Tips for/from my gaming group

[bblackmoor]

These are Hero Designer suggestions that my gaming group came up with. These are suggestions for users (i.e., the people in our gaming group), not suggestions for the programmer. Use these suggestions, ignore them, or point out problems with them if you see any.

* * *

In order to make our character files as portable as possible, here are some suggestions for setting up Hero Designer.

Name the directory "HeroDesigner".

Change "Sample Templates" to "Templates".

Put all of the Hero Games prefabs in "Prefabs", the export templates in "ExportTemplates", and the templates in "Templates".

7-Zip (or Rar) up all of the Hero Games prefabs, export templates, and templates, and put them somewhere handy as one big package, to make it easier to update a new installation of Hero Designer.

Tip: If you open a HeroDesigner character file that was created on another computer, and it can't find the template used to create that character, it will use whatever template is already open. So to keep the template the same, close that character file, then create a new (blank) character based on the template on which the first character was based. Then open the first character again. It should default to using the currently open template file.

I also would like us to think about all adopting on the new (Hero 5) "Standard Superhero" template point value of 200 Base + 150 Disads for superhero games. As part of that, I think we should consider getting rid of the borderline-illegal techniques we have been using to build characters, such as Darknight putting PD Damage Reduction, ED Damage reduction, and Armor in an Elemental Control (powers which don't normally cost Endurance shouldn't go in an Elemental Control).

[Simon]

Some comments from the peanut gallery:

1. I would not recommend renaming "Sample Templates" to "Tempaltes" -- this implies that you are using the templates in the Sample Templates directory to create characters. You should not do this. Those templates are for reference in creating custom templates only.

If you rename Sample Templates, you will need to edit your app prefs to point to the new default template directory anyway....so you may as well make it something meaningful and easier to find (i.e. outside of your installation folder).

2. If you try to load a character created on another computer and the template is not found in the location specified, HD will look in your default template directory for a template of the same name and will load that if possible.

[ghost-angel]

HD already default to the SuperHeroic 200+150 point value for me. I can't remember if I set this in the Campaign Rules or not though, I might have. Either way - that's what everyone in my group has made HD default to already.

[bblackmoor]

I would not recommend renaming "Sample Templates" to "Templates" -- this implies that you are using the templates in the Sample Templates directory to create characters. You should not do this. Those templates are for reference in creating custom templates only.

I'm not following you. Then where are the templates?


If you rename Sample Templates, you will need to edit your app prefs to point to the new default template directory anyway....so you may as well make it something meaningful and easier to find

I'm still not following you. Are the templates in the "Sample Templates" directory the default templates, or aren't they?


you may as well make it something meaningful and easier to find

More meaningful than "Templates", and easier to find than with the rest of the templates?? I'm completely confused. I don't see how the templates directory could be any more meaningful or easier to find than to call it "Templates".

Have I misunderstood you? I must have. Please rephrase.


If you try to load a character created on another computer and the template is not found in the location specified, HD will look in your default template directory for a template of the same name and will load that if possible.

So as long as the default template directory is set to "Templates", it should work fine? Cool: thanks for the tip.

[bblackmoor]

HD already default to the SuperHeroic 200+150 point value for me. I can't remember if I set this in the Campaign Rules or not though, I might have. Either way - that's what everyone in my group has made HD default to already.

That's really for my group: we have been using 150 Base + 100 Disads since the dawn of time.

I'll check out the Campaign Rules settings as see what that looks like.

[bblackmoor]

A revision for my gaming group, based on the feedback from here:


Change "Sample Templates" to "Templates".

Strike that: I have been told that the "Sample Templates" directory serves a particular purpose. So instead, create new directories (if they do not already exist) under the "HeroDesigner" directory:

Templates
Prefabs
CampaignRules

Sean: this means that I mildly hosed up your installation. It shouldn't actually break anything unless you attempt to create a new template from scratch. I'll fix it next time I come up. Sorry. :(

Another tip: go into File->Preferences->System and set the three directories to Templates, CampaignRules, and ExportTemplates, respectively. You might want to look over the other settings, but you shouldn't need to change anything.

[Simon]

The templates in the Sample Templates directory are just that -- samples. Useful for reference in creating your own custom templates and not much more.

If you want to build a character off of the standard (non-custom) templates, then you simply select the appropriate template from the "Template" menu -- those are all built into the application and have nothing to do with the Sample Templates directory.

A more logical/easier to find location to place your templates folder (which contains any custom templates that you create/use) would be your "My Documents" directory....or wherever you store your characters/HD files.

[bblackmoor]

A more logical/easier to find location to place your templates folder (which contains any custom templates that you create/use) would be your "My Documents" directory....or wherever you store your characters/HD files.

Um... no. It makes more sense to store a specific application's files with that application. Each user's character files, of course, should be stored in that user's personal directory. So we'll stick with that.

But thanks for the tip about the "Sample Templates". I did not know that they were not the same as the default templates. On the other hand, that means that we can't edit the default templates, which is... not how I would have written the program. But it's not the first time that's happened. :straight:

[Simon]

Sending users into the Program Files directory (where HD defaults to for an install) and having them make changes there is always a bad idea.

Hence my recommendation above.

Just my opinion, do with it as you will.

As for the main/default templates not being directly modifiable by you, that is EXTREMELY intentional. You can easily make and use your own custom templates, and you can have them inherit off of the built-in ones....but the built-in templates are controlled and maintained by Hero Games, not the end user.

[bblackmoor]

Sending users into the Program Files directory (where HD defaults to for an install) and having them make changes there is always a bad idea.

:jawdrop:

Um... I can't think of a diplomatic reply to that, so let's just agree to disagree on that one.

I will point out that people who take your advice can never install anything, much less update it, change the configuration, apply patches, or (in the case of Hero Designer) install the update.jar bug-fixes.

As for hard-coding the default templates, that's just ... something else I'll agree to disagree on, I guess.

[rjcurrie]

:jawdrop:

Um... I can't think of a diplomatic reply to that, so let's just agree to disagree on that one.

I will point out that people who take your advice can never install anything, much less update it, change the configuration, apply patches, or (in the case of Hero Designer) install the update.jar bug-fixes.

As for hard-coding the default templates, that's just ... something else I'll agree to disagree on, I guess.
Dan is referring to people going into the Program Files directory and making changes themselves as opposed to programs like installers and updaters and such making changes to the directory. I believe that users not going into the Program Files directory is also the current Microsoft recommendation.

I believe the point behind hard-coding the default templates is so that every user is working from the same basic templates. If you want to make changes to a template, you are by definition creating a custom template -- so you may as well as simply make a copy of the appropriate sample template and edit it and use that template. Or if you are using HDv2 just create an extension template as described in the documentation to override the features you want to change. Much of the information about Hero components is in the templates and if everyone could just modify those willy-nilly, it would become very difficult to exchange characters between HD users. So, in the interest of compatibility between users and also to keep users from screwing up their HD too much, Dan decided to build the templates in.

Rod

[bblackmoor]

Much of the information about Hero components is in the templates and if everyone could just modify those willy-nilly, it would become very difficult to exchange characters between HD users. So, in the interest of compatibility between users and also to keep users from screwing up their HD too much, Dan decided to build the templates in.

I can see how that would make sense, from a certain point of view.

[bblackmoor]

I believe that users not going into the Program Files directory is also the current Microsoft recommendation.

I wouldn't be surprised. :rolleyes:

[KA.]

:jawdrop:

Um... I can't think of a diplomatic reply to that, so let's just agree to disagree on that one.

I will point out that people who take your advice can never install anything, much less update it, change the configuration, apply patches, or (in the case of Hero Designer) install the update.jar bug-fixes.

As for hard-coding the default templates, that's just ... something else I'll agree to disagree on, I guess.

I think that "always" might have been too strong a word, concerning users fiddling around in the Program Files directory being a bad idea; but you also sound like a savvy computer user.
Having the average PC owner adding files, and especially deleting files in the Program Files directory is asking for headaches.
And since Dan is the guy who gets to deal with those headaches when they come up, I understand his position.
(And even, on this "once in a lifetime" occasion, Microsoft's, for similar reasons.
Although in the case of Microsoft, they are 100 times more likely to have screwed you up, than you are of screwing yourself up!)

I can also understand hard-coding the default templates.
Since Dan is often kind enough to troubleshoot problems that aren't really bugs in the program, but sometimes "bugs" in the User's understanding of the rules, he shouldn't have to also wade through figuring out if the problem is being caused by a modification of a default template.
At least when a custom template is being used, he can determine that, and use that information to figure out what is going on.
Having the default templates be "customizable" seems like an unneeded addition, since custom templates can be created by the user.

Just my thoughts,

KA.

P.S. I am the kind of guy who takes the back off the TV set and opens up my Playstation 2 to do maintenance. So I share your willingness to explore the Program Files directory, and generally screw around behind the curtain.

But I also know plenty of people who would just go in there and start playing around with things they didn't understand.

I once worked at a place where the security card system was disabled for hours because one of the guards remembered hearing something about "Ctrl-Alt-Delete" doing something to computers, but he couldn't remember what. (I guess he thought it would make them dispense candy or something.:rolleyes: ) Anyway, since it was a "security" PC, it required all kinds of passwords at restart. The real problem was, this guy's manager was the one with the passwords, and this happened around 2:00 am!
He was not very popular with his boss after that.

Anyway, I'm just saying, some people really should stay out of the workings of their system.:D

[Derek Hiemforth]

Anyway, I'm just saying, some people really should stay out of the workings of their system.:DHeh. A relative of mine once had a PC where the hard drive was running out of space, so he started browsing around the drive deleting any big files he didn't recognize. Y'know, from unimportant places like the Windows directory. Then he called me and asked me why his PC wasn't working right. :rolleyes:

I'd have told him it was a PEBCAK issue, but he wouldn't have understood. :D

[bblackmoor]

Since Dan is often kind enough to troubleshoot problems that aren't really bugs in the program, but sometimes "bugs" in the User's understanding of the rules, he shouldn't have to also wade through figuring out if the problem is being caused by a modification of a default template.

That's the "certain point of view" I was thinking about: the poor soul tasked with offering technical support. Having to answer more than my share of stupid questions myself, I can certainly sympathize. :)


I once worked at a place where the security card system was disabled for hours because one of the guards remembered hearing something about "Ctrl-Alt-Delete" doing something to computers, but he couldn't remember what. (I guess he thought it would make them dispense candy or something.:rolleyes: )

That's really funny. But in all seriousness, I think people like that should be legally enjoined from even touching a computer. A few nights in jail would get their attention.

[Checkmate]

I'm rather confused about what the issue is. No you can't modify the default template , but you can accomplish anything you want to by custom making a template, what's the differece?

[bblackmoor]

I'm rather confused about what the issue is. No you can't modify the default template

You've answered your question. There is, as you point out, a workaround for this "feature", so it's not a big deal.

[ghost-angel]

IMO, creating a custom template is always better than trying to modify the base template. I think the idea of forcing the base templates to be part of the program and uneditable is a good idea.

Especially when you consider how easy it really is to create a custom template within HD2 and simply do a Save As Template, then pass it around the group.

It's a way to get everyone to work from the same program essentially and save Dan a few headaches. Having the default be unalterable and anything outside the norm be a custom object gives a common start point, makes for consistency. I like things being consistent.

But I'm weird like that.

[lazarus]

I probably would have had the default templates as files loaded up by the app, rather than hard-coded in. However, I would also put a provision of "if you touch these files, it's not my problem".

Then again, I'm a Linux guy...

Laz

[rjcurrie]

I probably would have had the default templates as files loaded up by the app, rather than hard-coded in. However, I would also put a provision of "if you touch these files, it's not my problem".

Then again, I'm a Linux guy...

Laz
I believe technically the default templates are separate files that are loaded by the app, but they are "compiled" (for lack of a better word) into a .jar file. Dan could correct me on this.

[bblackmoor]

After some trial and error, I think I am done with the "Hero Designer help" page for my game group. Constructive criticism is welcome.

http://www.westguard.org/

I am currently working on Export Templates both for print and for pasting into the wiki, but those are not yet completed.