Meet the Team - Russell Thurman
Last year we excitedly launched WFRP on Foundry Virtual Tabletop and the reception to the initial modules was incredible! Yesterday, we launched WFRP Middenheim: City of the White Wolf and Archives of the Empire on Foundry VTT.
A lot of work went into creating these detailed and engaging modules and today we want to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process from talented developer Russell Thurman, who many of you may already know as Moo Man from numerous Discord channels and Youtube. This is the first of many posts from Russell as we plan to share lots more as we continue to add our official modules on Foundry VTT.
We are also delighted to confirm that Russell will be joining Cubicle 7 full time soon. This can only mean lots more awesome Foundry VTT Modules!
WFRP Modules now available on Foundry VTT:
- Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Core
- Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Starter Set
- Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Rough Nights and Hard Days
- Enemy in Shadows and Companion Module
- Ubersreik Adventures Module
- Death on the Reik and Companion Module
- Middenheim: City of the White Wolf
- Archives of the Empire
Shop all modules here.
If you asked me a year ago how the WFRP system for Foundry Virtual Tabletopwould end up, I certainly wasn't thinking it would ever come to this!
Hey everyone, I'm Russell (aka Moo Man), and honestly I'm a bit of a beardling in the Warhammer community, relative to some others. My interest in it sparked (well, more like combusted) through multiple games and me wanting to learn more about the foundational lore.
The fantasy genre and I, however, go way further back. I wasn't even 10 years old when I was (trying to) play classic c-RPGs which had an incredible influence on me and shaped my interest in fantasy henceforth. It was finally in college when I first tried actual tabletop roleplaying. Making up for lost time I suppose, I find myself doing something related to tabletop games everyday now.
The Foundry VTT system was born from necessity, my friends who were interested in WFRP began moving away, so I needed some form of virtual tabletop. Nothing was really satisfactory to me, for various reasons, and it was around Q1 of 2019 when my friend Edmund (aka CatoThe1stElder) and I discovered Foundry VTT. I was skeptical of yet another incipient contender in this area, and we spent a long time making the decision. In May, finally with free time, having graduated university, I was able to put my head down and dig in.
Character Sheets - Initial Layouts
Below you can see my first attempt at a layout of the sheet's main tab. Most evidently, I am not a UX/UI professional. (30/3/19)
The relatively long time I spent learning WFRP 4th edition before I started the project really solidified various key aspects that I deemed important to include. One of the first examples of this is the Talent selection menu in the roll dialog, which I felt strongly needed to be included to help players remember their Talent bonuses. Below is another mockup because I just couldn't explain it well enough in words to Edmund when we were brainstorming.
Talent selection visualization (29/3/19)
Back when we started this, there were very few resources or peers when it came to system development. Luckily, the DnD5e system was a great starting point, and Atropos (FoundryVTT's creator) provided answers for all other questions I had, something I'm still very appreciative of and I try to pay it forward by helping others that are just now creating their own systems.
Evolution of Tab Designs
My initial scrambling of an attempt to create the main tab. Clearly, the above framework did not have much influence here. Luckily Edmund came by in the end to really spruce it up! (16/5/19)
As I learned more about Foundry VTT, the potential seemed greater and greater, and in finishing each tab of the character sheet, I already had new ideas for how the next one will work. The Combat tab was where it really came to a head.
Oh, my giddy excitement when changing the ammunition added the qualities and damage to the weapon! (24/5/19)
But oh, if I only knew how much more there was to do with this pet project, and where it would go.
First roll of the system, and a pretty good one at that! (13/6/19)
With Edmund's UI design coming shortly after each tab I created, we soon had a somewhat working character sheet, which we deemed Alpha, and at that point, the timeline is best shown in video format. If you haven't seen them, see the links below.
As my first real front-end project, I've learned an incredible amount over the last few years, and I can't thank everyone enough for the ongoing support, kind words, and suggestions. Another huge thank you to Cubicle 7 for embracing Foundry VTT, they've been completely supportive and helpful and I can't be more grateful.
Happy Gaming Everyone!
Russell
Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd.© Copyright Games Workshop Limited 2021
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