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  1. #1

    Modules with read only off limit edits to the campaign they are edited in

    I'm wondering if this is the intended behavior or if I'm doing something wrong. (I'm using FGU)

    My original assumption of how module edits would be handled: Is if you edit the module, it changes the actual data in the module so any campaigns that access them all reflect the current updates.
    But the way module edits actually work is changes are only shown in the campaign they were changed in.

    I know the suggested best practices are to have a development campaign that you export from. But this is also problematic on many different levels. For example if you have a number of large sets of entities (images, stories, encounter, etc.) with multiple modules logically separated into different areas you either need to go through the time consuming process (and error prone) of dragging every entry out to the export window with every change. Or making many development campaigns, as a basis of logical separation, so you can export all. Which, if you are testing multiple new systems, this becomes its own headache....particularly if you don't know which ones are going to actually be successful and they are all getting worked on to various degrees all the time. I don't know how to else to put this aside from saying, the workflow seems cumbersome and unnatural.

    So, IMO when a module isn't marked read-only the actual data should be editable and changes are actually written back to the module file itself. This would immediately end all of these head-aches.

    I know this has been discussed in the past but I don't recall what all was said...beyond the best practice of dev campaign, and am having trouble searching for past posts on this issue.

    Thanks!

  2. #2
    Zacchaeus's Avatar
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    For obvious reasons modules cannot be directly edited (it would cause nightmarish scenarios if they could be). So, yes, you need to have development campaign. I'm not entirely sure what your issue is as far as exporting is concerned. If you are developong a campaign then you can export everything; if you just want the NPCs then just export those. Same for any other category. I don't see the need to be dragging anything anywhere; just click on the category you want to export and don't tick the ones you don't want to export. If you are creating things for different campaigns then have multiple development campaigns to keep things separate if need be. Having said that there's no issue with just exporting everything and just not using the bits you don't want when you open the module in a campaign.
    If there is something that you would like to see in Fantasy Grounds that isn't currently part of the software or if there is something you think would improve a ruleset then add your idea here http://fgapp.idea.informer.com/

  3. #3
    (it would cause nightmarish scenarios if they could be)

    No more nightmarish then frequently overwriting the files with /export in my mind....maybe less so.

    I really can't simply tick stories or images otherwise I'd bring content from everything else in. But maybe that's OK. I like your idea of bringing it all in and then ignoring the extra "junk" that would be drawn in. At the very least it would make edits less cumbersome. Thanks!

  4. #4
    Zacchaeus's Avatar
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    It would be nightmarish because the edits would get overwritten any time modules are updated; so it wouldn't be practical. You're thinking of just the modules that you create but if modules could be overwritten that would apply to any module including purchased ones. Being able to directly edit that would mean people deleting stuff that they shouldn't and having to continually download updates as well as them adding or amending things which would then get wiped out when the module got updated.

    The current method is to separate out edits to modules in a different file inside the campaign so that the edits can be seen in that campaign but not changing the actual module so that it can be used in any other campaign.
    If there is something that you would like to see in Fantasy Grounds that isn't currently part of the software or if there is something you think would improve a ruleset then add your idea here http://fgapp.idea.informer.com/

  5. #5
    I get what your saying and it's fine. I guess I was thinking that Vault modules would have different handling being purchased or something along those lines. But I guess that doesn't cover the DMSGUILD modules...

    Anyway, thanks again. I shall endeavor to work it out.

  6. #6
    LordEntrails's Avatar
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    You can always copy the moduledb files from one campaign to another. But I still think the development campaign and export to module would be much better. It's what I do all the time.

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  7. #7
    I'm still trying to work out the best path for this issue. So far I've decided that it needs to be separated into 2 different dev campaigns: GM & Players. Otherwise you can't control access to content appropriately (while still being able to export all).

    Here's what I trying to wrap my head around right now: How are the module content links maintained in each campaign db? Stated differently: When I link to a module story entry, in a campaign, what is stored in the campaign db? Is it an ID reference?
    I'm asking because I'm wondering if each time I export all, can I expect all the IDs (or what ever it is that links them) to be unchanged after each export all update to the MOD file?

    It seems like it would work that way but I wanted to verify because this is many many hours of labor to shift over....I assume that originally all campaign content links are going to be broken because I didn't organize this in the above fashion from the start but after set it all back up again and then re-link everything, can I assume it will stay linked after each future export to the same file?

  8. #8
    I believe the database node names for the records will be named the same in the export; but may be under a different root path in the module (depending on read-only flag).

    You should definitely build GM and player modules in different development campaigns.

    Regards,
    JPG

  9. #9
    Zacchaeus's Avatar
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    Yes, links are exported as well as everything else. You can even link to something not created in the campaign (like the PHB for example) and that link will also be exported and, as long as what you linked to is open in the campaign that you open the exported module in, that link will also work.

    Once you've created a link it will remain and as long as you don't delete what is being linked to then the link will work. Every time you export, the entire db.xml is exported. So anything that exists in the campaign will go with the export as well as anything new that you have created since the last export.
    If there is something that you would like to see in Fantasy Grounds that isn't currently part of the software or if there is something you think would improve a ruleset then add your idea here http://fgapp.idea.informer.com/

  10. #10
    Ok great! thanks all for the info!

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