Coded Systems vs PDF Sheets
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The Freeform vs. Systems thread got me thinking about a related question: coded systems versus PDF sheets.
I’m coming at this as someone who plays exclusively on Ares games. I need the web portal and scene system because they fit my schedule, so this question is aimed specifically at Ares-style games.
How important is coded or web-based character generation to you? Would you avoid a game if it used PDF character sheets instead of a coded chargen/web-based character creation system?
I’ve often thought about doing an OC superhero game using either Champions or Mutants & Masterminds, but I’m not sure the effort required to code a full web-based character creation system would be worth it. That made me consider using PDF sheets instead, though I worried people might not be into that.
So I’m curious: would PDF sheets be a dealbreaker for you, or would it not really matter as long as the game itself was solid?
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@Raistlin said in Coded Systems vs PDF Sheets:
Would you avoid a game if it used PDF character sheets instead of a coded chargen/web-based character creation system?
No, as long as the staff on that game had control of the database of PDF sheets and were alerted if anyone was to update their sheet outside of what was allowed by the rules of the game.
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@MisterBoring Yeah, I think staff being able to lock the PDFs down would be a must. I think that also adds to the consideration, having to submit the PDF to staff in some way(such as email). It’s an added step that is more complicated than just creating a character via the web portal.
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@Raistlin said in Coded Systems vs PDF Sheets:
So I’m curious: would PDF sheets be a dealbreaker for you, or would it not really matter as long as the game itself was solid?
Nope. A lot of the games I played had that as the method, especially the Kushiel games. The only downside is that everyone can see your stats, so, if you’re trying to keep that hidden, coded stats it has to be.
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@Ominous said in Coded Systems vs PDF Sheets:
The only downside is that everyone can see your stats, so, if you’re trying to keep that hidden, coded stats it has to be.
At this point, it should be pretty simple for the staff of a game to create a Google Drive folder or something equivalent to hold the PDFs in a fashion that each character’s sheet can only be accessed by the player of the character and the staff of the game.
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RE: Hidden Sheets
I’ve never done it, but I don’t think it’d be that hard to make the character sheet tab on the Ares web portal visible only to the character and staff.
That said, I’m also a fan of transparency with character stats. Too many bad experiences with the “OOC Masquerade” from WoD games.
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@Raistlin said in Coded Systems vs PDF Sheets:
That said, I’m also a fan of transparency with character stats. Too many bad experiences with the “OOC Masquerade” from WoD games.
Me too, but I understand some people enjoy that Masq stuff, so having the PDFs kept somewhere away from prying eyes would be ideal in that regard. If no Masq, then just have them somewhere that staff can easily see when players are updating the important bits of the sheet. If a character in a fantasy game suddenly has 18 Strength when they had 7 the week prior, staff need to notice that stuff. And yes, I’ve had a few poor experiences in games where the players kept their own sheets privately.
