FG II Ruleset Creation...

[Doswelk]

So it all seems to have changed......

Is there a quick start guide to ruleset creation anywhere?

I am looking more at creating a new ruleset rather than adding to the existing D20 version.

Failing that we could start a guide to ruleset creation here.....

[Dachannien]

I'm pretty much mystified by how to make any but the simplest changes to the default ruleset. Everything seems like it's strewn across several files, and it's difficult to figure out where the variables used in the XML script sections originate. Do any of the beta testers have any insights on how to start to understand what's going on?

[joshuha]

Well I can give a quick breakdown for now but my advice is to start with simple changes.

Leave the D20 ruleset in its directory, create a new directory at the ruleset level.

Then copy the base.xml (which will still reference the D20 directory).

Make a change to one small file and only copy that file over and any files the reference it. The chatmanager.lua file is a good one as that is where you can create your own /slash commands and it also is declared in the base.xml file.

When you get more confident you can explore how the base.xml file works. It reference several other "base" type files like charsheet, desktop, utility, etc. which if you look in those file are just a place to keep together related items. Its the files with the underscores in them like charsheet_main or desktop_panels that hold the real meat of the ruleset.

Note this is the way the default ruleset does things but it doesn't mean YOU have to do it that way. If you wanted everything in one giant XML file you could do that since XML is all loaded at runtime together. The d20 set is organized in all these little files so you can see how everything is put together piece by piece but it could just be 5 or 6 files as well (with all the desktop_ file in one file, all the charsheet files on one file, etc.).

If you are starting from scratch the best way to do it is try and strip out everything you don't need. Later on when I have the time I can go through what each of the files does in general and what is required to make FG run minimally but it may be a bit before I can get around to that.

During the beta I made a "framework" ruleset with everything d20 stripped out but its not totally compatible with the release and I have some other projects I want to work on before I get around to that again.

[nezzir]

I started with the mod files. Notes so far:

Created blank modules with minimal entries (for later ruleset specific data entry).
Copy the .mod files to a working directory.
Extract the modules (.mod files - which are zips).
Edit the files to strip them to their base components
Re-zip/re-name them and test them in the new ruleset
Note: The ruleset that a module belongs to is defined in the "definition.xml" file
Note: Keep the <name> field in the "definition.xml" file short or it will overlap in the module window. Same with the <author> field.

[Tailz Silver Paws]

Well now that FG2 is out, even I am looking at restarting work on building a World War II character sheet mod.

[ldyparadox99]

Well, this is where my problem comes in...

My ruleset uses the basic D20 structure (Everquestd20) with some light modifications to feats, classes, and skills. The total overhaul comes in at the spells because the game uses a completely different spell list and spell description.

In FG1, modification was easy. I just went in and changed what I wanted/needed to in the regular SRD. But since the spells are a module (.mod in binary), anyone figure out how to modify these yet or am I going to have to make my complete own (which would be a bummer because I've converted a lot of d20 spells to be used with my game)?

I have a lot going on right now so possibly the answer is in front of me and I'm just blind as a bat....

Thanks!

Edit: Ok, if I'd read the post above mine, I'd have figured it out. I unzipped the spell mod, but it only lists the short descriptions for spells, which is half the battle. Still haven't figured out where the heck the actual descriptions are yet.

[Doswelk]

If you run unpak.exe it creates an examples folder with what looks more like a traditional ruleset...

Then if you unzip D20basicrules.mod you get a definition.xml file and a client.xml file.

How do these two tally?

If I want to create ruleset I take it I need to create my own client.xml and definition file and zip them to create a mod.

But where and how does the ruleset fit into this?

<edit>
Having played around if I take a copy of d20 rename it and put it in rulesets, this then allows me to select it from the ruleset option....

Am I right in thinking in that in FGII the ruleset is the framework and the mod file is where the actual book rules would go?

i.e. if I just wanted to create a Character Sheet I do not need to create a mod file?

</edit>

[DrDeth]

The mod files contain both library and reference data.

If you've copied and renamed the d20 ruleset, you'd need to copy and modify the mod files as well. (Never work on the original files - just in case!) Each mod file contains a definition.xml file which contains a <ruleset> tag that specifies which ruleset the module applies to, so if you put your renamed ruleset name in here, the modules will show up in the module window when you create a campaign using your 'custom' ruleset.

[ldyparadox99]

Great! I hadn't hit the patcher again since yesterday and afterwards the client showed up when I unzipped the mod files. That's what I was looking for!

Thanks!

[Doswelk]

https://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r194/doswelk/screenshot0002.png

[Cantstanzya]

Each mod file contains a definition.xml file which contains a <ruleset> tag that specifies which ruleset the module applies to, so if you put your renamed ruleset name in here, the modules will show up in the module window when you create a campaign using your 'custom' ruleset.The name in the <ruleset> tag is case sensitive.

[Dachannien]

I know there's a planned feature that will let us modify rulesets with selectable "addons". Later on, that'll be great, but I'd like to do some tinkering now. When crafting a ruleset now that is a modification of the default ruleset, how should we handle the files?

What I mean is, in 1.05, we would copy only the files we needed to modify, and then change the references in files like base.xml to point to the appropriate path. But in FG2, you can't cross ruleset boundaries to include files from other rulesets. So, if you're basing a custom ruleset on the default d20 ruleset, does that mean you have to copy all the files to your custom ruleset and then modify the ones you need to? Or, if a referenced file can't be found, does FG look in the default ruleset in the corresponding location (like, in the scripts folder in the default ruleset if it can't find a file in the scripts folder in a custom ruleset)?

[ldyparadox99]

Ok, I have everything renamed and I can run my ruleset. Now I'm starting to modify the d20 spell module to reflect the spells out of the system I'm running.

I'm able to add the additional classes without a problem. The module even opens in the library and shows the additional classes. However, the moment I add any new spells, delete spells I don't want from the original d20 file, or change/delete the spell list per level the module dissapears out of the library completely (though it is still shown as open in the module window).

Again, I'm sure the answer is perfectly logical and sitting in front of me with neon letters. :D

[The High Druid]

Well skills and feats have both a <library> entry and further down the file a <reference> entry as well, so whatever you to to the one entry make sure you do to the other one as well.

Edit: Okay i'm going blind you're talking about spells not skills, don't suppose they work the same way? not looked at that file yet.

[ldyparadox99]

I'll have to play around with it a bit more. Maybe it has something to do with the <library> and <reference_spells>.

Though the whole module shouldn't disappear out of the library if I simply add or delete spell descriptions.

[The High Druid]

I had a whole module fail because I did a line that went </li>information</li> (though loading that page in IE quickly showed what the problem was) so it looks like any syntax errors at all can cause that. And for me that means I have to be extremely careful, since I'm not the world's most accurate typist.

[sloejack]

Then copy the base.xml (which will still reference the D20 directory).

This is no longer true :(

Through process of elimination I determined that of the files that exist in the d20, if you want to strip them out and start from scratch you must have bmpfonts.xml, graphics.xml, gameelements.xml, dexktop.xml (you can strip this but you lose the chat box if you do), and <desktopframe>desktop</desktopframe>. Naturally any files they reference would also have to exist but I haven't taken it to the next level of elimination yet to figure out what can be stripped out of those secondary files but still leave you with a ruleset that will start up.

I've been thinking about how to approach a ruleset creation guide and I'm of the belief that figuring out the bare essentials to load a ruleset and start FG2 is the place to start, from there a guide should then go into the various areas of interest surrounding character sheet, templates for items, encounters, npcs, adventures, creating mechanics like dice roles, card systems, etc.

[joshuha]

This is no longer true :(


Technically but you can get it to work just have to do some outside of the box thinking. Now that we can't access directories outside of your own you can still access subdirectories.

So just create a folder for your ruleset and put the d20 ruleset as a subfolder inside of that. The only issue doing it this way though is there is a lot of find/replacing you have to do to make all the paths match. All the files in the d20 folder itself you wanted to keep would have to be d20/filename.xml for every reference.

[Doswelk]

Having been playing with the character sheet and I was wondering how on earth I could add the capability to allow more than 3 classes....

As far as I can see there would be a lot of LUA scripts that woudl need to be changed.