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Lorsa
2018-08-15, 06:27 AM
Greetings all.

I am currently role-playing with my friends over Skype. Unfortunately we don't live in the same area anymore, so this is the best I can do.

It is working very well apart from one issue. If I want to show a map or use physical representations to help in combat, things get very tricky. It is hard to move the camera to show a "battle map" of sorts, and it is impossible for the players to point or move anything on it.

So my question is this; is there any such tool online? Something that can easily be used in combination with Skype? It doesn't have to be great, if it helps me draw up something quickly, to which the players to add or remove things, it will be enough.

Suggestions?

DeTess
2018-08-15, 06:39 AM
Have you considered using an online service like roll20 ? I haven't yet had to use those myself, but I've heard a lot of good things about those. These basically provide you with an online table-top that everyone is playing at, including maps, markers, etc.

Lorsa
2018-08-15, 06:57 AM
Have you considered using an online service like roll20 ? I haven't yet had to use those myself, but I've heard a lot of good things about those. These basically provide you with an online table-top that everyone is playing at, including maps, markers, etc.

I have considered it, though I am not sure how good the video quality is, and if you can get a full screen of someone's webcam with it?

DeTess
2018-08-15, 07:36 AM
I have considered it, though I am not sure how good the video quality is, and if you can get a full screen of someone's webcam with it?

I'm no expert, but I'd imagine you could run voice-chat through your preferred application, and only use roll20 for interacting with the map when it's necessary.

Lorsa
2018-08-15, 08:32 AM
I'm no expert, but I'd imagine you could run voice-chat through your preferred application, and only use roll20 for interacting with the map when it's necessary.

A quick look at Roll20 makes me feel that learning to draw maps there takes a bit of time and might be difficult to do "on the fly". Maybe someone who is used to it can tell me if that is true or not.

LordEntrails
2018-08-15, 12:32 PM
I have considered it, though I am not sure how good the video quality is, and if you can get a full screen of someone's webcam with it?
Nope, you don't get what a VTT does for you :)

Here's a video of my group last week using Fantasy Grounds to play D&D, this is the view from one of the players screens. We don't use web cams, but their is software (OBS) that allows what are called "overlays" so you can put headshots of each player over the top of the screen or any other video window (or you could just arrange your windows so that the VTT doesn't take up the full screen). We happen to be using Discord for voice, but Skype, Teamspeak or Hangouts can all be used.
https://youtu.be/kTL2I-GTlJk

So, in short, a VTT has the DM that can share maps/images, story details, and possible more (depending upon the VTT). IT allows the players to have character sheets, move their tokens around the map, etc. Watch about 1:20:00 to see how combat is done in that video with FG.

You have a bunch of choices for VTTs; Fantasy Grounds, Roll20, Maptools, Battle Grounds, d20 Pro are the most significant ones, though their are more. Some comparisons;
- http://battlegroundsgames.com/vtt-comparison-chart/
- http://www.fantasygrounds.com/filelibrary/VTTComparison.pdf

Let me know what other questions you might have.

LordEntrails
2018-08-15, 12:35 PM
A quick look at Roll20 makes me feel that learning to draw maps there takes a bit of time and might be difficult to do "on the fly". Maybe someone who is used to it can tell me if that is true or not.
The various VTT's aren't the best place to draw maps. Each has more or less capabilities. Most are designed not to draw the map real-time / "on the fly", but rather have it already prepared.

Here's some info on various map making programs. I use Campaign Cartographer, but I'm thinking you are going to want something that is simple and perhaps tile based.
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?20879-Map-Making-Software-summary
You might even want something as simple as this; http://print-graph-paper.com/virtual-graph-paper

Lorsa
2018-08-16, 09:23 AM
Thanks a lot LordEntrails! I have a lot to check up on, in order to find what is most suitable for me. You are quite right that I am very much in the dark of what a VTT can do these days.

LordEntrails
2018-08-16, 11:29 AM
If you decide you want a guided tour of FG, I'd be happy to show you. But, if you have Discord, you can go to FG College and ask there; https://discord.gg/Ew6nYyw

Their is probably someone there with better availability than I have :)