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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JBowtie" data-source="post: 2138137" data-attributes="member: 1810">Currently I'm working on a Python-based character generator for my campaign, and I have a couple of observations that might be of use to you.1) RDF/OWL is better than pure XML. RDF without OWL ends up being really, really hard to read because the XML format is horrible, but OWL lets you write stuff that looks like regular XML.The thing about RDF is that you can define things piecemeal, extending definitions arbitrarily. For example, you could easily add new rogue abilities when you come across them, instead of having to modify the core SRD list. RDF is also *much* better for defining exceptions.2) Complete dynamic UIs kill usability. One of the reasons I am doing my own generator is because every generator I've seen is a horror when it comes to being usable. There's no need for that.3) Have a character template that encodes all the basic assumptions, like when a character gets feats, what the basic abilities are, etc. That lets you handle variations like AU or Traveller easily by modifying the character template. It also avoids the most common hard-coding I see.4) Model armour and weapon proficiencies explicitly, rather than generalizing them as class/race abilities or feats.  You have no idea how much it simplifies your life.5) You can write a mini-language for evaluating expressions like (CHA/2)+2. Mine is based on MathML.6) An awful lot of modifiers are conditional. Many generators forget this.My code is GPL, but I'm not releasing it publicly until it's cleaned up a bit more. I figure it'll hit a 0.6 public release in about six months.</blockquote>

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