Klooge.Werks & HCS

[Midhir]

I just used Klooge.Werks (v1.7.3) and HCS (Hero Combat Simulator) for my second session FH game and all my players love it.

Klooge.Werks is basically an internet enabled gaming table (and combat tracker for D&D only at the moment, but a new version is coming out in the next couple weeks that will have some form of HERO support).

I don't have any Internet players but I use a second PC or laptop hooked to my PC for GMing and it replaces the need for battle mats and minitures. You can prepare maps ahead of time in any graphics app or a map making program and us it in Klooge.Werks. If you have the computer resources I would suggesting downloading the 1.73 version demo and give it a look. Now there is room on the table for 2 whole Pizza, a 12 pack of Saranac Amber Ale and the gaming map!

Klooge.Werks (http://www.kloogeinc.com/werks/index.htm)

Since I'm running FH in the Warhammer Old World Campaign I downloaded all the miniture images they have on their website and use them as icons to represent players, npc, etc.

Now add in using HCS to handle combat (use to use an old DOS app) and it combat become enjoyable to GM since I didn't have to track END, STUN, OCV, DCV, etc changes. Its a nice combo of programs.

[zornwil]

Very interesting, re kLoOge Werks in particular, I'm checking it out. Our whole group is laptop-enabled, and I just put wireless in over the Christmas holidays, so interested in developing some multi-player mapping ideas.

[Midhir]

I've used 1.7.3 now for the last four sessions and the players love it. I have one PC for the GM and one for the Players. I takes a pretty good machine (high end PIII or PIV) with 256Mb to run it smoothly. Memory is the most important thing if you are using large detailed maps.

Getting rid of battle maps and minitures has made our game so much more playable. Prepare the maps ahead of time and just click the mouse to download it to the players. No more clearing the table, trying to draw the map around soda cans, pizza, character sheets. Cleaning off the old map, having enough minitures, etc.

v2 should be coming out in the next few weeks that will have even better features and the ability to create HERO character sheets in the game itself.

[Midhir]

kLoOdge.Werks v2.0.1 is now out and supports HERO character sheets. I'm working on one now and I have a HeroDesigner XML export template made up that allows you to import HD characters right into kLoOdge.Werks.

I use kLoOdge.Werks & Hero Combat Simulator with a laptop for myself (GM) and a PC with a 18" LCD screen for the players and we love it.

[Starwolf]

kLoOdge.Werks v2.0.1 is now out and supports HERO character sheets. I'm working on one now and I have a HeroDesigner XML export template made up that allows you to import HD characters right into kLoOdge.Werks.

I use kLoOdge.Werks & Hero Combat Simulator with a laptop for myself (GM) and a PC with a 18" LCD screen for the players and we love it.
OK so are you going to share the HD XML export template for Klooge.Werks? for those of us that don't do XML code...

[Midhir]

Of course, let me wrap it up and I'll post it in a few.

[Midhir]

Here it is, first draft, let me know if you have any problems.

[Starwolf]

Cool, you rock! I'll let you know how it works out

[Traxx]

I've done another HD export template and Zyax has done up a HERO game definition file that works really well with Klooge. See the Klooge forums or Yahoo groups to find out how to use the game definition file....yes you definetly need all the books....and Hero Designer helps too.

[mudpyr8]

I use Klooge and HeroHelper to run combats. I design my maps using Dundjinni. This is a great set up. We use it to run our games at cons and at home I project it on a wall.

Very fun.

[THartman]

KLoOge.Werks looks like it's built on the old OpenRPG base. It looks rather similar, if a bit more polished. One thing about OpenRPG is that there is a bunch of layouts and plugins available for it. However, it's been my experience through trying to set it up for use with Heavy Gear that it can be quite a pain to get functioning if you're new to it. OpenRPG is better suited to alteration to other kinds of game systems and there may already be dierollers written for it for Champions and probably character sheets for it too.

Anyhow, it's just another option I thought of when I saw KLoOge.Werks screenies.

-Todd

[mudpyr8]

Kloodge is not OpenRPG at all. I have played with all of these types of tools and chose to pay for Kloodge because it did a lot of things OpenRPG just doesn't do. Especially when it comes to map handling and such tools. Kloodge is just so much better at map scaling and icon placement than OpenRPG (I only used 1.5). Kloodge is also Java, not python - this doesn't impact performance or anything, just an observation.

As for compatibility with systems, it's all in how you use it. I don't need the tool to track character sheets or roll dice. I'm not trying to play over the net. I've got my players sitting right there, and I want to roll dice.

There is a HERO template for the game which handles STUN/END/BODY tracking. That's all I use it for. I double-click on an icon, mark down its damage, and move on.

the only addition I would love to see is the speed chart. It's kind of there, but not really, and it is possible to spec it out, but I haven't had the time. since I don't need it for net play, it isn't a big deal at all.

[mudpyr8]

I just saw that 1.6.1 is out, and will take a look at it. Some of the issues I had with it seem to be fixed, but map scaling is a big one. We'll see.

[mudpyr8]

Nope, same issues. Icon (Miniature) management in Kloodge is much faster, more intuitive, and far easier.

I do like OpenRPG's whiteboard better. I wish there was a simple pen tool in Kloodge. In Kloodge you can create drawn objects, and they become objects so they can move, but it would be nice to have simple pen lines that I can draw one after the other.

Map scaling in OpenRPG is also not all that great. The fog tool pales in comparison to the Obscurement tool in Kloodge, which actually allows you to see your map as it is obscured (not the client tho), and there are 2 levels of obscurement so the GM can reveal a portion and then as the players move, and their light source dictates, it will actually be revealed.

Nope, I'm sticking with Kloodge for now.