Savage Worlds v5.4 Beta Testing

[Ikael]

Savage Worlds Adventure Edition v5.4.0 is now available in Test mode.

Test Mode can be accessed by selecting the Settings button from the Fantasy Grounds launch screen, changing Build Channel to Test in the Advanced tab, and then selecting Update button to update the files to the test version.

Key Things
1) Always backup your campaign data before running the test version
2) If the GM is running on test then all of the players will also be running on test
3) If you encounter an issues log them here

Changelog
[Added] Multiple Arcane Background support
[Added] Arcane Background record sheet
[Added] Identification support for Armor records
[Added] Identification support for Weapon records
[Added] Edge, Hindrance and Ability records support have sub-abilities
[Added] "Action Card" effect. For instance [Action Card +1] to draw one additional action card
[Added] "Load Strength" effect. For instance [Load Strength +1d] to increase load limit by one die type
[Added] Highlight combat tracker combatant by right clicking or middle mouse clicking token on map
[Added] Token on map can be dragged and dropped on combat tracker action card to include into the group
[Added] Combat tracker will auto-scroll to active combatant
[Added] Faction is shown in client combat tracker
[Added] Global Effects window can be minimized
[Updated] Combat tracker group is visible if any group member is visible
[Updated] Combat tracker layout improvements
[Updated] Combat tracker performance improvements
[Fixed] PC Portrait missing when dragging from party sheet. Fixed
[Fixed] Script error when dropping CT action card section. Fixed
[Fixed] Bennies on party sheet are not updated. Fixed
[Fixed] Modifications fields are not shown on armor records. Fixed
[Fixed] Players cannot whisper with right click on PC portrait. Fixed
[Removed] Option "PC Portrait: Show Power Points" removed
[Deprecated] ArcaneManager.registerArcaneType, ArcaneManager.unregisterType and ArcaneManager.unregisterAll APIs deprecated

[Ikael]

Highlight CT entry
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/274634463860883458/860447094954786826/sw531_01.gif

[Nightpaw]

Dear Ikael,

this feature looks great. Nevertheless I miss the option to collapse groups to their leading NPC because it made it a lot easier to

a) get a quick overview of the initiative order at the start of a new combat round (impossible now if you have dozens of uncollapsed npcs) and
b) add new npcs to a player character. At the moment, if you add a new npc in the middle of combat, it shows up at the end of the combat tracker. If I want to group this new npc to a player character at the top of the list, this becomes quite difficult if there are e.g. 20 uncollapsed npcs inbetween them.

The collapse arrow was a great and intuitive feature in my mind. My players and me and all the other GMs I know miss it dearly. It would be great to get it back, at least as an option.

Thanks an regards
N.

[Ikael]

Dear Ikael,

this feature looks great. Nevertheless I miss the option to collapse groups to their leading NPC because it made it a lot easier to

a) get a quick overview of the initiative order at the start of a new combat round (impossible now if you have dozens of uncollapsed npcs) and
b) add new npcs to a player character. At the moment, if you add a new npc in the middle of combat, it shows up at the end of the combat tracker. If I want to group this new npc to a player character at the top of the list, this becomes quite difficult if there are e.g. 20 uncollapsed npcs inbetween them.

The collapse arrow was a great and intuitive feature in my mind. My players and me and all the other GMs I know miss it dearly. It would be great to get it back, at least as an option.

Thanks an regards
N.

I am still strongly against CT group collapse feature and no plans to return it.

Regarding A, you can still see this information although it can be slower to check. I doubt such check is mandatory in any situation

Regarding scenario B, solution is to add feature where you can drop new combatant directly to Action Card to include it into group instead of adding to bottom of CT.

Meanwhile you can use the new feature to add to group by dragging token from map into CT action card.

[Nightpaw]

Would it be possible to specify the disadvantages of the collapse feature, Ikael? Maybe this would help us to understand the situation. What were the practical reasons to remove it?

[viresanimi]

I think he already addressed this? Wasn't it a massive performance issue?

Anyhooo... I am not running into Test anymore, just wanting to say, that I am so impressed with the work you do Ikael. Savage Worlds is, I think, without doubt the best maintained ruleset on FG. So thank you for that!

Vires Animi

[Ikael]

Would it be possible to specify the disadvantages of the collapse feature, Ikael? Maybe this would help us to understand the situation. What were the practical reasons to remove it?

Usability issues

Originally CT group collapse was designed when you could only have one type of combatant in the same group. Now you can mix-mash combatants in groups and original design has usability issues
All CT Groups are collapsed when active combatant changes. Only active group remains open. This unnecessarily masked information regarding combatants
When you need to find a combatant that is not first one, you need to extend all groups one by one and use scrolling to find what you are looking for
When combatant was targeted, it is highlighted with blue color and it had to be shown no matter if the group was collapsed or not. This is UI inconsistency issue
It is not in align with CoreRPG - New users coming from other products does not know how to use it


Technical issues

Implementation is custom made and was time consuming to maintain
Implementation was blocking CT feature development
Implementation was causing performance issues


The heaviest reason to remove it was technical and the second heaviest reason was that it was never intended to be used the way it had to be used in current version of the ruleset. I would not mind to have it if I would remove capability to mix NPC types in one group, but with this you would not even have ability to keep allies within the same action card as PC. Thus decision was made to remove legacy (group collapse) and make way to improve CT without burden it caused.

[amerigoV]

One item so far:
The Party Sheet - the reset bennies has been corrected as noted. But spending player bennies changes everyone's bennies listed on the party sheet (does not effect actual player bennies). This does not matter if the party sheet is open or closed, or if the the client or host spends the bennie.

Similarly, if the GM adds a bennie to one PC, on the party sheet it adds it to all of them (again, actual bennies on the character sheet is correct).

[amerigoV]

So is there a setting I need to turn on for the new CT features? I am not seeing the additional radial option shown in the gif. And I am not able to drop a token onto the map then drag to the CT onto the action card (well, I can get the token on the map, but not add to the CT).
(I triple checked its 5.3.1).

[Ikael]

So is there a setting I need to turn on for the new CT features? I am not seeing the additional radial option shown in the gif. And I am not able to drop a token onto the map then drag to the CT onto the action card (well, I can get the token on the map, but not add to the CT).
(I triple checked its 5.3.1).

I haven't got response from Smiteworks that the latest change are in Test yet. Seems I posted information too fast this time :)

[Ikael]

Dear Ikael,
b) add new npcs to a player character. At the moment, if you add a new npc in the middle of combat, it shows up at the end of the combat tracker. If I want to group this new npc to a player character at the top of the list, this becomes quite difficult if there are e.g. 20 uncollapsed npcs inbetween them.


You can already drag and drop new NPC directly into PC's action card to add it into that group instead of bottom of the list. This feature has been around for few years already it seems:)

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/274634463860883458/860571988297121814/sw531_02.gif

[Moon Wizard]

I just pushed to Test channel about 20 minutes ago per Aki's request.

Regards,
JPG

[amerigoV]

Ok - that helps :) Thanks Moonwizard.

I still see the odd bennie activity with the Partysheet as noted in my earlier post.

I ran through a large combat with PC allies and numerous groups and had one client attached. The listed functionality worked as advertised. The CT was a touch busy, but between using the map and the ability to move people around things worked rather well. If I needed to move a NPC from one group to another it was nice to have the option to drag from the map to the CT action card.

In the great CT collapsing group debate - yeah it was nice, but I think what is there now is very workable once you are used to it (and I like to run big fights, so its something I do have to deal with in my games). If this change leads to more cool things in the ruleset like CT NPCs being copies and ease to duplicate NPCs in the CT on the fly, I support the direction.


So this is a request (and I can put it elsewhere for votes). Is it possible to add a minimize window for the Global Effects? In my Deadlands game, I find it easiest to just toss the various covers into the Global and turn it on and off on the fly. I know I can do that by individual and have it on/off/skip. In my fantasy games that is what I do. But for a game like Deadlands where cover is both important for all and ever-changing based on position, I just find it faster to look at the map and say "x has y cover" and click it on/off from global. That way the CT is not cluttered with a bunch of people with Light / Medium Cover (as a PC might have Medium vs. NPC1, Light vs. NPC2 and none versus NPC3 due to positioning and movement). It would be nice if I could minimize it and pop it up as I need it.

[Ikael]

So this is a request (and I can put it elsewhere for votes). Is it possible to add a minimize window for the Global Effects? In my Deadlands game, I find it easiest to just toss the various covers into the Global and turn it on and off on the fly. I know I can do that by individual and have it on/off/skip. In my fantasy games that is what I do. But for a game like Deadlands where cover is both important for all and ever-changing based on position, I just find it faster to look at the map and say "x has y cover" and click it on/off from global. That way the CT is not cluttered with a bunch of people with Light / Medium Cover (as a PC might have Medium vs. NPC1, Light vs. NPC2 and none versus NPC3 due to positioning and movement). It would be nice if I could minimize it and pop it up as I need it.

Added support to minimize global effects window. Alternative way is to drag "Global" button to hotkeys and open it from function keys when you need it

[amerigoV]

Awesome, thank you!

[Ikael]

These will be available in Test Mode soon.

Changelog
[Added] "Action Card" effect. For instance [Action Card +1] to draw one additional action card
[Added] "Load Strength" effect. For instance [Load Strength +1d] to increase load limit by one die type
[Added] Global Effects window can be minimized
[Updated] Combat tracker group is visible if any group member is visible
[Fixed] Modifications fields are not shown on armor records. Fixed

[Ikael]

These will be available in Test Mode soon.

Changelog
[Added] Edge, Hindrance and Ability records support have sub-abilities
[Added] Arcane Backgrounds can be registered with blank skill to avoid rendeing trait die for it

The first feature is something very simple but you can use it to define for instance Iconic Framework records for Rifts. Basically now you have capability to define abilities within Edges, Hindrances and Special Abilities. When you add an Edge, Hindrance or Special Ability to PC/NPC sheet, it will also add all sub-abilities. Give it a try.

[Ikael]

Available in test soon

Changelog
[Updated] Combat tracker layout improvements
[Fixed] Players cannot whisper with right click on PC portrait. Fixed

[Ikael]

Update will be available in test soon

Changelog
[Added] Identification support for Armor records
[Added] Identification support for Weapon records

[Ikael]

Available in the test.

Changelog
[Added] Multiple Arcane Background support
[Added] Arcane Background record sheet
[Removed] Option "PC Portrait: Show Power Points" removed
[Deprecated] ArcaneManager.registerArcaneType, ArcaneManager.unregisterType and ArcaneManager.unregisterAll APIs deprecated

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/274634463860883458/863862021685772309/sw531_06.gif

[Mike Serfass]

Today's release (July 27) lists this update as included in the update. It wasn't included in my update. I deleted the SWADE rule set and manually ran an FGU update. It pulled down 5.3.0.
Did this get missed in the update? Or did I not get it for some reason?
Did I roll snake eyes on my computer use and now I can't get this awesome update?
Release Updates for July 27th 2021 (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?69804-Release-Updates-for-July-27th-2021)