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Old 11-21-2017, 12:09 PM   #1
KataH
 
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Default Virtual Table Top (VTT) support

I was just curious as to why Steve Jackson Games is not supporting VTTs like Roll20 or Fantasy Grounds?
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Old 11-21-2017, 12:22 PM   #2
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Default Re: Virtual Table Top (VTT) support

I was wondering about this same thing. I had heard that someone had overheard Steve Jackson himself saying he would not endorse or support any VTT.
Probably concerned about licensing issues I guess.
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Old 11-21-2017, 12:36 PM   #3
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Default Re: Virtual Table Top (VTT) support

Licensing should certainly be a concern, especially when you're not one of the big players and might be forced to sell product at reduced price. Also you're basically telling your base "this is official business. we support it" when you might have no say about the actual implementation, which might well be buggy. SJGames has always been anxious about providing quality product and declining business offers when they can't guarantee that.
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Old 11-21-2017, 12:43 PM   #4
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Default Re: Virtual Table Top (VTT) support

I can certainly understand that about licensing and quality control.
But it would be nice if they put some effort into it.
For example in Roll20
1. Create a very nice and supportable Character Sheet. Yes I know the system has 2 fan created sheets but they aee unsupported right now and rather simple and not very flexible.
2. Create a script to import from GCA into that Roll20 character sheet.
3. Work with Roll20 to make it more compatible with a Hex based system and help to create specific Macros for GURPS.
They do not need to make any sort of SRD.

All of these ideas do not require any type of licensing that I am aware of.
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Old 11-21-2017, 12:46 PM   #5
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Default Re: Virtual Table Top (VTT) support

Quote:
Originally Posted by KataH View Post
I was just curious as to why Steve Jackson Games is not supporting VTTs like Roll20 or Fantasy Grounds?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drone 5 View Post
I was wondering about this same thing. I had heard that someone had overheard Steve Jackson himself saying he would not endorse or support any VTT.
Probably concerned about licensing issues I guess.
Interesting how both of these posts came from the same computer 13 minutes apart, and the second post from a brand-spankin'-new account.

Thread locked.

ETA: The original poster has contacted me and explained the situation to my satisfaction. The thread is reopened.
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Old 11-21-2017, 01:31 PM   #6
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Default Re: Virtual Table Top (VTT) support

Quote:
Originally Posted by KataH View Post
I can certainly understand that about licensing and quality control.
But it would be nice if they put some effort into it.
For example in Roll20
1. Create a very nice and supportable Character Sheet. Yes I know the system has 2 fan created sheets but they aee unsupported right now and rather simple and not very flexible.
2. Create a script to import from GCA into that Roll20 character sheet.
3. Work with Roll20 to make it more compatible with a Hex based system and help to create specific Macros for GURPS.
They do not need to make any sort of SRD.

All of these ideas do not require any type of licensing that I am aware of.
All three of them require SJ Games invest money now for a vague and undefined return of potential increased sales in the future. None of them are activities that SJ Games has any particular competency at, so there's no reason to expect their efforts would be any better than the fan efforts.

None of them require licensing, but doing any of them might interfere with future license negotiations for computer products that would get them licensing income.

Finally, there's a serious question of which VTT to invest in. You say Roll20, but I've been playing online for 10 years and the best known platform has gone from OpenRPG to MapTools to Roll20 in that time. Roll20 has endured for a while, but it could be replaced by a new VTT in the next few years and then any investment in improved Roll20 would be wasted.

I do think SJ Games could provide better support for VTTs at a fairly low cost by encouraging people to write macros and sheets for popular VTTs and providing permanent storage space for them, in addition to links from the Game Aids thread (http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=113479). But it's not clear to me that VTT macros are even compatible with the current SJ Games online policy, so they may need to change that policy first.
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Old 11-21-2017, 03:07 PM   #7
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Default Re: Virtual Table Top (VTT) support

I agree with all of that besides I was only using Roll20 as an example.
Yes it would be an investment for them but it is like advertising, it can only help them and would be so welcome by many others.
Oh well, one can only hope. A little investment their part could go a long way. If anything it would some of their loyal fans extremely happy.
Each time I am on Roll20 I praise those like me that GM GURPS games there and that user community is slowly rising.
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Old 11-24-2017, 05:43 PM   #8
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Default Re: Virtual Table Top (VTT) support

Quote:
Originally Posted by KataH View Post
I was just curious as to why Steve Jackson Games is not supporting VTTs like Roll20 or Fantasy Grounds?
Storium has In Nomine support.
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Old 11-24-2017, 08:10 PM   #9
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Default Re: Virtual Table Top (VTT) support

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Storium has In Nomine support.
Is that a VTT in anything but the most ambiguous sense of the word? I think it is pretty clear what level of VTT we are talking about here.
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Old 11-24-2017, 08:27 PM   #10
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Default Re: Virtual Table Top (VTT) support

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Originally Posted by seycyrus View Post
Is that a VTT in anything but the most ambiguous sense of the word? I think it is pretty clear what level of VTT we are talking about here.
Please dispense with the snide comments.

If you have a definition that you want everyone else to follow, please state it.
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