Shadowrun software, What do <b>you</b> use Options

[WolfJack]

So while doing, yet another, Google search for Shadowrun software I decided to make a general thread that everyone could benefit from.

Like the topic says, What do YOU use when you are either GMing or playing Shadowrun.

I'll start it off with the follow:

Milenix MyInfo - Good outline based organizational program.
Adobe Acrobat - No brainer.


I had found something called Shadowrun Personal Assistant Device (PAD) but the link I had is dead. Anyone else have this. It was a decent general purpose note taker and had a nice Condition Monitor, which I can't seem to find for Windows.


So, what does everyone else use/recommend?

-Wolf

[Arethusa]

Beats the hell out of actually rolling dice.

[Cray74]

Er...I use Microsoft Outlook (to write e-mails to my home address at work...only during my lunch break, of course...containing random thoughts for my next SR game) and MS Word (for character creation, filing adventure ideas, etc.).

Does that count?

[Caine Hazen]

must....find...more....WinCE....programs

I'm gonna try a fully integrated game next time I run...info on my website, PDFs for players (instead of handouts...hehe) Bryce and 3dStudio and Maya to do some pretty art...I'm sure I'll fail just cause I'd have to work at it..

I'm using PocketDice for my PDA right now, and it's not bad, but it has some stall times to it sometimes. Plus I'm using CIH (Conversions In Hand) for mesurement conversions on the quick...that program rocks...NSRCG and SRTracker for some stuff, but I need a lap top to make em really usable.

[Wireknight]

I use Textpad for jotting down plot ideas, generating HTML for character sheets and rules supplements, and other record-keeping. I could use Notepad, I guess, but Textpad has syntax highlighting and other features that help outside of Shadowrun.

[gfen]

You already know this, but...

SRDiceRoller for OSX.

I'll move over to VirtPC/Windows for NRSCG. I've a link for someone trying to develop an OSX version of this.

[WolfJack]

Yea, the same guy that does the condition monitor. Now if only they had something like that for Windows.

I checked out Omnihedron and it's alright but if I have a net connection I prefer to use Dashifen's dice roller

[toturi]

AutoCAD, MSWord and NSRCG.

[Backgammon]

I started using Visio to make maps. Very usefull.

[WolfJack]

I've used a program called Dungeon Crafter for maps a time or two, but not for anything more then basic floorplans.

-Wolf

[ShadowGhost]

I use spreadsheets, Netscape Navigator, and a work-in-progress custom software program for all the NPCs (and players) that has their stats, armor, gear, descriptions and skills, Essence/Bioware, and certain Cyberware (armor adding types only) plus die-roller that does their attack, w/or without combat pool, rolls damage/spell resistance, imports/exports NPCs, tracks Damage/Condition monitor and TN mods for each character.

It will also determine reaction/surprise and initiative automatically for NPCs, with the GM typing in players rolls before sorting for order of initiative etc.

I still need to do a lot of programming and debugging before it's fully ready, and for now it will be OS X, for Macs.

[Sahandrian]

I use KeyNote for note-taking, character info, and plot ideas.

[Kagetenshi]

TextEdit.app, Calculator.app, phpBB, and Fire.app. Also Vectorworks 9 when I'm feeling motivated.

~J

[Caine Hazen]

Anyone else use any 3d programs or do 3d art for their runners??

[kuroko]

I use excell for character sheets (nothing automated, just some carefully designed sheets that change with the runner). Other than that, not much really.

However, in the first group I ran with several people had PDA's and got into the habit of flashing each other messages (I think AIM, but can't recall). This way when wierd things happened, we never knew if it was one of them doing something or the gm messing with us himself.

[Shadow]

I use Dashifen's DCRS and Mcmackies NSRCG along word to make and maintain my host of characters.

Theres a ton of other great resources in my page at the SRwebpository.

[Omega Skip]

Do I use 3D Software for Shadowrun? I guess you could say that.

Before I was hospitalized, I was working on something called the VRML Site Viewer. Maybe I'll put some more work into it later... We talked about it on Dumpshock before.

I always found that adding 3D stuff (plans, movies, models, etc) to my game made things WAAAAY easier to explain. Besides, nothing beats telling your players, "Well, you look up into the bright antarctic sky, and see this."

:vegm:

[A Clockwork Lime]

Notepad, Wordpad, and a Calculator (not that it helps me get my numbers right in the first place). That's about it.

[Kagetenshi]

[Omega Skip]

Well, uh, I mean... you see, it's like this: Swamp gas from a weather balloon was trapped in a thermal pocket and reflected the light from upside down, yeah, that's what happened. Hey, look behind you, a 30 foot ornithopode walker drone!

[Edit]Well, the real story is this: The images with the desert temple and the flying fortress are from a Shadowrun campaign that included some heavy duty timetravel. My players were stranded in an unknown place / time, and got themselves captured and knocked out. Once they were awake, they went about escaping from their prison cells - and when they finally saw daylight again, they emerged on the very top of the fortress. Kind of like that one scene in "Face/Off" where Archer escapes from prison only to realize he'd been

[ Spoiler ]

locked up in an oil rig.

To make it easier for my players to understand their surroundings, I rendered this, and also a little flyby movie of the entire thing. That also did a nice job of giving them an idea of the thing's dimensions.

To get back on topic: I use, in addition to what's already been said, 3DS Max and some VRML stuff to give my players real-time 3D maps whenever possible. It's a lot of work, but it pays off nicely.[/Edit]

[Caine Hazen]

Nice job with it...I'll have to link some of my stuff when my web site is up and running ... still working on that though...maybe I should spend less time here or UT 2K4...

[northern lights]

i've been tossing around the idea of a firearm creation program so that i can throw custom guns together in minutes. but i sat down and thought about making random access files and then i realized i was too lazy. maybe someday.
still, nsrcg is excellently useful.

[TinkerGnome]

[Dashifen]

Whee! I got two mentions :) Seriously, though, I use my own software (or I wouldn't have written it) as well as my laptop at game time. I often jot some notes during the run but I rarely save them from week to week and instead just hope that I remember them all.