github-like contributions?

[mwfantasygrounds]

Similar to the LOS push a year or so ago, I think it would be outstanding if we could just submit updated code for added automations and bug fixes somewhere where the module owner can approve it and it will automatically show up in the next build/release. I think we could really collectively increase the quality of the FG products across the board here.

I have my own little personal modules where I have added a bunch of automation to official products, like Player Core, and where I have fixed errors in purchased APs that I've bought, but nobody will ever enjoy those fixes other than my group! I think it would be great if there were some way to submit code snippets/fixes directly into the source (like a github contributor) instead of posting issues to the various product threads (like I did for the extremely minor typographical thing in the Wizard class in Player Core the other day).

[Trenloe]

This is a good idea, but I doubt it will be able to be used for all products. We have multiple developers and it would rely on them all learning GitHub and actively using it. I know that there's a bunch of devs don't even use the internal SmiteWorks versioning system, let alone start using another one on top of the process that SmiteWorks use.

EDIT: plus we couldn't upload full official product data to GitHub.

Whereas some people are familiar with GitHub and could make use of it, I think it would only be used by a very small group of people and would end up having multiple places to manage changes, as we couldn't just move to GitHub for all changes.

All that said, the idea of community helping more in terms of product coding updates, especially around automation and such, is a great idea. I'd like to investigate how that could be reasonably managed for all, not just those who are prepared to learn and work with something like GitHub.

[Mortar]

It would be interesting to see for typos/grammar.

[Trenloe]

It would be interesting to see for typos/grammar.

If text doesn't match the original product, then just let us know in the "Pathfinder Second Edition - generic DLC issue thread". Thanks!

[MaxAstro]

I would absolutely submit automation code for various products if there was some streamlined way to do so. IIRC I've offered to assist with such in the past but there's not really a good conduit for that kind of thing right now.

[Trenloe]

I would absolutely submit automation code for various products if there was some streamlined way to do so. IIRC I've offered to assist with such in the past but there's not really a good conduit for that kind of thing right now.

That would be great. What would you find easier? Submitting via a document/spreadsheet? A FG module with the relevant records? Something else? Keep in mind that any changes will need to be merged into the SmiteWorks internal version control system, hence why I don't particularly fancy using something like GitHub, because then the relevant FG devs would need to be handling two different version control systems and we couldn't upload the full official products to something like GitHub anyway.

[MaxAstro]

Honestly what would be amazing - and I've wished for this functionality for other reasons too - would be a way to export a specific record from FG as XML, even just to the clipboard. If I could right click on a monster -> copy XML and then paste the record into a text document, that would make it super easy to work on a few records at a time and then share the work without having to worry about sharing the whole module file with instructions on what was changed, or manually extracting the XML, or having to create a new module with just the records and then update it each time, etc etc. Simple copy + paste.

Might be a pipe dream, but if you are asking me what the best solution would be - that, imo.

(If we are in magical fantasy unicorn land this would be paired with an option to import XML snippets in the same way, but honestly just export would be huge)

[Trenloe]

Honestly what would be amazing - and I've wished for this functionality for other reasons too - would be a way to export a specific record from FG as XML...

There's this functionality currently for NPCs - right-click in the NPC header and select "Export Record". If the record isn't read-only (i.e. in a read-only module) a Save File dialog will open, allowing you to specify where to save the XML just for that record.

EDIT: I'll add this option to all of the "Character" record types: Activities, Ancestries, Backgrounds, Classes, Feats, Lookup Data, Skills and Spells - plus Items. Are there any others you would you want this adding to?

[mwfantasygrounds]

Thanks Trenloe and others for the discussion I don't think github itself is the greatest solution, but some way to crowdsource fixes and improvements (especially in automation) would be so awesome.

For example (assuming Archives of Nethys is correct), Needle Darts in the Rage of Elements module is currently incorrectly configured to do 1 persistent,bleed damage upon successful hit, instead of only upon a Critical Success. Instead of noting the issue in the module forum thread, it would be cool if I can just submit the corrected, fully automated spell somewhere, for SmiteWorks and/or the module author to review and incorporate.

Or, for example, an area where the record is correct, but automation can be added - like the 20th level Archwizard's Might feat in Player Core. I'd like to be able to add an automation for it [SPELLSLOT add wizard|10:1] so that others can enjoy the enhanced functionality. For a system like this to work, there would probably need to be some sort of style/standards documentation added to the wiki so that automation implementations are consistent, and maybe a waiver of rights to royalties or something like that, but I think with the awesome community we have here, it is doable

[MaxAstro]

There's this functionality currently for NPCs - right-click in the NPC header and select "Export Record". If the record isn't read-only (i.e. in a read-only module) a Save File dialog will open, allowing you to specify where to save the XML just for that record.

EDIT: I'll add this option to all of the "Character" record types: Activities, Ancestries, Backgrounds, Classes, Feats, Lookup Data, Skills and Spells - plus Items. Are there any others you would you want this adding to?

This is fantastic! It would be convenient personally to have this functionality on encounters, parcels, tables, traits, and World record types, but that's more for "ease of sharing content with other GMs/users" rather than specific to this idea of crowdsourcing automation.

The only other thing I would want for the automation idea is as clear a path as possible for "here is where submissions go, here is how submissions should be labelled so SW can easily identify what they are for" and maybe, in a perfect world, a way of seeing what has already been submitted to avoid duplicate work. Whether that's a website, a Dropbox, a Google Drive, an email account, I don't really care as long as the instructions are clear.

Okay maybe please not an email account. :P

...Also once this functionality is implemented I am going to be sorely tempted to write an extension that handles importing XML records...

EDIT: A Google Drive or Dropbox with a folder structure along the lines of NameOfBook/RecordType/Record.xml seems like it would be a very convenient way to do this, maybe? I'm not sure what security on that would need to look like, though.

For a system like this to work, there would probably need to be some sort of style/standards documentation added to the wiki so that automation implementations are consistent

Also this. Very much this.