Module Creation Outlining

[SailorLovins]

Hello developers,

When you are at the drawing board for the creation or conversion of a module what are your outlining / planning methods? I use Notepad ++ XML to create my modules and am about to undertake a large project of converting an old book to current 5E rulesets. My module will include the reference manual that is ever so popular. So how do you break down large projects? How often do you test your module? If you don't mind sharing your trade secrets for the planning and production phase of your module I'd greatly appreciate it.

[Talyn]

I also use Notepad++ to do all my DLC projects. I don't know that I necessarily have a process, per se; sometimes I do the reference manual first (or at least get it started so the markup data paths are in place), other times I'll do it last. I'll make an '(Index)' Story scene with some placeholder text so I don't forget to do that (even though FG alpha-sorts anyway, but I try to build things in order if I can).

I usually find it's easier to first go page by page and build the NPCs first so they're in the database so I can go back through and build the encounters, items, parcels, etc. If there are NPC graphics to make tokens from I may do those first so I can build the NPC and assign the token all at once. Once those are done I'll do the Story scenes that way the other stuff is already in the database so I can easily drag-n-drop the related Encounter, Parcel, whatever onto that scene page and move to the next one. Along the way I'll be deciding if it's worth my while to also include the Story scenes in the reference manual or not (sometimes I do, sometimes I don't -- it's a requirement for official Paizo DLC however).

To finish things up, I'll tweak the reference manual layout so I'm happy with it and it looks professional, then go back and replace the placeholder text with the actual text and links for the (Index) Story page, run the Conversion Checker script and if no errors I'll email James that the project is complete so he can get an SVN folder setup for it.

[damned]

Do whatever this guys says ^^

[Talyn]

Do whatever this guys says ^^

In that case... ::hypnotic voice:: "send me all your money and women!"

[damned]

In that case... ::hypnotic voice:: "send me all your money and women!"

Sounds like Im getting out of it cheap. Whats your address?

[LordEntrails]

I'll add the first thing I figure out is what are the chapters going to be. i.e. something like Chapter 1 is Intro etc. Chapter 2 is the first set of encounters, etc. That way I know if I need to use 01, 02 or can just use 1, 2.

[Mortar]

I also use Notepad++ to do all my DLC projects. I don't know that I necessarily have a process, per se; sometimes I do the reference manual first (or at least get it started so the markup data paths are in place), other times I'll do it last. I'll make an '(Index)' Story scene with some placeholder text so I don't forget to do that (even though FG alpha-sorts anyway, but I try to build things in order if I can).

I usually find it's easier to first go page by page and build the NPCs first so they're in the database so I can go back through and build the encounters, items, parcels, etc. If there are NPC graphics to make tokens from I may do those first so I can build the NPC and assign the token all at once. Once those are done I'll do the Story scenes that way the other stuff is already in the database so I can easily drag-n-drop the related Encounter, Parcel, whatever onto that scene page and move to the next one. Along the way I'll be deciding if it's worth my while to also include the Story scenes in the reference manual or not (sometimes I do, sometimes I don't -- it's a requirement for official Paizo DLC however).

To finish things up, I'll tweak the reference manual layout so I'm happy with it and it looks professional, then go back and replace the placeholder text with the actual text and links for the (Index) Story page, run the Conversion Checker script and if no errors I'll email James that the project is complete so he can get an SVN folder setup for it.

About the only thing I do differently, is that I build the entire reference manual first, then the npcs, encounters and so on.

[Talyn]

One of the advantages to doing the reference manual last (or at least later in the process) is I'm getting stuff done (productivity for the win) and having to repeatedly run through the PDF to do that, which gives me plenty of time to figure out how I want to adjust the PDF layout into a reference manual layout.

I didn't mention in my first post, but I use Acrobat Pro which lets me save the PDF as a plain text file so it's easier to work with in Notepad++. A couple global find/replace to fix the usual wonky PDF-to-text artifacts and it's ready to go. I only copy/paste directly from the PDF during those times when the plain text export fails (always due to the layout and how the PDF was built) because that ends up being more work to fix things one paste at a time.

[Trenloe]

I do the reference manual last. This allows me to add links to all of the relevant FG records for: images, NPCs, items, packages, quests, etc.. It's good to add all of these as clickable links so that the GM can easily access the FG data records from the reference manual. The reference manual, IMHO, should not just be a wall of text and images, it should also empower the GM to run the adventure from there is they want to.

Oh, another thing - don't leave "see page XX" text in your module - make it a clickable link to the relevant reference manual section and/or FG data record.

[Valyar]

I am currently struggling to build this reference manual for a module we are working on. I understand that it is done by editing the client.xml file and defining lists and linking to objects inside the export, but somehow the details elude me (i.e. i can't manage to make it to show in the Library, when I browse the module.

I checked https://www.fantasygrounds.com/wiki/...erence_Manuals, but what is inside as code is different compared to what I see in example module I was provided.
I am currently doing /export from the campaign and then edit the client.xml.


Any resource I can check with more detailed explanations?