Latest Peek at the iTabletop VTT

I have a special place in my gaming heart for the iTabletop/Pandoren Virtual Table Top. It's come far from it's early start as a web-camera / chat interface and is now nearly a full service VTT that has build in video and voice chat.

It is still missing a Whiteboard, which from my point of view is more important then the video or voice features (especially now with G+ available for free and its video / voice feature).

ITT is free these days. It wasn't always, and it may not be for much longer, as the "Free to Play" experiment isn't bringing in the Ad revenue that was expected it seems. The cost for the servers alone is about $600 a month apparently. That's a huge amount for the small company to have to put up front each month.

I'm one of the "lifers", having purchased not one, but two lifetime accounts when they were trying to raise the initial funds for the upgrade. I give the guys credit, they're still plugging away at it, but at some point their dream of making this their full time paying gig is going to give way to the need to support themselves (if it hasn't already).

I've always seen the potential of iTabletop and I check in every few months to see if it's where I need it to be to work for me. It isn't, at least not for my needs.

I suspect when my campaign finally gets of the ground, I'll be using a combination of Fantasy Grounds 2 and Google+. It's not the cleanest solution to meet my needs and desires, but it's the closest I think I can come to my ideal VTT... at least until iTabletop reaches it's true potential.

Adventurer Conqueror King Hit Another Goal

Adventurer Conqueror King has now hit it's second bonus goal via Kickstarter. If it hits the third bonus goal, the creators will run some game sessions for the supporters via Google+. Google+ is really becoming more of a hit then I ever expected. Well, that and ACK is getting more support then I expected, but really, I should have expected it. The OSR corner is small but strong, and ACK really is bringing new stuff to the OSR corner of the gaming table.

I wonder if iTabletop/Pandoren is getting any of the G+ overflow on the gaming side. It does video, voice, game table, dice and all the rest. For me, if G+ had a whiteboard and a dice rolling macro it would probably be all I need, but at this point I think I would need more.

What's Up With the iTabletop Virtual Table Top?

As many of you know, I have a large interest in Virtual Table Tops. I find them to be an acceptable substitute for Face to Face gaming. Each VTT has it's own set of strength and weaknesses... I should know, as I've spent money on a large share of them.

I was interested in the iTabletop V2 / Pandoren VTT from the moment it was announced. It promised voice, video and all the usual VTT bells and whistles. This spring will be 2 years since the announcement if my memory serves me correct, and I was one of the first to drop $200 to me a lifetime founding member. Yes, I knew then my investment was more of a gamble then anything else, but I felt the bet was worth the promise.

Since then, the software has been improved in spurts, both large and small. For me, it still isn't where I would want to use it for a regular game with the other options I have access to... it still isn't "there" for me.

Funding and pricing of memberships has been an issue from the beginning, as iTT was initially planned to be a monthly sub, then a bunch of discounted lifetime memberships were sold, at one point MLM was discussed (and thankfully discarded) and now there is talk of going to micro transactions (popular with certain MMORPGs like DDO).

Forum activity (or lack thereof) has been an issue from the beginning. When you don't hear from the devs for weeks or months, there is a feeling that little is going on with the platform. At one point, I attempted to be a volunteer mod, but I want knowledgeable enough to actually conduct any sort of customer service. There was another volunteer mod after me, but I think he faded too.

I wish I knew where iTT was heading, how soon and even if it will fill my gaming needs, but I don't have these answers. Truthfully, I'm not all that concerned, as I have other options available that do what I need now (with the addition of Skype or Ventrilo I even have the feature that is iTT's biggest selling point - voice communication). I would like to see it succeed, as the guys behind it are decent folks that really want to get things right. The VTT market is hot now, with the WotC VTT Beta grabbing attention, but its getting crowded. iTT's time to strike is getting short if they want to grab enough market size to be profitable. I hope they can do it. I hope I get to play with it. I had been holding off starting an online campaign with the hopes of using iTT to run it, but now I'll probably use Fantasy Grounds / Skype and consider the switch to iTT later. If and when it gets there.

Closing the Pandoren Box

Something I think I forgot to mention about iTabletop Pandoren is that is uses Silverlight or some such (I'm doing this from my iPad so I'm just gonna roll with it). There is nothing to download. Everything is saved server side, even the application.

Which can be good or bad, depending on the future health of the company. In the hear and now it is awesome. Log in on any computer that can access the Internet and your account, your resources, everything you have saved game-wise is there.

Alright, closing the Pandoren box for now. I'm sure I'll have more after I give it a bit of a workout in the coming weeks.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Opening the Pandoren Box

iTabletop... I mean iTabletop Pandoren, has come a long way since I first stumbled across the v1.0 software nearly 2 years ago.  It was Easter Sunday of 2009 that I took the plunge and invested 200 bucks in a Lifetime Membership with 11 floating licenses.  I liked the potential I saw.  And I waited.  And waited...

For a brief time I was a volunteer mod on the site, it was at a point where v1.0 was no longer being worked on, and v2.0 wasn't even in pre-beta.  Like any real growth, it was a rough spot.  So I walked away.  Not proud of it, but I was hoping to get my own fairly regular game running, and iTabletop wasn't ready for prime time.  I turned my attention back to Fantasy Grounds 2, no slouch in the Virtual Table Top field, but with a decent learning curve if you wanted to run a game with it.

I never completely walked away from iTabletop Pandoren (which I assume is a play on Pandora's box), as the stream of emails updaying threads I was following on the forums could attest to.

At the moment they are offering $25 Lifetime memberships, good for one person, with all the bells and whistles.  Crap, that's right, the bells and whistles that set iTabletop Pandoren apart from the others:  Video and voice built into the platform.  Which is damn nice, as my group is in NYC, Texas and Washington State... and everyone wants to make faces and crack jokes.  Hard to do that via the chat log in Fantasy Grounds 2.

You can also share sounds for events, video clips, PDFs (tho the last part is a bit touchy, as copyrights can be involved).  Suffice to say it is far enough along that I can now stumble my way thru the idea of getting a game running with it.

At the very least my group with use this for the 4 time a year Gathering of Fools... so  that those in distant lands (Texas and Washington) can enjoy and participate in the foolishness.

iTabletop 2.0 Pandoren - Video Pitch

Paladin from the iTabletop Pandoren Virtual Table Top has released a video newsletter giving an update on developement and a honest pitch to sign up new lifetime members for the service for 25 bucks.  I have a minor quible, and that is the insinuation that the other paid to play VTTs charge for upgrades / updates to the software.  I can only speak for Fantasy Grounds, Klooge and Battlegrounds RPG, but I've never been charged for an update to the software from any of these companies.

That being said, the video is a fine demo of the video quality of the iTabletop Pandoren software.  I think Paladin would have been better served if he devoted a minute or two to the actual use of the software in play, especially as the video link was sent out to over 3,000 members of the forums, many of whom signed up and rarely (I suspect), if ever, returned.  Such is the nature of the internet.  To see iTabletop Pandoren in action, go here and try the video links. (Paladin, if you are reading this... the site upgrade looks awesome).

Full disclosrure:  I own one of the earlier lifetime memberships (that gave 10 floating licenses) and gifted two.  So, in for a penny, in for a pound and all that.  Then again, I own a Battlegrounds RPG license with 5 floaters, a Klooge license with 6 floaters, and a Fantasy Grounds Ultimate Licesne with unlimited floaters.  I'm kinda commited to Virtual Table Tops in general ;)

Bits N Pieces

I've got a few things I want to work on, not the least of which is figuring out a fun and fair way to give out some prizes to my readers.  I suck at contests tho, at least when it comes to being a participant, which doesn't make it any easier when you want to run one.  Maybe a contest to decide on a contest ;)

Anyhow, I'm also looking at doing a fairly complete listing of available quick-start / fast-play / playable previews that are available for free download in PDF form.  Although I find I rarely use them as written, they are an excellent way to get a peek at the various game systems.  Much easier to break out the wallet when you have an idea you might actually enjoy the full game in question.

I need to go back to checking out the VTTs that are out there.  Fantasy Grounds 2 is going strong as always, but iTabletop 2 / Pandoren is getting closer to a full release and is looking damn nice.  Give the videos a peek to see what is in store (links are at the bottom of the page linked above.  That sounds nice and awkward... heh).  It's getting so I can almost taste it ;)

I also need to update Battlegrounds RPG and Maptools to see where they are at.

Interesting.  The Opera web browser plays much nice with Blogger then Firefox.  I think I need to change browsers for real now.

I'm also trying to find the time to give Legends of Steel - Barbarians of Lemuria Edition a nice read through.  I have had the Barbarians of Lemuria (Legendary Edition) PDF for a bit.  BoL (LE) reads real well (haven't had a chance to use the rules in action) and has a near perfect 5 star score (9 of 10 reviews are 5 star, the other is a 4 star) at RPGNow.  From what I can gather, its the same rules with a setting change.  Should be fun to compare the two.

LL via Which VTT...

I'm a big fan of what the guys at iTabletop / Silvetable are working on.  When Silvertable is complete I'll have a VTT that supports pretty much everything that Fantasy Grounds 2 does (although with far less automation) with voice and video built into the software.  Heck, you can even link sound effects to play in certain locations of the map.  Silvertable is still in Beta and will be for an unknown amount of time, and I'm itching to get a game going of Labyrinth Lord.

So, my foot dragging must come to an end.  FG2 will be the tool, using the LL ruleset.  I'll dig up a short PDF adventure for it, rip the map, scrub the room numbers and see how it plays.  I've been meaning to do this for a while... tooling around trying to design my own One Page Dungeon has got me itching.

My New Year's Resolution - Getting back in the DM Seat

I've talked about this since I bought my first VTT with floating licenses (Klooge) but this time I'm about to get off the pot.

My plan is to run a session using a weird FG2 / iTabletop combination for my friends that I've alluded to for way too long.

Not sure what game system I / They want to use, nor the genre (although if I was a betting man I'd suspect fantasy of some sorts). I'll probably leave that up to them via an email vote / thread.

I'll need to run the sessions episodically, as I suspect organizing a game once a month is going to be hard, let alone aiming for more often then that. Self contained adventures with loose threads holding them together may suit our gaming fine.

I'll post more about this as I start shaking the tree and see how it all falls out.

iTabletop - The New Moderate Moderator

I am honored to be able to state that I am one of 2 volunteer forum moderators at the iTabletop site. I'm very excited about the potential of this new VTT.

Having met the dev team / owners via video conference earlier today I have to say they appear to be on the right track with the Silvertable Project. I'm sure things won't move as fast as I (or they) would like to see, but when does software design ever follow a set timetable? Features breed new features which break old features requiring tweeks... but I am looking forward to the Beta release that is being placed into the hands of Lifetime Members later this month.

My expectations are high, but as it is a beta, I expect many bugs and limitations. I will be testing the crap outa it myself ;)

Moderate This!

So, it looks like I will be one of two volunteer moderators on the iTabletop website... which is damn cool as I am really excited about the forthcoming Silvertable (iTabletop2.0).

What makes me a good choice for the job? Damned if I know, but I sure as hell plan to do what I can to make the forums a place to post as opposed to a place for ghost posts (my Halloween theme... heh).

Just upgrade today to a 25" monitor... I'll need the extra desktop for the live video feeds from my players :)

iTabletop has a Second Programmer - 2.0 Beta Oct 31st

Just over a month before the release of the iTabletop 2.0 Beta. With the help of a second programmer I am very hopeful they will hit their release date.

I was going to drag my gaming group into FG2, but with iTabletop's 2.0 release closing in I'd like to use the live video / voice that is integrated into the software. I know the lads love these types of features, and the all in one gaming package of iTabletop 2.0 should be a very good fit.

On a side note, the C&C FG2 game i was in is on track for am October 10th resurrection, but it looks like we've lost half the group at least. It might be a lost cause, but I'll give it a shot in two weeks.

Castles & Crusades: Season 2 starts August 8th

Yes, the Company of Delvers weekly Saturday night session will return on August 8th. By that point it wil have been nearly 2 months since our last C&C Fantasy Grounds 2 game (we've been on a summer hiatus).

Tenkar, my Dwarven Cleric (who'da guessed? heh) just hit 3rd level at the end of last session. This opens up a whole lot of possibilities for Tenkar now... or if not a whole lot, then a wee bit more then being the secondary tank / healbot. Not that he didn't fill those roles well, but sometime a third dimension (in this case 2nd level spells) should add a little to my so far usualy strategy of "knock heads, heal tanks... rinse, repeat".

I find that C&C plays very close to AD&D in practice. As my younger gaming years were mostly AD&D, it has made the transition to using a VTT nearly painless. Then again, it didn't hurt that I had been playing in a almost weekly Dark Heresy game using FG2.

I am (hopefully) close to running an online gaming session or two myself. I am waiting on iTabletop to see if its all that it appears it will be. Fantasy Grounds I am comfortable as a player, but not as confident in my abilities to actually run a game session.

Plethora of PDFs - Upcoming Reviews

Lets see... recently I've picked up the Ultimate Toolbox, HeroQuest, The Day After Ragnarok, took a second look at some PDQ games I have, still need to download the latest Dragon and Dungeon mags I subscribe to... I have a full plate and then some of items to review and upload to my Kindle DX to test DX-ability.

Time to get off my ass and get to work on these reviews it seems.

Did I mention that iTabletop is offering 5 year memberships with 5 floating player licenses for 99 bucks? Not sure if that is good or bad in the long run, but in the here and now the price can't be beat.

iTabletop - The waiting is the hardest part - Part Two

Silverlight 3 has been officially released by Microsoft. What does this mean for iTabletop?

we've been waiting for this patiently. We did not want to develop against Silverlight 3 during its beta, but rather desired to wait until an official release so that we could be sure 3 was out before SilverTable was ready for prime time.

So now - the project will be updated to Silverlight 3, and we can use some of the great new features.

Silverlight is proving to be a perfect choice for this application and a pleasure to work with.

James

Will iTabletop Silverlight 3 update make a summer 2009 release? I don't know. I do know I am really eager to see what James and the rest of his staff come up with. What little I've seen looks really good, and that is at least a month old in developement.

Someone listened...

I had this whole, big assed post planned about the direction iTabletop's developers wanted to take the product and it's all moot as they listen to their lifetime members posts. Not over the course of days, but hours.

Wouldn't it be nice if WotC or other publishers listened to well reasoned thoughts of their customer base?

This was the exception that proves the rule.

BTW, Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) and Virtual Table Top gaming don't seem like a good mix. I could be wrong, and often I am, but call it a hunch, this is one weird combo. (my rant was sooo much longer before)

Paying a commission on referrals isn't a bad thought tho ;)

iTabletop - The waiting is the hardest part

iTabletop looks to be an amazing piece of gaming software when it is completed. What? Its not completed? But they have software to download and a monthly subscription fee. How can it not be completed?

The old iTabletop software is downloadable and usable. It integrates webcams and voip and a VTT that seems more tacked on then a part of the main application. Why is that? Because the developers had a really well designed Virtual Meeting software package they had already designed and added the VTT features to the original package. In my opinion, it had alot of potential, but it wasn't worth a monthly fee.

The NEW version of iTabletop is being worked on now. It will be based on Silvertable, a cross platform developers system. More importantly, it will be based on large part on the input of the lifetime subscribers (18 so far, 12 to go) that invest in this as yet unfinished product. It is an investment, and not a small one. $200 gets you a lifetime membership and 10 floating licenses... up to 10 players can log into your game session and not have to pay.

Yes, I gambled my $200 bucks... I was one of the first five to do so. It isn't much of a gamble if this new version of iTabletop can do even half of the things I want in a VTT (and it looks like it is coming close to 100% of what I need).

Integrated webcam and VOIP are what I will need to convert my old gaming / current Warhammer Online group to old style pen and paper via VTT gaming. I can'y wait until the finished product gets released. In the meantime, I might try to warm them up with Fantasy Grounds 2.