Basic 1.06 Info?

[Answulf]

Hi all, new to FG and wanted to get some basic info on 1.06 - everyone seems to be pretty excited about it. What's it adding, when is it due, etc.?

Thanks!

[richvalle]

No date on when its due.

The main thing it is adding is a scripting language.

rv

[Goblin-King]

Now that we're getting to the point in the development of 1.06 that we have some confidence internally that the final specs for the scripting interface are emerging, I might as well drop a line about the major stuff coming up.

As mentioned, the biggest thing is scripting, and the work needed to get the internals into order so that the scripting layer can use them. The majority of the work at the moment is dealing with opening up portions of the program code that were before used only from within and making them available to the scripting interfaces in a flexible and error resistant manner.

How you use scripting when creating rulesets and modifications is, you add <script> nodes to controls and windows, implementing predefined event functions such as "onClick" which will get called when the user clicks with the mouse on the control. Other scripting interfaces will be available for this function to interface with, and these will be used to get information and trigger responses in the system from the script. In fact, we're planning to redo some of the internal components using the scripting layer, e.g. the lighting selector and the die/pointer color selector.

One of the coolest things that relate to this are templates. One user a bit more into the technical side of things could, for example, make a template called "slidercontrol", use a bitmap frame for the base of the slider, a new script controlled concept called a widget (that allows scripts to attach graphical elements into a sheet control) to represent the slider's position, and respond to "onClick" and "onDrag" events to keep track of the state.

Warning! Preliminary on the fly implementation example!



<template name="slider">
<genericcontrol>
<default>50</default>
<minimum>1</minimum>
<maximum>100</maximum>
<script>
function setValue&#40;value&#41;
knob.setPosition&#40;"center",
&#40;value - minimum&#41; / &#40;maximum - minimum&#41; * getWidth&#40;&#41;,
getHeight&#40;&#41; / 2&#41;;
end

function onInit&#40;&#41;
knob = addBitmapWidget&#40;"slider_knob"&#41;;
setValue&#40;default&#41;;
end

function onClick&#40;boolean pressed, number button, int x, int y&#41;
if pressed then
setValue&#40;minimum + &#40;x / getWidth&#40;&#41;&#41; * &#40;maximum - minimum&#41;&#41;;
end
end
</script>
</genericcontrol>
</template>


Genericcontrol is a new control type that doesn't really do much of anything except allow users to use it as a base for scripted gizmos.

Anyone including this bit in their ruleset could then create sliders similar to:



<slidercontrol name="myslider">
<bounds>...</bounds>
<default>1</default>
</slidercontrol>


Here the default value is being overridden. The original template developer can provide default values, and plan so that it's easy to configure the result. For this reason, templates can be handy also if you simply find you're cut pasting a big block for several similar fields in the character sheet or what have you.

There will also be some new features that come along with making things available for scripting. It'll be possible to intercept a die roll before it makes its way to the chat window, and apply modifications. For example, a character might have several attacks, and you could roll a number of dice and apply separate modifiers, resulting in several rolls. Or you could implement a 3 out of 4 mechanism. The exact details of the list of interfaces open for this is still a bit sketchy and we'll most likely focus on increasing this list in later updates.

Some small nice things will also be controls that allow you to drop dice into them, and when you start a drag there the dice are automatically picked up with modifiers (damage field anyone? :P ).

There will also be comprehensive reference documentation available on the site here. Because the plan here is to give more power to the users, we'll most likely also have a beta period during which interested users will be able to run 1.05 and 1.06 in parallel and give us feedback on the actual interfaces. It's also a pretty big thing, and this will give everyone a chance to adopt if needed.

[gurney9999]

Thanks so much for the update!

[kalmarjan]

Sign me up for the Beta!

Cheers,

Jason

[Cantstanzya]

Because the plan here is to give more power to the users, we'll most likely also have a beta period during which interested users will be able to run 1.05 and 1.06 in parallel and give us feedback on the actual interfaces. It's also a pretty big thing, and this will give everyone a chance to adopt if needed. Cool, sign me up! I would love to help out with this. My ruleset is heavily customized and would like to get a jump on putting what I have in my character sheets into the script.

[Crusader]

I'd be really interested in this as well.

[Spyke]

Is it just me that's worried by this? I'm no Luddite, but this would appear to give users the power to create the sort of automated character sheets that could be deemed to be games software and thus get FG and the community into trouble with copyright issues.

[richvalle]

Hmmm

There is really not much stopping someone from doing that now if they know how to program. As long as they don't sell/share it how would anyone know?

It might be a fine line... but if FG only provides tools that can do a lot of things as well as provide the ability to automate character sheets, I'd not think they would be responcible for it.

Not much unlike cd burners, vcr's ect.

rv

[Spyke]

As long as they don't sell/share it how would anyone know?
Well, as soon as they run a session using their ruleset they will be distributing it to their players, who may in turn share it, etc... and it will have been the inherent nature of FG that allowed that to happen.

Spyke

[Ram Tyr]

Is it just me that's worried by this? I'm no Luddite, but this would appear to give users the power to create the sort of automated character sheets that could be deemed to be games software and thus get FG and the community into trouble with copyright issues.
The relevant restriction is the prohibition against "Interactive Games" which is applicable via the d20 System. (For those interested in this, it is not applicable if the product only relies on the OGL.)

I have to agree with rv's reply. Incorporating the scripting language does not seem to make FG into an Interactive Game as defined in the d20 System Trademark Guide.

In addition, unless I have greatly misunderstood Tero the Goblin King's post and the previous posts describing LUA, none of the above mentioned additions, even if done by Smiteworks (as opposed to by individuals that do not publicly share it), would appear to make FG into an Interactive Game.

Later.
Ramza

[gurney9999]

I would relate that to someone suing Bioware because NWN allows users to convert a WOTC module for use with NWN. It just wouldn't happen.

[Craw]

It's like suing Xerox for copyright violations when somebody copies a book. It just doesn't work.

[Dupre]

The basic d20 ruleset that comes with FG will contain many new features implemented with scripting. We will not take that ruleset to a point where it could be considered Interactive Game, thus success/failure resolutions and the like will only be available to those, who want to do it for their own use (or have permission to automate such a ruleset).

[terrells]

I have to say that I am very excited about this as many of the others have posted. You are adding in the scripting I miss from GRIP. I cannot wait.

[Snikle]

I too am very excitted about the prospects for this, sign me up!

Ya and I have to agree, it wouldnt be a copyright issue for FG, it would an issue for whomever made it and then distributed it, and among a DM and his players, I think it would be ok. I mean I dont think my players would turn me inot the big bad WotC meanies. :wink:

[LordTomar]

Ya and I have to agree, it wouldnt be a copyright issue for FG, it would an issue for whomever made it and then distributed it, and among a DM and his players, I think it would be ok. I mean I dont think my players would turn me inot the big bad WotC meanies. :wink:

Hmmm... depends on what they offered me... Good thing for you I no longer play Magic...

[Snikle]

LOL Yeah you would trade me in woudlnt you? Little backstabber, will remember that for the next session!

[Spyke]

Thanks for all the replies concerning copyright. I now rest a little easier! :)

Spyke