Player character managment

[Wardow]

I've tried looking through threads for this information and have failed.

I'm looking for how character management is handled from Player to GM back to Player.

I just started a new campaign and this is the first time I've used FG as a online game client. I've used it to replace books and to manage the game for live games so this has never been an issue.

Here is what I have.

1) I have the ultimate license and host the game online.

2) Currently have 5 players, of which 2 have bought the standard license.

3) The two that bought the standard license made their characters offline and imported them into the campaign I hosted.

My question is how do they receive the changes they make to the characters that they imported into my campaign when they are offline? For instance they are about to level up so how can they make those changes locally on their own computer and it sync to the character in the campaign data.

I hope this makes sense.

Thanks

[Roakana]

normal behavior is just to have them modify their characters in your campaign while you have FG up. this allows the DM to keep track of changes.

You can save out characters as the DM and send them back to the players. they can then upload the characters into their local files and modify and then re-upload back into your campaign. To my knowledge you would have to email the XML to them.

Personally i save out characters often and place them in a separate file so i can track the characters both for myself and in case the characters somehow get messed up. I tend to do a save on level up or significant change.

[GarthGiantbane]

Try this (I hope I don't miss any steps)

First, I would recommend as well that they level up their character in your campaign so it would be the most up to date copy. You can leave the server on after game session if they needed more time to complete the level up.

After that, they should return to the launcher and select the Manager Characters button. Then in the bottom window to right before pressing "Start" the player should see your server name. They select (Highlight) that entry and press "Start".

After the desktop loads, select the PC button. In that window they should see all of their Local Characters and characters with a "Server" label. That would be the copy of the character from the campaign server. Select the brown / symbol to open import/export options and select to export and save the server character. That would give them an up-to-date version of their campaign character in .xml format.

After that, they should re-import the saved .xml character as a local character for maintenance or moving into a different campaign.

This was how I managed characters in AL Games that are essentially one-shots with different games/DMs each week.

I hope this helps.

[LindseyFan]

I like to do that same thing. Only I keep my "spares" like pregens when I am testing a module I am writing.

[Wardow]

Awesome thanks everyone! GarthGiantbane that was the idea I was looking for if they wanted to utilized AL. I'm running it using AL rules, I'm not sure if I'll stick to it (it will be the players decision).

Overall it seems that it's pretty important to export the who campaign occasionally in case of problems. Which is never a bad idea.

I have a shared cloud folder I use to share campaign information so I'll use this instead of email.

Thank you all!

[MerlinAmbrose]

Try this (I hope I don't miss any steps)

First, I would recommend as well that they level up their character in your campaign so it would be the most up to date copy. You can leave the server on after game session if they needed more time to complete the level up.

After that, they should return to the launcher and select the Manager Characters button. Then in the bottom window to right before pressing "Start" the player should see your server name. They select (Highlight) that entry and press "Start".

After the desktop loads, select the PC button. In that window they should see all of their Local Characters and characters with a "Server" label. That would be the copy of the character from the campaign server. Select the brown / symbol to open import/export options and select to export and save the server character. That would give them an up-to-date version of their campaign character in .xml format.

After that, they should re-import the saved .xml character as a local character for maintenance or moving into a different campaign.

This was how I managed characters in AL Games that are essentially one-shots with different games/DMs each week.

I hope this helps.

This may the answer I was looking for. I have been trying to use Manage Characters, but the list of characters is always blank for any campaign I am a player in... from what you say, it is because I wasn't connected to that campaign server at the time. The FG client doesn't maintain a persistent local copy, evidently, so I have to do the work while connected to the campaign server.

How silly of me not to have figured that out. Thank you for triggering the light bulb.

[Trenloe]

The FG client doesn't maintain a persistent local copy, evidently, so I have to do the work while connected to the campaign server.
Manage characters does maintain the last PC data for each campaign you connect to from that computer. It is stored in the <FG app data>\cache directory on the player instance computer you used to connect to the campaign. This allows you to view, and make a copy of and edit, the PCs you controlled in that campaign.

When you say "the list is blank" - is that the campaign selection list in Manage Characters? Or do you see the campaigns and load up a campaign in manage characters but there are no PCs to select?

[MerlinAmbrose]

Manage characters does maintain the last PC data for each campaign you connect to from that computer. It is stored in the <FG app data>\cache directory on the player instance computer you used to connect to the campaign. This allows you to view, and make a copy of and edit, the PCs you controlled in that campaign.

When you say "the list is blank" - is that the campaign selection list in Manage Characters? Or do you see the campaigns and load up a campaign in manage characters but there are no PCs to select?

No PCs to select. The character list is empty after the campaign loads. All the campaigns I am playing in do show up in the list of servers. I've been doing it while disconnected from any campaign server.

I have only a player license. What I have been doing is get the DM to send me exported XML file for the character, and importing that into a local blank campaign on my machine.

And when I check those cache folders using a file system explorer there is never any character file present. Ever. Under any circumstances I have checked. Does the temp copy get wiped on disconnect?

[damned]

No PCs to select. The character list is empty after the campaign loads. All the campaigns I am playing in do show up in the list of servers. I've been doing it while disconnected from any campaign server.

I have only a player license. What I have been doing is get the DM to send me exported XML file for the character, and importing that into a local blank campaign on my machine.

And when I check those cache folders using a file system explorer there is never any character file present. Ever. Under any circumstances I have checked. Does the temp copy get wiped on disconnect?

Sounds like there might be a write permissions issue on your FG Data path?

[Trenloe]

And when I check those cache folders using a file system explorer there is never any character file present. Ever. Under any circumstances I have checked. Does the temp copy get wiped on disconnect?
Nope, these files don't get wiped - they stay so that Manage Characters can access them. Within each <fg app data>\cache\<campaign name> directory should be a campaign.dat file (encrypted, so you can't open it). If this is not present, or is 0KB in side, then it sounds like your issue is as damned says - you aren't writing to these directories.

[GarthGiantbane]

If you can ask the DM to keep the server up for 15 min so you can return to the launcher and select Manage Characters. Then follow the above instructions and make a local copy of the character.

[Trenloe]

If you can ask the DM to keep the server up for 15 min so you can return to the launcher and select Manage Characters. Then follow the above instructions and make a local copy of the character.
Manage Characters does not connect to the GM, this is purely a stand alone instance that accesses the campaign cache. It is only "Join Game" that connects to the GM and downloads the campaign cache.

There seems to be some confusion on how this all works. So here are some details about how the campaign cache is created and what data is contains:

A player joins the GM's campaign using the "Join Game" functionality of Fantasy Grounds. During this process FG will create a new directory (or use the existing one if this campaign has been connected to before) called <FG app data>\cache\<campaign name> - where <campaign name> is the name the GM has given the campaign. Within this directory will appear various .dat files that contain encrypted data downloaded from the GM - shared modules, etc.. campaign.dat is the main data from the campaign and will include data on any PCs that the player controlled. If a player never takes ownership of a PC there will be no PC data accessible in this campaign cache.
The cache files keep getting updated during the session and are saved with the final data when the player exits FG. If the player was not controlling of any PCs when they exit FG then there will be no PC information in the cache. This is not the same as the GM seeing a character "owned by" in the Character Activation window. The PC must have been controlled by the player when they exit. If you want to see PC data, *do not* release your characters before you exit FG.


Now, after exiting, the campaign cache data will be available to access through manage characters. Manage Characters only uses this local campaign cache data, it does not connect to the GM's instance of FG at all.


Load up FG, press "Manage Characters" and select a campaign from the list "Campaigns" list - this is all of the <FG app data>\cache\<campaign name> directories on your local PC. If you've "nuked" your cache recently there won't be much here as nuking the cache removes all of this data.
Once the campaign is selected, press start.
Once FG loads up, press the PC/Character button and the "Import Local Character" window will appear. Only those PCs that you owned when you last exited the campaign will be displayed.
If you select a character you will be taken to a read only version of that character - you can't modify the offline campaign files.
If you want to modify the character you need to download it as XML - on the "Import Local Character" screen, press the brown / button and click the blue down arrow on the character you want to download. A "Save As" window will appear - select a relevant location (remember this for later) and enter a filename and press "Save". You now have an XML copy of your PC - this is the same XML that a GM might export from their campaign and email to you - this is your way of getting the same XML without relying on the GM.
If you want to modify this PC, exit the campaign mode of Manage Characters and go back to Manage Characters but this time don't select the campaign but the FG RPG "Ruleset" in which this PC was created.
Load that up, go to the "Import Local Character" window, click the brown / button then the blue up arrow - a "Open" window will appear, select the XML you saved above and click open.
You now have an editable version of your character in your local character cache (not the campaign cache). This will not be deleted if you nuke your cache, and will be available for selection when you join any campaign from this computer that is for the same ruleset.

[GarthGiantbane]

Ah, I see. I didn't know it wasn't pulling that from the server. It had the server name on it so that's why I was confused. Sorry for posting misleading information (sort of misleading - the method was correct, the reason was flawed :P ).

[Trenloe]

Ah, I see. I didn't know it wasn't pulling that from the server. It had the server name on it so that's why I was confused. Sorry for posting misleading information (sort of misleading - the method was correct, the reason was flawed :P ).
No worries, your details in post #3 were pretty accurate. :)

[MerlinAmbrose]

Nope, these files don't get wiped - they stay so that Manage Characters can access them. Within each <fg app data>\cache\<campaign name> directory should be a campaign.dat file (encrypted, so you can't open it). If this is not present, or is 0KB in side, then it sounds like your issue is as damned says - you aren't writing to these directories.

I have to run the FG client as administrator, to avoid the write permission error problems. I always do, these days. I do have the campaign.dat files, so the client is writing to those folders, just not writing character files.

illustrative screenshots of assorted campaign cache folders:
17824

17825

17826

[damned]

Give your user account Modify, Read+Execute, List, Read, Write permissions to the Fantasy Grounds folders and all Folders/Sub-folders now and see if you can manage characters after your next session.

[MerlinAmbrose]

Give your user account Modify, Read+Execute, List, Read, Write permissions to the Fantasy Grounds folders and all Folders/Sub-folders now and see if you can manage characters after your next session.

My user account has administrator privileges to the entire hard drive. I still have to choose Run as Administrator to avoid write-permission errors. Dunno why a domain admin would need specific permissions, but I will try your suggestion, in case it lets me avoid running FG as admin. However, this does not address why FG isn't writing character files... but in next post, the mystery is resolved, from Trenloe's excellent explanation.

[MerlinAmbrose]

[omitted]

If a player never takes ownership of a PC there will be no PC data accessible in this campaign cache.

[omitted]

The cache files keep getting updated during the session and are saved with the final data when the player exits FG. If the player was not the owner of any PCs when they exit FG then there will be no PC information in the cache.

[omitted]



Mystery resolved. Thank you, Trenloe, for explaining the nuts and bolts of the process, which shed light on dark corners.

I have been consistently releasing my character(s) before exiting the DM's server. I do this so that someone else can take over the character without DM intervention in the cases where I cannot attend a session. Thus, I have been erasing the character files myself, unknowingly.

It seems to me the ability to have a local copy of the most recent version of my character(s) outweighs any minor inconvenience in taking possession of a character in the event of my absence. I will change my practices, forthwith.

Thank you, everyone, for the enlightenment.

[Trenloe]

I do have the campaign.dat files, so the client is writing to those folders, just not writing character files.
Just as an FYI - you will never see any "character files" - the character data is stored in campaign.dat.

[MerlinAmbrose]

Just as an FYI - you will never see any "character files" - the character data is stored in campaign.dat.

Thank you. I will test this after my next session, but I am sure you've pinpointed the problem, and I expect the campaign.dat files will now contain the character data, which will be accessible through Manage Characters.

[Bidmaron]

Trenloe, is that really the desired behavior? I doubt any user would anticipate that releasing their character eliminates their work?

Shouldn't there be a warning that releasing the character will obliterate any edits?

[Nylanfs]

It doesn't though, the master resides in the GM's campaign. The players as a matter of course should never need to release ownership of their character. If the player can't make it for a session or two releases the character for another player to take. Then when the original owner signs back in they are marked as the owner again and they get the latest copy of the character from the GM's machine.

[Andraax]

It's not releasing the character that does it. It's the GM clearing the ownership that does it. If he disconnects before the GM clears ownership, it should still show as his character locally.

And "edits" are not obliterated - they're still on the GM's copy.

[Trenloe]

It's not releasing the character that does it. It's the GM clearing the ownership that does it. If he disconnects before the GM clears ownership, it should still show as his character locally.
In my CoreRPG testing today this is not the case. Even if the GM still sees the character as "Owned by" the player (which they will until the GM clears ownership), if the player released the character before closing FG they will not see that character in Manage Characters.

[Andraax]

Hmm, yeah. Just tested it, and that is how it works. Weird. I thought I tested it a while back...

[damned]

Trenloe, is that really the desired behavior? I doubt any user would anticipate that releasing their character eliminates their work?

Shouldn't there be a warning that releasing the character will obliterate any edits?

As mentioned by others the character is still there but in the player cache.
The cache permissions reflect the game permissions - if you dont own a character you have no permission to view it and this is reflected in the cache permissions.

[Bidmaron]

The OP said that he took ownership, updated his charactet, and then released it, thereby deleting his changes. This is what happens. That is not what most uninitiated users would expect.

I am just suggesting that the code to release ownership warn the user he will lose changes.

I am boarding a plane and cannot check myself

[Trenloe]

The OP said that he took ownership, updated his charactet, and then released it, thereby deleting his changes. This is what happens. That is not what most uninitiated users would expect.
Releasing the PC *does not* delete changes made while controlling the PC within a campaign. Releasing the PC means that a read-only copy of that PC will not be available in Manage Characters for that campaign.

[MerlinAmbrose]

I tested the theory last night. I connected to my Wed. campaign DM's server, chose my character from the PC box, then logged off, back to the launcher. Manage Characters showed me a local copy of the character, which I could export.

Confirmed.

Thank you again, everyone, especially Trenloe.

[Trenloe]

Thank you again, everyone, especially Trenloe.
Cool! Glad you solved the mystery and can get access now. :)

[Alkenix]

I have lots of source books for 5e.. Can I create a character with all my books and use it in an campagne gm'ed by a friend who has no source books?

[Zacchaeus]

I have lots of source books for 5e.. Can I create a character with all my books and use it in an campagne gm'ed by a friend who has no source books?

You can. Export your character out of manage characters and import it into your DMs campaign. You can also create the character in the DMs campaign. When you join the DM they will see what modules you have in their module activation screen and can allow you to use those modules in their campaign. No-one else including the DM will be able to use those modules - only you.