DM ex Machina: New Column from Ari Marmell

[Morrus]

Ari's second column for EN World has arrived! This article, DM ex Machina, deals with skill challenges.

 

[Mouseferatu]

In addition to more general feedback--which I'm always grateful for--I'd like to know if folks are happier with the footnotes between paragraphs, as I've done here. Does that make them easier to read than they were in the prior column?

 

[Lackhand]

In addition to more general feedback--which I'm always grateful for--I'd like to know if folks are happier with the footnotes between paragraphs, as I've done here. Does that make them easier to read than they were in the prior column?

Yes, it's a bit better than scrolling back in forth. Linking to an anchor (which links you back where you were) might also work.

I enjoyed it

 

[Mouseferatu]

Yes, it's a bit better than scrolling back in forth. Linking to an anchor (which links you back where you were) might also work.

I asked Morrus about that with the first column, actually. Unfortunately, the bulletin board software used by ENWorld doesn't support it.

I enjoyed it

Thanks.

 

[amethal]

Interesting column, given me some food for thought about running skill challenges (albeit in 3.5).

I'd love to buy a book on skill challenges.

At the moment it seems to me that to run them you need the Players Handbook, DMG (which I happen to have), the errata and the DMG2. Presumably DMG3 will tweak it further, if and when it comes out.

It would be useful to have this information all collected in print in the same place, along with examples of imaginative skill challenges such as "guide the childen through the fey sewers".

 

[Morrus]

I gotta admit, I personally preferred the original footnote style (after the paragraph breaks the article up too much for me), but we'll go with the popular opinion!

 

[Nikosandros]

I gotta admit, I personally preferred the original footnote style (after the paragraph breaks the article up too much for me), but we'll go with the popular opinion!

I can't say that it is aesthetically pleasing... as a matter of fact, it's rather ugly, but IMHO it is also much, much easier to read this way.

 

[Nifft]

In addition to more general feedback--which I'm always grateful for--I'd like to know if folks are happier with the footnotes between paragraphs, as I've done here. Does that make them easier to read than they were in the prior column?

I dislike them with a lukewarm fractional-passion. IMHO they break up the flow unnecessarily. If the notes are meant to be nearly in-line, just use parentheticals (like this).

For the footnote-feel, IMHO the best solution would be TOOL TIPS, so your footnote appeared when hovered over, and didn't appear otherwise.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Mistwell]

I really dislike the footnotes in the middle of the paragraphs.
In fact, it's probably better to have no footnotes at all.

 

[Lackhand]

I dislike them with a lukewarm fractional-passion. IMHO they break up the flow unnecessarily. If the notes are meant to be nearly in-line, just use parentheticals (like this).

For the footnote-feel, IMHO the best solution would be TOOL TIPS, so your footnote appeared when hovered over, and didn't appear otherwise.

Cheers, -- N

I actually thought of that, but couldn't figure out how to format that for a post -- so I figured you couldn't do it for an article. But yes, I agree that if tool tips can be made to work, that would rock!