D&D 4E Introducing 4eTurnTracker!

[Ferghis]

It looks like we're getting not only customized monsters soon, but the ability to export them as well. This means that oddball conditions inflicted by monsters will be, at least in theory, importable. I know I'm repeating myself, but when it's so-and-so's turn, having a list of all the conditions s/he could inflict would make condition tracking so much easier. Without sounding ungrateful for your current efforts or cavalier about your time and resources, may I ask if the possible implementation of the below feature is any closer?

Saved list of possible effects for PCs:
Most monster effects are limited to conditions. So the conditions inflicted on the players tend to be limited to those listed in the Rules Compendium. PC power effects, on the other hand, have loads of non-standard effects: can't shift until end of next turn, -5 if moves away from avenger, Divine Challenge (which is different from a regular mark), marked by Aegis (also different from a regular mark), and so on. If players make and save a list of their often imposed effects, and simply slide them onto a target, that save loads of typing (and the effects can be described in some detail). Typing them on the fly, on the other hand, is more time consuming, encourages brevity, and makes it more likely to miss things.
So, if the turn-tracker could function in the hands of one or more players, who could track these details with relative ease (after they setup a list of possible effects), that would be an extremely useful piece of software, even if not networked.

I think this is a good idea. But I would add the saved list of effects to TT before I create a separate application for the user. A saved effects list could also save the DM a lot of time.

And with every possible ounce of respect for your time and gratitude for your work (no sarcasm intended), I'm also wondering if there was any progress on the following potential feature, or if plans to implement it were approaching.

Adding monsters on-the-fly:
In light of the above situation, where players take care of initiative and condition tracking, but possibly useful in others, the ability to add a monster on-the-fly, so to speak, sounds useful. Just an initiative number and a name is necessary, but DMs might find it useful if they could select level and role (and maybe populate the default details), in case they needed a random body that wasn't in the pre-planned encounter.

 

[4eTurnTracker]

Hi Ferghis,

It looks like we're getting not only customized monsters soon, but the ability to export them as well. This means that oddball conditions inflicted by monsters will be, at least in theory, importable. I know I'm repeating myself, but when it's so-and-so's turn, having a list of all the conditions s/he could inflict would make condition tracking so much easier. Without sounding ungrateful for your current efforts or cavalier about your time and resources, may I ask if the possible implementation of the below feature is any closer?

I agree that this is a great feature, maybe even essential!

So this is basically a goal I am working towards, but there are a number of things that are pre-requisites or just have to be done first.

The good news is that a lot of this stuff has already been done but I recon it will still take a few releases before I get there.

And with every possible ounce of respect for your time and gratitude for your work (no sarcasm intended), I'm also wondering if there was any progress on the following potential feature, or if plans to implement it were approaching.

This would be something like a simple Monster Builder. This is not a high priority at the moment, because there are other tools for creating monsters.

For example, wouldn't it be quick to just create the monster using the D&D Adventure Tools, and the copy and paste it into 4eTurnTracker?

 

[Jan van Leyden]

I've tried the latest version of you app but will remain true to Mortaneus' Combat Manger.

The reason is that, while I love you clean interface, the CM allows me to add Power details to the PCs. Granted, it takes a bit of work but in this way the CM is my one-stop resource for all in-game needs.

Another boon is its capability to set up conditions that are imposed by creatures, be it PCs or monsters. In the actual encounter I can just select a condition from the prepared list, including stuff like end conditions.

This is not to diminish your effort, just a personal list of items which I'm missing from 4eTurnTracker.

 

[4eTurnTracker]

Hi Jan,

I've tried the latest version of you app but will remain true to Mortaneus' Combat Manger.

The reason is that, while I love you clean interface, the CM allows me to add Power details to the PCs. Granted, it takes a bit of work but in this way the CM is my one-stop resource for all in-game needs.

Another boon is its capability to set up conditions that are imposed by creatures, be it PCs or monsters. In the actual encounter I can just select a condition from the prepared list, including stuff like end conditions.

This is not to diminish your effort, just a personal list of items which I'm missing from 4eTurnTracker.

Yes, thanks a lot for your honest assessment.

This type of information is invaluable because it actually saves me time! This way I don't go implementing stuff that nobody needs anyway

Please check in with 4eTurnTracker in the future because, as I discussed with Ferghis, I will be implementing this. And, I believe I have some good ideas how to do it particularly well...

 

[Ferghis]

So this is basically a goal I am working towards, but there are a number of things that are pre-requisites or just have to be done first.

The good news is that a lot of this stuff has already been done but I recon it will still take a few releases before I get there.

Thanks! This should coincide nicely with when I get a tablet. I'm really looking forward to it.

This would be something like a simple Monster Builder. This is not a high priority at the moment, because there are other tools for creating monsters.

No, that's not what I meant. The point of the second feature I'm requesting is to quickly and easily add a barebones entry to the initiative tracker. Say the players do something unforseen that needs such an entry, or (and this is the case in my games) say that the players are actually in charge of the initiative tracker. In these cases, you don't have all the details of a monster to load up, but you still want to add a body that only has two characteristics: a name (to identify it) and an initiative score. AND... you might want to do this in the middle of a fight, when the new actor enters the scene.

 

[4eTurnTracker]

No, that's not what I meant. The point of the second feature I'm requesting is to quickly and easily add a barebones entry to the initiative tracker. Say the players do something unforseen that needs such an entry, or (and this is the case in my games) say that the players are actually in charge of the initiative tracker. In these cases, you don't have all the details of a monster to load up, but you still want to add a body that only has two characteristics: a name (to identify it) and an initiative score. AND... you might want to do this in the middle of a fight, when the new actor enters the scene.

Ah, OK. I understand. That would be fairly easy.

I could put a rider on the "Add Monster to Encounter" dialog, and allow you to enter a few stats.

 

[Thraug]

I still love this program and without it I may not GM 4e. Thanks again!!

 

[Ferghis]

Ah, OK. I understand. That would be fairly easy.

I could put a rider on the "Add Monster to Encounter" dialog, and allow you to enter a few stats.

If that can be done while an encounter is running, that would be perfect.

 

[4eTurnTracker]

I still love this program and without it I may not GM 4e. Thanks again!!

Thanks Thraug. I'm quoting you on my Web-site now...

 

[4eTurnTracker]

If that can be done while an encounter is running, that would be perfect.

Yes, that would be possible.