Mechanics Reference problems and observations.

[Zaphod Beebledoc]

Just been inputting some things into the Mechanics Reference and I noted a few things.

1. Ctrl-Q (Create New Content Element) does not work, at least for me. This seems somewhat strange given how useful that key combo is elsewhere.

2. It would be useful and easier if you could drag and drop Item A onto Item B and have Item B be made Item A's container. (As long I suppose as there is not already a container for Item A...)

3. When you are selecting a container for an Article, you can easily create new Articles using the plus button, which makes 1 slightly less annoying to be honest.

4. If after making changes to an Article you select another without saving you will be prompted to save and the behaviour of the list of Articles is not consistent. The focus is sometimes at the top of the list, sometimes at the bottom. Same thing happens when I save before leaving the Article.

5. I've created one Article as a container for other Articles, but this group does not stay collapsed as I tell it too when I am making changes to Articles inside this container. I then have to scroll down or up to get to the Article I want. Same applies to no 4. above.

6. Best practice for inputting a long list of items would, to me, to first make sure the article is formatted how you want it. Maybe create a test article first, and if you need to change the default snippets, create a duplicate .

7. Best practice for a list of Articles that reference one another would be to create the list first, then the automatic content linking will work much better.

There might be some other things, if there are, I will post them.

This is, of course, how I see things, so just putting this out there!

Zaphod.

[rob]

This is more of a list of issues and inconsistencies you've encountered than a feature request, so I've moved this to the main Realm Works Discussion forum where it will be dealt with more quickly.

[Zaphod Beebledoc]

True, fair enough.

[rob]

Originally Posted by Zaphod Beebledoc

Just been inputting some things into the Mechanics Reference and I noted a few things.

1. Ctrl-Q (Create New Content Element) does not work, at least for me. This seems somewhat strange given how useful that key combo is elsewhere.

Logged as a bug.

Originally Posted by Zaphod Beebledoc

2. It would be useful and easier if you could drag and drop Item A onto Item B and have Item B be made Item A's container. (As long I suppose as there is not already a container for Item A...)

There are some additional wrinkles beyond the one you've identified here. I believe there is already a Feature Request entry for this, so you should probably +1 that entry.

Originally Posted by Zaphod Beebledoc

4. If after making changes to an Article you select another without saving you will be prompted to save and the behaviour of the list of Articles is not consistent. The focus is sometimes at the top of the list, sometimes at the bottom. Same thing happens when I save before leaving the Article.

This happens with topics as well and I believe has just been fixed. I double-check with the team to make sure it's also been addressed for articles.

Originally Posted by Zaphod Beebledoc

5. I've created one Article as a container for other Articles, but this group does not stay collapsed as I tell it too when I am making changes to Articles inside this container. I then have to scroll down or up to get to the Article I want. Same applies to no 4. above.

Logged as a bug.

Originally Posted by Zaphod Beebledoc

6. Best practice for inputting a long list of items would, to me, to first make sure the article is formatted how you want it. Maybe create a test article first, and if you need to change the default snippets, create a duplicate .

If you have a long list of items with a consistent structure, you're probably better off creating an entirely new category that is tailored to those items. For example, lets say you want to enter all the spells for Pathfinder. Every spell entry has a bunch of fields that should probably be tags. So the best solution would be to define a few new tag domains with all the appropriate tags, then define a new category with an appropriate structure and suitable tag-based snippets for the various fields (mapped to the proper domains), and finally create your spells based on the new category.

Originally Posted by Zaphod Beebledoc

7. Best practice for a list of Articles that reference one another would be to create the list first, then the automatic content linking will work much better.

The basic rule I live by - and encourage all users to live by - is to create all topics/articles the moment you discover you'll need them. In general, you know you need a new topic the moment you hit a proper noun. This is where "Quick Create" <ctrl+Q> is a lifesaver. For example, let's say you're entering a topic and encounter a proper noun. Ask yourself whether that proper noun should be a topic. If so, press <ctrl+Q>, create the topic, and then return to whatever you're doing. It only takes a moment and avoids all the hassle of going back and rescanning for links on topics.

Thanks for the bug reports, and I hope my suggestions prove helpful!

[Zaphod Beebledoc]

Originally Posted by rob

Logged as a bug.

To clarify, Ctrl-Q does work, but there is not the option to choose from the Mechanics Reference.

[rob]

This appears to be terminology confusion. Topics are managed within the two different almanacs. Articles are managed within the Game Mechanics area. So you need to choose the "Article" option from the list and you'll be good to go.

[Zaphod Beebledoc]

Ah! (ping, light goes on above my head!)

So glad I posted that screenshot!

Thank you!

(I feel a bit daft, it's so obvious now. I think my confusion arose because I was looking for "Mechanics Reference" in the list...)