HD v2 Feature List

[Simon]

By request, I'm going to be using this thread to list the features that I'm implementing in v2. I will only put entries into this thread when the features have actually been implemented (i.e. when I know that they will definitely be part of the release), so if you don't see something that you think should be in v2, don't fear....just check the feature/request list thread and see if it's planned.

To bring things up to date, I currently have the following implemented for v2:
<ul>
<li>Application preferences which allow you to specify general, "application-level" parameters, such as:<ul>
<il>Restore window position/size on startup</li>
<li>Remember dialog position/size</li>
<li>Load characters on startup</li>
<li>Load prefabs on startup</li>
<li>Use Modifier Intelligence</li>
<li>Number of decimal places for rounding</li>
<li>Character template directory</li>
<li>Export template directory</li>
<li>Use metric units of measurement</li>
<li>Display active points on abilities (by default)</li></ul></li>
<li>Performance improvements. Big ones.</li>
<li>Hierarchical template structure that makes creation of custom templates MUCH easier. This structure also allows changes to a main template (one of the built in ones) to "flow through" to any template that uses/references it.</li>
<li>JPG, GIF, and PNG image formats now allowed</li>
<li>Full detail listing on available prefab screen/list</li>
<li>Complete revision of Modifier Intelligence. All modifiers are now listed, with "unavailable" modifiers explaining why they cannot be selected (in reasonably simple words)</li>
<li>Sorting on purchase lists. You can currently sort by Display, by Real Cost, or by Active Cost in ascending or descending order.</li>
<li>Popup menus (yes, I caved on this one)</li>
<li>Removal of initial creation dialog for "simple" abilities. For example, when you select "Acrobatics" from the skill list, it will just assign itself to the character, bypassing the creation dialog. If you then edit the ability, you can add in levels, Modifiers, etc. This should streamline the creation of most characters.</li>
<li>The ability to directly open and edit Prefabs....as well as having only those fields that a Prefab can use available when defining one (for example, there is no Characteristics tab when working on a prefab).</li>
<li>Full implementation of the Language Familiarity Chart in FREd</li>
<li>New "Campaign Rules" section, allowing you to specify many parameters which affect the construction of a character, including:<ul><li>Base Points</li>
<li>Disad Points available</li>
<li>What to do if total available points are exceeded (ignore, warn, nothing)</li>
<li>What to do if available disad points are exceeded</li>
<li>Max points from one category of disad, and what to do if exceeded</li>
<li>Max active points per Attack Power, and what to do if exceeded</li>
<li>Max active points per Defense Power, and what to do if exceeded</li>
<li>Max points in Skills and what to do if exceeded</li>
<li>Max points in Perks, and what to do if exceeded</li>
<li>Max points in Talents and what to do if exceeded</li>
<li>Max points in Martial Arts and what to do if exceeded</li>
<li>Max points in Powers and what to do if exceeded</li>
<li>Max total value in Equipment (price), and what to do if exceeded</li>
<li>Active points per END</li>
<li>Active points per END (for STR only)</li>
<li>NCM Selected</li>
<li>User can change NCM selection</li>
<li>Equipment allowed (specifies whether to show the equipment tab or not) -- this has been moved here from the template, so you could have a Superheroic character with equipment, if you chose.</li>
<li>Monetary units for equipment pricing</li>
<li>Placement of units on equipment price display (prepend or append)</li>
<li># "CU" per monetary unit for equipment. This allows for automatic cost conversion between equipment lists developed under different units of cost.</li>
<li>Decimal places to show on the cost of equipment</li>
<li>Whether to use the Language Familiarity Chart</li>
<li>If Language Familiarity Chart is used, whether to penalize Languages that do not have at least a 1-point similarity with a language that the character already knows.</li></ul></li>
<li>Skill Enhancers no longer "locked" to the bottom of the purchase lists</li>
<li>Purchase lists will expand horizontally to take up all available space, rather than having a fixed width (as they do in v1)</li>
<li>Equipment now allows you to specify its weight, whether it is carried or not, and the cost. Export tags will be made available for total carried weight, total weight, and total value of equipment.</li>
</ul>

There's likely a few small things that I'm currently forgetting, but that's the bulk of it so far.

I'll continue to post to this thread as I implement new features.

[Simon]

Checkbox added in for "Native Language" -- automatically reduces the cost of the Language to 0 and marks it as the "starting point" for the Language Familiarity Chart.

New "recently selected" list added to available modifier dialog, listing the Mods that you have recently assigned to Powers (which are available for the current ability). The list will show up to the last 20 mods and is intended to speed the building of Powers by providing a list of "frequently used" modifiers in a ready-to-go state.

New Campaign Rules that have been implemented:
<ul><li>Link 2 different slots of a Power Framework (ignore|warn|do not allow)</li>
<li>"Special" Power placed in Power Framework (ignore|warn|do not allow)</li>
<li>Non-END using ability placed in an EC (ignore|warn|do not allow)</li>
<li>automatically apply "No Figured Characteristics" to Primary Characteristics in a Power Framework (on or off)</li>
<li>Only allow one Figured Characteristic to be sold off (on or off)</li></ul>

[Simon]

New Feature: Abbreviations for all abilities are now implemented at the template level. There is a setting in the new App Prefs that allows you to specify whether to use abbreviations (if available) or not.

[Simon]

More new features:

Martial arts maneuvers now list the total damage for the maneuver (unless it's intended for use with a weapon).

Advantages can be applied to maneuvers (cost is calculated per the UMA). I still have to work out a clean way to put this into Custom Maneuver....

[Simon]

Support for Standard Effect has been added in.

Campaign Rules specify whether Standard Effect is available or not and whether it is selected by default on a new Power. When selected, it will list in the display for the Power per the Writers' Guidelines.

[Simon]

New Features:

App prefs which allow you to specify whether to use the new "quick assign" feature (where available)

App prefs which allow you to specify whether to use Writers' Guidelines formatting or not (when enabled, certain features of HD will not output -- like the END Source for Powers)

On a negative note, I have decided not to implement the online repositories for now. There are several legal, IP, and usability issues that will need to be addressed first. The repositories will almost certainly happen eventually, but not for 2.0 (possibly for an update).

[Simon]

(pant)
I just finished a complete rework of Enhanced Senses. They are now about as "intelligent" as I can make them.

When purchasing an Enhanced Sense, you can now specify the Sense Group that it belongs to. The Sense Group determines which Sense Modifiers are "built into" the Enhanced Sense (for free).

The Sense Modifiers that are listed in the Adder section for the Enhanced Sense will be limited to only those Sense Modifiers which are not already part of the Enhanced Sense (or it's Sense Group). This includes any Sense Modifiers which are purchased as Powers for the entire Sense Group or for the individual Sense.

When Purchasing a Sense Modifier as a Power, only those Sense Groups and Senses which the character possesses (<i>and which do not already have the Sense Modifier applied to them</i>) will be listed as available. The list of Senses will be "dynamic" in that if you select, say, Sight Group, then Normal Sight will be removed (as will all other Senses that are part of Sight Group).

The template now defines what Sense Groups are available, what Sense Modifiers are built into each Sense Group, what Senses are available, what Senses are inherent to a character, and what Sense Modifiers are built into each Sense.

[Simon]

Relatively minor, albeit handy, new feature: right clicking on an ability in the available list (on any tab) will just assign the ability to the character -- no dialog popup.

This makes adding things like Skills, Enhanced Senses, and certain other abilities extremely quick and easy.

[Simon]

Sense Affecting Powers (Darkness, Flash, Images, Invisibility, Shapeshift) now follow similar logic to Enhanced Senses:

The available Senses and Sense Groups are determined by the template (as well as which are targeting).

If a nontargeting Sense Group is selected as the primary group for the Power and then a targeting Sense Group is selected as an Adder, the two will be swapped in order to ensure proper cost calculations.

Only the available Sense Groups and Senses will be listed as available adders (e.g. if Hearing Group is selected, Normal Hearing -- and all other Hearing Group senses -- will not be listed as available).

[Simon]

Small (but nice) new feature:

Modifier Intelligence now interacts much better with Lists.

A List (generic list, EC, or MP) will only allow Modifiers to be applied to it that are "legal" for all slots in the List. LIkewise, it will only allow powers to be added to it if they can legally take all Modifiers that have been placed on the list.

For example: A Multipower with "Costs END" will not allow an Energy Blast (which inherently costs END) to be added into it. The message that pops up will explain why.

This can (of course) be circumvented by turning off modifier intelligence under the app prefs.

[Simon]

New template feature: you can now add in new abilities to the character templates.

I've got this implemented currently for Skills, Perks, Talents, Martial Arts, Powers, Modifiers, and Disads.

I'm going to see what I can do about implementing it for Characteristics and Skill Enhancers....no promises, but I'll see what I can do ;)

[Simon]

Lots of new abilities, adders, and Modifiers inserted from the various supplements. All of the rules changes and additions that Steve felt were significant enough to warrant inclusion in HD have been put into the templates (and hardcoded into the app where necessary). Partial list:

From STAR HERO:
page 40-41 — expanded Computer Programming
page 47 — expanded Systems Operation
page 48 — additions to Weapon Familiarity
page 48 — Advanced Tech
page 49 — expanded Head Of State
page 49 — expanded Police Powers
page 50 — expanded/new Fringe Benefits
page 51 — FTL Pilot, Hotshot Pilot, and Latent Psionic Talents
page 53 — Mobile Perception Point and Multiple Perception Points options for Clairsentience

From THE ULTIMATE VEHICLE:
page 12 — expanded Limited Coverage
page12 — Personal Defense Limitation
page 15 — new Limitations and Advantages on this page
page 20 — Emergency Services Vehicle Fringe Benefit
page 30 — Dropped, Fuel Dependent
page 30-31 — Only Applies To Single Weapon
page 31 — Partial Coverage/Only Within Affected Area
page 35 — Only On Appropriate Terrain, Restricted Path
page 36 — Coasting, Towed
page 55 — Surface Only
page 57 — Sailed
page 71 — Takeoff/Landing


From THE USPD:
page 10 — Inaccurate
page 10 — Affects Porous
page 68 — Only When In Contact With The Ground
page 100 — Physical Manifestation
page 133 — Levitation
page 251 — Multiple Combat Effects, Varying Combat Effects


From FANTASY HERO:
page 85 — Armorsmith
page 96 — optional Weaponsmith categories
pages 99-100 — Lordship, Military Rank, Religious Rank Fringe Benefits
pages 103-08 — new Talents
page 124 — Mobile option for Area Of Effect/Explosion
page 128 — Range Based On STR, Limited Range
page 130 — Recovers Under Limited Circumstances modifier for Charges
pages 131-32 — expansion of Expendability
page 134 — Lockout
page 135 — Only When Serving God’s Purposes, Requires Light To Use
pages 135, 215 — Ritual/Crew-Served
page 136 — Window Of Opportunity
page 246 — Spell Limitation
page 254-55 — complex option for Gestures, Incantations
page 257 — Lingering
page 258 — “Variable Targets” option for Continuous/Constant Powers

[Simon]

Simple (but nice) new feature: all definitions now give the book and page number that the item in question is from.

FREx:

Acrobatics:

(FREd, page 31)
This Agility skill allows a character to perform flips, jumps, and rolls like a circus acrobat. Acrobatics enables the character to jump from one moving vehicle to another safely, swing from flagpoles, bounce off awnings, and execute other tricky moves. A character with Acrobatics could jump and flip over an obstacle, then land on his feet, ready to fight.

[Simon]

Just to keep this list up to date (for those that aren't taking part in the public test of v2):

Combat Records have been implemented, allowing export templates to be created which export the stats (and other info) from multiple characters (you select as many as you want).

Modifier intelligence has been improved to continue to check over powers during edit and character load. The behavior of the modifier intelligence during this period is adjustable in the application preferences -- you can have it ignore any violations, warn you about them, or warn you and remove the offending modifier from the power automatically.

Cost multipliers have been added into the application. This allows you to multiply (or divide) the costs of abilities....something which is mentioned in passing in Fantasy Hero. Cost multipliers have been implemented in such a way that they can be used in conjunction with lists to create modifications on the standard Power Frameworks. Whether they are available or not is settable in the Campaign Rules section.

New application preferences settings put in for "Confirm deletions", "Warn on duplicate purchases", and "Use Java window decorations" (part of the look and feel of the app).

More performance enhancements have been worked in, dramatically improving the performance of the app, above and beyond where it was already.

A series of new export template tags have been implemented....full documentation on all available export tags will be provided with the main release.

"Close All Characters" has been added to the main File menu.