MT delayed?

[EricNoah]

could you mention if you can Copy a character/monster you've created? This of course would speed creation of 'packs', as not every single individual will vary all that much once you've established the 'core' creature.

Sure. The monsters, characters, and races are saved out in individual files (.mon, chr, and .rac files, respectively). The main MT screen has a File menu with an Open command, and from there you can browse either to monsters/races/characters you've created, or to the "Core" folder where the pre-built stuff is. You can open an existing file, make some changes (including leveling it up if it's a character, or "advancing" it if it's a monster), and then Save As with a new name.

I don't think this is an NDA violation as this was demonstrated to me at GenCon last August and I don't think that was "off the record."

 

[Axiomatic Unicorn]

Hey Eric,

As your GenCon demo is not under the NDA, I have a question specifically on that topic.

As I recall, you built a Troll Wizard.

Looking at the DMG, is is not possible to create a Troll with an INT greater than 10. Did MT simply ignore this rule? Or how did it work?

 

[EricNoah]

The INT score generated by MT was inadequate for a wizard character to be able to cast spells, so you could go into the stats and just bump them up to whatever you wanted. MT does follow the rules on what INT score gives you access to what level of spell, I just chose to override the troll's scores.

 

[Axiomatic Unicorn]

Thanks

 

[CRGreathouse]

The INT score generated by MT was inadequate for a wizard character to be able to cast spells, so you could go into the stats and just bump them up to whatever you wanted. MT does follow the rules on what INT score gives you access to what level of spell, I just chose to override the troll's scores.

This brings up an interesting question - do you know if the troll's Int was just lowered by 4 or if Table 2-6 in the DMG (page 23) was used?

 

[Plane Sailing]

I also have to say that MT is IMO a complete waste of money that any programmer could haev had done by now, with the little content in it.

With due respect, the problem in programming for MT isn't the "little amount of data". As in almost all programming it is catering for the exceptional conditions. If it was just fancy look up tables then it would be a relatively trivial task to do, but if they want to ensure that when creating an opponent every rule and cross-ref is faithfully managed... that takes more time and effort.

Of course Jamis Buck has got his famous NPC generator done more quickly - but he doesn't have interactive modification built in (nor managers pulling him in different directions!).

I'm as disappointed as the next person that MT will not be what I was originally hoping for... a tool to help me design and plan my adventures, draw my maps and manage my campaign. I'm sorely disappointed that someone(s) at WotC really lost track of what they were going to do.

Nonetheless, the programmers working on it are neither incompetent or foolish. The re-scoped project is going to be useful for some people (viz Eric), hopefully it will be enough for others too.

Regards (in the name of programmers everywhere)

 

[towngen]

Most programming issues that I've seen people complain about (here and elsewhere) have nothing to do with the programmers. They are marketing and business decisions.

When a video game is released that is full of bugs, I would guess that it rarely has much to do with the quality of the programmers. Sometimes, yeah, but not all that often. Likewise, if MT is being delayed again and again, does anyone really think it's the programmers fault? This is not charity work, they are writing that program to make a profit and that's it.

If you ask an architect to design a suspension bridge and when he is half way through, you say "no, never mind, we need you to design a tunnel under the harbor instead." Do you fault the architect for being too slow? Or do you think he is spineless because he didn't tell the people who hired him to stick it and finish designing the bridge anyway?

Now what if they are halfway through actually building the bridge and that's when they decide to build a tunnel instead because the bridge didn't look right? I would say it's still the management's fault for approving the design to begin with. And of course, management is going to blame marketing to realizing 6 months too late that people don't want bridges they want tunnels. And marketing is going to blame the architects for taking too long on the design and making them miss their market window. But that was only because the whole schedule was written by some crack-smoking flunky with an MBA who remembers from some school textbook that bridges normally take 6-8 weeks to build and never bothered to actually ask the architects.

So now do you know why I am a self-employed programmer?

 

[Luke]

I also have to say that MT is IMO a complete waste of money that any programmer could haev had done by now, with the little content in it.

Remember that they were secretly working on making an interactive internet-enabled game, with an interactive 3D mapper and sound. It was only late in the game that MT was reduced to effectively being a statblock generator.
The difference between the visions for the two versions products is phenomenal, especially if the internet-enabled game supported a high level of automation (I can tell you from experience).

That would more than explain where all the programmer time disappeared to, but, if you're lucky, they've tried to maintain enough of the original structure for an easier upgrade to the original vision in a much later release.

Regards,

 

[jester47]

Remember that they were secretly working on making an interactive internet-enabled game, with an interactive 3D mapper and sound. It was only late in the game that MT was reduced to effectively being a statblock generator.
The difference between the visions for the two versions products is phenomenal, especially if the internet-enabled game supported a high level of automation (I can tell you from experience).

That would more than explain where all the programmer time disappeared to, but, if you're lucky, they've tried to maintain enough of the original structure for an easier upgrade to the original vision in a much later release.

Regards,

I remember them talking about those changes a while back. When I saw the 3D Gnoll I was pissed. I was thinking:

BEGIN RANT

"NO, I need campaign management tools, not some stupid cartoony internet thing! I want a tool that allows me to make maps (in 2-D that look like the campaign maps for Greyhawk and FR, and dungeon maps that look like the ones in the modules), that lets me generate NPCs with a minimum ammount of work, one that lets me generate towns, villians, monsters, places, and magic items. That is all I need. I dont need sounds, I dont need stupid graphics of Gnolls and crap. I need campaign management software. Serious software. Powerful software. Pretend you are making Excell for Dungeons and Dragons! Because you ARE!"

END RANT

What I want is a program that allows me to make PCs, NPCs, traps, and magic items and will spot check my work for me according to the rules published.

If that is what I am getting than I will buy it.

The ability to make maps (cool ones like the ones in the modules) would be nice. The ability to add the cool stuff I read in dragon (like prestige classes) would be nice.

This is all I ask. And I am sure that most of the people that want tools for D&D want the same thing. Trust me, we are legion.

Aaron.

 

[Leopold]

I can tell you this. It's my goal that I collect enough generators to be able to click on a button and I am instantly able to generate anything that the PC's could come up with.

Do I need a town? Oh towngen (when it's done) there it is!

Monsters coming? Call up the monster generator, randomly assign the cr and viola! Instant encounter.

Want to go spelunking? Call up jamis bucks dungeongen and watch it go!

Facing the final baddies that you designed? Call up pcgen and there's your NPC that you desgined from Scarred lands, iron kingdoms, and your OA book!

Wait you forgot to give him a treasure hoard! Call on jamis' again and you got your loot!


With all these in place so far sans the top 2 (towngen is coming and I cannot find a monstergen that runs random encounters and is free) I have a toolbar set aside for me to just one-click away and i can create anything I want to view on my laptop from maps to monsters and bad guys.

Best part of it? free all free...


Now if MT could do that at a low price I would be impressed and agree that it was worth every waiting period. But unfortunately it won't be able to do 1/2 that.


If anyone wants a copy of the program you can download it here:
http://rpg.plambert.net/generator/generator.htm

pick which version you would need. the non-java one is for those that don't have Java 1.31 or higher already installed on their machine.