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Divided or "Jump To" Character Sheets.

Posted by kouk
kouk
member, 542 posts
Wed 25 Feb 2015
at 00:01
  • msg #1

Divided or "Jump To" Character Sheets

Had this idea, thought I would put it out.

I would find it useful if the character sheet section had multiple "sections" in some form. So that it was broken up in effect, and not always behaving as one long text file that I scroll through from top to bottom or search with a browser find function for keywords.

I am generally a D&D player, and those character sheets are traditionally split into different segments for ability scores, skills, special abilities/powers, spells, items etc. Many other games have similar setups.

However, I only really ever "edit" or even need to "look at" one or two of those sections during the vast majority of a game. For example, my inventory, which in most pre-established D&D character sheets is at or very near the bottom.

So I would like some way to "jump" directly to different sections of the character sheet, and be able to edit that section easily. This might be built as multiple separate character sheets, or something like a hyperlink tag I place into the character sheet that will take me right to that section when I do something like press a button -- I'm not picky on the how.


Yes, I'm aware of the Scratch Pad, wiki, and the option to make this on a spreadsheet myself. This is just one of those selfish idea suggestions :)
steelsmiter
member, 1322 posts
GURPS, BESM, Fate, Indies
NO FREEFORM!
Wed 25 Feb 2015
at 00:26
  • msg #2

Re: Divided or "Jump To" Character Sheets

I use my browser's (Chrome, Mozilla, Browser, or Dolphin) Find in Page function for that very thing actually. I haven't seen much need for it as a result of that, and the fact that I use the same sheet for any game within a particular system, so I memorized terms to type in.
LoreGuard
member, 580 posts
Wed 25 Feb 2015
at 05:43
  • msg #3

Re: Divided or "Jump To" Character Sheets

I would say that having the option to have anchor tags allowing you to give names to sections would certainly be useful... people could build links to the character sheet and it would naturally jump you to the desired section.

I would think that the simplest way of doing it and I wouldn't think there would be too much danger in allowing anchor tags of some sort that resulted in usable anchor tags in the view-able sheet.
CosmicGamer
member, 79 posts
Traveller RPG (Mongoose)
Wed 25 Feb 2015
at 14:38
  • msg #4

Re: Divided or "Jump To" Character Sheets

You could put the character "sheets" in the games wiki and have more control.
cruinne
moderator, 6605 posts
what DO you do with
a drunken sailor?
Wed 25 Feb 2015
at 16:48

Re: Divided or "Jump To" Character Sheets

CosmicGamer:
You could put the character "sheets" in the games wiki and have more control.

This actually seems like a great idea.  Just wanted to echo that I like that solution. :-)
LoreGuard
member, 581 posts
Wed 25 Feb 2015
at 22:52
  • msg #6

Re: Divided or "Jump To" Character Sheets

Might be nice if the Wiki could then stamp the edits with the 'charactername' instead of the RPOL username.  Otherwise, that would reveal the RPOL username of each character as you would see who edited it.
CosmicGamer
member, 83 posts
Traveller RPG (Mongoose)
Thu 26 Feb 2015
at 14:13
  • msg #7

Re: Divided or "Jump To" Character Sheets

LoreGuard:
be nice if the Wiki could then stamp the edits with the 'charactername' instead of the RPOL username
I'll give that a +1

I certainly agree with that.
kouk
member, 543 posts
Fri 27 Feb 2015
at 00:46
  • msg #8

Re: Divided or "Jump To" Character Sheets

While I appreciate what the wiki offers, it doesn't save any time with viewing a character sheet section by section, unless I leave multiple tabs open on my browser and always use the same computer. Which I could do anyway with the current character sheet, just by having it scrolled to different sections in different tabs.

EDIT: To clarify: Normally, you have to navigate to the wiki home page from the game menu, then assuming you aren't the only person using the game wiki to your character sheet in the character sheets page, then to the specific sections of your own sheet. And by default I think you could also see everyone else's sheets that also had the same idea of using the wiki, which may or may not be a problem for some games.

With a change to the character sheet section, you would go to your character sheet section of the game, and then go to the different sections. Fewer steps.
This message was last edited by the user at 00:51, Fri 27 Feb 2015.
CosmicGamer
member, 84 posts
Traveller RPG (Mongoose)
Fri 27 Feb 2015
at 01:53
  • msg #9

Re: Divided or "Jump To" Character Sheets

I get it and agree.  Just wanted to give a possible work around until such time a better solution presented itself.

Typically I'm not browsing through a character sheet and I'm looking for something specific - a specific section.  So another suggestion is to break it up and go straight to what you need when you need it.  For example in some games the GM creates a topic/thread "Equipment On Me" where everybody keeps and updates what they are currently wearing and carrying.  Some stuff, like known character history and background could go in the wiki.  You could use in game private messages between just you and the GM with titles like "Weapons and Armor", "Contacts, Allies, and Enemies", "Spells" or whatever.  Some people keep track of their health in their Character Biography (two lines that when filled in get displayed with your name every time you post).

Again, I think the suggestion is good, just some more possible work arounds.
Tileira
member, 486 posts
Fri 27 Feb 2015
at 10:29
  • msg #10

Re: Divided or "Jump To" Character Sheets

Cosmic gamer is onto something in terms of work-arounds. If the game only has, say, 6 players the GM could assign each player a group and keep multiple hidden threads which are linked to from the character sheet page.

So Dave the Dangerous could have group A. The GM posts segments of Dave's sheet as Dave in separate group A threads. Then puts a labelled link to each thread in Dave's "character sheet" box.

I also agree that having anchor tags or multiple "character sheet" boxes on the character details page could be useful for systems with long sheets or where you need to keep a sheet for someone's vehicle/mech/familiar/whatever.
Skald
moderator, 606 posts
Whatever it is,
I'm against it
Fri 27 Feb 2015
at 14:57
  • msg #11

Re: Divided or "Jump To" Character Sheets

I like Tileira's workaround (requires sufficient spare groups, but would be workable).

You could set it up with the first post set up as links, then subsequent posts for each section, as desired (equipment, background, skills, etc).  If you want to see an example of this, have a look at the chararacter sheets thread in Heaven:

link to a message in another game

Syntax for linking to specific message is: http://rpol.net/display.cgi?gi=2&ti=21&msgpage=&show=all#1   ... gi is game index, ti is thread index (open the specific thread and look at the address bar in your browser for these numbers) and the number right at the end is the message in that thread to which you want to link.

If the GM wants to keep control, then they make the posts ... if any particular posts (or the entire sheet) should to be user editable then the GM posts those on the character's behalf (OR get the player to do those, whichever you prefer).
C-h Freese
member, 150 posts
Survive - Love - Live
Wed 4 Mar 2015
at 23:17
  • msg #12

Re: Divided or "Jump To" Character Sheets

If you use 'secret' in the posts you could put them all in one group and still keep character sheets Secret.
jase
admin, 3419 posts
Cogito, ergo procuro.
Carpe stultus!
Sat 7 Mar 2015
at 05:32

Re: Divided or "Jump To" Character Sheets

Next version will have [anchor name_of_link] that you can then jump to with the existing <a href=#name_of_link>zoom zoom</a>.

HTML5 doesn't have a set way to make anchors anymore, which is why it's a square bracket non html-esque thing.
kouk
member, 547 posts
Sun 8 Mar 2015
at 19:50
  • msg #14

Re: Divided or "Jump To" Character Sheets

I'm not sure what that means immediately or what section of the site it applies to, but I get the sense you are adding something so thanks!
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