37 minutes ago, robothedino said:

How do I create custom advantages and disadvantages in Paper Blossoms?

Howdy! Custom Advantages and Disadvantages is a feature we haven't built into the GUI (yet...) but it's doable if you're willing to roll your sleeves up and check out the DB. 🙂 Steps Below!

1) Find the database file (paperblossoms.db, located in the folder opened by going to Tools->Open Application Data Directory. Mine is at C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\PaperBlossoms ) . Make a copy of it just in case, then close Paper Blossoms.

2) Open paperblossoms DB in a SQlite DB tool (I use https://sqlitebrowser.org/dl/ ).

3) We have a space for user-added advantages and disadvantages: user_advantages_disadvantages. If you populate this with values similar to those in the official date (base_advantages_disadvantages) the will show up in the app--typically at the end of whatever dropdown or list you're looking at, on my machine.

So! If I wanted to add a custom distinction, 'Cat Person' I could populate the columns with:

Distinctions Cat Person BookofCats 101 Void Spiritual

Write the changes (there's a button in DB Browser, if you're using that). THen re-open paper blossoms from scratch. If it works, the distinction will be in the database, and selectable when you build a new character (at the end of the dropdown).

4) Optional: Description

We don't put *any* descriptions in place by default. You can add them, however, under Tools->Description editor. You should see your custom Distinction in the list (alphabetically, here).

After you're done, be sure to Tools->Export->Export All User Data Tables to make sure you can keep this data after we update the application (since an update will typically overwrite the data).

Hope that helps!

Addendum: It *is* possible you could export the user data tables, modify user_advantages_disadvantages in the same way (taking care to adhere to CSV constraints) and then import them back in -- but CSVs can be a little finicky, and I can't claim to have tested that, I'm afraid!

*Ears perk up* Cat people ??

Thanks so much for the assistance there- truly a labor of love you have here, and it shows. If you ever run a PbP game, I want to be in it!

8 hours ago, robothedino said:

Thanks so much for the assistance there- truly a labor of love you have here, and it shows. If you ever run a PbP game, I want to be in it!

I am thinking heavily on running one. I have a site made for many different game lines. Though personally I'd focus more on storytelling and good writing over any dice rolls.

Just curious if Gao have been added from the Core Rule Book yet? They were still missing from the last update.

Hey this page has been pretty quiet for while and am curious on how things are going?

11 minutes ago, Bronther said:

Hey this page has been pretty quiet for while and am curious on how things are going?

Howdy! Embarrassingly, it's been quiet because I haven't carved out the time to do Path of Waves updates. This doesn't mean there has been no work done, of course -- there are 11 commits covering several key bugfixes checked in. However, I haven't pushed a new build yet (if feeling adventurous, of course, it's all on github, so you can give building it yourself a spin if you'd like to try the bleeding edge!) since I'd like to get another big feature push done before I do.

As for the Gao--fun fact: nobody has reported that until now! 😄 I'll get a bug on the issue board for meow9th to get that added for the next release. In the meanwhile, there's nothing particularly special on the Gao, so it should be easy enough to add to your character manually from within the application (no database fiddling needed!). Steps:

1) Equipment->Weapons->Add

2) Choose a template weapon with the same number of grips (I chose Chokuto)

3) Change the Name to Gao, and add descriptions if you like. Set the price to 15 koku.

4) Choose the Snaring Quality, and click Add.

5) Choose the other qualities (for the Chokuto, Ceremonial and Razor-edged) and click Remove Quality/Pattern

6) Set the min/max range to 1, Damage to 4, and Deadliness to 3.

Hope that gets you going! For what it's worth, the project isn't abandoned--it's just a 2 person show most of the time, and our schedules have been a little on the wild side lately.

Additionally: if there are folks that are comfortable in C++/Qt, and you'd like to help out on the project, let me know! I'll be glad to walk you through the codebase and help you ready to contribute. Plenty of work to go around!

57 minutes ago, AltitudeMatters said:

Additionally: if there are folks that are comfortable in C++/Qt, and you'd like to help out on the project, let me know! I'll be glad to walk you through the codebase and help you ready to contribute. Plenty of work to go around!

Not (sufficiently) familiar with either, sadly

Maybe I should read up on C++

any work on path of waves stuff getting added?

On 7/28/2020 at 7:58 PM, Daeglan said:

any work on path of waves stuff getting added?

Howdy! Like everyone, life is a little disrupted here at the moment. That said--yes! I've completed *most* of the UI changes necessary for Bonds (the code is pushed to a 'bonds' branch on github). Next step is to support it in the data model (not tooooo bad) and the character model/save file (which will be a little tougher, but manageable). Unfortunately, Bonds is something of a prereq for PoW effort, so once that's out of the way it will really open up the door to a proper upgrade.

Once we have bonds in place, I'm actually planning on just going ahead and pushing a minor release so you guys can get the various little fixes we've been adding here and there the last couple months.

Apologies that things aren't moving fast--but there's fairly recent progress!

30 minutes ago, AltitudeMatters said:

Howdy! Like everyone, life is a little disrupted here at the moment. That said--yes! I've completed *most* of the UI changes necessary for Bonds (the code is pushed to a 'bonds' branch on github). Next step is to support it in the data model (not tooooo bad) and the character model/save file (which will be a little tougher, but manageable). Unfortunately, Bonds is something of a prereq for PoW effort, so once that's out of the way it will really open up the door to a proper upgrade.

Once we have bonds in place, I'm actually planning on just going ahead and pushing a minor release so you guys can get the various little fixes we've been adding here and there the last couple months.

Apologies that things aren't moving fast--but there's fairly recent progress!

is the data from Shadowlands and Courts of Stone in?

46 minutes ago, Daeglan said:

is the data from Shadowlands and Courts of Stone in?

Minus bonds, it should be! Schools, alternate heritages, etc have been in there for quite a while now

26 minutes ago, AltitudeMatters said:

Minus bonds, it should be! Schools, alternate heritages, etc have been in there for quite a while now

Have you considered a data editor so we can help add data?

36 minutes ago, Daeglan said:

Have you considered a data editor so we can help add data?

Considered it? Absolutely

That said, there are challenges to implementation. The data model is fairly complex; Meow9th has set up a system by which data can be edited in JSON ( https://github.com/dashnine/PaperBlossoms/tree/master/PaperBlossoms/data/json ) which allows it to be tracked fairly easily.

We do have support for entering custom descriptions in an in-app editor; technically you can also add personal user-created data by modifying user_ tables in the database with a tool such as DB Browser for SQLite. That said, time spent on further data editors would take away from our already-too-limited time to get the extensive features needed for the newer books in, so while it's on the to-do-list, it's a little far down, especially since if folks are interested in providing new data, it can be done by posting pull requests of the JSON files!

As a side note -- data addition isn't really the roadblock to the next update, in this case. PoW comes with a number of significant changes to code that are required; entering the data after those are in should be about a day's work!

9 hours ago, AltitudeMatters said:

Considered it? Absolutely

That said, there are challenges to implementation. The data model is fairly complex; Meow9th has set up a system by which data can be edited in JSON ( https://github.com/dashnine/PaperBlossoms/tree/master/PaperBlossoms/data/json ) which allows it to be tracked fairly easily.

We do have support for entering custom descriptions in an in-app editor; technically you can also add personal user-created data by modifying user_ tables in the database with a tool such as DB Browser for SQLite. That said, time spent on further data editors would take away from our already-too-limited time to get the extensive features needed for the newer books in, so while it's on the to-do-list, it's a little far down, especially since if folks are interested in providing new data, it can be done by posting pull requests of the JSON files!

As a side note -- data addition isn't really the roadblock to the next update, in this case. PoW comes with a number of significant changes to code that are required; entering the data after those are in should be about a day's work!

I am guessing a days work is in 1 hour increments because life does not recognize gaming is far far more important than all that other stuff....

2 hours ago, Daeglan said:

I am guessing a days work is in 1 hour increments because life does not recognize gaming is far far more important than all that other stuff....

Hah! More or less. Probably closer to 2 hour increments. 😄 I believe 80% of the data for the CoS release last year was done on a domestic US flight.

Keep an eye out! The first release for PoW is code complete; the branch is in late-stage testing before being merged into master. When that happens, we'll put together a release and get this in front of you guys!

Fair warning: this was the largest overhaul since the application was first made (it included a complete rework of how we handle the curriculum and techniques, for instance... @.@ ) so proceed with the caution due a beta!

Woo hoo! I can't wait. PoW is such a godsend.

1 hour ago, AltitudeMatters said:

Keep an eye out! The first release for PoW is code complete; the branch is in late-stage testing before being merged into master. When that happens, we'll put together a release and get this in front of you guys!

Fair warning: this was the largest overhaul since the application was first made (it included a complete rework of how we handle the curriculum and techniques, for instance... @.@ ) so proceed with the caution due a beta!

Do we need to worry about our saved characters?

40 minutes ago, Daeglan said:

Do we need to worry about our saved characters?

Oh, it's a beta, so definitely! 😄

That said: while there are changes to the save file, it's designed to be backwards-compatible. I've also added a little routine that should automatically add the new columns if you import an old user_curriculum table (assuming it works right. Worked on my machine? 🙂 )

TLDR: While there's always the prospect of a bug causing a problem, everything *should* work fine (I opened, saved, and reopened my Rank-4 Bayushi Manipulator just fine, for instance).

10 hours ago, AltitudeMatters said:

Oh, it's a beta, so definitely! 😄

That said: while there are changes to the save file, it's designed to be backwards-compatible. I've also added a little routine that should automatically add the new columns if you import an old user_curriculum table (assuming it works right. Worked on my machine? 🙂 )

TLDR: While there's always the prospect of a bug causing a problem, everything *should* work fine (I opened, saved, and reopened my Rank-4 Bayushi Manipulator just fine, for instance).

so If I open an old file it should import correctly. then if I save it will save in the updated format?

1 hour ago, Daeglan said:

so If I open an old file it should import correctly. then if I save it will save in the updated format?

Yes indeed! (assuming it works, of course. But yes).

Version 1.3.0-beta1

I know it's been a while since our last release, but I'm happy to announce a release candidate for our new Path of Waves support! Thanks to changes in how certain aspects of curriculums work (and to a whole new set of 20 questions) this is by far our largest release since the original release of Paper Blossoms. You can download the latest code at: https://github.com/dashnine/PaperBlossoms/releases

Per the usual, this is a beta build -- and thanks to things such as a new chargen workflow, bonds support, and a technique/curriculum refactor required to handle Path of Waves, there's a lot here to test. Give it a spin, and let us know what you find. Good luck to all of you in your gaijin and rōnin endeavors!

Changelog (from 1.2.2):

• Now supports content from Path of Waves

• Added support for bonds

• Support setting custom max/min ranks on curriculum technique groups - Note that this requires two additional columns in curriculum.

• Refactored technique management

• Correct bug related to school ring display (Isawa, Ronin, etc)

• Show wealth on chargen finish

• Add gao to weapons

• Expand max XP to 999

• Fixed Ide, Bayushi Deathdealer, Agasha Mystic typos.

• Various and sundry other bugfixes

As usual, if you have custom user_* tables, be sure to use the 'Export' functionality to save your custom data. When you have the opportunity to replace your database with a newer version, you'll need to do so (to handle the two new columns in the curriculum tables). You should be able to import prior data into the new table, however.

TROUBLESHOOTING {edit}

Some users have reported that their database isn't getting updated when they first run the new application, resulting in empty curriculum tables, and a lack of choices on non-samurai new characters. If this happens to you, you can resolve it using the following steps:

1) Tools->Open application Directory

2) You should see a file called paperblossoms -- that's the db. Close the Paper Blossoms application.

3) Rename the paperblossoms.db file to something (paperblossoms.backup, for instance) and then start again. It should regenerate the database and include all the new content.

We'll be investigating why some users don't get updated, but these steps will always ensure you have the latest data for your build.

When I opened my character my curiculum was gone, also while I can select Ronin, Gaijin, Peasant the drop down choces don't work, are path of waves schools available to samurai, like if I want to create a fallen clan samurai or something?

3 minutes ago, Bronther said:

When I opened my character my curiculum was gone, also while I can select Ronin, Gaijin, Peasant the drop down choces don't work, are path of waves schools available to samurai, like if I want to create a fallen clan samurai or something?

That sounds like you didn't pull in the new database. When you launched the app, did it ask you if you want to replace your DB with the new DB? If so, you want to say 'yes'.

Try this if not:

Tools->Open application Directory

you should see a file called paperblossoms -- that's the db. Close the app, and rename the file to something (paperblossoms.backup, for instance) and then start again. It should regenerate the database and include all the new content.

And yes -- you can always (once the DB is in, at least) choose to bypass all restrictions using the checkbox on the school screen!\

Does replacing your DB get you up and running?