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Crafting an Adventure Module Format
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<blockquote data-quote="Janx" data-source="post: 6457842" data-attributes="member: 8835"><p>Bear in mind I write web applications for a living. so my depth of knowledge on how to do all this is pretty deep.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Roll 20, last I checked is more about being a web-based battle-mat and is the antithesis of entering in all the info before you begin.</p><p></p><p>I'm thinking of something that holds all the elements of the adventure/module, and displays the parts I need when I need them in the context that I need them.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>You're thinking browser tabs. Those aren't what I'm talking about. I am talking about navigation tabs inside the web page itself. Check this demo page from DevExpress (a UI toolset I use in ASP.NET):</p><p><a href="http://demos.devexpress.com/ASPxNavigationAndLayoutDemos/TabControl/Features.aspx" target="_blank">http://demos.devexpress.com/ASPxNavigationAndLayoutDemos/TabControl/Features.aspx</a></p><p></p><p>The idea is that once you load the campaign/adventure up, these tabs are always present, so I can jump to view all the NPCs (and look for a specific one) or jump to Places and pick a place and then see the NPC or whatever that is at that place. </p><p></p><p>From Gilladian's Librarian perspective, we're providing a catalog feature to find what you need to find in the adventure, by a couple different means.</p><p></p><p>Tabs may or may not be the best UI element. They are omnipresent, and if the # is low, they'll fit well on a screen, making it easy to switch views.</p><p></p><p>Technically, all this data forms a Tree. A chain of Places with NPCs and Items attached. But I am not wholly confident that a treeview is appropriate for the entire structure (though it might be handy for the Places).</p><p></p><p>That is part of the challenge of the design, coming up with a UI that actually helps streamline the management of the materials in an adventure.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>It's not really that hard. All entities default to their starting place for any point on the time line (also handy for when the timeline is new and only has one point because the GM isn't using it).</p><p></p><p>The GM can open any NPC and see the TimeLine for that NPC and adjust it if needed (add another point, change the location the NPC is at).</p><p></p><p>It's not that hard from a database or coding standpoint. the trick is to make it easy to use (or it won't get used).</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>The point is to supply a GM with tools he can use to manage the mess. A GM cannot manage 500 NPCs in a list and figure out which 4 are RIGHT HERE on the fly because it's a PITA just to find those 4 guys. Printed adventures don't do it either. They place those 4 guys in Room 12 and show their stats under Room 12's description.</p><p></p><p>So most GMs very likely, place the NPCs somewhere, and then mentally adjust for the exceptions (NPC 15 heard a noise and is now walking the perimeter instead of sleeping in Room 8).</p><p></p><p>If we make the interface easy, the GM would just go to Room 8, grab NPC 15 and change his location to "the perimeter" and now when the PCs get to "the perimeter", he'll see NPC 15 is there and run the encounter accordingly.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Janx, post: 6457842, member: 8835"] Bear in mind I write web applications for a living. so my depth of knowledge on how to do all this is pretty deep. Roll 20, last I checked is more about being a web-based battle-mat and is the antithesis of entering in all the info before you begin. I'm thinking of something that holds all the elements of the adventure/module, and displays the parts I need when I need them in the context that I need them. You're thinking browser tabs. Those aren't what I'm talking about. I am talking about navigation tabs inside the web page itself. Check this demo page from DevExpress (a UI toolset I use in ASP.NET): [url]http://demos.devexpress.com/ASPxNavigationAndLayoutDemos/TabControl/Features.aspx[/url] The idea is that once you load the campaign/adventure up, these tabs are always present, so I can jump to view all the NPCs (and look for a specific one) or jump to Places and pick a place and then see the NPC or whatever that is at that place. From Gilladian's Librarian perspective, we're providing a catalog feature to find what you need to find in the adventure, by a couple different means. Tabs may or may not be the best UI element. They are omnipresent, and if the # is low, they'll fit well on a screen, making it easy to switch views. Technically, all this data forms a Tree. A chain of Places with NPCs and Items attached. But I am not wholly confident that a treeview is appropriate for the entire structure (though it might be handy for the Places). That is part of the challenge of the design, coming up with a UI that actually helps streamline the management of the materials in an adventure. It's not really that hard. All entities default to their starting place for any point on the time line (also handy for when the timeline is new and only has one point because the GM isn't using it). The GM can open any NPC and see the TimeLine for that NPC and adjust it if needed (add another point, change the location the NPC is at). It's not that hard from a database or coding standpoint. the trick is to make it easy to use (or it won't get used). The point is to supply a GM with tools he can use to manage the mess. A GM cannot manage 500 NPCs in a list and figure out which 4 are RIGHT HERE on the fly because it's a PITA just to find those 4 guys. Printed adventures don't do it either. They place those 4 guys in Room 12 and show their stats under Room 12's description. So most GMs very likely, place the NPCs somewhere, and then mentally adjust for the exceptions (NPC 15 heard a noise and is now walking the perimeter instead of sleeping in Room 8). If we make the interface easy, the GM would just go to Room 8, grab NPC 15 and change his location to "the perimeter" and now when the PCs get to "the perimeter", he'll see NPC 15 is there and run the encounter accordingly. [/QUOTE]
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