Fantasy Grounds II Ruleset Making Walkthrough #1
December 23, 2008
So I recently acquired Fantasy Grounds II, a rather interesting shared online roleplaying program. I’m sort of loathe to give the class of programs a name because every name I’ve seen for them sounds wrong – but it’s a shared chatroom and multimedia interface designed to facilitate roleplaying over the Internet.
I’d previously experimented with OpenRPG, which I’d assumed was a good system for doing these things. As it turns out, it includes core functionality up the wazoo, but very, very little in terms of “prettiness” – which is where FG2 delivers.
Take a look at some of Fantasy Grounds’ screenshots, and you’ll immediately see that it’s prettier than your average IRC client.
One of the more interesting facets of FG2 is the “ruleset” system – you can plug in various “rulesets”, typically unique to a role-playing system, which provide resources specific to that system. It comes with a default d20 SRD ruleset as well as a few others (Savage Worlds, GURPS 4e, and some others). There have been attempts at some other systems (notably for me, new World of Darkness (or nWoD) and D&D 4th Edition), but I thought I’d try my hand at building up a ruleset for myself – surely it can’t be that hard (words to die by shortly after stating)?
Trying to decide out what to try, I figured I would attempt to write a ruleset for Paizo Press’s new “D&D 3.75 edition”, Pathfinder RPG. It’s close enough to 3.5 that I should be able to just adapt the the material instead of doing a complete rewrite. Also, it’s still in Beta testing so the licensing is probably not going to result in lawyer’s jumping on my head (or at least not as hard as a certain company which suffers from draconian Intellectual Property paranoia).
So the first step – copy the d20 folder in the application’s folder and rename the new folder to “Pathfinder”.
The rulesets use Lua scripting for the object handling and XML for data storage, so it’s dead easy to crack the stuff open and mess around with the innards. First step, and completely useless in the grand scheme of things: changing the desktop background in the app!
I’m doing this completely blind, as I haven’t found any “how to make a new desktop background for Fantasy Ground II” resources handy. Taking a look at the desktop background (conspicuously named “desktop.png” in the “frames/” folder), I fire up my two image-work apps: the GIMP and Inkscape. Each has a specific purpose for this endeavour.
Firstly, a recon run before anything changes. Actually, the zeroth point: backup. Backup any file I’m opening, be it edit or read-only. The first rule of creating ANYTHING in terms of software is back stuff up before you touch it.
THEN I go on recon – fire up the GIMP, and take a glance at the desktop background image.
Using a few handy measurement tools, it’s easy enough to figure out that this image is broken horizontally into three components: the far left 512×512 general background, a 100×512 strip in the middle that holds the icons for various in-game utilities, and the 512×512 logo which is overlayed onto the desktop at run-time.
Alright. Time to use Inkscape.
I discovered a few months back – and maybe everybody knows this and I’m just an idiot, but I don’t think so – that Inkscape can be used as a PDF editor. So I take my Pathfinder Beta PDF which you can download for free from Paizo (PAIZO WE LOVE YOUUUU!), and we nick the background from the text:
We can then export that into a png, and load it up into the GIMP.
The last step before purely doing GIMP edits is to grab a nice overlay logo. I chose to steal the Pathfinder logo form the cover of the book, anything which uses few strong contrasting colours works well.
Firing up the GIMP, then, I brought the two parts together into a single image, in seperate layers.
I’m not going to walk you through the silly details, as you can find the techniques I’m using here in Grokking the GIMP. I added the logo on a layer, used the rotate tool with clipped rotations to make sure it was at ninety degrees, then adjusted the layer’s alpha value. I then copied the Pathfinder background layer, flipped it horizontally, expanded the layer size and offset it by 512 pixels (the size of the current square) and reduced the size of the layer to 100×512 before merging the layer back down.
I then added a layer to cover the 100×512 bit with an appropriately dark colour, changed the mode to multiply and adjusted the alpha.
Saving this and firing up my new Pathfinder ruleset resulted in less than satisfactory results – no manual on how to do this resulted in my not knowing that the 512×512 block on the left would be repeated as a textured background instead of stretched. Fair enough – now to make the image repeatable on the edges!
Unfortunately, my attention span drained by my disappointment of this not being a cakewalk, I immediately took a break to jam some Frets on Fire (a GPL’d, free Guitar Hero clone – highly recommended). Part 2 coming soon!
Where the Hell is Matt?
July 7, 2008
Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.
I don’t know why, but when I watched this, I was really moved. Matt says on his webpage that he doesn’t have a reason for doing what he does, and people can draw their own conclusions, and this is mine:
People long to be free. Freedom of expression is a part of that – they long to be able to express joy and not care how they go about doing it. But one of the barriers to freedom is the need to consider tomorrow, and the repercussions that today’s actions will have on it. If you act like an idiot, then tomorrow you won’t get the job you want (“someone saw me acting like an idiot in public, and word got out”).
One of my favorite webcomics is XKCD. Probably my favorite strip, though I don’t refer to it often because of the language, is this one:
I think that what people need to act out their freedom is a leader – someone who takes the first step.
I’ve seen it time and again in my life, and I’m sure others have seen it too: something is too hard, too embarrassing, too weird to do – until someone else does it. Suddenly, everyone is doing the hard, embarrassing, weird thing, and have an amazing internal thrill at the freedom they now have. The classic example is dance or worship expression in the church. People who go to a church where the majority raise their hands, coming from churches where that isn’t the norm, experience the thrill of dramatic worship without the risk of possible offense that it would carry back home. When they return to their original churches, they return to their original styles of worship – but if you observe their quiet or personal times with God, you’ll see that they’ll prefer the option that grants more freedom.
So to clarify: I think this guy goes places, and does things many people want to do – express joy with their bodies, repercussions be damned – and I think that people join him because they resonate with what he’s doing, and he’s giving them the freedom to act out their joy.
And I think that this is beautiful. Baz Luhrman famously said:
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
I stand in awe at Matt. I don’t know what his beliefs are, but I honestly believe he has tapped into something of heaven, because I see what he does and I think of home.
Charles Spurgeon, Quotes that Rock
July 1, 2008
I was doing an investigation on a Bible verse that my sister used to quote at me a whole lot, the following:
No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs – he wants to please his commanding officer
2 Timothy 2:4
In the process, I searched out commentaries and sermons that mentioned it. And found one made by Charles Spurgeon.
All I can say is “wow”. So much truth. A lot of it is hard, and all of it is good. Here are a choice few that really struck home:
Do not think a man can hold in his hands four or five doctrines and say to you, “Do you believe them?” “Well, but what are they?” “Never mind; you are a true believer, and you must believe then without knowing them.” A man who has no power of belief at all says, “Oh, yes, I believe; I will kiss your feet if necessary, or do anything you like to tell me.” But the thoughtful man, the man who is: likely to be saved, says at once, “I find it impossible to believe until I first know what I am to believe.”
I have heard it often asserted that, if you believe that Jesus Christ died for you you will be saved. My dear hearer, do not be deluded by such an idea. You may believe that Jesus Christ died for you, and may believe what is not true; you may believe that which will bring you no sort of good whatever. That is not saving faith. The man who, has saving faith afterwards attains to the conviction that Christ died for him, but it is not of the essence of saving faith. Do not get that into your head, or it will ruin you. Do not say, “I believe that Jesus Christ died for me,” and because of that feel that you are saved.
The matter, then, which saves is this — a man trusts Christ, but he trusts Christ because he knows him. See! He knows Christ, and therefore he trusts him. How does he come to know him? Well, he has heard of him, he has read of him, he seeks him in prayer, and when he has learned his character, he trusts him.
A few bits that also really inspired me, speaking of the “good soldier”:
Once again, the true soldier is an ambitious being. He pants for honor, seeks for glory. On the field of strife he gathers his laurels, and amidst a thousand dangers he reaps renown. The Christian is fired by higher ambitions than earthly warrior ever knew. He sees a crown that can never fade; he loves a King who best of all is worthy to be served; he has a motive within him which moves him to the noblest deeds, a divine spirit impelling him to the most self-sacrificing actions. Thus you see the Christian is a soldier, and it is one of the main things in Christian life, to contend earnestly for the faith, and to fight valorously against sin.
[Speaking of "the good soldier":] …to conquer will be his ruling passion. The fight is on, and the soldier’s blood is up, and now he feels “I must drive the enemy from his entrenchment, I must take yonder redoubt. I must plant our conquering standard on the castle of the foe, or I must die. Accursed be the sun if he go down this day and see me turn my back upon the enemy.” He is resolved that he will win or lie cold and stark upon the battle field. The Christian man, in order that he may win for Christ the souls of others, may make known Christ’s truth, may establish Christ’s church on fresh ground, is quite as ready to suffer or die as is the boldest member of the most renowned regiment.
A soldier when he receives his colors finds certain words embroidered on them, to remind him of the former victories of the regiment in which he serves. Look at the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, and see the long list of the triumphs of the faithful. Remember how prophets and apostles served God; recollect how martyrs joyfully laid down their lives; look at the long line of the reformers and the confessors; remember your martyred sires and covenanting fathers, and by the grace of God I beseech you walk not unworthy of your noble lineage.
Let the Face Stabbing Begin
June 26, 2008
I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to avoid ranting or blogging while emotional.
But the next time I hear someone use the term “Racialist” when they mean “Racist“, I swear there will be face-stabbings.
ARGH! It’s a whole extra syllable, your laziness to learn the term properly the first time is quickly offset by the number of times you have to pronounce MORE when you say the word! And you get the additional bonus of not having Grammar Nazi’s like me wanting to terminate your mortal existence!
Online Quizzes for the Geeky
June 7, 2008
Which type of dice are you?
Betcha didn’t see this one coming 
Also, taking the quiz at http://www.angelfire.com/dragon/terragf/:
Graphs, and How Awesome They Are
May 26, 2008
This post is two things, really:
1) A test of latency – the earlier post kept on timing out, and I think it’s because it was image heavy. This post is going to only have linked images, so if it posts off Windows Live Writer, then the blog editor program officially sucks at uploading images.
2) Today, boys and girls, I discovered the epic awesomeness of win that is Graphjam. Think ‘lolgraphs’. Here are some examples:
Grid Tables
May 26, 2008
So my friends and I, who play Pen-and-Paper Role Playing Games (P&P RPGs, as opposed to MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) RPGs like World of Warcraft, PBEM (Play by Email) RPGs, or CRPGs (Computer RPGs like Final Fantasy)), were having a rousing round of D&D last night. My group normally prefers more social-heavy gaming like World of Darkness (WoD), but we were trying out some of the stuff we’d picked up about the upcoming 4th Edition of D&D.
D&D relies heavily upon ‘grid-based’ combat, where squares are used to denote the battlefield, each block representing a 5 foot by 5 foot area. I had been pondering means of representing this easily and cost-effectively recently, and was eventually inspired to create a Grid Table.
The Grid Table is basically a layer of Contact (I don’t know if it’s a brand or generic name, but it’s normally clear adhesive plastic which you stick to book covers to keep them from damage). It was pointed out to me that the reverse side of Contact when you purchase it (a piece of paper with a ’shiny’ side so the adhesive comes off) has a grid printed on it, which can be seen through the clear plastic. While we tried this, the grid wasn’t drawn strongly enough to be visible. I decided to try drawing with permanent markers on this grid to darken it. Photos below are the (almost) completed Contact.
This is a photo of the reverse side of the contact. Note the large pictures which were also a source of annoyance, because the squares were unclear on occasion.
The reverse side of the contact – you can see the squares pretty clearly now, but they’re not so graphic that you can’t ignore them – perfect!
Our bold adventurers (represented by buttons, the right scale for what we’re doing), facing off in a 25″x25″ dungeon room against four dastardly hobgoblins! Note the clarity of the lines drawn on the topside compared the lines drawn underneath.
In last night’s gaming session, it was discovered that Koki could be drawn on and removed with a simple wipe, while permanent ink would stay. Initially, I was planning on tossing the Contact and not using permanent ink again, but when I was rubbing out some white-board marker that I’d used on top of the permanent ink, the permanent ink came off. Curious, we investigated the white-board marker – which used alcohol as part of it’s mixture. So this morning, I set off to the pharmacy to pick up some Surgical Spirits (medical alcohol), cheap at R5.60, which let me wipe the drawn ‘terrain’ of the grid clean, while leaving the grid (drawn on the reverse side) intact.
The final result is very satisfying – a large grid that I can draw on, and the ink doesn’t rub off until I wipe it with alcohol. The grid itself stays, and everything was put together for next to nothing – a full roll of contact is about R20, thin permanent marker for about R15, and medical alcohol for about R5. Throw in a bit of prestick, and you have a grid attached to a table that can be used for hours of gaming.
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
May 14, 2008
I’m *SO* keen to watch this, there are no words. I’ve argued this back and forth, a million million times before, and from the reviews I’m hearing, this guy gives Darwinists there time to speak before making his point. We need more of this! We need more open, public debate that challenges without ranting.
This is on my “to purchase when it comes out on DVD” list.
Edit: So I’ve been doing some reading on this movie, and a few things have come up. Firstly, a link: Expelled: The Movie. This is the main movie website, go and take a glance. I thought it was cute, if a bit silly, though in some ways it seems that that is the tone the movie takes. Secondly, and what had me rolling on the floor nearly in tears, was the Wikipedia entry on Expelled: The Movie. Seriously, if you don’t take the film’s statement of non-Darwinian science being oppressed, read this (unless someone edits it before you get an opportunity).
A few points about the Wikipedia entry:
- Wikipedia is meant to be opinion-neutral, or to at least maintain that facade. This is so remotely distant from neutrality, it’s laughable. The entire entry is attacking the movie’s ID stance.
- A quote from Amanda Gefter, from the New Scientist magazine, amused me:
Its selling point is that academic freedom in the US is threatened by a vast conspiracy of atheist scientists, hypnotised by what Stein labels in the film the “Darwinian gospel”. Supporters of ID are fired from their institutions or denied tenure, the film argues, while journalists who report on ID are silenced or shunned. This is an old trick. By claiming their views are suppressed, proponents of ID hope to be protected from criticism. When someone argues that ID is bogus, all they need do is yell: “See? Suppression!”
Now, I see her point. Heck, in the past, when I was a whiny idiot (and yes, I’ll admit to that then, and to some extent it’s still something I’m growing out of) I tried to use similar things. Unfortunately, the reverse is exactly true. What she has just said results in a similar fallacy: Now, whenever true persecution DOES come, and people stand up and recognize that persecution and identify with this film, people will go “See what Amanda Gefter said? Stop being an idiot, and sit down, Steiner was just giving you an out so you can whinge”.
I’m not trying to say that he DIDN’T. But sometimes, what he says is true. Which leads me to: - I’ve felt it, my colleagues have felt it, my friends and family have experienced it. Sciences in modern educational and academic institutes will not allow a person to believe in anything other than hard atheism or, (and even then ridicule is possible) vague agnosticism. This is infuriating and frustrating, but most Christians just shrug their shoulders and walk away. And it’s a shame, because most of the best scientists I know are Christian, and just don’t talk about it.
You know what excites me? (Cue sarcastic remarks from my friends, ignore them)
The work of Dr. Andrew Basden. For many years, I laboured under the false assumption that my field of study (Computer Science) had no relationship with religion and never could – that it was a purely practical/academic field, with little in the way of Kingdom impact.
I am extremely excited to see Christians making an impact in areas of academia where I had never even imagined Kingdom principles might be felt.
And now it is late and I sleep
WTF Meter Reading 7.13 Goatse’s
April 3, 2008
Still absolutely awesome, though.
2008 Presidential Candidate Preferences
April 2, 2008
So normally, as I’m sure most people are well aware, I’m as likely to code-block cut-and-paste as I am to have a sudden attack of decisiveness and ask a girl if she’d care to start a relationship (i.e. not happenin’, much to the chagrin of all and sundry).
However: this is by far the best online poll/quiz I’ve ever taken, and to be honest, the way it’s done is inspiring for setting these sorts of things for myself one day. Give it a try. Really. Do it. It’s not lame, and takes about five minutes.
Commenting on the results themselves, it’s sort of interesting that I get a Republican first (I’m rather conservative in my political views, so no surprise there), but the next five are all democrats! Though, reading Obama’s speech about his pastor, I’ve got nothing but respect and admiration for the man.
81% John McCain
76% Barack Obama
75% Hillary Clinton
72% John Edwards
69% Bill Richardson
67% Chris Dodd
66% Mike Huckabee
66% Mitt Romney
62% Rudy Giuliani
58% Joe Biden
50% Fred Thompson
49% Dennis Kucinich
48% Mike Gravel
43% Tom Tancredo
34% Ron Paul
2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz
