Learning Excel, and trying to build a Role Playing Game.

[Fenrin]

Greetings Mr. Excel Forum World,

I come here today with a rather odd, and possibly complicated request. I am a rather nerdy individual who is attempting to make a Dragonball Z based RPG, using Excel as the 'conduit' for the game. I used to play in a game a while ago that had a great system, based in Excel, but a GM (game master) that I didn't really see eye to eye with. I'm now trying to essentially make a system kind of like his, just with my own take/twist on it. The issue? I'm pretty newbish at excel and I don't really know what I'm doing yet. I can do basic spread sheet stuff and really basic formulas, (adding and subtracting basic columns and such, but not much beyond that.) but not much else.

Now, this guys system was absurdly complicated, and I don't want to clone it, but I want to figure out the basics of how he did it and how to do it myself. (I've been watching tutorial videos on excel and I'm not quite finding what I'm looking for so far.) The thing is, the system links a lot of numbers together for different formula, and I just don't know how to do that yet. To explain the basics, the character will have stats, like strength, that determine damage. There are also different attack types, like punch, uppercut, elbow, kick, etc. Those values do damage directly linked to the strength score, but I don't know how to link the strength score to the corresponding values AT ALL. So, to try and explain this a bit clearer, Punch will be the 'base damage,' that everything else is based on, (elbow and kick and uppercut I want to do things like "damage +10%, -1 to hit" or some such) and the damage should be based on the strength score, but I don't know how to make the values match up. Say I want the punch damage to be "2x strength score" so the uppercut would be "2x strength +10%" for example, I don't know how to do any of that. The guy whose system I'm attempting to rip off did all this on its own, and I don't want it to be that complicated, I am fine with doing some of the math/stuff on my own, I just don't know how to make formula and such to make that work. I'm really wanting to make a good system here, and the guy I'm trying to copy had it all in Excel, so I want to do it that way as well. I could make this in a pen and paper way, it would just be so much math that it would be impractical for me to do it in a timely matter for a game to work well, so figuring out how to make something work out like that would be great.

Thanks in advance for any help, I understand I'm asking a rather hard and complicated question.

 

[cyrilbrd]

Hi, your objective is not complicated, what will make it having no feedback is the lack of questions...
You need to create a template with all the data you require (stat of character, single or multiple characters, equipment list (if such exist), bonuses and maluses...)
The math behind will follow after.

Or you can study the file of your GM and try to adapt what you think is useable, such might help you formulate specific questions...
Hope this clarify your goal a bit.

 

[Grasor]

This isn't likely extremely difficult but sounds like, as you say, you are a total newbie to the powerhouse that is Excel. My suggestion to you is to grab a book or two on the subject. I think Power Programming with VBA: Excel 2013 by Walchenbach will do you some good. Get the hard copy.

http://www.amazon.com/Excel-2013-Po...8-1&keywords=power+programming+with+vba+excel

 

[hiker95]

Fenrin,

Welcome to the MrExcel forum.

1. What version of Excel, and, Windows are you using?

2. Are you using a PC or a Mac?

Learning Excel

See if something, in the below link(s), of my most up to date list will help you:

Training / Books / Sites as of 10/17/2015

http://www.mrexcel.com/forum/excel-questions/894596-workbook-example.html#post4313641

 

[Fenrin]

Thanks so much for the directions/links guys. I'm glad it won't be actually that complicated. I am working on the template, the deal is I have to do it from memory, which isn't too big of a deal. The guy who runs the game is utterly psychotic about secrecy, and he doesn't give out anything of his 'formula.' It's part of my giant issue I had with him, he hides everything, dice rolls, math, etc. He just shares the excel screen so you can see what the damages are and your characters current health and stuff. You don't get to see the dice rolls (MAJOR issue I had) and he was constantly changing the system (pretty much every 2 months) so once you thought you had it learned he changed everything around again and made it ****ty. I guess the short of that is I can't get the 'template' from this guy, and I've actually tried to get it from him. (At the time it wasn't even to run my own game or anything, it was to help teach the newer players, but he didn't want to give me anything pretty much for this reason.) I'm going to go through that workbook and I'll make a template, and maybe post again if/when I get stuck.

 

[Fenrin]

Oh, delayed answer, I have excel 2010

 

[Fenrin]

Oh, delayed answer, I have excel 2010

And its windows 7

 

[hiker95]

Thanks so much for the directions/links guys.

Fenrin,

Thanks for the feedback.

You are very welcome. Glad we could help.

And, come back anytime.

 

[Fenrin]

Fenrin,

Thanks for the feedback.

You are very welcome. Glad we could help.

And, come back anytime.

Thanks so much! I've actually made major progress today, like figuring out how to link the 'training level' of the characters stats to the character level so the stats increase automatically everytime you level depending on your various 'level' of that stat. (In other words, if you're a super strong guy your strength increases much more than your speed as you level) I'm working on figuring out damages and such, which is a bit more complicated, but I'm getting there, I bookmarked that master list. If I hit a major snag, I might just share it here and let ya'll pick my work apart, (I'm not all secretive like the guy I'm trying to psuedo copy, I just want a good game.) if need be, but this has been an invaluable resource here, thanks again!

 

[Fenrin]

Thanks so much! I've actually made major progress today, like figuring out how to link the 'training level' of the characters stats to the character level so the stats increase automatically everytime you level depending on your various 'level' of that stat. (In other words, if you're a super strong guy your strength increases much more than your speed as you level) I'm working on figuring out damages and such, which is a bit more complicated, but I'm getting there, I bookmarked that master list. If I hit a major snag, I might just share it here and let ya'll pick my work apart, (I'm not all secretive like the guy I'm trying to psuedo copy, I just want a good game.) if need be, but this has been an invaluable resource here, thanks again!

The "It" of that "Share It here" being my master character sheet that has all the formulas and such. Just to clarify.