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Discussion of the structure of paid maptool map packs

Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 9:09 am
by torstan
Hammering out what people would be interested in a commercial maptool map pack.

http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/pa ... 48btpy8bc5

Re: Discussion of the structure of paid maptool map packs

Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 12:30 pm
by Azhrei
I just added a post there with an implementation idea about object information.

Since you're looking to produce a commercial product(s) with MapTool, here's a thread derail for you (feel free to spawn a separate thread or continue one of the older ones): what would you like to see in a "map import/export" feature?

Would you always sell campaign files, or individual art packs? Can you see a need to package your products as individual maps that would be imported into a particular campaign? Or perhaps a single campaign file (so all assets are only included once) but then customers would be expected to export those maps for their own use? Sort of like the "16 treasure maps" kind of product?

I'm trying to figure out how much work would be required to get something that would be usable by you (and other users). I've got a couple of other projects right now, but I could look into some of this in mid-December or so...

Re: Discussion of the structure of paid maptool map packs

Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 1:51 pm
by plothos
Azhrei wrote:what would you like to see in a "map import/export" feature?
How about having one? :P

Re: Discussion of the structure of paid maptool map packs

Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 3:49 pm
by torstan
So from the discussion of the Pathfinder forums you could see that there were different ideas for how a map pack would work. Each of these would have a different requirement for what would need to work in an import. In the current version in which there's a map with vbl and light sources it would just need to import the map, the vbl and the properties ofthe light sources - so that the light sources work.

More fully featured maps would have to import extra property lists. So if the map pack were to have a Set Dressing property list that had a OverallBaseDC value that sets the DC of all open lock checks, search checks for traps, that sort of thing, that property would be available on import.

Is that the kind of information you were after?

Re: Discussion of the structure of paid maptool map packs

Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 1:45 am
by Azhrei
torstan wrote:[...] it would just need to import the map, the vbl and the properties ofthe light sources - so that the light sources work.
And do you see the imported light sources just be added onto the end of the existing campaign properties 'Light' tab? For someone trying to use your maps directly, that probably seems like a reasonable approach.
More fully featured maps would have to import extra property lists. So if the map pack were to have a Set Dressing property list that had a OverallBaseDC value that sets the DC of all open lock checks, search checks for traps, that sort of thing, that property would be available on import.

Is that the kind of information you were after?
Yep, that's a good start. I'll think about this some more and when I get back from Denver in mid-December we can chat about it some more. If you end up working on a map and think of anything, you can drop it here or send me a PM. :) Thanks.

Re: Discussion of the structure of paid maptool map packs

Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 11:48 am
by torstan
Yes, I think the light-sources should be added to the end, unless the block of properties already exists (same name, same lightsource definitions). So I'd create one block of pathfinder lightsource definitions and never alter them.

As for the more fully featured ones, I think a generic set dressing property list will be easy enough to set up. I'll make sure this is how we do it in the patronage project and we'll see about getting something playtested and stable that works. Then I should be able to give you a couple of examples that we can use to test any new import functionality.

Of course just being able to have a map with VBL appear in the RPTools resource list (under add resource to library) that you can drop into a campaign would be amazing. All the extra properties stuff (from light sources on) would just be the icing on the cake.

Re: Discussion of the structure of paid maptool map packs

Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 2:04 am
by Darinth
I think it would be best if individual maps could have certain sub-sets of campaign properties specific to those maps. Otherwise... I see annoyances with one person naming the light source for an everburning torch "EBT" and another person naming it "EverBurningTorch" and a 3rd person naming it "Ever Burning Torch" and when you import all of these maps you end up with bloated campaign properties.

Thus the 'EBT' that is on map A won't show up on map B, is only available to NPCs, and if an NPC with that light source is moved to another map it is stripped away (probably with a note in the chat log that a map-specific light source has been removed).