Table results visibility

I'd like to request a documentation update for tables in the FGU wiki.

I struggled quite a bit with table results visibility in a new campaign I was setting up. I wanted to create a table that would show results to the players in the Chat. My goal was to create a table that displayed a drawn card from a deck of cards to the players.

No matter what I did, the results were always visible to me on my GM table, but not visible to the players.

I read the Using Tables to Create Random Results wiki page. I was frustrated that the table screen shot did not match up with the default values for this new campaign I was creating. The screenshot showed the "Visibility" button but my new campaign didn't show that.

Until I read, re-read, and re-re-read the section on "vis," didn't grasp that I had to change a Campaign Option. I was expecting some option in the table itself, or in the Tables list screen. I believe this Table wiki page should be linked to a page about the Campaign Options, and specifically to the Options > Game > Chat: Show GM rolls > On/Off option. It would probably also be good for the Tables wiki page and/or Campaign Options wiki page to indicate the default value is "off" and this may have effects X, Y, and Z.

Part of the issue is probably that I don't create new campaigns on a regular basis. I didn't find a specific page about Campaign Options but it might be good to have a page about them if there isn't one already. Such a page could helpfully list Options that are frequently changed and why.

Fwiw, in my Google searches, the old FGC wiki came up as the first result almost every time. This is unsurprising, given that it's older and has had more time in the Google index, but this was pretty frustrating and an additional annoyance.

Campaign options for the 5e ruleset are here https://fantasygroundsunity.atlassia...mpaign+Options

Not every ruleset has the same options and not every ruleset will have a wiki entry for the options in that ruleset.

The 'Vis' description on the rollable tables section of the wiki is quite clear that you need to set an option. There is only one place to set options; but if you don't know that I can see the problem. The options for each ruleset are different so linking to another wiki article for this one thing is problematic since tables are generic to all rulesets but the options are not.

I understand what you are saying, but it implies good knowledge of Fantasy Grounds. That may be expected by the time someone gets to using Tables, but maybe not.

I'm sure some of this post will come off as criticism but I hope it is seen as constructive criticism.

The DM/GM would have to be familiar with setting up campaigns. I've been using FGC/FGU since 2019, more seriously since 2020, and I haven't created that many campaigns. Each campaign is set up once; I don't tend to change the options after that. (With the little bit that I have done, I am considering creating a dummy campaign that has everything set the way I want and just duplicate it, but that's besides the point here.)

I flailed around doing all sorts of other things I would have done normally as a DM — locking/unlocking, radial menu, clicking on the visibility indicator in the chat window, etc. — trying to get something to work. It was only after I started Googling that I even found that there should be a "Vis" indicator in the Table Edit window. That means I was already frustrated enough that I'd jumped out of FGU.

Back in the wiki, the term "options" is in lowercase in the relevant description on the Using Tables to Create Random Results wiki page. From a usability/discovery standpoint, I would suggest it be capitalized, and referred to as "Campaign Options." The button would similarly be "Options." Individual options can be lowercase, but these refer to specific part of the application / UI. It would help to draw attention to them as proper nouns. Consistently doing so will help make it clearer.

The Campaign Options are referred to as "Options" and "Campaign options" (capitalized) in the 5E Campaign Options wiki page. The capitalization and exact referencing are inconsistent.

The first table screen shot on the Using Tables to Create Random Results wiki page shows the non-default appearance of a table. I would suggest making the first screenshot show the default appearance, even though it doesn't show all of the options that are subsequently described. The description of table elements could be split up to show the "Vis" description after the second screen shot.

It wasn't until I clicked through to the 4E Options [sic?] wiki page that I found the common CoreRPG Campaign Options wiki page. (The link was for "Options".) This could be the generic landing page for inbound links from pages like the Using Tables to Create Random Results wiki page. (If "Campaign Options" became a Label in Confluence, there could also be a page with a Livesearch macro that dynamically lists all of the Campaign Options pages for specific rulesets. This page could be transcluded into the CoreRPG Campaign Options and/or sit completely independently as a landing page for all Campaign Options.)

The Campaign Options pages descriptions of "Chat: Show GM rolls" could also mention table results visibility. The few rulesets' Campaign Options that I looked at all had this option, so the shared language could also be on a single Confluence page that is included on the others. It does make some content management more complex, but keeps all the relevant pages up-to-date with the latest changes.

In terms of possible application UX changes, I can think of a few. The "Vis" indicator could be present but inactive (greyed out) in the default state. A tooltip could indicate that it requires a change in the Campaign Options. The visibility indicator in the chat window could be clickable for table results, allowing the DM to toggle them visible for players. (I can toggle visibility for other things with buttons and radial menu commands. Seems reasonable to let me "fix" individual messages in Chat like that.)

HTH.

I'll ask the wiki guru to add in the word campaign and link to the campaign options.

Thanks for your input

Edit: And it's done.