So you say I am lying? This is at the very least very impolite. I am not writing that much to forums. Still, check the other post I did, I posted a screenshot of my work. This is not actually new though, screenshots of an early version have been posted by me before.
D&D 5E Dungeonscape no more?
So you say I am lying? This is at the very least very impolite. I am not writing that much to forums. Still, check the other post I did, I posted a screenshot of my work. This is not actually new though, screenshots of an early version have been posted by me before.
BoldItalic
First Post
...
It is all very frustrating actually
MagicSN
I'm in the same boat. Because there was no character generator for the DDNext playtest (and we wanted to test lots of different character options), I wrote my own and I've since updated it for 5e. It might not be what everyone wants, but I'd happily upload it and give it away to anyone who wanted to use it - were it not that I would be infringing WotC copyright.
I've gone as far as uploading some samples of the characters it generates onto WotC's own website, so if they don't like it they can take them down themselves, and restricted the samples to Basic rules characters so there's nothing there that isn't available for free anyway, but even that is pushing things a bit and I'm not going to make a habit of it.
One way forward might be if WotC would announce a competition for a character builder, allow us to submit our software to them for inspection and licence the two or three winners.
FernandoG.Piqueres
First Post
Interesting, we have two totally different design philosophy's in our GUI it seems. Both have their advantages. And you have the nicer art, while my sheets are more "functional" ^^ You have the complete text descriptions in, while my project calculates everything (damage and attack values for all powers and stuff), but sometimes shortcuts the text. If you want to have a look I just posted some screenshots and PDF Screenshots in the other thread.
jeffwhitfield
First Post
Anyone can develop a D&D app based on the 5e Basic Rules. The d20 Fight Club 5e app is a good example (https://www.facebook.com/pages/d20-Fight-Club/241147409230126). You don't have to deal with WotC copyright unless it's specific content taken from the books that aren't in the Basic Rules. That said, I agree with many folks here and wish WotC would stop sending so many "cease and desist" letters for those trying to create new and interesting applications based off of D&D 5e.
That said, the biggest problem I've seen with most of the apps I've evaluated is that they feel sloppy and not well thought out.
For instance, I want a solid virtual tabletop application that's simple and easy to use and works on my iPad for player viewing. All I want is to be able to load a custom map from a jpeg, add some tokens, be able to zoom easily, and have a simple "fog-of-war" feature where I can hide areas of the map and reveal them as needed.
About the only app I feel I can use right now is MapTool (http://www.rptools.net/?page=maptool) which doesn't even work on an iPad. As functional as it is though, it still feels clunky so I'm still holding out for a better app.
The one that impresses me the most is 3D Virtual Tabletop (http://www.3dvirtualtabletop.com). It's simple, easy to use, looks and feels pretty nice, and does most of what I want. I was quite impressed with how it handles the importing of custom maps. The grid alignment tools were probably the easiest I've used out of all the apps I've tried. But the thing that keeps me from using it is the fact that it doesn't have "fog of war". I can't use an app that doesn't allow me to hide areas of the map that I don't want players to see yet.
So, yeah, we have two problems right now:
1. WotC getting in the way of allowing great applications to be created for D&D 5e
2. Lack of quality and focus in the applications being designed and developed
Nothing we can do about the last one except push those designing and developing apps to really pay attention and put the user experience first in the apps they design.
As for WotC, I would recommend that they just create an API that allows folks to pull in content from the API and build killer apps based on the 5e rules and content and be done with it. As the content for D&D 5e grows and rules change, a good API can accommodate those changes and the apps that use it.
That said, the biggest problem I've seen with most of the apps I've evaluated is that they feel sloppy and not well thought out.
For instance, I want a solid virtual tabletop application that's simple and easy to use and works on my iPad for player viewing. All I want is to be able to load a custom map from a jpeg, add some tokens, be able to zoom easily, and have a simple "fog-of-war" feature where I can hide areas of the map and reveal them as needed.
About the only app I feel I can use right now is MapTool (http://www.rptools.net/?page=maptool) which doesn't even work on an iPad. As functional as it is though, it still feels clunky so I'm still holding out for a better app.
The one that impresses me the most is 3D Virtual Tabletop (http://www.3dvirtualtabletop.com). It's simple, easy to use, looks and feels pretty nice, and does most of what I want. I was quite impressed with how it handles the importing of custom maps. The grid alignment tools were probably the easiest I've used out of all the apps I've tried. But the thing that keeps me from using it is the fact that it doesn't have "fog of war". I can't use an app that doesn't allow me to hide areas of the map that I don't want players to see yet.
So, yeah, we have two problems right now:
1. WotC getting in the way of allowing great applications to be created for D&D 5e
2. Lack of quality and focus in the applications being designed and developed
Nothing we can do about the last one except push those designing and developing apps to really pay attention and put the user experience first in the apps they design.
As for WotC, I would recommend that they just create an API that allows folks to pull in content from the API and build killer apps based on the 5e rules and content and be done with it. As the content for D&D 5e grows and rules change, a good API can accommodate those changes and the apps that use it.
pedr
Explorer
As mentioned up thread, the fact that a company makes its copyrighted material available for download without charge does not mean that it gives up its copyright over that material, nor that it gives an unlimited licence to anyone to do what they like with it. You cannot copy the text of the Basic Rules without WotC's permission and while it's clear they've given permission to download it, and make personal electronic and print copies, they haven't given permission for any other use.
DaveMage
Slumbering in Tsar
Software that won't be finished for at least 13 months could fill the gap? Uh, no.
Odysseus
Explorer
I see a lot of people talking about how easy it is to create a character builder , apps and why can't wizards do it if its so easy.
And the reason is data security.
DnD is played alot of different ways, by alot of different people. And a successful edition has have some sort of customization by players and DMs. As a DM i want to be able to copy and paste a monster stat block,tweek it or re skin it and build adventures from that. Wizards are concerned that if I can copy and paste their data. Then I can steal it ,or give it away or something. So they want a great deal of data security.
Hence the problem.
Wizards need to find a way to get users the data in a way thats secure,but still usable.
And the reason is data security.
DnD is played alot of different ways, by alot of different people. And a successful edition has have some sort of customization by players and DMs. As a DM i want to be able to copy and paste a monster stat block,tweek it or re skin it and build adventures from that. Wizards are concerned that if I can copy and paste their data. Then I can steal it ,or give it away or something. So they want a great deal of data security.
Hence the problem.
Wizards need to find a way to get users the data in a way thats secure,but still usable.
BoldItalic
First Post
Yes
Your input GUI is much nicer than mine, and the look and feel of the character sheet is very much a matter of taste. Mine started out as suitable for DDNext pregens - that's why it has all the text blocks included. If you look very closely at the samples, you might spot that the text blocks are parameterised so that, for example, personal pronouns are flipped according to the gender of the character and level-dependent numbers are computed when they are written out. But that's not difficult.
It's implemented in an AI language called Prolog, which is rule-based, and the code itself is only ~100kbytes plus about another 100kbytes of text snippets. It generates the sheet in HTML which can be printed as PDF from the browser if one feels like it and the look can be personalised in the css to some extent although changing it too much risks throwing off the column and page breaks (which are computed so that the blocks fit optimally into the columns to take up least space).
As you say, a completely different way of solving essentially the same problem using different programming techniques. But however we do it, we're both stuck with the same licensing/copyright issue
The key point is that, having done it, both you and I know that making a character generator for 5e is possible and not beyond the capabilities of one person. It's such a shame that DS, who had the licence, didn't seem to have the right person or, if they did, he wasn't allowed to do his job.
That is incorrect.
The Basic Rules, while free to download, are still covered by copyright. You cannot legally reproduce their content, any more than you can legally reproduce content from the print version of the PHB.
Let us be clear - how much you charge, or how much WotC charges, for content is irrelevant to copyright protection. They wrote and published it. They own it. Unless they specifically make a different license available standard copyright applies.
This point is important for a simple reason - EN World does not support copyright infringement. As a general rule, we do not allow the site to be used to distribute blatantly infringing materials - so until WotC puts out some official policy, if folks start giving links to software alternates that are not obviously in the clear, we are likely to have to start stomping on the links.
I'm sorry to be a wet blanket about this, but that's the way it is, folks. Legality matters, so please don't go that way. Thanks.
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