Interview: Craig Wisniewski - Maptool Gang of 3

We continue Maptool Month interviews with the father of MapTool frameworks, Craig Wisniewski. Frameworks allow for the creation of custom settings, screens, and macros that automate game mechanics. I've created one such framework but there are many, many others. Throughout this interview you'll find screen shots from some of the more popular frameworks.

Craig added the HTML frame and dialog functions allowing for the creation of custom windows using HTML/CSS with links and buttons that run MTScript macros. He also added the ability to update Token properties from within macros to automate game mechanics like hit point reduction due to a successful attack. Other biggies include trusted macros created by the GM and LIB: tokens which allow for the distribution of frameworks and other MTScript utilities. Basically, without Craig I doubt we would have the frameworks you see in MapTool today.

Craig refuses to adopt a pseudonym or use an avatar. Some feel this reflects the practical manner he brings to MapTool development. It could be he never intended to stick around long enough to need a nickname or stylized image. Still others believe he just likes it when people ask why he doesn't have them. Whatever the case, we present the very practical interview of Craig "No Avatar" Wisniewski.

Interview: Bill Hart - Maptool Gang of 3

We continue Maptool Month with an Interview with Bill Hart aka Dorpond from the MapTool forums. Trevor once described him as MapTool's energizer bunny. Bill found MapTool and began contributing almost immediately. He was a driving force behind the current MapTool visions system. He drove home the point that an elf with lowlight vision should see the map differently than a dwarf with darkvision.

Bill continues to support MapTool contributing to design and testing of the product. Those who don't produce code for a living often don't understand the old 40/20/40 rule of coding. Forty percent of a projects time is spent in analysis and design, twenty percent coding, and forty percent testing. Thus Bill is the forty percent bread in the MapTool code sandwich.

The other quality Bill brings to the table is endless enthusiasm.  You simply can't get the man down even with a troll club (trust me, I've tried). He believes deeply in the mission of MapTool of providing a free, quality tool that brings gamers together.

So, without further ado, the Dorpond interview.

Interview: Frank Edwards - Maptool Gang of 3

MapTool is my weapon of choice for online games. It started as a virtual battle mat but grew into a fully configurable, game system agnostic, online table top with rich map making capabilities. With MapTool you can create custom properties and data for your characters and creatures within your gaming 'verse, roll dice inside an integrated chat system, and track initiative. With the addtion of MTScript (MapTools scripting language) you can fully automate game mechanics within MapTool to share with your friends across the Internet.

MapTool is an open source Java project meaning the product is free and its source can can be viewed and changed, if desired. Since it's written in Java it works on Mac, Linux, and Windows operating systems.

The project has dozens of contributors who donate their time to provide code, testing, and content. Last year, long time project head Trevor Croft stepped down handing control of the project to a triumvirate of talented technicians while running out the door mumbling something about going to the store for a pack of cigs. We all thought this odd since Trevor doesn't smoke. He was last seen in Las Vegas being thrown out of a casino for testing a card counting program developed for an Android phone.

As we continue Maptool Month on The Savage Troll, we bring you interviews with each of the Gang of Three (as we call them) who direct the MapTool project. We start with Azhrei interview followed by Dorpond, then Craig, ending with a combined questionnaire about the features slated for MapTool version 1.4.

First up, Frank Edwards aka Azhrei.