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Moderators: dorpond, trevor, Azhrei
When I first started looking for tools to use, I envisioned a play by post sort of thing except real time where I would post maps and other campaign stuff over the web. While looking for things that did that I cam across map tool.
During our evaluation, my group downloaded and tried several packages. We found a combination of map tool and some other freebies that did the trick.
Now here's the rub, we wouldn't have tried maptool if it had cost anything. I know this is a blast point from reading other forums for products that charge but that's just the way my group is. We game maybe once a month and no one wanted to put any money down.
When we found maptool, we found a cool group of developers that actually listened and a good group of forum posters that were looking for the same sort of tools we were. Of course, since that time I've become addicted but if there were a charge involved I doubt I could get any new players cuz were all older and stingy.
I'm a great believer in the open source movement. Linux is one of the best examples of how powerful it can be. Maptool is another good example. Because the economics of open source are pride, prestige, and fun the motivations for an open source project are different from those of a 'for sale' piece of software. I'm not commie but there is something cool about each giving according to his ability.
All that said, I assume that once Trevor and crew stop having fun developing the products they'll stop coding for it. It will then be up to someone else to take up the gauntlet and continue the effort... or not. That's the way of opensource.
The hope is, over time, more developers will join in the effort to help and that users, such as myseld, will contribute via paypal to help offset some of the infrastructure.
Well, that's my 2 cents for now.
During our evaluation, my group downloaded and tried several packages. We found a combination of map tool and some other freebies that did the trick.
Now here's the rub, we wouldn't have tried maptool if it had cost anything. I know this is a blast point from reading other forums for products that charge but that's just the way my group is. We game maybe once a month and no one wanted to put any money down.
When we found maptool, we found a cool group of developers that actually listened and a good group of forum posters that were looking for the same sort of tools we were. Of course, since that time I've become addicted but if there were a charge involved I doubt I could get any new players cuz were all older and stingy.
I'm a great believer in the open source movement. Linux is one of the best examples of how powerful it can be. Maptool is another good example. Because the economics of open source are pride, prestige, and fun the motivations for an open source project are different from those of a 'for sale' piece of software. I'm not commie but there is something cool about each giving according to his ability.
All that said, I assume that once Trevor and crew stop having fun developing the products they'll stop coding for it. It will then be up to someone else to take up the gauntlet and continue the effort... or not. That's the way of opensource.
The hope is, over time, more developers will join in the effort to help and that users, such as myseld, will contribute via paypal to help offset some of the infrastructure.
Well, that's my 2 cents for now.
RPTroll, you hit the nail on the head.. There are a lot of mappers out there but I give their trial copies very little time.
I have never been so involved with a product that I have purchased.. PERIOD.
Never ever have I been so involved as I am with RPTOOLS and Steel Rats.. PERIOD.
Why is that? Well the mind is a funny thing. I think once you pay, you expect things; plain and simple; but when you don't pay for something, you almost feel like you should help out in some way to say "thank you". You now have a chance to be part of something.
Trevor, no disrespect and I hope the others in the community won't throw rotten fruit at me, but I probably won't click the donate button.. That is not how Dorpond says thank you.. My way of saying thank you is to help make the product better the best way I know how. My way of saying thank you is to draw people here; to make tokens and frames; to make maps for the community to use. Trust me when I say this; all this is very time consuming but I would rather be involved and be known as "one of the guys" than to click "pay now". Oh I love the donation button and I greatly appreciate all the people who are throwing money your way; you deserve it and I want to thank the people who have donated. I'd just rather be here to support and provide. That is what I do best. If I didn't make it clear enough, thank you all for donating you time and money.
I hope you respect that of me; I will sweat many nights grinding out "extras" for you and the community.
Now, if I find that my time is taken away from the community for whatever reason, I will DEFINATELY click the "donate" button and pass along some cash
Sorry for getting off topic; My original point is that being free and open source means that I am getting involved more than ever. I rarely visit Code Monkey, Nbos or Profantasy. I only visit these sites when something is broken or to get a patch..
Man, I get all excited with this community! I love what you are doing and I love what Steel Rat is doing! The way I see it, we are bringing the community together!
I have never been so involved with a product that I have purchased.. PERIOD.
Never ever have I been so involved as I am with RPTOOLS and Steel Rats.. PERIOD.
Why is that? Well the mind is a funny thing. I think once you pay, you expect things; plain and simple; but when you don't pay for something, you almost feel like you should help out in some way to say "thank you". You now have a chance to be part of something.
Trevor, no disrespect and I hope the others in the community won't throw rotten fruit at me, but I probably won't click the donate button.. That is not how Dorpond says thank you.. My way of saying thank you is to help make the product better the best way I know how. My way of saying thank you is to draw people here; to make tokens and frames; to make maps for the community to use. Trust me when I say this; all this is very time consuming but I would rather be involved and be known as "one of the guys" than to click "pay now". Oh I love the donation button and I greatly appreciate all the people who are throwing money your way; you deserve it and I want to thank the people who have donated. I'd just rather be here to support and provide. That is what I do best. If I didn't make it clear enough, thank you all for donating you time and money.
I hope you respect that of me; I will sweat many nights grinding out "extras" for you and the community.
Now, if I find that my time is taken away from the community for whatever reason, I will DEFINATELY click the "donate" button and pass along some cash
Sorry for getting off topic; My original point is that being free and open source means that I am getting involved more than ever. I rarely visit Code Monkey, Nbos or Profantasy. I only visit these sites when something is broken or to get a patch..
Man, I get all excited with this community! I love what you are doing and I love what Steel Rat is doing! The way I see it, we are bringing the community together!
My guess is that Trevor (and group) already know that the hobby-becomes-job approach isn't for them (I'm just guessing here, but if it were for them, they wouldn't have started with a free software tool!).
I would be willing to donate, but I won't use PayPal (their politics disgust me). However, if MapTool were available on RPGnow (for example), and the cost was a few dollars and I could pay with plastic ... that's a different story. Maybe "1 unit" of RPTools.net would be $5. I might purchase 4-5 units in order to support the project, even though there wasn't really a download at RPGnow to go with it. I don't know how much you'd make after RPGnow took their cut, though...
Do what you think is right, Trevor. If that means charging for it, so be it. If it means just donations, that's good, too.
Cheers!
I would be willing to donate, but I won't use PayPal (their politics disgust me). However, if MapTool were available on RPGnow (for example), and the cost was a few dollars and I could pay with plastic ... that's a different story. Maybe "1 unit" of RPTools.net would be $5. I might purchase 4-5 units in order to support the project, even though there wasn't really a download at RPGnow to go with it. I don't know how much you'd make after RPGnow took their cut, though...
Do what you think is right, Trevor. If that means charging for it, so be it. If it means just donations, that's good, too.
Cheers!
Party Go'ers approach Dorponds wife...
"Where is Dorpond? I haven't seen him at all since I have been here."
Wife points through the windows to show Dorpond dancing around in front of his video camera, drinking a Bass Beer and waving his mouse crazily in the air...
Party Go'ers looks at my wife and says "He looks like he is having fun! Can we join him?"
Wife: "Only if you have a screen name and a token..."
"Where is Dorpond? I haven't seen him at all since I have been here."
Wife points through the windows to show Dorpond dancing around in front of his video camera, drinking a Bass Beer and waving his mouse crazily in the air...
Party Go'ers looks at my wife and says "He looks like he is having fun! Can we join him?"
Wife: "Only if you have a screen name and a token..."
- thelevitator
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I donated a couple of weeks after I started using RPTools. I hope to contribute in other ways as my schedule allows, but being able to donate is a great option for those like me. I was a lttile surprised when Trevor told me I was the first to donate. I think that many of the contributions that others have made are more valuable to the software than cash, but for me, being able to donate money was a great way to show my appreciation for a great program.
I will be contributing ideas and artwork too as soon as I get home off the road and have some time. Keep up the great work everyone!
I will be contributing ideas and artwork too as soon as I get home off the road and have some time. Keep up the great work everyone!
"Neither hexes nor squares can confine me!"
James Anthony
"It's all in your head....."
http://www.spelz.net
James Anthony
"It's all in your head....."
http://www.spelz.net