Bulk add NPC tokens to a map

[RedBrother]

While preparing an encounter how to I quickly add a lot of NPCs to a map?

There are too many to drag and drop each one.

(Important note: I don't want them in the combat tracker for the moment, I only want to prepare multiple encounters in advance).

See attached screen shot below.

Add-to-map.jpg

[LordEntrails]

The only way to mass add tokens is from teh CT using the faction icons. But you said you don't want them on the CT. So...

Don't.

Use mass combat rules and turn them into swarms. With that many tokens you will have all sorts of problems, LOS, targeting, CT tracking, performance, etc.

If you still feel you want them all as individuals and you want them all in one encounter you will have to drag them individually onto the map. No shortcut.

[RedBrother]

This is for preparing multiple encounters in advance. So they can't all be in the CT at the same time.

As an aside: If NPCs are added to the map from the CT, then removed, then the carefully laid out positions are also deleted. Which doesn't make sense, why not keep the last valid map position, even if you delete the token from CT. This would also solve the bulk add issue.

The limited D&D 5e rules for swarms don't make sense for larger creatures (e.g. Occupy other creature's space). Yes we could use a completely different game system, but the effort to learn a new game for one encounter rules out that option.

I'm not using LOS. I don't see why there would be targeting or tracking issues. Modern computers execute 40Billion instructions a second. Tracking 200 tokens should no way bog down a computer. If it did, the code would need to be incredibly poorly written (my background: 35 years of C and assembly programing).

Anyway I am not expecting the party them to fight each creature hand to hand. Maybe just a few of them. It is more for visual impact, and that effect is lost if I have one token on the map, but tell the characters that one token represents 50 creatures.

Multi-select for tokens doesn't seem an unreasonable request.

[damned]

Learn how to use Encounters. Check the Wiki.
https://fantasygroundsunity.atlassia...dom+Encounters

[RedBrother]

Not sure why you posted a link to the Wiki.
It doesn't answer the question.

[Zacchaeus]

damned linked to the wiki because that answers your question.

Prepare a number of encounters; maybe with 10 or 20 Goblins in each. Place those tokens where you want them by dragging the token symbols below the line from the encounter (not from the Combat Tracker) onto the map and then close the encounter. When you then want to place the encounter during combat open the encounter and click on the place encounter button at the bottom of the encounter window. This will place the tokens on the CT and onto the map in the place where you put them before.

[RedBrother]

Maybe you missed the title of the post.
I am asking about bulk adding.

You are saying to drag the tokens one at a time. I know I can drag them one at a time. But that is not what I am asking.

And the secondary question, how can I avoid losing the position of tokens when they get added to the map from CT, then deleted from the CT?
So for example if I want to run the same campaign twice with different groups of players, or do a test run of the encounter. I don't want to have to place all the NPCs on all the maps twice. In short, how do I "reset" the encounter, without recreating all the map token positioning?
Being able to reset the encounter would also solve the bulk add problem. As a bulk add is already possible from the CT. So if that worked (and it doesn't at the moment) the setup work-flow would be.
1) Create encounter as normal in the encounter window
2) Add encounter to CT
3) Bulk add by dragging ALL tokens to the map with the faction buttons at bottom of CT (this part works really well by the way)
Then you can fine tune the token positions by hand if required.
4) Delete foes from CT in bulk and it would be ready to go for the game. Unfortunately step deletes the token map data however :-(

I am assuming this is a bug or oversight? As adding tokens to the map from the CT doesn't set the placement tick mark for the token in the encounter window. But the token is obviously placed on the map at this point & so should be ticked?
At this point you are probably going to tell me (again) that my workflow is wrong, but at the moment it seems to be the only way to bulk add tokens?

click on the place encounter button at the bottom of the encounter window

There is also no "place encounter button", but I guess you mean the "Add encounter to combat tracker" button, which I also already know about, but doesn't answer my initial question.

[damned]

Encounters is the answer to your challenge.

[RedBrother]

"Encounters" doesn't actually answer the question.

If the bulk add functionality is missing and the there bug in the CT, then there is no shame in admitting it.

I suspect LordEntrails is correct in his statement that the function just doesn't exist.

Is there anyway to make a request for new functionality, to eventually get it implemented and CT fixed as well?

[Lo Zeno]

Maybe you missed the title of the post.
I am asking about bulk adding.

You are saying to drag the tokens one at a time. I know I can drag them one at a time. But that is not what I am asking.

And the secondary question, how can I avoid losing the position of tokens when they get added to the map from CT, then deleted from the CT?
So for example if I want to run the same campaign twice with different groups of players, or do a test run of the encounter. I don't want to have to place all the NPCs on all the maps twice. In short, how do I "reset" the encounter, without recreating all the map token positioning?
Being able to reset the encounter would also solve the bulk add problem. As a bulk add is already possible from the CT. So if that worked (and it doesn't at the moment) the setup work-flow would be.
1) Create encounter as normal in the encounter window
2) Add encounter to CT
3) Bulk add by dragging ALL tokens to the map with the faction buttons at bottom of CT (this part works really well by the way)
Then you can fine tune the token positions by hand if required.
4) Delete foes from CT in bulk and it would be ready to go for the game. Unfortunately step deletes the token map data however :-(

I am assuming this is a bug or oversight? As adding tokens to the map from the CT doesn't set the placement tick mark for the token in the encounter window. But the token is obviously placed on the map at this point & so should be ticked?
At this point you are probably going to tell me (again) that my workflow is wrong, but at the moment it seems to be the only way to bulk add tokens?


There is also no "place encounter button", but I guess you mean the "Add encounter to combat tracker" button, which I also already know about, but doesn't answer my initial question.

That's not how you use encounters: encounters ARE the bulk adding feature you need, it's explained in the wiki, you're using encounters incorrectly.
There are two steps: preparation, and play.
During preparation:
1) Open Encounters list from button, and create new Encounter record.
2) Drag NPCs to Encounter window and choose the number of each NPC in this encounter.
3) Open your map.
4) Drag and drop your NPCs from the Encounter onto the Map to decide their placement. Note that as you move your NPCs onto the map, their token in the encounter is replaced by a circle with a checkmark, signifying that you have predetermined their position. NOTE that at this point they are NOT added to the Combat Tracker
5) Close the Encounter record: that's important, this will remove the NPCs from the map.
During play:
1) Open the map and your encounter
2) Click on Add To Combat Tracker: all the NPCs of your encounter will be added to the map AND to the combat tracker, at once. Bulk added, as you say.