Ideal all-in-one RPG software package

[markbuda]

It's already been done. It's called Excel.

So... Excel makes it easy for you to mark up the variant rules you mention in your signature so that anybody else using Excel can use them in their game? Wow. I thought it was just a bloated spreadsheet with an annoying talking paper clip.

 

[Firzair]

So... Excel makes it easy for you to mark up the variant rules you mention in your signature so that anybody else using Excel can use them in your game? Wow. I thought it was just a bloated spreadsheet with an annoying talking paper clip.

QFT

And also for going back to the original question:
I want this framework to be as expansible (???) as possible.
I want to create an inventory and treasure generator.
I want to create a character generator, which uses the inventory generator.
I want to have an house generator, that creates houses with NPCs calling on the character generator.
I want to have a city generator, that generates a city with houses using the house generator...
You get the idea.
For this the database has to be most flexible also you need to be able to create new object types on the fly.
Also the gui must be customizable.
For this, my program can already be used (of course, you need to create the xml-functions first). I'm working on an easy interface so most rules can be entered without creating a function for it.

I've already got some ideas for creating a network interface which just exchanges xml-messages and data, so a dm could enter a modifier to a players character on his laptop and the modifier is also applied on the computer of the player (I know many programs already do this, for my program this is only planned for sometime in the future).
Also there shall be a map interface or something like this, to create maps directly from the object data in the program. So you can use the city generator (if it exists), modify it a bit for creating some coords for each house and the create a map from this data.
Another thing I've got in mind is creating a way for encrypting data files and storing them encrypted in the program, so publishers could create files, encrypt them with a password indivual to the downloading user, the user is then prompted for the password at import and the data is imported but cannot be exported.

All this is MY vision of the ideal tool. Of course, as I did it with DELPHI, it can for now only be used with windows, in linux/wine there are some graphical problems. I'm thinking about switching over to free pascal/lazarus for being more cross platform, but this also would require some heavy rewriting of the program.

Oh, and the ideal such program itself should be freeware/open source, so that many developers could expand the framework itself or help with fixing bugs.

Greetings
Firzair

 

[Pale]

My one and only problem with Excel is the expense. It's either that program or 3 months worth of new gaming material... guess which one I'll pick?


Sometimes I feel like going back to college so I can get the student discount. ::grin::

 

[Ferghis]

My one and only problem with Excel is the expense. It's either that program or 3 months worth of new gaming material... guess which one I'll pick?


Sometimes I feel like going back to college so I can get the student discount. ::grin::

OpenOffice.org is free, and constantly updated. It's excel compatible, but its native format is about a third of the size, if not less.

 

[markbuda]

Another thing I've got in mind is creating a way for encrypting data files and storing them encrypted in the program, so publishers could create files, encrypt them with a password indivual to the downloading user, the user is then prompted for the password at import and the data is imported but cannot be exported.

All you can do with this sort of thing is raise the bar by reducing the number of people who can break it, or who are willing to spend the effort to break it. With publicly available source code, the method you describe raises the bar to exclude... people who can't build it from source or make a trivial modification to the source (find the export code, reverse the sense of the test).

Back on topic, I've assembled a summary of what people in this thread have so far said they would want (filtered somewhat through my interpretation of the Right Way to do things):

1. Handles all DM computations (DaveMage)
2. Intelligent random encounter generator (DaveMage)

- Controlled by many optional parameters (DaveMage)​

3. Knows contents of every WOTC D&D book (DaveMage)
4. Simple map editor (DaveMage)
5. Random dungeon generator (DaveMage)
6. Random city generator (DaveMage)
7. Random world generator (DaveMage)
8. $59.99 or less (DaveMage)
9. Comply with copyright/licensing restrictions while still being a
useful D&D product (boB S)
10. Catalog of published/online source material (whether directly
supported or not) (Alan Shutko)

- adventures
- plot hooks
- character
- locations
- spells
- treasures
- RPG system
- difficulty
- original campaign setting
- location
- type of location (i.e., frozen arctic, plains, swamp)​

11. Stores annotations of catalog entries (Alan Shutko)

- personal notes
- adjustments
- RPG system conversions
- campaign notes​

12. Catalog (and annotations) can be shared with other users (Alan
Shutko)
13. Separate DM and player views of data (Alan Shutko)
14. Ubiquitous hyperlinks (Alan Shutko)

- e.g. Wiki-like links in user-entered data​

15. Some kind of link between catalog and online information
sources (and stores) (Alan Shutko)

- e.g. Amazon​

16. Sanity checks on rules customizations (boB S)
17. Handles (virtually) any RPG system (boB S)
18. Supports online play (LAN or Internet) (Jeysie)
19. Handles all player character sheet calculations (Jeysie)
20. Multiple views of character sheet data (Jeysie)

- including "'cheat sheet' where you can look at all your mods
at a glance"​

21. Character data shareable between players (Jeysie)
22. No unnecessary difference in treatment between PCs and NPCs (Jeysie)
23. Handles various necessary dice rolls (Jeysie)

- e.g. skill checks, ability checks, attack rolls, damage
rolls, saving throws​

24. Manual dice roller for ad hocery (Jeysie)
25. Dice rolling history (Jeysie)

- time, player, purpose​

26. Battle map with shared whiteboard features (Jeysie)

- grid and "pogs"
- ability to draw assorted shapes
- temporary overlay options (what exactly is that?)
- text labelling of things
- different views for different players and dm​

27. Combat tracker (Jeysie)
28. Chat with logging (Jeysie)

- optional builtin chat
- support other chat protocols (e.g., IRC bot interface)​

29. Low hardware requirements (Jeysie)
30. Low bandwidth requirements (Jeysie)
31. Minimal dependencies on additional software (Jeysie)
32. Should operate on an isolated LAN (or single machine) (Jeysie)
33. Multilingual (Firzair)
34. Modular set of tools (schporto)
35. Undo (fancier than just undoing last action) (schporto)
36. Microsoft Surface tie-in? (schporto)
37. DM can break or modify any rule, any time (schporto)
38. Highly extensible (Firzair)
39. Inventory generator (Firzair)
40. Treasure generator (Firzair)
41. Character generator (Firzair)

- generates NPCs and PCs
- uses inventory generator​

42. House generator (Firzair)

- generates residents
- probably want generators for other kinds of buildings

- businesses
- temples
- castles and other fortifications
- palaces​

43. City generator (Firzair)

- uses house generator​

44. Freeware/open source (Firzair)​

 

[Vascant]

What I find most interesting is no where do you include users assisting with such an effort, just people waiting for someone else to do it for them. Even if you as a user cannot code, there are tons of things that need to be done or tested that just needs someone to spend a little time and effort.

That I am aware of there are two applications in development at this moment that can handle that list, I know more about Evolution then RPG Foundry (CMP). From what I have read about RPGF, we have both developed our applications as a framework that allows us to add on components. In the next 2+ years they are the only realistic attempts at providing such functionality, I say this because it takes 2+ years to just get a decent character generator working with some level of maturity. I am not taking shots at other applications just being blunt, they were not designed to handle this level of functionality and would require a ton of work (perhaps even starting over) to achieve it.

So while many users in this thread may think you are waiting for programmers or applications, you will find the reality is the programmers and applications are already heading in that direction and merely waiting for you..

 

[thpr]

That I am aware of there are two applications in development at this moment that can handle that list, I know more about Evolution then RPG Foundry (CMP).

Come on Vascant. #3 eliminates EVERY tool known to mankind from that list, even ones under development.

As far as the rest of the list, developers aren't waiting for users. There is nothing ready. Call me when someone actually delivers something, so we can evaluate more than development claims.

 

[Vascant]

Come on Vascant. #3 eliminates EVERY tool known to mankind from that list, even ones under development.

True, I think my selective vision just ignores such things as they are not possible due to licensing issues and have nothing to do with coding..

As far as the rest of the list, developers aren't waiting for users. There is nothing ready. Call me when someone actually delivers something, so we can evaluate more than development claims.

Well beyond claims at this point and have users helping..Life is good as far as I am concerned.

 

[markbuda]

What I find most interesting is no where do you include users assisting with such an effort, just people waiting for someone else to do it for them.

Me? I omitted things from my list that I thought were blindingly obvious.

That I am aware of there are two applications in development at this moment that can handle that list,

Surely you mean they're designed to handle that list.

In the next 2+ years they are the only realistic attempts at providing such functionality.

Well, my little project certainly isn't realistic. Even its name reflects my expectation that it will suck.

So while many users in this thread may think you are waiting for programmers or applications, you will find the reality is the programmers and applications are already heading in that direction and merely waiting for you..

It sounds like a race. I wonder who'll win.

 

[Jeysie]

26. Battle map with shared whiteboard features (Jeysie)

- grid and "pogs"
- ability to draw assorted shapes
- temporary overlay options (what exactly is that?)​

I forget which combat program it was off hand - GameTable, maybe - but you could place pre-shaped translucent overlays onto the board, then delete them without affecting the underlying setup. For instance, if you wanted to cast Cone of Cold, you could place a cone-shaped overlay temporarily on the board to see what you'd hit.

FWIW - all of the things I personally listed as desirable are things I've actually seen done in at least one program - only exceptions being the dice roll log and tying the dice roller and the character sheet data together. I've just never seen any program that did *all* of them.

Peace & Luv, Liz