Map Parcel Extension [Fantasy Grounds Unity]

[SilentRuin]

Not sure this is possible (or should I say how hard it would be to implement) but here it is:

I'd like to see the following behaviour on NPC death:

- reuse the NPC token as map parcel token
- remove the NPC from the combat tracker (hence removing the NPC token from the map)

That way it would feel more 'natural': the NPC looks like it's still there, its 'body' contains the parcel (that might or might not be empty).



Why the change:

- less clutter on the map
- feels more natural, right now when I set NOT to drop any empty parcel my players easily understand which monster to loot or not. If I want them to be 'surprised' then I have parcels all over the map for large fights and it's a great experience to see all those 'loot' bags on the map (even less when they're empty). If I turn on Don't drop on empty parcel then it's less clutter but also removes some of the decision making process from players (and hence less roleplay immersion I feel).

BTW if you can make it work/reuse some polymorphism function I don't mind it to be a dependency to have that functionality working (if that can help at all, not sure about it), it would also create in incentive for DMs to purchase your poly extension

Another thing I'd love to see is the ability to set other skills/stats checks in order to unlock the parcel.
Let me explain: party kills a beast, I'd like to be able to set a nature/survival DC to skin the beast or an Investigation or Arcana DC so that I can determine whether they find something on a body. A drop down box to list the skill would be great to have when creating the parcel!

Thanks for all your great extensions!

The only rule in getting me to change my extensions is to convince me I want to use the changes. I'm afraid I for sure do not want these changes in my games. Here is why:

1) I use Death Indicator Extension (free) to have PC/NPC tokens change to tombstone(s) (or whatever I have loaded in assets for that) when all death saving throws have failed - dead dead. As my players often make mistakes and I have to "bring something back to life" I don't want to expend any effort on it. With this I simply reset the HP and the token automatically resets back to regular token. I have no desire to ever not notice DEAD things in CT or Map by a simple glance. Leaving their tokens as they were is a non starter for me. Plus they regularly have me unclutter CT and Map by deleting the tombstones (NPC) when we are sure they are really dead.
2) Map Parcel drops any token - a pillar of salt - rubble - stone statue - whatever image you used into bottom right of the dead dead PC/NPC. I use a bag image myself. If you want to define specific loot parcel template for each CT entry or a given type - more power to you. But I'm not going to lose my ability in recovering something easily when they are dead by mistake. Which currently involves simply setting the HP back to what they should be and dragging the parcel sheet link into the PC/NPC inventory to put everything back which auto deletes the parcel (because I define loot parcels that way as I suggested you all do).
3) If I wish to have something else to unlock the parcel I simply tell them to roll that skill. Either way you have to unlock the parcel yourself when you feel they have opened it. I'm only providing the generic stuff to do this that I personally use on a regular basis.

That in a nutshell is why I don't want to do this. I have to really want something to expend the energy to code it. Sorry.

[Arghun]

Yeah, I'm all up for immersion and user friendliness.

For me having the monster have the 'loot' in its body/token seems great. Whatever that means in terms of implementation. Since I'm not the developer I don't have anything to say about what will come into the extension (product). I'm just a customer nothing else.

[SilentRuin]

Yeah, I'm all up for immersion and user friendliness.

For me having the monster have the 'loot' in its body/token seems great. Whatever that means in terms of implementation. Since I'm not the developer I don't have anything to say about what will come into the extension (product). I'm just a customer nothing else.

Then just do what you said you wanted to do. Make an "[MP] LOOT <type>" parcel and drop the token you want in it. For example, I have a group of NPC orcs. I make a loot template parcel of "[MP] LOOT humanoid (orc)" and drop in an image I've made that is of a dead orc. Every time an orc dies it drops a map parcel in the form of a dead orc for things that match "humanoid (orc)" type in the DB. You can see Type by unlocking the NPC sheet or just the middle text in the description. Then when I'm sure the orc is dead with no mistakes - you delete it off the CT/map leaving the dead orc map parcel. Which if you have the option to allow empty drops will have nothing or its inventory if it had anything. You could do that for any NPC type or specific CT entry name, like "[MP] LOOT orc 12" or something - whatever matches the CT name.

Gist being - you can do what you wanted. You just have to go do it.

[SilentRuin]

V1.27 - Bug - NPC death checks were incorrect on important_npc's when used with death indicator extension so that a parcel would not drop when it should. Fixed.

[SilentRuin]

If a LOOT parcel does not drop on death and you have the token defined in "[MP] LOOT" template (or type or name version of it) and the options are set to drop loot parcels and if set to not drop empty that the inventory or template had something in it - and it still does not drop a parcel. Check console log or parcel list because it will probably tell you that you already had a [LOOT] parcel of same name in the DB (check your parcels list for the name). This can be left when you don't delete it from some previous drop of the same name. As you should be always defining the template to be delete on transfer and always make sure you actually did the transfer or manually deleted it - this should not happen. But people forget and then reuse names so it can happen.

[NickGaidin]

Hello! First and foremost, thank you for these extensions! I run the 4-pack and I and my players love the ease of use and added features.

Recently I've run into an issue where I cannot add inventory to NPC's unless I make a copy of them first. Is this as intended? It's not a huge problem, but I am running Lost Mines of Phandelver and it's causing me to have to go into each pre-made encounter and replace the NPC's with copied versions so I can add items to produce loot.

I haven't tested anything on my end as far as disabling other extensions, so don't do any digging, just curious if you can answer off the top of your head.

If it's not intended to work this way, or you don't experience this, I'll poke around and see if it's one of my other extensions causing it.


Thanks!


*I have downloaded the newest versions also.

[SilentRuin]

Hello! First and foremost, thank you for these extensions! I run the 4-pack and I and my players love the ease of use and added features.

Recently I've run into an issue where I cannot add inventory to NPC's unless I make a copy of them first. Is this as intended? It's not a huge problem, but I am running Lost Mines of Phandelver and it's causing me to have to go into each pre-made encounter and replace the NPC's with copied versions so I can add items to produce loot.

I haven't tested anything on my end as far as disabling other extensions, so don't do any digging, just curious if you can answer off the top of your head.

If it's not intended to work this way, or you don't experience this, I'll poke around and see if it's one of my other extensions causing it.


Thanks!

Per the .txt file it is designed to not treat parcels as map parcels if they are read only. I originally did that to keep module parcels from looking different than they originally did. I can't remember if there was an actual reason for doing that other than that. I believe because the token has to be added into it to place it in a map that it had to be available in the local database. For instance, in my COS campaign I ended up replacing all the parcels in the story with my own copies during any prep before the games. I'm don't really remember what happened when I originally looked into it but I can revisit and see if it was really required to block those read only parcels for some reason if you really want me to. Let me know. And 4 pack? My extensions are in my signature - 2 free ones - and 6 paid ones. Not sure what the 4 pack is. There is a 6 pack in DMsG with all of them - and maybe one or two others I've forgotten - Grim Press controls the packs.

[NickGaidin]

Sorry, perhaps I posted this in the wrong extension - the parcels are working fine. It's the NPC's I'm having the trouble with - I can't add to their inventory. I have to make a copy of the NPC first in order to add inventory. NPC's from modules don't allow me to add to their inventory. And it's not just locked NPCs (red lock).


These are the four extensions of yours I have running:

Generic Actions
Equipped Effects
Polymorphism
Map Parcels

Grim Press offered them as a bundle.

Thanks again.

[SilentRuin]

Sorry, perhaps I posted this in the wrong extension - the parcels are working fine. It's the NPC's I'm having the trouble with - I can't add to their inventory. I have to make a copy of the NPC first in order to add inventory. NPC's from modules don't allow me to add to their inventory. And it's not just locked NPCs (red lock).


These are the four extensions of yours I have running:

Generic Actions
Equipped Effects
Polymorphism
Map Parcels

Grim Press offered them as a bundle.

Thanks again.

No there is also Combat groups (I can't prep any game without it) and Assistant GM in that pack - you must have just bought it before those were added in.

I have no control over the fact an NPC from a mod can be write locked - in which case - you can't modify it. You copy them to modify them. While Map Parcel will add in the inventory tab - nothing can make it write into a write locked entry. Even when you do that on your own? Your writing over a memory loaded version of it which will be lost if you ever reload the module. I can't really prevent that - hence why if you plan to make your own inventory holding NPC's outside of CT (which is a DB memory version and not write locked) then you have to make a copy.

Just make a CT entry of whatever you want and copy it back into the NPC list - that will make sure it is good to go and in the local DB.

[NickGaidin]

Ahhh - ok this did it for me. I have to add them to the CT first, then I can add inventory, that's the piece I was missing. Thank you!

I'll check out the other two extensions as well. I know you created these for yourself, but thank you for sharing and for keeping them updated. You're a rock star! ��