Accessability, modules and read only.

[belisknar]

Hi there,

I'm relatively new to Fantasy Grounds. I've only been using it for about 6 weeks. I put a lot of research into it before buying it, as I use a screen reader so I need to be careful since not all software can be read by it.

Up until recently things had been fine, but it seems since the 3.2 update, that most of the items/npc's that formerly had the lock at the top next to the x that would allow me to highlight and read the text has either been changed to read only, or removed entirely.

I know that there is a workaround by moving the entry that I want to read into the (none) tab thus creating a new version of the entry in question. But that can be a lot of hastle when you are trying to do it for a group of eneimies that might have several types of items with effects.

Does anyone know of any work around for this or an easier way to highlight text without the need to unlock each desired entry?

[Zacchaeus]

Welcome belisknar to FG and to the community

Can you say what ruleset (game system) that you are using and also what modules you are finding this a problem in.

[belisknar]

Thanks for the welcome.

I've been using the 5e Ruleset. And it's with the Hoard of the Dragon Queen and Princes of the Apocalypse campaigns.

I have found a secondary tab with those modules for the NPC's that aren't read only, however this still makes it awkward when running sessions where a map has Pins with encounters that are preloaded with the read only versions.

I shoudl note, this was not the case when I fist purchased the two campaigns. Nothing I came across until maybe last week. was read only from those modules.

I also purchased the Dungeon Masters Pack and the Complete Monster Pack. Which do not have the helpful secondary tabs. (I only bought these two today so I can't say if this issue is new or not with that.) I can just say I'm disappointed it's made very awkward to get the entries into a state where a screen reader can identify them, when the functionality is clearly there.

[Zacchaeus]

I have to say firstly that I'm not familiar with screen readers and I don't know what you have to do to make them work.

There are two types of records in Fantasy Grounds; Reference which are almost always read only (i.e the entries are locked) and Campaign which are usually unlocked.

A reference module such as the Dungeon Masters Guide has all of the entries locked. Those can't be opened, or edited or copied or anything like that. There isn't a way for those to be anything other than locked.

I've had a look at Hoard of the Dragon Queen and as far as I can see everything in it is unlocked. In order to access the module information don't do so from the Library - do so from the buttons down the right hand side. For example, to see a list of NPCs click on the NPCs button and a list of them will be displayed. If you click on any of them you'll see that they have the black lock icon which means that they can be edited. Clicking on the lock will allow you to edit the text.

Again when you click on a map pin it will bring up a story entry which also has a black lock and so it, too, can be unlocked. Also if there is a link to an encounter it also can be unlocked and so can all of the NPCs in that encounter (click on the little shield or dragon icon in the encounter to bring up the NPC sheet).

Is any of this helping? If not please post back so that I can refine my answers.

[belisknar]

Thanks for getting back to me.

When it comes to the story entries and the like everythings been fine. I know about the Lock and how to unlock entries.. that is when they can be. For the most part my experience has been very positive.

In order to get a screen reader to be able to access the text, so far the only way I've been able to, is to unlock the entry and highlight text in order to get it onto the clipboard.(this is crucial, without that functionality the entry is blind to the reader that I've tried using.This would be mainly Zoomtext 10.1)

It seems I may have been mistaken when I said that this issue was also in Hoard. I've been looking back and the encounters don't seem to be having the issue. But it is definitely in PotA. I have just got back and checked it. For each encounter All the NPC's are the Read Only versions. (this is coming from the side buttons not the library.)

After bringing up an encounter from PotA and then bringing up one of the NPC's character sheet, they have the lock but when I hover it says read only and the sheet cannot be unlocked.

When it comes to the Dungeons Master Guide and reference material, if I had known before hand that there was no way to make this text accessable, I certainly would not have purchased the module as 80+% of the materials is now almost completley usless to me.

At least with the Items and Monsters from the MM I can Drag them into the (none) Catagory of their respective side tabs to create unlockable versions of them.

I understand this is a very unusual issue. But the source for legal electronic versions of the D&D 5E material is extremely limited. I banked on FG since I could pay for what I needed and not need to worry about subscriptions or internet connections like the way Roll 20 requires. Finding that most of the material is completley lokced out to me is so disheartening.

(edited to replaced 'Locked' with 'Read Only' when refering to PorA encounters)

[Zacchaeus]

I'm sorry to hear of your predicament belisknar. Can you please send an email off to [email protected] and explain the situation, say that you have posted on the forums and that it has been suggested that there could be room for a refund of the purchase price on the Dungeon Master's Guide.

I see what you mean with PotA; some of the encounters are linking directly to the NPCs in the Monster Manual rather than to a copy of the NPC in the campaign which would be the usual practice. In some instances the NPC is also available from the NPC list but unfortunately in others they aren't.

[belisknar]

Thanks so much for taking a look Zacchaeus, I'll send off that email as soon as I get a chance. I hope that in some future update it becomes possible to use all the material fully. it's a shame that it fell on the wrong side of the access fence this time.