> At 01:34 PM 3/31/2001 -0800, Robert Kozak wrote:
> >Actually, not everyone benefits. There can be no such thing as D20
software.
>
> Sure there can be.
>
> >An 'Interactive Game' is denied in the D20STLG.
> >Interactive Game is defined in such away I can't think of any software
that
> >it doesn't describe.
>
> Well, any sort of organizer. There's plenty of those out there for 2e. A
> database (monsters, villains, towns, what have you). This could be a
> viable product as a DM's assistant, especially with powerful search
> capabilities. A mapper, heck it could even be integrated with the
> database. A generator (of towns, NPCs (as long as how they're created
> isn't described, they just appear). That's just off the top of my
> head. Just about any sort of utility you can think of would be doable, so
> long as it didn't run a combat or create characters.
Actually you are wrong on some points. A search engine takes input (Search
string) and applies a rule to resolve sucess or failure (Did it find the
search string?) and produces a result (the found records). It is considered
an "Interactive Game". A Generator definately takes input (size of town,
racial mix, etc), applies a rule to determine sucess or failure (random
generation of numbers applied to a table for example 15% elf, a score of
1-15 would succed for elf ) and produces a result (the random town, the
random NPC). It is also a interactive game.
An organizer might work if you don't allow searches but that wouldn't be of
much use. A Mapper might work but hardly needs the SRD or a D20 logo.
Even then I still think they also follow the model given above. All software
follows the model for "Interactive game". It depends on granularity. In
order to use a mapper you probably have to select a menu item or press a
button. Was the mouse within the bounds of Button A when the left mouse
button was pressed? True/False. This applies a rule to resolve success of
failure.
I have been in the software business a long time and I don't think you can
write a program with any value without applying a rule to resolve sucess or
failure. Computers are binary in nature. It is all success or failure.
Robert
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