Knowledge Base

Server Version
In the Foundry VTT setup screen, there is an option to upgrade your software version. Foundryserver.com runs all user foundry instances in a shared space. What this means is that everyone uses the same code base for their game. In order to make this work, I must disable the ability for people to upgrade their versions internally. The solution is that we provide each stable release as they are released by the author. We will however not provide alpha or beta releases. They are too risky to run in a shared production environment. So instead of doing the upgrade in your foundry game, you will do the upgrade, rather than version selection from the main website in the members area under "Server Config". This has three advantages, the source code does not count towards your storage space, you are able to move freely between different versions without having to reinstall, and we look after any interim hot fixes that get released.

Due to the rapid development of the application, it is extremely important to have a known current backup of your data BEFORE you make any version changes. It has happened where game data was accidentally corrupted during a version change and reverting to the old version did not fix it. The only solution was a full restore.
sFTP Client Setup
There are a number of different clients on the market. The only client we recommend is Filezilla. This is a free client that has an exceptional set of features and is easily configurable. You will need a few pieces of information in order to set up your client. No matter which client you choose, the information will be the same. The address for your server will depend on what region you have chosen for your server.

Server Address:
sftp.foundryserver.com
Port Number:
This will depend on which region you have chosen for your server.
Username:
Your login username
Password
Your website password
Protocol:
Secure File Transfer (sftp)
Always Trust:
Yes

When you first login you will be presented with a strange message. It will ask you if you trust this site. We use an encrypted server so it has to ask this question. Simply say yes and check the box "Trust always". This will keep the software from asking you each time you go to connect to your game server.

There is a lot you can do with this software. There is a great how-to video in our support area that will walk you through the process. There is a bit of a learning curve, however, you will be thankful you took the time to learn. You will want to use this client for making regular backups of your world data.

Recovery Point / Restore
Each account comes with the ability to create a “Recovery Point.” This recovery point is an exact copy of your files and directories and is saved to a separate onsite storage location. This storage is isolated from the main site to help ensure its integrity and security. However, nothing is fool proof.

Depending on your subscription level, you will be able to initiate a recovery point either once per month, week, or day. Once you have completed the recovery point, you must wait the appropriate number of days before you will be permitted to do another. This is NOT an automated process. You must manually request the recovery point to happen. This will not keep multiple recovery points, each new recovery point over writes the last. You are not permitted to access this recovery point for selective file restoration. This is used exclusively by the system to rebuild your game data in the event of a roll back or disaster.

The process of recovering your data is simple. Access the Recovery page of the Foundry Server website, so long as you have already created a recovery point, you will find a text field and recovery button. Type the word “Restore” in the text field, and click the button. Please be aware, this is a FULL restore, and not a MERGE. All existing data will be deleted and replaced with the data from your last Recovery Point.

After your recovery point has been created, you will be presented with an option to download your backup. I highly recommend you do so. You can also use an sFTP client to download your content file by file. This is really helpful for people who like to world build at home and then sync the new content up to the server on game day. There is a video in the support area that shows how to do this.

When it is all said and done you are ultimately responsible for always having a working copy of your data at home. We are not responsible for your data you are.

Changing Subscription
When you upgrade your subscription level you immediately gain the benefits of the new level. You do not need to wait till the next billing cycle. Your server will stop, be reconfigured. Due to the fact that there is a difference in price, the credit card processor will prorate your existing charge and only charge you the additional balance based on the number of days left in your billing cycle. This is all automatically done on the back end with no necessary input from you. As long as your credit card on file is valid you are set to go.

To downgrade your account there is a little bit more involved. The challenge is the difference in storage space. You will not be presented with an option to downgrade unless you are under the limits of the downgraded subscription. What this means is that if you have 20 gigs of data and you wish to downgrade to "Basic" which only allows for 5 gigs, you would be prevented from downgrading until you have deleted some content. Billing adjustments are pro-rated and you will be given a credit for the remaining days left in the billing cycle and it will be applied to the next billing cycle. You will NOT get a refund for the credit, it will only be applied to the next billing cycle.

Messaging
There is a very simple one-way messaging system. The intent of the "Inbox" is for me to send system-wide notices and also to send individuals messages. I use this process to make important announcements. I usually make an announcement on Discord as well as here using this messaging system. For example, if I have to bring the site down for maintenance I would send a system-wide message via this process. I know I can use an email blast but most people don't like spam, and it is really easy to get black-flagged as a spammer. You are free to keep the messages or delete them. If you need to have a dialogue with me your best option is to come to Discord and find me (G PA Dax) there. If you wish to send an email, use the support form. For your benefit, please read your messages in your inbox. I only post important system notices that will most likely affect you.

Closing Account
There are many reasons why people close their accounts. If you do, please I would very much appreciate you telling us why. The only way we can continue to improve is to hear the "good, bad, and ugly" about your experiences. If you would rather not leave, but feel you have to, why not drop us an and tell us what is going on first, maybe we can fix the issue and improve your experience with us. I have on more than one occasion emailed a user after they have deleted their account to find out what exactly happened. Over 75% of the people I have emailed have rejoined the service afterward. I was able to fix the issue or show them how to do a task they were stuck on. Sometimes we just suck, and people leave. It is unfortunate but knowing why is a good thing. It gives me a chance to do better for the next customer.

What happens when the account is deleted? We do a lot of things. First off your credit card account is closed. You do not have to do anything in that regard. The user data is archived for 30 days, and the username is put on "ice" for 30 days. We do this so that people learn to drop the URL and not access it any longer. We do not want that username to go back into service and have people confused by accessing a game they did not expect to. The phone companies do the same with phone numbers.

If you change your mind after you have closed the account, you will have to resign up again and build your worlds from your backup data that you have at home. We do not store any data or information once the account has been closed. If you want your old username before the 30-day window is over I will manually release the username back into the pool. Please contact us via the support page.

Fix My Server
There is a configuration file in your user directory called Config/options.json. This file controls how foundry will start and where to find the necessary files it requires to run. This file at times gets edited by users. This is most likely because they are reading a how-to and it is tell them to do so. The trouble with this, is that the how-to is written assuming you are hosting your own game server. It doesn't take into account that you may be on a hosted platform like Foundryserver. We need to control this file so the game server will understand how to run on our platform. If you are encountering an issue where your game server will not start up it is usually due to a few issues. 1. options.json has an error in it. 2. your game files are corrupt. 3. You have bad modules that are crashing your game. This feature "Fix my Server" will only correct the first issue. The other two are beyond the scope of foundry server to help fix. For foundry vtt related issues, please visit the Foundry Vtt discord, for modules and game systems contact the author directly. This is a safe first step to try and get your game server running. NOTE: sometimes it can take a few seconds for the server to spin up so try a few times to load your server before you continue your trouble shooting. Please contact us via the support page if you have questions about this procedure.

Payment Options
Our credit card provider is Stripe.com. Stripe is a tier-1 credit card payment system. They provide service to some of the largest eCommerce websites on the globe. Their accuracy and security are next to none. Their checkout process that we use, ensures that we never see or store customer's credit card information. Even as a vendor we are not able to look up the credit card numbers of our customers. The only identifying information that we are able to see is the last 4 digits and the type of card.

Being a Canadian company we are limited to the different payment options we can offer. The Canadian banking institutions do not have as many international agreements as the Americans so this limits our different payment options. At this point (and it is always changing) we can accept Visa, Master Card, and AMEX. We can also accept prepaid Visa cards that can be purchased at your local stores. When asked for "Name on the card" simply use your own name when using a prepaid card. Another potential option is the service provided by privacy.com. They offer virtual Visa cards.

When doing international transactions your credit card issuer (your local bank) may charge you a service fee. To date we have seen service fees no more than .18 cents per transaction. This is a service fee that your bank is charging. This has nothing to do with us or our credit card provider. If you are wanting to know more about this please contact your local bank.

To find our charge on your credit card statement look for "Foundryserver.com" on your statement. We bill in US currency and your bank will make the conversion to your local currency at the time of posting the charge to your account. This rate of conversion is not set by us and can fluctuate over time.

We do not offer a PayPal option at this time. It is an impossible company to deal with no customer support and terrible documentation.

We do not have an annual plan. I feel that an annual plan just locks people in and makes it harder for people to commit. Month to month allows for greater flexibility. Because we are month to month and pay more in service fees we do not offer any kind of refund for partial months. The trial period is enough time to adequately evaluate our service, free of charge.

Park / Pause Account
If you need to park your account for a while, you can do so by going to your account page and clicking the "Server Config" link. This will park your account for an indefinite period of time. While your account is in this state you can do everything as normal except for starting the foundry game server. The intent of the park feature is let you step away for a period of time without closing the account. There is still a cost for parking your account. The cost is based on the subscription plan you are on. This small cost covers the cost of storage required to warehouse the data. This table shows the cost for each level.

To keep the cost as low as possible, the parking will be billed in 3 month increments. All subscription changes are pro rated. In your billing portal you will be able to all the adjustments. To un-park your account simply login to your account and click on the link "Server Config".

Active Subscription Monthly Cost
Basic Level 1 $1.00 /month
Basic Level 2 $ 1.25 /month
Basic Level 3 $ 1.50/month
Advanced Level 1 $2.00 /month
Advanced Level 2 $2.25 /month
Advanced Level 3 $2.50 /month