Minimal Ruleset for FG II

[Irian]

Hi,

I just started playing around with a new ruleset, seems simple enough, the D20 XML has enough examples to extract most functions. It's nice to modify the D20 ruleset, but I would prefer starting completely from scratch. But every time I try that, FG II crashes, probably because my ruleset is missing something important.

So my question is: What definitions do I need for an absolutly basic ruleset (without any content, fields, templates, scripts, etc.) that FG II will accept?

(Copying the only the base.xml a) doesn't work anymore and b) wouldn't give an empty ruleset anyway :-)

[sloejack]

I posted this in another thread, but so far in terms of a minimal base, working from the d20, you would need to carry over

bmpfonts.xml (you need some font to display your data) though you may be able to get away with a single definition to start and just use it everywhere.

You want the graphics.xml and it's associcated files graphics_frames.xml and graphics_radial.xml (and maybe graphics_portraitsets.xml) since that's what sets up the desktop and allows you to navigate through things.

You need gameelements.xml since that's your dice, portraints, hotkey bar, etc.

Optionally you need desktop.xml and its associated files desktop_templates.xml, desktop_classes.xml, desktop_local.xml, and desktop_panels.xml. You can load the software without this but you'll have no chat interface.

Lastly, you need a <desktopframe></desktopframe> definition or you get some wierd/bad graphical artifacts while trying to use the radial menus. the item specified in that tag is 'desktop' which is defined as the desktop.png in your graphics.xml

[Irian]

Thanks, that helped a lot. I had to add some other files to make some details work, but now I've got a good base to create a new ruleset without having to many "relicts" from D20 in it. Thanks again.

[sloejack]

Thanks, that helped a lot. I had to add some other files to make some details work, but now I've got a good base to create a new ruleset without having to many "relicts" from D20 in it. Thanks again.

I would be interested in knowing what you added back in. I think terms of something useful to the development community if we could come up with a good foundational ruleset to build off of combined with the various ruleset documentation efforts people seem to be working on this would make a great starting place for all ruleset designers.

[Irian]

Hm, the first thought I had was that the modifierstack didn't work anymore, so I added that functionality back. Then I added the character list function for the gm. At the moment it doesn't work for players and I'll have to add something the prevent that the player has to download the complete package every time, even if he's already installed it. I could give a list, but probably, other people would be much better to cut the used scripts down to minimal (surely there are some unneeded scripts in the files).

I did use the complete original frame/icon package, btw. Now I'll start with adding a DSA charactersheet, etc.

[Irian]

I would start with the following...

- copy fonts, frames and icon directory
- copy (or add a new) base.xml file, which includes the following xml-files (which you have to copy, of course):
* bmpfonts.xml
* graphics.xml
* utility.xml
* gameelements.xml
* desktop.xml
It should also point to the following scripts (also copy them):
* scripts/modifierstack.lua
* scripts/gmidentitymanager.lua
* scripts/chatmanager.lua
At last, the base.xml should contain the <desktopframe>desktop</desktopframe> line.
- desktop.xml and graphics.xml include other files, copy them, too.
- copy the utility.xml (mainly includes character listing)
- after that, there will be probably a lot of errors in the console (missing scripts). Simply copy them to remove these errors.

Now, that seems to be a rather generic template, where you can add your own sheets, etc. Of course you could also add the image/etc. functionality, which is also rather basic.