RM Tools

From 1ste Gimnechiske Wiki

This project is an advanced continuation of Rolemaster Character Sheet. It uses databases to store information, and are supposed to generate complete character sheets, castle records, construct records, herb lists, encounter tables, price lists, or whatever is needed. It should be possible to run this both as GM and player, though it might be as different programs. The goal is to enable them to link together over net, so that a pen'n'paper RPG can be done electronicly in the same room, or over internet if desired.

The tools to develop the program is OpenOffice.org Base (ODBC/JDBC in HSQL) with Forms, and OpenOffice.org Basic (as a Visual Basic frontend). A future goal for the program is to build a platform independent GUI, most likely written in Ruby on Rails and/or Java, and make all the data systems in JDBC. Information updates is to be done via internet some time in the future, though before a reliable service is made, updates will be done with new software installations. I will not priority Software Updaters, but this is a future option if the software works fine, and the response is good.

Main reason for not giving details and supplying a downloadable version is that the project is currently in a "learning" face, where I want to get around to understand the database/query/form aspects needed, and to find and design the necessary wrap-around to make it run platform independent. I also want to make a system for storing individual datas in XML files.

Development

After migrating to Mac and I started to look at Xcode, the idea to make a full featured GUI with integration of code and the various systems I like to support, the idea to abandon the OpenOffice development, and focus fully on making a GUI version. The database work is not a waste of time, since I will need databases with the information to structure the data within the project.

Xcode allows me to develop the GUI as if I used tools like Visual Basic, but allows me to integrate code from several development languages, as well as enabling me to use several other features within the Mac platform.

Features

RM Tools aims to include all the data sheets necessary for running any Rolemaster game, wether advanced or simple. This includes Character Record Sheet, Castle Record Sheet, Construct Record Sheet, Vessel Record Sheet, War Unit Record Sheet, and much more.

Future planes is to make two different types of interface, one web based and one GUI based, and we will try to make one demo version of the web interface when available.

TODO

• Make working Interface
• Insert Standard Data Pack
• Insert Additional Data Pack
• Allow for House Rules
• GM Interface / Player Interface with chat function
• Allow Audio/Video transfer
• Software dice
• NPC database
• Automated combat, mass combat
• Map transfer, with option for detail hiding, character location and NPC location (Integrate with OpenFantasyMap?)
• Action Posting
• System to manage house rules
• System to manage optional rules