Forums » RP Discussion » Help me plan my character sheet app!

I was browsing Google Play for an app to keep all my characters in one place, but all the ones I found were either specifically for things like DnD Pathfinder, or they weren't customizable enough. So I was like, Dcat, you're decent with html, why not see if there's a way to code an app yourself using it?

There is! I have downloaded PhoneGap, a tool to convert html/css/web markup into apps. So now I'd like to ask the community here what they would like out of an app like this, general comments and feedback, questions etc.

The app will need a catchy name, first of all. I'm thinking something among the lines of Deity's Database, since aren't we all gods/goddesses/deities when it comes to our characters? Help me plan!

Ideas so far
Fully customizable profile fields. There may be default ones, or the user may have to put them all in themselves.

Search and sort function. You'll be able to filter out all your males, all your sci fi characters, all your characters for a certain fandom, all your humanoid characters, all your characters with blue eyes, whatever.

Ability to create groups. Group all your characters for your own original world together for example or keep characters with relationships to each other in a group. Possible sub groups? World/organization, "guild", "team" etc.

You know those shipping charts that some people use with different coloured lines to link different characters to one another? Maybe not shipping-centric, but the ability to browse characters based off of their links to one another would be cool.

Same with sorting by tags, where once you make one tag, it pops up as an option when you begin to start typing something similar. If that's the case, a really easy to find and edit (and merge) tag section in case you spell a tag with a capital in one profile and not-a-capital in another.

Expandable lore that can be on its own page and linked to multiple characters. So, for example, if you have a bunch of pokemon trainers in a semi-original pokemon-ish world, you might devote a page or pages to the settings and link characters to them. (In that case, how about linking characters to timelines embedded in the settings, so that you can easily see that the great grandaughter of your character is actually 80 years forward of the character you're currently playing as?)

Scrivener but with a focus on characters instead of story-writing, basically... and with the ability to link at three levels: player (ooc) setting (the world the characters inhabit, including relevant spaces and times) and characters (family relations or relevance to other characters).

Filters for 18+ if this isn't just a personal database...

mobile-friendly search systems and profile pages?

Ooooohhh! I've had this idea before too, it's just so overwhelming. Kudos!! Are you planning on hosting the info client-side or server-side?

I would love complicated relationship tools. Realtime JSONy queries for inputting relationships, too, like dray mentioned--like if I'm typing in the name of a character for a relationship field, it tries to autocomplete.

Multiple levels of relationship importance. I might like to have links between characters just to remind myself if they've ever met, but that's a less important relationship than, say, a spouse.

More difficult, but ... graph/diagram tools? Like a visual representation of a character relationship web?

Definitely setting info! I use Scrivener for that, though, so I wouldn't need anything in depth.

I loooove drays timeline idea but Iunno how it should be implemented. Have a timeline for a setting, maybe, and tag individual character events in it ("Ivian gets knighted" "Sivwikkas graduates the academy" "Ivian and Oberlan meet (shows up in both their timelines)" etc).

Some of those features might be too advanced for me to implement. I don't see the need for an 18+ option atm, because I wasn't planning on having many sharing options, just a reference for the user, you know? If you want to share, you could screenshot it and send it to whoever and if there's smut or something in it, you'd be sending it to someone who's legal age and okay with it in the first place.

There are other apps for world building, like Heimdall said, but having like, little world descriptions wouldn't hurt. Also, most of Heimdall's post just reminds me how kinda novice I am at this, like I don't know the difference between client and server side. Would you be willing to help me if I get stuck, Heimdall?

Browsing based on relationships will be something I'll definitely try, yeah.

Client-side means that everything is saved on the user's device. Javascript is a client-side scripting language, for instance, since it's code that's being run in the client's browser. Server-side means you have a dedicated server to host information, which will require a scripting language like PHP to implement. So it's probably best to stick to HTML and Javascript, which is easier to deal with, though the Javascript will have to manipulate files on the user's device. Not sure how that'll work since I've never coded for mobile before, but it's probably nbd.

I'll help you where I can, but I've never built an app before, and I haven't been in the dev industry in a long time!

Can't help with coding, but I don't care for the name Deity's Database since that could confuse people about it's function. I admit that rp characters is not the first thing I think of when I hear that term.

However I have a couple of name ideas that you might like. 1: Taking a leaf out of RPR, how about CRP or Character Repository? 2. Character Guide: as isn't a profile almost like a guide to that character? 3. Character Database: nuff said.

Heimdall: Client side sounds more like what I'm going for.

Katia: Well, here's the thing. The other apps that weren't satisfactory all have names like that, and if you wanted you could use it for non RP things. Novels/webcomics/etc, sometimes people overlap, like I do RP + fanfic characters. I get that the name isn't obvious but you can also put descriptions and keywords in the app. I'm kinda attached to Deity's Database for now, unless something even better comes up.

So what does everybody think of having some built in fandoms as examples? Just a few, and I'd have to update the app when the fandom updates, like adding new Pokemon regions when they come out. But I'm not going to include all pokemon species, good lord...that'd be WAY too much. People can put those in themselves.

Legend of Zelda

Name
Gender(male, female) Add option for custom gender, "genderless" etc.
Age
Hair *1
Skin
Eyes
Build
Other

Race(hylian/human, fairy, goron, zora, deku, kokiri, gerudo, twili, minish, rito, kikwi, mogma, parella...) I'd have to check the wiki for all Zelda races to include. Add option for custom race. *2
Primary Weapon
Secondary Weapon
Gear
Skills
Era(A Link Between Worlds, Skyward Sword, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess, Minish Cap, Breath of the Wild, Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks) Add option for custom era or older era that's not included, like if somebody wants A Link to the Past instead of A Link Between Worlds. Maybe allow selection of multiple eras?

Transport Species(horse, loftwing, boat, train)
Transport Name
Transport Description
Transport Gender(male, female, genderless)
*3

Personality
History
Relationships

*1: Dependent on race, select goron or zora for example, and they don't have hair so this field would be blotted out. TP gorons do have rocky growths, but those aren't exactly "hair" and would go under other.

*2 Dependent on era, only the races from said era would be available upon selection. People can still bring back a race if they have like, a rito who traveled back in time to OoT era.

*3 Also dependent on era. OoT, MM, TP and most others would have horses. SS would have loftwings. WW and PH would have boats. ST would have trains.

So yeah, there's a fleshed out fandom example. My only concern is people begging me to add this fandom or that fandom when they can easily do it themselves. Maybe allow users to create fandoms for others to download and add to the app? Also people can fill out as many or as few of the fields as they want. What if they have a non combat person? Then they probably won't need weapons filled out, but can use gear and skills. Also not everybody can have a steed/transport so that whole section would be optional.

I'm not interested in fandom options. You might be able to get better advice from people on DWRP as most of them play mostly or solely from fandoms, though!

An android application of this size might perform better written native in Java or Kotlin with proper lifecycle handling and RxAndroid/Java.

However, the idea sounds great, but needs proper planing and architecture for maintaining and adding features.

Perhaps, more devs can help you?

Dray: I think I'll include them as examples though, plus I have already coded some of that. I aim to make this an app for fandom players and non fandom players alike. Perhaps the app will be downloaded without fandoms, and people can then download the ones they want?

Beccy: Yes, I will probably need more devs on the team.

If anyone's interested, here's the first piece of the fandom example. It's not customizable yet though.

https://jsfiddle.net/zqd6vbxu/

I'd could assist for an Android application in Java/Kotlin. I'm an android developer, but not all the time and constantly and only native.

Sorry, I absolutely don't fancy converted stuff.

Great, then I'll be letting you know if I need help. Not liking fandoms is fine (I assume that's what you mean by "converted") but I really do want them in. People don't have to use them.

That's what I actually meant with converted. Android apps are usually written in Java or Kotlin. iOs Swift or Objective C.
I fear a converted application might lead to memory leaks or instability due to not properly handling the lifecycle of the OS and applications.

I've never meant fandoms.

I had a similar idea a while back and, since I have no coding skills, worked with someone else to create a character sheet generator for Eileadora: http://eileadora.com/Eileadora_Character_Sheet_Generator.htm.

I see. Well, there's Javascript...and PhoneGap appears good quality, it's made by Adobe, so perhaps they've taken out that risk? I know more about web programming than any other type, although very basic knowledge.

Can't help but agree with Katia here. When I hear the name "Deity Database", I don't think of RP characters. It sounds like something that would have lists of different deities from different cultures. Your reasoning for it wasn't all that sound either. I see very few people on the site that play straight up gods, goddesses, etc. Something like Character Repository sounds good, and actually connects with this site, the place you're pitching the idea to. Even if it isn't only for RP purposes, the name doesn't sell well for the application's purpose. People are going to think that it's some sort of history application with lists of gods and such from different pantheons.