Fifth Element
Legend
Besides Henry's comment above, if I'm reading this correctly the final answer is okay, it's just that rather than +1 it's giving +2 then -1, which works out to +1? Is that right?
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Character builder blues
- Thread starter Shag
- Start date
Squire James
First Post
Well, my main 3 complaints about the Character Builder are (1) the house rules support stinks, (2) the house rules support stinks, and (3) the house rules support stinks. At least allow enough stuff in the house-rule elements to look good on a power card or on the character sheet!
The problem with fans making a character builder is that a character builder isn't much use if it doesn't have any data. And there's no data that you could put in it. even with any problems there are in there(and yeah, houseruling gets odd...House rules can't add anything to the values on the char sheets that I can find), just having access to every crunch book they ever put out when I'm making a character is awesome.
I believe this to be a fallacy. As a developer it doesn't matter if you're open source or proprietary except in so far as the limitations that are imposed upon you. With open source your problems is...."it would be awesome if we had feature X, but with the current people (or no people) we have working on it it may be several more months (or never)." With Proprietary it's more like..."it would be awesome if we had feature X, but we're over budget or past deadline already so we're dropping the feature. Either way has the same problem for a different reason. Adding the feature in later might be like...."We don't have the funds for that..." or "No one has any time to work on that right now." And in EITHER case you're still dealing with developers who make mistakes (these are called bugs).
Short version:
- quality: about the same for both types of development - although you might have less QA type testing - being replaced by all end users being "beta" testers and a slightly longer development time.
- documentation: You're probably right that open source isn't so strong here
- features: You'll only get the features that your programmers are willing to implement for free since of course open source depends on people giving their time.
- development time: open source will probably take longer to develop due to it's model.
- cost: of course open source wins this one.
What I could see happening is them allowing development with their data so you could distribute a "custom" version of CB that depends on WotC's data (ie no data provided). I should probably poke around VS tonight at home and see if I can access the data they are using.
Ryujin
Legend
Either it's a bug, or there's a reason. Something likely became a feat bonus, that had previously been an untyped bonus. I lost 2 points off most attacks that way.
Arlough
Explorer
The primary reason for that is Wizards does not seem to understand that what it really has is a database. That is part of the joy of 4th, all the powers, items, monsters, etc. are standardized with flags called "keywords", "level", "class" and the like.
And, in the end, it really comes down to the fact that these are not data guys, they are users. What Wizards should do is hire a computer data company to design the database, and then hand over the desired output specs.
Also, from a personal perspective, I wish they would stop using slop like the .net framework, and go to... I don't know, Java or something (for portability). So far as I can tell, the selling point of .net is that it is so easy to program in a sea sponge could do it, and it is 1% better than flash on resource consumption.
DracoSuave
First Post
Easy to program in is very important when making software is not your company's primary form of business.
Seriously, perspective.
This isn't a software company 'doing it wrong.' This is a non-software company putting out supplimentary software and 'doing what they can.'
Just saying, most people working for the company aren't there to code.
Seriously, perspective.
This isn't a software company 'doing it wrong.' This is a non-software company putting out supplimentary software and 'doing what they can.'
Just saying, most people working for the company aren't there to code.
Jeremy Ackerman-Yost
Explorer
True enough, but how much of their revenue stream is currently coming from DDI subs? Maybe they could consider somebody part time?
Heck, I could build a database in an off-the-shelf database program that would have fewer hiccups and would be pretty modular, and I'm not an IT guy, but a biologist who's had to build a few databases for labs. A single real tech guy could knock something out in no time that would run rings around what they've got.
vic20
Fool
I've been developing software for about 30 years, and playing d&d for as long, and I have to say that the Character Builder software for 4E is easily the best software I've ever seen for gaming support. It's really well done, delivers consistent (monthly) iterative releases, and is far more complex than people give it credit for.
Nytmare
David Jose
I'm having trouble coming up with anything else that fits into that category. I use the Character Builder more than Adventure Tools, and granted it isn't as complex, but it seems far more solid. What else is there, the unfinished 3rd Ed character builder?
Allusions to the shiniest turd in the toilet bowl come to mind.
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