I'll admit it, I tend to think of myself as a do-it-yourself-er. But let's face it--there's no use reinventing the wheel. Which is why I come here to install the 3.5 framework with Maptools.
But there may have to be some wheel-reinvention if I can't figure out how to get the darn thing installed!
Hell, I don't even know what to download and where to download it. I'm looking through the main thread atm, but it's no use to me. And I can't even find a tutorial--if there is one, please link me for the love of all that is cute and fluffy, or at least point me in the right direction. PLEASE. D:
Help with installation
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Discussion regarding lmarkus001's framework only. Other posts deleted without notice!
Discussion regarding lmarkus001's framework only. Other posts deleted without notice!
Re: Help with installation
Welcome to RPTools, GV! 
)
First, have you seen the screencast tutorials that Brad put together? You can find them from the Tutorials link in the toolbar on the main web site at http://www.rptools.net/ They will give you a good idea of how to use MapTool with just a few minutes invested in watching a video. (I'd say Brad's voice was "cute and fluffy" but I'd likely get in trouble with his wife, so I'll leave that for another thread.
)
Now that you've seen them, you know a little about starting MapTool, and a similar small amount about loading and saving campaigns. In the main thread for this framework you'll find a link in the very first post to a series of "campaign files". These are the data files that a GM uses to save the campaign as the game progresses. So grab the most recent version, load up MapTool, and use File > Open Campaign... to open the campaign file.
The campaign files are actually ZIP archives that contain everything needed for the campaign that the GM has created: all images, all map information, campaign properties, tables, sight/vision/light settings, ... everything. Obviously you'll be adding your own images and such, but the base setup will already be set by loading in the campaign framework so that you don't have to set the details manually.
(Don't worry if your browser changes the filename extension from .cmpgn to .zip. You can just rename it back and everything will be fine. Although you might consider getting a better browser.)
I would recommend that you play around with the campaign you just loaded a little bit -- don't be afraid to explore. Then throw away any changes you've made by reloading the campaign file again (without saving it). Now watch the tutorials again and try out each piece as you go along.
The videos will take about 15 minutes total for a GM (about 8 minutes for a player). But they go by quickly so playing the video again and trying the stuff out is a great way to test each feature. When something doesn't work you can come back here and search for the keywords used in the video and find threads that discuss those topics. (Or just look in the HowTo and User FAQ subforums, although they don't yet contain an exhaustive list of topics.)
Good luck, and welcome to the family!
(While I prefer "soft and cuddly" over "cute and fluffy", I'll still help you.GoddessViolet wrote:Hell, I don't even know what to download and where to download it. I'm looking through the main thread atm, but it's no use to me. And I can't even find a tutorial--if there is one, please link me for the love of all that is cute and fluffy, or at least point me in the right direction. PLEASE. D:
)First, have you seen the screencast tutorials that Brad put together? You can find them from the Tutorials link in the toolbar on the main web site at http://www.rptools.net/ They will give you a good idea of how to use MapTool with just a few minutes invested in watching a video. (I'd say Brad's voice was "cute and fluffy" but I'd likely get in trouble with his wife, so I'll leave that for another thread.
)Now that you've seen them, you know a little about starting MapTool, and a similar small amount about loading and saving campaigns. In the main thread for this framework you'll find a link in the very first post to a series of "campaign files". These are the data files that a GM uses to save the campaign as the game progresses. So grab the most recent version, load up MapTool, and use File > Open Campaign... to open the campaign file.
The campaign files are actually ZIP archives that contain everything needed for the campaign that the GM has created: all images, all map information, campaign properties, tables, sight/vision/light settings, ... everything. Obviously you'll be adding your own images and such, but the base setup will already be set by loading in the campaign framework so that you don't have to set the details manually.
(Don't worry if your browser changes the filename extension from .cmpgn to .zip. You can just rename it back and everything will be fine. Although you might consider getting a better browser.)
I would recommend that you play around with the campaign you just loaded a little bit -- don't be afraid to explore. Then throw away any changes you've made by reloading the campaign file again (without saving it). Now watch the tutorials again and try out each piece as you go along.
The videos will take about 15 minutes total for a GM (about 8 minutes for a player). But they go by quickly so playing the video again and trying the stuff out is a great way to test each feature. When something doesn't work you can come back here and search for the keywords used in the video and find threads that discuss those topics. (Or just look in the HowTo and User FAQ subforums, although they don't yet contain an exhaustive list of topics.)
Good luck, and welcome to the family!