D&D RPG Online Game -- Ideas [Archive] - Wizards Community

D&D RPG Online Game -- Ideas [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
kjecobra
05-28-06, 10:53 PM Ok, not sure were too post this, but here is what we are doing:

A complete RPG game (webbased) programmed in PHP,HTML, PERL, JAVASCRIPT, using MySQL and PostGres databases.

We are using over 13 D&D official manuals too make the game, following almost every D&D rule and guideline too the letter.

Our goal is too make an online playing environment that is almost exactly like playing D&D in your garage. What would be nice is too hear input as too what D&D players like too see in games, and what they think is the major downfall of many of the games out there.

Every input, no matter how small, makes our game so much more like D&D, and not a repetitive nockoff.

So far we have a world generator, which can generator huge worlds (including dungeons), login, character setup, and some admin tools.

you can send all input too:

admin@iguanadesignz.com

also, if you have PHP code for generating NPC's, rolling dice, ect, you can feel free too submit them too be included, all Code used by donators will receive their name on a credits sheet (which is seen mandatory on sign up) as well as receive credits throughout the game, as well as NPC's named after them.
Morka
05-29-06, 08:51 AM I suggest you to visit this NPC Generator (http://www.aarg.net/~minam/npc.cgi), it includes a Town and a Dungeon Generator with the inner programmation, and links to many labyrinthe generators.

I don't know how your character generator is working. Take a look at this D20 Modern Character Generator (http://www.pathguy.com/d20modern.htm) and at this Online Character Sheets (http://www.sylnae.net/3eprofiler/index.php) for some suggestions.
Witch
05-29-06, 08:55 AM Take care not to get into legal problems. Hire a lawyer.
Dragonteuthis
05-29-06, 10:39 AM I'm currently running ab online game with some displaced friends. Between 3 and 5 participants usually, depending on how their work schedule treats them. Currently I'm using AIM, and it works, but just barely. I suggest you head over to www.webrpg.com to see what they've done already.

I looked at webrpg, and I dismissed it after a while. Mostly for the lack of easy user interface. I'm no computer whiz, and three of my five players, even less so, so webrpg is unusable. They DO have a tutorial, but it's worthless, since it references things in the UI that don't actually exist.

Personally, here's what I'm looking for.

1) A streamlined character stat block in addition to the full character sheet. This would put the most relevant combat information in a little rectangle, looking kind of like a 3 x 5 index card. Maybe I could drag and drop this card representing the character (As the DM, I should be able to make similar cards representing the monster) to one side, where they would fill up an "initiative bar. I could click a character on the initiative bar to highlight them, indicating who's turn it is.

2) A dynamic map system. That is, if I or one of my players move something on a map, it moves on everyone's map. The maps themselves could get away with being editable only out of game, though it would be nice to be able to add battle damage to maps in-game (say a wall gets broken down, for example. You'd want to replace that wall section with some rubble).

3) A good chat interface. This should be easy, since I like AIM. However, it has two flaws, and one extra thing could be interesting. 1) Colors are randomly assigned to people who join a chat room. Bright yellow on a white background gives me a headache. Make colors able to be picked by the chatter. 2) You can't change your screenname. This is necessary for AIM's global service, but I'd rather see "Grutnaz the Fierce" than "sexy_babe113." Well, maybe not, but you get my point. 3) We use quotation marks to indicate in-character statements. Perhaps you could toy with the idea of an in-character/out-of-character toggle switch. Also, emotes.

4) A die roller where you can "hotkey" a few common die combinations. You could have a space to enter "#d#+/-#" but also, three or five spaces for things you set and keep, like "1d20+7" (Melee Attack) "2d6+5" (Greatsword) "1d20+9" (Raging Attack) etc etc. The hotkeys would speed up play a lot. As another suggestion, let the player choose how many hotkeyed rolls to display, so that he doesn't have to clutter up his UI if he only wants to hotkey one or two.

5) Integrated voice chat would be incredibly awesome, but I'll understand if you can't add that. I imagine voice chat isn't cheap.

6)Free demo. I can almost guarantee you, I won't buy something I can't try out first. The demo can be time-limited, require a time-consuming registration process, whatever. I'd just want to see it in action for a few minutes to decide.

7) I assume you plan to charge for this thing. If so, perhaps you can make a "lite" version for players only, that has all DM features removed? That one could be cheaper than the full DM version. Not sure how plausible this suggestion is, though.

If you manage to make a good program with most of the features I suggested, I'd probably pay up to $30 or $35 for it. Not sure if my players would get it, though, which could present a problem. I'd also like to stress again that ease of use is of paramount importance to me. If my players can't figure out how to download/install/use the program, it's back to AIM for me.

Best of luck with it. Oh, and if you do get it made, please e-mail me at ffishpro@yahoo.com; I'd love to see what you guys can do.
kjecobra
05-29-06, 08:31 PM well the game is fully automated:

1) the computer is the DM

2) the game is 100% web based (no DM)

3) User interface has the following:

USER INFO BLOCK (the basics of stats)
USER INFO PAGE (A 4 Page detailed character sheet from D&D)
2D Graphical map (showing mapped sections, and uncharted sections)

4) every part of the game is recorded.. from KNOWN creatures (things you run into), althe way too individual breakdown on the creatures you slain...

My whole goal is too make a game that is completely automated (computer DM) that is an always changing and evolving environment. That is just as unpredicatable as playing D&D in your garage.

I am using many books too do this, following most the rules of D&D too the letter, no changing them. So every part of the game should bring you into the game, and let you use your imagination....
Dragonteuthis
05-29-06, 11:32 PM Ah, nertz. My apologies, I thought you were designing a way to run a D&D session online. Good luck :)
sneak_Blast
05-29-06, 11:41 PM I dont get it. If you can only be a player, how will this be different from an online D&D game where you simply do quests and stuff. Can a person be a DM? I'd like it if you could just explain it a bit more. It sounds interesting though. Are you gonna be selling the game or what?
Tempest Stormwind
05-30-06, 01:09 AM I don't have much to say on this project, so I'll SBlock my response.

Dragonteuthis, you may want to read this SBlock, as it solves nearly all your problems -- as if someone already rolled your natural 20.

I'm currently running ab online game with some displaced friends. Between 3 and 5 participants usually, depending on how their work schedule treats them. Currently I'm using AIM, and it works, but just barely. I suggest you head over to www.webrpg.com to see what they've done already.

I looked at webrpg, and I dismissed it after a while. Mostly for the lack of easy user interface. I'm no computer whiz, and three of my five players, even less so, so webrpg is unusable. They DO have a tutorial, but it's worthless, since it references things in the UI that don't actually exist. Then you may prefer OpenRPG (http://www.openrpg.com) instead. It's Python-based, but is essentially exactly what you're looking for:

1) A streamlined character stat block in addition to the full character sheet. This would put the most relevant combat information in a little rectangle, looking kind of like a 3 x 5 index card. Maybe I could drag and drop this card representing the character (As the DM, I should be able to make similar cards representing the monster) to one side, where they would fill up an "initiative bar. I could click a character on the initiative bar to highlight them, indicating who's turn it is. You can design and build your own using an easy system of nodes and trees. It's all XML, so a codemonkey can control even more power than this. There's an included sheet which works (though I think it's pretty poor, myself).

I design nodes for this for fun. If you're interested I'll send you my own easy-to-use (and recently easier-to-update) character sheet, designed for exactly this sort of thing).

You don't have the "initiative bar" sort of thing you're describing, though there is a chat-based Initiative Tool included for DMs -- running that, when your players roll init, it tracks it and displays it for the DM in a separate window. You still call init otherwise.

(This is because OpenRPG simulates any tabletop, even in games without active initiative.)

Since it's all XML, anyone with script proficiency can modify even the layout if you'd like -- my own UI is a custom job, for instance. The basic ORPG interface looks something like the Council screenshot for WebRPG. In my experience, players don't need the gametree while actually gaming, so my own layout moves the gametree and the map to a tabber held in the same frame, letting a player ignore his tree and instead focusing on the map (which gets more screen real estate in my layout).

I should note that the big weakness it has for this is that if you use the nodes here for autorolls, it moves the main game window to the top -- meaning you have to dig for your sheet again. This is easily solved by advanced video card software, OR by a free program (<100 kb) called DeskPins (http://users.forthnet.gr/pat/efotinis/programs/deskpins.html), which is used to pin your player's character sheet to the top of the screen. The sheet itself defaults to a 3x5 comparable size, by the way, and DeskPins is absurdly easy to use (click, click, done).

2) A dynamic map system. That is, if I or one of my players move something on a map, it moves on everyone's map. The maps themselves could get away with being editable only out of game, though it would be nice to be able to add battle damage to maps in-game (say a wall gets broken down, for example. You'd want to replace that wall section with some rubble). Already implemented. In the case of battle damage, simply make it a miniature (unlabelled) and lock it so the PCs can't modify it. If the art template is the same as the image loaded as the map background, no one will know the difference. (My last DM on this used this technique with a small goblin warband unleashing a pile of logs down a hill on us. He used two miniatures -- the log pile, which looked like the background (somewhat), and the scattered logs, which indicated which terrain was "difficult" afterward.)

Note that the map also includes whiteboard and fog of war options as well.

3) A good chat interface. This should be easy, since I like AIM. However, it has two flaws, and one extra thing could be interesting. 1) Colors are randomly assigned to people who join a chat room. Bright yellow on a white background gives me a headache. Make colors able to be picked by the chatter. 2) You can't change your screenname. This is necessary for AIM's global service, but I'd rather see "Grutnaz the Fierce" than "sexy_babe113." Well, maybe not, but you get my point. 3) We use quotation marks to indicate in-character statements. Perhaps you could toy with the idea of an in-character/out-of-character toggle switch. Also, emotes.An IRC-like system with an alias tool (which lets you mask your own name when you type -- useful for players AND for DMs, since it doesn't change your name on the player list when you use it, so you can spring a surprise entrance on your players) good enough for you?

The colors are also on-the-fly editable by allowing HTML code to be inserted on its own, or by a macro.

4) A die roller where you can "hotkey" a few common die combinations. You could have a space to enter "#d#+/-#" but also, three or five spaces for things you set and keep, like "1d20+7" (Melee Attack) "2d6+5" (Greatsword) "1d20+9" (Raging Attack) etc etc. The hotkeys would speed up play a lot. As another suggestion, let the player choose how many hotkeyed rolls to display, so that he doesn't have to clutter up his UI if he only wants to hotkey one or two. The sheets mentioned above can macro stuff like that in their sleep, and even allow prompts for entering information.

For instance, I can click the Initiative button I've made, and it will send text to the chatwindow that's under a special format (I bolded the roll itself), and carries with it the die roll (including a roll breakdown). I could also move to the tab where I kept my shortcut for my Energy Ray power, pull down the menu to select the (unique color-formatted) energy type, and click Send, upon which I enter the number of points spent on the power and the roll is handled for me.

Or you can type it manually if you want. Or even map it to a macro on the function keys.

5) Integrated voice chat would be incredibly awesome, but I'll understand if you can't add that. I imagine voice chat isn't cheap.Voicechat's easy if you use an extra program. OpenRPG doesn't carry it, but Teamspeak is cheap and free.

6)Free demo. I can almost guarantee you, I won't buy something I can't try out first. The demo can be time-limited, require a time-consuming registration process, whatever. I'd just want to see it in action for a few minutes to decide. OpenRPG is free and opensource.

There are some problems with getting it to run on OSX, although there's a java version out there somewhere that interfaces fully with the python version and works on all platforms (naturally, being Java-based).

7) I assume you plan to charge for this thing. If so, perhaps you can make a "lite" version for players only, that has all DM features removed? That one could be cheaper than the full DM version. Not sure how plausible this suggestion is, though.ORPG is, as I've said, already free. It comes in a basic mode which works for DMs and players alike -- your role (DM, Player, Spectator) can be set on the fly (with a password to promote to DM, and spectators can't do a thing). DM permissions allow advanced map control as well as other features. Finally, there's plugins that no one needs to use that handle more options -- the automatic initiative tracker I mentioned above is a simple one that DMs will love but players needn't bother with.

If you manage to make a good program with most of the features I suggested, I'd probably pay up to $30 or $35 for it. Not sure if my players would get it, though, which could present a problem. I'd also like to stress again that ease of use is of paramount importance to me. If my players can't figure out how to download/install/use the program, it's back to AIM for me.

Best of luck with it. Oh, and if you do get it made, please e-mail me at ffishpro@yahoo.com; I'd love to see what you guys can do.ORPG is free, again, and easy to use (the hardest part is learning to use your sheet of choice, which can be custom-made for your players if you like. My own node is streamlined for ease of use, but has some difficult areas to edit already (rapidly decreased due to the recent addition of autocalculations) -- but if that's all you're worried about, you can do the complex editing on your own and then send them the node back in-game!). It's pretty easy to install as well -- follow the steps on their website.

In short, I think it solves virtually ALL your problems. Take the time to learn it and you'll end up LOVING it.

...if you were willing to shell out 35 bucks for it, I do accept paypal. ;)

(Or you could donate it to ORPG, which I'm not affiliated with. Or, you know, pocket it, since this solves your problem anyway.)
kjecobra
05-30-06, 06:42 PM In a sense the game will follow these simplified rules:

Backend:

1 - Map creation... using TILE BASED map generator (written in PHP) with TILE based graphics, and smooth transisitions....

2 - Pre-Set NPC's (Non-Player Characters) placed for shops, houses, farms, quests, ect

3 - Pre-Placed Quests (random quests placed around the map for players too participating in,)

4 - Pre-Placed Monsters (monsters in placed areas for certain parts of the map

5 - Defines outlaying game rules (normally set by DM) what type of character rolls are used for creation. What leveling system is used. Customization of command structures

Player End -

1 - Players register too play the game, after registering, they fill out there character sheet (will fill out most of the 4 page character sheet right away).. Here they choose Race, Class, Profiecencies, Family Background, Deity, Alignment, ect. Everything is done in a certain Order... Need too select RACE before NAME and Stats are rolled... Then choose family background, and everything else..

Here is one area I chose too add diversity:

Just as when you are born you have no control of your REAL WORLD NAME (in the game) (giving by your parents) , and your family, and family class is automatically determined by other means. So on a large scale game, You might be a relative of another player in the game... Or a decendant of one of the NPC's in the game.

Also the installation process asks you a bunch of questions, (so far over 30,000 diffrent ones) which is used too determine your professions and abilities)

-------------------------------

Combat is TRUE D&D 3rd edition DM guide rules. There is a chat box, so players can chat, and create rooms for lan parties. You just cant create a group and automatically follow, getting LOST is extremely possible, and seperation as well.

much of the main game is still being coded, so right now we can change most of it..

Our idea is simple, create a game, were players can create a character and emerse into the D&D world online, just as if they were in their garage, but on a much larger scale.. here is some other ideas I been kicking around:

AT THE END OF A CAMPAIGN, PLAYERS VOTE ON WHAT TYPE OF CAMPAIGN THEY WANT TOO USE NEXT.

ALLOWING PLAYERS TOO BUILD EMPIRES IN THE CAMPAIGN, AND TAKING LAND WITH THAT EMPIRE, MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR PLAYERS WHO RATHER HAVE A MORE STRATEGIC FEELING STAY IN THEIR TOWN AND BUILD AN EMPIRE, WHERE OTHERS CAN CREATE A TOWN, AND PROFIT OFF IT.

ALLOW PLAYERS TOO TAKE ONE CHARACTER FROM A SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED CAMPAIGN INTO ANOTHER ONE (xp DEPENDANT)

As far as the game being sold, the answer is no. This is going to be as close too D&D as we can make it, using most of the D&D manuals............ It is written as a browser based game, and will be FREE TOO PLAY, with paid membership options in place (which will give other benefits which wont take away the way the game is played. Example (a lvl 10 Paid Member can forge his own nasty weapons: TRUE... but a lvl 8 FREE-TO-PLAY Member, With inferior weapons, can take his Custom weapons in combat, and use them... with the following limitations: PAID SERVICES - cant be traded with FREE-TO-PLAY Members, and can't be fixed by FREE-TO-PLAY members)

On a side not, we might consider making it possible too APPOINT a DM too the game, which has a WATCHER character (cant interact in the game at all), but has the ability too change the environment, making things more random and unpredictable.

Hope that helps alittle.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
kjecobra 05-28-06, 10:53 PM	Ok, not sure were too post this, but here is what we are doing: A complete RPG game (webbased) programmed in PHP,HTML, PERL, JAVASCRIPT, using MySQL and PostGres databases. We are using over 13 D&D official manuals too make the game, following almost every D&D rule and guideline too the letter. Our goal is too make an online playing environment that is almost exactly like playing D&D in your garage. What would be nice is too hear input as too what D&D players like too see in games, and what they think is the major downfall of many of the games out there. Every input, no matter how small, makes our game so much more like D&D, and not a repetitive nockoff. So far we have a world generator, which can generator huge worlds (including dungeons), login, character setup, and some admin tools. you can send all input too: admin@iguanadesignz.com also, if you have PHP code for generating NPC's, rolling dice, ect, you can feel free too submit them too be included, all Code used by donators will receive their name on a credits sheet (which is seen mandatory on sign up) as well as receive credits throughout the game, as well as NPC's named after them.
Morka 05-29-06, 08:51 AM	I suggest you to visit this NPC Generator (http://www.aarg.net/~minam/npc.cgi), it includes a Town and a Dungeon Generator with the inner programmation, and links to many labyrinthe generators. I don't know how your character generator is working. Take a look at this D20 Modern Character Generator (http://www.pathguy.com/d20modern.htm) and at this Online Character Sheets (http://www.sylnae.net/3eprofiler/index.php) for some suggestions.
Witch 05-29-06, 08:55 AM	Take care not to get into legal problems. Hire a lawyer.
Dragonteuthis 05-29-06, 10:39 AM	I'm currently running ab online game with some displaced friends. Between 3 and 5 participants usually, depending on how their work schedule treats them. Currently I'm using AIM, and it works, but just barely. I suggest you head over to www.webrpg.com to see what they've done already. I looked at webrpg, and I dismissed it after a while. Mostly for the lack of easy user interface. I'm no computer whiz, and three of my five players, even less so, so webrpg is unusable. They DO have a tutorial, but it's worthless, since it references things in the UI that don't actually exist. Personally, here's what I'm looking for. 1) A streamlined character stat block in addition to the full character sheet. This would put the most relevant combat information in a little rectangle, looking kind of like a 3 x 5 index card. Maybe I could drag and drop this card representing the character (As the DM, I should be able to make similar cards representing the monster) to one side, where they would fill up an "initiative bar. I could click a character on the initiative bar to highlight them, indicating who's turn it is. 2) A dynamic map system. That is, if I or one of my players move something on a map, it moves on everyone's map. The maps themselves could get away with being editable only out of game, though it would be nice to be able to add battle damage to maps in-game (say a wall gets broken down, for example. You'd want to replace that wall section with some rubble). 3) A good chat interface. This should be easy, since I like AIM. However, it has two flaws, and one extra thing could be interesting. 1) Colors are randomly assigned to people who join a chat room. Bright yellow on a white background gives me a headache. Make colors able to be picked by the chatter. 2) You can't change your screenname. This is necessary for AIM's global service, but I'd rather see "Grutnaz the Fierce" than "sexy_babe113." Well, maybe not, but you get my point. 3) We use quotation marks to indicate in-character statements. Perhaps you could toy with the idea of an in-character/out-of-character toggle switch. Also, emotes. 4) A die roller where you can "hotkey" a few common die combinations. You could have a space to enter "#d#+/-#" but also, three or five spaces for things you set and keep, like "1d20+7" (Melee Attack) "2d6+5" (Greatsword) "1d20+9" (Raging Attack) etc etc. The hotkeys would speed up play a lot. As another suggestion, let the player choose how many hotkeyed rolls to display, so that he doesn't have to clutter up his UI if he only wants to hotkey one or two. 5) Integrated voice chat would be incredibly awesome, but I'll understand if you can't add that. I imagine voice chat isn't cheap. 6)Free demo. I can almost guarantee you, I won't buy something I can't try out first. The demo can be time-limited, require a time-consuming registration process, whatever. I'd just want to see it in action for a few minutes to decide. 7) I assume you plan to charge for this thing. If so, perhaps you can make a "lite" version for players only, that has all DM features removed? That one could be cheaper than the full DM version. Not sure how plausible this suggestion is, though. If you manage to make a good program with most of the features I suggested, I'd probably pay up to $30 or $35 for it. Not sure if my players would get it, though, which could present a problem. I'd also like to stress again that ease of use is of paramount importance to me. If my players can't figure out how to download/install/use the program, it's back to AIM for me. Best of luck with it. Oh, and if you do get it made, please e-mail me at ffishpro@yahoo.com; I'd love to see what you guys can do.
kjecobra 05-29-06, 08:31 PM	well the game is fully automated: 1) the computer is the DM 2) the game is 100% web based (no DM) 3) User interface has the following: USER INFO BLOCK (the basics of stats) USER INFO PAGE (A 4 Page detailed character sheet from D&D) 2D Graphical map (showing mapped sections, and uncharted sections) 4) every part of the game is recorded.. from KNOWN creatures (things you run into), althe way too individual breakdown on the creatures you slain... My whole goal is too make a game that is completely automated (computer DM) that is an always changing and evolving environment. That is just as unpredicatable as playing D&D in your garage. I am using many books too do this, following most the rules of D&D too the letter, no changing them. So every part of the game should bring you into the game, and let you use your imagination....
Dragonteuthis 05-29-06, 11:32 PM	Ah, nertz. My apologies, I thought you were designing a way to run a D&D session online. Good luck :)
sneak_Blast 05-29-06, 11:41 PM	I dont get it. If you can only be a player, how will this be different from an online D&D game where you simply do quests and stuff. Can a person be a DM? I'd like it if you could just explain it a bit more. It sounds interesting though. Are you gonna be selling the game or what?
Tempest Stormwind 05-30-06, 01:09 AM	I don't have much to say on this project, so I'll SBlock my response. Dragonteuthis, you may want to read this SBlock, as it solves nearly all your problems -- as if someone already rolled your natural 20. I'm currently running ab online game with some displaced friends. Between 3 and 5 participants usually, depending on how their work schedule treats them. Currently I'm using AIM, and it works, but just barely. I suggest you head over to www.webrpg.com to see what they've done already. I looked at webrpg, and I dismissed it after a while. Mostly for the lack of easy user interface. I'm no computer whiz, and three of my five players, even less so, so webrpg is unusable. They DO have a tutorial, but it's worthless, since it references things in the UI that don't actually exist. Then you may prefer OpenRPG (http://www.openrpg.com) instead. It's Python-based, but is essentially exactly what you're looking for: 1) A streamlined character stat block in addition to the full character sheet. This would put the most relevant combat information in a little rectangle, looking kind of like a 3 x 5 index card. Maybe I could drag and drop this card representing the character (As the DM, I should be able to make similar cards representing the monster) to one side, where they would fill up an "initiative bar. I could click a character on the initiative bar to highlight them, indicating who's turn it is. You can design and build your own using an easy system of nodes and trees. It's all XML, so a codemonkey can control even more power than this. There's an included sheet which works (though I think it's pretty poor, myself). I design nodes for this for fun. If you're interested I'll send you my own easy-to-use (and recently easier-to-update) character sheet, designed for exactly this sort of thing). You don't have the "initiative bar" sort of thing you're describing, though there is a chat-based Initiative Tool included for DMs -- running that, when your players roll init, it tracks it and displays it for the DM in a separate window. You still call init otherwise. (This is because OpenRPG simulates any tabletop, even in games without active initiative.) Since it's all XML, anyone with script proficiency can modify even the layout if you'd like -- my own UI is a custom job, for instance. The basic ORPG interface looks something like the Council screenshot for WebRPG. In my experience, players don't need the gametree while actually gaming, so my own layout moves the gametree and the map to a tabber held in the same frame, letting a player ignore his tree and instead focusing on the map (which gets more screen real estate in my layout). I should note that the big weakness it has for this is that if you use the nodes here for autorolls, it moves the main game window to the top -- meaning you have to dig for your sheet again. This is easily solved by advanced video card software, OR by a free program (<100 kb) called DeskPins (http://users.forthnet.gr/pat/efotinis/programs/deskpins.html), which is used to pin your player's character sheet to the top of the screen. The sheet itself defaults to a 3x5 comparable size, by the way, and DeskPins is absurdly easy to use (click, click, done). 2) A dynamic map system. That is, if I or one of my players move something on a map, it moves on everyone's map. The maps themselves could get away with being editable only out of game, though it would be nice to be able to add battle damage to maps in-game (say a wall gets broken down, for example. You'd want to replace that wall section with some rubble). Already implemented. In the case of battle damage, simply make it a miniature (unlabelled) and lock it so the PCs can't modify it. If the art template is the same as the image loaded as the map background, no one will know the difference. (My last DM on this used this technique with a small goblin warband unleashing a pile of logs down a hill on us. He used two miniatures -- the log pile, which looked like the background (somewhat), and the scattered logs, which indicated which terrain was "difficult" afterward.) Note that the map also includes whiteboard and fog of war options as well. 3) A good chat interface. This should be easy, since I like AIM. However, it has two flaws, and one extra thing could be interesting. 1) Colors are randomly assigned to people who join a chat room. Bright yellow on a white background gives me a headache. Make colors able to be picked by the chatter. 2) You can't change your screenname. This is necessary for AIM's global service, but I'd rather see "Grutnaz the Fierce" than "sexy_babe113." Well, maybe not, but you get my point. 3) We use quotation marks to indicate in-character statements. Perhaps you could toy with the idea of an in-character/out-of-character toggle switch. Also, emotes.An IRC-like system with an alias tool (which lets you mask your own name when you type -- useful for players AND for DMs, since it doesn't change your name on the player list when you use it, so you can spring a surprise entrance on your players) good enough for you? The colors are also on-the-fly editable by allowing HTML code to be inserted on its own, or by a macro. 4) A die roller where you can "hotkey" a few common die combinations. You could have a space to enter "#d#+/-#" but also, three or five spaces for things you set and keep, like "1d20+7" (Melee Attack) "2d6+5" (Greatsword) "1d20+9" (Raging Attack) etc etc. The hotkeys would speed up play a lot. As another suggestion, let the player choose how many hotkeyed rolls to display, so that he doesn't have to clutter up his UI if he only wants to hotkey one or two. The sheets mentioned above can macro stuff like that in their sleep, and even allow prompts for entering information. For instance, I can click the Initiative button I've made, and it will send text to the chatwindow that's under a special format (I bolded the roll itself), and carries with it the die roll (including a roll breakdown). I could also move to the tab where I kept my shortcut for my Energy Ray power, pull down the menu to select the (unique color-formatted) energy type, and click Send, upon which I enter the number of points spent on the power and the roll is handled for me. Or you can type it manually if you want. Or even map it to a macro on the function keys. 5) Integrated voice chat would be incredibly awesome, but I'll understand if you can't add that. I imagine voice chat isn't cheap.Voicechat's easy if you use an extra program. OpenRPG doesn't carry it, but Teamspeak is cheap and free. 6)Free demo. I can almost guarantee you, I won't buy something I can't try out first. The demo can be time-limited, require a time-consuming registration process, whatever. I'd just want to see it in action for a few minutes to decide. OpenRPG is free and opensource. There are some problems with getting it to run on OSX, although there's a java version out there somewhere that interfaces fully with the python version and works on all platforms (naturally, being Java-based). 7) I assume you plan to charge for this thing. If so, perhaps you can make a "lite" version for players only, that has all DM features removed? That one could be cheaper than the full DM version. Not sure how plausible this suggestion is, though.ORPG is, as I've said, already free. It comes in a basic mode which works for DMs and players alike -- your role (DM, Player, Spectator) can be set on the fly (with a password to promote to DM, and spectators can't do a thing). DM permissions allow advanced map control as well as other features. Finally, there's plugins that no one needs to use that handle more options -- the automatic initiative tracker I mentioned above is a simple one that DMs will love but players needn't bother with. If you manage to make a good program with most of the features I suggested, I'd probably pay up to $30 or $35 for it. Not sure if my players would get it, though, which could present a problem. I'd also like to stress again that ease of use is of paramount importance to me. If my players can't figure out how to download/install/use the program, it's back to AIM for me. Best of luck with it. Oh, and if you do get it made, please e-mail me at ffishpro@yahoo.com; I'd love to see what you guys can do.ORPG is free, again, and easy to use (the hardest part is learning to use your sheet of choice, which can be custom-made for your players if you like. My own node is streamlined for ease of use, but has some difficult areas to edit already (rapidly decreased due to the recent addition of autocalculations) -- but if that's all you're worried about, you can do the complex editing on your own and then send them the node back in-game!). It's pretty easy to install as well -- follow the steps on their website. In short, I think it solves virtually ALL your problems. Take the time to learn it and you'll end up LOVING it. ...if you were willing to shell out 35 bucks for it, I do accept paypal. ;) (Or you could donate it to ORPG, which I'm not affiliated with. Or, you know, pocket it, since this solves your problem anyway.)
kjecobra 05-30-06, 06:42 PM	In a sense the game will follow these simplified rules: Backend: 1 - Map creation... using TILE BASED map generator (written in PHP) with TILE based graphics, and smooth transisitions.... 2 - Pre-Set NPC's (Non-Player Characters) placed for shops, houses, farms, quests, ect 3 - Pre-Placed Quests (random quests placed around the map for players too participating in,) 4 - Pre-Placed Monsters (monsters in placed areas for certain parts of the map 5 - Defines outlaying game rules (normally set by DM) what type of character rolls are used for creation. What leveling system is used. Customization of command structures Player End - 1 - Players register too play the game, after registering, they fill out there character sheet (will fill out most of the 4 page character sheet right away).. Here they choose Race, Class, Profiecencies, Family Background, Deity, Alignment, ect. Everything is done in a certain Order... Need too select RACE before NAME and Stats are rolled... Then choose family background, and everything else.. Here is one area I chose too add diversity: Just as when you are born you have no control of your REAL WORLD NAME (in the game) (giving by your parents) , and your family, and family class is automatically determined by other means. So on a large scale game, You might be a relative of another player in the game... Or a decendant of one of the NPC's in the game. Also the installation process asks you a bunch of questions, (so far over 30,000 diffrent ones) which is used too determine your professions and abilities) ------------------------------- Combat is TRUE D&D 3rd edition DM guide rules. There is a chat box, so players can chat, and create rooms for lan parties. You just cant create a group and automatically follow, getting LOST is extremely possible, and seperation as well. much of the main game is still being coded, so right now we can change most of it.. Our idea is simple, create a game, were players can create a character and emerse into the D&D world online, just as if they were in their garage, but on a much larger scale.. here is some other ideas I been kicking around: AT THE END OF A CAMPAIGN, PLAYERS VOTE ON WHAT TYPE OF CAMPAIGN THEY WANT TOO USE NEXT. ALLOWING PLAYERS TOO BUILD EMPIRES IN THE CAMPAIGN, AND TAKING LAND WITH THAT EMPIRE, MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR PLAYERS WHO RATHER HAVE A MORE STRATEGIC FEELING STAY IN THEIR TOWN AND BUILD AN EMPIRE, WHERE OTHERS CAN CREATE A TOWN, AND PROFIT OFF IT. ALLOW PLAYERS TOO TAKE ONE CHARACTER FROM A SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED CAMPAIGN INTO ANOTHER ONE (xp DEPENDANT) As far as the game being sold, the answer is no. This is going to be as close too D&D as we can make it, using most of the D&D manuals............ It is written as a browser based game, and will be FREE TOO PLAY, with paid membership options in place (which will give other benefits which wont take away the way the game is played. Example (a lvl 10 Paid Member can forge his own nasty weapons: TRUE... but a lvl 8 FREE-TO-PLAY Member, With inferior weapons, can take his Custom weapons in combat, and use them... with the following limitations: PAID SERVICES - cant be traded with FREE-TO-PLAY Members, and can't be fixed by FREE-TO-PLAY members) On a side not, we might consider making it possible too APPOINT a DM too the game, which has a WATCHER character (cant interact in the game at all), but has the ability too change the environment, making things more random and unpredictable. Hope that helps alittle.