Dev Diary #4: About the gaming module
Hi everyone! After our last update, most of our efforts have been focused on the development of the gaming module – the part of Multiverse Designer that allows you to play your tabletop roleplaying games in the 3D environment that you create in the map editor (or using pre-created maps, of course).
And that necessarily means, as we have explained before, working on Criteria. For many people, the point of using a virtual tabletop to play TTRPG is to have it do all the bookkeeping for you – track damage, changes in the stats and inventory, that kind of thing. And that’s what we’ve been working on as of lately.
Good news is, Criteria already works! It’s incomplete, but some of the most important features are implemented: skill check/roll works, you can access abilities (i.e. “what’s my STR bonus?”), you can see dice results and a log journal with details you can see by hovering the mouse on icons…
We’re also implementing a test map feature, for DMs to test their maps in advance (for instance, to see if it’s too small or big for the kind of encounter you’re planning, or to see if you need more escape routes for your Big Bad Evil Guy…). Of course you’ll have to roll for both players and monsters, but we think this will come in handy. Take a look at this new feature in this video!
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Now, you may ask why we haven’t implemented the ability of online playing, even if it’s just as an interactive 3D map that only allows you to move characters around. The thing is, without getting into too much technical detail, online playing is tied to Criteria and its possibilities. We don’t create an online environment and then slap Criteria on top of it – that would take twice as long. So we’ve got a lot of moving parts right now – map editor, cutscenes, Criteria… what we have to do (and it’s what we are working on right now) is to glue all these things together for the gaming module to work.
Meanwhile, we never stop putting efforts into adding more assets to Multiverse Designer. We have implemented an assets kit called “Atlantis”, and we’re creating a new map with it for you to use. We’ll talk more about it in our next dev blog – meanwhile, here’s this picture as an appetizer… Beautiful, isn’t it?
That’s all for today; as always, we invite you to join our community on Discord, wishlist Multiverse Designer on Steam, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See you in our next update!
PS: Friendly reminder, please redeem your Steam keys, and if you haven’t seen yours in your inbox, send us a DM through Kickstarter so we can send it to you. Have a nice day!
And that necessarily means, as we have explained before, working on Criteria. For many people, the point of using a virtual tabletop to play TTRPG is to have it do all the bookkeeping for you – track damage, changes in the stats and inventory, that kind of thing. And that’s what we’ve been working on as of lately.
Good news is, Criteria already works! It’s incomplete, but some of the most important features are implemented: skill check/roll works, you can access abilities (i.e. “what’s my STR bonus?”), you can see dice results and a log journal with details you can see by hovering the mouse on icons…
We’re also implementing a test map feature, for DMs to test their maps in advance (for instance, to see if it’s too small or big for the kind of encounter you’re planning, or to see if you need more escape routes for your Big Bad Evil Guy…). Of course you’ll have to roll for both players and monsters, but we think this will come in handy. Take a look at this new feature in this video!
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Now, you may ask why we haven’t implemented the ability of online playing, even if it’s just as an interactive 3D map that only allows you to move characters around. The thing is, without getting into too much technical detail, online playing is tied to Criteria and its possibilities. We don’t create an online environment and then slap Criteria on top of it – that would take twice as long. So we’ve got a lot of moving parts right now – map editor, cutscenes, Criteria… what we have to do (and it’s what we are working on right now) is to glue all these things together for the gaming module to work.
Meanwhile, we never stop putting efforts into adding more assets to Multiverse Designer. We have implemented an assets kit called “Atlantis”, and we’re creating a new map with it for you to use. We’ll talk more about it in our next dev blog – meanwhile, here’s this picture as an appetizer… Beautiful, isn’t it?
That’s all for today; as always, we invite you to join our community on Discord, wishlist Multiverse Designer on Steam, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See you in our next update!
PS: Friendly reminder, please redeem your Steam keys, and if you haven’t seen yours in your inbox, send us a DM through Kickstarter so we can send it to you. Have a nice day!