Story Template PRO (Extension for Unity)

[UrsaTeddy]

I have just started exploring Story Templates after this massive improvement!

I am not sure if this is possible (would be a great feature if not) - I would like to back reference results to ensure that I have not generated a duplicate.

For example I would like some Personality descriptors for an NPC but I do not want them to be described as Helpful, Tidy, Tidy, Shy. One Tidy is enough.

Can this be done? Is it something that is interesting for others?

D

[JimSocks]

The best way to do this currently is to reference several tables that don’t have overlapping results. So go online, find a list of every human personality trait, let’s say you get 100. Break them up into 5 separate tables of 20 traits without repeats, and you’ll get a list of traits with no repeats.

Back- reference checking would be a messy nightmare to code, especially with all the use-cases out there and different template layouts.

I mean, I have templates rolling on 200 cross-referenced tables, internal column referencing those results into other cross template callouts, mixed in with 300 normal table callout’s being column referenced after being hidden. Some of these tables start out at different places but roll in the same result tables.

Trying to back-reference all that... is not something I would want to chase down. Not to mention if I did get that working, all the potential issues it might cause unexpectedly when another result pops up somewhere that looks the same but came from a different table or callout. It’s kind of a can of worms.

Let me think...

I can think of one easy way to do this, which would be to create a new callout where you would specify a string and a limit for how many times it would be allowed to appear in the resulting story. Something like [:Limit “Shy”:1], and it would find the first instance of Shy in your story, and erase the rest, but that’s problematic too... for a bunch of reasons.

Or maybe a callout like [:Trait:NoRepeat][3x] would roll the Trait table thrice, discarding any repeat results and re-rolling the table. That’s not a bad solution, but fitting that in with custom naming, column referencing, cross-template storage, cross template referencing, cross template column referencing, and the hidden feature is not only difficult, but the result would be clunky and cumbersome for an end-user to use I think.

I don’t know... I mean maybe I could look into this if more people are interested? Sound off folks. Tell me what you think.

[JimSocks]

I think it’s one of those cases where just because you CAN do something, doesn’t always mean that you should?

[UrsaTeddy]

I would have thought it would be something like the regexp back referencing.

[Jiminimonka]

Sounds like a nightmare!

[Jiminimonka]

Sounds like a nightmare!

Are there any examples of these massively complex tables available? A mod maybe? Thanks

[JimSocks]

A mod maybe?

I’ve got a mod I’ve already poured over 1,000 hours into, with still a road ahead to go. It’s designed to give you a complete world to run a campaign in, and storylines for said campaign. It used my work on content generator as it’s bedrock, and has just exploded since then with the addition of all the new functionality. It’s... well it’s crazy massive.

I have formally requested Smiteworks permission for me to run a Kickstarter for it. Hopefully I get approval, and then I will let you all know when the campaign is set to start. The idea is this: if the Kickstarter is successfully funded, the mod will be free to everyone instead of an expensive paid item on DMsGuild. If that happens, then everyone has easy access to it if they want it and in my opinion Fantasy Grounds would become the absolute hands down go-to program for making a homebrew campaign, and then running said adventure. It’d be the bees knees.

There are resources out there that help you create a homebrew campaign, but I have seen them all and nothing even comes close to this.

[Jiminimonka]

I'll back that Kickstarter!

[BaneTBC]

You may actually be able to put it into the new Forge component instead of DMsGuild, but that remains to be seen once it is released.

[JimSocks]

Hey everybody!

New features are now live- including the ability to column-reference with Link Record results!
Also, I made a new comprehensive tutorial video for the Wiki, complete with quick navigation links in the video description so you can go straight to whatever you need to learn about!

Click HERE to go see the new video!