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Inactive Forums => The Riddle of Steel => Topic started by: arxhon on March 13, 2003, 02:50:34 AM

Title: Character Generation Quick Reference Package
Post by: arxhon on March 13, 2003, 02:50:34 AM
Hey everybody,

I have completed an 8 page character generation and quick reference package that includes everything a player would need to put together a character.

Here is a detailed list of what is included in these 8 pages:
The priority assignment table (Table 2.1)
How to calculate all Derived Attributes and pools
A summary of all Gifts and Flaws, including Sorcerous Gifts and Flaws
All skill packets
All skills with default values
All proficiencies with maneuvers, costs, defaults, and minimum proficiency levels required
A quick list of the vagaries (directing the player to more appropriate resources)
Spiritual Attributes
Every combat maneuver condensed into a sentence or two of game mechanics

It will remain useful throughout play, as the package has been designed with the combat maneuvers on the last page, and this is quite useful to player and Seneschal alike. The skills have been listed with defaults so the user can quickly find the default for, say, Sincerity or Acrobatics with vastly reduced search time.

Finally, the package is in a .doc format, so the Seneschal can edit out the parts he doesn't want or add to it as he sees fit.

If you are interested in receiving this package, PM me with your email address and I will send it to you.
Title: Character Generation Quick Reference Package
Post by: Jake Norwood on March 13, 2003, 02:56:35 AM
But you have to own the book and prove so, or I'll sue you all blind for copyright infringement.

Smiling, but serious.

Jake
Title: Character Generation Quick Reference Package
Post by: Brian Leybourne on March 13, 2003, 03:27:32 AM
I've got to go with Jake on this one.

Arxhon, sounds like a fantastic resource, but please - it really shouldn't go to anyone who PM's you. I'm sure Jake could stick it on the webpage somewhere, hidden and only those who have bought the book would be told where to D/L it from.

I mean, come on, that's the core of the book. Jake's being really nice, but technically, as soon as you send it to anyone he could quite legitimately sue you for copyright infringement if he had a mind to.

Brian.
Title: Character Generation Quick Reference Package
Post by: Callan S. on March 13, 2003, 04:39:11 AM
If this were palladium this thread would have been deleted by now, and nasty e-mail sent.

Then again palladium sends nasty e-mails when one writes programs that use 3D6 for stats, since they own that somehow. Not joking. No, didn't take that crap.

Anyway, does anyone else have a goulish facisnation for when high enthusiasm meets down to earth intellectual property needs. It always looks like a car wreck... ;)

But I agree, you can't give away that much info from the book, it's way too much. It's a 'by helping, your hurting' sort of thing.

Personally if I made a primer, it'll have page numbers listed a plenty, that way I can point out where the important info is, but discuss it in the primer without directly copying it.

But then again some material is blurry on which side of the IP line its on. Double again, in the end it should be about using a bit of wisdom and being nice, generally (or should I say that in the theory section?).
Title: Character Generation Quick Reference Package
Post by: arxhon on March 13, 2003, 05:07:19 AM
Hey Brian, Jake.

I had previously PMed Jake on March 1, or thereabouts about this package and emailed it to him for him to include on the Riddle of Steel website.

He replied to me in PM and said that it was ok for me to distribute it until he said otherwise.

Honestly, without the book, it's really quite a bit of gobbledygook.

I understand your position, and certainly do not wish to step on anyone's toes. There had been quite a bit of response regarding this from when i first mentioned it at the start of the month in the "Am i being a jerk?" thread here http://www.indie-rpgs.com/viewtopic.php?t=5372(sorry, i don't know how to embed the link in the text on this board), which is what prompted me to contact Jake in the first place, seeing as there was a demonstrable need for this kind of package.

Am i to take it that you now wish to rescind this arrangement, Jake?

If so, please say so.
Title: Character Generation Quick Reference Package
Post by: Brian Leybourne on March 13, 2003, 06:19:29 AM
Woah nellie! :-)

Don't put my words in Jake's mouth - I said that from a totally unofficial "as a fan" stance. Whatever Jake says goes, it's his book.

If it was mine... etc, but it's not.

So go for it. But yeah, I suggest that as folk PM you, you ask for word X on page Y so you know they have the book, that kind of thing.

Brian.
Title: Character Generation Quick Reference Package
Post by: arxhon on March 13, 2003, 06:28:16 AM
QuoteBut yeah, I suggest that as folk PM you, you ask for word X on page Y so you know they have the book, that kind of thing.

Good idea. I will implement this immediately.
Title: Character Generation Quick Reference Package
Post by: Jake Norwood on March 13, 2003, 07:21:17 AM
Yeah, I thought it was clear I only wanted people that allready have the book to get it. I'm not ticked or anything--I really was smiling.

It really is too much info for free. though, and combined with all the other free stuff online you could figure out almost the entire game. Use the "word X on page Y so you know they have the book kind of thing," please, until I say otherwise.

Jake
Title: Character Generation Quick Reference Package
Post by: arxhon on March 13, 2003, 01:42:00 PM
Hey Jake,

No problem. I didn't mean to cause all this upset.

QuoteUse the "word X on page Y so you know they have the book kind of thing," please, until I say otherwise.

I will be doing this from now on.
Title: Character Generation Quick Reference Package
Post by: Lance D. Allen on March 13, 2003, 03:27:28 PM
Hey Jake, why don't you put it on the Secret Downloads page, with the revised Chapter 6?
Title: Character Generation Quick Reference Package
Post by: Lance D. Allen on March 13, 2003, 03:28:16 PM
Hey Jake, why don't you put it on the Secret Downloads page, with the revised Chapter 6?

Especially as "Word X on page Y" may be different from pre-release to revised editions.
Title: Character Generation Quick Reference Package
Post by: Shadeling on March 13, 2003, 05:47:46 PM
Quote from: WolfenHey Jake, why don't you put it on the Secret Downloads page, with the revised Chapter 6?

Especially as "Word X on page Y" may be different from pre-release to revised editions.

A members only d'load page would be cool.
Title: Character Generation Quick Reference Package
Post by: Jake Norwood on March 13, 2003, 06:46:36 PM
Anybody know how to set up a password to get onto a page? I can do it in JavaScript, but that's transparent if you just read the source code.

arxhon-

no harm, no foul.

Jake
Title: Character Generation Quick Reference Package
Post by: Mokkurkalfe on March 13, 2003, 07:00:49 PM
Somebody teach Jake how to do that!
A download page would be awesome...
Title: ASP?
Post by: jllama on March 13, 2003, 09:54:55 PM
Jake,

I could show you how to do that easily with Active Server Pages, but your webserver would have to support ASP, which means it would have to be running IIS.  

You might also be able to do some kind of goofy encryption thing to at least disguise the pword in the javascript.  I'll have to think more on that one.

Cody
Title: Character Generation Quick Reference Package
Post by: arxhon on March 13, 2003, 10:25:48 PM
Thanks for not kicking my ass, Jake. :-)

For the code, i agree with jllama. ASP would be better, as it is more secure.

If the server is IIS based, then you shouldn't have any problem, ASP code is nice and simple.

Currently, I'm not using an exact word x on pg y, (i considered the fact that there are 2 editions) but more of a "tell me what this says here in this section?", which is different for everybody.

Example (i'm not using this one as a question): What are the six triads of the moon called(pg 181)? You really need the book for this one.

Personally, i'd rather this all be in Jake's hands. It's his property by right, and the package is definitely popular.
Title: Character Generation Quick Reference Package
Post by: Jake Norwood on March 13, 2003, 11:36:25 PM
My server sucks, but it does support ASP.

Jake
Title: Character Generation Quick Reference Package
Post by: jllama on March 14, 2003, 12:17:33 AM
Try this.  Hopefully the html in the post will be disabled correctly.

pwordPage.asp:

<html><head></head>
<body>
<form name="form1" method="post" action="membersOnly.asp">
Enter the Members Only Password:
<input type=text id="pword" name=pword>



<input type="submit" value=" Submit ">
</form></body></html>

membersOnly.asp:

<html><head></head>
<body>
<% if not(Request.Form("pword") = "pword") then %>
   I'm sorry.  You did not enter the correct password. Try again. (Any HTML could go here).
<%
     Response.End
     end if%>
Welcome to the Members Only page!  Thanks for coming! (any HTML could go here)
</body></html>

It's pretty simple, but you should get the idea.  If you have any problems, just ask.  

Later,
Cody
Title: Character Generation Quick Reference Package
Post by: arxhon on March 14, 2003, 12:32:08 AM
Ok, jllama, i'm counting on you to catch any arrors that i may make.
Jake, you mentioned you know JavaScript, so I'm assuming that you know how to write  if..then statements.

step 1. You need to create the login page, and rather than having it as a *.htm file, you should save it as a *.asp file. You don't have to, but most programmers will, just out of habit, in case they want to add any ASP to this page later on. That  way, they don't have to change all the links to this page when they change the extension. You need an .asp extension to run ASP code.

Step 2. You need to create a form on the page you want the password to be entered from.

something like:
<form name="username" action="login.asp" method="get">
    <p align="center">Password:
    <input type="password" length="8" name="login" ><br>
    <input type="submit" value=" submit ">
    </form>


This will create the form that captures the text and passes it to the next page. I'm assuming you know how to modify the attributes of a form. Note the name attribute.

Step 3. On the verification page, you need to do the following. Create it with a .asp extension. You MUST do this, or it will not run.

enter the code <%
 option explicit
%>


Before you enter anything else on the page. This must be the first text on the page. Even before meta tags, body and head tags. All HTML and other codes must go after.

Step 4 Enter the following code somewhere. Doesn't matter where. Near the top is best, though.

<html>
<body>
<head>stuff
</head>
<%  
select case request.querystring("login")

  case "password" 'whatever the password is
  response.write"Write your HTML here"
  response.write"Write more HTML here"

case else 'catch bug script
   response.write "<p class=head>Status:  Login Fail....</p>"

end select
%>
</body>
</html>


The "select" gets the information from the form, looking at the name attribute from the form.
The "case" checks for the correct password. If the text and the case match, then the page will write whatever you want, via the response.write"stuff that you want to write goes in these quotes"

The "case else" is to catch failed in attempts and spits back a login failed message.

The "end select" simply tells IIS to stop looking for cases.

You don't have to worry about the stuff being visible to people who try to view source. ASP is run on the server before it is spit out to the end user's machine. All he will see is the HTML and JavaScript result.

This should do the trick. If you have problems, i can help, or i'm sure jllama would love to do the same as well.

Edit: crosspost with jllama. He got to it first.
Title: Character Generation Quick Reference Package
Post by: Jake Norwood on March 14, 2003, 08:28:12 AM
Thanks, guys. I'll try to put this together after I get back from GTS.

Jake
Title: Character Generation Quick Reference Package
Post by: Mokkurkalfe on March 14, 2003, 09:25:18 PM
Great stuff, that sheet.
Very useful for in-game reference as well, especially the skill defaults and maneuver lists.
Title: Character Generation Quick Reference Package
Post by: arxhon on March 15, 2003, 02:19:34 AM
Thanks, Mokkurkalfe.

I'm glad you find it useful, especially for play. That's why i included the skill defaults and maneuvers. Sure beats flipping through the book in the middle of combat.