Attn: DMs with iPhones/iPod Touch - Need help and feedback.

[balth]

Hi guys,

I'm a fellow DM like you, am playing in the Living 4E realm here, and I've got an iPhone app for DMs that I'd like you to try for free.

I've got five codes on a first come first serve basis; here they are:

94FERKJ7W6AK
KNT4HHRK4Y3M
HLXEM6XAXRLE
EPA6NE6PLJNN
H4N44RKKMXLN


The program is called iNit, and it's an initiative tracker. It uses a d20 to roll init, so it will work for many RPGs. We're trying to get feedback from GMs, and I've been lucky enough to get feedback from Tycho(Jerry) from Penny Arcade already, but we're wanting more ideas to keep it a living project as we move forward. There's only two of us working on it, but we're trying to really implement smart things that make the DM's life easier. I had been using fantasy grounds a lot, and when I finally gathered up a local group to play, I found that using pen and paper was waaaay too unweildy; hence my desire to create the app.

Please, if you take a code and redeem it, post here so others know it's taken, but also please leave me some feedback with what you think.

I appreciate it!

Mark

[MrFilthyIke]

Wife tried to use a code, could not find out how to use it (she's the one with the iphone) and ended up purchasing it. How were you supposed to use the codes? No one has said they used them?

Was this a marketing swing versus a call for help and support?

[Hadrian the Builder]

I'd love to use:

H4N44RKKMXLN

But I cannot seem to figure out a way to use the code to make the purchase?

Oh well. I purchased it. Here's my feedback:

1) Since you already have a space to enter character info, go ahead and make a spot to enter the 4 defenses.

2) You can add a "damage dealt" field for monsters so that DMs can track monster HP

3) I would like an option to enter initiative manually, since my players like rolling dice.

[davethegame]

I grabbed: EPA6NE6PLJNN

I'll load it up and probably do a short review on Critical Hits after I use it for my next game.

[davethegame]

And by the way, you redeem them by clicking on the "Redeem" button under the "Quick Links" section of the iTunes store home page.

[RandomCitizenX]

Claimed HLXEM6XAXRLE. Will let you know how it works out once I get it on the wife's iPod touch.

[Asmor]

I managed to redeem the code and download the app, but when I tried to sync it iTunes said that the app wasn't compatible with my iPod.

It's an iPod Touch 2nd generation.

[Hjorimir]

Does it allow for delaying and readying actions?

[Hjorimir]

Originally Posted by Asmor

I managed to redeem the code and download the app, but when I tried to sync it iTunes said that the app wasn't compatible with my iPod.

It's an iPod Touch 2nd generation.

Have you updated to 3.0 yet?

[balth]

Redeem is in the iTunes store page (if you can't find it, just search for Redeem in the iTunes store and it gives you a link) or if you're on the iphone, ipod itself, and have os 3.0+ installed, just click the more... button in iTunes and Redeem is the bottom choice.

Hjorimir, The program does allow for manual initiative and holding/delaying, simply change the bottom entry (init value) and it will reorder the list accordingly when you hit 'next turn'

Davethegame, I'd love a link

Hadrianthebuilder, I'm not sure we have room to output the 4 defenses on the main page, so drilling down might not be handy to get to them just to check them, but I'll see what I can do with that. There is an HP field specifically for tracking how much damage has been dealt to your monsters (just change it as they lose HP).. on our proposed upgrades, this may change to a starting HP/ current HP pair of fields to easily show on the main screen if the creature is bloodied, as well as it's current HP value.
As for entering init manually, simply set all the entry's 'Initiative value' to whatever you want them to be and hit 'next turn' and you're good to go.

MrFilthyIke: Definitely a call for help. I'm sorry that I couldn't respond fast enough to help you with the code, but hope you will still give feedback

[Asmor]

Originally Posted by Hjorimir

Have you updated to 3.0 yet?

I have not... Without getting into too much of a derailment, I was quite insulted when the first thing I saw after plugging my brand new iPod Touch into my computer was "Pay us $10 to upgrade to the newest version of our OS," and I refuse to buy it on principle.

If that is a requirement, you should probably make that more clear... There is no mention of it anywhere in the product's description; the only hint is that at the very bottom of the product's page it says it's tested on iPhone OS 3.0. Even there, it doesn't say anything about requiring it.

[Hjorimir]

I looked it up on iTunes initially and it has 3.0 as a listed requirement...for what it is worth.

[Asmor]

I've only looked it up in the app store on the ipod itself.

[Hadrian the Builder]

I really need to avoid providing feedback when I'm tired...

I agree that showing the defenses in the initiative list is not feasible. But drilling down is fine

By "damage dealt" I mean that I should have fields for current HP, total HP and the bloodied value, but also a clear field that I can enter damage into. Once I've put a number into the "damage" field I click a button and it reduces the current hit points by that amount and resets the "damage" field.

And a new idea: if the Status FX field is not blank, then include the effect in the Alert message. Also, can you make a pull-down wuth common status effects, and an option for additional Status FX fields?

Now that I've gotten some sleep, I can see its trivial to manually enter an initiative

It also looks like I forgot to mention I am excited to see this app and I'm going to tell everyone I know about it.

[balth]

Asmor, I can definitely understand your reservations about plopping down the $10 for the upgrade; I had the exact same problem last year when I bought my iPod touch. I will say that the copy/paste features are pretty cost-valuable, but that's neither here nor there.

I don't think we compiled under 2.x, so 3.0 is definitely a requirement. The good news is that if you claimed the code, it will be there waiting should you ever decide to upgrade (which I would recommend at some point from a personal level, I think it's great imho). If it makes you feel any better, I paid the $10 when I bought mine, and then I paid $100 for 3.0 (to become a dev is $100, but I get 3.0 with it WHOO LOL).

Hadrian: I had a completely different layout designed in my head when I started the project, but my main coder and I found that the iPhone design layout is a bit more limited than we had imagined. So we can do some things, but it requires a lot of drilling down. One thing that I've got on our current upgrade list is similar to what you're saying. I think we're going to add a field called 'Starting HP' and leave the current 'HP' field. You'll drill down and change the current HP field when the monster takes damage, and it will compare the value. If it's half or less on the main screen, it will turn the HP display red (showing it's bloodied).

I get where you're going; I'll see if we can't work a damage calculator routine in.
The reason I was talking about the initial design I had envisioned was because in it, I had imagined listing status fx, editing the HP right on the status display without having to drill down and more. Putting the contents of the status fx field in the alert display is a good idea. I'm not sure if we're limited to text length in there, but we can find out

Just fyi for those following the thread; we DO intend on making savable/loadable encounters so you can preload rooms in advance, just have to drop your players in and go. To that end, I'm going to try to make it so you can designate one of those saves as your PC list, and be able to drop them at the touch of a button into any encounter. This is all a bit out, cuz there is only two of us, but we are working on it

We have a pretty healthy changelog already, but the feedback is giving us some really good ideas. Jerry/Tycho probably gave us our most interesting idea, and we're slaving away at implementing that now. Don't want to spoil the surprise just yet

But we're attempting to really make this an evolving/living app, because there is a lot of need for it for us poor GMs who don't want to use pen and paper for pnp games LOL!