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+--- Thread: Repurposing an old program (/showthread.php?tid=1120)
Repurposing an old program - FireAndDice - 09-02-2014
It's intended for tabletop RPG stuff, the results are sometimes nonsensical, it's horrendously out of date, especially with regards to solar system creation, produces questionable-at-best aliens 90% of the time, and was apparently put together in an obscure programming language (Some nearly-subconscious memory screams 'delphi' for some reason) by somebody with English as a second language but this seems like it could be repurposed/updated and used for harder-sci-fi stuff (An improved alien-generation system would definitely be a good start). I'd do it myself, but I only speak English, and my programming abilities are limited to modifying games with relatively plain-text entries for things. Onl issue with updating I can see is tracking down the .dll that v2 requires. I don't know how dependent the program is on it, so I can't really say if it could be redesigned to not use it. Of course, given my knowledge of prgorammng, I wouldn't be able to say even if I did know how dependent it was.
Just tossing it out there as a challenge. Figured somebody here might find it interesting enough of a challenge to tackle. Sorry if I'm being a bother.
RE: Repurposing an old program - stevebowers - 09-03-2014
I use stargen sometimes, available as an online feature here
http://fast-times.eldacur.com/StarGen/RunStarGen.html
is that the same program?
RE: Repurposing an old program - FireAndDice - 09-03-2014
Not really. Produces more complete systems, and even places stars in a sort of sector map. It does seem to share a similar descent from Accrete (At least in spirit), though. I'm just figuring it could be used as a base to build up something better suited to hard sci-fi. Sadly, the author apparently dropped off the net some time in '04 (They apparently had a forum for a while, but that's dead, and the Wayback machine didn't archive the threads, so I can't really tell.). Apparently they did have some contact with John Dollan, so he might know what the hell happened to them.
Of course, using it for a springboard for OA-related stuff, would definitely require either judicious use of common sense (The worst issues seems to be lack of tidal locking for planets orbiting red dwarfs and moons orbiting planets that are tidally-locked. That, and the inability to prevent the generation of... rather unbelievable aliens. ), or an overhaul.