Proposal: Allow Character Builder summary sheets in place of EW templates

renau1g · Feb 23, 2010

Are you asking about the iPlay4e site?If so, yes it does, although it takes a bit of getting used to.

Sanzuo · Feb 24, 2010

stonegod said:
While I understand elec's position on a player wanting to be able to look at the numbers, the math section is for the reviewers and always has been since LEW and old LEB (in LEW/oLEB it wasn't even required, just requested).

I'll turn the argument a bit around: How many folks are we losing because the template formatting for the math section drives them away? We have some evidence that it does.

I'm basically in this camp. elecgraystone's "Term Paper" analogy was correct, not just in the "save your work" sense but in the sense that trying to enter a basic level 1 character into this current template feels like work. I'm not saying that simply telling everyone to use D&DI CB is the solution (though it would certainly make things easier) but I do think the current template needs to change before I personally am willing to get involved.

If it helps, I am also willing to meet you guys halfway. Let us post a CB template and we'll include whatever math is missing.

It seems like all is required for a functional character is basic stuff like hp, defenses, your main attack modifier and damage modifier(s). If a player uses a power with some wacky rules, the player and DM can resolve it in a post by post basis. This is how we handle it in the other pbp game I'm in on another forum, it works fine.

These are just my ideas.

mohalloran · Feb 24, 2010

I just thought I'd throw my 2 cents in. Currently I'm playing a minotaur in KenHood's adventure. And I was grandfathered in on the "oversized weapons" race feature of Minotaurs. If we go to the CB method, how would this be noted? I personally have not found a way to edit racial features.

Phoenix8008 · Feb 24, 2010

The only factor I see here is this: I'm a DM and if some of my players only had CB files for their character sheets, then I can't go look at them at all to check on a specific of something in their powers or anything. Forget seeing the math, how would I even see the basic character sheet?

renau1g · Feb 24, 2010

Mal's suggestion was posting both the CB file and the resulting CS in a wiki page, allowing those with DDI to open the files and those without to view the PDF.

mohollaran - not sure if there's a way to override?

evilbob · Feb 24, 2010

renau1g said:
mohollaran - not sure if there's a way to override?

I have also looked into this really hard and have not found a way to represent "oversized" in CB. (If anyone knows of a way please let me know too!)

r1, do you know of a screen shot of the iPlay4e character sheets? I really think those are a neat idea but I must confess I don't want to have to go through the signup process and do everything just to see an example.

Also, I -am- a coder, and I understand a bit about how to do the wiki coding. Just as a point of reference, take a look at this page under the "copy from here to here" part (the big white chunk in the middle):
Template:L4W:CS:Skills Extended - ENWiki

That is about how complex a template entry would be: or more specifically, a template entry area doesn't have to be complex, but it does have to be lengthy if it isn't. You can have simple or quick: not both. To get both, you have to increase the complexity of the coding, which means a lot of time invested on the part of the coder - which is not a particularly promising prospect, given that the wiki may die at any time.

stonegod · Feb 24, 2010

You can't post the PDF from CB: It includes the power text verbatim without the math being done which is specifically called out by WotC. We do not want to risk ENW being met with C&D letter.

stonegod · Feb 24, 2010

evilbob said:
That is about how complex a template entry would be: or more specifically, a template entry area doesn't have to be complex, but it does have to be lengthy if it isn't. You can have simple or quick: not both. To get both, you have to increase the complexity of the coding, which means a lot of time invested on the part of the coder - which is not a particularly promising prospect, given that the wiki may die at any time.

What he said.

I tried to make the LEB sheet simpler, but it requires more typing of the rest of the power. The advantage is that it scales to whatever weird stuff WotC throws at you (A secondary attack on an effect with another attack? No problem.). But its still a lot of typing and requires some head-wrapping.

Phoenix8008 · Feb 24, 2010

renau1g said:
Mal's suggestion was posting both the CB file and the resulting CS in a wiki page, allowing those with DDI to open the files and those without to view the PDF.

mohollaran - not sure if there's a way to override?

But then it is still doing the wiki, and just adding more for those with DDI. That doesn't get rid of the wiki which is what is keeping some people away it seems.

I know its retro, but here's an idea that would totally do away with the wiki. Go old school and just type out the CS like in LEW. With a CS thread and a post for each PC, we could have a standard format that is copy/pastable and people fill in their details from there. Wouldn't have all the nice color effects and boxes of the wiki, but if its simpler and will allow more people to join, then its an idea I'll put out there. It also gets us away from the wiki which is changing or vanishing or whatever in the near (?) future. Anybody got any holes to shoot in this idea? It won't build your character for you like CB, and its still a lot of typing stuff in, but as far as tracking goes it would do the job with less need of wiki coding or knowledge. Or is there some reason I totally missed or forgot about since starting here in L4W that made this a bad idea?

renau1g · Feb 24, 2010

evilbob said:
I have also looked into this really hard and have not found a way to represent "oversized" in CB. (If anyone knows of a way please let me know too!)

r1, do you know of a screen shot of the iPlay4e character sheets? I really think those are a neat idea but I must confess I don't want to have to go through the signup process and do everything just to see an example.
.

Here you go. First one (1.jpg) is the first screen that comes up when you click on your PC, second one is when you click on a power, you can't see it in the shot, but when you move your cursor over the purple text it shows the math.