Fantasy Grounds Classic Archive and F.A.Q.

Owned by Derek Batting
Last updated: Jul 02, 2024
5 min read

NOTE: Fantasy Grounds Classic has been discontinued and was retired with its end-of-life date being June 24th, 2021. Fantasy Grounds Classic will no longer receive any product updates or DLC releases after this date.

Fantasy Grounds Classic was replaced by Fantasy Grounds VTT (Fantasy Grounds Unity/FGU), which was built upon the Unity 3D gaming engine. Licenses for Fantasy Grounds Classic are no longer for sale. This page is for archival purposed.

Please consider using or upgrading to Fantasy Grounds VTT (Fantasy Grounds Unity/FGU).

What is Fantasy Grounds Classic (FGC)?

We have always simply called our software Fantasy Grounds. With the release of Fantasy Grounds Unity (FGU), we are now renaming the previous version to Fantasy Grounds Classic.

Fantasy Ground Classic (FGC) has been around and evolving since 2004. It is a peer to peer application that is stable and enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of fans worldwide. It is a 32-bit application that runs natively on Windows and on Mac and Linux systems that support 32-bit applications through Wine wrappers.

FGC cannot connect with FGU, and vice-versa.

Data modules for FGC are compatible with Fantasy Grounds Unity (FGU).

Campaigns for FGC are compatible with Fantasy Grounds Unity (FGU) in most cases but may require some additional updates for FGU or even minor XML editing to fix them and make them compatible. Our goal is for these to be fully compatible to move over in the near future.

Networking Considerations:

  • To host a game on FGC, the Gamemaster hosting the game must enable port forwarding on their router for TCP port 1802. We have instructions for doing that here.

  • To join a game on FGC, you simply need the alias or external IP address of the Gamemaster's game.

  • FGC relies upon IPv4. Some countries have moved to IPv6 only, while the United States and most other countries still support both.

Which version should I buy if I am new?

As of October 24, 2022, one-time licenses for Fantasy Grounds Classic are no longer available for purchase. Fantasy Grounds Classic ceased to receive product updates or new DLC releases beginning on June 24, 2021. We will continue to allow subscriptions for Fantasy Grounds Classic to allow for people who are mid-campaign and who need to continue their campaign.

Fantasy Grounds VTT (Fantasy Grounds Unity) left Early Access in November 2020. It went through an Alpha and Closed Beta process as well and has been in wide public release ever since. We believe that the experience is better on Fantasy Grounds VTT (Fantasy Grounds Unity) and will only continue to get better.

Fantasy Grounds VTT is the only product being actively developed beyond June 24, 2021. All new DLC releases will be limited to FGVTT. This is the version you should purchase for any new campaigns.

Can I still buy a license for Fantasy Grounds Classic?

No. All license sales for Fantasy Grounds Classic, both one-time licenses and subscriptions, have been discontinued. This and other license questions can be found in the following article:
Link:

If I cancel my active Fantasy Grounds Classic subscription, can I reactivate it later?

No. When a subscription is terminated, the associated license key is also immediately terminated and cannot be reactivated. This is the way Paypal processes subscriptions and their termination. Since Fantasy Grounds Classic subscriptions are no longer for sale, purchase a replacement license is not possible.

Is a Fantasy Grounds Classic license (FGC) usable for Fantasy Grounds Unity (FGU) and vice versa?

No. Fantasy Grounds Classic and Fantasy Grounds VTT (Unity) licenses are not cross-compatible. You need either an Fantasy Grounds Classic subscription (no longer sold) or a Fantasy Grounds VTT (Unity) subscription respectively.

Is there a discount to upgrade from Fantasy Grounds Classic to Fantasy Grounds VTT (Fantasy Grounds Unity/FGU)?

No. Upgrade discounts have been discontinued along with new sales of Fantasy Grounds Classic licenses. You can read more about this in the link below:
Link: Last Chance to buy Fantasy Grounds Unity and get the discount from FG Classic

While there are currently no upgrade discounts, keep an eye out for sales as our licenses often go on sale several times a year. We don’t usually announce upcoming sales, but we do tend to follow the major Steam sales. You may wish to join our mailing list for sale announcements.
Link: Fantasy Grounds Newsletter

What are some of the Fantasy Grounds VTT improvements over Fantasy Grounds Classic?

Fantasy Grounds VTT (Fantasy Grounds Unity) is the latest version of the Fantasy Grounds software rebuilt from the ground up in Unity3D to provide enhanced functionality for advanced industry-standard features such as sound, in-app map-making, animated images and maps, lighting and area effects, no-port-forwarding networking, and much more. It maintains backward compatibility with content for Fantasy Grounds Classic. For more information about Fantasy Grounds VTT (Unity), please see our website or the FGVTT (FGU) page linked below:
Link: FantasyGrounds.com
Link: Fantasy Grounds VTT (Unity) page

If I install Fantasy Grounds VTT (Fantasy Grounds Unity), what happens to my Fantasy Grounds Classic installation?

Your Fantasy Grounds Classic installation and campaigns will remain operational and unaffected by Fantasy Grounds VTT (Fantasy Grounds Unity). The applications, their data folders, and the license keys are completely different and are stored in different locations on your computer. Any DLC or add-ons that you have purchased through Steam or through the Fantasy Grounds store, however, will also be installed for Fantasy Grounds VTT (Fantasy Grounds Unity).

How do I move my current campaign to Fantasy Grounds VTT (Fantasy Grounds Unity)?

Please see the following wiki article for illustrated instructions showing how to migrate your Fantasy Grounds Classic campaign to Fantasy Grounds VTT (Fantasy Grounds Unity):
Link: https://fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net/wiki/x/AYNnOw

Can I still download Fantasy Grounds Classic?

Yes. While we are no longer selling licenses for Fantasy Grounds Classic, we are still allowing users to download the application for use with previous campaigns or licenses. This may change in the future and will be reported on this page.

NOTE: As Fantasy Grounds Classic is discontinued, no updates are being released to address issues such as, but not limited to, 32-bit vs. 64-bit OS install environments, fixes for OS update compatibility or conflicts, etc. It is very possible that Fantasy Grounds Classic may crash, will not be installable, or will stop working on your OS.

Download links:

Windows (PC): https://www.fantasygrounds.com/filelibrary/FGWebInstall.exe
macOS: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/filelibrary/FantasyGrounds.dmg
Linux (via WINE):

Fantasy Grounds Classic has been delisted from Steam and is not installable via that platform.

Can I still host and run games with Fantasy Grounds Classic?

Yes. Fantasy Grounds Classic still has the same hosting functionality it always has and has not been nerfed or hindered in any way since its retirement. Please be aware that port forwarding is necessary to host games with Fantasy Grounds Classic. You can read more about port forwarding in the following article:
Link: https://fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net/wiki/x/ZoFnOw

Is there still a User Manual for Fantasy Grounds Classic?

Yes. There is a 157-page .PDF manual that is downloadable. It pertains to version 3.3. It may not be complete and the information is preserved as-is. You can download it below. No further updates will be made to the Fantasy Grounds Classic manual after June, 2021.

Fantasy Grounds Classic User Manual (v3.3): https://www.fantasygrounds.com/filelibrary/FantasyGroundsUserManual.pdf

Where can I find more information about Fantasy Grounds Classic?

The https://fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net/wiki/x/CAD6bg page has information about its history, original capabilities, old product logos, screenshots, and videos, and more.

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