Is FGII a good PCGEN Replacement??

[Jade E]

I'm currently using PCGEN for managing my local group of players. It is entirely an offline situation: there is just me and one computer on which I track all the player characters, run combats, divide up experience points etc. All the players are around the same table rolling real dice.

Given FGII's focus on online play, is it suitable for managing characters and combat etc. during offline play?

/J

[richvalle]

You CAN use it though I think there is software more suited to this.

DMGenie comes to mind. Some of us run both FG and DMG at the same time (I stopped when my 2nd monitor died).

https://www.dmgenie.com/

You can demo it for... 60 days? I think. At least 30.

rv

[Illrigger]

My problem with DMGenie is that it's really hard to effectively add new classes and feats to it - especially the ones from recent books that use new rules. In many ways, even with the learning curve, it's a lot easier to work with PCGen in that regard.

Personally, I use PCGen to make characters, then transfer them to FG2 for play.

[richvalle]

Heh... I've been using DMGenie the same way. Well, and as a way to double check peoples 'calculations' (hps, skill points, ect).

I've not had a hard time adding feats though admitedly I don't try to script them. I just add the feat name to the list of feats. It shows up on the char sheet that way which is mostly what I'm aiming for.

rv

[Wavestone]

One of the big distinctions between FGII and PCGen, in terms of character management is that PCGen has logic that helps you maintain a character by the rules - class features, feats, skills etc are coded.

You can for example equip a character, and PCGen calculates the bonuses, encumbrance cost etc.. all these are interconnected.

FGII has much less logic - its up to you to make sure that you got the right class features, right amount of feats, correct class skills and number of spells. Its basically a plain character sheet where the player enters numbers as they see fit, with some simple autocalculation values.

Basically:

PCGen - Smart, autocalc, etc.. but adding new stuff needs coding. Monkey grip? Add a feat to your homebrew rresource(that you must remember to load) make sure you code the bonuses correctly .. not always easy. When done, you can select it in PCGen, and it works fine.

FGII - Dumb, you just write in the sheet more or less.. but new stuff is easy to add in. Monkey grip? Just write it on the feat line, change the weapon damage die, adjust the attack values to account for -2..

I think that one of the design goals for FG is that its not supposed to calculate complicated stuff for you - it simulates a table and character sheets. FG II is "smarter" than FG I though, and have potential to get pretty smart with scripting functions..

edit- clarified about design goals

[Jade E]

I undertsand the PCGEN model where by everything is calculated and worked out. Problem is it gets in my way. I've many times wanted to bend a rule because of a game situation but the program just gets in the way. That and the instabilities are getting me down.

Some one suggested I look at FGII. The application looks real nice. Any developer that has such care for its presentation is likely to have as much care for its internals. This bodes well.

I use PCGEN (with its utility app GMGEN) for round-the-table use. I use it for player character and NPC managment; inventory tracking; combat tracking; XP calculation and overall general campaign control. All players are around the table and I, as DM, am the only one with a computer at the table. I want to track characters, inventories, XPs and combat. Can FGII do any or all of these with all players and only one computer at the table?

/JD

[richvalle]

You can track characters no problem.

You can track inventory... but to move things from one person to another you'd have to erase from one character's sheet and add it to another (you could cut and paste).

You can track xp, but not calcuate it.

You could use it for help on combat management as well via the combat tracker.

rv