Author Topic: Web-based character sheet generator  (Read 1960 times)

Offline zaq.hack

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Web-based character sheet generator
« on: October 26, 2011, 03:22:29 PM »
I've seen the character sheet in LibreOffice and the .NET application ... each have their own merits.

I'm thinking of something that looks like a Joomla! module or other web plug-in that could be added to a bulletin board for play-by-post folks. It would be a way for the GM to summarize different aspects, skills, powers, etc. as well as offer "save to PDF" for the players.

Anything like that out there? If not, is there any demand for such a thing (beyond myself)?

I'd be willing to pay a bounty for it, or I may be willing to develop it, myself ... depends on how much "free time" I have in the coming weeks.
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Offline HumAnnoyd

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Re: Web-based character sheet generator
« Reply #1 on: October 26, 2011, 04:24:31 PM »
I would love to see something like that but I am not sure I would be willing to offer a bounty myself.  I am increasingly convinced that game companies should offer some kind of web based character creation program packaged with their games. 
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Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Web-based character sheet generator
« Reply #2 on: October 26, 2011, 05:24:19 PM »
Depends on the game, really.

Eclipse Phase needs a computer-based character maker. But I don't think that this game does.

When I first got into this game, I really wanted a program to help me make characters. But now that I have some practice making characters, I have no need for one. I don't even need pencil or paper or books anymore, actually.

But I'm probably not an average case, so maybe my experience isn't all that relevant.

One thing I do find appealing about this idea is the use for PbP games. It'd be convenient to have an easy-to-use standardized format to keep character data in.

Unfortunately, I'm not willing to pay money for that.

Offline Richard_Chilton

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Re: Web-based character sheet generator
« Reply #3 on: October 26, 2011, 05:40:51 PM »
You're right.  It's not enough that the company threw in the PDF for free if you bought a physical copy of the game.  It's not enough that they gave out pre-release PDFs for those who pre-order.  It's not even enough that the company later gave those with the pre-release PDFs a free 'final release' copy.  Nor is it enough that company has spent thousands of dollars producing Case Files PDFs and then just giving them away free to their fans.

And the rest of the downloads - the character sheets etc - not nearly enough free stuff.  And by free I mean free to us, not the person paying for the writers, designers, and bandwidth.

No, that's not enough.

You're right - the company owes us a web based character creation package.  One that they design and pay all the hosting fees for.

Richard

Offline zaq.hack

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Re: Web-based character sheet generator
« Reply #4 on: October 26, 2011, 10:01:04 PM »
Okaaaaaaayyy ... I'm guessing Richard_Chilton is not a big fan of the "Occupy Wall Street" crowd. Just a hunch. A little less coffee, there, big fella, I'm not trying to cure cancer, here. :-)

Sanctaphrax - I totally get where you are coming from. There are only a few things worth keeping on paper, really, as the GM, anyway. Stress boxes, for which I printed up 5x7 cards for the last game and that worked perfectly - pick it up, check it off, flip it face down, done. I could then keep the monsters all in hand or on the table, my choice. Just to make my players nervous (or maybe to release some of my abundant ADD), I like to pace around the game area. The other thing I like to keep track of is magic stuff - specializations, focus items, skills, etc. The page in the resources is useful since it puts that all on one sheet.

However, all that aside, I would like to start a play-by-post game or two. My table is already overflowing (9 players) and I absolutely cannot handle another person there. Yet other friends want to play, some folks at the table would like to do "daisy picking" on non-game days, and a wide variety of other reasons lead me to wanting a web site for stuff. So it's more of a tool for me than the players, but if they can get a handy "print my sheet" button out of it, that would be great. (It has happened 4-5 times that people "forgot" their character sheets ...)

So, let's assume that I will have to make this myself. If I list powers and skills and stuff that are part of the game, what is the copyright view of the publisher? I could make it very easy to keep the characters on-line and do some drop-down mojo with all the right stuff ... time consuming, but far from difficult. I don't want to invest work in all this and then get a "cease and desist! people have quit buying 'Your Story'!" letter.
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Offline Richard_Chilton

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Re: Web-based character sheet generator
« Reply #5 on: October 26, 2011, 11:44:09 PM »
Fred is usually great when it comes to things like that - checkout the resource board for some of the wonderful things they've endorsed.

And if banks and investment houses treated the average person with anything like the care that Evil Hat treats its customers then the only people going to Wall Street would be those bring the corporations cookies.  Cookies and other "thank you" type presents.


Oh, and I left out a big one from that list of things they do for us - if your physical copy of the book is lemon (badly bound, whatever) they replace it for free.  That's right, they replace poorly manufactured books for free.

Because that's the type of people they are.

Richard

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Web-based character sheet generator
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2011, 03:26:49 AM »
Wow, you're popular.

And let me guess: nobody else is willing to try/capable of being GM?

Anyway, good luck with the PbP game. Do you plan on running it here?

I wouldn't expect any legal issues. As Richard says, the company is very permissive.

PS: Here's a thread about running a PbP. Hope you find it helpful; I certainly did. Which is why I pimp it everywhere.

Offline zaq.hack

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Re: Web-based character sheet generator
« Reply #7 on: October 28, 2011, 02:04:45 AM »
When I was first recruiting for the game, I was lucky to get 4 people. They had a blast. Then it was 6. Then I got pickier on recruiting. Then it was 7 and 8 and I "closed" the table. Well, one old friend and original invitee worked out a whole character concept with one of the other 8 players. Fine, fine, he can play, but 9 is a lot. Then ANOTHER guy did much the same and it was 10 players, but only 9 made it to last game. Now it looks like one of them is moving away, so I'm down to 9 ... but I am still getting requests. I'm turning them away, but it kinda sucks. I would split the group into two groups of 6 and have two decent-sized groups, but they don't wanna do that ... sooooo ...

I don't feel like I'm doing anything crazy with the game. Everyone seems to be having fun every time we play, and that's really the important part. I have not really challenged them a whole lot, though the Denarian they faced last game gave them a good run for their money.

More tools for me, that's all I want. :-)
The bartender says, "We don't serve faster-than-light particles, here." A neutrino walks into a bar.