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Message: <blockquote data-quote="HexGunna" data-source="post: 303877" data-attributes="member: 5375">Re: eTools is great software!Vic20 -  I dig that you liked the software. I didn't and we can agree to disagree. I liked your whole post. Nicely put together, rational. I can respect that. Thank you.My whole take is I had something I didn' like, got my money back.I didn't want to wait for or depend on community support and I had a higher standard for Etools that I felt Fluid/Wotc could have - and should have met. I was Stoked when I saw master-tools demo.I, too, write software systems, not turning this into a pissing contest, but lets just say - if you watch any financial news, you've seen my work. And you've seen it roll across your TV realtime, fast, accurate and global - cause if it ain't...people get mad.I got my gig - 'cause I know a little something about software.I roll in an Audi TT, and own a Ducati because my boss likes what I do. They Dig my Mojo. In all this IT busting and downsizing, I still have my gig, as a contractor w/ a company thats been swinging a BIG axe. I'm the Merc, hence HexGunna.- a D&D character generator that manages the character creation process and ALL the options in the Core Rules. could have been built and Done Well 5 years ago. This software isn't an engineering  marvel. I don't believe it's that complex.WHY isn't PrClasses or templates in there - it should be and could have been. And it could have handled most future classes/PrClasses by expansion or User Input.And I can't feel sympathy for any kind of internal changes, dealing or drama with the company. I'm the consumer. I vote with my wallet and will not tolerate or settle for items that don't meet my needs. And will shop for a good deal, a balance of price and functionality(of what I'll use). Here is where OGL protects Fluid/WotC.Want some proof-of-Concept....take a look at ArmyBuilder - over at <a href="http://www.wolflair.com." target="_blank">www.wolflair.com.</a> I won't even taint it by talking about the program.No complaints from me. I own a commercial copy, use it for more than a few of my war games. Any gripes I had were about the data files...which I had broken myself.Man, This is doable - We got CAD programs that let Joe Homeowner take deck plans down to the nearset Homestore with a materials list. plans he made on his home PC. And Joe's a car mechanic!We got DJ's in clubs that mix up stuff on their home PC - play it in the clubs - and packs the House!!We're playing WarcraftIII, NWN, MorrowWind.Heh - How is it NWN I can build a Half-Dragon Sorcerer (NPC) - I can build a Fey/Undead/Ranger (NPC).all Easily.It can be done. It's not complex. That said I know whats next. [OGL transition] - The OGL prevents it because of the Vagueness of it. I directly asked R.Dancey, point-blank about software tools, not games - the OGL doesn't make a distinction on purpose - figure out how to solve the Open-content question, you could STILL be in violation for the software clause.Got an attorney involved - I was serious. Bottom line was  unless I was willing to go to court to "try" the license - we'd never know.I talked to the PCGen folks recently - they're using java and have the limitations they do for the same OGL legal reasons.and I appreciate them telling me so.On the MSAccess issue - Didn't mean to mislead anyone. Let me try again - simply to use the ETools data you need a way to get to it. I don't have MSAccess at home, so thats +100-200(??) more dollars for me to alter content.So let me retract - I take back anything I said that amounts to  "ETools sucks" - and I don't think I said that [iirc]I was disappointed, I expected better from Fluid/WotC.at the minimum - I expected better than the current freeware.Etools is not to me. It's "more of the same" but for $30 bucks.as in all things YMMVI thank you for the Dialog Vic20.</blockquote>

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