Topic: RMSS reliable character gen software?

[danskmacabre]

Is there any reliable RMSS character gen software out there?
I've seen various threads here with projects people are working on to write software to do this, but most of the links are dead.
There's Jdale's spreadsheets which requires office, which I don't have.

I used to run RM many years ago and would like to again, but I would very much like to see some sort of character gen software to do the character gen, there's no way I'm going to generate characters manually anymore on paper, I just can't be bothered with it.

It'd be great if there was such a type of software which managed character gen, referening tables etc, the whole package.
I'd be happy to pay for something like that as well.

[jasonbrisbane]

Im tempted to do something online... i.e. you could download the code and install apache and mysql on your desktop PC and install the code into the relevant dir and run it by going to http://localhost/ !!

Also means others could modify it if they wanted.

Id do HARP at first. Allow you to choose which books you wanted to use (core, ML, COM, HB(OMG that would be a challenge!), etc).

But I have a menu planner that I havent done yet so anything else is on the backburner
(my wife has waited 6 years for this menu planner so she comes first  )

[danskmacabre]

I know a little about php coding.
Actually I'm a programmer by trade, but I use AS400s (IBM ISeries), the coding is really quite different than PHP.

You're from Perth Aren't you?
I'm originally from Perth, I went back to Perth many years back for a couple of years, I even found a Rolemaster Roleplaying group to play in, I used to run RMSS when it first came out.
 

[jasonbrisbane]

I know a little about php coding.
Actually I'm a programmer by trade, but I use AS400s (IBM ISeries), the coding is really quite different than PHP.

You're from Perth Aren't you?
I'm originally from Perth, I went back to Perth many years back for a couple of years, I even found a Rolemaster Roleplaying group to play in, I used to run RMSS when it first came out.

Yes, assuming you mean Perth, WA, Australia and not Perth, Scotland or any other place.
Ive done PHP coding (amateur? - the RMC and HARP character sheets online) and it works and thats all Im claiming. If someone actually looked at the code it might start a minor war ... IM originally a C coder...(yes, C )

I played RM originally in 1989 to 1992 (ish?) with 5 guys... and when that group stopped I played with SAGA and a few other places and people....Ive been with the current group since before HARP started... I dont even know how many years that is.....

if your in Melbourne there is a guy who would love to find a group (RMSS, RMC, RMFRP, etc) but hasnt had much opportunity in the past few years.... I could put you in touch...

[danskmacabre]

Yes, assuming you mean Perth, WA, Australia and not Perth, Scotland or any other place.

Heh yes, Perth WA, although I have Visited Perth in Scotland for a laugh.

Ive done PHP coding (amateur? - the RMC and HARP character sheets online) and it works and thats all Im claiming. If someone actually looked at the code it might start a minor war ... IM originally a C coder...(yes, C )

Yeah amateur PHP for me too.

I played RM originally in 1989 to 1992 (ish?) with 5 guys... and when that group stopped I played with SAGA and a few other places and people....Ive been with the current group since before HARP started... I dont even know how many years that is.....

Similar sort of dates for me with starting RM.
I moved to other games from about 1995 tho, Runequest, Stormbringer, White wolf games etc, but trying to get a RM and/or Stormbringer group together atm. 

if your in Melbourne there is a guy who would love to find a group (RMSS, RMC, RMFRP, etc) but hasnt had much opportunity in the past few years.... I could put you in touch...

Ah no, I currently live in England, but I'm moving back to Australia this year sometime with my wife and kids.
Maybe Melbourne or Sydney, depends where the job I get is based. I won't know for sure until later this year.

[pastaav]

Anyone feeling they are up for making an excel clone?

What is needed for a working char gen software is excel formula capability and some presentation. The presentation part is not that hard (even though time consuming), but building the formula capability in a modular fashion that is stable, allow you separate the actual rules from the math and can be maintained is pretty much the equals of rocket science.

To put simply I don't think there is any economy in building a stable flexible char gen software. The effort needed to reach break even in functionality with the spreadsheets is simply too much. To get a GUI that is incredibly much cooler and good lucking is doable, but that just is about 5% of the total effort needed to reach the stable char gen software.

[rdanhenry]

I don't know how easy it would be to convert the spreadsheet approach over to Open Office. Given that you can count on the user having access to the database part of the suite (unlike the various configurations of MS Office), that might even be useful for someone who knew what he was doing. I don't know. I reckon someone who knew what they were doing could duplicate the jdale spreadsheet character generator in Open Office in a fairly short time. Depending on how cleanly the data would copy and paste between MS Office and OO, it could take substantially less time than the original took, since much of the effort is data entry (and then checking the data entry) and layout decisions could simply be copied.

Edit: There is an Open Office character spreadsheet in the Vault (http://www.ironcrown.com/ICEforums/index.php?action=tpmod;dl=item573). I haven't had a chance to try it yet, so I don't know how well it works. Nor how easy it is to modify, which is factor unless you run strictly by the (same) book(s as the spreadsheet writer).

[danskmacabre]

That open office spreadsheet looks serviceable enough for now anyway.
It would be cool though if you could BUY a character generator and GM management software package sanctioned/licensed by ICE to go with a new edition of RM.

I realise that's easier said than done, but really I think it's pretty much a necessity for a game like RM.
I really love RM as a game, but is desperately needs real software support.

[DavidKlecker]

I have plans to create an open source RMSS character gen that will run on most operating system platforms (Windows, OSX and Linux definitely) and XML database sheet to go with it. It will basically clone my AutoHARP program. However since I am currently focusing on Harp as my system of choice, AutoHARP is getting all of my attention.