Getting Started
https://store.steampowered.com/app/838410/Tabletop_Playground/
Install TTPG from Steam.
https://tabletopplayground.mod.io/
TTPG uses mod.io to host content. Create a mod.io account, then click the mod.io area at the top-left inside TTPG to link it.
https://tabletopplayground.mod.io/ti4
Once you have a mod.io account subscribe to the TI4 mod, TTPG will automatically download it. When someone joins a game they will be prompted to download the mod if they don't already have it. Using a higher resolution scale generates crisper images (combine with capping frame rate to 30 to offset the resolution cost).
The default TTPG settings are very generous, you may wish to turn down some video settings such as downgrade "Epic" to "High" and limit the maximum frame rate.
If you like the TTS style camera-keeps-sliding movement turn it on by settings > game > show advanced button > set "camera acceleration" to "low".
Also under advanced settings is a slider to control pointer size, shrink to the smallest size or whatever suits you.
Recommended TTPG settings (especially for laptops!):
Players may wish to add shift+key to some keybindings to prevent accidentally changing camera mode, etc, when errantly typing a chat message before opening the chat window. Go to settings > keys, click a keybinding to change it (or wait a moment to leave it blank). In particular:
- Switch Camera Mode (z)
- Reset View (p)
- Measure Mode (m)
- Measure Movement (x)
- Ground Mode (g)
- Zone mode (u)
- Draw mode (i)
- Label mode (k)
- Hide/show card hand (c)
- Toggle history (h)
In the very least be aware of these, if something seems off after typing without the chat window to receive the keys try these to fix it.
See the TTPG beginner's guide for creating and joining games. Find "Twilight Imperium 4" in the games list and for your first game use the "TI4 Table - Standard" version.
Find the game configuration panel:
Set your preferred game options, including:
- Prophecy of Kings expansion
- Omega replacements (errata'd cards)
- Codex 1: Ordinian (action cards)
- Codex 2: Affinity (relics)
Optionally choose to send anonymized game data for stats tracking. The host will see a popup confirming send permission.
Click "take seat" on a play area.
From there you may change colors and setup a faction. Place either a faction token card or faction reference card (both decks are near the scoreboard) in your play area to unpack that, otherwise it will choose a random unpicked faction for you. You may clean and redo faction unpack.
If you choose a draft you must still take a seat to participate, then it may re-assign your seat and unpack your selected faction when finished.
When first starting a game you see Help, along with the turn order panel.
Using "place trade goods and set turns" will adjust the turn order (as well as drafts may randomize them). When the active player clicks "end turn" turn advances to the next active player.
Each player has a small status pad at the front of their play area. Clicking "pass" highlights the pass marker, and turn order automatically skips passed players. Once all players have passed, clicking "end turn" reports all have passed and resets passed markers.
If the need arises, click any player in the turn order panel to set the active turn.
Click the "map" tab.
The "map tool" sub-tab can load a map from a string, place planet cards and frontier tokens, etc. The "premade" tab contains various premade maps. "Milty" and "SCPT" use a draft method to build the map and select factions, discussion of those is beyond the scope of this introduction.
- Strategy : the tab contains "place trade goods and set turns", click after all players have selected strategy cards.
- Action : the tab contains details for different kinds of actions, the tactical action buttons roll for combat.
- Status : "deal action cards" then "return strategy cards..." cleanup.
- Agenda : (work in progress)
Click "play" on the back side of a strategy card to display the action in each player area. Each player may select their choice, available choices may vary with faction. Note that selecting a choice only informs the table of the selection, it does not carry out the action.
The "quick roller" near the strategy cards rolls dice. Set the to-hit value then click the center multiple times to roll click-count number of dice.
Right click the table, "save state" to take a local save file. In the future, right click the table and "load state" to restore it.