Announcing: The Dreamworld Database

[AWizardInDallas]

The Dreamworld Database is an Open Gaming License-compliant database application designed to assist game masters and players with d20 pencil and paper fantasy role-playing games. The application is designed as a relational database management system allowing for the possibility of incorporating data from the d20 game books you own. The system has been initialized with material from the Revised System Reference Document v3.5.

The Dreamworld Database is designed using Microsoft Access 2007 and uses the free developer tools from Microsoft. This preview is being provided at the present time to gauge the overall interest in this project by the role-playing gaming community. (more)

 

[2WS-Steve]

Looks really well-designed!

Best of luck.

 

[Cergorach]

Looks very slick!

A couple of questions:
- What is this reasonable subscription fee you talk about (read: how much is this going to cost me)?
- Does it allow me to tinker with it? I know that it's build on Access 2007, but maybe it's secured in someway? Would you allow folks to share the modifications they make?
- When?

 

[AWizardInDallas]

Looks very slick!

A couple of questions:
- What is this reasonable subscription fee you talk about (read: how much is this going to cost me)?
- Does it allow me to tinker with it? I know that it's build on Access 2007, but maybe it's secured in someway? Would you allow folks to share the modifications they make?
- When?

Thanks!

I've not decided what to charge yet at all except: 1) whatever the amount it will be based on community feedback, so I'm asking what would the community be willing to pay on a month-to-month basis; 2) it will be inexpensive; 3) it will be fair to both the community and to myself. Remember, I'm just gauging interest at this point.

I plan to go with a community-driven development strategy for now which means I plan to take feature requests and control development decisions similar to the model DotNetNuke uses. The most important feature is that you will be able to enter your own data.

My plans on when to release it depend on the gaming community. If no one shows much interest then I'll continue development for my own use. I'm actually using it to run two campaigns and it works quite well.

Cheers,
AWizardInDallas

 

[schporto]

I think it looks pretty nice. But, that's like saying a car looks pretty. You really can't tell until you drive it. I may be willing to pay something for this program. I'm not sure I'd be willing to pay month-to-month. I prefer paying once. Then paying for updates yearly.
-cpd

 

[Cergorach]

How about 5$/month or 30$/year?

 

[maransreth]

When the database is released, will it be in accdb file format or mdb? Or will you make an executable out of it, so that anyone can use it?

 

[AWizardInDallas]

How about 5$/month or 30$/year?

I was thinking more like $2.50/month. I'd rather not do it by year because that doesn't insure a good pool of feedback.

 

[AWizardInDallas]

I think it looks pretty nice. But, that's like saying a car looks pretty. You really can't tell until you drive it. I may be willing to pay something for this program. I'm not sure I'd be willing to pay month-to-month. I prefer paying once. Then paying for updates yearly.
-cpd

Thanks. I have in mind to provide a demo with partial SRD content. Subscribers would be entitled to the full version, latest updates and have their voice taken seriously regarding future development. The full version will have all the content I can squeeze into it from the SRD with the capability of adding your own data. That's not a bad deal. I don't have plans to gouge anyone. I'm a gamer too. I'm talking in the neighborhood of $2, $2.50 or $3 a month tops, which is less than cup at Starbucks and lasts far longer.

I also plan to support the Pathfinder RPG.

Cheers,
AWizardInDallas

 

[AWizardInDallas]

When the database is released, will it be in accdb file format or mdb? Or will you make an executable out of it, so that anyone can use it?

This format will be an MDE. I'm not planning to share code. I'm planning to share the ability to manage game data. Eventually I'll port the project to VB.NET.

Cheers,
AWizardInDallas