ALFA as a base for importing and Exporting to other systems

Ideas and suggestions for game mechanics and rules.
Locked
Rick7475
Haste Bear
Posts: 2095
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2004 1:59 am
Location: Ottawa
Contact:

ALFA as a base for importing and Exporting to other systems

Post by Rick7475 »

So hey guys, the only way I could be to ALFA is for something better than NWN2. I have an idea that might have been brought up before (in fact it as with other NWN2 PW years ago and probably is buried somewhere my lazy ass didn`t bother to search). Character imports and exports. This is basically a community of RPGers. Anyway, if you have a character from NWN2 perhaps you can export it to Sword Coast Legends or Shards for some adventures and then when done import it back to NWN2 PW. Not sure if this would work, but it would require conversions back and forth to the different systems, so more complex characters may be difficult, but archetype characters wouldn`t be too much of a problem. Anyway it is a thought to incorporate a game like SCL or Shards where ALFA is a host for characters, players, and DM's with multiple game systems. Because lets face it, NWN2 is getting old and there is no ONE system to replace it. So you can have your character, meet up with others, and have DM sessions in a persistent world but spread over multiple game systems.

So to elaborate more. You have a wizard named Joe. He is an elf. Has a list of spells. He is level 3. Lives in Waterdeep. He wants to go on a quest / adventure, etc. He is in the virtual world of Faerun. So grab an ALFA DM, pick a game like SCL. Do some pregame RPG stuff via chat to get the adventure going with 3 others. Run the adventure on SCL or Shards in a city setting or dungeon that will be in Waterdeep, using the names of famous landmarks and businesses. Convert from version 3 to 5e. Have the adventure. Go back to NWN2 convert back to version 3 with all the new goodies.

Of course there would need to be an oversight committee for character imports and exports.

I know I would come back and the entire Daggerdord DM team, because we still actively play Dnd every week. Also SCL will be on consoles, and many people are moving there.

My heretic thoughts.

Black Templars rule.
Zelknolf
Chosen of Forumamus, God of Forums
Posts: 6139
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2005 7:04 pm

Re: ALFA as a base for importing and Exporting to other syst

Post by Zelknolf »

System conversions are messy and an enormous amount of work even in relatively-compatible systems (which the different major versions of D&D aren't). I'm not sure that the work to resolve all of the arising conflicts exists, and the work to actually implement whatever solutions are conjured definitely doesn't exist.
User avatar
ImStrokerAce
Orc Champion
Posts: 472
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2005 7:41 am
Location: British Columbia, Canada

Re: ALFA as a base for importing and Exporting to other syst

Post by ImStrokerAce »

It would seem to me that when you're moving rulesets and/or platforms that every single time you did it; you'd need an impartial governing body to go over it. That does sound like alot of time spent on approvals and appeals that would follow, when this platform does a fine job, and moreso since the Tech side of ALFA makes it all work so much smoother. I'm sure that we'd all love a greater population of PC's and DM's, but looking at this from the governing side of this equation, it does seem to need a high level of complexity, effort and time.
I'd of course suggest that you all play here with a fresh, new PC and see where that takes you :-)
Current PC:
Mephis the Awkward Mage
Rick7475
Haste Bear
Posts: 2095
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2004 1:59 am
Location: Ottawa
Contact:

Re: ALFA as a base for importing and Exporting to other syst

Post by Rick7475 »

Well, for the importing and exporting, you make a committee. Just thinking of the future. Version 3 is old. Pathfinder and 5e are the big table top versions now. People want to play 5e. There are already lots of info out there on converting 3 to 5e and back again. It could only be done with certain PC's, probably 80-90 percent.
User avatar
Arianna
Tech Admin
Posts: 1660
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2004 2:28 pm
Location: Idaho PST

Re: ALFA as a base for importing and Exporting to other syst

Post by Arianna »

Rick7475 wrote:Well, for the importing and exporting, you make a committee. Just thinking of the future. Version 3 is old. Pathfinder and 5e are the big table top versions now. People want to play 5e. There are already lots of info out there on converting 3 to 5e and back again. It could only be done with certain PC's, probably 80-90 percent.

I don't want to play 5E , honestly I always preferred 2nd edition ......
Current NWN2 PC: TSM- Lessa

HDM of Moonshae Server DM on BG
Builder Everywhere
DM times - 6:30-10 PM Saturdays PDT on MS . . other times as I show up
PM me on Discord if you want to be DMd on BG I have Monday nights available
Talk to me if you want to learn to build for NWN2

Tech Admin
Zelknolf
Chosen of Forumamus, God of Forums
Posts: 6139
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2005 7:04 pm

Re: ALFA as a base for importing and Exporting to other syst

Post by Zelknolf »

Others also think of the future, where we note that any platform transition will rely on our ability to get systems operational and infrastructure up on said platform, which means not burning up finite development time into the crushing complexity of omnidirectional system conversions and acknowledging that manual processes typically fail.
User avatar
oldgrayrogue
Retired
Posts: 3284
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 7:09 am
Location: New York
Contact:

Re: ALFA as a base for importing and Exporting to other syst

Post by oldgrayrogue »

Hey Rick, why don't you and your pals come back and give ALFA another try? I'm sure many of us her would love to play with you all. Zelk and the rest of the Tech team have done some amazing stuff with the ACR, especially DM tools. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Dorn
Haste Bear
Posts: 2196
Joined: Sat Apr 17, 2004 5:00 pm
Location: Australia (West - GMT+8)

Re: ALFA as a base for importing and Exporting to other syst

Post by Dorn »

Come back and 'take over' Moonshae Island. Arianna as HDMs has done some great stuff and it's primed for a crew to make it home.
playing Nathaniel Ward - Paladin of the Morninglord and devout of Torm (cookie cutter and proud of it)
User avatar
ImStrokerAce
Orc Champion
Posts: 472
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2005 7:41 am
Location: British Columbia, Canada

Re: ALFA as a base for importing and Exporting to other syst

Post by ImStrokerAce »

Agreed Dorn; massive improvements since my last visit.
Current PC:
Mephis the Awkward Mage
Locked