Line of sight doors improvements suggestion

[Svandal]

In unity we have line of sights. Doors can be pressed to open and close.

I have two problems with doors

1: main problem is that they can be really hard for players to spot. Could we get an option to make doors more visible, a transparent blue. This should be really easy to implement since the doors become transparent blue when you hover your mouse pointer over it.
I do not see any negative with this approach, only positive. Does anybody see this as a problem? Or do you agree?
For more advanced option we could always get the option to turn on and off and a slider for how transparant it should be.

2: some doors are locked, it would be nice to have an option that requires DM to approve triggering the door

[Svandal]

The same also applies to most other terrain types (except of course secret doors and illusions)
I as the DM have a hard time to know what my players think they see, and with coloured line of sight types this will not be an issue anymore.

[Kelrugem]

About the second point: When you shift-click on a door, then it is locked :) (shift-click again for unlocking it, in case you want to open it)

[Svandal]

About the second point: When you shift-click on a door, then it is locked :) (shift-click again for unlocking it, in case you want to open it)

Oh, nice. That is perfect 👍

[Zacchaeus]

I suppose that it will depends on how the map you are using represents doors and terrain; but are you saying that in the image below that your players would have difficulty in spotting the four doors in this room and the pile of rubble?

[Svandal]

I would argue that it can be hard to spot the doors in the north, it could be a wall. But it is not always difficult to spot doors if the DM makes an effort to get them to be visible.

For the rubble I would not know that it was something behind it or a wall unless again the DM is really consistant that walls are always represented with a visible, easy to see wall.

Having the option to have transparant colors for these items would cut down the preparation time a lot. I can post some pictures with examples tonight (european time) from using some tile sets.

It is a lot harder to spot in the middle of a session with large maps, exploration, and spread out combat with a lot of stuff happening.

[Zacchaeus]

Just because there's a map doesn't mean that the DM should not be describing the room.

I'd be saying something like 'This room is about 50 feet square with doors in the east and west walls. To the north two curtains have been crudely draped over where two further doors once stood. To the north east the wall has collapsed and you are unable to see beyond the pile of rubble that resulted from that. Footprints in the dusty floor lead off in all directions.'

[Svandal]

Just because there's a map doesn't mean that the DM should not be describing the room.

I'd be saying something like 'This room is about 50 feet square with doors in the east and west walls. To the north two curtains have been crudely draped over where two further doors once stood. To the north east the wall has collapsed and you are unable to see beyond the pile of rubble that resulted from that. Footprints in the dusty floor lead off in all directions.'

This is just an example of different playstyles. Our group never describe the room unless it is actually an important puzzle or something there. And like I said with a large dungeon with the party split, monsters in different rooms, everything in turn order it is hard to keep track of everything. They might see 15 doors in larger areas, so even if I where to describe it they will sometimes forget 30 minutes later when they are in a different part of the same room / corridor.

[similarly]

Lol, I made a map and found the doors difficult to see sometimes, so I went all through the map adding neon-green "exit" signs everywhere!

[Zacchaeus]

Lol, I made a map and found the doors difficult to see sometimes, so I went all through the map adding neon-green "exit" signs everywhere!

Ok, add your suggestion to the suggestions list. Link in my signature.

[similarly]

Ok, add your suggestion to the suggestions list. Link in my signature.

To be honest, I don't really see this as a problem with fantasy grounds, nor a problem smiteworks can necessarily fix. I see it as a problem with certain MAP styles. Some adventures have maps that have very clear doors. Some adventures have beautiful maps ... but the doors may be harder to see. I know there's one set that I absolutely ADORE ... but, yes, the doors are hard to see, but that's on the map-maker, not smiteworks.

Smiteworks brings adventures into FGU and codes the adventures to work with FGU, but it's not really smiteworks' job (I think) to remake the maps.

I think the simplest solution would be, as you said, to describe the room, or as I did, put a sign on the door. It could be as simple as using FGU's own drawing tools to highlight the doors.

[Svandal]

To be honest, I don't really see this as a problem with fantasy grounds, nor a problem smiteworks can necessarily fix. I see it as a problem with certain MAP styles. Some adventures have maps that have very clear doors. Some adventures have beautiful maps ... but the doors may be harder to see. I know there's one set that I absolutely ADORE ... but, yes, the doors are hard to see, but that's on the map-maker, not smiteworks.

Smiteworks brings adventures into FGU and codes the adventures to work with FGU, but it's not really smiteworks' job (I think) to remake the maps.

I think the simplest solution would be, as you said, to describe the room, or as I did, put a sign on the door. It could be as simple as using FGU's own drawing tools to highlight the doors.

I proposed a fix that is implemented in the game already, smiteworks just have to adjust a setting (I think) When you hover over the door it it gets highlighted in blue. So just let the door always be hilighted in this way. Then it is easy to see. Have it as an option to turn it on and off.

[Svandal]

Ok, add your suggestion to the suggestions list. Link in my signature.

Suggestion is sent, thank you. Now I will just wait and cross my fingers 👍

[Ecks]

In the meantime, the DM could add the blue border to doors manually by editing the image using the paint tool. Of course, this is more work to set up, but it is something that you could use right now.

[similarly]

I proposed a fix that is implemented in the game already, smiteworks just have to adjust a setting (I think) When you hover over the door it it gets highlighted in blue. So just let the door always be hilighted in this way. Then it is easy to see. Have it as an option to turn it on and off.

Ah, I see what you mean. That could be a good idea.

[Svandal]

I have suggested it here
https://fgapp.idea.informer.com/proj/fgapp?ia=135417

Vote if you think it is a good ideaa

[Jiminimonka]

When you make the map, make sure the doors (except the secret doors) are clearly defined in the bitmap image. Then both DM and players can see its a door without putting a mouse anywhere near it.