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muellert
March 28th, 2013, 20:55
I have been thinkin about getting FG and the rolemaster mod. I have a few questions though before I do. Mainly how easy/hard is it to add things to it.

1) Can I add tables for other weapons? Specifically I wish to add weapon/crit/misfire tables for black powder weapons. I pirate just isn't the same without pistols and cannon.

2) can I add other character classes/spells/tables? One character in my current campaign is playing a wizard from the Arcane Companion.

3) Can I turn exhaustion off?

4) could I add a routine to determine the weather or what herbs would be in the current location/climate?

I have created a php/mysql web app that we currently use and I am sort of on the fence about continuing to develop my own app or go with this one. The biggest advantage to using my own is 100% complete customization. the disadvantage is the time it takes to continue to build/de-bug it. Also I'm not a graphic designer so mine isn't nearly as pretty :).


Tim

Trenloe
March 28th, 2013, 22:31
You can do a lot with the ruleset - programmed in LUA and layout/data in XML. I'll leave it to someone more knowledgeable with the ruleset (Hello Dakadin!) to comment on custom tables, but you can do it...

Regarding item 4 - Ardem put together an extension to do a lot of random stuff, including weather: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17072

Dakadin
March 29th, 2013, 01:48
I have been thinkin about getting FG and the rolemaster mod. I have a few questions though before I do. Mainly how easy/hard is it to add things to it.

1) Can I add tables for other weapons? Specifically I wish to add weapon/crit/misfire tables for black powder weapons. I pirate just isn't the same without pistols and cannon.


Those can be added if you follow the same XML format as the ones in Arms Law & Spell Law. I did create a thread explaining how to create critical tables that can be found here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15988&highlight=critical

I would recommend holding off on the attack tables until the next release of RMC since I am changing the format of the attack tables to cut down the the memory required for them.


2) can I add other character classes/spells/tables? One character in my current campaign is playing a wizard from the Arcane Companion.


Classes and spells can be added using XML to create a module or you could just manually enter the skill costs to the skills and custom create the spell lists on the spell tab of the character sheet if you don't feel comfortable with the XML.

The ruleset is actually very flexible for adding tables to it. If you look at the MM, RR and base spell attack tables you can get an idea of some of the different types of tables in addition to the attack, critical and fumble tables. What type of tables were you thinking of?


3) Can I turn exhaustion off?

Yes you can turn it off or make adjustments to how you want it handled in preferences.


4) could I add a routine to determine the weather or what herbs would be in the current location/climate?

You could make an extension to handle that but check out the link Trenloe mentioned to Ardem's Random extension for the weather.


I have created a php/mysql web app that we currently use and I am sort of on the fence about continuing to develop my own app or go with this one. The biggest advantage to using my own is 100% complete customization. the disadvantage is the time it takes to continue to build/de-bug it. Also I'm not a graphic designer so mine isn't nearly as pretty :).

You can customize this also using extensions and modules. You might have to update them to match new releases but it is definitely doable.

I am a bit biased but I don't think you will regret converting to using FG. If you can get a demo of it, I am sure it will sell you on it. I would offer but my schedule is a bit crazy for the next couple weeks.

Tiqon
March 29th, 2013, 10:14
Welcome muellert!

Yes your OURS now! We will feast on your soul! MUAHAHAHAHA! :D

I haven't delved much into the code/xml in FG2 so I will not give any comment on how to do something in there, but I can tell you its very easy to make your own professions manually like Dakadin said, Just add the skill and add the cost manually. I made a custom made profession for one of my players and that was very easy. The worse part is the lack of spells in spell law... You CAN add the spells you want manually too, No problemo, it just takes time...

All in all I will say that in the 6 months I have used FG2 Rolemaster Classic (RMC) I have not regretted a simple moment, or dime :). Also the mod still evolves and gets better and better all the time. The changes from last summer until now have been amazing. Thanks to Dakadin ;). Also note that the RMC only gets better if all users add their ideas to https://rm4fg.idea.informer.com/ .

I hope you will stay and join this amazing community! The more we are the better it will get ;). I WOULD offer you a chance to try it with me, but I only have a full licens so you can't connect with a demo license, only if one has a ultimate you can do that. Also my English sucks when I talk, heh!

Questions? Fire away!

JohnD
March 29th, 2013, 16:56
Hey muellert... welcome.

Giving a demo depends greatly on availability. If you tell us your timezone and when you are available, I might be able to do a quick 30 minutes with you.

S Ferguson
March 29th, 2013, 20:14
Welcome muellert!

Yes your OURS now! We will feast on your soul! MUAHAHAHAHA! :D


Actually, he doesn't really mean that. Our friends over on the Call of Cthulhu side handle the feasting of souls. You're safe here (as long as you specify a fear of the Great Old Ones in your otherwise tremendous Rolemaster fun).

Regardless, Welcome to the club.

SF

Ardem
April 2nd, 2013, 23:59
I must get back into doing my random extension but been working on a new ruleset (actually my own rpg)

But if there is something specific you want me to work on let me know, and I slot it in.

The weather is fully functional, actually I was playing a game the other night (not GMing) and one the players said you have not done the weather or date to the GM. Secretly I was chuffed as it meant the players were getting value out of it.

It is not the Rolemaster Weather system its my own design (so I could distribute), but I find it effective enough.

muellert
April 5th, 2013, 15:29
Been busy lately or I would have replied earlier. From the sound of it, it is possible to do pretty much everything I want to do. I have a fair understanding of XML, haven't worked much with LUA but I don't imagine it would be to hard to learn it. Once things settle down around here a bit I think I'll have to pick up a copy of this and give it a try.

thanks for all the feed back. Just knowing that people are actively supporting the project helps in making the decision to go with it. Rolemaster has always been my favorite RPG but the time and intimidation involved with all the charts/stats/tables has made it difficult to bring in new players. My original project started with a simple combat simulator and evolved from there. but I am at a point now that to move forward I really need to start from scratch and rework how I did things. But seeing FG rolemaster I am thinking it would be far more efficient to use it. why re-invent the wheel :)

Tiqon
April 5th, 2013, 16:12
I feel the same way. Lots of use have some kind of programming experience, great or small and lots of us have made programs/excel sheets at one point, simple or complex. I'm no exception, and I am exactly where you are, why invent the wheel. If this means I can't use all my house rules 100% and have to go with the more official rules or tweek FG2 where I find I can, so be it. I don't have the time and skills to make my own and so I just try to help and support one who will and can. There are more goodies to come I can assure you, so you will not be disappointed if you join our ranks ;).

S Ferguson
April 5th, 2013, 16:13
Been busy lately or I would have replied earlier. From the sound of it, it is possible to do pretty much everything I want to do. I have a fair understanding of XML, haven't worked much with LUA but I don't imagine it would be to hard to learn it. Once things settle down around here a bit I think I'll have to pick up a copy of this and give it a try.

thanks for all the feed back. Just knowing that people are actively supporting the project helps in making the decision to go with it. Rolemaster has always been my favorite RPG but the time and intimidation involved with all the charts/stats/tables has made it difficult to bring in new players. My original project started with a simple combat simulator and evolved from there. but I am at a point now that to move forward I really need to start from scratch and rework how I did things. But seeing FG rolemaster I am thinking it would be far more efficient to use it. why re-invent the wheel :)

Well Brazil reinvented the wheel when they made Lua. Imagine only one data type with BibTeX like entries and a restricted form of it at that! Lua takes a bit of getting used to, but once you understand the data type (yes, singular) you're in business. It's actually a "quaint" language to use, once you know what you're doing.

And glad you decided to grab Rolemaster, the most complex game outside of "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" but with flashier graphics digital dice and a lot less headache than the table top game (imagine, no more thumbing through tables, auto-updated skills, etc - it's like stepping out of the stone age!:) )

S Ferguson
April 5th, 2013, 16:25
I feel the same way. Lots of use have some kind of programming experience, great or small and lots of us have made programs/excel sheets at one point, simple or complex. I'm no exception, and I am exactly where you are, why invent the wheel. If this means I can't use all my house rules 100% and have to go with the more official rules or tweek FG2 where I find I can, so be it. I don't have the time and skills to make my own and so I just try to help and support one who will and can. There are more goodies to come I can assure you, so you will not be disappointed if you join our ranks ;).

That's the problem you're trying to invent the wheel, not reinvent it, and there is something to be said about roleplayers and re-engineering. We make house rules all the time. I'm in the process of dragging in an alternative initiative routine from Rune (the Ars Magica 4e rules; combat has never been more deadlier when you can get more than one attack per "round." I'm augmenting it with Spycraft's fluid combat tables so the enemy can get a couple of more swipes in if he has the advantage (or vice versa). Thank goodness criticals are already automated :) ! I guess we're all game designers as well as player's when we hit this stage, so the tendency to build the rules from scratch both enamours and comes naturally to us.

Dakadin
April 5th, 2013, 17:59
Been busy lately or I would have replied earlier. From the sound of it, it is possible to do pretty much everything I want to do. I have a fair understanding of XML, haven't worked much with LUA but I don't imagine it would be to hard to learn it. Once things settle down around here a bit I think I'll have to pick up a copy of this and give it a try.

thanks for all the feed back. Just knowing that people are actively supporting the project helps in making the decision to go with it. Rolemaster has always been my favorite RPG but the time and intimidation involved with all the charts/stats/tables has made it difficult to bring in new players. My original project started with a simple combat simulator and evolved from there. but I am at a point now that to move forward I really need to start from scratch and rework how I did things. But seeing FG rolemaster I am thinking it would be far more efficient to use it. why re-invent the wheel :)

If you do join our ranks please let me know if you encounter anything that is still intimidating your players or you as a GM. I am trying to automate the tedious parts so Rolemaster can be played without having to worry about the complexity. I am also trying to include preferences when possible so people can play it the way they want instead of the way I want. ;)