March 16th, 2008 Jeff
I’m not sure how many Mac users out there are D&D gamers ore any type of roleplaying for that matter. But if you’re out there and you’re reading this please answer one plea for me. There is a definitive lack of RPG tools out there for the Mac. (Or my Google skills are really suspect)
With a rapid adoption of Macs by geeks I can’t help but think that the geek populace will soon follow. But where are the tools we need to help manage our game sessions? Track characters? Map worlds? There are a handful of tools none of which can hold a candle to their PC counterparts. The idea that I have to soil my new Macbook Pro with a copy of Windows JUST so I can use good tools hurts me to the core.
I’m in the early stages of developing a character generator/storage system for the iPhone, which unfortunately will be web based. (There are reasons behind this. The SDK does seem cool though) After which I THINK I’m going to try to tackle some time of DM’s manager tool. But I haven’t done a lot of Objective-C stuff so the learning curve might take me awhile. I could write it in Java, but that takes away the Mac feel.
So if you’re a developer out there and you need/want a project to work on I can help get you started. You could call me a creative consultant or something. Even if we start basic, it’s a start.
Nuketown has a list of mac tools at their site.
It seems like the number one problem with all of the apps I’ve seen so far is there organization of information. D&D has a LOT of information to throw at a player. (actually most RPG’s do. Except maybe Marvel) Organizing that information is difficult to present a Mac style application. It’s not an easy task, but I think cracking that puzzle will be the difference maker.
Posted in Apple, Programming, Roleplaying | View Comments
August 13th, 2007 Jeff
So, lets say your dumb enough to be out drinking and driving. If you get pulled over and blow over the legal limit what’s the first defense you think of? Source code of course!
I know this sounds crazy, but it does make a lot of sense when you think about it. In reality, the machine you’re blowing into is making the determination of whether you’re intoxicated or not. We’ve all worked with buggy software, so who’s to say the software in the breathlizer is any better than Windows 95? You could be receiving a DUI or DWI based on faulty software!
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December 16th, 2006 Jeff
I read on Tech Crunch today that the Adobe group intends to launch the Apollo software that will essentially allow you to run web-based applications as native desktop apps. I won’t get into the nitty gritty, I’ll let you decide on that at the Tech Crunch blog. http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/16/preparing-for-apollo/ Computer Dorks might want to take a listen to the audio interview with some Adobe big wigs, which offers a bit more insight.
This could be the fix I need in order to delve into this insane “Web apps” life. I’ve always been against web-based apps, especially e-mail. Why? I don’t know if any of my responses will be sensible or even valid arguments. But I just don’t like them. I don’t like the web-based interface for mail. I enjoy the speed of a desktop client. I enjoy being able to look at my mail even when I’m not online. I guess part of the reason is because so much of my work or things I need to do come through e-mail. (Both corporate and personal) I also like rules and being able to do special actions based on e-mail. Perfect example is mail forwarding. Sometimes I have a hot e-mail that I’m waiting on. So I enable a mail rule to forward that e-mail to my cell phone when that e-mail arrives. Now of course the better option is to just have a Treo or smart phone (which I’m working on) but this has been a very helpful workaround in the mean time.
So who knows what Apollo might do for me? Depending on what the ACTUAL product looks like as opposed to what it’s intended to do is really going to be the major difference maker.
Posted in Computers, Programming | View Comments
October 4th, 2006 Jeff
I thought this was a pretty neat little website. It allows you to search for particular strings in code. I would imagine the code needs to be open source. Check it out! http://www.koders.com
Also this add-on for Firefox (because you’re all using Firefox RIGHT!) lets you randomly select websites from several categories you can choose from. I’ve played around with it and have found some very interesting sites. Download it at https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/138/
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September 27th, 2006 Jeff
Well the move is finally coming to a close. Tonight I’ll be moving my road runner and cable boxes. Which means I’ll be without the Internet in my home for an entire day. It’s sad to think about, but it’s true. Subsequently my phone will be out as well. (Damn digital phone service) So the only way to reach me will be a ring on my cell or a quick visit to Niskayuna.
You know, blogging is so much easier when you don’t keep getting a blank page every other click. I never really understood the draw to MySpace. It’s captivating yet retarded and frustrating all at the same time. It’s the worse interface I’ve ever seen. The technology is spotty at best. The load times suck. Yet we keep pouring in like mindless drones. I’ve tried other sites like Friendster and it seems like they’re only big in other countries. I figured after Fox bought it (Myspace) they’d put some money into it. No such luck thus far.
I’m getting that programming bug again. I’ve been working on a php Module for my UI website, but even that’s been taking a back seat with everything else going on. I really want to get back into that though. Management quickly sucks all the techy digit-head stuff right out of you.
Oh yeah, October 13th bitches. Keep it on your calendar. Cause the party is going to be jumping. Actually I don’t know if that’s true. I just know we’re gonna all try to go out. Holla if ya wit me!!
See you guys on Friday. (That’s when Road Runner should be installed)
J
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