I have mixed feelings about this formatting. While I think your groupings are reasonable and have logical justification, I find this slightly less usable in actual play. I think the issue is that the older format, while presenting the statistics in an order that wasn't grouped by type, was presenting stats closer to the order in which I actually need them when running the creature. Movement, for example, is often one of, if not the first thing I need to know as a Judge in terms of interaction. Alignment, and even Saves, much less so. As a less significant example, I need to reference AC before hit points as I usually have to check for a hit before tracking damage.
Other changes you've made and where you've put them are most welcome, such as the addition of creature size (needed for spotting distance outdoors) and BR (at the end as least used). All in all, it's usable and reasonable, but I'm torn as to whether or not it's a net improvement.
I have encountered the problem you describe, as I test this out and reference it more. I am still fairly attached to HD being as close to the front as is reasonable; it's the most concise summary of a creature's role and stature, and having it at the front is useful for skimming through an encounter or set of encounters as a whole.
Creature size and type before it, and AC and saves right after it, I am rather less tied to. Putting AC, SV, ML at the end seems worth considering, it just moves AC and SV away from HD and hp. Size/type/AL I'd initially thought really useful for quick conceptualization, but increasingly seem unnecessary at the beginning and I'm considering moving to the penultimate position with senses, before special abilities, though far from set on that. In many standard reference cases (e.g. orcs), creature type ("Humanoid Beastmen") can probably be cut entirely.
That would leave "# Monster, HD, init, MV, AT" as the start to the statblock, which seems worth a try.
I like the formatting. I think its the kind of things that’s going have to be refined in usage. My next article will be adapting this formatting.
Let me know how that works for you! Seeing how it works for reference in play is certainly the ultimate test.
I have mixed feelings about this formatting. While I think your groupings are reasonable and have logical justification, I find this slightly less usable in actual play. I think the issue is that the older format, while presenting the statistics in an order that wasn't grouped by type, was presenting stats closer to the order in which I actually need them when running the creature. Movement, for example, is often one of, if not the first thing I need to know as a Judge in terms of interaction. Alignment, and even Saves, much less so. As a less significant example, I need to reference AC before hit points as I usually have to check for a hit before tracking damage.
Other changes you've made and where you've put them are most welcome, such as the addition of creature size (needed for spotting distance outdoors) and BR (at the end as least used). All in all, it's usable and reasonable, but I'm torn as to whether or not it's a net improvement.
I have encountered the problem you describe, as I test this out and reference it more. I am still fairly attached to HD being as close to the front as is reasonable; it's the most concise summary of a creature's role and stature, and having it at the front is useful for skimming through an encounter or set of encounters as a whole.
Creature size and type before it, and AC and saves right after it, I am rather less tied to. Putting AC, SV, ML at the end seems worth considering, it just moves AC and SV away from HD and hp. Size/type/AL I'd initially thought really useful for quick conceptualization, but increasingly seem unnecessary at the beginning and I'm considering moving to the penultimate position with senses, before special abilities, though far from set on that. In many standard reference cases (e.g. orcs), creature type ("Humanoid Beastmen") can probably be cut entirely.
That would leave "# Monster, HD, init, MV, AT" as the start to the statblock, which seems worth a try.