Foundry Virtual Tabletop
| Available in | English, many additional languages provided by free, community-supported add-ons |
|---|---|
| Owner | Andrew Clayton |
| Created by | Andrew Clayton |
| Website | foundryvtt |
| Launched | May 22, 2020 |
| Written in | JavaScript, HTML5 |
Foundry Virtual Tabletop is a virtual tabletop, a digital platform used to play tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) online or as a tool when playing in person.
History
Initial Conception - Early Development (2017-2018)
Foundry VTT was originally conceived by Andrew Clayton (Atropos) in 2017 as a personal project to support his own tabletop games[1][2][3]. It drew inspiration from a variety of existing virtual tabletop software, such as GM Forge, Roll20, and others. The primary goal was to provide a virtual tabletop (VTT) solution which was based on modern web technologies (Node.js, Pixi, Electron), targeting a self-hosted solution where a single user hosted a Foundry server and all other users connected via a web browser.
Pre-release (2019-2020)
Foundry VTT continued to be a side-project for Atropos during 2019 and 2020, supported in part by finances from Patreon. In early 2019 some of the first public releases began, with Alpha 0.1.5 in February.[4] The first supported game rules system was for Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition), which was developed in parallel.
Release and Post-release (May 2020-Current)
On May 22, 2020, Foundry Virtual Tabletop launched its first official public release with version 0.6.0, shifting from Patreon-supported releases to a one-time purchase model, where users could purchase a license key and receive perpetual updates. The success of the initial launch allowed for the hiring of the company's first two employees in the subsequent months, and later in the year allowed Atropos to resign his position and work on the program as a full-time career. Foundry's increasing popularity was in part due to its launch during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it enabled users who previously played their games in person to meet virtually via online connections.
Foundry Virtual Tabletop has worked to form partnerships with a variety of publishers and content creators, allowing third-party content to be brought to the platform, including paid content. These partnerships include large game publishers (such as Cubicle 7, Ulisses Spiele, Paizo[5], Pinnacle Entertainment Group) and small, independent creators that sell their own content with support for Foundry.
Features
Unlike some other virtual tabletops, Foundry is a self-hosted server software, requiring the host user to run a game server that other users then connect to via any modern web browser. Some third-party tools, such as The Forge, allow users to pay for hosting game servers.
Foundry supports character sheets, rolling simulated dice, and using tokens as visual representations of characters as they move across battle maps. Additional features such as dynamic lighting, fog of war, audio playlists, sound effects, and a chat log are designed to enhance the experience beyond what could be accomplished in an in-person game[3].
The software was designed to allow and encourage modding and scripting, rather than relying on official system support. Packages are categorized as "game systems" (sets of complete game rules and automation), "add-on modules" that alter the behavior of the software, "game worlds", and "content", the latter two including paid content such as ready-made adventures, often digitized from existing published print or PDF content. Community developers added support for other games, such as Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th edition), 13th Age, Pathfinder (First and Second Editions), Alien: The Roleplaying Game[6], and Savage Worlds Adventure Edition. The majority of community-made game systems and modules were, and still are, open-source software.
See also
References
- ↑ Carnaval Rolero 2021 - Entrevista con Atropos, creador de Foundry VTT (pregrabada), retrieved 2023-07-27
- ↑ Interview with the creator of Foundry (Video), 2023-11-03, retrieved 2023-11-04
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Obari, Dreamchild (2023-03-30). "What Is Foundry VTT and How Do You Use It?". MakeUseOf. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
- ↑ "Releases | Foundry Virtual Tabletop". foundryvtt.com. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
- ↑ "paizo.com - Community / Paizo Blog". paizo.com. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
- ↑ Karcz, Anthony (2021-04-19). "Online Everyone Can Hear You Scream - How To Have An Epic Virtual Game Night". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
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