Rulebook Text

[Gorlak]

Hello all!

I have been considering for some time now putting together a version of the main BFG rulebook that incorporates all those changes that where made in FAQ 2010, authoring it as a full high quality PDF as a sort of 'Community Edition' or some such. Similar to what Necromunda has done with their Community Edition, I believe. When introducing my friends (who used to play 40k etc) to these games, having a single source of the rules has made it a much easier process, as well as being more straight forward for anyone really.

I helped out Plaxor when he was developing the latter stages of BFG:R (something I was very keen on) and put together the first few pages of what was then the BFG:R rulebook, or Book 1. I still have those files, even though the intent and scope of that particular part of the project has now stopped.

Following the amazing work done by afterimagedan in getting BFG:R off the ground again, I wanted to put together this combined rulebook for use in my games. If others want it, I'm sure it can be shared. No idea how long it will take mind, so don't hold your breath!

What I am interested in though is if anyone has the original BBB rulebook text as digital/standalone text? I have used Adobe Acrobat to OCR the text in the GW PDF (scan and recognise the images as selectable text, basically) but because of the font used, it introduces MANY errors into the text.

Before I start laying things out in InDesign (I'm an architect by trade so I have used that program most weeks for the last 5-6 years) it would be great to get all the text together in a word doc or similar, ready to paste in. I wanted to ask if anyone has the text already perhaps? If not, its back to the OCR and typing I think!

Cheers,
H



UPDATE: (27/03/2013)

I am putting links to the relevant documents here in the first post for ease of reference. These will be updated/superseded as I get to them.

The reference documents are:
1_ BFG_(GW)_Basic Rules.pdf                 - available from GW website
2_ BFG_(GW)_Advanced Rules.pdf          - available from GW website
3_ BFG_(FAQ2010).pdf                                - available on Google Drive, from here - need a Google account to access
4_ BFGR_(Plaxor Beta v1.6).pdf                 - linked to for those that haven't seen it before - recommend 'right click > Save as...' for this

And here they are as Word/Text only documents:
1_ BFG (GW)_Basic Rules Text_130321 (COMPLETE).docx
2_ BFG (GW)_Advanced Rules Text_130327 (COMPLETE).docx
3_ BFG (FAQ2010)_Text_130321 (COMPLETE).docx
4_ BFGR_(Plaxor Beta)_Rule Book Text_130316 (COMPLETE).docx


UPDATE: (06/05/2013)

Here is the link to the first (very) work-in-progress segment:
130506_BFGR_Combined Rulebook_WIP DRAFT.pdf

This only takes us up to the Special Orders section (no one said this was an easy process!) and is intended for inital feedback and to let others know what direction the document is heading.

[ElectricPaladin]

I don't think I know enough to be helpful from a technical perspective, but I fully support this project. If there's anything I can do to help out, please let me know right away!

[afterimagedan]

You know I'm up for it! G chat me sometime !

[Zhukov]

+1 to making one fixed rulebook. I always find it annoying to carry around the BBB and lengthy FAQ. Not to mention all the individual fleet lists...

Mind you, keep any revisions from BFG:R out of this document. Not many people in the BFG community play that set of rules.

-Zhukov

[BaronIveagh]

I made a single compiled version of the FAQ a while ago for Dark Reign.  Atm our main site is down for rebuilding, but the user submitted material is stored for public access.

http://mmsprofiler.com/PDF/BFG%20FAQ%202010.pdf


As far as merging it, the rulebook, and Armageddon into a single revised text... I really have not had the spare time.

The other question: should we include IA X material?  I know a lot of people use the character ships, but the fleet lists need to be changed to fit the 'standard' IN/SM format and ship requirements for fleets.  (I, surprisingly, have no issue about the 'any' rule they have, but it makes reserves redundant)

[Gorlak]

Thanks for the feedback all!

BaronIveagh: Thank you for the link! I downloaded that and it seems this is the various documents that make up the 2010 Compendium?

My aim really is to have a single document that is, in essence, just a rule book. This would merge the BBB rules and those comments/changes of FAQ 2010, where possible. This can then be used with Compendium 2010 lists, original lists (BBB) or BFGR lists as desired.

Personally, I will be using it with those lists/documents being put together now as BFGR. Therefore, and ultimately, I will have a folder of documents that looks like:

BFG  - 00 - Rulebook (2010).pdf
BFGR - 01 - Imperial Navy.pdf
BFGR - 02 - Chaos Fleets.pdf
BFGR - 03 - Space Marine Fleets.pdf
BFGR - 04 - Adeptus Mechanicus Fleets.pdf
BFGR - 05 - Eldar Fleets (MMS v1.9b).pdf
BFGR - 06 - Dark Eldar Fleets.pdf
BFGR - 07 - Ork Fleets.pdf
BFGR - 08 - Tau Empire Fleets.pdf
BFGR - 09 - Necron Fleets.pdf
BFGR - 10 - Tyranid Hive Fleets.pdf
BFGR - 11 - Planetary Defenses.pdf

Any further documents that the community puts out can then be added (scenarios, fleets, etc) including perhaps, an IA X document also.

The hard part will definitely be combining the text and laying it all out for the Rulebook document. It would certainly be useful to perhaps have people check, proof read, and generally scour that document once its in reasonable shape, to discover the inevitable mistakes that will creep in...
I'm trying a different OCR method in Acrobat now, will see if that has any more success. I'll try to mock up the first few pages with what was already put together for BFGR to see what people think.

Cheers,
H

[AndrewChristlieb]

It might be worth the effort to get an new faq up too. No new rules or anything like the faq2010, just a straight q&a.

The other issue of course is that the rule "fixes" in 2010 are as bad or worse than 1.0 in many cases.

[ElectricPaladin]

It might be worth the effort to get an new faq up too. No new rules or anything like the faq2010, just a straight q&a.

The other issue of course is that the rule "fixes" in 2010 are as bad or worse than 1.0 in many cases.

That may be an issue for BFG:R. This is just a reframe & compilation, not a rewrite.

[AndrewChristlieb]

Thats fine, im just saying if your going to compile everything put a q&a at the end with the 3 years worth of questikns 2010 brought up. You dont have to fix anything most people already ignore what they dont like anyway .

[ElectricPaladin]

Here's a contribution I can make: I'll be your alpha reader, if you'll have me. Send me your drafts and I'll identify the problems.

[Gorlak]

Well, having spent all evening having a first stab at it, I'm now at 10,367 words, and on the first page of 'The Ordnance Phase'. I think my eyes are bleeding.

To give you an idea of the type of thing the text recognition funtion throws up, this the the Notes text from Catastrophic Damage, p26

Ntlla: Blazing or drifting ludk.s will block linu of.fire tlult
paslt over their ha&e, tiMe to the cloud& of \le1lling gtlltltU and
tkbm they protiuc4. Lilulwi3e torpetkM1t which ~ttriks a lllllk
wiU ddcmote (ue the ~ rvk1t for more thtail.J on
to1pedoes). If a hull mjfer11 any hil.r, roll 011 the
Catastrophic lJalflage table agohl. Blazillg or d.ri}ti1tg hulb
have 110 Shields, :nureu value or similar m.eclumism (lih
Holofield.s) ill rmy TUJNICI. Hulllt can 11tiU be boarded or
qeted by llhooti1tg by e_, vessels, USIIally ill the 1wpu
that they wiU uplotk and cause vast harm to your eMIIIletl
U11e the dertmyetl11mp'11 Annmu val~ to roUfor hits. Hulk.r
may be ignored if they are the clomt target."

To be fair, thats a particularly bad bit that made me laugh, but there are errors in most of it when copying. I'm snagging them as I go, but I'm sure some will slip through.

ElectricPaladin; your a hero. I'm working on getting a complete set of the GW 'original' rules into text first, then FAQ 2010, then the merge can begin! Somewhat daunting at the moment...

Here is a link to what I have so far

I assume linking to this is ok as the rulebook is publicly available? 

Cheers,
H

[AndrewChristlieb]

There ill a list of some of the most famous ships that fought in the Gothic War in the Ships of the Gothic Sector section, so feel free to use those or make up your own.

Third sentence lol, seriously tho I know theres plenty of people here that will help proof read and such, myself included.

[afterimagedan]

myself included.

Same here.

[BaronIveagh]

Thats fine, im just saying if your going to compile everything put a q&a at the end with the 3 years worth of questikns 2010 brought up. You dont have to fix anything most people already ignore what they dont like anyway .

The problem with that is when you go to one of the rare tourneys and they aren't ignoring.

[ElectricPaladin]

ElectricPaladin; your a hero. I'm working on getting a complete set of the GW 'original' rules into text first, then FAQ 2010, then the merge can begin! Somewhat daunting at the moment...

I'm going to wait until there's an entire first draft to look at. I know my tolerance for proofreading, and it's best for me to have an entire product I can attack all at once. In the meantime, take a break, have a drink. You're doing the work of the angels!