Incompatible Change List v6
Introduction
Note: This is a WORKING COPY. It is not exhaustive, and will be expanded as more items are discovered
The following items are changes proposed to simplify input and make it easier to process items through the core
Types
The following general reasons for changes exist:
Magical Value
These are items that have a value which has a "special meaning" - often one that is game mode specific.
Compound Behavior
These are items that do more than one thing. Generally these result in behavior that is very specific to certain rules constructs, and thus we should consider unwinding them into 2 or more items.
Self Awareness
These are items that have some form of self-awareness that makes them resistant to problems with .COPY, but as a result transfers responsibility for this awareness into the core. (This may also have a future issue around localization)
Not Editor Friendly
These are items that are very hard for an editor to handle, in that they require unique processing
Formula Risk
These are items that can be converted, but have a risk with the resulting variable name coming in conflict with an existing variable name or term
Shortcut
These are items that try to save a few characters for the data team, but this results in having them in a standardized form produces a challenge. It therefore prevents more generic behavior in the code (forces unique code)
Confusing
These are items that are either identical in behavior to something of a different name, identical in name to something with a different behavior or just otherwise confusing
Proposed in 6.3
Bonus Token
BONUS PPCOST
Associated with unusable Spell Point system. Remove, no replacement at this time.
BONUS SPELLPOINTCOST
Associated with unusable Spell Point system. Remove, no replacement at this time.
Spell Tokens
PPCOST
Associated with unusable Spell Point system. Remove, no replacement at this time.
Note: by implication the output token SPELLMEM will also lose the PPCOST and BASEPPCOST arguments
SPELLPOINTCOST
Associated with unusable Spell Point system. Remove, no replacement at this time.
Note: by implication the output token SPELLMEM will also lose the SPELLPOINTCOST arguments
Stat Tokens
ROLLED
Ununsed behavior. Remove
Impact: None to PCGen Data
Template Tokens
REGION
Magical Value: YES
Compound Behavior, as it can hold both "YES" and a specific region name, so it must load 2 internal values
Self Awareness: YES refers to the object name
Solution: Remove "YES" as a legal value
Impact: Low, but manual conversion recommended. Search for "REGION:YES" will find issues. Data will have to use the actual template name in the token and be aware if those items are .COPY=ed
SUBRACE
Magical Value: YES
Compound Behavior, as it can hold both "YES" and a specific subrace name, so it must load 2 internal values
Self Awareness: YES refers to the object name
Solution: Remove "YES" as a legal value
Impact: Low, but manual conversion recommended. Search for "SUBRACE:YES" will find issues. Data will have to use the actual template name in the token and be aware if those items are .COPY=ed
SUBREGION
Magical Value: YES
Compound Behavior, as it can hold both "YES" and a specific subregion name, so it must load 2 internal values
Self Awareness: YES refers to the object name
Solution: Remove "YES" as a legal value
Impact: Low, but manual conversion recommended. Search for "SUBREGION:YES" will find issues. Data will have to use the actual template name in the token and be aware if those items are .COPY=ed
Short Term Proposed Changes
Race Tokens
FACE
Shortcut: A Face can be a single number, when in "reality" a Face is actually an "Area" (dimension in X and Y)
For example:
FACE:5
which is a shortcut for:
FACE:5,5
Solution: Eliminate the Shortcut
Impact: Little. Can be automatically converted, would have 2 comma-separated values
Template Tokens
FACE
Shortcut: A Face can be a single number, when in "reality" a Face is actually an "Area" (dimension in X and Y)
For example:
FACE:5
which is a shortcut for:
FACE:5,5
Solution: Eliminate the Shortcut
Impact: Little. Can be automatically converted, would have 2 comma-separated values
REPEATLEVEL
Compound Behavior: These items require a "virtual template" to be built, resulting in a lot of internal complication for the core to detect and track these implied templates
Not Editor Friendly: The implied templates don't have usual names, as they are not in data, making tracking what is identical, what is changed, etc. an interesting challenge.
Solution: Remove without replacement
Impact: None. Not used in PCGen data
Formula Related Proposed Changes
Global Tokens
MOVE
Magical Value: MOVE:x implies "Walk", otherwise is type|value
Magical Value: "Walk" is a "special" movement type that automatically claims the "default" movement
Magical Value: Usage in a Race vs. non-Race triggers different behavior (Race is used as the default)
Magical Value: Presence of MOVE: in a Race triggers "has movement" for the creature
Shortcut: Set and Modify are both in MOVE, but are poorly distinguished, uses *value and /value to modify movement when a spelled out version of modification would be much more clear
Impact: Moderate. Probably needs formula system revamp. MOVEBASE term will go away and need to be handled properly, as no magical calculation of base will be available
Race Tokens
LEGS
See Template LEGS
REACH
See Template REACH
Template Tokens
LEGS
Formula Risk: Would be converted to a variable (e.g. LEGS) which matches an existing term that calculates the value
(In reality, there is basically no risk here, as the situation to produce a problem requires such convoluted data I'd be convinced no one could find it even on a bet)
Impact: Little in practice, but manual conversion recommended.
NONPP
Formula Risk: Would be converted to a variable (e.g. NONPP) which may be defined as a var already in data
Impact: Low, but manual conversion recommended. Variable Report will already show data team if they are using "Reach" as a variable name
Note to self: Relationship to Game Mode: WEAPONNONPROFPENALTY
REACH
Formula Risk: Would be converted to a variable (e.g. REACH) which may be defined as a var already in data
Impact: Low, but manual conversion recommended. Variable Report will already show data team if they are using "Reach" as a variable name
Other Incompatible Proposed Changes
Alignment Tokens
ABB
Compound Behavior: Serves as both an abbreviation as well as a Key.
Solution: Remove dual behavior. ABB serves as abbreviation. KEY serves as Key.
Impact: Low. Requires data to add KEY entries to each Alignment
Stat Tokens
ABB
Compound Behavior: Serves as both an abbreviation as well as a Key. (Also serves as formula terms - ACK!)
Solution: Remove dual behavior. ABB serves as abbreviation. KEY serves as Key. Define new function as replacement for the term
Impact: Moderate. Requires new formula system to detect usages of variables.
Size Adjustment Tokens
ABB
Compound Behavior: Serves as both an abbreviation as well as a Key.
Solution: Remove dual behavior. ABB serves as abbreviation. KEY serves as Key.
Impact: Low. Requires data to add KEY entries to each Size
Problem issues without a proposed change=
Global Tokens
PRERACETYPE
Magical Value: Has some magical values based on "critter type", and in certain cases, "Humanoid" is assumed
Solution: Remove magical processing, refer users to PRERACE:RACETYPE=x
WARNING: Solution is not sufficient. PRERACE:RACETYPE=x correctly replaces and queries the character for the acting RACETYPE on the PC. PRERACETYPE accumulates ALL possible RACETYPE objects on the PC (effectively ignoring the fact that only one RACETYPE should be active). The net underlying issue here is that RACETYPE is being used two ways, so it is a compound behavior and needs cleanup.
Impact: Moderate. Search can identify uses of the token. Needs manual conversion by data team due to magical behaviors and needs code work due to warning above
Class Tokens
LANGBONUS
See Template LANGBONUS
WEAPONBONUS
See Template WEAPONBONUS
Race Tokens
CHOOSE LANGAUTO
See Template CHOOSE LANGAUTO
LANGBONUS
See Template LANGBONUS
WEAPONBONUS
See Template WEAPONBONUS
Template Tokens
CHOOSE LANGAUTO
Compound Behavior: This both defines a list and triggers a selection from that list
Confusing: This isn't REALLY a CHOOSE, it behaves like an ADD
Need to have "deep dive" on how selections should work to determine appropriate course of action
CRMOD
Potential Formula Risk: Depending on implementation, would be converted to a variable (e.g. CRMOD) which may be defined as a var already in data
Impact: Low, but manual conversion recommended. Variable Report will already show data team if they are using "CrMod" as a variable name
Note: It is not convincing that this is actually an integer, versus modifying a "Challenge Rating"
FEAT
Compound Behavior: This both defines a list and triggers a selection from that list
Confusing: different behavior than Domain FEAT or Race FEAT which are not selections
Need to have "deep dive" on how selections should work to determine appropriate course of action
LANGBONUS
Compound Behavior: This both defines a list and triggers a selection from that list
Need to have "deep dive" on how selections should work to determine appropriate course of action
RACESUBTYPE
Compound Behavior: Both Additional and removal
Shortcut: uses .REMOVE. (unique behavior)
Need to have a discussion on the data to determine if removal is strictly necessary or whether it is based on data architecture
WEAPONBONUS
Compound Behavior: This both defines a list and triggers a selection from that list
Need to have "deep dive" on how selections should work to determine appropriate course of action
WeaponProf Tokens
HANDS
Magical Value: 1IFLARGERTHANWEAPON
Compound behavior, as it is effectively a formula of sorts
