Malifaux Crew Builder

[DarkLegacy]

Hello all,

I'm currently working on a Crew Builder and Collection Manager for Malifaux. Right now, I'm only keeping track of wounds and Soulstones. Would people like for it to contain more stats? Do people find win/loss records something useful?

In short, what would you like in the tool?

[Svenn]

You mean, like this?

http://www.engineeringcalculator.net/CrewBuilder.html

[DarkLegacy]

Yes, like that one, only not a web application. Something like Armies of Immoren or Tabletop Commander for Warmachine/Hordes.

[Rathnard]

If it was an Itouch/Iphone application I'd be all over it. Having a portable app for keeping track of the crew you're using, as well as activations/wounds would be great. The same goes for Win/loss records and stats for given crews, minions and/or masters you've used. Hell, I'd pay good money for something like that.

If it was a standard computer application I'd be much less keen on it, even if it was free. Given the simplicity of building Malifaux crews compared to armies in other game systems, I'm not sure it's worth it, so the draw for me would be in maintaining a record of wins, losses, kills etc. Then again, I could do that on an excel sheet in 15 seconds.

Basically, portability is what I'd want from the sort of program you're proposing.

[Cenotaph]

If it was an iPhone app it would be of no use to me or my friends at all as none of us have iPhones or any plans to get them.

Personally as long as it can print out the crew in a usable format with all the corrected stats and ability descriptions I would be happy. Anything that gets past having to use out of data stat cards and an errata printout and FAQ printout.

[Wolfblade]

If it was an iPhone app it would be of no use to me or my friends at all as none of us have iPhones or any plans to get them.

and then there are those of us who use the Android operating system.....

[N0rdicNinja]

I say he just starts with the PC (something everyone could use) and then worry about migration. =P

[Csonti]

I say OP should start with asking Wyrd about legal issues and disclaimers.

[Calisto]

and then there are those of us who use the Android operating system.....

+1 for android!

[N0rdicNinja]

I say OP should start with asking Wyrd about legal issues and disclaimers.

It doesn't sound like he's trying to make a profit off it...

[Svenn]

It doesn't sound like he's trying to make a profit off it...

It doesn't matter if he's profiting off it, it's Wyrd's IP. Depending on how detailed it is, it could hurt them. If he wants to put in the full stats for characters, for example.

They've been pretty cool with allowing people to do what they want so far, but it's still very much up to them if they wish to allow this type of program to exist.

[N0rdicNinja]

True, if he's planning on including all the rules it could certainly be detrimental, but a simple Crew constructor that prints out damage boxes would be quite handy and I highly doubt Wyrd would jump on him for it.

[DarkLegacy]

The legal IP portion is why I bring this up. I'm not putting full stats in it currently. I'm only putting wounds and Soulstone stats in it (cache and cost). I believe I am writing it in a way that would allow me to develop an Android and iPhone app, but I'd want to get the first one PC done before dealing with a new language and methods of updating (and not owning either phone, although I'd get an Android before an iPhone.)

I'm also not selling this at all, as then there is another bunch of legal stuff I don't want to deal with.

So far, these are the features I'm likely to include:

• Printable sheet of figures, with wounds and Soulstone stats.
  
• Collection manager for models owned, painted and unpainted.
  
• Win/Loss record for single list and all lists
  

These things seem unlikely without Wyrd's approval:

• Full stat cards
  
• Virtual deck
  

I'll be contacting Nathan today about this, before I continue any farther, and post updates here.

Thank you all for your feedback on this.

[Nathan Caroland]

Good, bad or indifferent, anything dealing with Wyrd and Malifaux in that sort of nature should be brought before Wyrd and discussed. We're not for or against anything in particular, but it doesn't mean we'll slap a stamp of approval without a deeper look at these sorts of projects.

IP's are fairly easy things to loose actually if one doesn't look after it properly.

Not being an ogre about it, just up front and honest.

[DarkLegacy]

Good, bad or indifferent, anything dealing with Wyrd and Malifaux in that sort of nature should be brought before Wyrd and discussed. We're not for or against anything in particular, but it doesn't mean we'll slap a stamp of approval without a deeper look at these sorts of projects.

IP's are fairly easy things to loose actually if one doesn't look after it properly.

Not being an ogre about it, just up front and honest.

Nathan,

Who's the best person to contact with an email about this?

Thank you

Edited January 28, 2010 by DarkLegacy
Forgot to add thanks.

[Nathan Caroland]

Send anything along to support@wyrd-games.net and it'll get to who it needs to.

[Calisto]

The legal IP portion is why I bring this up. I'm not putting full stats in it currently. I'm only putting wounds and Soulstone stats in it (cache and cost). I believe I am writing it in a way that would allow me to develop an Android and iPhone app, but I'd want to get the first one PC done before dealing with a new language and methods of updating (and not owning either phone, although I'd get an Android before an iPhone.)

I'm also not selling this at all, as then there is another bunch of legal stuff I don't want to deal with.

So far, these are the features I'm likely to include:

• Printable sheet of figures, with wounds and Soulstone stats.
  
• Collection manager for models owned, painted and unpainted.
  
• Win/Loss record for single list and all lists
  

These things seem unlikely without Wyrd's approval:

• Full stat cards
  
• Virtual deck
  

I'll be contacting Nathan today about this, before I continue any farther, and post updates here.

Thank you all for your feedback on this.

I know that there is an android clone software that you can use to test.

In fact, http://developer.android.com/guide/developing/tools/emulator.html

there is a good one

[DarkLegacy]

Awesome! I'm saving this so I can come back to it later when I finish the first program.

I know that there is an android clone software that you can use to test.

In fact, http://developer.android.com/guide/developing/tools/emulator.html

there is a good one

[blakeh1]

I'd be interested in the Malifaux equivalent of the Armies of Imorren. Helps to keep track of what I need/have as far as the collection part. I sometimes would use the notes feature to keep track of how particular lists were doing

[Sobek]

I'm glad that I looked at the fine print of Verizon's contract before I actually seriously thought about getting one of their Android phones.

[artificer]

What would I like from a crew builder?

1) help me to win games.*

2) soul stones, wounds, and basic abilities reference (name, not rules)

3) nice clean print format that works with my pdf writer.

* I'm willing to accept that #1 might not be a possibility.

[Greenlock]

• Printable sheet of figures, with wounds and Soulstone stats.
  
• Collection manager for models owned, painted and unpainted.
  
• Win/Loss record for single list and all lists
  

These things seem unlikely without Wyrd's approval:

• Full stat cards
  
• Virtual deck

If I can add something to a wishlist it would be to be able to keep track of wounds, soulstones and effects in the program while playing. I'm already contemplating carrying around a netbook just about everywhere I go so I might as well have use for it when gaming as well

Don't know about the ip on that though nor how difficult it would be. As an economics student I simply can't understand programming and I was a total disaster when I was a law student.

[higherbrow]

Honestly, I'm going to be adding a pad of paper to my permanent list of "things to bring Malifaux-ing" so I can keep track of Slow and the like. The requests I'm seeing really are turning this into more of an on-site crew helper. So for a PC version, maybe half-page printoffs that include wounds, an area to keep the actual card that comes with the models, a blurb on the errata for each model, a small box for permanent effects on the model (like when Seamus or Marcus give Womanizer), and a small box for each turn, listing effects that end at Start Closing Phase and a checkbox that can be checked for Activation for each action taken (a box for 0, 2 boxes for normal AP, and another box or two for Fast/Casting or Melee Expert, etc.)

All that gets easier with an iPhone/Droid app, since you have a list of your crew, with a button to Activate them, a button to put effects on them, and a button to wound them.

[DarkLegacy]

Until I hear from Wyrd back on IP issues, I'm not going to go forward with this project. I really like the idea of it and have a fairly decent understanding of what I want this to look like, but I don't want to get into a disagreement with a company over rights.

When I hear back, I'll continue the discussion of what people would find useful.