Treasure Generator

[mhensley]

um, why don't you just use Jamis Bucks' treasure generator that has been around for 5 years and is linked to on ENWOrld's own gaming tools section?

1. I don't like it very much.
2. I wanted to make my own.
3. This was a good project to help me learn java.
4. I don't know how to program cgi and so code written in it is useless to me.
5. I can use the classes in this program for future programs that I may write.

 

[mhensley]

Also, my program should work for linux and mac users. Jamis Buck's program is only for windows.

 

[genshou]

Also, my program should work for linux and mac users. Jamis Buck's program is only for windows.

For which some of us are very appreciative, thanks! ^_^
~tpc

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

I tried making it free but couldn't get anyone really interested in helping me debug it, the moment I put a price to it.. interest went thru the roof.

Sorry to hijack this thread slightly, but I've heard you mention this before, and I still don't get it.

It had the opposite effect on me, I had only heard about the program a couple of days before it was announced that it would cost money. I saw it and thought "wow...this will be a cool program, maybe I'll download it and see what it's like and see how far along it is." Then I saw the announcement that it would cost money and I lost all interest in the project. Keep in mind, I had never ever heard of it before that point.

Although it sounds pretty cool, it has such limited abilities it isn't worth money, IMHO.

Chris Wachal

 

[Wonko the Sane]

Opinions vary.

Personally, I find NPC Designer to be extremely useful, with more functionality being added on a near-daily basis. The day I see PC Gen (or any other D&D utility) receive that kind of attention is the day they may see use.

WtS

Edit: to stay on-topic, I think the treasure gen is a cool little utility. Thanks!

 

[Vascant]

Also, my program should work for linux and mac users. Jamis Buck's program is only for windows.

See, already something beyond whats been offered before. Plus the other side of a small project to learn a new language. As they say, have to break a few eggs before you can bake a cake.

Sorry to hijack this thread slightly, but I've heard you mention this before, and I still don't get it.
It had the opposite effect on me, I had only heard about the program a couple of days before it was announced that it would cost money. I saw it and thought "wow...this will be a cool program, maybe I'll download it and see what it's like and see how far along it is." Then I saw the announcement that it would cost money and I lost all interest in the project. Keep in mind, I had never ever heard of it before that point.

Although it sounds pretty cool, it has such limited abilities it isn't worth money, IMHO.

Then I am sure whatever method you have for handling NPCs works for you, you are obviously happy and content. I have no problem with that even in the slightest. *chuckles* I would love to hear sometime what you find limiting....

 

[kingpaul]

Personally, I find NPC Designer to be extremely useful, with more functionality being added on a near-daily basis. The day I see PC Gen (or any other D&D utility) receive that kind of attention is the day they may see use.

Umm...PCGen does chang and improve on a daily basis. We may not put out alpha releases every day like we used to in the very early days (there were sometimes multiple releases in one day!), but the code does improve daily.

 

[andargor]

Because they've missed an opportunity to solve a problem that hasn't been touched. I'm a developer myself. I see this behavior in my own company, and I see it in the "i made a tool" community.

There's nothing wrong with mhensely's little project, it's just random luck that I've chosen this time to get on the soapbox about building redundant tools. I'd rather see developers enhance existing tools or create tools to solve new problems.

As another note. I like Jamis Buck's Treasure Generator and NPC generator. I'm not too keen (for some unexplainable reason) on fancier generators with more options and doo-dads to click. In my case, I merely want to see tighter integration of these elements, so that when I generate a town, it generates the individual NPCs, including their gear (Jamis Buck's tools stop short of generating gear, which makes me use a second external program).
...
So I'd like to guide mhensely from any criticism by me, instead, to simply look to a bigger challenge.

If you are a developer, then I'd like to guide you to a greater challenge myself...

If you like Jamis' NPC Generator, then why don't you take the source code (available on my site: www.andargor.com) and integrate treasure generation and the other great ideas you have?

I've mentioned that I don't have the time to do so. The program could need several tweaks, such as making data content extensible (adding races or PrC both from official sources or custom made), XML export/import, etc.

And the code does run on linux, although there is no UI for it (the UI is Windows). But the core engine is pure C, and runs as a CGI, command line, etc. on virtually all platforms.

On the diversity issue, I think what Vascant, PCGen, mhensley, etc. are doing is great! Whether commercial or free, new ideas and more choices are always good for the community. A bit of friendly competition makes things evolve and raises the bar in quality.

Andargor

 

[mhensley]

Andargor, I would like to thank you for the work you have done on the srd. I've been using the xml version for various things- its very handy.

Also, I have the online version of the treasure generator up now. You can see it here-

http://www.bargainstrike.com/mw/tools/treasuremonkey.php

 

[Firzair]

Except that NPC Designer costs $$ (not a lot, looks like a nice program).

My disappointment isn't that mhensley wrote a cool program. it's simply that the "Treasure Generator" has already been done several times over. The niche that is still undercooked is determing treasure intelligently for various things:
how about a free generator for:
what an NPC has (based on his class & feats)
what a magic shop has (based on city size)
what a weapons shop has (based on city size)
what an armor shop has (based on city size)

The code it'll take to make those happen is far more interesting (an internal shopping algorithm) than the code it takes to make yet another treasure generator.

I am in late alpha state with my RPG framework engine, that will let you code your own things in xml (data, functions and gui).
Of course someone will be needed to create the data and functions but I already have ideas how I could do the following things (it can already be done with the current version, I just haven't coded the xml files yet):
- have all the SRD rules functioning
- character generator gui
- character creator and editor gui
- inventory system
- parties, encounters etc.
- cities, merchants with shop inventories that change dynamicly
- city creator
- battle system with attack and damage calculation and all this
and much more.

My current problem is that I used a database which I now found out to only be freeware for personal use (so only I am allowed to use my program). I have to migrate to another database. Perhaps I will use an access db, the program itself will be freeware, perhaps even open source.

Once the database issue is solved (I want the database so you won't need all the data to be in memory all the time) I will give you the download link here at ENWorld.

Oh and if someone has a cool name for such a program it would be appreciated