[Sheet Versions] Ongoing Updates to Community Character Sheets

If updates are made to a community character sheet, do all games that use the sheet get automatically updated? Or is it just when they re-save their character sheet choices in the game settings? Some other scheme? What happens if in a subsequent update to a community sheet: 1. You remove an attribute from the sheet (I think it still stays in the abilities & attributes tab but just sits there unused). 2. You remove or add something to a repeating section. Also, since all sheets are editable by anyone through GitHub, what's the protocol for editing other sheet authors' sheets? Theoretically, any new author can take an existing sheet in a new direction which might be in contrary to what previous author(s) have done or are still planning.

- All games that use the sheet are updated, if the updated sheet has been published by roll20 - When you remove an attribute from the sheet, it stays in the existing characters but is unused - Not sure about repeating sections, but the same thing would likely apply - the attribute that underlies it is still there, just unused (or expanded) If a sheet is going to undergo a radical change (as is happening with 5e shaped right now), it's an excellent idea to: - Add a sheet version number - Create a sheet worker (script - we have those now! Woot! :)) that checks for version number. If version number of existing character is empty or smaller than current sheet, run appropriate conversions as required. > what's the protocol for editing other sheet authors' sheets I'm not sure there's an official protocol. Good FOSS etiquette is to check in with the original author first, as this may otherwise be seen as a "hostile fork". It'd also be an excellent idea to check in with the roll20 devs, because: - A sheet that's changed on github is available to pro members to load manually into their campaigns, but is not available in the drop-down and can't be used by any GM not at "Pro" level. In order for the sheet to become "official", as it were, roll20 devs have to (manually) publish it. Sometimes a sheet will be all-but-abandoned, and that's okay. For example, for DnD 5e, we currently have three sheets: - "Community," the first that had been created. Not updated in 9 months or so, author has stated job and life keep him away from playing and coding - "Shaped," the second that had been created. Under furious development to be updated for the new SRD. Looking most excellent so far. - "OGL," the official sheet created by the roll20 devs themselves, to celebrate the SRD and sheetworker functionality (and provide an official sheet for 5e, the most popular game here, which strikes me as an excellent idea) OGL has one-time importers for "Community" and "Shaped." "Shaped", once the update goes out of Pro-only land and live sometime March, will have one-time importers for "Community" and "OGL". That leaves the original "Community" sheet as one that doesn't do SRD, and likely won't be updated. And that's okay. The game doesn't need three sheets. OGL is nice and functional and has a clean, minimal design; and Shaped in its new form has all the bells and whistles one could hope for while still being a joy to look at.

Yeah.  Um.  What  Thorsten B. said. For me, if I made a sheet- or anyone asks me to help fix on I did not make, contacting the original sheet author is important., but not always possible.  An attempt to contact the author should be made- a new thread stating what is wrong or a way to make things better is acceptable- before anyone commits a change to a sheet.  And if you are making a major change, a thread discussing it should be made, so other users of the sheet have an opportunity to put their two cents in.   I generally don't wait more than a couple of weeks before making the changes, if no one responds.  You can't contact everyone, but you really ought to try.