Chat over Foundry VTT
FoundryVTT offers a native audio/video chat function within the software. For the most part, this works great for those using it.
However, by hosting audio/video on a separate server, we’ve found that users can have a more reliable audio experience, and a more customizable one as well. As a result, we LiveKit servers to our World Builder users. Users interested in this feature can upgrade here. Here’s how to use our LiveKit integration!
How to set up LiveKit
- Upgrade to the World Builder tier, if you have not done so already.
- Install the LiveKit AVClient module, and restart any active servers.
- Launch and join a world you wish to enable LiveKit in.
- Navigate to your Game Settings
tab on the right-hand side.
- Select the “Manage Modules” button.
- Enable the LiveKit AVClient module, and select “Save Module Settings”.
- Navigate to your Game Settings tab again, and select “Configure Settings”.
- Select “Configure Audio/Video”.
- Navigate to the Server tab in the popup menu.
- Change your LiveKit server to “The Forge”. You’ve now enabled LiveKit on The Forge!
Features
The LiveKit AV Client module is created and maintained by At the Tavern, a team building a growing collection of products and services to help you improve your communities. We list the major features of the LiveKit AVClient below.
Increased Reliability
- LiveKit is usually more reliable, including where firewalls would prove problematic for the vanilla Foundry audio/video integration.
- By passing the audio/video through the LiveKit signalling server, the bandwidth required is greatly reduced.
- LiveKit will actively and automatically reduce bandwidth when a player isn’t talking, or their devices are struggling, ensuring optimal performance.
Breakout Rooms
- Allows the DM to right-click on players and begin a separate chat by selecting “Start A/V breakout”. Perfect for when you split the party, or want to speak as a player’s evil warlock patron!
- Allows you to invite more people into an existing room, or form even more breakout rooms!
Expanded UI
- Adds an external window where you can configure audio/video in a separate tab.
- Indicates when players are having difficulties receiving/transmitting audio or video over LiveKit.
2 Likes
Hi there,
I upgraded to World Builder. I checked this twice. I installed LiveKit AVClient module. I enabled the module on one of my servers (yes it appears to be an EU server - eu.forge-vtt.com). I logged out, restarted the server, logged back in. Went to configure LiveKit Server as directed in your instructions, and the only options I get in LiveKit Server are “Custom” or “At the Tavern Patreon.”
Did I do something wrong?
Any and all assistance is greatly appreciated.
My thanks,
~Mattbridger777
I had the same problem, but after the thirth time it was oke.
There is currently an issue with the Livekit module which we discovered after release where if you have A/V disabled, then you enable it, and go to the server tab, it won’t display the custom servers (like “The Forge”), you need to first Save the settings so the page reloads with A/V enabled, THEN you need to click the authorize (or reject) prompts from the browser to capture from the microphone and from the camera, and THEN the forge option will be displayed.
The avclient module developer is aware, and he’s worked out a fix, he’s planning on getting a release out soon to fix this issue with the module.
Have you considered adding the Live Kit Option to The Forge as a supplementary (low) payment for the non-World Builder users? I dont need any of the other World Builder options, but this one would be interesting.
2 Likes
That’s a good question. I’ve considered it but the cost for the LiveKit servers would pretty likely be around 5$ (which is also what others are charging for them), which wouldn’t make it particularly attractive for lower tiers.
Either way, the differences in The Forge plans is one of features, while each plan has different quotas (for assets library, data storage and upload sizes), those can be purchased separately already, and the real differentiator is the features unique to each tier. The quotas themselves are offered as extra so someone who doesn’t want the more advanced features don’t need to upgrade, but if you do want the features, you would need to upgrade. That’s just how we set it up.
Besides, the complexity of adding individually selectable features in terms of billing is quite high, and even if I wanted to do this, I would likely not add the option just because of how complex it would be to implement it in backend code and UI.
I completely understand now. It probably makes more sense to just hire the LiveKit outside if I need it. It’s just occured to me because The Forge comes SO close to being the 100% solution for Foundry hosting that it’s a bit of a shame that one needs to solve the audio/video hosting separately.
1 Like
What advantages does LiveKit have over say Microsoft Teams (which our group currently uses)
Its advantage is that it would be within the game, rather than outside in a separate app. It also has a few small features that are helpful when running a game. For a lot of users, Discord is their preferred option when running a game, Livekit just helps fill the gap where having in-game chat works better for the group, and they don’t want to use the vanilla Foundry VTT chat.
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Yes, that is the obvious simple reason. I guess what I was getting at is it more friendly from a connection/bandwidth perspective than using say Microsoft Teams, or Zoom?
I guess it’s a matter of personal taste, but for me the beauty of theForge with LiveKit + an internal Foundry soundboard (Soundscape) is that my players log in to the game… and done. Nothing else is needed. No syrinscape, no discord/ zoom… nothing.
The more hurdles, the easier there’s an odd player with some hardware/ software issue.
It really helps with the feeling of playing together as opposed to juggling with several apps.
Again, just my opinion/ experience.
1 Like