Android GURPS character generator

[Kale]

Some of the current and upcoming Android tablets are looking pretty sweet for an application like this. A phone-sized screen is OK for managing an already made character; you could track HP and stuff, but if I were to try to build a character I would want a much larger interface than a phone. A cool way to do it would be to have a cut down 'in play' interface for use around the gaming table that would work for either phone or tablet-sized screens. Conversely, when you are initially designing the character something that takes advantage of a tablet's much larger screen would be handy. The GCA file format should really, really become the standard just to prevent everyone from going crazy.

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by Kale

Some of the current and upcoming Android tablets are looking pretty sweet for an application like this. A phone-sized screen is OK for managing an already made character; you could track HP and stuff, but if I were to try to build a character I would want a much larger interface than a phone. A cool way to do it would be to have a cut down 'in play' interface for use around the gaming table that would work for either phone or tablet-sized screens. Conversely, when you are initially designing the character something that takes advantage of a tablet's much larger screen would be handy. The GCA file format should really, really become the standard just to prevent everyone from going crazy.

The problem with the GCA format is that it was grown organically, meaning that it's quite messy. I need to check on GCS, but XML at lest seems to me that it will have a tighter structure.

[Boge]

Anyone plan to resurrect this idea? I'd love to have an app to keep track of my character rather than doing it with paper.

Something else that would be awesome is if you could connect up with the GM so he could see your sheet and any modifications you make to your character. Maybe a Die roller as well which would relay to the GM thus to prevent cheating. Just some ideas. You could also use it to send in-game private notes.

[Bruno]

GCA 5 is moving to XML formats for the native character files, which makes a transformation between GCA, GCS, and a hypothetical portable viewer format easier. Once that's out.

[simply Nathan]

From the title I was expecting something more like a discussion of the various android race templates in Transhuman Space or the bioroids from Biotech and the like.

[Boge]

Originally Posted by Bruno

GCA 5 is moving to XML formats for the native character files, which makes a transformation between GCA, GCS, and a hypothetical portable viewer format easier. Once that's out.

Any idea when that's releasing?

[RafaelLVX]

Originally Posted by Boge

Anyone plan to resurrect this idea? I'd love to have an app to keep track of my character rather than doing it with paper.

That I gave up long ago. My suggestion to you is this: get some sort of Excel spreadsheet/character sheet and open it on your phone or tablet if you feel like you need to edit the data on the go.

Me, since I never found an editable character sheet that I liked, I print the sheet as a PDF and use it on the phone or tablet. Whatever note I need to take on the go I don't do on the sheet immediately, instead I type a note on Evernote for Android.

[RafaelLVX]

Originally Posted by Bruno

GCA 5

Where did you hear of GCA 5?

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by RafaelLVX

Where did you hear of GCA 5?

There's a thread on it in the GCA forums.
Armin has a page he updates occasionally with more GCA5 information on his website.

I'm in the beta program.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Boge

Any idea when that's releasing?

Nope. Neither does Armin or SJGames. It's still very much a "it'll be done when it's done" project. Armin is writing it on the side as an unpaid labor of love (he may or may not sell it, but right now he gets no money from working on it). That means he spends most of his time working on his paying day job, and that limits the time he can spend on it.

But as a beta tester, I can confirm that progress is continuing steadily. The program I'm working with right now does most things I need, but it still has some quirks. I'm happy to report that it has much better performance and stability than GCA 4, even as a beta. A bunch of good new UI choices too - and if you hate those, you can still use the old UI instead. So whenever it comes out, you'll love it.