I don't know if roll20 is better but for the low entry fee (nothing) and ease of set up i prefer it.
My problem with Fantasy grounds was the program doing things i didn't tell it to do. With roll 20 i have the option to make dumb macros that do exactly what i tell them, so when..erm. IF they mess up I can follow their logic and fix them. I can also get a character close enough for state work in 15 minutes.
Its also like a USB. It may not be the best way to connect to a computer, but since everyone is using it, that alone makes it good.
maptools has a better/more programmable macro system and far better character saving, BUT it relies on matching the version of maptools to the exact version of java which is a pain in the butt, and has connection issues that can be unresolvable.
Roll20 ought rightly to have way more Starfinder content by now. At the very least an "official" sheet that actually works and doesn't require a user's manual. So it goes.
That said: Roll20 is still the friendliest platform I know of. Been running my campaign on it for more than a year and it's reasonably easy and intuitive to use, has plenty of good features, and is easy for potential players to access. I still recommend it.
Roll 20 is only ever as complex as you want it to be. Also they do have a official Starfinder character sheet. Two in fact one that I would call a basic sheet and the other is the officially sponsored sheet. As for how to use either there are ample help files on the roll20 wiki to show you how to do whatever it is you want to do.
Also... and I am surprised by the lack of advertising on this site about it, the Alien Archive just became available for purchase on Roll20 with a complete set of tokens that are all drag and drop and ready to use in game. Content is coming but content could always come faster.
Ive used roll20 for the last several years for all my games and would highly recommend it.
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Yeah, Roll20 isn't that complex. If a techno-peasant like me can use it, anyone can. Believe me. :)
I do highly recommend using the "basic" Starfinder sheet. The "officially-sponsored" sheet has so many weird, elliptical and counterintuitive assumptions built into its design that in practice it's close to useless. Someone else is going to have to come along and design a new sheet from the ground up with the end user actually in mind. (Apologies to the creator if they should happen across this, I wanted to like it and I don't say this with malice. But it's true.)
Roll20 seems overly complex,how do i just make a character,is chat or TS ventrilo?
Chats usually discord or googletalk when discord is being wonky.
Instructions on way way to make a character are linked above under how to roll 20.
Zo! runs in with his ghoulish film crew, eagerly setting up cameras. Then he reads and shakes his skull.
"Rats. From title, I was hoping that you were claiming that VTT was the best place to play Starfinder, so that I could watch Hmm challenge Hels and Stunt Monkey to a death match with spoons." He grins. "Gnomes are so funny when they get riled up!"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Yeah, Roll20 isn't that complex. If a techno-peasant like me can use it, anyone can. Believe me. :)
I do highly recommend using the "basic" Starfinder sheet. The "officially-sponsored" sheet has so many weird, elliptical and counterintuitive assumptions built into its design that in practice it's close to useless. Someone else is going to have to come along and design a new sheet from the ground up with the end user actually in mind. (Apologies to the creator if they should happen across this, I wanted to like it and I don't say this with malice. But it's true.)
I started my group right after the first "simple sheet" came out and what became the officially supported sheet was still being created and very slowly. We used the Pathfinder sheet before with all the macro's and all that already done but im pretty savvy writing my own at this point. I was considering switching my group over to the official one but there was some pains doing so when we swapped over to the fancy Pathfinder sheet for our pathfinder campaign so ive held off. Thanks for the heads up about the Starfinder sheet sounds like my group, which enjoy the basic one just fine, will probably be happier if I just keep us on that one.
For chat we actually use Skype, I know there are plenty of other probably better services but we have no problems with it and my group was comfortable using it so thats what we use but there are a ton of free ones out there.
Id like to add that I started in Roll20 with just the free service and knowing nothing at all about macros or scripts. The community there is what really sold it for me. There are so many really good help files to learn how to do whatever you want and a very responsive forums that are very open to helping new people. I was sprucing up my games with all kinds of fun functionality and macros in no time. Over time I built and learned a full sweet of fun and useful macro's and scripts that really make the game a joy to run.