ETA version 2.0?

[AndyPan]

I see that the BETA for version 2.0 has recently started. Can we assume that release is (finally) on the horizon?

Not complaining about the wait. My group is currently on hiatus until after the holidays. I had intended to take the down time and get some work done in FG, but if 2.0 is soon to be released, I might just wait until then. Is there a guess-timate on release? Not looking for iron-clad, 'I'll whine if it's not' type dates, just a good idea when we can expect to see it.

Also, just a feature question, which may have been covered in other v2.0 threads, but I didn't see it. One of the best features added to FG with 1.5e or 1.5f, was the zoom-in feature. Added remendous versatility to maps, since they were able to be rescaled on the fly. Also having the tokens resize to the zoomed in grid was great, too, because the same tokens can be used for close-up and far away. My only dislike to the tokens resizing, is that you lock the scale for one, you lock them for all. I would like it if a Medium-sized character represented by a small token is fighting a Large or Huge creature, then the creature can be resized itself to the needed scale. Case in point: I had an encounter for my group, where they were fighting a couple of Large monstrous spiders, and one Huge monstrous spider. I had to make separate tokens for both. It would be nice to have one token be able to scale to any size needed, because having multiple tokens, especially when getting into the largest creatures, makes for a too big token box, and actually makes very hard to organize and use. Will 2.0 be able to do this?

(Or is someone gonna make me feel like an idiot, and tell me that that is available in 1.5f, and I've been playing the last year with ridiculously overfilled token boxes? I'm cool with that, BTW LOL!)

[richvalle]

Howdy.

As you say, we are beta testing 2.0 now. It looks like it will be at LEAST a month or more before we are done and that doen't count any time at the end for them to make changes.

Not sure how much we are supposed to talk about 2.0... but I think this feature was shown in a screen shot a while back so it should be ok.

In 2.0 you can set the size and reach of a creature/token via the Init Tracker. It does not change the size of the token but the size is shown by red highlighted squares. Reach is shown as grey highlighted squares when you mouse over each token. Its very nice.

I will probably keep making tokens of different sizes but its nice to have the option. And you can just change the size of a character when they cast Enlarge Person too. :)

rv

[AndyPan]

Well that's... disappointing. It seems to me that the same thing can be done now, using the pointer system provided. But visually, reach markers do not convey the scale of a creature. Pitting a 1-square player token against a 1-square dragon token in the center of a 3x3 grid colored to show reach, does not convey the scale to the players as well as the same player token near a dragon token that takes up every single one of those 3x3 squares.

I suppose that all tokens can be varied in size and added to the token box. But when you have a token that is scaled to take up a 3x3 or 4x4 grid, that one token takes up most if not all of the visible token box. So any other tokens sharing the box are difficult if not impossible to grab and use. Moving the larger token over does nothing, as it snaps back into place when you let go.

Trying hard not to sound like I am complaining too much, but this was one feature that I was really hoping would be implemented. I have seen this feature in similar products, but as I am so deeply invested in FG, I was hoping we would see something like this added to ver 2.0. Like I said, not terrible, just disappointing.

Everything else is looking top-notch, and look forward to seeing the final release.

[sloejack]

Well that's... disappointing. It seems to me that the same thing can be done now, using the pointer system provided. But visually, reach markers do not convey the scale of a creature. Pitting a 1-square player token against a 1-square dragon token in the center of a 3x3 grid colored to show reach, does not convey the scale to the players as well as the same player token near a dragon token that takes up every single one of those 3x3 squares.

I don't think you understood what he said. Since its a Beta and things may change I don't want to add any more fuel to the flame, but it's fair to say that at the current time, the dual color shading does a reasonable job of representing accurate scale and reach in a much better way than you are able to with 1.05.

[richvalle]

Well that's... disappointing. It seems to me that the same thing can be done now, using the pointer system provided. But visually, reach markers do not convey the scale of a creature. Pitting a 1-square player token against a 1-square dragon token in the center of a 3x3 grid colored to show reach, does not convey the scale to the players as well as the same player token near a dragon token that takes up every single one of those 3x3 squares.

I suppose that all tokens can be varied in size and added to the token box. But when you have a token that is scaled to take up a 3x3 or 4x4 grid, that one token takes up most if not all of the visible token box. So any other tokens sharing the box are difficult if not impossible to grab and use. Moving the larger token over does nothing, as it snaps back into place when you let go.

Trying hard not to sound like I am complaining too much, but this was one feature that I was really hoping would be implemented. I have seen this feature in similar products, but as I am so deeply invested in FG, I was hoping we would see something like this added to ver 2.0. Like I said, not terrible, just disappointing.

Everything else is looking top-notch, and look forward to seeing the final release.

There are 2 levels of shading. One that shows the size and one that shows reach.

As you say, I like having a dragon/giant taking up all the space though I think what they are doing in 2.0 works pretty well. I might stop making more then 1 token size.

Re the large tokens: What I do is make layered token bags. The dungeon my group is going though is broken up into regions so I have one bag per region. Most tokens are just dropped into there. But when I start to get to big ones I make more subdirectories and drop the big ones into them.

So I have: c:/...tokens/host/Region F/Fire Giants
Most tokens are in the Region F but I put the Giants into their own bag. I also have several other bags/directories in F for Wyverns and some other large creatures.

rv

[AndyPan]

I don't think you understood what he said. Since its a Beta and things may change I don't want to add any more fuel to the flame...

Excuse me. I wasn't flaming anything. And yes, I am quite aware that this is a BETA, and that things are likely to change. However, based on what richvalle posted, as well as the screenshots that have been provided TO THIS POINT, it seems unlikely that MY personally desired method of showing scale will be implemented.



...it's fair to say that at the current time, the dual color shading does a reasonable job of representing accurate scale and reach in a much better way than you are able to with 1.05.

That is your opinion, just as my saying it's disappointing is mine. This may work for you. For me, it's a little lackluster. Again, it's an opinion. I'm not flaming anything. Not saying it's terrible, or that the program sucks, or anything. Hell, I have been using the program for over a year now, and barring a few bugs with version 1.5, it has been a more than adequate tool. I'm only saying that this is a feature I would like to see, and based on all indications THUS FAR, I am disappointed that it does not APPEAR to be likely.

[Lee S.]

I think what AndyPan is looking for (as am I) are individually scaleable tokens. Tokens are already scalable against the map. In Andy's defense, he litterally has bags upon bags of tokens. Because tokens are not individually sizable (static size based off the map scaling) if I wanted to have 2 large spiders and a huge spider, I would need 2 large sized tokens and 1 huge sized token. IMHO this much more easily conveys the sheer size of what the players are facing.

Like andy said, if I want my players to face a collosal red dragon, I don't want a 1x1 token surrounded by shaded squares showing it's size (though the reach is kinda cool). I want an appropriately sized token with a giant picture of a raging, fire breathing dragon.

Having individially sizable tokens would mean not having to have 5 spider tokens, 5 Astral Construct tokens (of each frequently used shape), and would even make it easier to deal with spells that adjust creature size.

[AndyPan]

Yeah, Rich. That's pretty much what I have been doing so far, too. But also got the idea to make a mess of tokens in advance, even without needing them right away, just so I would have them when I did. And I know it can be done, and be layered pretty well, so that everything has a place that's pretty easy to locate. My concern is when you have multiple sizes of the same creature, such as the spiders I mentioned. I will have to see how the two-colored gridding thing works with my group, to see if this an adequate solution to scaling, or if I should continue making multiple sized copies of tokens.

I'm also wondering how hard it would be to implement something into the current scaling code that exists in 1.5. Specifically, the ability to lock/unlock individual tokens for scaling. For instance, you pop said spider onto grid and lock it to scale as a 1 square creature. Pop a second spider on the grid, adjust scale so that the second spider is taking up 2x2 squares, and lock that one in place. Then adjust zoom to preference. It seems to me that if you can lock and unlock the tokens now, should be able to get it so that they can be locked/unlocked independently of each other. Or is this a pipe dream? I'm no programmer, so I have no idea.

Again, this is just something I would like to see, not a flame against the work being put into FG.

[Ged]

version 2.0 is fundamentally a patch whose main purpose is to introduce vastly expanded capability to modifications (along which the d20 ruleset has been remade). With respect to features, another focus area has been content publishing and a more sophisticated way modules work. The new image and map features are mostly for facilitating game mechanics (targeting, threatened areas, way points for movement, etc.) and added in this particular time because their operation is tied to the ruleset, as the game mechanics is obviously ruleset dependent. Less ruleset dependent image handling improvements are due to a latter patch.

[Dupre]

Case in point: I had an encounter for my group, where they were fighting a couple of Large monstrous spiders, and one Huge monstrous spider. I had to make separate tokens for both. It would be nice to have one token be able to scale to any size needed, because having multiple tokens, especially when getting into the largest creatures, makes for a too big token box, and actually makes very hard to organize and use. Will 2.0 be able to do this?

We have this covered now and you can scale tokens individually from the Combat Tracker, which takes a more central role in 2.0.