Character Generator [3.5]

[Dumbledore lives]

In my programming class this year we have to create a project using C#, and me and the group I'm working with have decided to create a character generator for 3.5.

Our basic idea is you enter stuff like role and optimization level, then it inputs it into a theoretically well designed character sheet which you can print out. We also hope to allow you to change parts of the character you don't like, and possibly eventually allow for homebrew. For the project we need both a client and stakeholders, with the forum as stakeholders and one specific member as a client.

So what I need is for someone to volunteer to be a client, who is basically the person who creates the requirements, which we then fill out. And from the general playground I'd like opinions on what you'd like to see both in something like this, and in a character sheet.

[Acero]

If you need any form of base, I would recomend the character geerator from DDO (like the lock option). I see alot of problem in setting optimazation level. You're saying how good you want a character to be; that won't work out. You can set up roles to align with certain feats or skills, classes, stats, etc. Just add preferances withing those as well. I want him to be strong! I need Spring Attack, something like that.
Good luck with this. It's just crazy enough to work.

[Land Outcast]

Yep, I seriously doubt "optimization level" will work unless you imput pre-made stat preferences, pre-made feat taking for each class, etc...
And I wonder what game sources you'll limit yourself to. (About the need to limit the sources for crunch, I'll point towards the Heroforge character generator so that you see the impossible-to-handle wealth of sources for the game... and that's just 3.5 stuff put out by WotC).

[Dumbledore lives]

Yep, I seriously doubt "optimization level" will work unless you imput pre-made stat preferences, pre-made feat taking for each class, etc...
And I wonder what game sources you'll limit yourself to. (About the need to limit the sources for crunch, I'll point towards the Heroforge character generator so that you see the impossible-to-handle wealth of sources for the game... and that's just 3.5 stuff put out by WotC).

Alright well by optimization level I was meaning something like the tiers, though I'm not sure quite how well that would work out either, hmm. As for the amount of stuff we were planning to first start with core, and gradually work our way out to the rest of 3.5, starting with stuff like the completes, and given enough time do psionics and incarnum.

[Mando Knight]

I would actually start by looking at the 4e Character Builder. It's probably the best such tool I've ever seen (ever). The old offline version was slightly better than the new one, but both are good products that do for 4e what it sounds like you'd like to do for 3.5.

[Mystic Muse]

I would actually start by looking at the 4e Character Builder. It's probably the best such tool I've ever seen (ever). The old offline version was slightly better than the new one, but both are good products that do for 4e what it sounds like you'd like to do for 3.5.

Making homebrew for the offline version was a pain though.

[Dumbledore lives]

As a helpful aside I was wondering if people had character sheets or stuff in them that they really like, that we could hope to emulate with ours.

[Vknight]

First Class then give options after distributing them by power type or style of play/Tier.

Optimizatiom could be you select a path your character wishes to take.

Charger then it gives all relevant Charger feats for your character in order for his levels.

Just some ideas

[Dumbledore lives]

Just a bump because we really need people to comment, and it would be amazing if someone could volunteer to be our client.

[Strife Warzeal]

I'll volunteer myself if you explain a bit more about what that entails.

[Dumbledore lives]

I'll volunteer myself if you explain a bit more about what that entails.

Well as a client you would help define the requirements for the project. Essentially we would communicate a few times over the coming year, you telling us what you did/ did not like about the project, and we would try to fix it.

[SilverLeaf167]

I'd apply too, then.

[Mystic Muse]

I'd apply too, then.

Same here. I'd like a good character generator for 3.5

[vikingofdoom]

I'll apply as a client. I can also work on inputting data for books if given the method to be used.

[Redshirt Army]

Given legal issues and the silly amount of data if you include splat-books, I'd suggest only including the SRD, along with home-brewing options.
(Plus that way people can still include some splat-book stuff manually, which neatly avoids legal issues.)

[Vknight]

I agree to that and I'm volunteering myself.

[Eronai_Jantig]

Given legal issues and the silly amount of data if you include splat-books, I'd suggest only including the SRD, along with home-brewing options.
(Plus that way people can still include some splat-book stuff manually, which neatly avoids legal issues.)

Can I bump this any harder? Please, please do this. I would love you forever if you did this. I would love to have a Character Generator based on the 4th edition one, with the base data from the SRD with the ability to ADD MANUALLY the splatbooks and homebrews that they choose.

If possible, allow us to add splat books as "books" (They would be some format you make up for the program, I suspect you would encode it as a .txt, but label it something like .DDSB or something like that to avoid confusion.

I'd make myself a client, but I don't want to ruin other good ideas. But please whoever does become a client, please stress this. That way if I as a DM has a certain set of house rules, I can just give my players the house rules files (In this case it would be classes and feats and spells and the like, the mechanics would probably have to be left outside of the generator)

[Dumbledore lives]

To all who volunteered to be a client just remember that this is a year long commitment, when we ask you a question we are expecting a fairly quick response. We would also like a set of requirements that are concrete, something that we can adhere to and look at throughout the rest of the year. So if you honestly think that you can do what we're asking of you then comment on your willingness and we would be glad to use you as a client.

And to those who are watching but are not the client we will be posting the finished product on the forums.

[Vknight]

I got no concrete things right now. I can say I can get back every 24hours for most of the year except a week in April when I'll be in France.

[Mystic Muse]

How quick is "Quick"?

[Dumbledore lives]

How quick is "Quick"?

Within one day or so.

[Land Outcast]

About character sheet format:
There is (or was) Emma's Charsheet (http://www.scribd.com/doc/47221162/large-character-sheet), my favourite.

[Cartigan]

This would be nice to see. I had been planning a C# Pathfinder character creator but, being lazy, all I have is the point buy generator, part of a GUI, and some template definition sheets. I think the hitch in my get along was my plan to define the rules for how everything is to be put together in XML which is a huge pain trying to get all the definitions just so to make an easily editable character template (though it would make character sheet style output easier)

A good reference point for any character generator is Redblade. Redblade, once you ignore the bugs, is generally rather easy to modify and, important here, easy to use (compared to basically every other free char gen in the game).

MORE EDIT: Now that I think about it, the GUI (especially if they are letting you let VS deal with all the GUI coding) and coding is really cake, it's the rule definition for template inputs that are really the sticking point in this project (assuming that is what you are going for).

[grimbold]

i too will apply and playtest the character it gives me

[Cartigan]

Two comments:
1) I think I misread what you wrote. This isn't a character creator so much as a character generator.
2) Having read it correctly, that seems vastly more difficult to do than just making a decent, up-to-date character creator - unless you break it down to "Input your target level and class (and possibly ability scores) and it generates all your stats with a random selection of feats, items, and, if applicable, spells."

[Eronai_Jantig]

Any update for this?

[herrhauptmann]

Holy necro batman!

Seriously though, if you were to make it work similar to the char creator program that was included in the 3.0 PHB (later versions were buggier than earlier ones oddly enough), that might work better.
You know, input stats, and race/class/skills at level 1, and it tells you what you're allowed to take for feats. Updating the list of available feats and prestige classes as you level your character up. Perhaps with a master list of feats/PrC so that you know what's out there, and what you need to meet the prereqs.

Finally, include instructions so that us technologically illiterate people can add our own homebrew, or non-SRD sources.
Sadly, either this project fell through, or it's been moved off the boards after a few clients volunteered.