Shadowrun Tool Gap, Tools Post Character Generation Options

[StealthSigma]

Ive noticed, while looking at the various tools, that there are three categories that they seem to fall into.

1. Character creators.
2. Dice Rollers.
3. Reference materials.

There is, I feel, a rather glaring gap in tool coverage that I have set out to cover.

Bookkeeping. Yes bookkeeping.

I'm talking about things like keeping track of each of the ammo counts for the weapons you have on you. How much damage you've taken. Your dicepools in any given situation while easily selecting which modifiers apply without having to remember or look out the penalty. These are the goals that I'm aiming for including potentially adding a dice icon next to each pool so that pressing that button rolls the dice for that pool rather than an application where you must type in the value you want to roll.

Some of the original ideas for specific goals can be viewed at the below Google docs spreadsheet. Specifically, the Combat Dice work and Combat Data provide the basics. In case it isn't obvious, the ugliness of buttons in Google docs and the poor features provided by Google Scripts is what pushed me to this application.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key...ZlVPbV9DSjdacGc

Some specific goals.
-Character Arsenal/Closet/Garage: The application will store an arsenal of the modified weapons of a character. At the very worst case it would require manual entry of each weapon, the modified Damage, AP, Ammo, Ranges, etc (sans ammo) as well as what ammo types you have available for that weapon. This same style will be applied to a character closet for selecting currently "active" armor for damage resistance tests as well as a character Garage that you can use to select the vehicle you're using for any vehicle tests that may crop up.
-Other dice pools: I want the application to also keep track of all other dice pools in an easy to browse fashion.
-Running Commlink: I want to have the player be able to load all available programs (and their relevant attributes) and be able to dynamically select what is running on the commlink for matrix dice pools and determining if the commlink is overloaded.
-Magic Stuff: I'll admit it. I have practically zero knowledge regarding the magic system in Shadowrun, so while I would like to include it, I don't have the rules understanding to make sure what is needed is being taken care of.

While the idea of manually entering weapons/armor/vehicles and everything may sound tedious, the value I perceive is that the application will be source book independent. It will require minimal updating to permit new items. For example, if I put an Aiming Bonus attribute on a weapon, that covered laser sights and smartguns, as well as reflex sights. Additionally, since some people may disagree on whether reflex sights stack with either of those bonuses, having an open entry permit either method to be applied. This also makes the application receptive to custom weapons or vehicles.

[All4BigGuns]

Ive noticed, while looking at the various tools, that there are three categories that they seem to fall into.

1. Character creators.
2. Dice Rollers.
3. Reference materials.

There is, I feel, a rather glaring gap in tool coverage that I have set out to cover.

Chummer pretty much does everything you ask for.

[StealthSigma]

Chummer pretty much does everything you ask for.

Did you finish reading the section you quoted and decided to say Chummer does everything I asked, because I'm pretty sure Chummer does stuff in those three categories and what I asked for did not fall under any of those three categories. I see no options to track consumable usages. I certainly don't see any options for selecting what modifiers are currently affect you. I don't see any options for maintaining the status of your commlink and whether your program usage exceeds the limit.

[All4BigGuns]

Did you finish reading the section you quoted and decided to say Chummer does everything I asked, because I'm pretty sure Chummer does stuff in those three categories and what I asked for did not fall under any of those three categories. I see no options to track consumable usages. I certainly don't see any options for selecting what modifiers are currently affect you. I don't see any options for maintaining the status of your commlink and whether your program usage exceeds the limit.

There's a check box in Options that says "Calculate commlink response based on number of running programs", and when you select a program in the Gear tab, it has a check box that says "Running". Don't see what else you'd need on the 'status' of it. I haven't messed with it, but there is a function for ammo tracking. As to other consumables, just delete one of them when it's used.

[StealthSigma]

There's a check box in Options that says "Calculate commlink response based on number of running programs", and when you select a program in the Gear tab, it has a check box that says "Running". Don't see what else you'd need on the 'status' of it. I haven't messed with it, but there is a function for ammo tracking. As to other consumables, just delete one of them when it's used.

The ammo tracking option in Chummer is seriously flawed and assumes you have some sort of trans-dimensional storage capability where all your ammo is available to you.
I may not have messed around with the commlink enough, but I stacked on a number of programs and never saw the response of the commlink I selected decrease in value.
None of the modifiers that apply on the fly are options for selection that I can tell.
Chummer has no calculation to determine split dice pools.

Ultimately, the modifiers and ability to calculate how many dice your rolling is what I'm looking for. Chummer does not do that.

Finally, the information may be there in Chummer, but it's not displayed in any sort of quick to reference fashion and requires an excessive number of clicks to change things around. This is not unexpected. It was built as a character creator first. However, for such a tool as what I envision to be worthwhile, it needs to be as slim as possible and provide fast lookups. After all, the books are available in front of you to look up all this information. Why bother with a character creation tool? Because it makes it faster and simpler.

[RelentlessImp]

I may not have messed around with the commlink enough, but I stacked on a number of programs and never saw the response of the commlink I selected decrease in value.

Tools->Options->General->Miscellaneous->Calculate Commlink Response based on number of running programs

That said, I agree with you that there are things that aren't being done by the various tools out there, but actual bookkeeping is being done. Quick-references for split dice pools and on-the-fly modifiers should be on a handy reference sheet of some sort that can do the calculations for you, but they're typically not that strenuous. It'd be nice, though.

[Scarecrow]

Speaking of tools that would make peoples lives easier...

It would be nice if there were a DECENT combat-tracking application. Not for the ammo, but tracking initiative, IPs (including matrix), wound boxes, character/npc/paracritter/enemy status, etc. I've done google searches, and the ones out there SUCK. Not to mention they are primarily for D&D.

[Shortstraw]

Speaking of tools that would make peoples lives easier...

It would be nice if there were a DECENT combat-tracking application. Not for the ammo, but tracking initiative, IPs (including matrix), wound boxes, character/npc/paracritter/enemy status, etc. I've done google searches, and the ones out there SUCK. Not to mention they are primarily for D&D.

Stalker-X posted a Good Initiative Calculator a while back.

[Draco18s]

I've got a half-finished Matrix-encounter simulator. I really should finish it.

I also did finish a fairly rudimentary, but full-featured, ammo counter.

[Xenefungus]

Not only combat-tracking, but also grid and positioning support. And then, roll automatically after you click on someone to attack him (after you maybe chose a special attack option). Just like a computer game! Much faster, no dice falling off of the table, and everyone has the same picture of the situation.

Just like a computer game!

[forgarn]

If I wanted to play a computer game... While I agree that some things in SR can be slow, it doesn't bother me that much because I don't want to play a computer game. While the visual part is nice, I personally like the dice falling off the table... it reminds me of my gaming roots in the 70's.

[Draco18s]

Not only combat-tracking, but also grid and positioning support. And then, roll automatically after you click on someone to attack him (after you maybe chose a special attack option). Just like a computer game! Much faster, no dice falling off of the table, and everyone has the same picture of the situation.

Just like a computer game!

You might want to look into MapTool and writing a plugin.

[taeksosin]

Not only combat-tracking, but also grid and positioning support. And then, roll automatically after you click on someone to attack him (after you maybe chose a special attack option). Just like a computer game! Much faster, no dice falling off of the table, and everyone has the same picture of the situation.

Just like a computer game!

Doesn't SR Squad Manager do a lot of this? http://www.stauder-online.de/sr/english.htm

[cryptoknight]

HeroLab does a pretty good job on handling initiative and health and ammo tracking for PCs, NPCs, and the like.

Ammo tracking works, but it also assumes that you carry all 1923819238912831 rounds of APDS Sniper Rilfe ammo you own with you, probably because SR doesn't enforce encumbrance.

[DMiller]

Here's an Initiative and Damage tracker I built a long while ago. It is built using OpenOffice and it doesn't like MS Excel.

https://www.sugarsync.com/pf/D024671_6664841_67019

-D

[Terence]

I never knew there was such diversity out there for computers. I'll have to check them out.

Scarecrow, if you have an iPod Touch or iPhone, try out an app that I created. Its called Smartlink and does tracking of Initiative for SR3. At the current time, it does not track things which do not affect initiative.

For me a big thing is walking around the gaming table, and I like the idea of tracking initiative in my hand so I bought a Mac and wrote the app.

Let me know what you think!