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Introducing the SR5 Mook Generator

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prismite

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« on: <02-16-15/1840:52> »
Hi All!

Let me re-introduce the Mook Generator I've been working on! It's complete and fully functional, for a Version 1.0 release, anyway. Please download and try this out! I'd love to get feedback and/or bug alerts!

Get it here:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0cWLUCJD5oZX2Nxc29VczNLalU/view?usp=sharing!

So, without further ado, let me explain some things...

What it is NOT meant to do:
     Replace the need to draw out named bad-guys
     Give skills that are not immediately needed for combat or stealth
     Flesh out any sort of Personality
     Provide any sort of magic/resonance (this is planned for a future update)
     Provide random qualities (again, planned in the future)
     Provide random 'ware (as above)
     Generate a non-human NPC
     Generate a PC
     
What it IS meant to do:
     Give you access to quick bad guys that you do not care about
     Give you a cash loot for each guy
     Give you a name for said bad guy or gal (Chosen randomly. There are over 240 million possible combinations ... literally)
     Provide an easy to use/read printable txt document for said NPC (Complete with damage track at the bottom)
     Create archetype-based gear (You wont see a SWAT member with a Thunderstruck and Synth Leather armor, etc)

The program has 3 columns to choose from. On the left is "Normal", middle is "Tough" and the right most column is "Baddass". In the future I might Narrow this to be a set of fillable bullets so that we have more space, but for now, this is the format in use.

The "Normal" version of any character should closely match up (with minor discrepancies due to the random element of stats and skills introduced by the generator) to the NPC of similar name mentioned in the Core rule book. IE, the "Cop" Mook will closely resemble the Professional Rating 3 of the same archetype, etc.

The "Tough" version of any character should closely resemble the "Lieutenant" of its archetype, as listed in the book. This is only true if the Lieutenant stayed a similar type and didn't transition to a hacker or magician, as was the case in some examples. In these cases I used an approximate formula based off the other patterned characters to come up with what I thought was suitable advancement.

The "Baddass" version of any character is a SUBSTANTIAL increase, introducing a harsh power creep. These guys will be the extreme of these archetypes. For example, sticking with the Cop example from above, the Baddass Cop could be used as a SWAT member or even as a low-grade HRT member.

While this mook generator is far from perfect or done, it already has all existing books coded in it (in regards to Armor and Weapons, anyway), though not all have been implemented in a mook as yet. This "Version 1" of the generator is being provided to hopefully garner some interest, suggestions, thoughts, etc from the general public so please share your thoughts!

Things I hope to implement still:
     The ability to add or create Resonance based characters
     The ability to add or create Magic based characters
     Add ability to give random attachments to weapons
     Add ability to give random modifications to armor
     Randomize Cyberware on relevant NPCs
     Randomize Qualities for all mooks
     Add additional relevant gear to loot (Commlinks, drugs, etc)
     Create an 'odds & ends' loot section (Filled with things that could spark additional missions / tasks / hooks, etc)
     Add buttons to instantly generate a random weapon / armor / quality / 'ware / spell / adept power, etc
     Add a race button so as to select the species of any given mook

...and surely more that I have already forgotten.

Update 1: Corrected an issue where users were unable to open created mooks when using a program other than notepad.
« Last Edit: <02-20-15/1037:30> by prismite »
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Raven2049

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« Reply #1 on: <02-16-15/1857:14> »
if and when you generate a character, you cannot open the character with the program still running, i have found after generating a character and trying to read the txt file, it opens and says "file in use by another program" and closes it.

also happens wether i make 1 character, or i make 12 characters. they are all "locked" until i close the program

prismite

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« Reply #2 on: <02-16-15/1906:26> »
if and when you generate a character, you cannot open the character with the program still running, i have found after generating a character and trying to read the txt file, it opens and says "file in use by another program" and closes it.

also happens wether i make 1 character, or i make 12 characters. they are all "locked" until i close the program

Hmm. This is pretty interesting. I tried it on 2 machines and didnt see this. For additional info, what is your OS?

Also, try putting the .exe into its own folder and see if the problem persists.
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LordGrizzle

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« Reply #3 on: <02-16-15/1908:24> »
Nice, which language did you build it in and would you mind handing out the source? :)

if and when you generate a character, you cannot open the character with the program still running, i have found after generating a character and trying to read the txt file, it opens and says "file in use by another program" and closes it.

also happens wether i make 1 character, or i make 12 characters. they are all "locked" until i close the program

Which program do you use to open the text-file? I open it with Notepad.exe under Windows 8.1 x64 and there it doesn't happen.

Namikaze

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« Reply #4 on: <02-16-15/1918:52> »
Very nice.  Looking forward to seeing even more features!  I know Michael Chandra made a mook generator, but it wasn't software.  I'll try to find it and PM you a link.  It might give you some ideas if nothing else.  :)
Feel free to keep any karma you earned illicitly, it's on us.

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Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.

prismite

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« Reply #5 on: <02-16-15/1927:28> »
@Namikaze: Hmm. Yes, I can see some additional content to include into the generator in future versions. Thanks Nami! (And thanks to Chandra for the initial sheet creation, there)

@LordGrizzle: The programming language is not a normal program to make stuff like this and I am not, by profession, a coder so I'm a little embarrassed to say that its done in "AutoIT." I literally taught myself every bit of code as I went and found need for whatever. To answer your 2nd question, yes, I will make the code available as I believe in open source material. However, I'm not real proud of it just yet and want to cover some other bases, too, before I release it ... but I will.
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LordGrizzle

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« Reply #6 on: <02-16-15/1935:16> »
@LordGrizzle: The programming language is not a normal program to make stuff like this and I am not, by profession, a coder so I'm a little embarrassed to say that its done in "AutoIT." I literally taught myself every bit of code as I went and found need for whatever. To answer your 2nd question, yes, I will make the code available as I believe in open source material. However, I'm not real proud of it just yet and want to cover some other bases, too, before I release it ... but I will.

Nothing to be ashamed of. It's a useful tool and you can be proud of yourself, especially if everything was self taught :).

Quatar

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« Reply #7 on: <02-17-15/0124:34> »
I've been coding things for the better part of 25 years now, and I still look at my code and think "OMG this is horrible, I can't show that to anyone!"
So that feeling never goes away :)

prismite

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« Reply #8 on: <02-17-15/1053:23> »
I've been coding things for the better part of 25 years now, and I still look at my code and think "OMG this is horrible, I can't show that to anyone!"
So that feeling never goes away :)

Well, that makes me feel a little better. I think. Hehe.

Has anyone ran into any issues or come up with any thoughts on additional content?
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Raven2049

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« Reply #9 on: <02-18-15/1634:51> »
Win 7 64 bit, and it was opening with wordpad.

however, when i force it to open with notepad, it will work fine.

LordGrizzle

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« Reply #10 on: <02-18-15/1804:14> »
Win 7 64 bit, and it was opening with wordpad.

however, when i force it to open with notepad, it will work fine.

That makes sense, Notepad does not place an exclusive lock on the file while WordPad does.


 @Prismite: Still, it's the tool's fault. You should drop the lock on the file you generated after you did it.

prismite

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« Reply #11 on: <02-18-15/1816:03> »
@Prismite: Still, it's the tool's fault. You should drop the lock on the file you generated after you did it.

I will look into this.
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Darzil

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« Reply #12 on: <02-19-15/1738:49> »
@Prismite: Still, it's the tool's fault. You should drop the lock on the file you generated after you did it.

I will look into this.

You probably just need to use FileClose( filehandle )

Based on a quick web search, as I've never heard of AutoIT.

cyclopean

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« Reply #13 on: <02-19-15/1845:42> »
Thanks for making/posting this! I'm excited to give it a try.

LordGrizzle

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« Reply #14 on: <02-19-15/1852:53> »
@Prismite: Still, it's the tool's fault. You should drop the lock on the file you generated after you did it.

I will look into this.

You probably just need to use FileClose( filehandle )

Based on a quick web search, as I've never heard of AutoIT.

Auto IT is a sort of BASIC dialect For Windows UI scripts d call lik FileHandle.Close () might not exists like that. But I have never programmed in any BASIC-Dialect but Visual so I do not know anything about it in fact.