Question re campaign creation

[Astinus]

Hi all

I'm finally starting up my first campaign and hope someone can help me out with some pretty basic questions.

1. When I create a new campaign, a new folder is created in Application Data, and within that an Image folder is also created. When a player connected to test it, the new campaign folder was created on his computer, but not the Image folder. Is this right?

Reason I ask, I'm trying to pre-distribute images before the game, and have the players drop the images in the Image folder (so I don't have to share them during the game). So do I need to get the players to connect, to create the new campaign folder, and then have them manually create an Images folder? And then drop the images in there?

2. I notice the Tale of Dinor campaign folder has Token and Portrait folders, amongst others. But Token and Portrait folders also exist in the FGII folder. So can I drop tokens and portraits in either folder? Is there a certain way I should be using those folders to store tokens and portraits?

Thanks for reading and any help you can give.

[GoOrange]

Regarding #2:

The token folder inside a campaign is for tokens that you want to appear as a GM only with that campaign, and not with others. So if you are running a Star Wars game, you can put the sci-fi tokens in the folder for that campaign so they don't show up during your fantasy game.

The portrait folder inside a campaign is where the game keeps track of each player's selected portraits. Dropping images into the campaign's portrait folder doesn't do anything.

[Foen]

Regarding #1:

FG2 doesn't automatically distribute images (so players cannot take a peek inside that folder and see the adventure maps), but I believe it does cache them once shared.

If you want to pre-distribute the images, you can create a helper module (with the images included as 'client' data). You then distribute the module and also have it installed on the GM host machine.

Having done that, the players will not be able to browse them from within FG, but they will load locally from the module if the GM shares them.

It is worth noting that any player who does not have the helper module will get a blank window if you share an image - it doesn't drop back to downloading it.

Stuart

[Astinus]

Thanks guys!


If you want to pre-distribute the images, you can create a helper module (with the images included as 'client' data). You then distribute the module and also have it installed on the GM host machine.

Having done that, the players will not be able to browse them from within FG, but they will load locally from the module if the GM shares them.
I've just done a search on module creation and will read through that stuff before asking anymore questions. Hopefully this will work because I'm DMing on dial up. Crazy I know, but I'm running one dial up connection for Teamspeak and another for FGII. It's worked so far and if I can handle image transfer I'll be set.

[Griogre]

I'd be curious to know how this goes. People have tried Hosting on Dialup before but the local map modules on the clients may be a big help.

Let us know how it works out.

[Astinus]

Will do, Griogre.

But first, a module question: I've created some test modules, with images saved as client data, as suggested. I then opened a second instance of FG on the same machine. When the Host shared the module, the second instance (the player) was able to browse the images.

Below, Stuart suggested the players wouldn't be able to browse the images. So I must be doing something wrong. If I block the module from the players, and then select and share the image in the module, will it load locally on the players' machines?

I need to get the images to them, so they can load locally, but not until I share them.

[Foen]

I think the key element is whether you tick the 'I' box next to the images when you create the module.

If you have a module with images only, and export it using the 'C' box to create client data, but not the 'I' box to add the images to the index, you should end up with something the players can load but not browse.

The GM gets an images and maps icon which can be used to list the images in the module. Open one of those and share it, and the players will see the image pop up. As they don't get an images and maps icon, they cannot call the image up for themselves.

You also mentioned sharing the module: when I do this in anger, I post the module on an ftp or web site for my players to download and install. I only need to do this once, and they use their bandwidth (which might be faster than mine) to download it offline. If you share the module in-game, the download strain will be as bad (if not worse) than sharing the individual images.

Please let me know how you get on.

Cheers

Stuart

[Astinus]

Yes, ticking the 'I' box is the key. I tried a module with just images, stored as 'client' data and didn't tick the 'I' box, so no index. When loaded, the player (my second instance of FG) was unable to browse the images - but neither could I.

So, I tried another module and this time I again included images under 'client' data, with no index, but then saved a story under 'host' data, with an index. I used that story page to link to all my images. When the module loaded, the story page showed up on the Gamemaster instance of FG (because it was indexed) but didn't show up for the player (the second instance) because it was 'host' data, not 'client'. I could browse the story page and select the linked images, the player could browse nada.

So I think that will do the trick. Very exciting. I'm testing it tonight with a real person: will let you know how it goes.

[Astinus]

I'd be curious to know how this goes. People have tried Hosting on Dialup before but the local map modules on the clients may be a big help.

Let us know how it works out.

It works. Perfectly. This is what I did:

1. Created a module with images stored as 'client' data with no index (so players can't browse it).

2. Added a story entry stored as 'host' data and indexed it, so the GM can browse it but not the players.

3. Used the story data to link to the images. I just created one story entry with the image links on it.

4. Pre-distributed the module via download from website.

4. Force loaded the module. When you open the module and select an image from the story page you created, it loads locally on the player's computer.

Mind you, I only tested it with one player. But he was in Australia - and we were both on dial up - and images of any size loaded instantly. We actually played and spoke on Teamspeak. I had two lines with two dial up connections (one for VOIP, one for FGII), but he only had the single connection.

I'm yet to test this with a large group of players, but it's looking good (touch wood). I wonder if this approach might even be of use to GM's with broadband connections. It would allow you to play with nice large, high resolution maps, if you like that kind of thing.

Thanks, Stuart, for your help on this one. It would never have occurred to me to use a module for this purpose.

[Oberoten]

Now that is a very... very very very clever solution.
*un-hats in your general direction*

[VgnFrnd]

4. Force loaded the module.

What does "force loaded" mean? I haven't started exporting my own modules yet, but I am keeping up with the forum discussions here to learn how. Forewarned is forearmed, they say.

[GoOrange]

What does "force loaded" mean? I haven't started exporting my own modules yet, but I am keeping up with the forum discussions here to learn how. Forewarned is forearmed, they say.

When the GM opens the modules section using the small button in the upper right corner, all the various modules available are displayed. There are 3 options for player availability that the GM can set. (I'll paraphrase below.)

1. Block from players - players can't see the module
2. Allow for players - players can click the module to download it if they want to.
3. Force load for players - the module automatically loads itself for the players when they connect.

It's in the manual here if you want a better explanation: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/userguide/modules.xcp

[VgnFrnd]

D'oh! I knew that. Somehow I just didn't remember that the third option was called force loading. *slaps forhead*

[Foen]

Hi Astinus

It is great you got this to work, sounds like quite a feat via dial-up. Just one query, I am surprised you couldn't browse the images on the host without creating a story entry: you should be able to open images and maps on the host (you might not notice, but you will also have to switch between tabs at the bottom of the image list window, as the module will have a different tab to normal images).

Just curious.

Stuart

[Astinus]

Just one query, I am surprised you couldn't browse the images on the host without creating a story entry: you should be able to open images and maps on the host (you might not notice, but you will also have to switch between tabs at the bottom of the image list window, as the module will have a different tab to normal images).
Goodness me, you're right. I kept opening the images window and seeing nothing, so I thought I needed an index to access them from the module. Didn't realize I had to switch tabs at the bottom of the image list window.

So I used a work around for a problem that didn't exist. lol. But maybe the workaround might be useful anyway. If there's a lot of images in the module, I'll probably use the story pages to organize them.

New question about adding tokens to modules: Once the module is opened, the tokens show in the GM's token box, but not the players. But when the GM places a token on the map, will that token load locally on the players' machines, or will it be transferred over the network?

I'm just asking because I won't have a chance to test this with a real person for another week or so. If tokens load locally, from the module, another impediment to dial up play will have been removed.

[Foen]

Ahh, I can't answer that one as I have broadband and it works too quickly to tell. My guess is that it will use the module version, but there is a bug with token exporting.

If you have a token in your module, and the module also has a reference to it (such as on the charsheet of an npc), the link isn't exported properly. That doesn't stop you using the token from the token box, but you cannot access it from the exported link (unless you manually edit the reference in the exported db.xml, within the .mod file).

My suggestion would be to give it a go, and if it doesn't work on the night then use the letters included in the base ruleset.

Cheers

Stuart

[Astinus]

So in my continued quest to DM on dial up, I have hit a hitch with tokens. As this thread details, I've been using modules to pre-distribute images before the game. The images then load locally, rather than requiring transfer over my dial up connection.

Unfortunately, when I include tokens in the modules they refuse to load locally. Even though they're on both machines (in the .mod file) they insist on being transferred across the internet from Host to Client.

So I'm asking for suggestions to get around this issue. From what I've gathered, any tokens placed in the "Shared" folder will be transferred to the Clients upon connecting. Is this true?

If so, does this mean I could have players connect to the Host an hour before game time, and by the time the game started, all the tokens would have been transferred and would be ready to load locally? I understand this means the players could see the tokens (which is unfortunate) but bandwidth is my primary concern.

Do any other solutions occur? I tried creating token folders on the client side and adding tokens to the folder, but I wasn't surprised when that didn't work. Is there anyway at all to pre-distribute tokens to players, or do the new anti-token spam features in FGII make this impossible?

Thanks for any help.

[Foen]

Sorry Astinus, I'm stumped on this one.

[Griogre]

As far as I know the anti token spam feature means you are really out of luck on easily transfering tokens.

I would guess the built in Letter tokens don't need to transfer though I don't know that for sure. You might try and see if that is true.

If it is true, then maybe you can build a ruleset that includes tokens and distribute that ahead of time, because as I remember the build in letters are part of the d20 default reset. However they could really be hard coded into FG also and only included as samples.

[Astinus]

Ahh, that's too bad. Thanks anyways guys. I was also wondering about how the tokens are included with the game, but it seems like a complex route.

I'll just stick to low-res tokens. The important thing is that my maps and other images are pre-distributed, so it should be fine.

I'll try putting tokens in the Shared folder and see if they transfer across before game time. Or maybe they transfer across if I put them on a map but leave them hidden? I'll find some way, and I'll let you know how the first big game goes. Just waiting on the C&C ruleset from DA now.