Author Topic: Character Software Companion - Any Interest? (Read 23546 times)

FatSteve · « **on:** June 17, 2006, 03:03:55 AM »

I have recently inherited the Character Software Companion from its creator, John Cardinale. I was thinking of making it available again, if there is any interest.

Not being a computer geek, this might take me a while (I would have to round up a couple specialists), but I don't think it is doing any good keeping this to myself.

My hope is to make it available for free, in a form that can be modified and/or updated by some of you computer wizards out there.

Is there any interest in this? I know I use it whenever I make a character. My characters couldn't "live" without it.

Steve

ob1knorrb · « **Reply #1 on:** June 17, 2006, 11:09:01 AM »

I always liked it and thought it was quite well done and it would be nice to see it made available again.

Mando · « **Reply #2 on:** June 20, 2006, 02:00:18 AM »

I played with the beta while it worked and it was not a bad piece of software. The "painful" part of it was based on the fact that John certainly didn't play HARP and had to discover some features he was not prepared for by testers feedback. The last 5% of features and rules "finesse" asked for much more than 5% of the dev time, as usual. And Filemaker doesn't allow you to do anything you want on the GUI side, so you have to be smart.

From memory, the beta wasn't far from completion at the time John decided to stop it, so it might not take too long to go back to a beta phase, let testers play with the software, freeze a list of updates / modifications and then do it.

If you relaunch it, I will be glad to help for testing and then creating some ME content for it (see my sig) as I was already planning to do it during the beta phase.

ictus · « **Reply #3 on:** June 25, 2006, 07:24:28 AM »

I worked on the HARP beta test team, but didn't know much about the RM version as I'm an RM2 sort of guy.

If you are looking at making available for free there are several options.

1. Add it to the download section of rpgRM (link below) or another fan site
2. Submit it to ICE's vault (though I suspect John may not like that idea)
3. Set up your own site.

personally I'd look at all 3 options as the more places it is the more it will get used.

ob1knorrb · « **Reply #4 on:** July 02, 2006, 10:33:05 PM »

Did you also inherit the Rolemaster Software Character Companion? That is actually the one I was thinking of and have used

Cambragal · « **Reply #5 on:** July 03, 2006, 10:12:09 PM »

I would be very interested in the RCSC. As a matter of fact, I found it when I was doing a search after getting back from Iraq and was going to order it; however, things happened quickly after I retired from the Army

and I moved. I then lost the location of the software in one of my CDs and I found it the other night when I started working with my rolemaster stuff again. I went online to register it; however, I kept getting dead links and finally got a link to this string from someone on the forum. I would greatly appreciate a key code to this program if possible and would be willing to purchase it if you require. Thanks again for anything you can provide.

Cambragal e-mail: family@wessonclan.com

FatSteve · « **Reply #6 on:** July 04, 2006, 03:22:02 AM »

Quote from: ob1knorrb on July 02, 2006, 10:33:05 PM

Did you also inherit the Rolemaster Software Character Companion? That is actually the one I was thinking of and have used

Actually, I was refering to the Rolemaster program. If I have the HARP program somewhere, I haven't found it. (I have all of John's computer stuff, but I have not found his HARP software yet.)

Steve

Turambar · « **Reply #7 on:** July 04, 2006, 04:51:11 AM »

I would be interested in both, as I thought they showed the most promise of any generaton product shown/rumored/discussed to date. However, I'm only interested in the finished program, not a series of alpha and beta releases...and then nothing.

Jason

FatSteve · « **Reply #8 on:** July 04, 2006, 11:45:53 PM »

The Character Software Companion is a completed program, not an Alpha or Beta version. That is not to say it doesn't have a flaw or two here and there, but you can make characters for Rolemaster SS or FRP. The program includes all of the professions, training packages, and Talents and Flaws. Including the stuff from Channeling, Mentalism, Martial Arts, and (most of) Essence companions. You can choose to use talents from RMSS, RMFRP, or Talent Law, either with Background Options of Talent Points.

John was never able to get authorization to use all of the information from Essence Companion, so the details of the training packages from EC aren't in the program. The costs are in there, just not the details. So, if you use one of those TPs, you have to have a copy of the Essence Companion handy.

Some of the professions and/or races don't have all of the correct Everyman/Occupational/Restricted skills. (Most do, but some don't). These are easy enough to modify. (For instance Common Urbanmen don't get the Everyman skills in the Urban category. This takes about 8 clicks of the mouse to fix.)

There are a few other minor problems with the program, but most have easy work-arounds. All in all, I find it very easy to use. My plan is to put it out there in a modifiable format, so people can fix little problems and add their own custom races, etc... (They will need Filemaker to do this.) However, if you just want to use the information straight out of the books, the program works great as-is.

I just gave all of the files to a computer-savvy friend. Unfortunately, I have too few skill ranks in Tech/Trade-Computer to know exactly what files need to be sent out. Hopefully I will be able to make it all available in the next month or so.

Steve

ictus · « **Reply #9 on:** July 06, 2006, 02:02:03 AM »

The way you are talking about john leaves me wondering if he's ok?

FatSteve · « **Reply #10 on:** July 07, 2006, 01:05:25 AM »

Quote from: ictus on July 06, 2006, 02:02:03 AM

The way you are talking about john leaves me wondering if he's ok?

Sadly, John passed away in February of this year. For reasons none of us will probably ever understand, he took his own life. He was a good friend. He loved gaming more than anything, and Rolemaster was the only FRPG for him. In his will he left me all of his gaming stuff, including a complete library of all ICE's Rolemaster products and his Character Software Companion. (Perhaps the HARP software too, but I haven't found it yet.)

I think the Rolemaster library was a subtle joke, since he and I had a running competition to have more Rolemaster books than the other. "I have a book you don't have..." In the end he won by finding copies of the out-of-print Robin Hood and Mythic Greece genre books. I never had a chance to top that.

It is in John's memory that I want to make the CSC available to all Rolemaster players, for free. Keeping it to myself seemed a waste of all John's effort, and trying to profit from it is unpalatable to me. Hopefully, some of the computer-skilled gamers will take it on themselves to keep the program evolving with the game. I wish I had the skill and time to do it myself, but that just isn't in the cards.

Steve

ictus · « **Reply #11 on:** July 07, 2006, 04:25:22 AM »

I am really shocked and saddened to hear that, he always seemed a really decent guy and during the HARP alpha testing we exchanged a lot of ideas and thoughts, I was sad when he left the site and closed the companion site, as they where the only addresses I had for him.

I will help out in any way I can, and ResourceMasters would be very glad to distribute his software in his name if you wish.

I'll hunt down my HARP companion downloads which I think wasn't quite the final one he produced but it should show what files are needed for upload, I think it was a main Filemaker doc plus a couple of databases, they are cross platform and work on Mac OS X and PC, I'm no programmer but as I say if I can help I will.

Marc R · « **Reply #12 on:** July 07, 2006, 10:55:45 AM »

I've always used the Ostrowski program, but I'm always eager to fiddle with a new toy. I'd love to take a look at it if it became available.

Sad to hear he passed, my condolences.

FatSteve · « **Reply #13 on:** July 08, 2006, 03:02:40 AM »

Thanks Ictus. As soon as my friend gets back to me with the list of files I need, I'll get with you and you can make it all available through Resource Masters. I think that would be a good way to get it out to people.

Steve

ictus · « **Reply #14 on:** July 08, 2006, 01:10:53 PM »

We could make it donationware, and people can be asked to give if they can to a charity John may have wanted to help?

jeff · « **Reply #15 on:** July 08, 2006, 04:07:12 PM »

Hey all,
I'm also a good friend of Johns and also use the program and love it. I would recommed it to all.
Jeff

ictus · « **Reply #16 on:** July 09, 2006, 03:48:34 AM »

perhaps you could help Steve out whith which files are needed as it sounds like he has quite a bit of stuff to sift through.

jeff · « **Reply #17 on:** July 09, 2006, 06:15:15 AM »

I actually play with steve and would love to. I have no tech skills though and have no idea what needs to be done.

ictus · « **Reply #18 on:** July 09, 2006, 06:47:04 AM »

To put them onto resourcemasters all I need are the required files, ie the ones you would have gownloaded from the Companion sight, I can handle the rest.

The only tricky bit is that it wont be open source as the files would need unlocking.

I can find some relivent text for a charityware readme and copyright file, if Steve would like to go that route.

As technical, I'm not very technical, but if the files are unlocked I could take a look at them as Filemaker is a reasonably easy program to edit in though not an easy one to program in.

Marc R · « **Reply #19 on:** July 09, 2006, 09:56:39 AM »

I know someone with filemaker skills, but I dunno if he'd be willing, shall I ask?

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Author Topic: Character Software Companion - Any Interest? (Read 23546 times)

Cambragal