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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Simplicity" data-source="post: 389873" data-attributes="member: 1496">Frankly, I'm pretty disappointed with E-tools as well.I bought it, even though the reviews on it were less than stellar.  Chalk it up to my willingness to support both D&D and my software profession.I've seen a lot of people complain and say, "I could do better."Well, I for a fact know that I couldn't do better.  I simplydon't have the programming resources or time at my disposal.But I can design a heck of a lot better program in a fairly short amount of time...Things that annoyed me with E-tools:1) Only adult dragons.  What the heck?  It IS called Dungeons and DRAGONS.  You already removed the dungeon functionality, can't you get the damn dragons right?2) The stat blocks are not standard stat blocks.  The whole point of having pasteable stat blocks is so that you DON'T have to go in and modify them.  Now I admit, stat block standardization has a long way to go...  But, at least comply with some standard (DMG, Dungeon, etc).  It's like they decided weapons were too hard to do, so they just took the easy way out... Or something.  I don't know why they did it the way they did.3) No tooltips.  Absolutely right.  It's easy to do, and the icons are not intuitive.  But whatever...  This was a mild annoyance.4) Templates.  If they're done, they're not done well...  I wouldn't know since I couldn't find them.5) I was hoping for a real GUI, and not a boring windows GUI.But that didn't happen either.-------A better way of doing it would have been:1) Write a library that reads/writes XML files for: Monsters, Traps, Races, Spells, Abilities, Saves, Skills, and Items.2) Using (1) write editor programs to add/edit entries in these files.  Just a simple database entry program for each file.3) Write a class for each of the type of item in (1).  Each class should have a format option that provides a HTML formatted string that puts the item into the format specified by Dungeon for submissions.From here there are two ways to go:4a) Write a MDI application with a large editable text box (so it looks like Word).  A right click brings up a menu with the following options (Insert NPC, Insert Monster, Insert Trap, Insert Treasure).Each of those options leads to a dialog where you specify the details of the thing you want.  On OK, the stat block is printed into your document.  Thus, you have a "Module Maker" where you write the text of your module, and when you need something rule-based, it's a right click and a dialog away.4b) (The better option) Make it a Microsoft Word add-in.And if you really want to do it right:5) Add a mapping tool.I know the argument is: You haven't done it, so you don't know how hard it is... Well, I WAS able to do 1, 3, and 4a (for Monsters A-G and traps) in about two weeks in my spare time.  I was also able to write 5 (map rooms, walls, doors, basic map formatting to keep doors on walls, and do erasing of objects, text labels) in about two weeks.What I wrote in 4 weeks was unsellable crap.  I admit that.  But what I did see was that it's not impossible to come up with a better product.  To me a better product is something that's INTEGRATED with what I'm going to use it for.  I don't want something that will generate a cut-and-paste stat block for me.  I want something that integrates with my text editor and puts the stat blocks in there for me.  I want something that combines my map drawing with my module writing. If I believed at all in Open Source software, I'd say let's do it...But I don't.  I think PCGen is an example of the loss of focus thatOpen Source software inevitably runs into...  The only way this is going to be done correctly is if some company decides that they can make money in this arena.So, I'll just whine and moan until somebody does.</blockquote>

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