Hi all,
In the interest of better scalability and data sharing, I’ve decided to consolidate the individual B/X Tools into a single interface I’m calling the Sandbox Construction Kit (SCK). The idea is to create a single, master framework that lets me add new tools seamlessly – the benefit to users is having everything in a single application.
The updated wireframe for the Settlement Generator is shown above and in addition to the more consolidated display, you’ll see some functional improvements as well:
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Left-hand sidebar contains all tools in their respective categories – consider this a roadmap of sorts.
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Each tool has 3 main parts: Configure, which lets you set parameters for whatever you’re generating; Current Result, which is the current output of the random generator; and Session History, which lets you save and export results for future use.
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Users can add or delete results in the Session History and save it locally, so you could create a number of settlements, for example, and save them all to a single history file to pull out when you need them.
I’m also moving output towards JSON, which has two advantages: (1) It’s a common and relatively compact file format you can reuse, and (2) it allows me to create custom source data for the generators. For example, the SCK ships with the seven canonical classes from B/X. However, I could create a JSON file to include the new classes in OSE Advanced Fantasy or BX Options Class Builder, all without “hard-coding” the data into the application. As a user, you could then create your own custom “classes” JSON by pasting in only the classes used in your setting. Same model applies to monsters, spells, magic items, encounter areas, treasure, etc.
In practical news, the SCK will launch on itch.io as a PWYW tool, but essentially free. Patreon supporters fund this for the benefit of the OSR community, while those on the Builder tier also get beta access, custom tables, and exclusive Patreon-only releases. Paid members at any level will receive periodic polls to vote on what tools are developed next.
The existing Settlement Generator and Foes & Fortunes tools will still be available, but any updates or feature enhancements will be applied to the Sandbox Construction Kit.
This coming week, I’m refactoring the application’s file structure and dependencies to support the wireframes. From there, I’ll migrate the Treasure Generator, NPC Generator, Settlement Generator, and Monster Database from Foes & Fortunes in that order. Keep an eye on this space for progress updates.
As always, let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. Thanks again for your support!