Combat Groups Extension (Fantasy Grounds Unity 5E Ruleset)

[Mazzar]

1) If your using TEST and trying to run with map lock token movement - don't. The lag bugs will kill you. As far as normal operations my stuff will not effect token movement at all. Now having said that I abuse my curse of strahd campaign with it putting about 250 npcs and 10 maps preloaded. But I also have a good machine so it takes 20 seconds to bring combat tracker up and then I'm good. But everything is still in combat tracker and as long as your not using any extensions that cheat on where they get data out of combat tracker you should be faster not slower. By that I mean FGU has specific functions that retrieve filtered combat tracker data and that will respect combat groups. But never forget - everything you put in there is still in the combat tracker DB list - just filtered out for stuff. So if you abuse it like me - then you are going to eventually kill it. So how many NPCs did you define? How many maps are they in? Part of my game prep is to decide what groups need to be permanent (Party will revisit them) and which they are likely to visit if not in the area they will be playing. But nobody has reported what you're seeing so if not in TEST, I'd remove every extension you have except mine and see if your speed improves. If so, then one of your extensions is incompatible or not playing nicely with the combat tracker filters. Unless you have > than what I was abusing it with - then your pushing it.

2) Same as any other - you go into DMsG in your login - My Library - choose the Updated Only - and see if you need to download anything. I also notify changes that are made here and in Page 1 of this thread.

Thank you for the quick reply! Yes, I am using Test and I do use Token Lock. As of 2 nights ago it was running a bit slow.. I will test what you recommended to see if it speeds things up. I may also have the 5E Enhancer (skip CT actor that has not rolled initiative). Not sure any others use the combat tracker.

Thanks for the info on getting updates on DMsguild as well. I do love this extension and want to figure it out. I'd prefer to keep the token locking but I will play with it.

[SilentRuin]

Thank you for the quick reply! Yes, I am using Test and I do use Token Lock. As of 2 nights ago it was running a bit slow.. I will test what you recommended to see if it speeds things up. I may also have the 5E Enhancer (skip CT actor that has not rolled initiative). Not sure any others use the combat tracker.

Thanks for the info on getting updates on DMsguild as well. I do love this extension and want to figure it out. I'd prefer to keep the token locking but I will play with it.

Yeah TEST killed me last week with that token map locking on. Caused a lot of other side issues it seemed also. Not seen an update since then yet. Was told one of my problems was fixed but it was a blackout issue not the lag issue. So still waiting on both fixes to FGU - nothing to do with my stuff.

[Weissrolf]

Here is an old post with an animated GIF showing slow token movement (due to CPU overload) on clients only (GM not affected):

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forum...l=1#post585513

The GIF also demonstrates one way how GM and players' tokens can fall out of sync (show up in different places due to players' computer still being busy slowly moving tokens).

While I bought and would love to use the Combat Groups Extension we only play Pathfinder (2), so it was not loaded when the GIF was created. So the extension is not to be blamed for any of this other than maybe contributing extra CPU load?! Could be worthwhile to do a quick CPU load measurement with and without the extension for those using the extension on weaker computers.

[SilentRuin]

Here is an old post with an animated GIF showing slow token movement (due to CPU overload) on clients only (GM not affected):

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forum...l=1#post585513

While I bought and would love to use the Combat Groups Extension we only play Pathfinder (2), so it was not loaded when the GIF was created.

Sadly while most rulesets use a common CoreRPG set of code - they all went off and did their own windows for the host/client combat tracker. I only use the 5E ruleset and as the extensions were written for me, that is the only thing they fully support. If I get really bored sometime I may branch it out - but truly I'm not much into marketing this stuff. People keep telling me I try and scare people off using all my stuff by saying EXTENSIONS = RISK all the time.

They are correct

[Weissrolf]

I understand. Would still be great to have such an extension for PF2, especially for large open air maps with lots of tokens visible to pre-scouting PCs. Being able to pre-load a neighboring room's tokens without spamming the CT is useful, too. Best solution would be for CT groups functionality being built into FG core.

Here is a feature suggestion: Allow to remove/hide CT entries of dead NPCs without removing their corresponding token from the map. Thus the mountains of dead adversaries can stay on the map for showing "difficult terrain". The token highlighter extension already allows to grey them out, but hiding would be even better (less end turn clicking).

[SilentRuin]

I understand. Would still be great to have such an extension for PF2, especially for large open air maps with lots of tokens visible to pre-scouting PCs. Being able to pre-load a neighboring room's tokens without spamming the CT is useful, too. Best solution would be for CT groups functionality being built into FG core.

Here is a feature suggestion: Allow to remove/hide CT entries of dead NPCs without removing their corresponding token from the map. Thus the mountains of dead adversaries can stay on the map for showing "difficult terrain". The token highlighter extension already allows to grey them out, but hiding would be even better (less end turn clicking).

You can do that now (in 5E)! Simply add the dead NPC's into their own group - name it "Dead but not forgotten" and just add them in as they die. Hit the visible button and they are gone! I use death indicators extension so all mine are already tombstones for their tokens on the map. But really in the end - I just delete them to get them out of the way. If I'm going to reuse a campaign I make sure I have a base copy and copy any new one from that one, so I don't have to worry about "destroying" all the stuff as a party rampages through it.

Is that the Pathfinder (2E) ruleset? I suppose that is part of ultimate license. I will make a point to look into it to see how horrifically they diverged from CoreRPG code as that it how much work is involved in getting it on there. No promises - but I'll take a peek.

[Weissrolf]

Great, thanks for taking a look. The PF2 CT is definitely modified, missing anchor points for your extension's controls are the first errors to pop up. No hiding happening at all. The "Encounter Safari" extension had similar problems of no hiding happening even when the controls itself got properly anchored.

A quick default group of dead people with a quick button might be useful, but admittedly I don't know how easy or hard the current on-the-fly group works.

[SilentRuin]

Great, thanks for taking a look. The PF2 CT is definitely modified, missing anchor points for your extension's controls are the first errors to pop up. No hiding happening at all. The "Encounter Safari" extension had similar problems of no hiding happening even when the controls itself got properly anchored.

A quick default group of dead people with a quick button might be useful, but admittedly I don't know how easy or hard the current on-the-fly group works.

Wow that 2E stuff has completely redone the combat tracker code completely. Just took a look at the ct subdirectory and they basically disable the old window class completely and redesigned the whole thing. It would not be a simple task to untangle all that and figure out how to weave all my stuff into it from what I'm seeing. I might attempt it at some point - but for sure its a major project just to figure out what its doing now on its own. Sorry bout that but I was always afraid a lot of the rulesets just went off on their own - and they have. I used to think if an extension was close to the CoreRPG stuff it would work most places - I've become wiser over time - that is not the case.

[Weissrolf]

Thanks for taking a look anyway! I am assuming you mean PF2 and not DND 2E (just making sure)?

Manually adding encounters just to show a scouting party what's where and then removing superfluous ones does work. It can be quite slow with lots of tokens, though, and there always is the feeling that FGU still gets bogged down after the tokens/CT entries are deleted again.

These are the encounters of only the lower third of a bought PF2 adventure path open air map (+PC party):



Fortunately I introduced regular heavy rain and fog in these jungle adventures, so vision and movement can be impeded. Never will a party be as happy to finally reach civilization again, though, as they are sick of all the rain (environment being their most unnerving adversary). Fortunately the next adventure is placed in a capital city.

[SilentRuin]

Thanks for taking a look anyway! I am assuming you mean PF2 and not DND 2E (just making sure)?

Manually adding encounters just to show a scouting party what's where and then removing superfluous ones does work. It can be quite slow with lots of tokens, though, and there always is the feeling that FGU still gets bogged down after the tokens/CT entries are deleted again.

These are the encounters of only the lower third of a bought PF2 adventure path open air map (+PC party):



Fortunately I introduced regular heavy rain and fog in these jungle adventures, so vision and movement can be impeded. Never will a party be as happy to finally reach civilization again, though, as they are sick of all the rain (environment being their most unnerving adversary). Fortunately the next adventure is placed in a capital city.

Well crap. I looked at the wrong one. Let me look again. I assume its PFRPG2? Otherwise its not in the ultimate license. I'm going to look at that one on assumption it is.