Apps as Pen-and-Paper Game Aids
Julien Banta is bringing technology into Tabletops RPGs with his apps.
Describe Xalops Studios.
Xalops Studios is an eccentric, logic-minded developer that loves the hobby of Tabletop RPGing.
How did Xalops Studios come about?
Xalops Studios started as myself GMing a campaign and realizing that my players wanted to go off on wild tangents that I had not possibly considered. Primarily they would ask about random NPC’s that I didn’t expect them to try to interact with, in a more in depth way. So I built a random NPC generator. Then I decided to expand the application to cover more options in case they were sneaky and found even more things I didn’t plan for. In the end I realized that this might help others as well, and released it on the Google Play marketplace.
What is your mission?
Our mission is primarily to help the tabletop community by releasing tools that will allow for more efficient use of the GMs time to plan the important aspects of a campaign without having to worry about missing out on planning some of the minor details.
Can you describe your team?
Xalops Studios is actually comprised of a single independent developer, who happens to not be so phenomenal when it comes to UI . Occasionally help (typically with art assets) is received from friends and others in the community. We had been lucky enough to get permission from Inkwell Ideas to use their DungeonMorph Font for one of our products as well as getting permission from Red Kobold Games to use their Blue Dungeon Tiles designs for the same product.
Why create apps for RPGs?
This is actually quite simple. I am a Software Engineer and as such, I love to write code and create applications. At the same time I love to play Tabletop RPGs. The lack of what I felt where quality applications, impacted my game play and made it less enjoyable. So I decided to tackle the minor annoyances and grievances I had and at the same time release it for others.
What apps have you released so far?
The only application that I have released publicly so far is Archivist Elements for both Android and Windows Phone. Links can be found on my website: www.xalops.com. This application is my primary focus and the application that I feel is the most unique among applications I had found across the app stores. While there are numerous applications that try to help you in creating your content easier, most assume that you want to create it yourself. The purpose of Archivist Elements is to create the base level of the content for you so you don’t have to be burdened by the minute details.
What are your future projects?
There are several Projects that I am working on:
o Archivist Core API – This is a rewrite of the Archivist Elements backend code to all be made available as a Web API for other developers to use in their own projects, and to be reused in a massive updated to Archivist Elements.
o Archivist Elements – After we rewrite the Archivist Elements backend we will be using this in a newly built Archivist Elements app that will have consistent functionality and design across all mobile platforms.
o Archivist Chronologies – This project is being worked on slowly (typically when I need a break from thinking about Archivist Core). But its purpose is to allow users to develop their own intricate timelines. By intricate it will allow for custom lengths of time and placement of events across multiple time-lines. The goal is to allow for entire world histories to be built no matter what their time systems might be, and then to be able to see a visual representation of that information.
o Archivist Worlds – This project was one that I started a while back, and have put on the back burner for now. I’m sure I will get to it after Archivist Chronologies is released and stable. The idea was to have a collaboratively built world in which all users could create Characters, Events, Towns, and much much more. After that anyone could create a “Campaign” and could select what content (from any user), that they would like to include in their Campaign settings.
o The Tetra System – The Tetra System is my own attempt at a Tabletop RPG game system. I have found that many of the other Systems are either too number crunchy or not number crunchy enough for myself and my group, or they are too unrealistic at certain phases of the game. I am a firm believer that there should be no way for a normal person to have a health level so high that he can take a ballista to the chest and live. At least not without magical means. This is probably the hardest goal that I would like to complete. The system aims to maintain a good balance between simplicity and number crunch, while also being realistic and customizable.
Where can people get your apps or learn more?
Our website, found at www.xalops.com, (not the prettiest thing ) has links to all of our social media accounts, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. It also has a list of all current projects I am working on, as well as their development status.
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