Compendium Lite

[EllisDee37]

I wrote a compendium to take the place of the spreadsheet I've been using ever since I started playing. That spreadsheet has evolved to be quite advanced over the years, but it was still lacking in some key areas. Compendium answers the call.

The core design goal is to list all the quests in a logical order -- including links to their wiki pages -- and be able to track your characters' progress so you can see at a glance who still needs to run what. On top of that I wanted a place for my notes, as my notes file is also years old and has been with me through thick and thin. And then since I just recently created the dashboard page on the wiki, I thought it might be nice to also have a customizable dashboard-style links area.

And finally, this seemed like the most logical place to toss all the old quickie utilities I wrote for DDO years ago.


The program (as well as complete source code) is bundled along with my other tools, which I've now dubbed DDO Lite Tools, available for download over in the Character Builder Lite thread.


Fair warning that this initial 1.0 release may be buggy; I literally just finished working on it like an hour ago. The plan is to fix any issues with an update to my various programs when U36 goes live.

[EllisDee37]

Here's a thumbnail of the main screen, click to enlarge and click again to see it full size:



As you can see, unlike my character builder and crafting planner, I'm finally taking advantage of the available screen real estate on my high def monitor. However, I didn't leave lower resolutions out in the cold. If you shrink the window down, the Notes and Links tabs snap over to the left with the quests into a single unified pane:



After setting up all my quest progress for all my characters, I wouldn't be able to verify the favor totals with the totals in-game because you also get favor from challenges. So I added a challenge screen, shamelessly borrowing the in-game star graphics. Click the stars to set your progress:



And now my favor totals perfectly match what my characters show in-game, which is easy to verify with the Patrons screen:

[EllisDee37]

If you right click a character name in the quest list header you get a context menu:



Those first three options are customized (using the "Customize" option at the bottom) to open the build and gearset files in CharacterBuilderLite and CannithCrafting, plus the first one is a link to the forum thread where I posted the build.

Everything after those is hardcoded in for all characters. Reincarnate simply clears all favor in one shot, asking if you're sure first, of course.


Edit Characters opens the characters screen:




You can also get to most all screens in the Compendium from the Tools window, available from the button in the top right corner of the screen:




Of course every screen is chock full of Help info, for those rare individuals who read help files. heh.

[EllisDee37]

In addition to favor tracking, notes and links, I also included several old utilities I wrote for DDO long ago.



First is the shroud puzzle solver, which I really wanted but writing it meant that I now understood the puzzles and no longer needed it, so I never actually used it. Hopefully someone else will find it helpful:




Next is one I do still use and love: an ADQ riddle solver. You can tell how long ago I wrote this because it uses the old-style graphics for the riddle that the game last used sometime in 2011, I think. Click the answers along the left to fill in the riddle. As you click, answers autofill for you. This example involved two clicks: DEVIOUS, then POISONER:







With the riddle filled in, click Accept to solve and bring up the solution screen, which stays AlwaysOnTop while you run the quest:



At the same time, it stuffs the solution to your clipboard for sharing with the rest of the party. Clicking the little eye icon re-stuffs the solution to the clipboard as needed. When you paste it, it looks like this:

1. Snake-W 2. Monkey-E 3. Octopus-NE 4. Wolf-SW 5. Scorpion-NW 6. Bat-SE



And finally, a stopwatch. Because of course a stopwatch:

[EllisDee37]

Version 1.1 adds Sagas.

Sagas have their own screen, and are accessed the same way as Challenges: Right click a character column header, or via the Tools screen.

Paint your progress the same way as the quest list works. A special "character" column lets you apply progress to all sagas at once. Click a saga column header to open saga detail, where you can claim your reward. (Which just clears all progress for that saga.)

Here's a combo screenshot of both the sagas screen and the saga detail window:

[EllisDee37]

This is plenty, surely. I'll go back and add the details.

[EllisDee37]

All done, at least for now. Files are available in the CharacterBuilderLite thread for download. Check it out and see what you think.

[Bolo_Grubb]

Wow This is AWESOME.

Thank you.

I can greatly reduce the size of the spreadsheet I was using before thanks to your Compendium. one question, can I change where I save the information on my characters? I often play on up to 3 different computers in 3 different locations. With the builder, I saved the *.bld files to my dropbox so I could access them on the different computers. Is that possible here?

[Phoenicis]

Dude, when do you have time to actually play the game?

Awesome work!

[JOTMON]

nice layout..

Now to get DDO to hire you so you can update the in game compendium and a lot of the other poorly portrayed data screens to give players the tools to access information we are looking for..

[TPICKRELL]

... With the builder, I saved the *.bld files to my dropbox so I could access them on the different computers. Is that possible here?

I have the same issue with multiple machines. My workaround is to install the tools including the executables on my drop box folder instead of my local machine, and run the apps directly from drop box. Saves time updating the tools also since there is only one copy shared between my machines.

[Cordovan]

This is very cool.

[Bolo_Grubb]

I have the same issue with multiple machines. My workaround is to install the tools including the executables on my drop box folder instead of my local machine, and run the apps directly from drop box. Saves time updating the tools also since there is only one copy shared between my machines.

That is a great idea that never occurred to me. Thank you. Problem solved.

[LrdSlvrhnd]

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to EllisDee37 again."

This looks really cool! It'll really be great for those times when I realize I only need a smidge more TP to buy ____ on sale and go looking who's close to a benchmark.

Are sagas included, or do you have any plans to include them?

I really like the ADQ puzzles including the directions, I always have to open up wiki and keep checking the map.

Issue: Devil Assault & Chrono are listed under L18s, not L6s. DA could be argued either way, given the weirdness of the levels, but the in-game Compendium lists it at 6. And Chrono should definitely be 6.

Hah, and since the character I'm trying this has ETR'd and is only L21, I can't check any of the quests higher than Precious Cargo in-game. (Although apparently I didn't do any of them before ETR'ing, because the totals match.)

[psykopeta]

you are awesome, nothing more can be said

i would give you rep, but this stone age forum forces me to give rep to others even if they don't deserve, just to give you

[Stoner81]

Wow! Just wow!

... *stunned silence of awe*

In the immortal words of AC/DC... for those about to rock... I saaaaaaaaaaaaaalute you!

This is just crazy dude how do you find time to play as well as do all this for us lot! DAYUM! I had a feeling it was something along these lines with the teaser you posted but jeez I had no inkling of how badass it would be!

Massive props to you dude!

Stoner81.

[EllisDee37]

can I change where I save the information on my characters? I often play on up to 3 different computers in 3 different locations. With the builder, I saved the *.bld files to my dropbox so I could access them on the different computers. Is that possible here?

Not currently, but I see no harm in adding a line to Settings.txt to specify a custom Save folder. If I don't put it on the tools screen it would only take minutes to implement, as I just finished laying out the Tools screen yesterday and it's finicky to mess with it. (EDIT: That's totally about the screen, and not at all about my low-grade self-diagnosed OCD, no sirree.)

I like the idea of copying the programs themselves to the dropbox folder, but adding in a power-user custom folder option isn't a bad idea.

Dude, when do you have time to actually play the game?

The past couple weeks, not much, heh. I started work on the Compendium four weeks ago, generally spending half my DDO time on playing the game and half working on the Compendium. But after a week or two the Compendium completely took over to the point that I just had to finish it. I'm so very happy to have finally gotten to the 1.0 release, as now I can start watching down my poor DVR (92%) and get back to leveling my favored soul life.

Are sagas included, or do you have any plans to include them?

I plan to, yes, but I don't have a clear vision how the user interface should work. Right now the top contenders are:

1. Add a tab control to the quests lists that shows Quests / Sagas. Clicking the sagas tab removes the character columns, replacing them with saga columns. You'd have to be able to choose a character, so probably a dropdown (like on the challenges screen) next to the tab control?

2. Leave the quests list as it is (don't add a tab header for sagas) but add a dropdown to the bottom of the list, along the left next to the favor totals. This dropdown would have an option for either All Quests or any given saga. Changing to a saga would filter the list to only quests in that saga, and you could then paint your progress on the saga quests for all characters at the same time.

Option 2 is easier, but neither is particularly difficult. The real choice is what information is more relevant: See all sagas at once to see what quests are shared between them, or see all characters at once like the quest list proper. Both solutions would be time consuming to implement, though, so I bailed on it for the first v1.0 release.

Issue: Devil Assault & Chrono are listed under L18s, not L6s. DA could be argued either way, given the weirdness of the levels, but the in-game Compendium lists it at 6. And Chrono should definitely be 6.

Harrumph. That is indeed an issue, which is a bummer. I think I prefer having the Devil Assault pack listed where it is when sorting by Pack, but yeah, for sure Chronoscope needs its level corrected. I'll get that updated for the U36 update.

You can edit it yourself right now in Data\Compendium\Quests.txt. Search for Chronoscope and change the Level from 18 to 6, then restart the compendium. You'll notice that it has no effect on the Packs order, which is "hardcoded" yet customizable in that the Packs order simply lists quests in the order they appear in Quests.txt. That's a dirty cheat, and doesn't allow people to customize their own pack order level (ie: sort epic packs by epic levels instead of heroic) but much of the Pack sort order is hand-crafted. Any changes you make to Quests.txt get overwritten each update.

[Saekee]

just, wow.

<long silence>

[JonD]

Right now the top contenders are:

1. Add a tab control to the quests lists that shows Quests / Sagas. Clicking the sagas tab removes the character columns, replacing them with saga columns. You'd have to be able to choose a character, so probably a dropdown (like on the challenges screen) next to the tab control?

2. Leave the quests list as it is (don't add a tab header for sagas) but add a dropdown to the bottom of the list, along the left next to the favor totals. This dropdown would have an option for either All Quests or any given saga. Changing to a saga would filter the list to only quests in that saga, and you could then paint your progress on the saga quests for all characters at the same time.

Option 2 is easier, but neither is particularly difficult. The real choice is what information is more relevant: See all sagas at once to see what quests are shared between them, or see all characters at once like the quest list proper. Both solutions would be time consuming to implement, though, so I bailed on it for the first v1.0 release.

Personally, I think option 1 would be more useful. I'm often thinking "I want xp, which sagas am I close to completing on this character?", I'm never thinking "I want to complete a saga, which of my characters is closest to doing it?". On the other hand, people doing sagas for renown may argue the other way.

Would it be possible to do option 2 but, instead of choosing a particular saga, all quests in all sagas are shown and coloured dots after the quest names indicate which sagas they are in? Obviously, you would then also need a legend somewhere matching colour to saga (and reward giver, maybe?).

JonD

[EllisDee37]

Personally, I think option 1 would be more useful. I'm often thinking "I want xp, which sagas am I close to completing on this character?", I'm never thinking "I want to complete a saga, which of my characters is closest to doing it?". On the other hand, people doing sagas for renown may argue the other way.

Would it be possible to do option 2 but, instead of choosing a particular saga, all quests in all sagas are shown and coloured dots after the quest names indicate which sagas they are in? Obviously, you would then also need a legend somewhere matching colour to saga (and reward giver, maybe?).

Interesting thoughts, and I hear you about how the two different questions people might ask themselves can be very different for different people.

As for your take on 2, I could see maybe a "Saga" column with those dots, but the key issue there is quests that are part of multiple sagas. How would you paint or clear a quest for just one saga you turned in but not for other sagas you haven't completed yet?

I haven't yet written a single line of code for sagas, so now is the time for brainstorming.