DnCrg SR4 Character Generator (Early Dev), looking for comments, suggestions, help Options

[KeyMasterOfGozer]

[thewolf]

That's right. I fixed them in the data files that I republished yesterday. You can either work on those, or fix them again on your copy.

[Darkraven]

it's prolly the .NET 2.0 that causing the issue, I don't think the computer I was trying it on has that installed

[deek]

@thewolf

Issue 7 and 8 are closed. I've tested both and they look good. BTW, thanks for updating the bug listing on my site!

I do need to set aside some time and just run through my test scripts again, see if I can find anything else, but so far, all is looking good. I'm running my game this weekend, so I will be using this to create some more NPCs, so I should get a good look at some stuff outside of what I would normally test.

Oh, and I also closed Issue 10, as this should work once you code "Save As" functionality.

[warrior_allanon]

hey deek, any change of getting it to where it will let you update existing characters as well

[Dantic]

I have a question. Is the accesorize button going to mimick the funtion of the right click menu like cyberware is currently? I know it has some future implementation coming. I like the right click feature curently. Having both work would be nice so that users could do what they feel is most intuitive for them. If both are made available, adding a button to cutomize cyber might save on some confusion.

Don't know if this is asking for a lot of extra work, just my two :nuyen:

[deek]

[Dantic]

[Dantic]

One issue that has more to do with Wiz/Fanpro, than with the generator program.

I know that you've coded knowlege skills to use BP for free skill points and it works appropriatly according to the rules, but I think the text,

[thewolf]

@Dantic
Right on the accessorize button for the gear tab. It will be just like the Augmentations tab function. Having both right-click and button presses point to the same event is not a big deal, and probably a good idea.

Modifying existing characters via karma is a version 2 item, likely to be taken up after the basic functionality is complete and working as it should. I'm guessing that it would be so different from character generation as to require a separate program. The big picture might include a character management system, where the chargen and update program are merely two pieces.

I think FanPro was going for Knowledge Skills = 1/2 Active Skills. In that case, specializations decrease in cost as well. Of course, opinions vary, and modifying the code to alter the cost would be trivial.

[dog_xinu]

have been testing the app. cool so far. Here is some suggestions.

1) switch the Loyalty and Connection ratings left to right on the contacts page. Most everything I have read about SR4 contacts lists them as Connection#/Loyalty# and having the columns in that order will help out when you are just chugging away. I had to re-add all the contacts when playing with it tonight since I have the C & L ratings backwards.

2) on the gear page, have the default number of items to be 1, unless you go back and change it. I had added a butt-load of gear before I realized that I had not spent a nuyen yet since all the items were quantity 0.

3) under knowlege skills, have the ability to add one that is not in the list for each of the categories. I tried to do the bounty hunter from the book and almost none of the interests are in the list.

4) under languages, have the ability to add others. Sioux is not on the list and needs to be. Plus I and my players have come up with some very odd/rare languages and it would be nice to add them (as a one off).

5) I know the accessorize button is not working yet, but we need to fix that or be able to edit the firearm accessories costs when building a character so we can true up the costs.

6) there should be an edit button for any item that we have added (gear, skills, contacts, etc) to change that line. This is important when you sitting there tweaking the character. I know it sound way easier than it is but it is needed, or I should say very very wanted. :)

overall it rocks.

7) is there a way that we can add "books" that are not offical fanpro/wizkids SR4 books? have some way that a GM like myself that has items either created by myself, my players, or stolen (err I mean "borrowed") from the net, to be added. Maybe by adding a another "gearitems", or "vehicles", or etc file, instead of a .DAT be .CUS (or whatever) in the same data directory and have the lists merged together. That way if you update the .DAT files in a new release then the custom items wont be lost. I know this will not be 1.0 code release item. I wish but I understand.

thanks for the program.. it rocks...

dog

[thewolf]

Yikes, real life intrudes so often on programming time. I haven't really been too productive lately, although a few of the changes suggested are already in the works. I hope the holiday season coming up will provide me with some dedicated time to program. Thanks for your patience and compliments on the program.

Also, I'm still looking for someone to develop an XML stylesheet transform to take the XML character sheet and make pretty character pages out of it. If that doesn't work out, I might go with a spreadsheet format instead. I'm not sure.

[Trigger]

I don't know if this has been pointed out, but as I was testing/creating a character on the system I noticed that cyberlinbs do not add boxes to the Physical condition modifier, instead...I think...adding dice to damage resistance tests.

[Kyoto Kid]

...so is there a link for downloading the latest version of the CG?

I now have the capability to download without having to do it from work behind my IT director's back.

[thewolf]

Dev Site

[Dantic]

I found one bug, I made a Troll character, with exceptional attribute, Charisma, and maxed the attribute, with no problems (max 5 after adding quality).
After saving this character, I later loaded the same and he had 15 unspent BP. I found that the program had loaded the Troll with a natural max Charisma of 6 instead of the correct max of 5, and so had only calculated 10 BP, instead of 25 for the 5th Charisma attribute point, and so the remaining 15 BP balance.

[Kyoto Kid]

[Kyoto Kid]

...Well I downloaded and extracted (or so I think) version Dominica, but can't seem to find where it installed. I performed several searches of my HD using "Dominca" and "DNCRG" as targets but only found a 1KB file named "Dominica" and a 61MB .exe file DNCRG which could not be opened. Unlike when I downloaded the SR3 NSCRG, no start up icon was installed on my Desktop. I do not know what I did wrong.

[thewolf]

Just extract all of the files to a folder on your desktop and run it from there. It doesn't have an "real" installation package, nor does it install the usual shortcuts and so on.

[Eleazar]

Is there anything you want from us testers or are we still waiting on the new release?

[thewolf]

Actually you guys have done a really great job with testing. I'm kind of stuck on the character sheet problem and how to make that work with all types of characters. I think the NSRCG program did a great job with the html, but that is a huge piece. XML with a stylesheet would work nicely, but again a huge piece and I'm not experienced with XSLT's.

Plus I've run into some issues of programming a lot at work, and then coming home and not really wanting to jump right back into Visual Studio. Also I personally find the Excel spreadsheet character generators a lot easier to use for most things than my own program. Accessorizing is probably the only real additional feature.

[dog_xinu]

We need to find someone to help out with the XSLT/XML for the character sheet. I personally only know basic HTML or I would help with it.

As for having to do a bunch of coding at work and coming home and not feeling like working in VS on this, I understand. I dont code at work but when I come home after a long day beating on servers all day long, I sometimes have trouble even logging in enough to read my email.

If there is anything we can do to help out, let us know.....

dog

[KeyMasterOfGozer]

I'm in the same boat with thewolf. I'm finding the Spreadsheets that WizDoc started to be adequate for the most part for my needs. Couple that with the fact that my group is taking a break from SR4 to play something different, I'm finding it difficult to muster will power to put effort into this project. Also, Our group is beginning to house rule more and more things due to a general dissatifaction with many parts of the v4 core rules, so I'm not sure I could even use the prog if it was finished.

@thewolf
If you can concentrate on generating an XML output, and not worry about the XSLT just yet, I'm sure someone will be able to take the XML and make one or several XSLTs based on a good HTML layout. Remember, you are just in phase 1 of the development anyway.... once you get finished with Char Created by build point system, you still need to work on Karma growth system.

I did several XSLTs for mcmackie on his prog years back, but it's very hard to do XSLTs with having the XML output or specs to work with.

[thewolf]

@KeyMasterOfGozer
Right on the house rules. There will be lots with SR4, and each group will want to do something different. That makes event programming a nightmare.

But anyways, it already uses XML as the character storage format. The karma expenditure part of it just magnifies the complexity even more.

[thewolf]

2/14/2007
R00 Design Beta Release

(Dev Site)

I finally got some time to develop today, so I decided to completely destroy the program. Yep, this design beta is totally non-functional, but the UI elements are there for everyone to critique. I have really moved a few things around, went with a new header type grouping instead of a boring group box, and simplified a few sections from variable datagrid components to fixed-length components.

The general idea here was to make the program as easy to use as a spreadsheet, and I think the datagrids complicate things a bit. This is more streamlined, but not as robust. In the meantime I am going to redesign several backend items to make them more predictable. The need for someone who knows XSLT hasn't disappeared, although I might get down to learning it here shortly.