Hello VASSAL experts. I'm trying to play RPG D&D with the assistance of VASSAL and a Skype conference call. I can get the old RPG Mapper to work, but what I'd really like is to get the RPGMapper2.22.zip extension to work, so I can have all the latest figures and content.

The instructions on the VASSAL page seem to be cut off in the middle:



This extension is for running RPG sessions on Vassal. It is mostly made up of the Vassal mod RPG Mapper. This extension gives the old module an automatic update as new units come out.

Don't run this extension when attempting to play Skirmish on Vassal. It removes player sides and will cause other issues.

To install, make a new folder for the DDM Vassal mod. Restore the related DDM extension zip file to the new location. This will create a folder with a name that matches the DDM module with

Not very helpful.

I can get DDM Vassal working fine: I use the DDM1_14_2.mod, and I unzip the Extensions_1-14-2.zip file into the same folder as DDM1_14_2.mod.

What I don't know is what to do with the RPGMapper2.22.zip file. I tried just putting it into the DD_1-14-2_ext folder (created when you unzip the Extensions_1-14-2.zip), and I seem to be able to access the content, but the game is still set up as a minis game and only allows 2 players, etc. I don't think this is how it's supposed to work. Do I have to overwrite some files somewhere? Any pointer would be appreciated.

I can't wait until the 4.0 toolset comes out. I hope it's easier to use!

Oops! Sorry about that. Sometimes it is a little awkward putting text into that format. Anyway, here is what it now says. Hopefully, this is more helpful:

I hope the 4.0 toolset is easier to use for RPG too.

To comment on the previous instructions: If you run the RPG Mapper extension, you can't play the skirmish game. You need to pick one of the other. The way around this is to setup 2 versions of the DDM mod. Use one version for skirmishing and one for RPG Mapper.

My Vassal mods exist in a folder called Vassal. To accommodate the RPG Mapper, I've now made 2 folders inside Vassal. One is called Skirmish and the other RPG. Both folders contain the DDM mod (DDM_1-14-2.mod). Both folders contain a folder for the extensions (called DDM_1-14-2_ext). The contents of these extension folders are different. The Skirmish extension folder (/Vassal/Skirmish/DDM_1-14-2_ext) contains the 3 zip files for Skirmish (ECExtension4_2.zip, Epic_Maps_1-1.zip, Iconics 1_3.zip). The RPG extension folder (/Vassal/RPG/DDM_1-14-2_ext) contains the single RPG Mapper zip file (RPGMapper2.22.zip). To start up skirmish, I open up the DDM module in the /Vassal/Skirmish folder. To start up RPG, I open up the DDM module in the /Vassal/RPG folder.

Also, this might be of some help:



Also, you can select multiple tiles by either Shift Clicking them or by doing Ctrl Shift and click. (It has been a while.) I'm more than a little busy at work at the moment. If you have more questions, do post them here. It is pretty rare that I don't check the boards (although I didn't check yesterday). I usually check about the time of this posting.

Have fun and good luck.

Thanks so much. That's exactly the info I need!

OK, I have it installed properly now, but unfortunately, RPGMapper2.22 still allows only 2 players: red and green. I want to play with 1 DM and 2 players. I can use the "observer" function for one of the players, but observers can't manipulate a lot of things, so it doesn't really fit my needs. Is this an error of some kind?

So right now, my best solution is the old RPGMapper, unless I can get the new one to work with more players.

Hmmm. I'm wondering if RPGMApper2.22 gets broken by the 1-14-2 mod. The RPGMapper2.22 buildfile claims it's made for 1-13. not 1-14. Or maybe I'm just grasping at straws here.

Is there an easy way to hack the buildfile of either the RPGMapper or DDM to allow for more than 2 players? That would also solve the problem. I don't know enough about VASSAL programming to do it myself.

RPGMapper breaks the rules of the DDM mod. When this mod is loaded, anyone synching with the person who created the mod (Player 1, Player 2, or an observer) can move any unit. I have completely done away with the concept of a "side". So, while the game may ask what side you want to be, once in the game it becomes irrelevant.

Logins and player "sides" are somewhat important for the DM. If you create a game as Player 1 and save it without "retiring", only you can load the game and get back Player 1. Other people would still have access to Player 2 and the observers, but they wouldn't be able to see any tiles (or other objects) that Player 1 marked as Invisible. If you retire and save the game, everyone who loads the game would be able to see that there are hidden objects. They will also be able to right click them and make them visible again.

Since any observer can join the game and do things, it becomes more important to control who has access to the game. If you decide to pursue this further, I can tell you the deep dark secrets to protect this (a little bit anyway). The good news is that people who don't have this extension loaded will not see much of the game as none of the extras will be visible. The bad news is that all of the units will be visible and they will be able to move/right click/delete/etc.

I know this extension was successfully used by an RPG group once back in September. I do not know if they have used it since then. I am trying to contact them to see what happened. They were pretty excited about it when they started up. I would think that real life would have stomped on this more so than playing on Vassal. I'll pass on whatever information I receive from them.

If you would like, I can meet with you in Vassal some evening to talk a little more. It might make things go a little quicker since it is taking me more than a day to get back to you on these things.

Thanks tullwi!

Well, I've heard from that other group. They still do use Vassal for their RPG sessions. There are a few things that annoy them, but, otherwise, it is the best tool they have tried. I've asked them to let me know what parts cause them the most grief. I can't fix everything, but I might know some work arounds that will help.

The one annoyance they mentioned was other people synching up to them. They feel a little bad about that because they don't use in-game chat window and don't usually respond. I have a fairly easy change that can make it much harder for someone else to randomly connect.

Thanks, tullywi.

When using the latest version, observers can add and move units around, but it seems they can't add any of the markers like fireball templates, crosshairs, etc. This makes it difficult for us to use, because both players are spellcasters who hurl area of effect spells quite often.

Is there a good tutorial on Vassal programming you could point me to? Maybe some of the changes I want I could simply make myself.

Hello zdrake,

I've just uploaded 2.23 of the RPG Mapper. It should allow your other players to manipulate the markers.

Offhand, I don't know any tutorials on editing Vassal mods or extensions. The Vassal web site does have some "getting started" things on it. I just saw a guide that the Eternal Campaign guys put out at the Hordelings web site in the on-line play. It talks about creating a new extension to add their customized units. To actually learn a mod (or extension), the best method is to enter the editor and start looking at what is in it.

Hope this helps. Gotta run.

Thanks! That should make it perfect for us.

Are there any plans or is there other downloads to get different maps?

Hmm, I'm not sure what you mean. Are you looking for specific maps or are you talking about dungeon tiles? If you are talking about a map, I'm willing to put maps into the mods. I'm not all that good at scanning them, so I need help from others for that.