Character Creation Kit

Version: 2.1

Author: dirtyolddunmer (aka Ultraviolet)
Download:http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=24924
or http://www.pagan-tes-mods.com/portal/index.php/oblivion/tools-und-utilities/127-character-creation-kit-v10
Category: Utilities
Requirements: JRE (http://java.com/de/download/manual.jsp)

Change log
-Version 2.1

• export to XML and HTML
  
• customizable view

-Version 2.0

• automatic and manual scan of PlugIn files

-Version 1.1

• Polish localization of GUI and data base by atikabubu
  
• switch language
  
• memorize last used directories

Description
With the help of the Character Creation Kit (CCK) you are able to plan a new Oblivion character from scratch.
All adjustments to your characters base values provided by the Oblivion game are implemented.
You can experiment with the races, classes, birthsigns and see immediately the effects to the base values and derived attributes of your new character.
Furthermore the Character Creation Kit has the abillity to inspect PlugIn files for relevant data and to extend its data base autonomous. Thus you get easy access to character values in various modifications and adjust your Character Creations Kit data base to your needs.

Features

• real-time calculation of the characters base values (attributes and skills)
  
• real-time calculation of derived attributes (Encumbrance, Health etc)
  
• immediate output of currently selected characteristics and traits (Race, birthsign etc)
  
• export to TXT, XML, HTML
  
• Extendable data-base by scanning of race, class and birthsign PlugIn's
  
• easily compare classes with a switch button
  
• customizable view

Screens
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/images/24924-1-1261316618.jpg
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/images/24924-1-1244217683.jpg
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/images/24924-1-1245689447.jpg

Install
Unzip the package to a folder of your choice. A special installation is not required.

Usage
Doubleclick the dodCCKvX.exe. For easier access create a shortcut to the CCK's exe-file on your desktop or whereever it is useful.

Standard features
---------------------
Inside the file menu are some standard tasks. With "save" its possible to store your entries permanently on the harddrive. You are able to exchange it with others or open them later again.
The "Export" menu entry lets you write your characters base values and traits to a text-file.

Memorize a class with the "Memorize" button and toggle between other classes to find out the different impact to your new characters base values.

Scan plugin files
-------------------
Requirements: The origin of all modifications - the Oblivion.esm - has to be anywhere on your drive.

Autoscan
--------
- Choose Data/update data in the menu
- Click on the button auto in the opening dialog window

The CCK now try to detect your Oblivion install directory and to scan all available PlugIn files inside. In the text message area of the dialog you can follow the progress of the scan process.

Manual scan
-----------
- Choose Data/update data in the menu
- Click on the button manual in the opening dialog window
- In the following dialog navigate the PlugIn's you wish to examine.

The CCK scans now all contained or marked PlugIn's. In the text message area of the dialog you can follow the progress of the scan process.

Localize the CCKs User Interface
Your contribution is required! Contact me and you will receive a list with the labels and messages you have to translate to your desired language. It may then be included in following versions of the CCK.

Legal
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

Contact
For any issues, problems or wrong calculations in the app write me at:
here
tesnexus.com - DirtyOldDunmer
dirtyolddunmer[at]hotmail.de
OpenCCK - http://kenai.com/projects/cck

Looks like a pretty neat utility, and it also LOOKS good and clear, should be fun when I make a new char, great job! :goodjob:



I understand the custom races must be added to the database, but how about mods that change, say, birth signs? Like birthsigns expanded? Does these changes show?

(I would try out myself right away if I was at home)

Thanks for nice words!



No, CCK doesn't interact with Oblivion in any way. You have to determine what values these mods change and then enter them manually to the base files as unique entries.

This looks pretty cool!

It would be awesome if you could somehow load the information from mod files to your program. Similar to TES4Edit works - maybe ElminsterEU could help you? I don't know how difficult these things are.
Anyway, if I could tell the program to load the Race Balancing Project (or other mods like that), that would be really really great. Especially since you don't get any manual for RBP, and you can't open the readme while playing, and sometimes you'd like to know what this or that birthsign will do in detail.

Maybe you could also make a kind of "print" function, so that the program gives me a character sheet with the most important information - and maybe a little space for a picture? That would be really cool for showing you characters to others.

Just some suggestions. I've always wanted a program like this, so I'm very happy about it as it is already.

Suggestions are always appreciated. Version 1.0 is the basic tool and i continue developing it to a quite handy tool.


A similar suggestion was brought to me by another one. Right now i try to understand how to read ESP-Format and/or save-files. But you are right this would be an awsome feature. Thanks for link to ElminsterEU.

Use Export - TXT under the File menu.

Sounds interesting; I'll have to give it a look.

Very cool, good job dude!

Okay, I've played with it a little bit now, so here's some more feedback:

1. Default folder for characters and other files:
Can I somehow change that? Right now whenever I go to File - Open, it shows the My Documents folder. I understand that is a good default folder, but I'd rather use the "Oblivion/Character Creation Kit" folder I've made, so... yeah, how can I change that, or if it's not possible yet, could you somehow add the option to change that? Switching to the correct folder all the time gets really annoying.

2. Layout:
I like the layout, but I think some things could be arranged better. For example, I'd like to have a spot where I can see all the constant abilites of my character. You know, the positive stuff and the negative stuff, divided exactly like that. Currently, it's like this: I choose a birthsign, and in my character sheet the corresponding entry appears, along with the information about it's positive and negative effects. I want it to be like this: I choose a birthsign, and exactly the same entry gets displayed; but in a different section, the program will also display ONLY the negative and positive effects, with e.g. "(Atronach)" at the end of it, so I know where it's coming from.
Think you could do that?
Colors that indicate good and bad things would be good as well; light blue for good, light red for bad, or something like that (that's what it was like in Morrowind).

3. Language stuff:
I'm German and I have a German Vista. However, I'm playing the English Oblivion version, and it's quite difficult for me to figure out what some of the German words mean. And anyway I'd rather have the English terms there, so... how can I do that? I've tried deleting the German folder, but that didn't make the program turn English, only the text it prints out is English now (which is already pretty good, but I'd like the rest to be English too).

I can see the problem. CCK doesn't remember your last used folder after you shut it down. I'll put this on the to-do-list for the next version. At the moment there is no workaround.



Interesting suggestion! Do you mean that all constant effects, all powers and abilitys should be merged seperatly? Now the sheet is grouped by the characters traits like race, birthsign etc. Should it better be arranged by abilities and effects? Just trying to get exactly what you mean.

I like the idea to use indicating colours. While i was designing the user interface i tried to stay away from getting multicoloured (too much colour). But i should give it a try.



Currently it is not possible to change the UI language. The files in the data-folders sub folders are not responsible for the UIs labels and messages. For me it was an easy approach to simply let the program detect the default system language and let it draw the UI. Never thought about different constellations like yours for instance. But it should be customizable. Maybe like that: you choose an UI language and then restart the tool.

Thanks for sharing and the linky, will add this to the list ! ! ! ! !

Concerning my second point:

Well, basically your character is defined by 4 things:
- his attributes (including specializations etc.)
- his skills (including the choice of major skills)
- his greater and lesser powers
- his constant magic effects

The first two "things" (I don't have a better name right now) are already nicely clustered in your spreadsheet. The third and fourth aren't yet. And that is what I'm suggesting.
It could look like this (I'll take a Breton with the Ritual birthsign as an example):

Greater Powers:
- Dragon Skin: Shield: 50% for 60 sec (Breton)
- Mara's Gift: Restore Health: 200 points on self (The Ritual)

Lesser Powers:
- Blessed Word: Turn Undead: up to level 25 for 30 sec on target, 40 magicka cost (The Ritual)

Abilities:
- Fortify Magicka: 50 (Breton)
- Resist Magick: 50 (Breton)
(Constant weaknesses would be in here as well, as for example the Altmer's weaknesses to elemental magic or the Atronach's Stunted Magicka, but this example doesn't provide any.)


This way you could have a nice look on the different... things... that define your character. It is similar to how those things were presented to you in Morrowind's character screen.

Heh .. something i could use. Keep up the bad work, mate :thumbsup: And a nice looking UI it's got.

Thank you for this! I'm going to have a lot of fun planning out some characters.

Its incredible to read all your encouraging posts. Feel like being on the right way. :lightbulb:


@Fearabbit
I agree. This kind of grouping would increase the readability of the sheet. Concerning the fact that there is not much space and all information should be clearly arranged and presented tight. I will consider this. Thank you for your detailed suggestion. I copied that to my todo-list.

@buddah
Great! Thank you for that. Its an awesome list.

Update

Version 1.1 of the CCK is available on http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=24924

Major change is the polish localization brought by atikabubu. Thanks to him for great work!

I've incorporated some minor fixes:
-now CCK remembers your last used directories
-simply switch language from menu

Enjoy!

It's me!
The translator
A shameless bump from my side

New version arises!

CCK is a nice tool but could be better! Especially the manual data update is quite unhandy if not impossible cause many modders do not provide exact data with their new races or character classes and you have to fiddle about with the CS and other tools. Not to mention the irritating manipulation of xml-files. Who is doing that?

With the next version CCK will get much more intelligent. CCK gets a microscope and a scalpel to dissect your source files (plugIn) and keep its data base up to date.

New version is available for download

Besides some minor improvements the main new feature is working now:

• The CCK scans now plugin files for new races, classes and birthsigns

I hope this new feature makes the CCK more useful and informative.

Enjoy!

(links for download: see first post)

CCK Version 2.1
Finally I managed to implement a feature requested some (long) time ago by one user here in the release thread. He asked if it could be possible to arrange information on the "spreadsheet" more clearly, so that one could see at a glance impacts on the attributes, skills, powers and so on.
Now, here it is: Choose between two different views. Normal View is the old style info clustering and Grouped View I call the new more arranged view.
And more over if you want you can customize the style of the description sheet. If you are familiar with cascading style sheets a bit than there should be no problem.

Also in the new version: Export the character's description to XML or HTML and put it on your website, blog or whatever.

Try it out!
(Download: see first post)

ONly just noticed this but it looks good