Different Shape Tokens

As i said on the Discord, Square and Triangle tokens would be incredible as they would serve different functions. Square tokens can be large rooms or traps, triangle tokens could be signs, these are just a few off of the top of my head.

6 Likes

There’s been talk here and there of differently shaped tokens in Feature Request: Tokens with Art. That thread is kind of all-over-the-place though :sweat_smile:.

True, though this suggestion is unique in that im just talking about basic different shapes that serve different purposes. This differs in the fact that it does not violate Shmeppy’s third trait. By making different shapes, it keeps it simple, opens up new creative opportunities, and adds more individualism to each token while keeping it extremely abstract.

2 Likes

This could be incredibly useful for telling apart factions and such as well! I’ve seen concerns about the token system’s accessibility for colorblind people- this could really improve that.

2 Likes

Definitely would LOVE this for things like:

  • more easily moveable walls
  • traps
  • furniture and objects

Even though I am not in favour of different kinds of ‘symbols/tokens’ basic geometrical shapes has a strength.

Smileys in the token text-box solves most of the ‘more kinds of tokens now!’ -issue and could actually be made even better if the text-box could be locked in the token centre. But if a name or such has to go into the text-box as well complexity hits the roof - enter basic geometrical shapes. This is ‘neutral content’ that the viewer quickly and with low cognitive cost/load can connect/fill intuitively.

Have you all in a sudden been swarmed by a bunch of bad guys? Are they all circular like your team but have a certain colour in common to differ them from good guys? Have this colour been close to a colour on someone from your team and caused confusion between players in meelee fighting? Has it halted the flow when players have to ask/discuss between them/with gm? Has there been a third+ circular party involved half ways into the debacle?

With more shapes the almost same colour palette could be used between shapes, and the hunt for colours differing enough could be over.

When creating a token pressing 1 thru n would change shapes and all in a sudden another dimension is brought into the game without upping complexity much at all. Low cost - high yield.

So, tokens w centered text-box for ‘symbols’ in the field and triangle/square/diamond/star/what have you for shape? Food for thought.

1 Like

I agree with moving walls and other creations, maybe a copy/cut and paste feature for duplications and moving things? But traps and furniture would move Shmeppy beyond the abstract whiteboard idea.

Looking at solutions isn’t useful without establishing the problem first.

@anon29736484 suggested that having colors being a main differentiator of tokens leaves out a bunch of color-blind folks. Having differently shaped tokens instead could be a solution to that. I have different plans to support color-blind folks, but this is a good option to keep in mind.

What are some other problems that differently shaped tokens would address?

1 Like

A post was split to a new topic: Allow labels to be drawn on top of tokens

Need for visual variety. having the ability to have circle:people, square: statue, Triangle: PCs would be incredible.

1 Like

I would vote against this feature. doesn’t seem necessary.