SW RPG Generator v1.0!

[Mojomoe]

Heya, fellow D6ers!

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I'd been working on a multipurpose Excel spreadsheet-based randomizer for generating interesting story results, and I'm happy to say version 1.0 is up and running! Now, Excel may not be the most glamorous program to use for generating RPG story hooks, but considering how long it would take to get this running in Java, or even as a standalone program, I decided to do it the most accessible way first!

So what does it do?

Simply put, it auto-generates an infinite supply of game-engine independent story hooks and information for on-the-fly GMing. If you've ever been asked by your gaming group, "how many aliens are in the cantina, what are they wearing, and what are their names?" - well, this is a great way to answer that quickly and easily!

Pulled from Star Wars universe data (Wookiepedia and the D6 Holocron), RPG generator algorithms (Donjon.bin.sh), and even some FFG-targeted story hooks (Triumph & Despair), the SW RPG Generator comes up with great, deep, on-the-fly universe-building tools - even generating new planets and alien races! It doesn't include any game-specific data, so it isn't violating any copyright or proprietary information, any more than a site like Wookiepedia is by using proper nouns from Star Wars.

Among the things it can generate are:

*Character names, descriptions, and motivations
*Starship names, models, and descriptions
*Cargo manifests
*Cantina names and menus
*Cargo runs for smugglers
*Bounty targets for hunters
*New vicious creatures
*Legendary villains
*Ship system damage locations

It's been a labor of love to get it to this point, and I have high hopes of eventually implementing a full D6-based character stat generator. For the time being, though, I'm happy to have it be a living document and get picked up, modified, and added to by GMs and players who would like to see it expanded! All suggestions welcome and encouraged!

Currently, the only sticking point I've got is a good place to host the file. It's small - only 375k, and shouldn't be too much of a burden.

For the immediate future though, until I find a place to host it, just PM me if you'd like me to email you file location, and you can get to using it immediately!

[DougRed4]

That's really awesome that you've taken the time to do this, Mojomoe! 8)
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Currently Running: Villains & Vigilantes (a 32-year-old campaign with multiple groups) and D6 Star Wars; mostly on hiatus are Adventures in Middle-earth and Delta Green

[cheshire]

I don't mind putting it up on my 4shared, but that place is getting to be as much of a pain as it is a blessing.
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Before we take any of this too seriously, just remember that in the middle episode a little rubber puppet moves a spaceship with his mind.

[Dromdarr_Alark]

I just opened it and played around with it, and I LOVE it!

Thank you so much for doing this!

I'm going to go fiddle around with it a little more and come back to this with feedback later.
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"I still wouldn't have a roll for it - but that's just how I roll."

[Panzerjedi]

hummmmmm.... is it open office copatable? what version of excell?
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The Empire: We'z Ownz ALL yer'z Star Destoyerz!!!

[Luwingo_Spince]

Great work!

Just noticing some sections just say #Name? under them is this because they haven't been filled with data yet or am i doing something wrong?

[Mojomoe]

Luwingo - no, that's not you, that's me . It's getting a bad reference somewhere. I've tested each feature hundreds of times, but something must have slipped through. No biggie! If you can tell me which generator is returning that error, then I can fix it posthaste!

Panzerjedi - that's an excellent question! I also had someone ask me if I could do a .XLS instead of a .XLSX so it's compatible with older Excel versions, which I will look into immediately! Ideally this should be as open-platform, easy-to-access as possible!

Cheshire - I can understand your 4Shared woes - that said, it's a very gracious offer! Let me get you the file, and if it's something you like you are more than welcome to host it! (I would also be happily obliged)

[Luwingo_Spince]

Bounty, cargo run, Starfighter, Cantina food and drink I'm getting nothing at all except #name?

Sometimes it happens for pickpocket.

Also I see you have legal cargo how about an illegal cargo list too.

[vong]

[Mojomoe]

Luwingo -

Oh man, that does not seem right. I've tested in Excel on Win 7 & Win XP, and on iOS on iPhone 5 and iPad, and I can't repro your results. I'd really like to fix that for ya though. Anybody else seeing errors?

The #NAME means it's getting an out-of-bounds return on one of the formulas. Let me try to track it down:

* Have you modified the file? Can you try re-downloading it?
* What program (and version) are you using to read it?
* What is your OS?
* Did it do that from the very beginning, or after a while?

[Mojomoe]

^Wait, before you even answer - you're using Excel 2010, aren't you?

After a little digging, I'm finding a lot of people having compatibility problems, i.e. Excel 2007 formulas not being read in Excel 2010 (and giving the #NAME error). It sounds like the formula is right, but it might be an Excel issue. There might be a workaround, so lemme check up on it!

[Dromdarr_Alark]

[TyCaine]

I have an older version of Excel, 2003 I think, and it's not working quite as expected even with the compatibility pack downloaded, so I may have to download Open Office and try that.

Other than that what I saw was good!!


T.C.
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"For every person with a spark of genius, there are a hundred with ignition trouble."

[Luwingo_Spince]

that is probably my problem too as i opened it on my work comp that is excel 2007. i will try it at home tonight

[Odea Ionstrike]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but does anyone here have a copy of this file? I tried PMing the original poster but did not get a response.