Couple of suggestions
in Suggestions
Hi there,
I want to offer couple of suggestions to make Skirmish! better for all of us.
I will use TTopRPG, Roll20 and Maptools as a reference. More about that I'll say in the bottom.
Please note that this suggestions are based on what I saw in open beta,screenshots and videos in KS preview page in addition to what you already said that it will be implemented, and are my personal, subjective feelings that others may not share, but I would be gratefull if you at least would consider them
GRID
I found grid adjustment method in Skirmish! not very satisfying. For downloaded or scaned maps it's really pain in the *** to adjust grid properly. On many downloaded maps I didn't even manage to adjust grid at all. Many VTT makes a mistake here and don't think about scaned or screenshoted maps. Not everyone is photoshop expert to draw their own maps and know how to properly set map (grid, pixels and so on):)
So I suggest to include several other methods or one that covers all situations.
TTopRPG Adjust Grid (points) method is really good and you can adjust every map out there. http://www.ttoprpg2.com/showthread.php?id=53
Roll20 3x3 square method is also very good.
Also please consider adding this:
- customizable grid units and grid size (1 square = 5ft, 1 square = 2 yards and etc) - see Roll20
- custom grid color, thickness, opacity - see Roll20
Features that are missing:
- Circular/oval/curved lines (for walls etc)
- snap to grid on/off for props, pc/npc, objects etc - see Roll20
- ability to write GM notes to map
- free drawing - see roll20
- ability to hide NPC/monsters name, if GM doesn't want players to see the names. It would be good to be able to set permission for each player individualy - I think that Roll20 have this feature
- ability to manipulate FoW manualy (if GM doesn't want vision and light to manipulate FoW) - see TTopRPG and Roll20
- ability to set objects/npc/monsters invisible - in TTopRPG this is done with shortcut V while hovering your mouse over token
Campaign organization
At this time campaign organization is non existent.
Many VTT out there make this mistake and do not include proper campaign organization. Campaign is not just loading map by map.
Ask yourself how would you like to organize things if you are running several campaigns, which are for different p&p systems. Map by map all on the same pile (folder) is not really an option.
So I suggest that instead when you press new game/open game and map opens, that this button create/opens campaign and maps are stored for each campaign.
It is must have that campaigns have their own settings which doesn't affect other campaigns, have their own PC/NPC, have their own macros but with the ability to export all this to other campaigns. See TTopRPG for this (folder based).
UI
I don't really like that object/pc/npc properties are in the left part of the UI. It's really time consuming and not very clearly to see right away all options. In my opinion it would be much better that every object/pc/npc have their own window dialog which opens when you double click on them. - see Maptools, TTopRPG and Roll20
Also consider adding that right click on object/pc/npc open contextual menu with commands. . TTopRPG is based on that and is working very smoothly.
Macros below char portrait is also not very user friendly. Especially with those floating menus. This is program on the computer and computer is a tool that do stuff for us. In this case computer do all of the calculations so we don't have to do it. If I spend more time just to find and click on the macro to roll than time I would need to roll and calculate result on my own with dice, what's the point then. - see TTopRPG for this.
In my opinion macros must be intuitive and user friendly so players can learn them very quickly. No one wants to spend several days just to learn how to create few rolls for their characters.
For now VTT of my choice is TTopRPG - free little program made by one guy in his spare time. I found it the best VTT for my needs as a GM. It's very good for d20 systems and have very user friendly UI.
So I'm saying this because I'll make a several references to TTopRPG features.
Also if you'd like to try it to see how it works and maybe pick up several ideas, you can download it from here https://www.cubbyusercontent.com/pli/TTopRPG.rar/_53a198fe639148b9a3ba4476af5bab45
You don't need to install it, just decompress and start exe file. I included part of starter set adventure for D&D5ed, Mines of Phandelver so you don't waste time on prepping.
You can run several instances on one PC to simulate other players.
Here is getting started documentation http://www.ttoprpg.com/TTopRPG/gettingstarted.htm
I don't think that I should say more about Maptools and Roll20 because they are quite popular and yu probably already tried them
This are my thoughts, at least for now
I hope that you don't mind my suggestions and that they will make you think about some other approaches.
I'm hoping that Skirmish! will be much better that other VTT out there cause it really have potential to be that.
So thank you guys for reading this and wish you all the luck with this.
I want to offer couple of suggestions to make Skirmish! better for all of us.
I will use TTopRPG, Roll20 and Maptools as a reference. More about that I'll say in the bottom.
Please note that this suggestions are based on what I saw in open beta,screenshots and videos in KS preview page in addition to what you already said that it will be implemented, and are my personal, subjective feelings that others may not share, but I would be gratefull if you at least would consider them
GRID
I found grid adjustment method in Skirmish! not very satisfying. For downloaded or scaned maps it's really pain in the *** to adjust grid properly. On many downloaded maps I didn't even manage to adjust grid at all. Many VTT makes a mistake here and don't think about scaned or screenshoted maps. Not everyone is photoshop expert to draw their own maps and know how to properly set map (grid, pixels and so on):)
So I suggest to include several other methods or one that covers all situations.
TTopRPG Adjust Grid (points) method is really good and you can adjust every map out there. http://www.ttoprpg2.com/showthread.php?id=53
Roll20 3x3 square method is also very good.
Also please consider adding this:
- customizable grid units and grid size (1 square = 5ft, 1 square = 2 yards and etc) - see Roll20
- custom grid color, thickness, opacity - see Roll20
Features that are missing:
- Circular/oval/curved lines (for walls etc)
- snap to grid on/off for props, pc/npc, objects etc - see Roll20
- ability to write GM notes to map
- free drawing - see roll20
- ability to hide NPC/monsters name, if GM doesn't want players to see the names. It would be good to be able to set permission for each player individualy - I think that Roll20 have this feature
- ability to manipulate FoW manualy (if GM doesn't want vision and light to manipulate FoW) - see TTopRPG and Roll20
- ability to set objects/npc/monsters invisible - in TTopRPG this is done with shortcut V while hovering your mouse over token
Campaign organization
At this time campaign organization is non existent.
Many VTT out there make this mistake and do not include proper campaign organization. Campaign is not just loading map by map.
Ask yourself how would you like to organize things if you are running several campaigns, which are for different p&p systems. Map by map all on the same pile (folder) is not really an option.
So I suggest that instead when you press new game/open game and map opens, that this button create/opens campaign and maps are stored for each campaign.
It is must have that campaigns have their own settings which doesn't affect other campaigns, have their own PC/NPC, have their own macros but with the ability to export all this to other campaigns. See TTopRPG for this (folder based).
UI
I don't really like that object/pc/npc properties are in the left part of the UI. It's really time consuming and not very clearly to see right away all options. In my opinion it would be much better that every object/pc/npc have their own window dialog which opens when you double click on them. - see Maptools, TTopRPG and Roll20
Also consider adding that right click on object/pc/npc open contextual menu with commands. . TTopRPG is based on that and is working very smoothly.
Macros below char portrait is also not very user friendly. Especially with those floating menus. This is program on the computer and computer is a tool that do stuff for us. In this case computer do all of the calculations so we don't have to do it. If I spend more time just to find and click on the macro to roll than time I would need to roll and calculate result on my own with dice, what's the point then. - see TTopRPG for this.
In my opinion macros must be intuitive and user friendly so players can learn them very quickly. No one wants to spend several days just to learn how to create few rolls for their characters.
For now VTT of my choice is TTopRPG - free little program made by one guy in his spare time. I found it the best VTT for my needs as a GM. It's very good for d20 systems and have very user friendly UI.
So I'm saying this because I'll make a several references to TTopRPG features.
Also if you'd like to try it to see how it works and maybe pick up several ideas, you can download it from here https://www.cubbyusercontent.com/pli/TTopRPG.rar/_53a198fe639148b9a3ba4476af5bab45
You don't need to install it, just decompress and start exe file. I included part of starter set adventure for D&D5ed, Mines of Phandelver so you don't waste time on prepping.
You can run several instances on one PC to simulate other players.
Here is getting started documentation http://www.ttoprpg.com/TTopRPG/gettingstarted.htm
I don't think that I should say more about Maptools and Roll20 because they are quite popular and yu probably already tried them
This are my thoughts, at least for now
I hope that you don't mind my suggestions and that they will make you think about some other approaches.
I'm hoping that Skirmish! will be much better that other VTT out there cause it really have potential to be that.
So thank you guys for reading this and wish you all the luck with this.
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Comments
I'm playing (GM-ing) with VTTs for about 10 years so I have some experience under my belt for things that are making life easier for GM, and I would really like for Skirmish to be my next VTT of choice
Approx. 1 week before the kickstarter launch we will make the final ks preview page accessible once more for you guys to take a look at.
I thought that you are going to just enable multitab so multiple maps can be loaded.
What I had in mind was that there is also a New Campaign button, and within campaign there is a New map button so map can be added to open campaign.
Campaign have their own setting, maps, tokens, macros and are independent from other campaign
Also very useful are export (export campaign template) and import buttons. This features TTopRPG have, and was very useful in practice for me.
If you had this in mind in the KS description, then I apologize. My mistake
Btw, I thought that KS is going to launch this week. But don't rush it. Better to create good KS from the start with good info and descriptions
Well, I look forward to final preview page and KS launch.
I totally agree with the need for a campaign support development, I like SVT for individual maps/ encounters, but it gets cumbersome in the extreme when switching between aps/locations.
We are looking forward to the Kickstarter starting.