Multiple Copies of Chars for GM

[sppeterson]

I just noticed that I have multiple copies of each of my player's characters in my screen's character selection box -- the character he uses most though has more copies than the others (2 copies for most of them, 4 copies for the primary character).

[Dachannien]

If your players are selecting their local copy of the character when they log into the server, it will create another instance of the character identical to the local copy instead of overwriting the server copy. Chalk this one up to PIBCAK and tell your players to use the server copy.

[sppeterson]

Wouldn't the player using the server copy mean that any changes they made offline wouldn't register?

So that we'd have to waste game time while they updated their characters?

[Dachannien]

Yes, but I don't think changes made to the server copy get carried over to the local copy, do they? Or is there a way to sync them up?

[Goblin-King]

This feature request comes up every now and then, but has some problematic implementation difficulties. The FG2 data structure is a lot better in this regard, and gives us a possibility to implement something that would allow players to update their server characters offline, although there are some issues we have to solve. To sum it up, we are aware of this, but at the moment, you can't modify server characters offline.

[sppeterson]

Does this also mean that if my player uses his local version, that it won't include modifications made during the game?

I was hoping, and this was one of the big advantages over Klooge, that it would work just like a tabletop game -- player writes up characters at home, brings sheets to the table, I can look at those sheets, he writes down spells cast and damage taken at the table, then takes his sheets home and mourns the suffering I caused his character or obesses over how best to advance his character one level, should the poor sap survive long enough.

I used to have to leave Klooge up and running during an off-day while he updated his sheets, and that was a bit of a pain.


Also, if I switch campaigns do the character sheets stay with the old one?
I might do this occasionally when I switch to a new scenario or if I start having corruption problems with my current campaign file.

[Ram Tyr]

Does this also mean that if my player uses his local version, that it won't include modifications made during the game?

I was hoping, and this was one of the big advantages over Klooge, that it would work just like a tabletop game -- player writes up characters at home, brings sheets to the table, I can look at those sheets, he writes down spells cast and damage taken at the table, then takes his sheets home and mourns the suffering I caused his character or obesses over how best to advance his character one level, should the poor sap survive long enough.

I used to have to leave Klooge up and running during an off-day while he updated his sheets, and that was a bit of a pain.

When each player logs into a game there is a list of characters to select from. That list will contain all characters already enrolled in the campaign. (These are the 'server' characters that have been logged into the campaign at some prior point.) That list will also contain all characters available on the players system from local mode.

Every time after the player logs into the game after the first time, the player will be able to see two different versions of his character. One will be labeled the 'server' character and one the 'local' character.

If changes are made during game play those changes are only logged onto the server character.

If changes are made in the local view in between game sessions, those changes are only logged onto the local character.

Note that the player can select the 'local' character the next session and this will replace the server character with the new 'local' character. If this is done accidently, it is bad. After a session the GM can email the character xml to the player so that the player can access it in the local view in between sessions if both are willing and able.

Logging in early before the next session or in between sessions is one way to handle updating characters. Usually, folks make the decisions in advance and then spend a few minutes inputing the relevant information.

Someone will correct me if FGII has changed any of the above.

Also, if I switch campaigns do the character sheets stay with the old one?
I might do this occasionally when I switch to a new scenario or if I start having corruption problems with my current campaign file.

I believe that each character is campaign specific. Opening a new campaign would change the list of characters available to the players when logging in. Keep in mind the local characters on the list would remain the same.

Later.

[Dachannien]

Note that the player can select the 'local' character the next session and this will replace the server character with the new 'local' character. If this is done accidently, it is bad.

This no longer happens. Instead, a new instance of the character is created on the server, with all of the data being a copy of the local character.