“Change it in Access” (a rant)

[Chrisalanh]

“Change it in Access” (a rant)

[This was originally intended for the Fluid boards, and may show up there when they are running again.]

I just have to point out how ridiculous it is to answer any question or problem about e-Tools, a $30 game editor, with the notion that you can easily fix things in Microsoft Access, a $290 database program. I’m sure that a lot of people who are posting here probably need Access for their jobs and such, and have legitimate copies of the software and all, but the idea that anyone should shell out that kind of cash to fix a software toy like this is ludicrous.

Access is not freely downloadable or even inexpensive. I don’t think that it’s the Fluid guys saying this, but to sell software that seems to require a database editor without some sort of front end to do the editing doesn’t seem like a swell idea to me. I’d rather deal with difficult formats that I could monkey with in a text editor (PCGen) than get told one more time that the fix for something is easy if I simply adjust the database in Access.

 

[Chaz]

I saw this on the WOTC board also. Wasnt going to reply... then I figured what the heck.
Ive been a strong supporter of ET since before it came out. And more so since it did come out.
That said, I feal your frustration about the access topic. In defense of using access, it makes user addons / utilitys / mods etc. more likely to be made.
But I also dont have access. So right now im having to watch others fiddle around with adding content i would like to be working on myself. But thats the way it goes i guess. Maybe somebody will write a VB or C++ interface program that will give us non access owners more "access" ( sorry about the pun ) to the insides of the program. Untill then we will have to be satisfied with using the cool stuff being made by others and using Davins usefull program to imput it.

As a side note.. If anyone who owns access already buys a new computer that comes with it giving them an extra copy... well.. haha

Just having a little fun. Peace.

 

[kreynolds]

Actually, I kinda dig that it's in an Access database. It only took me about 3 minutes to figure out how to make an item that grants multiple bonus types, but I own Access, so I guess I'm biased. Granted, it would be nice to be able to do this through the GUI, but mabye that's something for everyone else to look forward to.

 

[bitz]

I'm glad they picked something that's so organized like Access. I usually berate Access because of other inefficiencies (I'm a database administrator for a living), but in this case it fits the bill. I just scream in agony at the lack of organization in the database itself (from a purist standpoint.)

The only free & competent database program out there is MySQL.

Yeah, you can go to text files a-la PCGen, but Mynex can testify to the formatting hells they have gone through / still going through on such a collaborative effort. (They will eventually go to XML, if they haven't already.) You should have seen some of his rants on tabs vs. spaces. =)

Just wait for the good content coming down the pipeline. I predict within a month, we'll have most of the books added. (Monsters of Faerun A-F and S-Z are done, for example.)

Also, if you learn XML and Davin's ET-Helper & schema, you can import your own items too. There, use your text editor. =)

 

[smetzger]

I like that it is in Access. However, I am wondering if changing stuff in Access is legal as per the software license. Definantly a gray area at least.

 

[Ghostwind]

Okay, can anyone tell me if an old version of Access 95 would work or is it definitely a newer version deal? The latest version of Access I have is a left over from Office 95 even though I use Office 2000 now. I just don't have Access...

 

[Ghostwind]

Okay, can anyone tell me if an old version of Access 95 would work or is it definitely a newer version deal? The latest version of Access I have is a left over from Office 95 even though I use Office 2000 now. I just don't have Access...

 

[jaults]

    Access 2000 only. Sorry...

    Jason

 

[bitz]

Smetzger, definitely legal to change the Access database as you see fit. Mass re-distribution is the gray area (a la internet), but at minimum there is a "Go ahead and do it, but beware of messing up other people's databases' kind of statement in the manual itself.

 

[smetzger]

Smetzger, definitely legal to change the Access database as you see fit. Mass re-distribution is the gray area (a la internet), but at minimum there is a "Go ahead and do it, but beware of messing up other people's databases' kind of statement in the manual itself.

Thats good to know.