NationStates

Ive recently been thinking to my self how I can give something to the community, as i am mostly an FT RPer and most things given to the community have been web based things for MT I thought id give something to those people who might want to get into FT but lack the sort of willingness to create a truly unique race and go for the bog standard "Humans"

My plan is to create a Java App that will effectively allow the user to create an Alien race for use within the FT community through the click of a simple button I plan for the program to pull together several attributes to create an alien species. For example You want a humanoid race, all you have to do is select this then the program will generate a race randomly picking attributes usually akin to a Humanoid race "Blue Skin, Eye Stalks" that sort of thing. I am hoping that it will allow those to scared or just not sure what to do in FT to get a foot hold in our group and help them create a truly original and fun to RP species.

The whole idea of the app is to give you the first building blocks, of a species you can generate as many species as you like until you find one you like the sound of. It is then up to you to give them a name and then build on them further. That way you get a sense that this species is your FT nation and you can shape them how ever you want. This generator is only a guide to help you take those first steps into what some times can be quite a daunting part of NS.



Planned Feautures
- Randomly selected race attributes
- Ability to save creations into text files (For ease of finding the information)
- Graphical User Interface (GUI)
- Choice of several race types (humanoid, insectoid ect.)

Suggested Features

Rejected Suggestions
Maybe added in the future after release
Accepted Suggestions

+Size of Species
+Anthro type Species
+Mode of manipulation

=Tentacles
=Various inner workings on a species

-Blood chemistry
-Mode of breeding


These are the features I currently have planned for the App, these are the confirmed planned features that will make it into the finished product when it is eventually finished. I wont be putting a completion date on the project as well its going to be done in my free time between my work and Uni work it is designed to give something to the community and my programming mind keen so whilst I plan to update it regularly and will let you guys know when its in a good working order (wont be a official release as I will release alpha versions for you guys to try before hand anyways) and that will act as the official release.

Now no program is very good with out user feedback and input and that's exactly what I want. I want your feed back on any features you think I should add to the program that you think I have missed or would like to see to make it better. All suggests are subject to my approval so if I think I cant realistically program it into the app with out horribly braking something else or not being able to add it in due to work load it would add to the app then I will have to reject it but any good suggested ideas will appear on the OP just above.

Just so you guys are not left in the dark, I will keep you apprised on the way the program is progressing and keep a change log just so you know what exactly has been changed. I know many people done read change logs but some people do so I'm going to put one in anyway. So finally I guess is thanks for reading this and don't forget to leave a comment or post below.

29/09/2012: Project officially started. Work commencing on classes and parent classes.
02/10/2012: Completed the intial species class
14/01/2013: Gone back to drawing board lack of design plan resulted in unrepairable faults in the design.

Code: Select all

Change Log

Anthro types, taur types, lizard types of both, as well as full on naga people. I don't suggest this because I'm a furry, but because its a possible physiology and thus should be included in a randomiser.

Besides that, there's modes of locomotion. Number of legs, are they even legs? Maybe tentacles. Or even both, nature can be crazy sometimes. Terrestrial and aerial shouldn't be mutually exclusive, as we know birds can get along rather well without flying, and well, flying squirrels, and fish...

Size should also be considered, what with different animal sizes, midgets, giants, etc.

That's about all I can think of for now...

Mode of manipulation - hands, tentacles, barbels, trunks, psychokinesis...
Number of digits (if appropriate)
Blood chemistry - colour of blood/bodily fluids, central ion of haemoglobin-substitute molecule.
Mode of breeding - live-birthing, marsupial-analogue, egg-laying, parthenogenesis, budding...

That's my tuppence-ha'penny for right now...

Red Talons wrote:Anthro types, taur types, lizard types of both, as well as full on naga people. I don't suggest this because I'm a furry, but because its a possible physiology and thus should be included in a randomiser.

Besides that, there's modes of locomotion. Number of legs, are they even legs? Maybe tentacles. Or even both, nature can be crazy sometimes. Terrestrial and aerial shouldn't be mutually exclusive, as we know birds can get along rather well without flying, and well, flying squirrels, and fish...

Size should also be considered, what with different animal sizes, midgets, giants, etc.

That's about all I can think of for now...

I think I can fit in the types of species in somewhere that's no problem, I'm currently working on the humanoid species (seemed like the most logical place to start) Ill definitely add in the size of the species although it will be a vague representations such as Gargantual, Large, medium, Small. The aim of the project is to provide the basic building blocks and then for the user to go from there so they still feel its there race not just a race they have had made up for them.

Inutoland wrote:Mode of manipulation - hands, tentacles, barbels, trunks, psychokinesis...
Number of digits (if appropriate)
Blood chemistry - colour of blood/bodily fluids, central ion of haemoglobin-substitute molecule.
Mode of breeding - live-birthing, marsupial-analogue, egg-laying, parthenogenesis, budding...

That's my tuppence-ha'penny for right now...

Mode of Manipulation I can add in I think that shouldn't be to hard, im a bit reluctant to add anything else though as like I said before it is something i think the user should come up with afterwards I am providing the building blocks its your job to be the mad scientist as it where.

If all goes well and I pull this off without a hitch I may make it so the program will give you all these details if you want them but that's allot of work to fit in between work, my uni and my social life. so blood chemistry and method of breeding im going to have to say no for now.

You could allow a level of customisation similar to the Donjon rpg generator. So you could maybe select a few specific traits and generate the rest. I think its important to keep in mind that this tool will likely be used alot by people to generate NPC races.

Forgive me if these are already used, but I have a number of suggestions...

Is it carbon-based, silicon-based, etc? How do they digest food? How do they obtain energy? Respiration methods? Are they mechanical lifeforms, made of pure energy, or organic lifeforms? How smart are they? How do their brains work? What is their body temperature? Do they possess any special powers or abilities? Do they have acidic saliva or blood? Do they live in a hive network or a pack?

...Hopefully one of them will get noticed.

I think I could be of some help, I'm in AP Comp Sci and working with classes too in java but not like an expert programmer

Red Talons wrote:You could allow a level of customisation similar to the Donjon rpg generator. So you could maybe select a few specific traits and generate the rest. I think its important to keep in mind that this tool will likely be used alot by people to generate NPC races.

Thats very true im sure I can work something like that into it.

Cruciland wrote:Forgive me if these are already used, but I have a number of suggestions...

Is it carbon-based, silicon-based, etc? How do they digest food? How do they obtain energy? Respiration methods? Are they mechanical lifeforms, made of pure energy, or organic lifeforms? How smart are they? How do their brains work? What is their body temperature? Do they possess any special powers or abilities? Do they have acidic saliva or blood? Do they live in a hive network or a pack?

...Hopefully one of them will get noticed.

Special powers and abilities will be added into it, thats something i did plan on doing anyways things like Super strength and so on. How ever everything else goes into to much detail this is about helping you get the basic building blocks of your species down not generating it all for you. dont be lazy

Hallistar wrote:I think I could be of some help, I'm in AP Comp Sci and working with classes too in java but not like an expert programmer

Same im moving into my second year of Comp Sci in my Bachelors degree at uni if i have any queries ill make sure to hit you up. but right now this is only a one person job later on I might be looking for some arty stuff.

Of The Arch ilands wrote:

Hallistar wrote:I think I could be of some help, I'm in AP Comp Sci and working with classes too in java but not like an expert programmer

Same im moving into my second year of Comp Sci in my Bachelors degree at uni if i have any queries ill make sure to hit you up. but right now this is only a one person job later on I might be looking for some arty stuff.

Ok, are you able to atleast though send me your code once you're done (not to copy or anything) so i can open it up with bluejay and study it?

Make it have a very good chance of generating something nonhumanoid, or maybe an option not to. The chance of rubber-forehead aliens is miniscule, and the nonhumanoid ones are sometimes just cooler.

Hallistar wrote:

Of The Arch ilands wrote:
Same im moving into my second year of Comp Sci in my Bachelors degree at uni if i have any queries ill make sure to hit you up. but right now this is only a one person job later on I might be looking for some arty stuff.

Ok, are you able to atleast though send me your code once you're done (not to copy or anything) so i can open it up with bluejay and study it?

I don't see why not lol I'm intending to sell it and this is for the community. But ill only release the code when its either finished or I feel I need some help to complete it.

Rov wrote:Make it have a very good chance of generating something nonhumanoid, or maybe an option not to. The chance of rubber-forehead aliens is miniscule, and the nonhumanoid ones are sometimes just cooler.

I intend to add feature that will allow you to only generate a humanoid or an insectoid and so on.

If you can get your hands on an old tabletop RPG called Megatraveller it would be a source of great inspiration. They have tables for all sorts of things like this.

Novus Niciae wrote:If you can get your hands on an old tabletop RPG called Megatraveller it would be a source of great inspiration. They have tables for all sorts of things like this.

Ill Look into it thanks

okay with the first class coded and tested im going to move onto starting to code the sub-classes. Im going to start off with the humanoid class, I intend this class to generate species that can be described as human like. Its possible that the alogrythm im going to cook up for the process will make alot of very human like species but ima ensure it makes the widest array of species possible from little green martians to massive 6 armed bohemoths.

Im then going to code in some limiting parameters to allow you to customise the generation so if you have a vague idea in mind of what you want that will be taken into account. Im estimating a week to 2 weeks on this depending on how my work load for uni goes.

Just a quick update on the current happenings of the project. Ive decided to completely rework what Ive got so far to make it easier to read and manage with future updates.

This would be so awesome. Are you going to do anything cultural or behavioral?

Maybe try something with its protection, such as thin flesh, thick fat, muscles, scales (types of scales?), bone plates, etc.

You could include a broad category with an RL or fictional equivalent, ergo: Species A has X, Y, and Z traits, with similaries to the Rancor from Star Wars (or alternatively) Species A has trait X similar to that of a hummingbird.

Maybe something for updates. How far are you through right now?

This sounds pretty cool, but maybe you should add where the creature lives and what features it has to help it survive in that area or climate.

Right now im currently building the actual way in which the program creates the classes and randomly generates the stats the creatures have. Im still planning the Gui and certain parts of the Inner works aswell.

This looks very promising, I am a Gurps player but a race generator like this would be extraordinarily helpful because most of the ones I use are lacking. From the standpoint of a GM this looks great. I can't wait to take a closer look into it.

Your Whole World wrote:This looks very promising, I am a Gurps player but a race generator like this would be extraordinarily helpful because most of the ones I use are lacking. From the standpoint of a GM this looks great. I can't wait to take a closer look into it.

I never considered it for any other games but I suppose it would fit nicely in some pen and paper games like traveller and such which set them selves in a futuristic setting or even something for a FanT scenario. Ive had to re-evaluate the way my classes interact with each other recently because I couldn't get things to fit and output correctly. So ive gone back to the drawing board so to speak and am implementing some of the things ive learnt during the first half of my course in university. I have a solid idea now and am working on designing the actual way my classes interact before i dive into any more serious coding.

One thing ive learned is without proper planning projects that seem as simple as this can fall into ruin and become un-handleable because they havnt been planned out properly. Ill post up some of my designs once im done if anyone is interested in following my development progress.