Squarril (Aliens) template does work for me

[joshualevy]

I'm using GCA to create some aliens for Traveller, so I have loaded Basic 4ed, Traveller, Aliens, and some remove-magic type GDF files. When I select the Squarril template, it gives me the Squarril trait, but nothing else. I don't see any of the skills, advantages, or disadvantages that I expect. There are a couple of "needs" listed. But I can see a "give me all the needs" button. But I was expecting that when I selected Squarril, I'd get a bunch of other stuff automatically.

I tried loading the "Marine" template, and it worked exactly as I expected, but An Par did not. Any thoughts?

Joshua Levy

[tmedwards]

You're having problems because you're trying to mix 3e and 4e data files; which, by and large, is a no-no.

If you're using GURPS 3e: Load the 3e versions of the Basic Set and Traveller data files to go along with the 3e Aliens-Races data file. That should fix your issues.

If you're using GURPS 4e: Unfortunately, there's no simple solution here, as there is no 4e equivalent to the 3e Aliens-Races data file.

[joshualevy]

I'm using (or trying to use) the version on GURPSland that specifically says it is a n Aliens 4e conversion: http://gurpsland.no-ip.org/#Aliens
Everything says "4e". So I don't think that is it.

Joshua Levy

[ericbsmith]

Which Traveller data file are you loading? Is it the one for Interstellar Wars?

Anyway, Thomas was probably thrown off because you misspelled the template name - It's Sparrial, not Squarril (which I immediately associated in my mind with "squirrel," and had no idea what you were talking about myself). Those templates should work perfectly fine with the current Basic Set 4e data file. I haven't thoroughly tested them in a long time, but nothing major has changed in a long time either.

Start out by going to the Templates tab, Right Click on the Template and selecting "Show Components." You can make them show up in Quick View by changing the settings for the sheet you're using in Quick View under Tools -> Character Sheet Options (most sheets have a place to change Templates to show their components).

[tmedwards]

Originally Posted by ericbsmith

Anyway, Thomas was probably thrown off because you misspelled the template name - It's Sparrial, not Squarril (which I immediately associated in my mind with "squirrel," and had no idea what you were talking about myself).

Nah. It wasn't 'Squarril' that threw me off – I'd guessed that he just misspelled 'Sparrial' – my disconnect was that I didn't recall your 4e conversion of Aliens, and so I thought he was using the old 3e data file for Aliens. :)

PS: You should upload your 4e GDFs to the Repo. *nudge* *nudge*

[joshualevy]

I think the template works, just not the way I expected.
When I click "Show Components" I see what is expected.
And when I select a character sheet and also click the right option, then I see stuff listed under templates and metatraits.

But if I click the disadvantage tab, I don't see the disadvantages that the Alien race has listed there. On the other hand, if I add a professional type template, then I do see those adv/dis/skills listed where I expect. So it looks like "Racial Templates" are handled differently than "Character Templates" right? Is that what confused me?

Joshua Levy

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by joshualevy

But if I click the disadvantage tab, I don't see the disadvantages that the Alien race has listed there. On the other hand, if I add a professional type template, then I do see those adv/dis/skills listed where I expect. So it looks like "Racial Templates" are handled differently than "Character Templates" right? Is that what confused me?

Yeah, Racial Templates use "locks" and "hides" to keep you from changing or seeing the components. This seems kind of weird, but it's actually the way that the Racial Template rules are written in campaigns more or less. It's possible to change this if you want, but if all you want to is to have the template printed on the character sheet, you can do that with most of the sheets without unlocking or unhiding the templates.