PDA

View Full Version : Cool stuff for next time...



Blackfoot
June 23rd, 2012, 17:59
I don't see a thread for this so I figured I would start one.
(I realize that there's the idea thingie... but some discussion bout it would be good too)

It would be nice to be able to import characters into manage characters in 3.5/PF.

Trenloe
June 23rd, 2012, 19:38
I don't see a thread for this so I figured I would start one.
(I realize that there's the idea thingie... but some discussion bout it would be good too)

It would be nice to be able to import characters into manage characters in 3.5/PF.
You can - use the character converter - select "Fantasy Grounds (xml)" as the input and "local import" as the output.

Blackfoot
June 23rd, 2012, 21:04
Only for HL exports... you can't bring in characters built and enhanced in FG... a server export for example. Server characters cannot be edited.

Wait... you can do it with FG .xml files? OK.. I'll have to look at that.

JohnD
June 24th, 2012, 04:21
It would be nice to be able to import NPCs from Hero Lab and have everything auto populate like it does with PCs (I'm speaking primarily about 3.5e but I guess this would hold for Pathfinder and 4e as well).

Jeebs
June 24th, 2012, 05:55
How about once you set your grid, have the ability to drag and drop it.

A good companion for that would be distance measuring. Of course that would probably mean you would have to dedicate block/hex size.

Trenloe
June 24th, 2012, 06:01
How about once you set your grid, have the ability to drag and drop it.
Guessing that you mean that you can move the grid around once you define it? If so, this is available in at least the 3.5E and 4E ruleset - when you have placed your initial grid, look for the toolbox icon in the top left corner of the map/image (looks a bit like railway tracks), click this and then the grid icon - this allows you to resize the grid up and down and also shift the grid around.


A good companion for that would be distance measuring. Of course that would probably mean you would have to dedicate block/hex size.
Once you have a grid defined you can draw a line and that will show the distance (based on a 5 foot grid). A fast way to draw a line is to hold the left and right mouse buttons as you draw. EDIT: For 4E it measures the distance in the number of squares.

Jeebs
June 24th, 2012, 06:07
Thank you. I guess with all of the tinkering I have done so far, I miss some things. Now I know :)

Trenloe
June 24th, 2012, 06:28
Thank you. I guess with all of the tinkering I have done so far, I miss some things. Now I know :)
No worries - there are loads of little things we all miss. :) Virtually every game I play with new people teaches me something new...

Willot
June 24th, 2012, 08:11
I just worked out I could add in conditions to effects for example!

Bless;ATK:1,SAVE: 1 WILL
(mind you the +1 to will should only be on a Fear Save)

Moon Wizard
June 24th, 2012, 10:28
Don't forget that their is a link in my sig to the wish list for FG.

Cheers,
JPG

Nestor
June 24th, 2012, 16:24
Fix it so spells in the actions tab can target a creatures CMD or AC.
(would help in setting up trip, grapple, disarm effects, bull rush, ect)

Also, allow damage rolls to target ability scores.

Silveras
June 24th, 2012, 17:32
I would encourage everyone to visit the wishlist in Moon_wizard's signature.

The wishlist allows you to vote for the ones you like. I would expect more votes would mean it is more likely for that improvement to be done, and done more quickly.

Willot
June 24th, 2012, 23:18
I would encourage everyone to visit the wishlist in Moon_wizard's signature.

The wishlist allows you to vote for the ones you like. I would expect more votes would mean it is more likely for that improvement to be done, and done more quickly.

Yeah VOTE POISONS! GO WHITEFISH!

Blackfoot
June 25th, 2012, 18:59
I would encourage everyone to visit the wishlist in Moon_wizard's signature.

The wishlist allows you to vote for the ones you like. I would expect more votes would mean it is more likely for that improvement to be done, and done more quickly.
Definitely... I couldn't agree more.
I just thought this thread would allow for some discussion about different ideas... and help us avoid requests for things that were already implemented.

Torgaard
June 26th, 2012, 02:06
One thing I've always wanted, and it would go a long way towards ensuring that I don't lose my mind; is some way to track where bonuses are coming from on various places on the character sheet. Where I frequently drive myself crazy, is in looking over my players character sheets and having to spend (too much) time trying to figure out "Ok, where is he getting that +4 Misc bonus to his Reflex save? I rumaged through his inventory page and found his magic +1 cloak. I scanned through his Abilities tab and see the +1 feat bonus. After reading through all these things in his Abilities tab, I now see the +1 class bonus. But where the hell is that last +1 comin' from?" Know what I mean?

Perfect world: the table would be able to cross reference the data from Feats, Items, Class Features, what-have-you, and give you a nice tooltip or something that shows you where all those bonuses are coming from. Kinda like on the DDi Character Builder.
https://www.gritzilla.com/DnD/builder.jpg
But that's probably not a realistic possibility, and if it was; I would think that'd take alotta (too much) work.

Maybe something a little easier? Like maybe a button, much like the typical link buttons, that would open up a little note window where you could note where all those bonuses were coming from? Dunno, somethin' like that mebbe.

Places where I'd love to see this kind of thing:

Defenses (AC, Fort, Will, etc) - The stat column helps, the armor column helps, but it's that cursed Misc column that (as noted above) can sometimes drive me nuts.
Weapons/Implements list - Again, it can be kind of a pain trying to figure out where that +6 bonus to attack and +7 bonus to damage is actually coming from. Unlike the Defenses section, at least there is a link box where I could theoretically create a "Note" detailing the bonuses and drag n' drop it here, but typically (by default actually) that link box is intended to link to the weapon/implement Item itself (which is nice).
Skills - The "Misc" column helps, and the fact that there's a column of link boxes is also handy, so I often just create a "Note" detailing the bonuses for the Skill.


I guess you COULD do all this stuff with Effects, and plop them on the players in the Combat Tracker; but I gotta think that would get crazily messy with a half dozen effects on each person (before combat even starts).

Callum
June 26th, 2012, 13:16
One thing I've always wanted, and it would go a long way towards ensuring that I don't lose my mind; is some way to track where bonuses are coming from on various places on the character sheet.

I guess you COULD do all this stuff with Effects, and plop them on the players in the Combat Tracker; but I gotta think that would get crazily messy with a half dozen effects on each person (before combat even starts).
I think the way to do this has to be using the Combat Tracker. I already put almost everything in there in order that stacking works correctly; the only drawbacks are:-


there are too many effects in the Combat Tracker;

stats on the character sheets are incorrect (or, rather, unenhanced).

The first could be fairly easily addressed by adding some method for hiding the background, always-on effects in the CT. I already hide all these from the players; there just needs to be a method for hiding them from the GM, too - while indicating that they're there, and allowing quick access when needed.

The second can just be ignored, but ideally the character sheet would look at the CT effects and calculate them in to its numbers - I don't know if this is possible.

Torgaard
June 26th, 2012, 15:35
I think the way to do this has to be using the Combat Tracker. I already put almost everything in there in order that stacking works correctly; the only drawbacks are:-


there are too many effects in the Combat Tracker;

stats on the character sheets are incorrect (or, rather, unenhanced).

The first could be fairly easily addressed by adding some method for hiding the background, always-on effects in the CT. I already hide all these from the players; there just needs to be a method for hiding them from the GM, too - while indicating that they're there, and allowing quick access when needed.

The second can just be ignored, but ideally the character sheet would look at the CT effects and calculate them in to its numbers - I don't know if this is possible.


Ya, we toyed with that idea briefly, but as you noted; it gets to be a big mess. Depending on the class, and the items a person is carrying, you could end up having a half dozen different Effects on them before they even get into combat (where even MORE Effects may get added to them). That screenshot in the post above is pretty typical. That's just a 6th level Fighter. He's got NINE different bonuses on him (6 Attack, 2 Defense, and 1 special bonus for Charging) that really need to be tracked and notated. Yikes!

And even with putting Effects on them, and if you try to keep the Effects list on the Combat Tracker as clean as possible, amusingly enough; you still end up with the same problem. You still don't know exactly why a given bonus is there (eg "ATK:3; ATK:3; ATK:2; ATK:2 proficiency; ATK:2 item; ATK:1 feat...blech!). What's it coming from? So we're almost right back where we started, but now it's just in a different place. It's a little bit more helpful, but ya still gotta go pokin' around tryin' track down exactly what bonus is what.

A solution that gets us closer to our goal (that we played with VERY briefly) is to do what I make all my players do by default: include a simple two or three word description of all their Effects, in the Effect itself. That way, when they slap it onto the Combat Tracker, wether it be onto themselves, an ally, or enemy; we'll know where that bonus or penalty is coming from. Not a big deal to remember what bonuses are coming from what in a smaller fight, but you get five players fighting 15 Kobolds and ya... My feeble excuse for a memory definitely doesn't cut it. :o

Example: Instead of just "AC: 1" for the Priest's Shield spell, I make them include a word or two that'll help us identify where that bonus is coming from. That one would be formatted as "AC:1; Priest's Shield".

But if you included those notes in the nine Effects I mentioned for that Fighter (above), boy that is REALLY gonna make the Combat Tracker a mess. But your solution might work there. Possibly a new little button on the tracker for each entry, much like those that already exist (crosshairs for the "Targeting" subsection, the shield for the "Defensive" subsection, etc). Maybe an eyeball icon that shows all the effects dropped or created in that subsection when it's activated, or hides them when it's not. That'd work for me.

Though for the record: I'd rather see it all done on the Character Sheet. That's just kinda where it should be, know what I mean?

Moon Wizard
June 26th, 2012, 20:03
The problem is that all those bonuses are calculated based on having the entire character creation details in hand that are used to build the character. Without building an entire character creator that has all the detailed data and can track all the bonuses for all the various pieces (feats, items, etc.), it would not be possible to break it down completely.

Potentially, a feature could be built that would output all the various bonuses for a power's attack at the granularity that they are available in FG (i.e. level, ability, weapon, power, effect). However, this still wouldn't help you find that hidden +1 without looking at a character generator with the breakdown.

As for labelled effects, it is definitely something that I want to do for both the 4E and 3.5E rulesets. It's already on the wish list, if you want to vote for it. I'm not sure that it solves the general issue of effect interface clutter, since effect names will actually take up more room than the effect bonus tags. I know that effect labels will help people understand where bonuses are coming from better, but they will actually make the interface more cluttered as it currently stands. It's an ongoing process, and I'm open to suggestions. ;)

Cheers,
JPG

Callum
June 27th, 2012, 15:39
Well, for what it's worth, I'm currently running a campaign with four 15th-level characters (plus a cohort), and I put everything in the Combat Tracker. I make sure that every effect starts with the name of the spell/feat/magic item, so that it's clear where it's coming from. The characters each have about 8-10 effects always on; I have those set to be visible to the GM only. Any spells cast, or other abilities activated, go on as well, but I leave those as visible to all. Having that many effects in the Combat Tracker doesn't cause a problem for me - I mostly have them in the "compact" view, where they are just lines of text run together. I only expand them briefly if I need to check or alter them.

As we've said, though, it would be really helpful if there was a way for the GM to be able to temporarily hide some effects from view. I think you'd need another little field to the left of each effect (where the ON/OFF, GM/VSBL, and ALL/ACTN/ROLL/SNGL ones are currently) that you could click to toggle between SHOW and HIDE. Then, when you clicked on the "effects" icon to go to the compact view, the effects set to HIDE wouldn't be shown.

Maybe this functionality could even be extended to the players, in the long run?


Though for the record: I'd rather see it all done on the Character Sheet. That's just kinda where it should be, know what I mean?
I understand where you're coming from. But, on the other hand, effects are not generally recorded on a paper-and-pencil character sheet. The way I look at it is this: the character sheet records what possessions, abilities, etc., the character has. The active effects that those things generate, on the other had, are recorded on the Combat Tracker. Perhaps it should really be called the Combat and Effects Tracker?

Blackfoot
June 27th, 2012, 15:43
As for labelled effects, it is definitely something that I want to do for both the 4E and 3.5E rulesets. It's already on the wish list, if you want to vote for it. I'm not sure that it solves the general issue of effect interface clutter, since effect names will actually take up more room than the effect bonus tags. I know that effect labels will help people understand where bonuses are coming from better, but they will actually make the interface more cluttered as it currently stands.
Cheers,
JPG
I was thinking it might appear less clunky and cluttered if there was a way to make a list, perhaps as another button in FG ... where you list names and effects they represent...
So you'd list in this 'new' window.
'Mage Armor' and then in a box beside it the effect 'AC: 4 armor'
The effect on the tracker would be listed as 'Mage Armor' without the clutter of the technical information. The problem comes in when the effect doesn't quite work right or needs to be tweaked on a case by case basis... but for spells that create a number of effects at once.. this would definitely reduce clutter. These 'names' for effects could even be shorthand... 'MA' for mage armor or something... so long as they could avoid conflicting with other effects.

Griogre
June 27th, 2012, 22:30
Personally I am at the opposite end of the spectrum. The only effects I want see on the combat tracker I want to be from the current fight. In the paragon games I run in 4E the number of effects get huge - especially the info and situational ones that can't be made automatic.

I like the idea of either hiding “permanent” effects on the tracker as an option, but I like the idea of having "permanent" effects like things on Torgaard's bonus list kept on the character sheet itself instead of the combat tracker where they could be added and subtracted without cluttering the combat tracker.

I'd like to see every Misc mod box on the character sheet show the total of any misc mods and when you clicked on the box you would "drill down" and get an expandable list where you could add whatever you needed like Torgaard's List for but only for whatever the Misc box is for. The mod box would just then sum all these mods and display the total on the character sheet.

Blackfoot
August 9th, 2012, 20:52
Based on what I see on the 'Idea Informer' it looks like the majority of voters are interested in improved Mapping related functions.
Certainly that would be an asset and help to improve the overall product.

If you scroll down that list most of the first 20 or so items seem to be related to maps.