Treasure Chests

[Mooses8D]

Would there be anyway to place a token on the ground for players to click on and the treasure parcels within would pop open? I know I can just share the treasure parcels page when they discover something, but I was curious if a token could be made to display that sort of information. Make it a little more dynamic for treasure finding.

[damned]

there waas an earlier post about dynamic png or multilayered images... i think there is some interest down the track when other features have been completed.

[Moon Wizard]

The GM can currently add shortcut pins to the map for any link, but they are only visible to the GM.

Cheers,
JPG

[Iceman]

Would there be anyway to place a token on the ground for players to click on and the treasure parcels within would pop open? I know I can just share the treasure parcels page when they discover something, but I was curious if a token could be made to display that sort of information. Make it a little more dynamic for treasure finding.

Being able to place an icon on the map that the GM could activate for the PCs would be awesome! When a rogue slips up next to the chest he could right mouse click and do a search for traps and then open and the system would automatically roll the checks for him! Then if he succeeded the chest would open and either the individual treasure items would automatically appear for him or perhaps a summary sheet and the GM could just drag and drop the icons from the summary sheet onto the PCs portrait.

How cool would that be?

[Griogre]

How cool would that be?
Not to rain on your parade, but one of the reasons I choose FG as a VTT was its lack of required preparation time over a face to face game. So while this would be a neat thing - if you had to prepare every trap and chest with "special abilities" that adds to the time the GM must prep. One of the disadvantages of the newer rulesets is their nifty features require more preparation time. At some time too much prep time to make the features work will turn off GMs from running games so its a fine line on whether a new feature helps or hurts the GM.

I've long thought MapTool was past that point and I'd hate to see FG arrive at a similar point.

[Moon Wizard]

As Griogre has mentioned, we try to consider GMs that want to run off-the-cuff or with less prep time. So, as we develop features, I tend to focus on features that enhance the experience or reduce GM prep/game time, since those have the greatest impact on the enjoyment of the game.

Regards,
JPG

[Iceman]

As Griogre has mentioned, we try to consider GMs that want to run off-the-cuff or with less prep time. So, as we develop features, I tend to focus on features that enhance the experience or reduce GM prep/game time, since those have the greatest impact on the enjoyment of the game.

Regards,
JPG

Actually it only increases prep time for those that want to use the tool, and possibly not even then. Imagine a blue pushpin instead of a red one. Any DM could keep using red ones and have no increase at all. Others could use the blue pins, and since many DMs already make treasure items in advance, the blue pin would just link to them and the added functionality would be part of the game. Again, no increase in prep time. Finally, for ones like myself, who generally do not create individual items for treasure but simply read the treasure list to my players, it WOULD increase time if I chose to use the nifty new features....and I am pretty darn sure I would want to use them!

Again, as evidenced in prior polls regarding automation most people simply wanted the option to use it or not and easily turn it on and off. I think as long as the feature development path keeps that in mind then the entire FG experience will be enhanced and likely attract far more followers, from both and experienced DMs!

[Iceman]

Here’s how I would do it:

GM has map of room and furniture, etc. all ready for his players. He has flavor text for the room, items created for the treasure chest and a few baddies in the room. If the GM drags the red pushpin to the chest or anywhere else on the map then it links to item/description/whatever just as before. If the GM drags a blue pushpin to something, like the chest, then a window pops up and has checkboxes for LOCKED and TRAPPED. Also a box next to each for the DCs. Takes GM 3-5 seconds to fill that in.

Then GM drags treasure items he already created to the popup box in a description area. Alternatively if the GM doesn’t like making items in advance the description area could just be populated with flavor text to drag and drop on the chat window. Either way no extra time because the GM is just continuing to do things as he always has.

The difference is simply on the PC side. When they enter the room and someone approaches the area of the chest and the GM put a blue pushpin on it then that PC can right mouse click and select to check for traps. Its autorolled and either success or failure. Same for opening lock. Finally once opened either items or flavor text is dragged onto the PC portrait or chat window.

So the way I envision this tool is that is really is an in game feature enhancement, much like clicking on a baddie and then double clicking on your weapon roll to see if you hit and apply damage. Just my thoughts on how I would do it if I was smart enough to accomplish the task.
:D

[Herodian]

That sounds neat, and I agree with the point about just not using new features you don't have time to prepare for. I don't think this is right for Fantasy Grounds, though. A program that aspires to "virtual table top" might be going down the wrong path if it starts to add features that don't exist on the real table top. Images model battle mats and handouts. Tokens model miniatures. Character sheets, the combat tracker, and the library model various books and paper found on the table. I can't think of what feature of the face to face game right-clickable treasure chests would model, though.

It's a clever idea, and potentially fun, but I have to question whether that feature is the "job" of a program like Fantasy Grounds.