Because I want to make it better!
The first suggestion is very simple: allow us to create a variable and define it in the same line. For example:
*temp awesomeness 25
would work just as well as (and more neatly than):
*temp awesomeness
*set awesomeness 25
The second suggestion is to allow scripting (*if, ${variable}, etc.) within a *stat_chart. Actually, the only value I see to the *stat_chart command is that it automatically inserts single line breaks in between stats. That’s convenient if you’re simple listing predefined stats, but it gets cumbersome if you want to do anything more complex. For example, if I wanted to show stats only if the character had points in them, I would have to write *stat_chart for every stat:
*if (stat_1 != 0)
…*stat_chart
…percent stat_1
*if (stat_2 != 0)
…*stat_chart
…percent stat_2
So…my idea to make this system more flexible has two parts:
-
Allow percent and opposed_pair commands to be used outside of a stat chart. To do this you’ll want to change their format to match that of other commands (*percent, *opposed_pair).
-
Allow other commands within the stat chart commands. So if I wanted, I could write:
*stat_chart
…*if (stat_1 != 0)
…*percent stat_1 ${stat_1_name}
…${description_1}
…*if (stat_2 != 0)
…*percent stat_2
…*if (stat_2 < 5) This is a low value
…*if (stat_2 >=5) This is a high value
…*text awesomeness ${awesomeness_name}
Or, for the same result:
*if (stat_1 != 0)
…*percent stat_1 ${stat_1_name}
…${description_1}
*line_break
*if (stat_2 != 0)
…*percent stat_2
…*if (stat_2 < 5) This is a low value
…*if (stat_2 >=5) This is a high value
*line_break
*text awesomeness ${awesomeness_name}
A note on *text: Unlike *percent and *opposed_pair, there is little gain in allowing this command outside of stat charts. It’s easy enough to write Stat: ${stat} instead of *text Stat. You might want to allow it anyway, though, for symmetry.
I hope you’ll read these suggestions and give them some serious thought. Thanks!
P.S. If anyone else has other ideas, or better ideas, or whatever, this would be the place to post them. 