Understanding
Both within the Foundry Virtual Tabletop community, and within The Forge, we use many words that can be confusing to newcomers. For some, even the term “virtual tabletop” is something new to them as a concept. Here, we attempt to explain what these words mean, and congratulate each lucky person for learning something new.
Definitions
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Asset- An asset is a media file- typically an image, video, or audio file that can be used within Foundry Virtual Tabletop. Foundry VTT supports most common media formats, other than .gif files. Here on The Forge, your Assets are stored in the Asset Library and have their own quota.
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Database- Every game needs to keep track of what’s in it- this is saved in the world’s database files and ensures all changes to a world are tracked. The database is saved in your Data storage and has its own quota- though fortunately, most users will never come close to filling up this quota, even at the Gamemaster tier.
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Foundry Gaming- Foundry Gaming is the company that develops the Foundry Virtual Tabletop software. They are distinct from The Forge. The Forge and Foundry Virtual Tabletop are currently partnered with one another.
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Foundry Virtual Tabletop- Per the official Foundry Gaming website “Foundry VTT is a standalone application built for experiencing multiplayer tabletop RPGs using a feature-rich and modern self-hosted application where your players connect directly through the browser.” Here at The Forge, we offer industry-best hosting for Foundry Virtual Tabletop, for when you want reliable, fast, and simple 24/7 access to your games.
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Game- A Forge game is either your entire Foundry installation (if you do not have Game Manager enabled) or an individual world managed by Game Manager. Each game on your Forge account has its own unique URL.
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Module- In the RPG space, modules are often used to describe adventures/one shots that are pre-made for a GM’s use. Here in the Foundry Virtual Tabletop community, we refer to software add-ons that enhance the FVTT experience as modules. RPG “modules” are instead referred to as “worlds” in the Foundry community.
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The Forge- The Forge is the platform you are currently on! We provide industry-best hosting for the Foundry Virtual Tabletop software, at an incredible value! We take the self-hosted nature of Foundry, and bring it into the cloud- helping you move past networking and toward 24/7 hosting, with no effort needed. We make an already incredible software even better, and even easier to use.
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Virtual Tabletop, or VTT- A virtual tabletop is a program that allows you to place tabletop games on a computer, usually online. This can be as simple as a chat that allows you to roll dice and paste images, or as complex as having that chat, along with animated effects when you roll dice, a battlemap/canvas feature with dynamic lighting, and even more. It’s easier to list what isn’t a VTT versus what is. Here at The Forge we host software called Foundry Virtual Tabletop, currently the industry best in VTTs. It can do as little, or as much as you will probably ever need.
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World- A world in the Foundry context is a self-contained game setup- traditionally a single campaign or one shot. When you use Foundry, you create a world, and then begin preparing content for your players in that world. This allows you to keep content self-contained within one single area, and avoid having to track down key content for multiple campaigns/one shots.
Forge Exclusive Terms
- Save Points- Our automatic backup feature. By upgrading to World Builder, users gain the ability to access the save points we create, as well as create their own. For more details, see here.
- Game Manager- Our Game Manager replaces the Foundry VTT setup menu, allowing users to access multiple worlds, and open and close them as they choose. Users with multiple Foundry VTT licenses can even access multiple worlds! For more information, see here.
- User Manager- Our user manager feature replaces the default user assignment process feature in Foundry VTT. When players join a game for the first time, they are automatically assigned a user that is created just for them, and is tied to their Forge account login. This allows them to skip past the login screen, and get started on their games! For more information, see here.