Combats Feature

[afd1366]

Maybe my memory is failing, but I don't recall the "Combats" button (crossed swords icon) being on the tabletop in the pre-foundation d20 ruleset (I'm only recently reacquainting myself with FGII after a period away and encountered and loaded the update right off the bat).

Anyone have a few moments to give me a brief tutorial on its function and use?

Thanks,

Doug

[Oberoten]

I have to admitt I am curious about this one too...
Saveable combat tracker? Doesn't look like it... But I'd love that as a feature with a proper list of what I have. :)

- Obe

[afd1366]

Thanks for validating my sanity, Obe.

[Tenian]

The 4E_JPG ruleset has that feature. It allows you to save a list of monsters/tokens and then quickly add them to the combat tracker by pressing a single button.

[Oberoten]

Mhm. The arm set has the CTS and CTL option, but I suppose I will take a look at the code in 4E and see what I can do on the Arm stuff.

- Obe

[Tenian]

The nice thing about the 4E version is the battle objects are exportable. That makes including them in modules pretty straight forward. I even have the sample encounters from the monster manual included in my monster manual reference module (but I'm a completist like that).

[Sorontar]

Saving and exporting combat/trap encounters with detailed XP etc is awesome, then pressing one button and populating the CT tips it over the edge into the realms of PURE WIN.

This feature had me grinning like a Cheshire Cat when I found it in 4e JPG.

[Tenian]

Really it only works so well because of some other features in 4E_JPG. I have no experience with other rulesets so maybe these are common:

1) Auto-rolling NPC init (grouping/individual)
2) Auto-Numbering NPCs (which will include a Random option at some point)

If your ruleset doesn't support those, you might want to consider adding them as well.

The "dream" feature that is missing is some how saving positional information (i.e. where the tokens belong on a map image). This would require saving a map reference and a lot of coords in the battle object. I'm not even sure it the functions exist to create and position the tokens on a map....but it'd be fantastic if this was made to work somehow :)

[joshuha]

Really it only works so well because of some other features in 4E_JPG. I have no experience with other rulesets so maybe these are common:

1) Auto-rolling NPC init (grouping/individual)
2) Auto-Numbering NPCs (which will include a Random option at some point)

If your ruleset doesn't support those, you might want to consider adding them as well.

The "dream" feature that is missing is some how saving positional information (i.e. where the tokens belong on a map image). This would require saving a map reference and a lot of coords in the battle object. I'm not even sure it the functions exist to create and position the tokens on a map....but it'd be fantastic if this was made to work somehow :)

Actually that should be doable as far as loading an image, pre-populating a combat tracker with tokens, drag those over to the map, get coordinates, and then save back along with combat tracker data. The only issue is when you open the map again and try to repopulate if you aren't on the same scale/viewpoint it will place the in the x/y relative to the current image. Might be possible to also save that image data along with the token set.

[Angloson]

So, any chance a token/map-layout might be made available for the next 4E ruleset update?

But I'd like to ask what others do to get around this. I was thinking of just taking a screenshot of the whole thing. (Understand, I have not played yet, just tinkering with the software and trying to convince others to "plug-in".)

[Griogre]

I just load the combat tracker and then drag the tokens onto the map. It doesn't take *that* long, really, but it is pure "dead time" where the party can't do anything until you get the tokens down on the map. It's not much different where in a face to face game you have to stop and sketch out the area on a battle map before you start combat.

Since this down time doesn't have any redeeming qualities, eliminating it can only help the flow of the game.

[Angloson]

Sure, I have no problem taking the time to set the tokens. It's the same in face to face and it's no real time at all. But my question was how do you record where everyone/thing is when you have to stop a session in the middle of combat or some such?

[Griogre]

Everything is on the combat tracker which is saved. On map positions if it is complicated you take a screen shot. There is a bug where monster token positions are not remembered at least in the 4E ruleset.

[Spyke]

Everything is on the combat tracker which is saved. On map positions if it is complicated you take a screen shot. There is a bug where monster token positions are not remembered at least in the 4E ruleset.And remember you can take screenshots in FG simply by pressing the PrintScreen key. They get saved in the root of your FG application data folder.

Spyke

[Tenian]

I don't believe the issue is 4E_JPG specific. The problem is related to tokens stored in modules unless I am misremembering.

[CB Droege]

I'm excited to hear about this new feature. I tried playing with it, but I can't find the way to move the combat into the combat tracker.

I'm in Foundation with the 3.5 extension.

[Tenian]

Token positions are now saved, even if the tokens are drawn from a module. Or more correctly I guess token positions are now correctly loaded.