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Blackfoot
March 31st, 2011, 13:55
This has probably been discussed before but...

Doesn't this seem like a relatively 'easy' and desirable feature across the board? I don't understand why this option wouldn't be part of the base system.

It seems like the GM should be able to drag an image to the character sheet image area and have it 'set'... I guess all rulesets don't have an image area on the character sheet?

This seems like a good idea for any game where there's a uniform 'look' to the PCs or where you are using PREGEN characters...

kairos
March 31st, 2011, 14:17
This has probably been discussed before but...

Doesn't this seem like a relatively 'easy' and desirable feature across the board? I don't understand why this option wouldn't be part of the base system.

It seems like the GM should be able to drag an image to the character sheet image area and have it 'set'... I guess all rulesets don't have an image area on the character sheet?

This seems like a good idea for any game where there's a uniform 'look' to the PCs or where you are using PREGEN characters...

Hi, Blackfoot:

Agreed. I think the workaround is to launch your campaign server, then open a second instance of FG2 and log in as a player to that campaign. You can then set portraits for your server characters.

Brian

Valarian
March 31st, 2011, 14:47
Another alternative is to create a portraits folder under your campaign folder and add in a PNG file for each of the characters. The name of the file is in the form id-00001 without an extension. The number matches the id of the character in the db.xml file.

The method above is probably easier, bit don't forget to clear the owner of the characters afterwards. If you assign portraits in FG2, the character will be owned by the user you use to assign them and the players won't see the character when they connect.

Zeus
March 31st, 2011, 14:55
The only thing I would add is that I don't believe this is a limitation of FGII itself, its more likely down to the individual rulesets and how they have been implemented.

Given how most rulesets have evolved through adapting Foundation, Base, BRP, d20 and more recently 4E its not surprising as to why this functionality isn't readily available in all modern rulesets.

If I get sometime one day I'll see if I can address this in an extension for 4E. Once its working it shouldn't be too difficult to back-port/port to other rulesets.

Blackfoot
March 31st, 2011, 22:00
I think the workaround is to launch your campaign server, then open a second instance of FG2 and log in as a player to that campaign. You can then set portraits for your server characters.
I was aware of the workaround.. it just seems like the GM shouldn't have to go to this much trouble to do a basic thing. :)
I looked at the code and it didn't seem THAT complicated to add it.. unfortunately it was just a bit beyond me at the time... and I certainly wouldn't be able to implement it as a standard feature for FG in general... it just sorta seems like it should be.
If the Dr.'s solution works out that seems like it would be a good thing... hopefully they would then be able to incorporate that sort of code in somehow so that everyone is able to have that feature.

I can see that one of the huge advantages of FG is also one of it's problems. The multiple rulesets make it pretty hard to do global updates for some things.

Valarian
April 1st, 2011, 14:01
FG2 works under the assumption that the players will pick their own portraits for their characters. Personally, I don't see the lack of ability for the GM to do the choosing as a bad thing. It'd make like a little easier when setting up a pick-up game maybe.