Great! Thanks for the link, I'll be creating my own expansion at some point in the near future to handle the expansion symbols.

I've also been to the plugin page now, and have a couple questions.

1. How do I access the clipart from clipart pack 1?

2. What is the silhouette pack, and how do I access it?

Thanks for all your help!

Alright, I have another question. I am following the tutorial to create your own plugin. I'm to the part where you zip with the file extension .seext. I zip it, then change the extension to .seext, which gives the file an SE icon. I then double click it to install. SE opens and confirms that I want to install. I tell it yes, it says it's an extension, so I have to restart. I restart and... nothing. I have tried zipping with both the windows Send To compressed (zipped) folder command, and with 7zip.

The frustrating thing is that I downloaded the example file from the website, which came in a zipped format. I opened it and extracted all files. I then changed the extension of the .zip archive (which I had downloaded) to .seext. Again, this changed the icon to an SE icon. I double clicked it and installed, then restarted SE. When I restarted, the message appeared. So I uninstalled the extension and deleted it. I then zipped the folder back up that I had unzipped from the downloaded file (so it isn't a typo because it is exactly what was downloaded, then unzipped) and changed the extension. I installed it, and this time, it didn't work. It seems like it may be a problem with how I'm zipping the files.

I'm not sure if that makes sense, but I hope so. Any suggestions?

Images that are part of SE, either directly (part of the program) or indirectly (through a plug-in) can be accessed using using a special URL format that starts with res:// (for resource). You can use res:// in mark-up text (using the <image> tag), in the portrait Image File field, etc. The Clip Art Pack adds new images to SE, which are then also available using a res:// URL. The easiest way to browse the images available this way is to use the Image Resource Browser plug-in.

Silhouettes are shapes that can be used when making tokens. The silhouette pack adds new shapes to the Game Marker/Token editor, which is in the Decks and Expansions category.

The most likely problem is that you are zipping up the folder that the plug-in is in. The file eons-plugin must be in the root folder of the archive. When you open the archive up in the archive program, the eons-plugin file should not be stored inside another folder. Here is an example:

Note that eons-plugin file is one of the selected files, so it will be in the root folder of the archive and not inside something else. All of the files inside the "ca" folder in the example will NOT be in the root folder, but somewhere under the ca folder.

Another possible mistake with 7z is to create a 7z archive instead of a ZIP archive. SE doesn't recognize 7z archives.

A different way to pack up an extension is to use the Plug-in Bundler, either on its own or from within the SE Text Resource Editor. Select the files as above and then drag and drop them onto the bundler:

Cheers,
Chris

Ha! HA HA! It worked! I had the resource folder and eons-plugin file in a subdirectory instead of the root file.

You rock! Thanks!

I've been playing around with making characters using Strange Eons. I've been playing AH for over a year and enjoyed it a lot. Being able to use SE to create my own Investigators and Guardians makes it feel more like my game, if that makes sense. However, I've encountered a challenge that I need your advice for.

I was trying to create an Investigator that started out with the "Changed" benefit, but ran into a complecation. I couldn't find a way to add the +1 Stamina and +1 Sanity within the limits of the $25 restriction. Is there a way to change that dollar amount in the system?

Thanks bunches!

Feonor said:

If you want to add +1/+1, buy +2 of one and then increase the other, e.g.:

Score is 5/5.

Purchase +2 Sanity.

Score is 7/5.

Press Stamina button.

Score is 6/6.

Cheers,
Chris

That works great!

Thanks again!

Hokay, next question I can't figure out on my own...

I'm importing a pic for the investigator image. In the Portrait tab there are some buttons that appear to be there to allow you to move, center, or resize the image you are using. However, none of them seem to do anything when I click on them. What am I doing wrong?

Feonor said:

Number one problem is moving the image on the character marker while you are looking at the main inestigator page or vice versa. It allows you to move either picture, but you can only look at one at a time.

Number two problem is that the movement is seriously like 1 pixel or something, so if you need to move it a fair distance, I suggest typing a number of displacement in and then pressing enter to make the picture jump to the right spot. You'll often need to scooch one over 45 or even 85 points, don't do tha by clicking dozens of times. Type in 10, 20, 30 etc. and then move the stuff into place by hand only for the fine tuning.

By the way, I just completed my Shadowrun Horror full port. All 4 gigabytes and 116 color plates of it. Thank you very much, I wouldn't have been able to do it without Strange Eons.

-Frank

Frank said:

Hey, congratulations. Glad you found it useful.

In other news, SE 2.00 (the finished version, not a release candidate) is now available.

And hidden inside is an early version of a new card type, DIY, that allows you to use script code to create pretty much any kind of card you care to dream up. As an example of this new system, Jon New (talismanisland) has worked with me to create an extension to produce cards for the Talisman fantasy adventure board game. I refer to this system as being an "alpha" version, though this refers primarily to the state of the documentation.

Cheers,
Chris

Between the release of Innsmouth and the ongoing work on the DIY system, I expect that there will be a lot of little updates coming out for the next while.

As an experiment, I have set up a mailing list for those who want to be notified when an update is released. If it works well and there is interest, I'll keep it going permanently. I'll still mention any major updates here as I have in the past, but if you want to know the minute Personal Story cards are supported, for example, then I suggest the list.

The messages will point out new features, list bugs fixed, and give some helpful technical notes for plug-in developers. For Windows users, the messages will also provide direct links to patch files. As long as you patch things as they come out, you'll be able to download a couple hundred kB to update instead of 15 MB.

If you are interested, the subscribe page is here .

Cheers,
Chris

strange eons on linux? any one know how to make this work?

You can check if you have Java installed and what version with:

java -version

If the version is at least 1.6.0 it should work; 1.6.0_10 or newer is even better.

Once you know Java is installed, you can start SE with:

java -Xmx512m -jar strange-eons.jar

where the last thing on the command line is the path to the JAR file downloaded in the "Other Platforms" ZIP.

If you want to see the supported configuarions, check here: http://java.sun.com/javase/6/webnotes/install/system-configurations.html

Even if your variant is not officially supported, there may be a build for it. Try searching for java in your package manager.

Cheers,

Chris

i will try that out thanks

So, I got a nasty letter from Fantasy Flight about using Strange Eons to make Shadowrun Horror. Which is weird, because as of this moment they have yet to complain about the completed product right here on the Fan Creations board of their own message board. But putting up some samples and a rule book elsewhere sent their legal department into a tizzy. Here's the letter:

-----------------------------------

Sir/Madam:

The following link on your forum contains copyrighted material that is the property of Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc. d/b/a Fantasy Flight Games:

The art templates are taken directly from our board game Arkham Horror. We hereby request immediate removal of the posts with such imagery.

Going down in order:

PAGE 1
-----------

Board: OK

PInk "Star" card: Violation (back is unchanged from ours, front uses our layout) Yellow "Hat" card: Violation (same) Green "Pistol" card: Violation (same) Yellow "Scroll" card: Violation (same) Orange "Person" card: Violation (same) Tan "Blurry stars" card: Violation (same, but image in center of layout has been changed. Still our layout, though)

First "Encounter" card: Violation on front (layout), back is okay.
"Encounter" cards: Violation (images and text have been changed but layout art ["rusty" iron frames] is ours).

"Major Players" cards
Runner card: Violation (our layout design) Threat card: Violation (same) "Karma" card: Violation (front is our layout) "Johnson" card: Violation (our layout design)

"Enemies" tokens: Violation (our layout and icons)

Orange "Ally" card: Violation (our layout)

PAGE 2
-----------

Problem Tokens: Violation (our icon)

"Threat" card: Violation (our layout)

PAGE 3
-----------

"Threat" card: Violation (our layout)
"Johnson" card: Violation (same)

"Corporate Security" token: Violation (our icon) "Triad" token: Violation (same) "Yakuza" token: Violation (same) "System Failure" token: Violation (same) "The Mafia" token: Violation (same) "The Vory" token: Violation (same)

In addition, obviously the posts that quote or reference earlier posts with the copyrighted imagery are also problems.

In short, we're not trying to come off like Big Corporate Overlords, but we must protect our copyrights. The original poster is more than welcome to make his rethemed "Arkham Horror" game, but we cannot allow him to use any of our art or design.

---------------------------------------------

Just a head's up: Fantasy Flight may be OK with people making distributing and using Strange Eons to produce Arkham Horror custum content, but Fantasy Flight apparently is not OK with people making distributing or using Strange eons to produce custom Arkham Horror content.

As things currently stand, Shadowrun Horror is still up and has not been molested. But the living document rules for Shadowrun Horror with the sample cards was served a cease and desist. That makes no sense to me or to anyone else I'e talked to, but there it is. I mean, you can't even copyright a card layout, so half of that letter is meaningless gibberish sent by Y'Golonac. And the board is itself completely covered with Arkham Horror symbols, but apparently that isn't considered a violation. So I don;t know what that is about either.

TL;DR: someone in Fantasy Flight thinks generating for-free custom content with Strange Eons is a copyright iolation even if other people in Fantasy Flight specifically do not.

-Frank

Hi Frank,

Thanks for the information. While it is not for me to speak on behalf of FFG, I think perhaps the crux of the problem is that your project is basically a stand-alone work. In other words, their perspective might be that you have put out a completely different game that happens to use some of their art.

Cheers,
Chris

Frank said:

That's a pretty subtle distinction, man. I had to read the sentence about three times.

Sorry to see that this has happened, of course, but if that text you quoted actually came from the letter, then it's not a particularly nasty letter. I mean, obviously you can't do anything about it, but they could probably have been a lot less pleasant, so I wouldn't feel bad if I were you.

I don't know what country you're in, but I'm afraid that most copyright law probably gives them the right to permit and forbid whatever use they want. So if they want to give permission to use their content for one non-profit-making thing, and forbid it for something else, they're within their rights, and it's not really an inconsistent position for them to take. Strange Eons content for AH itself is obviously kosher; derivitive games are not.

Or maybe it's because it's somewhere else: the Shadowrun stuff was hosting on another website, wasn't it? It's possible they're disproportionately worried about it being posted where they have no power to delete posts etc. They're not just trying to prevent people ripping them off (which obviously wasn't what you were doing, anyway), they're also trying to prevent anyone 'bringing the brand into disrepute'. Shadowrun Horror clearly wasn't going to do that, but they wouldn't want to create a precedent, because it would make things more awkward for them if someone created something they really wanted to stop, like a hardcore porn-themed game based on Arkham Horror or something.* FFG might also have got nervous because Shadowrun is someone else's setting, and they didn't want to be seen to be encouraging you to use the IP of whoever it is who makes Shadowrun.

I hope this isn't the start of a crackdown, though. There's plenty of custom AH stuff on other forums already - BGG of course, and probably RPGnet too. I always thought I might be pushing my luck by hosting my fan expansion on a googlepage. Maybe they just haven't noticed yet. Come to think of it, I should probably not drawn attention to myself. Although I find this topic sufficiently interesting that maybe it should have its own thread.

--------------

*Come to think of it, that'd be easy to make: I'd only need to change one letter in 'Cult of the Golden Scarab'.

Hello! I just updated to 2.00.6 and I'm having trouble with the casebook player/playtester. When I click on the "playtest casebook" button, it sends me back to the front matter. When I try the casebook player extension in the toolbox menu, it just beeps at me. I'm sure it's something I'm doing. Any ideas?

Admiral142 said:

My fault. I also broke the ability to open older Miscellaneous Small cards. It'll be fixed in 2.00.7, which I will post shortly.

Cheers,
Chris

Hehe, ok, thanks!

Hello, Chris! Thanks for the update. I wanted to ask you if you have any other casebooks besides Cthulhu: Dread Sleeper. I have only been able to find two casebooks total so far, those being yours and Old Man Whateleys Dark Dreams of Dagon casebook. I really like the casebooks, and wanted to see if you have any others, or if you know where any others might be available?

Thanks again!

Admiral142 said:

C: DS wasn't written by me, actually, but by C. C. Chamberlin, who developed the original Arkham Investigations rules. I'm not sure if he ever pokes around here or not. He was on the old forums from time to time, and on the old old forums regularly. We had discussed a few rule changes on the old forum that he agreed should go into an update of the rules, but the changes have never been incorporated. Perhaps I'll write up what I remember as a "semi-official" errata.

Anyway, there is another case book posted on C. C.'s web site that you haven't mentioned: http://homepage.mac.com/nephilim/arkham_investigations/cases.html (Whispers in Darkness).

I'm sure people must be doing something with the case book editor, because I get questions about it fairly often.

I have two partially written case books. One is large, but its purpose is largely covered by the new Personal Story cards. The shorter one is intended to be the example that will be built into SE, but it will still be a complete case. It will be finished eventually.

Cheers,
Chris

A couple of old questions that now either have a different answer, or I just noticed them so I am only answering them now:

When making a board is it possible to group individual elements together? I made a label for the edge of the board that's made out of about 30 bits of ballistrade then found it wouldn't fit so wanted to rotate it. If I select it all and rotate it, it rotates all the individual elements in place. Is there a way to group it so I can rotate the whole thing as one object?

The turn left/turn right/mirror commands now affect the selection. You can also create groups (when any member of a group is selected, the entire group is selected---in effect, you can treat the group as a single object). Some other improvements: You can "memorize" the current selection for later recall (similar to how RTS games work: Ctrl+<number> to save the selection, <number> to recall it). There's more—look at the Deck Tips and/or release notes if you are interested.

When will Personal Story cards be available?

Now. But there might still be some small changes made (editing the example, [hopefully minor] bug fixes).

Why do Silver Twilight Lodge Memberships cost $10?

They cost $10 because that is the official FFG price. This card is probably both overpriced (by FFG) and underestimated (by players), though it would be more valuable if more Clue tokens were generated at the Lodge during the Mythos phase. (Note that nothing prevents you from adding a new item with the same name and a different cost.)

Can I print from the Bestiary plug-in?

In recent versions, yes, if you really want to. Right-click on the table and choose Print or Print Selected Rows. I suggest that you choose a landscape format and small margins, as it fits the table width to the width of the page.

What is the best way to use an image as the background for a board?

Read the answer to the related question(s) on the Deck Tips page .

I plan to share a deck of cards I am making. How can I make it easy for others to open and print?

See the answer to the previous question.

Cheers,
Chris

Hi, how do I print multiple monsters in 1 paper? I don't want to waste an A4 paper on just 1 monster.

Knuckles Eki said:

Choose File | New; Category: Decks and Expansions; Kind: Deck of Cards; choose Create.

Choose a Paper Size (if you want to share your content, size PA4 is recommended; there is a plug-in that will reformat a PA4 deck to A4 and/or Letter).

Choose Add Cards; select the .eon files you wish to include.

Drag and drop them onto the page. Hold a card face over another face that is already on the page to snap it in place automatically. The blue "snap" indicator shows you where the card will be placed.

Choose Help | Deck Editor for more tips and suggestions.

Cheers,
Chris