Number of input prompts

When I use over four input prompts the left column of the table disappears? Is there a way to get more than 4 inputs working for a table?

Comments

  • 4 is the limit for input prompts. I started work a while back on a generator that needed 8 prompts. There was no way to make that happen, due to the built-in limit of 4 (confirmed by Ed in a earlier discussion thread; no real reason that 4 is the magic number, it was just not foreseen that there would be a need for more than 4).

    As I read your comment with a fresh perspective, I wonder if I can just turn my generator idea into a series of several generators, as some of my input prompts are binary choices.

    For instance, one prompt is:
    Prompt: Hit or Miss {Hit|Miss} Miss
    So, I could easily just have one generator for HITS and a separate one for MISSES. Now, I'd be down to 2 generators with 7 prompts each.

    Another prompt is:
    Prompt: Attacker Method {Melee|Ranged} Melee
    So, I could just eliminate this prompt and have 4 separate generators with 6 prompts each: A) hit-melee B) hit-ranged C) miss-melee D) miss-ranged. Or, at the least, combine those two prompts into one prompt with 4 possible entries.

    And, a couple of the remaining 6 prompts are not really important. So, maybe I'll start back up on my generator(s) after all.

    But, to answer your question, there is no elegant work around for the 4 prompt limit.

  • I've had to combine prompts, e.g. use a single prompt for age and gender rather than two separate prompts. It's a little kludgy but it works.

    If you want to make multiple generators for the different scenarios (as a different workaround), you can put the shared tables in \Common\ and then have the individual generators reference them. That way if you update one, you don't have to then edit each individual generator to match.

  • I've got a suggestion that may or may not work. If you do it to have a Common gen that you use then tie it into the Generator gen it may work. Like the Skrat name gen being tied into the Scrat Generator.

  • Sure, that would work. You could create a folder with all the related generators that are calling the same common file so they are at least grouped together. Up to a point, it's quicker and easier than prompts. Beyond that point, the number of generators gets unmanageable.

  • I'm a little bit behind the times on this, but did the series of prompts in called generators work out? I just attempted it and it failed to see the prompt. I'm sure the error is on my part, but I'd like to know if you got it to work.

  • I never worked any further on mine. Not sure if jdale or nimbus2000HP did any further trials.

    I have passed a single prompt to a reference called generator before and it did work. But it's sketchy to try to pass multiple prompts to a referenced generator... prompt1, prompt2 order could easily get scrambled upon passing them. I have set the prompt value to a new variable name in the main generator and then had a special referenced generator (copy of Human Name, for example) that used the named variable. That way there is a far better chance of passing more than one prompt value to the referenced generator. You can do it inline with something like {@VarName4=={$prompt4}} and then use {@VarName4} in the referenced generator to recall the selected choice of the 4th prompt.

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