Ipad first impressions

[knight2142]

Originally Posted by knight2142

I've been running into the same problem. The other thing that happens is that a portfolio will load, and then i try to switch characters and it sends me back to my iPad home screen.

here is the portfolio that always has the issue...others have it sometimes.

[ShadowChemosh]

Originally Posted by Colen

Superstition gives you situational bonuses, and our prefered method for those is simply to show them as part of the "tap info" for the saving throw. It's likely that a character will often have several conditional bonuses that might apply - isn't it better to show the base score for them and have the user add them up him/herself?

I would think that'd even be quicker than activating an ability from the list, looking at the value, then deactivating it - having to do that also increases the risk that you forget, and end up with a bonus to the save that you shouldn't have.

Let me just do it this way and give an example. Here is a pretty typical 9th level Nagaji barbarian with the Superstition ability. He is currently raging and is being affected by Inspire Courage and Bear's Endurance. He is wearing Cloak of Resistance +2, Ring of Protection +2, Amulet of Natural Armor +1, Torc of Lionheart Fury. I generated the character in a data set with no .user files so this is 100% HL output.

The DM says make a will save vs a Mind-effecting Fear spell. Here is the screen shot of the info you have in HL:
Image6.jpg
Anyone know what the final bonus is that is added to the will save? I am interested to know how many get this correct when they have plenty of time to think about it. Not including what happens at the game when you have 4 other people staring at you why you try and give a final result of your save.

I agree and have no problems with bonuses that are untyped being listed but when its a "Typed" bonus this is simply not working out in actual play. Having a player be forced to memorize such rules and have to apply it during the game is slowing down play. I have started to re-write these to be activated abilities instead and my players have been relieved that its just a click of a button away to get the right value to add to the d20.

Its not a huge deal for myself as I just re-write the stuff for my Shadow d20 package so its not something that I have to have. But I wanted to provide feedback from my players as I can't believe they are the only ones having issues at higher level with all the "conditional" bonuses and bonuses types.

[Lorangriel]

@ShadowChemosh, you get a +6 extra (+4 morale, +2 untyped) to add to your base +7 will save. That gives you a +13 to add to your d20.

However, I agree, the current mechanic is clunky and somewhat obtuse when it comes to bonuses.

Lorangriel.

[ShadowChemosh]

Originally Posted by Lorangriel

@ShadowChemosh, you get a +6 extra (+4 morale, +2 untyped) to add to your base +7 will save. That gives you a +13 to add to your d20.

Thank you very much. I am no way making fun of you here but that was the value I expected and its incorrect. +13 is not correct but is what I think most will come out too...

[bodrin]

Originally Posted by ShadowChemosh

Thank you very much. I am no way making fun of you here but that was the value I expected and its incorrect. +13 is not correct but is what I think most will come out too...

Expand and explain please. Why is it incorrect?

will save vs a Mind-effecting Fear spell

Highest morale bonus and untyped bonus applies as the modifiers (+4, +2 = +6)

The maths don't lie.

[ShadowChemosh]

Originally Posted by bodrin

Expand and explain please. Why is it incorrect?

will save vs a Mind-effecting Fear spell

Highest morale bonus and untyped bonus applies as the modifiers (+4, +2 = +6)

The maths don't lie.

I was waiting just a little bit before answering but I am happy too. The problem in this case is that its a Barbarian under the affects of Rage. "While in rage, a barbarian gains a +4 morale bonus to her Strength and Constitution, as well as a +2 morale bonus on Will saves."

So the problem is that HL has already added in +2 Morale bonus to the save as its ALL the time and not situational. So the final value is really +11 as you don't get +4 from Superstition as we already have +2 so its only increasing the amount by 2 more. We get the +2 from the untyped and get a final answer of +11.

The problem here is that some of the "typed" bonuses are already included in the total with no information for the player to see. So I go back to if you don't have the rules 100% memorized you never would catch the fact that your already getting a morale bonus from Rage.

The issue just increases as you gain levels and get more buff spells and magic items. This why I am arguing that situational "typed" bonuses need a check box so that the final correct value is calculated for the player. That is the power of software to make these kind of detailed decisions for us.

Another option is that the FULL list of "Typed" bonuses be displayed in HL software and then a player could at least make a more informed calculation. Really though for the more casual player that could still be too much.

[Globetrotter]

that is super confusing... and a really great example.

I know the rules pretty well, and I even forgot about the stacking moral bonuses... I originally just added them all together... which was a very high value, lol.
All the players at my table do not know the rules that well. If we were all back in high school and that is all we did, that would be one thing. Many of us only review the rules when we have to.

The magic of the program is it remembers the things you do not. We substitute money, in this case, for spending the time to remember.

I wonder if the best way would be to only display the highest bonus. I mean, the calculations already do this, why can't the text parallel what the math is doing.

[ShadowChemosh]

A note as this confused the heck out of me for awhile. The new ability for the iPad to delete the characters you have to swipe to the LEFT. Swiping to the RIGHT does NOT WORK. Swipe to the LEFT and it works fine.

[Globetrotter]

I finally had a chance to use this app at my gaming table... It worked beautifully.

Regarding my previous concerns of switching weapons... yes, it's a pain, lol.
Why can't use use the check boxes instead of the dropdown box?

We use that with the armor, why not weapons. You can have two boxes, one for one hand and one for both, or off hand, just like the desktop app.

That would speed things up.

I am happy with the app so far and I am glad to know it will just keep getting better

I am really looking forward to the full version so I can run combats from it.

[howardb3]

I really like the app. I played at a local con with the initial version, I ran 4 different characters and all went very well.

Last night though, I ran my Kingmaker characters (16th level Bard and his 14th cohort wizard) in a single portfolio with the latest version. I had many crashes.

I've submitted a bug report via e-mail.