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Message no. 1
From: Matt Hufstetler <gt2778a@*****.GATECH.EDU>
Subject: Little Help Please(Long).....
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 02:19:11 -0500
I've had this idea in my head for a while now, and now that I'm done with
my software engineering class here at Tech, I'm actually making some progress
on my endeavor. I need some help however. First the intro:
Abstract

As we delve further into our RPG experiences, I have noticed, through
personal experience and observation throughout
our gaming group, that a GM's job is never done. He must be constantly ahead
of the learning curve for his players. This
would be more simple if we were all very organized. However, I know I am not,
and know that most others aren't
either(with the exception of Rafe(a member of our local gaming group)). And
I also know that I have come up with some
of the greatest ideas, fully fleshed them out onto paper, and then lost the
damn thing, or even worse, not been able to read
my own Sanskrit. An organizational tool for GMs is needed.

Introduction

As a past and future GM, I know that this particular software is in dire need.
The gaming market has very little software,
and most of what is out there are game-specific character/mech generators
information sheets. As a tool, this would be one
of the first of it's kind: an organizational tool for GM's to put whole
campaign worth of NPCs and plot ideas/hooks. It
should allow for printing to hardcopy(since not everyone is blessed with a
laptop, lord knows I'm not). Inputting and
modifying NPC's should be a main focus. It should organize according to
campaign, and allow for importing and exporting
of individual NPC's into those campaigns. It should keep track of any data
that a GM would consider necessary. And it
should also be able to handle multiple character formats. A universal tool
would allow for a broader market to be
achieved. It is possible since even though the details of individual system's
rules are different, common 'types' of
information exist, and the basic Campaign notes are the same.
--

Please excuse the formatting, it's cut and pasted from the web page.
What I need is for some of you guys to read through my requirements for
my project and see what I've left out. Since this is the first whack, I'm
looking at seeing my requirements double, if not triple. However, I would
like to have some outside commentary on what I've got so far. So, if you could
just point a browser at:

http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gt2778a/gmtool


look at the requirements page, and drop me an e-mail telling me what you
think. If I've left off something, let me know. Since I'm targeting the
first release of this program to SR GM's, I thought it would be appropriate
to ask for some help here.

Thanks,
Matt Hufstetler
--
Matt 'Comatose Raspberry' Hufstetler
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
uucp: ...!{decvax,hplabs,ncar,purdue,rutgers}!gatech!prism!gt2778a
Internet: gt2778a@*****.gatech.edu
Message no. 2
From: Brett Borger <bxb121@***.EDU>
Subject: Re: Little Help Please(Long).....
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 08:59:54 +0000
> information sheets. As a tool, this would be one
> of the first of it's kind: an organizational tool for GM's to put whole
> campaign worth of NPCs and plot ideas/hooks. It

This sounds great, but I dispute the statement above. It is hardly
the first of it's kind...but you still have a chance to be the first
one that is actually used by more than 2 people :)

-=SwiftOne=-
Brett Borger
SwiftOne@***.edu
AAP Techie
Message no. 3
From: Brett Borger <bxb121@***.EDU>
Subject: Re: Little Help Please(Long).....
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 09:14:07 +0000
I'll post this here since it applies to GM'ing in general.

One thing you may want to include in your ability to handle plots is
the ability to handle different types of plots. Here are the basics
of an article I eventually plan to submit to Shadowland:

Plots come in several varieties:

1)Dungeon Crawl: Adventure is separated into different areas.
Events at each area happen when the characters arrive, and the
situation at each is pretty much the same regardless of what order
the areas are visited in or what happens at other areas. (Some major
events can change the composition at each area) The advantage of
this variety is that it is the easiest to create and manage. This
also falls into two subtypes: THe Linear adventure, where all the
areas are visited in a pretty much pre-determined order, and the
Branching adventure, where there are a set of choices to go to next
from each area.

2)Timeline: Events happen in the adventure at different places
according to a preset timeline, regardless of where the characters
are. This allows the possibility of the characters "missing the
boat" and keeps the illusion of a universe that does not revolve
around them. REsults of certain actions can change the timeline, but
overall it remains static.

3)Players: The adventure consists of a few major players and the
cahracters. each of the "players" has a preset set of goals, and
work towards them just as the characters do. These "Players" can
react to the events happening around them, and modify their actions
and goals appropriately. This is a good type to use when you have
the characters facing off against enemies with peons to do their
work, or against multiple enemies with different goals. This is a
fairly easy one to set up, but the hardest to control and keep track
of. PC's also must work harder, as there are no preset clues as to
what is going on or what should happen next.

As you see, for a "GM Program", each the different methods above
would require a totally different method of storage. As a GM, I've
used them all at one point or another (Except Linear. I never use
Linear. No wait, that's not true. I used one Linear, but that was
because the characters were being led by a third party...it took them
weeks to figure out why I was being so linear about what was next
when I never had been so before, and by the time they did, the third
party had sprung his surprise :) But I'm rambling....

-=SwiftOne=-
Brett Borger
SwiftOne@***.edu
AAP Techie
Message no. 4
From: Matt Hufstetler <gt2778a@*****.GATECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Little Help Please(Long).....
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 12:12:25 -0500
>
> I'll post this here since it applies to GM'ing in general.
>
> One thing you may want to include in your ability to handle plots is
> the ability to handle different types of plots. Here are the basics
> of an article I eventually plan to submit to Shadowland:
>
> Plots come in several varieties:
>
> 1)Dungeon Crawl: Adventure is separated into different areas.
>
> 2)Timeline: Events happen in the adventure at different places
>
> 3)Players: The adventure consists of a few major players and the
> work, or against multiple enemies with different goals. This is a
> fairly easy one to set up, but the hardest to control and keep track
> of. PC's also must work harder, as there are no preset clues as to
> what is going on or what should happen next.
>
> As you see, for a "GM Program", each the different methods above
> would require a totally different method of storage. As a GM, I've
> used them all at one point or another (Except Linear. I never use

I would argue that they require a different method of storage. As it stands
now, the program would keep track of Main Plots, subplots, doublecrosses,
plot hooks for adventures and other campaign notes.
Dungeon Crawl would be fairly simple, and for each of the
other ones, it should be fairly easy to represent each of them in
a divided up format like so. For the dungeon crawl,
you wouln't need much more than a description of the different areas you
want to take your PC's into in the main plot area, and a more detailed
description(with creatures) in the subplots area.
With the Timeline plot, you give a general description
of the events which are going to happen, and then flesh the individual
events out in the subplots area(which IMHO would be a correct use, in addition
to actual sub-plots you might want to throw in).
Now, with the players, You would give a description of what their goals are
in the main plot area. The subplot area would be for how their minions plan
to achieve such goals.
For a program which detailed out an entire adventure, it would be worth looking
at to see if a different representation for each plot type is called for. But
for a overall view of a campaign, it wouldn't be necessary.

MH

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