What tools do you use for your online gaming, and why?

[nijineko]

niji's list of tools:

mapping: gametable. why? simplicity. i use other programs for chat and die-rolling, so all i need is something to represent map positions. simple features, easy to use, virtually no learning curve. handy pointy hand (space bar when focus is on map window). java-based, so i can run multiple instances. doesn't use up too much memory overall. (few hundred mb if you have a lot of pogs and underlays. less otherwise.)

others i would recommend: maptool, battlegrounds.



text chat: crystalballlite. why? because it is one of the best p2p die rolling programs in existence, and it happens to have text chat features. see below.

others i would recommend: none, really. but there are quite a few out there that work just fine.



voice chat: skype, gizmo, ventrillo. why? they all can handle multiple person conference voice chat. and they are cross platform compatible. and free. ^^ the first two can handle video chat too.

others i would recommend: don't have any for this one, either. but then, i'm happy enough with the above three that i haven't looked around much recently.



dice programs: crystalballlite. hands down, no exceptions. why? aside from the fact that i'm on the beta team for this one (never hurts)... it is an awesome program! one of the best dice rolling programs i've ever seen, and i've tried lots. it's cross platform. it has rows of buttons to save common rolls. you can adjust how many rows. you can drag and drop your buttons. you can roll on tables. you can roll conditionals. you have variables to play with. you can use branching if/then/else roll statements. you can have it play sound effects as part of your die rolls. it can share dice sets and sound files with each other. you can call rolls from other connected players. private rolls. a roll on a table can call other tables. you can provoke a mass roll from everyone for a particular thing (spot check?) and it will prompt anyone who doesn't have that particular die button set up to do so. works over local lan or over the internet or both simultaneously.... should i go on? there is more. ^^

others i would recommend: not in the foreseeable future!

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reposting from another thread. i'll get around to adding in the links in my post. feel free to include links in yours! =D

[mrken]

Hey, can this crystalballlite dice roller have the ability to have a different icon or whatever for each character and monster?

In my game each character might have a different number of damage dice as well as each monster or NPC. It would be nice if I could just click on an icon for the PC or monster rather than clicking on the roller nad filling in how many d10 I wish to roll.

Could it be left on my desktop so I could use it while we play. I have my computer on so I can read notes, control the music and use a dice roller. Unfortunately it is online and I have to be online to use it. Was hoping for a program that would just stay on my computer.

[nijineko]

you're in some luck. ^^ it is an application, not an online deal. you only have to set up the dice once, and it remembers them ever after. in fact, you can save multiple dice sets, so that you can reuse them whenever.

dice button can be set to several different styles of button, and furthermore can be edited for accent color.

check it out here: http://www.crystalballsoft.com/content/blogcategory/20/48/ do note that you can either buy it for $15, or you can download the functional demo. i think it is worth the money, myself. but by all means, demo it first. =D as a bonus, the demo does not time out, it simply limits how many notes and button you can save at any one time.

another bonus, once crystalball 4 comes out, i do believe the price of the lite version counts towards your purchase of crystalball 4.