DOE: Alignment Graph by dulux-oz
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, February 7th, 2017 at 03:43 (25334 Views)
http://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums...raph-Extension
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First Impressions: 4 Stars, 42/50 Points
This is one of those extensions that at first seems to be designed for a pretty niche group of GM’s, but as I explored it more, I began to wonder, “Hmm, I wonder if this would fit in one of my campaigns...” Do you need this? Nope. Is it useful? Yes it is, enough so it’s worth taking a look at even if you don’t think you might use it. At a minimum it will encourage you to think about alignment and how it can enhance your game. Or at least it did me.
Quality: 13/15 Points
Most aspects of this extension I find simple to use, and though not explicitly intuitive to me when I started, it quickly begins to make sense. One of the first things I wondered about and had to spend a little bit of time on was just how the “Perceived” and “Actual” alignment indicators worked. I would have liked to have seen a matrix type layout for sharing and displaying the various character alignments. It would make the interface easier to use and more intuitive. Though, give that there are more than 2 axis needed, a simple table would not be sufficient.
Completeness: 9/10 Points
Other than the matrix interface mentioned above, the extension has everything I can think of for handling character alignment. As with the other DOEs, there is an extensive documentation module that is included that should answer any usage questions if you take the time to read it.
Creativity: 9/10 Points
There are other alignment tools that have been created in the larger RPG community, but this is the only one available for use inside FG. Dulux also graphs the results in a circular/radial type graph rather than the simpler (and more common) square/box. Which, IMO, is a much better representation as the distance from the center represents a linear distance to the center (neutral). The UI and graph are clean and simple, completely functional, but not particular artistic. Something like a gradient color wheel would be cool and artistic, but wouldn’t really add to comprehension or functionality.
Perhaps my favorite part, and by far the most original, is the Alignment Quiz. This allows each character to answer a set of questions to determine just what their alignment is. How lawful are they really? How good is Good? Kudos Mr. Oz!
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Value: 8/10 Points
For a free product, value isn’t about monetary cost, it’s about your time (and when applicable, other resources). This extension is worth 60 minutes of your time to download, install and see if it is something you want to continue with. Worse case you will have gained a half hour of contemplating how you can leverage alignment to enhance your play. I do wish the documentation included a Quick Start to help people learn the basics before diving into the detailed documentation.
Versatility: 3/5 Points
This extension works with many of the most popular rulesets, though there are a couple of notable exceptions. These exceptions are due to missing compatible graphics; a shortcoming that is hard to blame the author for and something that hopefully a community member will step-up and help with.