What do I know? Am I too harsh?
Do I need to backtrack?
I've been saying that any SRD rules mechanics cannot be compiled into a distributable, and after coming out strong on this, I'm now a little shaken.
PCGen was vetted a while ago by Wizards, and I assumed that their latest release would show how they had tackled the issues. Out of interest, at the time, I downloaded PCGen to have a look at a vetted example.
I quick look seemed to show that they basically had a "compiled" jar file, and a bunch of lst files. At the time, with only a brief look, it seemed to me that the lst files were pure data, and that the compiled mechanics were in the compiled file (the bites that add the numbers together). I was a little confused, but, being busy, moved on.
Having made some big statements on this thread about license compliance, though, I thought I'd go and have a closer look at the PCGen source that is actually compiled.
I want to stress that I've only had a cursory look, so it doesn't necessarility mean much, but what I found is surprising.
I picked on AC calculations by way of example. The calculations of AC, and the various sorts (standard, touch, range) and the bits that compose add up to make AC are, to my mind, clear SRD derivations that cannot be done in compiled code.
I actually found a file called "ACCalculator.java", which seems to be clearly compiled into the main executable.
That file clearly contains functions which implement SRD mechanics. An example is the "calculateACBonusTouch()" function which adds together size, dexterity and natural AC bonuses, to get the "touch AC".
There's lots of other examples. To a large extent, it appears that PCGen is mostly composed of generic processing functions that in themselves don't implement specific SRD functions. On the other hand, there are functions that I personally would clearly interpret as being derivations of the SRD. Since the lst files don't appear to contain anything other than pure data, I'm now assuming that virtually everything specifically calculated in PCGen (like a fully calculated save bonus, or skill check) is actually using compiled code.
This is pretty unexpected, and my confidence in what I've previously said is a little shaken. Either:
1) PCGen contains fundamental violations, and Wizards just missed them (seems unlikely), or;
2) I've been too harsh in my interpretations, of discussions and Wizard stances on the official OGL list.
How hard is all this?????
Do I need to backtrack?
I've been saying that any SRD rules mechanics cannot be compiled into a distributable, and after coming out strong on this, I'm now a little shaken.
PCGen was vetted a while ago by Wizards, and I assumed that their latest release would show how they had tackled the issues. Out of interest, at the time, I downloaded PCGen to have a look at a vetted example.
I quick look seemed to show that they basically had a "compiled" jar file, and a bunch of lst files. At the time, with only a brief look, it seemed to me that the lst files were pure data, and that the compiled mechanics were in the compiled file (the bites that add the numbers together). I was a little confused, but, being busy, moved on.
Having made some big statements on this thread about license compliance, though, I thought I'd go and have a closer look at the PCGen source that is actually compiled.
I want to stress that I've only had a cursory look, so it doesn't necessarility mean much, but what I found is surprising.
I picked on AC calculations by way of example. The calculations of AC, and the various sorts (standard, touch, range) and the bits that compose add up to make AC are, to my mind, clear SRD derivations that cannot be done in compiled code.
I actually found a file called "ACCalculator.java", which seems to be clearly compiled into the main executable.
That file clearly contains functions which implement SRD mechanics. An example is the "calculateACBonusTouch()" function which adds together size, dexterity and natural AC bonuses, to get the "touch AC".
There's lots of other examples. To a large extent, it appears that PCGen is mostly composed of generic processing functions that in themselves don't implement specific SRD functions. On the other hand, there are functions that I personally would clearly interpret as being derivations of the SRD. Since the lst files don't appear to contain anything other than pure data, I'm now assuming that virtually everything specifically calculated in PCGen (like a fully calculated save bonus, or skill check) is actually using compiled code.
This is pretty unexpected, and my confidence in what I've previously said is a little shaken. Either:
1) PCGen contains fundamental violations, and Wizards just missed them (seems unlikely), or;
2) I've been too harsh in my interpretations, of discussions and Wizard stances on the official OGL list.
How hard is all this?????
