RPG MOD comming soon!

[Senkusha]

Bother someone else to do one people. Its mentioned that an "alpha" will be given out in October...and it was said that next april will probably have the first beta, and like september for another beta, then SEVERAL months later it *might* be finished. The alpha was mentioned by Senkusha, but the rest was mentioned from an important person on the forums there.

4-5 Years for a mod is just unheard of. There are a few others out there that are *hopefully* working on one, ask them to see if theirs is in progress....

Just an update. As ive been waiting for one for months and months too...

I'm sorry, I really can't let this "slide by".  As a result, here comes a RANT. If you think you can pull this off, then by all means, be my guest.  Just let me clue you into my life for a moment, and let me attempt to explain what is trying to be accomplished here, okay?

1.  I have a full time job.  That sucks up most of my time in any given day.
2.  I have a family.  That includes a wife and son, both of which require daily attention.
3.  I attend college, in a futile attempt to get a better job...a dream job in software engineering...it's not very simple.
4.  (see above number three).  This also means that I have homework that's required to be done.  Note this is complicated mathematical equations, and designing computer programs that WORK.
5.  I also have my fair share of house hold chores.  Yeah, that's right.  I'm not a slacker.

All of which leaves me very little time to eat and sleep, let alone write code for everybody else.

Now, take into consideration what is trying to be written, and perhaps, you'll understand why it's taking so d*** long.

When people talk about a RPG mod, there is one of two things they are talking about.  The first is a post RPG (where members design characters, and use an actual role playing system, they roll dice, and each player takes thier turn posting there characters actions.  The second is a statistical RPG, where the forum administrator decides to add some fun, and create a few 'bogus' statistics (like Health, Mana, Endurance...) that are all based on real forum statistical data (like posts, time registered, activity level...)

What I'm attempting to do is give an all in one, one stop shop for RPG needs.
The 'engine' has to be able to support mulitple, different types of game systems (like D&D, Shadow Realm, BESM, Role master....)  This engine also has to be able to support customized character sheets (designed by the game master  (or local board moderators) for each game (or board)  This implies that custom definitions, rule sets, and character sheet layouts also have to be supported.  Usually with any kind of Role Playing game system, there are complicated mathematical formulas that need to be done to fill out the character also.  Some skill values are dependant upon data from the character statistical ability scores (Stregth, Wisdom, Quickness...)

Also has been requested the ability to view each post as a particular character (replacing the member avatar and stats with character portrat and stats).  Any avid role player would also insist upon a die rolling program...one that's secure and almost hacker-proof.

So, let me organize this into a list for you.
1.  A database needs to be created to hold all the game system(s) informtion. (skills, ability scores, special feats...)
2.  A database needs to be created to hold all the game systems. (name, die rules....)
3.  A database needs to be created to hold all the characters (and link them to a member.)
4.  An admin screen needs to be created to modify all the game system information (seperate screens for each item...this quickly adds up, since some game systems can easily have ten different objects (skills, feats, defects, scores, ...)
5.  An admin screen to customize the character template.
6.  An admin screen to create a game board (modified version of the Create Board, designed for Board Moderators to use -- limited permissions here)
7.  An admin screen to link players, game master, and characters to a game board
8.  A die generator script.
9.  A mod to allow players to post as thier character (switching board data with game data).
10.  An RPG entry screen...customized template for an organized game site.  Yes some people will be running  mulitple games on thier site...I know I do.

(let's not forget about the other peice shall we?)
11.  A set of 'bogus' stats needs to be created, and linked to valid stats on the forum that make sense.  (you wouldn't want Health to be a function of Time elasped from  registration date, would you?)
12.  A new display template needs to be created to support these new stats.
13.  An attack / defense function needs to be created.
14.  (see # 13 above)  This means that items have to be equippible (new post template)
15.  (see # 13 above) which also means that a shop of some sort needs to be available for members to buy the items that they are using to attack each other with.
16.  That's not always good enough, some members will eventually want the option to take two things they have bought and make some uber cool weapon to bash thier 'friends' with.
17.  Oh, almost forgot, the mechanism for incresing these bogus stats needs to be fair for everyone -- not just the top 5 members or the 5 bottom members.


I'm sure I'm forgetting loads of features that have been asked for over the course of this development process, and I'm a little frustrated with the lack of faith by some.  For this, I apologize to those of you who still are waiting patiently, and I want to also let you know that the majority of this list above, had been completed, just not quite ironed out all the way yet.  (It also doesn't help things when a new version of SMF comes out either. )  As a result of my ever shrinking free time, I no longer give out estimates of release.  Just know, that it WILL be released.  I'm not the only person working on this project, there are others as well, who are, unfortunatly, in a simular situation.  Oh, boo, what's it's like to be a responsible adult. 

[Nomina]

As I (re-) read the list of features you intend to include, and started (re-) taking stock of the amount of work involved in such an undertaking, a thought struck me:

How many of these features could be handled, either in part or completely, by existing mods?  For example, we've been using WinRules' excellent Custom Profile Field Mod as a sort of surrogate character sheet for some time now with a fair amount of success.  Granted, we're using it to provide notes on relatively static bits of information, but the fact that it generates its own entries in the existing database might allow it to handle some of the stat/desc/etc info you need.

Likewise, I've been trying (and failing  ) to figure out a way to implement additional instantiations of the Karma system as a means of allowing players to track various stat pools that tend to change from post to post.  Sadly, I've had very little success, and even less response from the community.  Admittedly, it's an oddball request...

Of course, making the mod self-contained in the manner you're planning can only make the mod better, and I can see how this sort of move might actually make things more difficult; but perhaps gaining the assistance of a few of the SMF Community's excellent modders could make your life considerably less hectic.

Ultimately, all I really wanted to say is that I'm more than willing to wait patiently for you to finish this mod.  And I'm sure I'm not alone in that sentiment.  Even if I don't ultimately make use of it for whatever reason (although I find it difficult to imagine such a reason), I can't wait to see the product of so much hard work.  I'm already intrigued by the version you have running on your own forums.

Keep up the hard work, and let the nay-sayers bugger themselves.

[RvG]

RPG mod... for SMF...

when it will be in reality???

[Saku]

2015, maybe

[URPG]

I'd say we do a new topic and start a new MOD... dice, alternative names, multiple character pages. I'd feel good doing the structural layout and then we need someone to code it.

[Senkusha]

Alright, here's your new post then. 

New RPG mod

I told you it would be done....

[die4me]

not quite what i expected but ok

[simpleTVT]

Totally waiting for this MOD, release date please?

[Exochat]

I guess still not released then??

I would not put down your hard work and commitment as you have been working a lot at a very difficult project and i wouldnt even know where to start on it but are you trying TOO HARD with this??

You started this project 3 and a half years ago now and it is still not even at the testing stage?? In that time RPG mods have been built quickly on the phpbb2 platform and even the phpbb3 which itself is only in RC stage is also now getting RPG mods, and yet SMF is struggling to get even 1 single RPG MOD in 3 and a half years??

I dont know what is included in this RPG Mod but my feeling is that you need to cut it down to basics, test it in a basic stage and release it for people to use. Then let the people using it give you feedback on what works, what doesnt and what they want to see next.

Then you work on adding the next few features to your released work and improve on it, So for example, just have a basic character sheet with option, and then have a dice model incorporated (Custom Profile covers character sheet, Random BBC covers a dice model). Link the two together with a few options such as dice rolls remove health or increase health etc. And there is a very basic RPG. Then you just work on version 1.1 which would include further options, battle mod or other things you want to add when you have time, and add these extras to the existing model. Also, once its released you will get a lot of developer feedback from people that can take your code apart and maybe suggest or help code ways to add new features and take the work off your hands a little.

I wish you the best for this but it wont take long before someone releases an SMF RPG mod and when they do, yours will soon be forgotton about and no longer wanted if people get a RPG from somewhere else. There is already a SMF RPG mod for RC3 released when you were still starting this project. Maybe if someone could get the author to update it to 1.1.x and it got more support then it would gain a lot of interest.

Like I said, i hope that this mod works out and comes out soon and is as good as it is claimed. Because if it is looking at another few months or over a year........ people serious about wanting a RPG forum will quickly see the potential in phpbb3 and that is not good for your mod or SMF as a whole

[dslegends]

I still want this as well...i think it should be made so that like said above people can make RPG forums