RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
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We have people hardcore on both sides. I honestly don't mind either but I will used programs like Hero Lab if I can.
I like the electronic character sheets for several reasons. I can have multiple backups of the file, print out the sheet as an additional back up, and in some cases make the character sheet a PDF. I can also easily adjust things, and some of the programs let you keep track of conditions and buffs as you play. If I have the right program, it is fully supported and updated enough to keep the program current with releases.
What about you? Are you a hardcore paper sheet person or a computer guy who likes to keep things paper free? Whats your argument for your side?
I maintain electronically, but print for the session -- maybe it's that we're old school, but everyone seems to like being able to pencil things in, cross them off, etc, etc.
So, sort of a best of both worlds sort of scenario.
I like both. I will make them electronically for ease of updating, but I like having the paper version to write character and game notes on.
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I like to create/maintain in Hero Lab, but for actual playing, I prefer to put all the info into an Excel sheet that was given to me by an old GM, then heavily modified by me. The Excel sheet doesn't have much in the way of automation going on, but I vastly prefer it's layout to any other sheet I've used for d20-based games. And, being an Excel sheet, I can modify it to fit whatever I'm playing better, whether that be a specific AP or a completely different d20-based game.
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I like a paper character sheet at the gaming table. I don't mind wether it is a traditional character sheet, or a hero lab print out, or someone's spread sheet. I like something i can pick up and read. well I cant always read people's handwriting. but i like to see character sheets anyways.
I find someone with a lap top at the gaming table to be quite annoying. Even though it probably isn't true, i wonder what the player is trying to hide. Characters on lap tops make me suspicious.
Its much easier to pass the GM a piece of paper, character sheet or computer print out, but a little more difficult to pass a lap top. We shall see what smart phones and I Pads add to things.
but i like a character on a piece of paper.
Paper. Always paper.
I write my guy out electronically, but then I put him on paper and I never touch the word document again.
I keep an electronic copy of my character on my PC, the external hard drive, and on my flash drive, but I print it out to bring to sessions. I usually print a new copy out whenever I level up that reflect the changes in the character (and after I decipher my own chicken-scratch). Even if I had a laptop to bring to games, I probably would stick with paper. I like it old-school, what can I say?
Paper at the table, electronic for on-line gaming. I don't use character-building software, though; a plain text file is good enough for me.
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Electronic for between sessions, but always paper at the table. Long-term updating is always easier online, but short-term updating is always easier on paper.
I could imagine that that will change once we all have iPads and really good writing recognition software, but until that day, I stick to the above arrangement.
I've used electronic character-building software, and find it extremely useful. But the good programs cost money, and I'm a poor/cheap bastard, and can't bring myself to spend the money on one. Basically, buying a program is one less book I can afford, more if I purchase updates. And before anybody goes in and says "such-and-such program is free and it's great", don't bother. I've tried all the free ones I can find, and they are all a pain in the butt, in my opinion.
So, paper for me.
For years I used an autocalculating character sheet I created in Excel and just printed it out. For the last five years, however, I've been keeping it on my laptop more and more often as space and DMs allow.
Lately I've been using Herolab. I can't wait until they come out with the Mac version; my Macbook is much smaller than the PC laptop and it'll be a lot easier to use at the table.
Paper is cheaper than Herolab and only has as much bugs as the person doing the writing. Which in my case often means more, but at least I can fix them myself instead of needing tech support.
I was big on paper...
Now all my characters live on my netbook and are run through Eriyan7 excel spreadsheet. I dunno whats gonna happen now he's seemingly dropped it, maybe Ogre once he gets Witches and Oracles sorted :)
Electronic all the way!
Retired, worked 35 years 3 months and 17 days (but who was counting) for =+HAL in Mainframe System Support so my laptops (theirs and mine) were firmly attached at the hips.
I use PCGen only for character maintenance. Have tried the HeroLab demo, and many of the Spreadsheets, but come back to PCGen every time.
As DM, I keep a copy of all the PCs and NPCs in electronic form and use html output, and also use my laptop at the gaming table for the PDFs, maps, etc. Use CombatManager.com to run combat. Still roll the dice thought.
As a Player (myself and the other DM alternate Monday evenings) I am also the note keeper so I have the laptop for that and for my character sheet while playing.
The rest of the guys in the group, except one, use PCGen and print out copies of their characters, but then all except the one are IT support of some kind anyway and are used to computers.
Also as the PCGen guru, I create the data files as needed for anything special.
-- david
Papa.DRB
Disclaimer: PCGen Yahoo group moderator and Data Monkey.
I'm the sort of person that, if the character sheet isn't crumpled to hell and handwritten on the back of a shoe contract, with places that the page has worn thin through constant erasure and re-writing, it just isn't actually playing a RPG.
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What about you? Are you a hardcore paper sheet person or a computer guy who likes to keep things paper free? Whats your argument for your side?
I've only ever used electronic character sheets for pbp play (and I've never used HeroLab or any other character-generating software). Laptops are good, my group just hasn't gotten that into them (except for the GM, who sometimes uses it). If we went through more character sheets I'd be worried about paper usage, but as it is it's not a problem.
One flaw with paper character sheets is that you can accidentally print them wrong. However, if they're flipped (one side reads from top to bottom, the other goes from bottom to top) it only takes a session to get used to it; if you forgot to print double-sided (tricky with a Linux computer) it's actually good because some players write stuff down or draw on those blank pages (character backgrounds, class/race ability or feat rules, animal companion stats [VERY handy if anyone in the game is disorganised], spells cast, etc.).
Edit: Gah! It's the Skinsaw Man again! Also, shoe contract?
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I've had extensive use of Myth Weavers' electronic pages, but since they've still not finished their Pathfinder page, I moved on to a PDF input, which seems to print out nicely and looks like all the other penciled in sheets, but with typed out info.
I love that there's a wide variety to choose from in the matter.