Initiative tracking enhancements

Regarding initiative there are several things I would like to see added. 1)   When you point at the name in the initiative list it highlights the token. I would like to see the token be able to be highlighted when it is there turn and you are not pointing in the initiative list. 2)   I would like to give players the ability to end the turn of a token that they have access to. 3)   The ability to set group of tokens on one initiative, and the ability to mark a member of the group as done. being done would un-highlight the token making it simpler to track the members have gone. I tend to put minions or groups of the same type of characters all on the same initiative.  This would need suggestion one to be implemented to have an effect. I can give more examples as to why I think this would be a useful but I think it is self-evident. If I am mistaken in my last statement please let me know and I will wright more.

Much of this should be available when the API comes out for mentors... but you'll need to subscribe to get access to it.

as i understand this is a place where we are to put thinks we would like to see added to the program. then discus the  merits  and disadvantages of the idea. not be  told  you will be able to program the  feather  your self. o and pay us for the  privilege. i know i have not  gotten  this  response  from the  actual  makers Roll20. but i posted three suggestions last night and got the same  response  in all  cases. in short i will not be paying for the ability to right my own program. some small things sheer but by posting it will be in the API you effectively tell others not to give there input and there by make the program less for all involved so the devs will not get an  accurate  fell  for what is wanted  in the program .  sorry for the tangent. rant over.

well here is the deal, most all of your ideas have been discussed already.  i too am equally guilty of utilizing the application for a couple days, and then heading to the forum to voice similar suggestions.  its not that your opinion isnt valued, its just that the opinion has already been settled. as far as not liking the answer, i dont know what to tell you.  the plain truth is that there is not enough time in the day for the devs to include every minute detail that we can all think of and then to execute it in flawless perfection.  i have more faith in my ability to code something to my specific requirements and am quite exited about the potential in it, especially with this community to drive it.

it is not that i think that my opinion not valued. i did not find any of my suggestions already posted. i understand there is not time to do everything unless it is a full time job and even then a small team would still take time to do things. i wanted to get it out there and if it already was and i did not find it i would expect other new people not to have found it. and the new people deserve to have a say and let the devs known what we are interested in or the program will go stale and new people will not be interested. if not enough people are interested to  justify  the devs time it is great to have the API and do it yourselves.   i truly do want this to work i want to see the small group win. i am sad to say what i took out of this is not to post any suggestions all i will get is "become a mentor and code what you want " where can i find more info on this API? at this point all i know is that it exists.

and this is the flaw of the mentor system, their is a special mentor forum where we discuss alot of this kind of stuff, such as the API, journal upgrades, etc, however, the future ideas are not trickled down to the regular forums very effectively.  its a balance i suppose and makes sense, money is speech, money buys you access, effectively mentors have become Roll20 lobbyists.

Reb S. said: and this is the flaw of the mentor system, their is a special mentor forum where we discuss alot of this kind of stuff, such as the API, journal upgrades, etc, however, the future ideas are not trickled down to the regular forums very effectively.  its a balance i suppose and makes sense, money is speech, money buys you access, effectively mentors have become Roll20 lobbyists. Note: my words below isn't a rant or anything like that, just a friendly discussion :) Thats one thing I don't like about the current model.  The users not paying are left in the dark too much.  I think Roll20 could get even more buzz than it already has if there was a list of current things being worked on and future items possibly in the works.  Maptools had an excellent wall of features or something like that.  You could even put money down for the feature you wanted worked on the most. I really wanted to know what direction some of the abilities of Roll20  were going before I started putting money down.  But that wasn't happening so I eventually started paying anyways.  But I would have started paying right away I think if I had known more about the direction Roll20 was going. I'm not complaining, just stating how I felt when I first found Roll20.  There are other VTTs and it would be nice to know when or if Roll20 will be getting some of their abilities.  I'm still sticking with Roll20.  Maptools has a lot I wanted, but no development from what I can see. It might also help with users constantly suggesting the same things. :)  I know half of my suggestions early on had already been suggested in one form or the other. We should have a stickie at the very least with a list of suggestions.  That could be something useful?  I was going to make a list of my favourite suggestions myself just so I could remember them all. :)  Maybe I'll go through the Suggestions forum and make that list if I get some time this weekend?

i am gonna hijack this thread even more, i am a mentor so i get to do that(i fully expect a dev will shut down this topic), but i think many people, myself included, may have an unrealistic expectation of what the API will be capable of, but on the other hand, we dont really know either, the roll20 devs have more than surprised me before.  so unfortunately alot of these suggestions get put into a holding pattern where we just have to wait and see what the API will afford us.

You're a mentor. Go listen to the podcasts discussing the API. 

i dont like listening, i like reading edit: i did listen to the most recent one that dicussed the api, but that just said it got delayed cause the main dude on the project had a baby, not so much about the actual object access.

Then you're just gonna have to wait until the api releases with documentation.

have they even said is any specific commands will/won't be in the api?

Konrad J. said: I think Roll20 could get even more buzz than it already has if there was a list of current things being worked on and future items possibly in the works.   this is part of my point i have no problem paying but i want to know there is enough product to justify my money. and in this case enough development to justify a monthly cost. as i get from Jonathan once the API is done there will be no need to develop any more. the API will do it all. i am sheer that is not the intent but that is what i have gotten. Maptools had an excellent wall of features or something like that.  You could even put money down for the feature you wanted worked on the most. i think the "wall" is an excellent idea. someone should post that suggestion in the Mentor forum so it will get the attention is deserves. the pay to get an idea worked on is not bad but i would not be willing to pay monthly and then more for a protect. as i do not see the monthly going anywhere the wall could have a vote system. one vote per account perhaps lightly weighted (free 1 point , supporter 2 point , mentor 3 points) what is at the top gets the most points gets the most attention. when a  project  is done you get your vote back or you could change it to a new protect that is added that you want  more. i am sheer this would get more supporters and mentors. i would become a mentor if i liked what was being worked on. 

I would be interested in knowing more about the what and why behind the Dev team can or can't do specific applications. I've see the original suggestion of allowing players to end their own turn a lot. I've got no idea why it can't or won't be done. Time? Coding? We're thinking about it? I would like the Dev team to share more about the what and why and why not of some ideas. I'm not a program writer and I'm probably not going to learn any time soon. In a way it makes the API useless for me. Unless I can use what other Moderators create. I still think Roll20 is a great value. Even if it's only supporting what I love to do. It seems reasonable for subscribers to gain access that non paying Roll20 players might not get. It offers a paying customer incentives. Most things will reach the free zone community at some point. Mentors pay to get things first and get things that are still in development. If that isn't worth paying a subscription for I don't know what to tell you. If more people subscribe the better the chance Roll20 could be the Dev teams only job! They promise our dreams will all come true it that happens! : ) Still I would like to know more about why they do and don't do some things that are suggested.

Scott, I am not a Dev and cannot speak for them. However, I do have to ask, which would you like more? Devs answering a lot of questions regarding why they do or do not do things or Devs building Roll20?  As a Moderator I deal with a massive number of posts from users. I have a lot of information to read through on a daily basis. If I were also coding one or the other would not happen. This is not to say that the suggestion forum does not get read, it does. But, to respond to each and every request from our user base would require so much effort that I doubt the Devs would be able to get anything else done.  - Gauss

It all comes down to time. There are X hours of dev time involved in all the feature requests and Y time available from the developers to implement these features. Right now X is significantly greater than Y so the developers have to make choices about what gets implemented now and what gets put off for later. The dev team makes the ultimate decisions about what gets implemented when but they do that based on community interest and feedback. Trust us that these suggestion threads do not fall on deaf ears.

Closing this thread, as these debates continue to ramble past the point of importance.