"...I'm looking for that point between Dark Souls, Skyrim, Minecraft, and Civ5..."
About Me
Most of you probably don't know me but I was first introduced to ACKS and this gaming community roughly 3 years ago. Since then, I've dabbled in content creation, progressing from an enthusiast to hobbyist, and begun my journey as a DM on Roll20, soon after.
Most of my time has been spent learning new coding languages by studying the work of other content creators. As I became proficient in digital media softwards and coding, I realized that my fascination with DnD and tabletop roleplaying games wasn't just another distraction. In reality, it allowed me to explore a medium that is universally applicable to every aspect of life. I'm entering my 2nd year of medical school, poised to do research this summer, and I am still finding correlations between what I learned as a "nerdy gamer" and as a MD1!
Did you know that your brain has a spatial map of your immediate environment.? Did you know that your brain does this by subdividing your environment into layers of hex-grids, with varying scale, which it them overlaps? Literally. Unique grid cells within the entorhinal cortex of your temporal lobe contain a hex-based grid of unique scale and respond to movements of your self in that domain. The overlap of grid actitvity helps you localize yourself in 3D space while maintaining awareness of the relative proximity to objects in your environment!
But, I digress. To the point of this post, I need the help of DMs, players, and enthusiasts who know the canonized rules and mechanics provided within ACKS expansions and axioms. What for? To make an central, indexible, UML-based archive of all the objects, rules, mechanics, rationales, etc. that comprise ACKS - ACKS Compendium.
ACKS Compendium Project
Adventurer Conqueror King System (ACKS) is an evolving tabletop RP game system, drawing much of their expansions and revisions from the feedback and content contributed by its players. With the dynamic and digital nature of the game system, keeping players and DMs informed about revisions, interpretations of mechanics, and new content is becoming a monumental task to be orchestrated by Discord and forum pins.
My intent is to summon the collective power of our community - across all platforms and media - to crowdsource the creation of this single, central, concise, searchable - you get the point. The goal is to use Unified Modeling Language (UML) - a universal, no-coding-required, flowcharting tool that allows us to visualize and organize the relationships between things. These diagrams will serve as a record of canonized content across website forums, Discord chats, and Patreon discussions. These diagrams are also a useful tool for programmers - who may have no prior knowledge of ACKS - to code content quickly and effectively.
Why?
I ask why not? Every major game system has an API, even if only for internal use. As ACKS releases more revisions, arbitrates more disbutes about rule interpretations, and accepts content into their official cannon, there will slowly become a chaotic heap of information that will make improvisation more ideal than searching for your answer. Improvisation is fun for content creation - for crafting story hooks, articulating the motivations of NPCs, generating the contents of a mysterious treasure chest. Improvisation is not fun when you are referring to the physical laws of your world - how entities are allowed to interact.
Aside from this pet peeve of mine, this is also going to be a useful tool for coding new content, especially those who are beginners. For example, with this, it would be easy for even me - a self-taught coder with an increasing workload - to translate these diagrams into functional code..
Possibilities
I've purchased a limited-use license for a pre-generated UI that would allow the creation of a RPG overhaul using FoundryVTT. I
TO CLARIFY, this would not be a game; this would be an interactive game system!
A DM would have complete control over this game system to generate worlds as he wishes. Possibilities include,
- a replica of Azgaar's Fantasy World generator, able to generate entire maps, domains, cultures, history, diplomacy, trade markets, etc.
- a domain management system that players could access as they own territories and claim their own domains
- a pseudo-engine that resolves game physics, perception, NPC-NPC interactions
- intelligent NPC AI, adapted from OpenAI (once access is requested and approved)
- the ability to have a perpetual world - an actual living world - that a DM could use for countless sessions and even to run simultaneous campaigns/sessions. Simply oversee, as a God would oversee his world.
Best of all: A packageable RPG driven by NPC AI.
Imagine a hosted game system with the quality of World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, Terra, etc, world that is sandbox for you and your friends to do with as you please? Imagine being the DM - an omnigod - in that world with no need to code, no need to memorize mechanics and rules, with your creativity being the only constraint!
How can you help?
Respond to this thread, message me on discord, reach out to community moderators.
I have created a webspace (https://acks-foundryvtt.atlassian.net/l/c/kisMtDhh) for us to organize and plan this project. Volunteers will be added as collaborators, chose a team, and help create and refine UML diagrams that reflect the structure and behavior of races, spells, classes, items - everything - that is known about ACKS and the world this community has created. Flowcharts can also be made to chronicle the history of the races, magics, and distinct objects.
Truly, there isn't any task too small and every keystroke, mouse drag and energy drink counts.
Thank you for reading this far! I hope you are as excited about this as I am.