Design and organization suggestions?

[Mathias]

The Secret of Zir'An system I'm entering is based around skill packages. A character gets a few skill points from their origin (birthplace/nationality) package, then purchases skill packages with their character creation points to improve their skills. A character could potentially choose 0-10 (or more) skill packages, although I think 2-4 is the expected range.

The problem is how to organize the number of selections each skill package offers.

1) The time spent can be fixed or variable, so I need a selector for the variable times.

2) Most skill packages offer points to distribute among your three aptitudes, so probably three incrementers for those.

3) Most skill packages offer language points (1-3 points is common), so the user can select up to that many languages to improve. The list of languages available varies from pakage to package, so I can't just add available selections to the languages list.

4) All skill packages offer a list of skills to choose from. The number of selections available generally ranges from 5-15, but I don't want to restrict this. Like languages, each package offers a unique list of available skills to spend your points on.

My first thought was to place the skill package selection on the basics tab, and then put the various selectors on their own tabs. Two skill packages could be placed on a single tab (two columns). Is it possible to create overflow tabs? That way, the program counts the number of skill packages taken, divides by 2, and places that many skill package tabs on the character. If it would work to scroll the whole skill packages tab, the packages might be stacked on top of each other, perhaps fitting all the packages onto a single tall 2-column tab.

One thing that makes display a little simpler is that once the character creation process is finished and the character is locked for advancement, the display of all the skill package's options can be reduced to a report, since everything a skill package offers is bought with experience at that point. So, I intend to hide whatever tabs were used for selecting the various skill packages' options.

I'd appreciate any input into how to handle this.

[krathen]

You're a very big glutton for punishment. That game gives me headaches attempting to read it let alone code it.

[rob]

I've only got a cursory familiarity with the game, but these are my initial thoughts on the subject of skill packages.

Since skill packages are also intended within the game to reflect the character's history and exploits, I'd make the user pick a skill package multiple times. I'd also design the table so the user can re-sequence the selected packages. This way, the sequence of the packages accurately reflects the character's evolution.

For allocation points, you could do this one of two ways. Option #1 is to have a separate allocation process for the few points ascribed by each package. This will be a nuisance for the user. Option #2 is to calculate the corresponding *total* minimum and maximum points that can be allocated to each aptitude. Since each package specifies how the points can be allocated, you can generate suitable ranges. Then have a single set of incrementers to allocate the points to each aptitude, enforcing the appropriate minimum and maximum limits for each.

You can use the same approach for languages. Accrue the list of languages that can be chosen and the maximum number of points that can be assigned to each. Then provide one place where the user chooses all of the languages and allocates the points, prohibiting languages with no points and limiting the points for each language.

I think you can use this same design with skills, too. It would work just like I describe for languages.

The net result of this approach is that the selection of packages could be done in a single tab. There would be a table of selected packages on one side, with the other stuff down the right side. Alternately, you could use two tabs, with one to pick packages and the other to select the allowed choices and allocate the resources to the selections.

Having lots of duplicated tabs is a design I would try to avoid. It's both a pain to implement and, more importantly, a nuisance for the user to have to bounce between all the tabs. IMO, the fewer tabs involved for a specific facet of character creation, the better.

[Mathias]

What you describe should work fine for the aptitudes. The problem is the skills. Say the user takes two skill packages with no overlap. They might have 15 skill selections available, 25 skills in the list of skills to add them to (all with max selections = 1). So, how do I warn the user they've spent more points on the skills available from package a than they were given by package a? Does this call for a d20-style skill table?

Your idea should work for the languages, too. I just have to inform the user that they have 1 selection from common languages, 1 rare,and 1 unlimited remaining, for example. Then it's a bit of tag math and juggling, since uncommon slots can be used for common languages, rare for uncommon and common...

Thank you,
Mathias