Hello wonderful Patrons. Andrew here to share some news with you all about Ember, about Crucible, and about Foundry Virtual Tabletop version 13. I want to start by thanking you all so much for your unwavering support of Foundry Virtual Tabletop. I am a bit embarrassed to not post here on Patreon more frequently, so I want to begin by assuring each of you how meaningful your support here has been for our development.
Foundry VTT Version 13 Progress
Our team is working hard on Version 13 which focuses on innovation for our measurement systems with a brand new core ruler approach heavily inspired by the popular Drag Ruler module. This new approach to measurement includes support for 3d coordinates (with an elevation dimension) and allows measuring distance or planning movement which incorporates elevation difference into its accurate measurement and handling.
Furthermore, we are working on an overarching redesign of our user interface. At a technical level this involves migrating and converting our applications to use the new ApplicationV2 framework. At a visual level, it involves refining the UI/UX of those applications as we go to make them more intuitive, consistent, localization friendly, and accessibility-enabled. The V13 user interface is more minimalistic. UI elements have a smaller profile and fade away when “at rest” - while elements are slightly larger and more spaciously arranged when actively in use.
ABOVE: A screenshot of the V13 UI showcasing more minimalistic interface elements that fade away when not in use. The Calendar bar at the top of the screen is a feature added by Ember.
Patreon supporter funds have contributed towards the budget for bringing additional Foundry VTT core development resources on-board including Eber (dev7355608) who is currently masterminding our core Drag Ruler implementation for V13 and Richard (stwlam) who is contributing to our ongoing V13 ApplicationV2 redesign and ensuring Pathfinder 2e support for of our V13 changes. This work is really meaningful and continues to make Foundry VTT better in major ways, so thank you all for your generosity in making that happen.
Ember - A Digital Roleplaying Game
Ember is an online tabletop roleplaying game of unprecedented scope from the creators of Foundry Virtual Tabletop. Ember is a game of open-world exploration in an imaginative fantasy setting featuring an epic-length campaign, groundbreaking features, and game systems designed for online play for a Gamemaster and group of players.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/foundryvtt/ember-rpg
Ember is an online tabletop roleplaying game which is a hybrid between a tabletop RPG and a multiplayer digital game. It has all the elements of a traditional pen and paper RPG but is enhanced with features inspired by video games to create a compelling hybrid of dynamic gameplay and a classical foundation. It is a collaborative storytelling experience for a gamemaster and group of players. Ember has been made specifically to be played online in Foundry Virtual Tabletop and has a ton of additional features, systems, and mechanics to facilitate and enhance gameplay.
There are two ways to play Ember; using the familiar Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition ruleset or using the innovative digital roleplaying system Crucible developed exclusively for Foundry Virtual Tabletop. If you’re interested in seeing a sample of what Ember is all about, there is no better explanation than to watch our wonderful limited series in collaboration with the Glass Cannon Network. This 4 episode series provides an unfiltered look at Ember gameplay starting at the beginning of Chapter 1.
https://youtu.be/CYj0b3aLewg?si=TgOvs-MuUMb3vOSO
Ember is live NOW on Kickstarter until 11am Eastern time on Thursday, October 3, 2024. By supporting this Kickstarter campaign you will receive the full Ember game - added to your Foundry Virtual Tabletop user account - as soon as it is complete along with lifetime access to patches, content updates, and customer support.
Crucible Alpha Playtest
A few days ago I finally finished work on the V12 overhaul of the Crucible game system. As many of you know, development of the Crucible system is one of the items directly sponsored by the generosity of you here on Patreon. While it’s important for me to acknowledge that I have not met my own expectations for timeliness on this project, I am absolutely still working on it and the new V12 version of Crucible is a huge step forward for the system.
This new version adds a rebalanced action economy, an expanded talent tree, new specialized grid measurement and movement mechanics, iconic spells as part of the spellcraft system, heroism which can be spent on high-impact actions, and a comprehensive UI overhaul that brings the entire system into the ApplicationV2 framework under a consistent Crucible theme.
ABOVE: The redesigned Crucible character sheet in the Version 12 Alpha playtest.
As many of you know, another HUGE announcement for Crucible is that it will be officially supported for Ember. I am so excited about this, and I really believe that Crucible+Ember will be a remarkable accomplishment in the roleplaying space.
If you would like to learn more about Crucible, there are a few great resources that I can refer you towards. Firstly, a survey article that highlights the major features and design principles of the game system. Secondly, a deep-dive stream and audience Q&A from last Friday provides a visual walkthrough of all of the system’s major components.
https://youtu.be/fyvD7mAK0mM?si=SwHO9pLhkYeOkaHV
Crucible is available to be installed as a game system in Foundry Virtual Tabletop version 12. If you create a world using Crucible, you can import the “Ring of Valor” playtest from the Playtests compendium pack provided by the system for a hands-on introduction and tutorial to how the system works!
Until Next Time
Let me conclude by reiterating how appreciated your support is for everything the team and I are doing with Foundry Virtual Tabletop, with Ember which I believe can revolutionize the digital TTRPG space, and with Crucible which I hope will be the sort of automated and tactically satisfying game system that so many of you have expressed interest in. Please keep in touch and let me know in the comments here or in Discord what you think about these projects and if there are any questions that I can answer for you.
Thank you for your support!