Alternity® Character Manager

v0.9.1 beta available

Notes on Newest Features

Export Hero: This takes the currently loaded hero and exports it using an XSL transformation file. An example file (walter_hero.xsl) is included in this release. This supplants the Save as HTML function which will be removed in future versions. Also, the print preview and reporting system will be removed soon because the XML/XSL capability is more powerful and compatible across many platforms.

Mutiple Sources: Some of the FX skills currently have two sources listed: Beyond Science & Dark*Matter. This allows better filtering of the skill/weapon/armor/equipment lists. To enter multiple sources for an item, simply separate them with the pipe "|" character.

OpenRPG 1.4.1 Instructions

This new version includes two XSL exporters for OpenRPG. The first one, walter_openrpg.xsl, simply creates an XML file that can be directly imported into OpenRPG. The second one, walter_openrpg_dr.xsl, requires a new Alternity® die roller for OpenRPG. The file is available below. Without this file installed properly into OpenRPG, the die roller version of the OpenRPG sheet will not work.

NOTE: These exporters and die roller are designed to work with OpenRPG 1.4.1 only.

Features

• Create Heroes from all professions including FX Adepts or even non-professionals

• Create Heroes from the 7 basic species including Mutants plus many of the added species

• Create a GM's Sheet to track the characters in your campaign and print it out

• All Hero parameters and options are editable all the time

• Track a Heroes level and advancement

• Customize the skills and add your own

• Allows a Hero to buy certain skills multiple times (i.e. Vehicle Ops-Space Vehicle)

• Preview and Print character sheets and customizable them as well

• Export Heroes using XSL transformations

• Save an HTML file of your Hero

• GM Sheet records Stun, Wound, Mortal, Fatigue as well as Action Check

• Handles the rules variants for Skill points and costs: 2A, 2B, and 2C

• Hero files are save in the universal XML format

• etc., etc., etc.

Notes

Well, it's just the beta version. I've still got about a million things to work out, but it's getting there. Please don't flood my inbox with requests for features or even bug reports.

The Heroes created with any of the beta versions can be loaded into the later versions. The file format has been finalized enough to prevent those kinds of problems from occurring.

Clicking on the Stun, Wound, Fatigue or Mortal numbers on the main Hero editing form will increment (left mouse button) and decrement (right mouse button) the number of each that have been "taken". This is the same info that the GM can track on the GM's Sheet.

Options for the new rules variants can be selected individually from the Preferences dialog. You can choose from any combination of the 2A, 2B, and 2C variants. Changes made to these options while a hero is loaded will change the numbers automatically. The selected variants are not currently saved with the hero, so if you load a hero that used some of the variants into the program with none or different variants selected, the hero will appear to calculate incorrectly. This is not a problem. The feature of saving the info with the hero will be added in a future release. In the mean time, simply put the options selected into the notes for the hero.

I am currently looking at a way of adding full customization to the program. When implemented, players and GM's will be able to put in perks, flaws, etc. and edit the existing ones (there will be a way to restore the base info). This info will save with the heroes so you can load the hero anywhere and get the correct result. I don't have an ETA on this yet.

Skill customization has been added. It still needs some more tweaks, but the general functionality is there. The system now allows skill lists to act like plugins to the program, adding new skills to the ones available. Also, skills added to a hero can be edited to change their values. There is also a way to reset the values back to the defaults. The customization of the other features is on the way as well.

GM Sheet Keys

These keys work on the currently selected Hero or NPC. An NPC is a Hero without a Player Name or with a Player Name of 'NPC'.

WARNING: This program is provided AS IS with no warrantees expressed or implied. Use at your own risk. Remember, it's BETA!