Desigining your own MOD file

[icedcrow]

You know, those compressed files that by default hold D20 information?

Do any of you make your own?

If so... wouldn't it be beneficial to create your own MOD monster manual, spells, etc... for reuse instead of using them as adventure add ons (exported secondary campaigns)?

[Tenian]

I do...well technically speaking I write programs that do.

They are very handy, you either need good examples of existing modules built for the ruleset, or be willing to look through the ruleset and figure out the structure it needs/wants.

[Griogre]

It can be beneficial, and it is the reason Smiteworks exposed the data to the user. I think it is a pure time effort/return equation for each individual. I think it worthwhile if you have the time and if you will use the data for longer than it took to input it.

Tenian wrote a parser which took him X amount of time to do. I would venture to guess he did it because he could write it and input data with it faster than just inputting it. So it’s a win from his point of view because his total time for data input - typically the least fun part of development - will decrease (he may have enjoyed writing the program too which would be a bonus to him). There is a big assumption here, though. The assumption is the data will be useful to him – if it is not then he wasted his time as far as producing the module.

Kinda long winded, I know - but my point is I think you really only want to bother with making library modules for things you use a lot. A good example of what you don’t want to input, IMHO, is something like the 3.5 Spell Compendium. It’s a great book – but do you really want to take the time to put in a 1,000 spells of which only a double handful will be commonly used (less if you exclude the broken ones)? You would be better off with you time making an adventure – or just playing.

[icedcrow]

Ha. Absolutely not ;) I'm talking about using it for things that I would use often... like 4th edition spells, powers, monsters, etc that see a lot of use.

[Griogre]

I can see it for monsters. I'm personally not sure about powers being worth it. It's very easy for players to copy and paste DDI Conpendium powers into the powers section of their character sheet. So easy I don't see much need for a power or feat listing.

[Xorn]

While I love doing adventure modules, I think library modules are handy but not something I'll go out of my way to create, for the reasons Griogre mentioned.

When I first started fiddling with making 4E work with just a d20 ruleset (before 4E was released) I started tackling making a monster manual, but then later I realized that if I was only going to use 5 of the monsters that the pre-release team had gotten stats for, why am I making a module with all 30 of them?

Just manually enter the 5 and move on. If I actually find myself using those in another adventure, I'd just open the module, drop them into the new adventure, and close the module. There, data entry redone.

Now that said, having a monster manual is made of win, and if you can use a parser like Tenian made, you're in for a treat.

[Tenian]

Despite my somewhat long winded posts...I hate typing :)
I think I typed 2 powers by hand (at the time the DDI compendium was "coming soon!") before I started work on a parser.

Really anything you add to FG2 is a matter of your own personal effort versus reward. If you make a map, it could just be a line drawing, or you could go all out and render it in CC3/DD3 and then photoshop to add some aftereffects, or anywhere in between. I'm guessing DevinKnight's campaigns use much nicer maps than mine do, because he has more artistic talent than me. Similarly my campaigns use much more complex modules than someone less technically adept might produce.

Some of my friends would take weeks to write the "Hello world" program. I had the MM parser up to 75% success rate in about 8hrs. For me, full modules had acceptable effort to reward payout.

Plus I do get some sick twisted enjoyment out of it. Mostly the challenge of doing it. That and being able to point at the results and say I did them. I feel the same way when I add something to the ruleset.

In the end the whole process of writing the parsers saved me time, improved the accuracy, and as a side bonus, produced tools the community at large could use (especially if I make the interface more friendly).

[Griogre]

...
Plus I do get some sick twisted enjoyment out of it. Mostly the challenge of doing it. That and being able to point at the results and say I did them. I feel the same way when I add something to the ruleset.

And *that* is why *I* love development and programming. :D

[icedcrow]

I am a developer. i will work on an xml parser for the mods.

[Foen]

I am a developer. i will work on an xml parser for the mods.

There is an Open Source project out there called RuleForge (https://www.codeplex.com/ruleforge) which is doing just that.

Dr Deth was running it himself (I helped out for a short while) but it suffers from not enough developer attention. You might want to consider lending a hand, or you might not ;)

Stuart

[icedcrow]

I will look at the xml tomorrow and begin coding a simple C# app to parse it. If it works out how I want to I will happily post it on my D&D website for all to use.

[Bidmaron]

A couple of thoughts/questions:
1) Where is this parser referenced in this thread?
2) I got part way through a program that would take one xml file and convert it into another. It was a GUI program to create .xsl files to convert from one format to another. I was using to convert RPGXplorer character files to either stand-alone FG2 or campaign FG2. Unfortunately, my computer crashed, and I am waiting on the new one I ordered (motherboard on old one was too expensive to replace).
--Dale--

[Tenian]

The parsers (there are actually 2) are available on FUM (https://www.fouruglymonsters.com), in the 4E Development group. I believe you'll have to register and join the group to download it.