out framework (like those built for DnD, Savage Worlds and Pathfinder) involve a lot a work and joint effort by a lot of people, but has anyone done any of that for the skills and stats of Traveller or has everyone up to this point stuck with building individual macros for their weapons and skill rolls?

I could see a lot of good use for this with the new Living campaign that Mongoose just started!

Robyn