Some thoughts on v2

[rjcurrie]

1) It still seems sluggish to me -- even when I turn off the VPN that I usually have running.

2) You might want to make the stop and cautiion signs in the available item lists a little smaller. They seem a bit too big at the moment.

3) Is there any way to lose the ".0" that shows up in Martial Maneuvers such as Martial Disarm, which currently displays something like "35.0 STR to Disarm".

4) I would like to see export tags for PER Roll, PRE Attack, and Phases so that those could be displayed elsewhere than in INT, PRE and SPD Notes.

5) In version 1, the character image usually appeared as a scaled down versions of the actual image. In version 2, the image is appearing full size which is a pain if you are working with really large images. I preferred the version 1 approach and, if not the only behavior, I would like to see it as optional behavior.

6) It might be nice to have "Confirm Deletes" as a settable Preference -- on by default and probably labelled "strongly recommended" in the same way as

7) Is the best way of turning off Modifier Intelligence the current method (that is, all Modifiers become availiable and are just split into Advantages and Limitations) or would it be better to still show available and unavailable Modifiers but simply allow unavailable Modifiers to be added?

8) I would like to have a way of adding a limitation only to a Multipower Reserve and not have it apply to all the slots -- this would also apply to VPPs.

I may have more later.

Rod

[Simon]

1) Not much more that I can do on that front...at least not at present. I may do some more performance tuning in the future, but what you have now is pretty much what you're going to get for the release of v2. Personally, I don't experience much of any delays.

2) I'm open to alternate graphics...the ones that I'm using become moderately illegible at smaller sizes.

3) Yup...I'll get that taken care of.

4) I'll get those added in.

5) It's going to have to stay the way it is. The main reason is that in v1, the image was restricted to just JPG, allowing me to process the image within Java and reduce its size.....under v2, you can use jpg, gif, or png images. The image resizing was also a performance drain. If you find the images to be too big, then save them in a smaller size in whatever image editor you use.

6) Good idea...I'll look into working it in.

7) You know...I hadn't thought of that...it's a good idea. I'll look into changing things around to work that way.

8) VPPs do that currently for any of the VPP Modifiers (Cosmic, etc.). I'm still pondering the best method for specifying whether a modifier is applicable only to the Framework or not....it's something that I plan on having in place before the final release, however.

[ratinox]

2: Eliminate the text entirely. A red octagon is pretty obvious for what it is given the context.

For Unix versions: is the final product going to rely on the Java-based ersatz window management, or are we going to get a real ICCM compliant program with real X window management? Nothing personal, but I absolutely HATE it when programs think that they can do a better job of window management than the window manager I like to use (cough-xmms-cough).

Campaign rules logic. Max active points in [mumble]. Use -1 for "unlimited". It is a common technique and it eliminates arbitrarilly large values (which may end up being too small for some campaigns -- look at some of Mike Surbrook's "Dragonball Z" character writeups).

Also in campaign rules logic: is it possible to use Max DCs per Attack and Max DEF instead of or toggled with Max Active Points per Attack and Max Active Points per Defense?

Martial Arts: Need to figure out a good way to handle maneuvers that can be used both armed and unarmed.

2.0.26 (current) seems to work okay with the IBM JRE. FWIW, for those who care.

[Simon]

Originally posted by ratinox
2: Eliminate the text entirely. A red octagon is pretty obvious for what it is given the context.

For Unix versions: is the final product going to rely on the Java-based ersatz window management, or are we going to get a real ICCM compliant program with real X window management? Nothing personal, but I absolutely HATE it when programs think that they can do a better job of window management than the window manager I like to use (cough-xmms-cough).

Campaign rules logic. Max active points in [mumble]. Use -1 for "unlimited". It is a common technique and it eliminates arbitrarilly large values (which may end up being too small for some campaigns -- look at some of Mike Surbrook's "Dragonball Z" character writeups).

Also in campaign rules logic: is it possible to use Max DCs per Attack and Max DEF instead of or toggled with Max Active Points per Attack and Max Active Points per Defense?

Martial Arts: Need to figure out a good way to handle maneuvers that can be used both armed and unarmed.

2.0.26 (current) seems to work okay with the IBM JRE. FWIW, for those who care.
Unix versions will use Java's tie into the system window manager. It will act like any other Java app. Why? Because it's a Java app. That's the only reason you have a Unix version.

Max Active Points: There's no need for "-1 = unlimited". If you don't care about it (want to make it unlimited), then select "Ignore". Then it doesn't matter what the setting is....it's ignored.

Max DCs/Max DEF: I'd rather keep it the way it is.

Martial Arts: You pick one or the other...offhand, I'd say pick the weapon side of things....it's easier to tell the damage that way (you just add the DCs into your STR when using it barehanded). That's the only way it can/will be.

[ratinox]

Originally posted by dsimon
Unix versions will use Java's tie into the system window manager. It will act like any other Java app. Why? Because it's a Java app. That's the only reason you have a Unix version.

Then something isn't working right in v2 at the moment. Instead of using the system window manager it uses its own cheezy window borders and title bar. v1 works correctly.


Max Active Points: There's no need for "-1 = unlimited". If you don't care about it (want to make it unlimited), then select "Ignore". Then it doesn't matter what the setting is....it's ignored.

[snip]
It's a matter of usability and esthetics. "1000" in the box looks important (or at least very large), even if it is ignored, which may not be intuitively obvious. "-1" for a default value for the "max points in" categories should be intuitively obvious as being unlimited (or at least nonsensical :)) even if the field is ignored. "0" actually is not good, because that is a valid value for games in which PCs can't buy that category of thing.

DCs are not always equal to Active Points/5. Just saying, because some games actually use DCs and DEF instead of Active Points.

And I still think there is a better way to display martial maneuver damage than the current, mutually exclusive armed/unarmed. I just haven't figured out what it is, yet. Maybe something with Lists. It'd be easier if Custom Adders could be silently applied to maneuvers. I'm too tired right now to figure it out, but I think that using lists can somehow work.

[Simon]

Originally posted by ratinox
Then something isn't working right in v2 at the moment. Instead of using the system window manager it uses its own cheezy window borders and title bar. v1 works correctly.

[snip]
It's a matter of usability and esthetics. "1000" in the box looks important (or at least very large), even if it is ignored, which may not be intuitively obvious. "-1" for a default value for the "max points in" categories should be intuitively obvious as being unlimited (or at least nonsensical :)) even if the field is ignored. "0" actually is not good, because that is a valid value for games in which PCs can't buy that category of thing.

DCs are not always equal to Active Points/5. Just saying, because some games actually use DCs and DEF instead of Active Points.

And I still think there is a better way to display martial maneuver damage than the current, mutually exclusive armed/unarmed. I just haven't figured out what it is, yet. Maybe something with Lists. It'd be easier if Custom Adders could be silently applied to maneuvers. I'm too tired right now to figure it out, but I think that using lists can somehow work.
The window decorations have nothing to do with window management. And they are staying as is.

Simply keep the campaign rules on ignore if you don't want to use them. I think they're fine as is.

While some may use DCs instead of Active Points, others use Active Points. A choice was made, and it remains as is.

The martial arts are formatted per the WG. There will be no change.

[Simon]

Updates:

1. I've got an App Prefs setting in place which allows you to specify whether to use the Java window decorations. Changing the setting will require a restart of HD to take effect. I'll leave this in place and let folks test it out, but it may have to be pulled if it causes too many problems.

2. I've changed the "Use Modifier Intelligence" behavior a bit based on Rod's suggestion. When you turn off Modifier Intelligence the modifiers wills till be sorted into available and unavailable lists, but you'll be able to select and assign the modifiers in the unavailable lists....and the unavailable lists are re-labeled to be "Non-Recommended Advantages" and "Non-Recommended Limitations" ;-)

[ratinox]

Originally posted by dsimon
Updates:

1. I've got an App Prefs setting in place which allows you to specify whether to use the Java window decorations. Changing the setting will require a restart of HD to take effect. I'll leave this in place and let folks test it out, but it may have to be pulled if it causes too many problems.

Cool!

(read: look at what it does to the HeroDesigner.lax file and take notes :))

Thanks. Very much appreciated.

[Simon]

Originally posted by rjcurrie
1) It still seems sluggish to me -- even when I turn off the VPN that I usually have running.

2) You might want to make the stop and cautiion signs in the available item lists a little smaller. They seem a bit too big at the moment.

3) Is there any way to lose the ".0" that shows up in Martial Maneuvers such as Martial Disarm, which currently displays something like "35.0 STR to Disarm".

4) I would like to see export tags for PER Roll, PRE Attack, and Phases so that those could be displayed elsewhere than in INT, PRE and SPD Notes.

5) In version 1, the character image usually appeared as a scaled down versions of the actual image. In version 2, the image is appearing full size which is a pain if you are working with really large images. I preferred the version 1 approach and, if not the only behavior, I would like to see it as optional behavior.

6) It might be nice to have "Confirm Deletes" as a settable Preference -- on by default and probably labelled "strongly recommended" in the same way as

7) Is the best way of turning off Modifier Intelligence the current method (that is, all Modifiers become availiable and are just split into Advantages and Limitations) or would it be better to still show available and unavailable Modifiers but simply allow unavailable Modifiers to be added?

8) I would like to have a way of adding a limitation only to a Multipower Reserve and not have it apply to all the slots -- this would also apply to VPPs.

I may have more later.

Rod
More updates:

2: done.

3: done.

6: done.

[Simon]

Originally posted by rjcurrie
1) It still seems sluggish to me -- even when I turn off the VPN that I usually have running.

2) You might want to make the stop and cautiion signs in the available item lists a little smaller. They seem a bit too big at the moment.

3) Is there any way to lose the ".0" that shows up in Martial Maneuvers such as Martial Disarm, which currently displays something like "35.0 STR to Disarm".

4) I would like to see export tags for PER Roll, PRE Attack, and Phases so that those could be displayed elsewhere than in INT, PRE and SPD Notes.

5) In version 1, the character image usually appeared as a scaled down versions of the actual image. In version 2, the image is appearing full size which is a pain if you are working with really large images. I preferred the version 1 approach and, if not the only behavior, I would like to see it as optional behavior.

6) It might be nice to have "Confirm Deletes" as a settable Preference -- on by default and probably labelled "strongly recommended" in the same way as

7) Is the best way of turning off Modifier Intelligence the current method (that is, all Modifiers become availiable and are just split into Advantages and Limitations) or would it be better to still show available and unavailable Modifiers but simply allow unavailable Modifiers to be added?

8) I would like to have a way of adding a limitation only to a Multipower Reserve and not have it apply to all the slots -- this would also apply to VPPs.

I may have more later.

Rod
More updates:

4 is done. Use <!--PER_ROLL--> and <!--PRE_ATTACK-->