Work Plan

Check back regularly to for updates.

After 3 weeks of PreBeta testing, and 3 updates, I've recieved very positive responses.
I've also added some campaign management features to RPM, and cleaned up a whole host of issues. This is definitely the most stable, fast and feature-rich RPM has ever been.

Importantly, the combat module has been well received. It looks like I'm done with adding features for release 1, and also that I'm very ready for the Beta release.

Right now I'll await on any final bug reports to come in, along with the PreBeta questionnaires. It's also a great time to do the tutorial/help guide.

For a while now work has proceeded directly according to feedback. Check the "News" for the latest happenings.

The combat management system is currently being finalised for the beta release.

Recent work has included the ability to add magical effects to items, as well as some of the psionics material.

A question posed to the community regarding completion of psionics, and a PCGen import, has resulted in a strong general request for me to polish the core basics. So psionics and PCGen import is delayed as follows:

The current plan:
Automate and add some user interface polish to the "Attacks" in RPM.

• Place an  "Add Item" button in all the useful places where you might quickly need to add weapons, amor, or anything else.
• Implement a way to indicate whether equipment is equipped, carried or stored. Automatically work out the modifier effects and weight carried (etc), as appropriate.
• Streamline adding new attacks, with intuitive prompting for weapon selection.
• As weapons are added to an attack form, automatically fill out the details (full BAB calculation probably left to the end ).
• Have newly added creatures automatically add the items/weapons and attack forms from it's race. This automatically adds in the natural attacks.
• Pre-configure all the races their items and attacks (possibly last).

• I think that this will present "combat ready" characters/creatures much more quickly and more intuitively.
• As a side-effect, you essentially get "Item Generation" by race type, since you can configure a race to have any sort of equipment (armor, shields, magic etc), rather than just weapons.
• From here it's a relatively small step to have equipment randomly generated, perhaps by classes, as well as race. A simple "%generate" chance could optionally add items, or perhaps something a bit more involved.
• When you add a new creature by the wizard, the appropriate items and attacks (by race) will already be there when you get to those stages.

This first installment follows on the heels of the on-line survey I made available.
I'd like to thank everyone who responded, especially for the many kind words and encouragement I recieved. This was a very useful exercise, and I hope that those who responded will see the benefits..

At this point it appears that people generally understand that the current alpha version is more a view of the functionality that will be available for version 1, rather than an indication of the final user interface, and ease of use.

Part of the survey gave you opportunity to say what you would change about RPM, and what you didn't like about it. I have condensed all of this into a work package for myself - largely to be done by the next release.

So, on to the findings and outcomes:
 

Easier User Interface
Your Response	Unclutter the interface. Make it more intuitive. Layer it for beginner basics, in-game use, and advanced power user configuration. Need to change between modes, and have the available toolbar buttons adjust.
Action/Status	You'll find Profiles available in the next release. RPM will come with a number of pre-configured user interface templates.  At the start up, and through the preferences icon, you'll be available to select your work mode (or template) from a list, such as "Basic Character Management", or "In-Game Encounter". These templates will set up the user interface streamlined for whatever it is you need to do. The interface will be less cluttered, and more intuitive, because you'll only see the things you need, for the actual task at hand. It should take away that "need to be a computer specialist" some people currently have. This will effectively also allow you to layer for complexity, or invent specific modes of use. You'll be able to create your own profiles (such as "Bob's Encounter Management"), and save them for easy, instant recall. If you only one one specific, simple thing you use RPM for, you'll be able to make that the always selected profile.
Your Response	Sometimes I don’t know what clicking on a button will do. Suggest a step-by-step tutorial, especially for creating adventures. Need examples.
Action/Status	This is basically a question of on-line help, handled in the following ways: Fly-over mouse hints for fields, for icon buttons and standard buttons. This is mostly done, but will continue to improve. Availabillity of help buttons on all screens, that give you relevant access to the tutorial help, for that screen. This is about half done, but won't be finalised until the functionality for version 1 is completed.
Your Response	The data model is too obvious in the user interface. Need to hide some of the underlying, confusing fields.
Action/Status	This constantly improves. With so many types of information available in RPM, generic screens are used in early development, so that people can see what's available, and how it works. As part of a maturing process, specific interfaces will be used everywhere, more suited to intuitive use.
Your Response	To simply create creatures and print out statblocks, I want to be able to avoid the adventure/maps/groups material.
Action/Status	This is largely addressed by profiles (above), where you can make RPM just show you the bits you need. A further enhancement (next release) allows you to work in a mode where you don't use adventures, maps and groups. You can elect (have a ready profile) to work in a way avoids this. Later, if you want to use your creatures in-game, or in preparation of a printed adventure, you'll be able to drag and drop them onto a map, group, and/or adventure.
Your Response	More consistency needed.
Action/Status	You'll find this greatly improved in the next release, with on-going work to take it further. You'll find consistent use of an icon toolbar on the various screens. They'll commonly have a standard button to close the window, give you on-line help, dock or undock, generate/print a report, plus any other specific functions (such as "Level Up" on the character screen).
Your Response	Drag and Drop Everywhere!
Action/Response	This is perhaps the singly most important thing that can be done. Currently you can drag creatures onto the map, and you can drag Items between locations and creatures (or the Item types list, to create new items). The items drag-and-drop should be working properly next release. In the bigger picture, I do have a longer-term design for implementing drag and drop "everywhere". Examples are: Drag a group to the map to automatically position a bunch of characters at a location. Drag a race (or multiples) to a group, or map, or adventure, to automatically create craetures of that type, and place them there. Drag a list selection of spells, or classes, or conditions (or whatever) to a creature, to apply those changes. Drag anything to anything, and make it do the sensible, obvious thing. Full implementation of this may even wait till version 2.
Your Response	Use skins (instead of box windows) - they're fun!
Action/Response	It would be fun. Maybe next year sometime. Not at all sure.
Character/Creature Generation
Your Response	I can't use the Jamis Generator behind a firewall. I want an on-line version.
Action/Response	Actually if you can use your browser behind a firewall, you can also use the Jamis Generator. Just go to the Configuration/Networking section and configure as you would for your browser. Also, you'll find a local Jamis Generator in the next release, so you don't need an internet connection anymore. Finally, Jamis moved his site, but the next release will work with the new site.
Your Response	I need to create SubRaces
Action/Response	Its already there. Under the race description, you can enter the list of subraces. You can also specify sub-race requirements action the Racial abilities. This means that only certain sub races get certain abilities. Just check out "Elf", as an example. You'll see how the sub races list is done, and why "Drow" get different abilities to other elves.
Your Response	Show the available classes and feats for my characters
Action/Response	You are going to love the next release. You'll find that I've now got a "Level Up" button and screen. You'll be presented with the complete class, feats and skills list, for levelling up. Everything will be color-coded (white = available, red = don't qualify, green= already got it, grey=got it even though you really shouldn't). You'll still have ultimate control, but you'll be asked to confirm taking things you don't qualify for. You can already create new classes and feats, entering simple qualifying expressions. They'll work just like everything else, and be properly color-coded.
Your Response	Show prestige class qualification. Make it obvious which classes are prestige.
Action/Response	Okay. Simple stuff. Next release.
Your Response	A Name generator
Action/Response	Maybe soon after release 1. If you use the "built-in" Jamis generator, you'll get names that way.
Your Response	Ability to create a halfling character.
Action/Response	You can make a race a character class, just by checking the "Character" box in the race screen. That race will then appear in the character generation list. Sorry I left them out (nothing against short people - really!). Fixed in the next release.
Your Response	Import statblocks   (PCs, NPCs, monsters) from other formats. Quick creation of multiple creatures – Either from a current creature, or from standard stats.
Action/Response	You already can import in the "Jamis Import" by typing, or cut-and-paste. This works for "Jamis Format", or you can simply enter a name and race to do a bare bones import/generate. This can be a fiddly area. If anybody out there has a "standard format" they'd like, contact me, and I'll address it.
Your response	Want all the monsters from the monster manual, and better explanations of the fields that are there.
Action/Response	I did miss some. It's true. To be honest though, they're very much there, and completion and tidying will probably happen during the beta phase. What I can give you though, is a much, much more cleaned up version of monster descriptions, available in the next release. You'll find descriptions, attacks and CRs very much cleaned up. Still a bit of work to do with some racial ability descriptions. This is stuff that anybody in the community can do, without programming. If you'd like to help out, please contact me (I've got LOTS of programming to do).
Your Response	Want a treasure generator for random encounters
Action/Response	Maybe after the beta. How many others want this?
Other Miscellaneous Items
Your Response	Improve the mapper: Need the ability to create custom tilesets Keep working on the mapper (nothing specific)
Action/Response	You can already create your own custom tilsets. It's just a question of editing a bitmap. The full tutorial is available here. I've already gathered a whole bunch pictures that could be readily translated into tilesets. It'll be a while before I get a chance to do anything with them. If you want them, contact me.
Your Response	Networking: In the future, make it playable for an on-line experience.
Action/Response	There is already an ActiveX control to start all this. It looks like it won't get that serious until after release 1, though.
Your Response	Ranges needed for in-game mechanics.
Action/Response	There is already a map targeting system with automatic range calculation. In the future, weapon ranges will feature for in-game combat mechanics.
Your Response	Template equipment types. For example, adding a new piece of armour creates required variables
Action/response	There is already a templating system to create item variables based on the type. What I'll do in the future, is have it automatically generate the modifiers from those variables.
Your Response	Need a way to backup/restore information, to preserve it between release updates.
Action/Response	I consider this very important. I hope to complete it just after the next release. It's part of a bigger issue, which is why I haven't completed it yet. Ultimately you need to be able to backup/restore things such as the following: Your characters. A complete adventure, with all the maps, locations, creatures, items etc. Your own feats, spells, items, skills, etc etc. When this is actually done, a little thought will show that you'll be able to create packages of campaign-specific material, or even adventure modules that others can download and play. Whilst I'm in alpha stage development, the database structure changes a bit from release to release. This makes it a bit difficult, though I have plans to get around all that.
Your Response	I find managing an encounter list difficult, and I'd like an XP calculator
Action/Response	Good news for you in the next release. You'll find an enhanced Enounter management screen. This will give you the following: An easy way to set up the "good guys" and "bad guys" encounter list. For example the "Room4 Goblins" can quickly join the on-going fray with 2 mouse clicks. Easier set up for surprise, flatfooted etc. maintenance. A (hopefully completed) XP calculator (currently listing all the CRs of both sides). The ability to look at your "Creature List" "By Encounter", so you only work with those who are actually "in the fray". Picture coding in the Creature List, showing which side creatures are on, and whether they're okay, defeated, or already processed for XP calculation.

Well, if you've managed to make sense of my comments regarding all the up-coming changes (especially ease-of-use), chances are that you'll be quite excited about the next release. Expect it within about a week!

Till then...