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Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,528
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Right.. the broader the scope, the more likely there is to also be a resource issue.. a matter of slowing the application while it searches for applicable snippets in applicable topics.
In addition, there is also the need for greater complexity in the search criteria. A calculated snippet that operates on all values of a certain target snippet may still require additional parameters.. otherwise, the calculated snippet may operate on too broad a range. Using the example above, a snippet of "gold" on Community Topics... it is highly unlikely to be desired that it total all gold for all Communities in all countries of the game world. So there would need to be some way to filter the Topics across which it operates. Even the "relative date" snippets I mentioned could require additional limitations. Probably, the "relative date" snippets would need to limit their updates to when the Topic they are on is re-visited (much like how existing links recognize that their linked topic has changed, and prompts to change the text to match). Yet that could mean that the Timeline display shows inaccurate information for Topics that are not visited often. The alternative.. that changing the "anchor date" triggers an update of all related "relative dates" is possible, but then it becomes necessary to consider whether it is necessary to limit the number of such "anchor dates" and/or "relative dates"'; otherwise, the application may appear "stuck" while it is applying the changes. |
#11 |
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Join Date: Feb 2013
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Although I find this an interesting idea, I wonder when this option will be used.
As I see it it is mainly used when you input data into an existing realm. the data would only change during the input, not thereafter. Or is there a way you want to use it in other circumstances I do not see at the moment. If during input is the only moment the data changes it should be possible to fixate it at that moment. Calculating snippets would create a new sort of relationship. In this case between snippets instead of topics. The program should identify that the relationship changes when one of them is deleted or changed. |
#12 |
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Quote:
For example, Rise of the Runelords AP from Paizo. The dates are left flexible for the GM to decide when the campaign begins. A number of key events are tied to "Five years before". The pace of the adventure is also left dependent upon the group... some aggressive groups will move from part to part faster than others who take more time. But when they are prepared to move on, there are encounters with histories that are based on "1 year ago", "six months ago", "1 week ago", etc. Exactly when those events occurred will be determined by when the players trigger that part of the adventure to begin (although, the longer back it is, the less need for it to be exactly that long ago). In other cases, a particular part of the adventure may be on a "timer".. the players may have only a fixed amount of time in-game to prevent something bad from occurring. The date/time of the bad outcome is undefined until the date/time of the players' start is determined. |
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#13 |
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That would require some sort of anchor snippet that the GM fixates at a certain moment. Namely the moment (part of) the adventure is started. The second part requires that you input the time that is used as they proceed through the adventure, in order for the timer to set. This also means that in the plot view suddenly certain paths become closed as the timer has ran out. I am not sure if you can program that into RW at all. |
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#14 |
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The GM should be keeping track of current date and time, to some degree, anyway. It doesn't have to be as precise as "Oh, and you're out of time.. too bad.. the villains win" because the PCs were late by a round or two (except in rare cases for specific encounters). Really, most Adventure Paths move "at the speed of plot", meaning that any "timer" is not literally a timer in the sense of an hourglass or stopwatch... except that specific encounters may have a requirement that the PCs finish their actions within "X rounds". For the dramatic tension in the campaign, though, the PCs always arrive "just in time" to interfere. |
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#15 |
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On a different note.. a case for another calculated snippet occurs to me: Victory Points.
Some adventures/scenarios award the PCs "Victory Points" (or another term) for actions taken during the adventure. Sometimes it is a war situation, with the PCs acting as a small unit within the larger battle -- the degree of the PCs' success determines the degree of overall victory, as measured by the points they accumulate. In this case, a table-like snippet for entering the awards of points, with the sum calculated, would be useful. Note that this is, again, a limited-scope type of thing. The data is entered on one Topic in a single complex snippet. This would help to keep performance impact lower. |
#16 |
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#17 |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
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I actually have considered suggesting a "The Party" new Hero-type for HeroLab, as a potential way to implement some of the desired improvements to the Tactical Console for Pathfinder without actually touching the Console itself. |
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#18 |
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#19 |
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