Developing for FGU, what should we focus on learning?

[RedLucidity]

My Search Fu may not be the greatest, so I apologize if these questions have been asked before.. as i didn't find the answers else where.

I'm hoping to capitalize on and structure some of my development skill learning towards Unity before the FGU Beta and Alpha releases. As such, I'm wondering where I can best focus my learning of Unity in regards towards use with Fantasy Grounds Unity Ruleset and Extensions development.

I realize that FGU will be backward compatible and using XML and Lua, thats not the questions here.

• Will dev users be looking at utilizing 3D development? 2D? or just Scripting, similar to how Lua works currently?
• Could Lua and XML be deprecated entirely from future rulesets?
  Or will New FGU rulesets need to accommodate FGC as well?
• Will development utilize the Unity Editor?
  or will users need to continue utilizing text editors with multi-file Search, or other development tools?
• Can any of the following be available to be utilized; IL2CPP, Mono C#, UXML, UIElements, Unity UI, IMGUI, etc?
• In the Future, Can/will Ragdolls or sprites be utilized for characters/creature "token" elements, and or other GameObjects, for use with 2D or 3D maps?

[Moon Wizard]

1) The API will be almost exactly the same, with the exception that the imagecontrol is being completely rewritten, and there have been some additions/removals within the API. However, building something that works in the current FG version, should still work in FGU either right away or with minor changes (except image stuff).

2) It is unlikely that Lua and XML will be deprecated, because all of the current rulesets use Lua and XML, and the API is built for Lua and XML. There are thousands of hours invested in the existing rulesets that are sold, not even counting all the community work.

3) There will not be any development in the Unity editor. FG is a platform that happens to be built on Unity, not a Unity plugin. So, all development will continue with similar tools as today.

4) None of the libraries or build options you listed will be available, because they all require a full development environment.

5) While we have some ideas and plans for 3D development down the road, the primary goal is to build a tabletop solution that works with the plethora of 2D RPG material that is available today, and is continuing to be created. Additionally, 3D modelling requires a significant investment in model development and map-building, that RPG companies do not provide. Therefore, there is significant cost in full 3D model development and map-building. We have some ideas to blend the two down the road, but nothing we're working on yet.

Regards,
JPG

[RedLucidity]

Thanks for your quick response, Moon Wizard

1) The API will be almost exactly the same, with the exception that the imagecontrol is being completely rewritten, and there have been some additions/removals within the API. However, building something that works in the current FG version, should still work in FGU either right away or with minor changes (except image stuff).

I'm assuming that "image stuff", you're just meaning imagecontol as show here in the RefDoc used with maps and imported images, and not images like frames, icons, buttons, etc?

Do you have Or can you, list which API's will definitely be removed? So time can be saved and or prepared for their eventual removal?

I read someplace that Dice were being rewritten, will their applicable API's stay the same?
and will/could the Percentile Dice be added to the default desktop list and work more naturally? i.e. the 01-00 tens die and the 0-9 ones die?
I'm also not sure the D30 is available currently.. but I've known a few games that use it. (Though now that i'm thinking of it it could be made as a custom die but not added to the desktop like the others.) Though these can all be made to to be used on drag, but you know players, they like their colorful dice.

Also just to be clear, code can be utilized from CoreRPG and the 4e Rulesets, and no others, for purposes of public rulesets. Is that also for rulesets for games for eventual resale?

[Talyn]

Also just to be clear, code can be utilized from CoreRPG and the 4e Rulesets, and no others, for purposes of public rulesets. Is that also for rulesets for games for eventual resale?

Not sure where you heard this one. The 2E ruleset (and the community AD&D ruleset it was prior to licensing) is based off 5E. The DCC ruleset (both retail and community) are also based off 5E. The other AD&D community ruleset is based off Castles & Crusades so you have to own that first to use that particular free AD&D ruleset. There are probably others. 13th Age is layered over 4E I'm told, but you mentioned 4E.

Far as I've ever been told, anything produced by SmiteWorks and/or comes free with the base installation is fair game. But obviously with the "other" AD&D, it's perfectly fine to base something off of a retail ruleset as well.

[LordEntrails]

Far as I've ever been told, anything produced by SmiteWorks and/or comes free with the base installation is fair game. But obviously with the "other" AD&D, it's perfectly fine to base something off of a retail ruleset as well.

I believe it's "fair game" only if you release it for free to the community or license it with SW through the FG store. I don't think you could sell it elsewhere without some sort of license from SW.

[Moon Wizard]

It is as LordEntrails posted above. We retain the licensing to our own code; but we generally allow it to be used freely for anything released free to the community, or offered officially for sale on the FG store.

Regards,
JPG

[RedLucidity]

Far as I've ever been told, anything produced by SmiteWorks and/or comes free with the base installation is fair game. But obviously with the "other" AD&D, it's perfectly fine to base something off of a retail ruleset as well.

Well... permissions for use of development examples and code usage may be listed elsewhere, but I'm basing my assumption of use on the modguide introduction . Noted within, it talks about using 3.5E and 4E as additional example rulesets, and at the bottom of the article the following: (Minus the bolding)

"Code and graphics included in the built-in FG rulesets can be distributed freely as part of other FG rulesets, as long as the new rulesets are made freely available. If you wish to build an official ruleset for your favorite gaming system, please drop us a note at [email protected]."

I did drop a note a while back to SW but, it may have been over looked during the Kickstarter. I just want to insure that if I write something that it follows guidelines for retail, as that as a possibility, even if it never gets there or picked up.

The various products you mentioned may have utilized written or even financial permissions to use 5e or other rulesets as a base. And so I can't rely on being able to use those rulesets for code or as examples, unless its officially indicated as such.

[damned]

That reference pre-dates 5E and indeed predates CoreRPG too.