How does server hosting work? Do I need FG to get FGU?

[Caligula]

So with Roll20 being a damn pain in the ass with poor management, I'm looking at this and really considering making the move, but I'm terrible with tech. How does that work with FG?

Second question, I see that both FG and FGU are bundled together, while they appear to be entirely different products, do I need FG to get the FGU?

[FG_Dave]

Hello Caligula and welcome to Fantasy Grounds.
To answer your question, I would recommend going with the Unity version of the program because this is the future of the software going forward. You can always just purchase Unity separately from Classic. You do not need to have Classic to buy Unity.

The Unity version is native to PC, MAC, and Linux so you are covered there and we have many supported rulesets.

If you are totally new to the software I would also recommend checking out the Fantasy Grounds College. They are a great community that runs classes for new users on how to use the software.
https://fantasygroundscollege.net/

Welcome again

[Magic Myra]

If you're not tech savvy and not running a game on a local network, I'd suggest steering clear of the Classic version, as that had several issues that could cause problems with trying to run a game over the internet.

For Unity, it's a very straightforward process - when you create or load your campaign, you can set the Server List to Cloud (linking it to the Smiteworks servers) and list the game as either Public or Private. Public, anyone can find it by going through the Game List (so definitely set a password!), and Private you'd need to provide additional information to the players so they can connect successfully (external IP address would work best, which you can get directly bellow the Campaign List when loading or creating a campaign). Then, they just search for your forum name or IP address, plug in the password (if required), and they're in and ready to play (just make sure they know to load the rules Modules before doing anything else otherwise they won't be able to see all of the options available for them). In the future, they can just click on your game's entry in the History box and jump right in.

[Caligula]

I ended up going with Foundry, I already own a few books on Roll20 AND the physical copies, I'm not keen on the idea of buying the same books three times.

[Magic Myra]

Fair enough. Plus there's a pretty significant learning curve, so it may not be your cup of tea even without the cost of the books being an issue. I'd still suggest downloading the demo version of the program and finding a GM with the Ultimate license to run you through a one shot to learn the program with at some point to see if you like it (heck, I'd suggest that even if you were leaning more toward Fantasy Grounds as your first choice) - but I do hope that Foundry gives you what you're looking for.