Mapping Features (continued)
Click on the large image link in my previous post to more easily understand the following explanations.
The Player's View
The main design behind the players view is to give a flexible picture of what's going on. It must be easy to move around, see exactly who is who, how they're doing, and exactly what they look like (as dictated by the DM).
The idea is to rely on slow keyboard chat as little as possible.
The main design behind the DM's view is to be able to fully control the game, and with full flexibility. The RPM application is a full D20 RPG toolset, fully integrated into a networking tool.
Click on the large image link in my previous post to more easily understand the following explanations.
The Player's View
The main design behind the players view is to give a flexible picture of what's going on. It must be easy to move around, see exactly who is who, how they're doing, and exactly what they look like (as dictated by the DM).
The idea is to rely on slow keyboard chat as little as possible.
- Players can only see the mapped sections that the DM has revealed.
- Players are free to pan and zoom around the map, examining areas that have already been discovered. At any time, a 'DM Zoom' button can be pressed to zoom back to the current game view, as seen by the DM.
- An update button can also be pressed to get the most up-to-date map picture, if you feel that you need it. This is generally a very quick update process, since the map itself is relatively small and compresses well. Any required bitmaps have almost always already being loaded.
- Players can move their characters around on the map. This isn't just in strict turn sequence, since often players need to arrange their exact map placement before an encounter begins.
- Players and DMs can instantly see exactly who is who, and on which side creatures belong. A green bar indicates the player group, whereas a red bar indicates opponenets. No bar colour at all indicates a creature not involved in the encounter (within a city, for example).
- Players can also see who has already been defeated, and who has aready had their turn. A red cross through a creature indicates that they are defeated, and a green cross that they have already had their turn.
- Players can get a description of any characters, or creatures, by simply moving the mouse over any creature. Descriptions are automatically generated, but the DM can adjust or update them at any time. PCs are much more thoroughly described in terms of things such as hitpoints and current actions.
- Players can request to send any PCs they have created to the DM. This allows them to particpate in fully managed combat on the DM's computer.
- Players can select various options by right-clicking on their characters. This is a very quick way to indicate what action you're going to perform, and have it fully managed by the DM's computer. This includes selecting your targets. This is much quicker and better than using chat to indicate your basic targets and intentions to the DM. [Note that this work is currently not fully done].
- As dice rolls are required, a dice popup will appear for a players, explaining what the roll is for (as dictated by the DM), and waiting for a single button press to make the dice roll.
The main design behind the DM's view is to be able to fully control the game, and with full flexibility. The RPM application is a full D20 RPG toolset, fully integrated into a networking tool.
- The networking capability is useful even at a single table, where a 2nd computer can you used by the players to get a continuously updated map, and place their player counters.
- Networking is even useful with just a single computer, since the map reveal features can show the players their own view of the map in a special window, along with any descriptions or useful images (from the adventure notes, or anywhere else). The player window is particularly useful with a 2-monitor computer (which can also be displayed via a projector).
- The DM has full flexibility to "map as he goes". At any time the map can be placed in "full edit mode", and any required changes or additions can be made. A quick update can then be sent to all players, with a press of a button. Generally, any bitmap images are already on the player's computers, making the process very fast.
- The DM can also reveal or hide map sections, and then press the player map update button to update all players.
- The DM can at all times see the map, and know which parts are revealed to the players. A 'Player View' button lets him switch between Player/DM views to get the exact players view, if required.
- DMs can control visibility, in addition to using reveal features. A quick right-mouse click can instantly make any creature or object visible, or invisible. For example, a secret door may be within the revealed map sections, but still invisible to the players.
- The DM gets a full description of all players and creatures (names, classes, current actions, hit points etc) by simply moving the mouse over them.
- Right-Clicking on a creature allows the DM to control a vast array of options, such as:
- Select actions (attacks, saves, spell casting, skill checks etc).
- Targeting
- Request a dice roll (from a character).
- View the creature's full details in a window.
- Set their encounter status (active, defeated (normally automatic), group etc).
- Enter damage (normally automati), or heal.
- Change the player description.
- Set visibility.
- Change the display image.
- Delete, or simply remove from the map.
- The DM can pan and zoom as required, then press a player update button to set players to the same zoom, and make sure that everyone is looking at the same thing.
- All of the standard combat management, generators, XP calculation and RPG rules lookups that were already in RPM before networking, are still there and full integrated.
