v1.3 Beta Testing....

[bodrin]

Beta Import file loaded and testing underway.
So far no errors encountered on compile!

 

[Lawful_g]

Chemosh, could you combine the two demon files into one named "MM - Demon" before release for me?

When I tested the beta package I also got no errors.

 

[ShadowChemosh]

Chemosh, could you combine the two demon files into one named "MM - Demon" before release for me?

Yep. Combining:
MM - Demon, Babau.user
MM - Demon, Bebilith.user
MM - Demon, Retriever.user
MM - Succubus.user

 

[ShadowChemosh]

Release 1.3 - 2/19/2011

Enhancements & Changes

• Dread Skeleton Template added from advanced Bestiary, Green Ronin Publishing (Bodrin).
• Book of Exalted Deeds - Feats updated.
• Complete Warrior Samurai class added (MCXPotato).
• Dragonlance Bestiary has the following monsters added: Elemental Minion, Knight Haunt, Tainted Blood template, and Undead Beast Stahnk (Lawful_G).
• Dragonlance Campaign Setting - Fetch added (Lawful_G).
• Magic Item Compendium - Weapon Powers added (Bordin).

Bug Fixes

• Numerous feats, classes, and monsters fixed. To many to fully list.

Data File Authoring

• Custom - Core Book Mods. Core Monster abilities where fixed and merged together into Custom-Core Book Mods. (Lawful_G)
• Custom - New Natural Weapons. New natural Weapons added(ie Wings, Tail, Incorporeal Touch, Touch, Ray, & Spit) Lawful_G
• Custom - Races Core mods. Modded lots of things, including new Core Monster Powers specials.
  Also modded the Monstrous Humanoid Types on those that had it (Lawful_G)
• Many Monster Manual critters updated to use newer methods for abilities (Lawful_G).
• Monster Types and Monster Subtypes combined into a single .user file (Bordin).
• Their are blank .user files in this data set. This was done as a way to remove older outdated .user files from the end-gamers systems. These empty .user files should NOT be used. (ShadowChemosh)

 

[Sendric]

With some files being combined, does it make sense for users to remove any .user files they have first (or to select that option in the install page)? Obviously, personal custom .user files would need to be saved or copied somewhere for re-integration later as well.

 

[ShadowChemosh]

With some files being combined, does it make sense for users to remove any .user files they have first (or to select that option in the install page)? Obviously, personal custom .user files would need to be saved or copied somewhere for re-integration later as well.

What we are going to do is simply have the files that are being combined be empty.

This works the same as deleting the files. Hoping the end-user remember to click a button and remove their own .user files is asking too much. We will be flooded with bug reports.

So the blank empty .user files will erase the old files. Personally I am not liking the idea by the other editors combined a bunch of different files together so have no choice now.

 

[risner]

What we are going to do is simply have the files that are being combined be empty.

Is there no way to have the upgrade deleted the old unneeded files?

Also, I'd really like to see us consolidate down to at minimum 1 file per book or even better 1 file for all of our material? Am I the only one wanting this? ;-)

With the multiple files, it makes it very difficult to get to a common footing.

 

[ShadowChemosh]

Is there no way to have the upgrade deleted the old unneeded files?

Nope its a safety feature of HL. Be dangerous to allow the tool to start deleting files without the end-user requesting it.

During the install the end-user could click on a button that will delete all .user files that where not updated by our import. Though that would mean any custom .user files are just GONE. And trust me very few people will read any warning or information we put out their regarding this.

Plus if we expected them to do that and they didn't then their whole d20 game folder will hit duplicate thing errors and not work. Why I understand that it would be very easy for most people to be walked through this many will be very upset when they install an update that breaks stuff.

Which will then give us the case of us being incompetent and not to trust our community updates. Not something I want to even chance given the amount of work that everyone puts into it.

So having the empty files I think is the smoothest method of doing this for now.

Also, I'd really like to see us consolidate down to at minimum 1 file per book or even better 1 file for all of our material? Am I the only one wanting this? ;-)

It would have made my life easier to have smaller number of files to make into the import file. But now no matter what we have to have empty files to add. So its all the same to me now.

 

[risner]

But now no matter what we have to have empty files to add. So its all the same to me now.

Can we install non .user files? Like a .cmd file? I could easily code a .cmd file that deletes any "empty" files (<document></document> empty xml) from the .user directory. Then we could trim down to a small number and offer a solution to those that a) care and b) read the release notes.

I do agree 100% that trying not to break things and users tend to not make backups nor read release notes.

 

[ShadowChemosh]

Can we install non .user files? Like a .cmd file? I could easily code a .cmd file that deletes any "empty" files (<document></document> empty xml) from the .user directory. Then we could trim down to a small number and offer a solution to those that a) care and b) read the release notes.

I think we can I just have never tried. My question would be how would you execute that .cmd file? Nothing in the import process will execute it.

And the next release will still have to have those empty files again as some one could be upgrading from 1.1 to say 1.4.

Last thing is that the empty files have a little more than just the document tags. Here is an example of one going in with 1.3.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<document signature="Hero Lab Data">
  <fileinfo>
    <info_history>
2/15/2011 Tim Shadow
-Combined together all Demons into the MM-Demons.user file. So this is left empty as of the 1.3 release.

    12-29-10
Bootstrapped Type and Subtype, adjusted the way general specials work, added racial skill bonus, added start HP and also Innate skills

chk6-24-10</info_history>
    <info_todo><![CDATA[Add the Tanar'ri Subtype]]></info_todo>
    </fileinfo>
  </document>

 

[risner]

I think we can I just have never tried. My question would be how would you execute that .cmd file?

Executing it would be up to the user, having read how to do it in the release notes. So entirely his choice if he wants to clean it up or not.

The .cmd script would detect files matching expected values for the given files (individually if needed) and delete them if they match in contents and name.

 

[risner]

Also been thinking, we need a wiki or something (maybe a file in the dataset) to document "how to program" for the dataset.

I can set up a wiki on a server if needed. (Easy to use)

Or we could set up a bunch of Specials in a "Help.user" file with no code and simply docs in the desc? (harder to use)

Like general rules:
If the ability is listed in the Special Attack line, make sure to tag attack.
If you need Poison Use (or any number of random other abilities) use the existing one.
If you need Immunity to X, use the combined ones first (unless they contain something you are not granting) then use the individual ones to fill out the needed immunities.
If you are coding to check X, Y, or Z here is how to do it.

In other words, all the corner cases we run into.

including timing when you can apply things, when totals are sum, etc.

 

[ShadowChemosh]

Hmm rather like that idea actually. Being that it would not be that huge what if instead we just created .html files that got included in the Import File process. Basically the same way that LW currently gives updates to things like Pathfinder already.

Maybe name them to start with Z or something so they always show at the very bottom of the d20 folder. Or a ~ to have them always show at the top of the d20 folder.

This way if someone is interested they can find the information and it will be correct to the version they are currently using. Where a wiki would always just have the latest info.

We could also use the same idea to put the release notes for each version into one of the .html pages so that it gets included with the release itself. Of course getting better release notes would be really nice here also.

--------------
In other news no one has seen any issues with 1.3 so I will be working with Cheifweasel on Saturday to put it up on his site and change the .xml files so that it will work through the Secondary Update URL.

-------------
Last question is Bluephonix was suppose to have finished the PrC Ultimate Magus. I never got it and emails to him have gotten no replies back. Any chance anyone else has this PrC? Just their was specifically people asking/wanting it and I hate to disappoint them when it is not in 1.3.

Thanks

 

[ShadowChemosh]

Also been thinking, we need a wiki or something (maybe a file in the dataset) to document "how to program" for the dataset.

The good side of a wiki is that the community has been asking LW to provide a better Wiki for how to edit and stuff. We could use the same wiki then to provide that feature also.

Their was also a request for a Script Library and a wiki could give us access to provide that information for both d20 and Pathfinder.

Thoughts?

 

[risner]

The good side of a wiki is that the community has been asking LW to provide a better Wiki for how to edit and stuff.
Thoughts?

I can build the wiki server next week, I'm heading to CON Nooga in a few hours and I won't be back until Tues.

Once I get it set up, I'll make a bunch of accounts and send you and LG the info.

I think the script lib thing is the best, as we could pick out all the "strange" things in the community set that do unusual things and it would go a long way to detailing how to do most anything.

I also like the html idea, as you are right it would be tied to the release you have.

 

[ShadowChemosh]

I can build the wiki server next week, I'm heading to CON Nooga in a few hours and I won't be back until Tues.

Once I get it set up, I'll make a bunch of accounts and send you and LG the info.

Awesome! Have fun on your trip and we can start on the wiki then when you get back.

I will try and put together a very basic HTML page for the v1.3 release so that we have something to start with. Just wanted to say I have no graphic arts ability so it's going to be pretty basic looking.

 

[ShadowChemosh]

Ok so 1.3 is out the door and to the community.

So we are going for 1.4. My take is that Lawful_G you have a pretty good head start on this so maybe thinking we should get ready pretty quick to get 1.4 out the door then?

 

[Lawful_g]

When do you guys want it?

 

[risner]

When do you guys want it?

I'm still working on a fork of v1.2, and I've got to do the following before I merge:

1) Learn the "new" way things are being done as a result of LG's clean up of monsters.
2) Migrate all the random monsters I've done to this way.
3) Migrate the merge specials into v1.4 beta.
4) Finish Wild Shape monsters so people have forms of most things people want all done.
5) Clean up remaining Wild Shape feats that I don't current handle (Frozen, etc)

I'm going to do some of this by starting on LG's skeleton of monsters at Z and work toward him.

 

[Sendric]

I'll have the Ardent, Divine Mind, and an update of the Powers list from Complete Psionics done for 1.4. Would be done now, but Divine Mind handles mantles differently. I expect I will be able to finish this off in a day or two, though.