Making your own power cards

eloquentaction · Dec 19, 2008

Duniagdra said:
I'm a little lost here. Unless I missed something in a post, no one needs to be online to use the UCS. Just as someone would have your set on their computer, so would anyone using the UCS. I also use my laptop at some games (some GMs don't permit it, personal preference), so I'm fully anticipating this release. If you're referring to the DDI project, that's only going to be during the intial character creation, per my interpretation (possibly needing it for character leveling?). However, this is not a mandatory requirement. Your cards are nice and by all means, if you feel a stand-alone approach is right for you, feel free. This is purely a voluntary project that other designers are being invited to join. Some will, some wont.

I may not be a designer myself, but I feel that this is a great approach for the exact reasons DrunkenEwok and elequentaction pointed out. once complete, not every design need to feel pressured into keeping the set up to date. Contributors could actually alternate updating the UCS. It's efficient and logical, as Spock might say. Also, no one designer can predict the future and crap happens. This way, any one designer can feel comfortable knowing that when life throws a wrench at you, someone out there will continue the work until you're able to get back.

The UCS just uses MSE. No online required. I can understand DennisB's viewpoint, but I think he's being a bit too optimistic; life throws strange curves at you, including stay-at-home dads. Tomorrow you may find you have no spare time for the next 3 months and everyone that's come to rely on your cards will be yelling at you for the next 273 new classes, books, and dragon articles. That's what the UCS is all about - once you have your template out there, someone ELSE can update the UCS and your template is still up to date. It's the best of both worlds.

The DnDI project WILL require access to the DnDI Character Generator, but so far that doesn't require online access except to download it. That might change with the full release (I honestly don't know on this one).

It will require you make any changes using the DnDI character generator, then 'save' the changes - the DnDI Project will then spit out the character sheet PDF and any cards relevant to your saved character. Yeah, it's a 2 step process that's kind of a pain in the rear, but it allows the best of both worlds. And since we don't have access to the Character Builder code - it's the best we can do at the moment.

DennisB · Dec 19, 2008

You are right about one thing eloquentaction, with my health failing, i might not be able to keep up after i get caught up. but i am willing to try. lol

DennisB · Dec 21, 2008

The Rangers Powers is now complete, it includes powers from all sources including the Manual of the Planes as will all decks in the near future.

Siberys · Dec 21, 2008

Okay - I did a major clean-up of the code. There was a lot in there that I just didn't need, and some of it caused errors. Those should all be fixed now, but if others come up I can fix 'em.

New download is in my sig, as before.

EDIT: If you open a previously-made set with the new files, it'll display an error message - but this can be ignored. The file is looking for an image 'location' that just isn't there any more, and was never used in the first place. Just re-save the file after opening it and all will be well.

As a side effect of that, you may want to do the above and then re-upload your decks, DennisB.

DennisB · Dec 21, 2008

Are you talking about re-doing the decks? HELL NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol

Thanks for all the help, have you checked the link on the bottom of my message? I have been busy.

Siberys · Dec 21, 2008

Nononono.... Just re-open, ignore the error, re-save, and re-upload to the net. That way, when others open the file, they won't see the error.

DennisB · Dec 22, 2008

When I Post the warlock powers tomorrow i plan on doing just that, and by the way, you're template has been downloaded about 50 times, our hard work is paying off. and good job on the template.

eloquentaction · Dec 22, 2008

Version 1 of the UCS is going Beta. We'll have a few people check it on TooSigma before releasing it.

Within the next few days we'll be releasing the first template for the UCS, and then we'll start releasing the flat-file converter as well as the first set of actual set data.

We're completely redefining the way the cards work. Before, almost everything was defined as either a Power (At-will, Encounter or Daily) with almost everything else as an INFO type card. Now, there are 'Class Info' type cards which will have all of the Class, Paragon Class and Epic definitions. Plus, Magic Items are going to be split into a card per magic item level so you can hunt down the specific card for your +3 Pelor's Holy Symbol of the Sun and see it's exact cost and stats instead of having to work off of a generic magic item card. Further - Skills that have in-combat definitions will be redefined as if they were a power. That way Bluff will show up as an Encounter type card with a red card back.

This will result in more cards, but we think the utility of each of the cards will go up.

Obviously, however, it will require us to go through the card set and re-adjust some things. We'll be releasing the UCS card set in stages with a tally of what changes and cards are going into each release.

-- The UCS team

deleteme123456 · Dec 22, 2008

Hm, I liked the generic magic item cards because they didn't have to be reprinted if you upgrade the item. Oh well, can't be that hard to make new cards that do just that.

eloquentaction · Dec 22, 2008

infocynic said:
Hm, I liked the generic magic item cards because they didn't have to be reprinted if you upgrade the item. Oh well, can't be that hard to make new cards that do just that.

Maybe we'll just update the combined cards we have to make it more apparent which level item has which plus and which cost. Right now they are kinda confusing.

-- Hirahito