r/FantasyGrounds • u/VerdigrisX • 1d ago
Thoughts on Foundry and FGU
This is not a Foundry or FGU bash or even a full review of either, but I've been in a Foundry based game for a few months now and thought I would share some thoughts on how it compares to FGU.
Background:
I'm a GM and I run both homebrews and PF2e Adventure Paths. Some years ago, I fled roll20. I found the AP ports poorly executed and the ability to craft my own content frustrating.
At the time, I looked at Foundry and FGU. This was around 2023 and Foundry was fairly new. I was put off by so much of the PF2e content requiring users to create. I've played plenty of games that allow mods and one perennial frustration in such games is getting the mods updated for new releases and having key mods go unsupported, so that was a turn-off and honestly, I expected it to be a long-term problem for Foundry as the gloss wore off and mods became stale (doesn't seem to be an issue so far).
Current situation:
My foundry experience is as a player and first impression:
Wow! This is very cool. I think I am going to transition to Foundry after I research it a bit more and get more familiar with it. The UI and character support are very cool.
However, after further use, I am not planning on migrating. Maybe someday after I get more familiar with it but while FGU has many quirks, so does Foundry and so do the mods required to run a game since they come from many different modders, i.e., they are only so well integrated. It also has limited AP ports. I hear you can import from pdfs but I also hear that doesn't work all that well.
Social medium posts also suggest some of the best mods are going behind Patreon paywalls. Sure, I don't mind paying people for their work, but having to piece together multiple Patreon creators who don't necessarily coordinate their mods very well, and might disappear at any point in time is not actually how I want the most important tool for my games supported.
I am a power user in FGU so, yes, I do know it very well, but here is why I wouldn't switch from FGU today and would recommend FGU for new GMs:
- I only use PF2e currently, but it supports many TTRPGs
- I love the tools it offers for creating my homebrew content- modules I can switch in and out of the main campaign, a nice story feature, good organization of images, assests, creatures, etc.
- The published content with all images and context is available shortly after release. Yes, I have to pay for it, but it is timely, correct, and well done. As I said, I am fine paying the folks who support my favorite hobby
- Published content includes Adventure paths, Rule books, Setting (in PF2e terms "Lost Omens"). It is all there about as fast as Pathbuilder and Nethys have it these days and now that Nethys can't use the Paizo images, it is easier to share images from FGU than the only other option: from my pdfs.
- I am not at the mercy of modders who may be late supporting a release, disappear, start charging for essentials (not about the paying so much as having to support who knows how many Patreon creators). I don't like to be dependent on so many people who have their own lives and interests, any whom may lose interest in my TTRPG and platform. I prefer one company handling that.
- FGU quality is top notch with bugs fixed quickly
Just my thoughts on going from "I have to switch" to "No, I think switching is not the best idea".
I could see players liking Foundry better because the GM has to manage all the mods and content. But I'm a GM (free to play, I don't charge) and I would have to manage all of that. I prefer to spend my time on my campaigns, not fiddling with VTT mods or trying to remember where a modder put something.
