Blood Bowl Roster - Manage Your Team and Produce PBEM HTMLs

Dangerous Dave · Post by **Dangerous Dave** » Sat Jul 06, 2002 11:36 pm

Well... Do you want a product that does this?:-

Generates Team Rosters
Maintains Team Records
Produces Upgraded Rosters based on Team Record and SPPs earned
Allows Roster HTML production for PBEM (with either an Other SPP column or without)
Maintains a record of those players who couldn't stand the pace

and, in addition:-

allows:-

a maximum of 99 different teams (ie add your own to the official list)
a total of 119 different skills / traits (add your own again!)
a variable SPP Table
a variable Starting Treasury
Teams with Double SPP Progression
Teams with additional Big Guys

.... all linked to the roster you select.....

Does this sound like something you want?

If yes? then download it now from:-

http://www.dn-allen.supanet.com/Excel/BBRoster.zip

Please note that there are detailed notes on how to use the spreadsheet included as part of the "Notes" Worksheet. NB if you are going to use the spreadsheet to produce HTMLs, you must set up a specific folder to store them.

Just two notes of caution:-

1) The product is an Excel spreadsheet written in Excel 2000. I have been advised that the HTML export does not work in Excel 97 (or earlier) since these versions of Excel do not support HTML output (if you know how this can be changed so that this function in Excel 97 works - let me know). However, I believe that all the other functionality does work in Excel 97 and prior.

2) I have tested the product to some degree on my PC.... it has not been tested in detail by others.

So, there may be bugs that I haven't found.... if you do find some please email me and let me know... I'll correct them and post an amended version as soon as possible.

Please let me have your comments on:-

1) how easy the product is to use (and suggestions for improvement!); and
2) the product's functionality - are there additional features you would like.

NB I have only posted a zipped version on my site for download... if there is sufficient demand, I'll post an unzipped version.

Dave

Deathwing · Post by **Deathwing** » Sun Jul 07, 2002 12:44 am

Looks nice after a quick once over, shame about the HTML Excel 2000 compatibility.
On that subject, I used to use the excel roster on the GW site for Wodell, but I lost 2000 and am now running '97, with the subsequent loss of the 'save as HTML option'. I did find and download a plug-in that allowed converting to HTML, but the results were pretty horrible.
Is there another way around it? Teamtracker's 'HTML-ise Roster' option works just fine on older versions of excel. Something similar would be great for those of us with Jurassic machines/software.
Good work anyway Dave, still bloody useful, thanks!

Post by **GalakStarscraper** » Sun Jul 07, 2002 5:06 am

Since Milo has been so busy ... we are hoping he will tell Dave how he did the HTML export in pre-2000 Excel.

Not sure if Milo will help us for not though. He's always kept his info on TeamTracker very secret.

Galak

Pedait · Post by **Pedait** » Sun Jul 07, 2002 7:14 am

When I try to select a race from the dropdown menu in the starting roster sheet, there are no options to choose from.

Dangerous Dave · Post by **Dangerous Dave** » Sun Jul 07, 2002 9:07 am

Pedait,

All the races should be there. Just scroll up to the top and you will see the choices.

The reason you initially see nothing is because I have set up the spreadsheet to have up to 99 different teams - when selecting from a list, Excel doesn't start at the top - it starts part of the way down the list. That's the trade off for having more options on the spreadsheet.

You should find the same thing on some of the other drop down boxes (eg for skill selection).

Pedait, please try again and post if this is all OK.

DW,

I'd be grateful if you could spend some more time using the non HTML stuff - eg set up some new teams, add players to the DB, create game records, earn SPPs for your players and thus skills, retire kill / off players etc. I believe that this will really help manage teams in a table top environment, is easier to use than Team Tracker and has a lot more options too.

Thanks,

Dave

Diesel · Post by **Diesel** » Sun Jul 07, 2002 9:51 am

Great Tracker!

Just downloaded it and think it works really well.

Thanx for puttin in the time and effort - no more havin to type in skills etc. Much easier than Team Tracker.

Pedait · Post by **Pedait** » Sun Jul 07, 2002 11:12 am

Yeah, you were right, i should have looked better. Great tool.
BTW, I use Excell 97, and i do have a save as HTML option, but when i used this, the roster was all messed up.

Dangerous Dave · Post by **Dangerous Dave** » Sun Jul 07, 2002 12:14 pm

Saving as HTML won't work.... there are a number of formatting bits and pieces that the HTML macro does in order for the output to work with the PBEM tool.

Have you tried the macro to produce HTML output in Excel 97? If yes does it work? or do you get a run-time error on the macro?

Dave

Deathwing · Post by **Deathwing** » Sun Jul 07, 2002 12:48 pm

Dave: I'll convert over to it when I get back from Amsterdam, racing against the clock to paint these Amazons right now!

mrinprophet · Post by **mrinprophet** » Mon Jul 08, 2002 6:56 pm

Dave,
First of all... great work.

I've spent a couple minutes looking at it and have a few comments, all of which are minor.
1. The green and peach colors made me a bit nauseous. I often print my roster in color and would like the ability to change colors and fonts. I realize I can cut and paste to a new spreadsheet to edit it, but that is more work.
2. Is there any way to combine the "Starting Roster, Ongoing Roster, and Skill Selection and Injuries" worksheets like TeamTracker. What about just the last two?
3. What about Star Players? I assume we can each add those.
4. The wizard is still $150,000.
5. On the Notes tab, item #10 under Starting Roster, I think that should be cells C22, C23 instead of B1.

That's it for now. Again, GREAT work Dave!

Dangerous Dave · Post by **Dangerous Dave** » Mon Jul 08, 2002 7:48 pm

mrinprophet......

1. All I can suggest is that you have a plastic bag nearby just in case.....

Seriously, for ease of use I want to keep the green shade (or if not green a colour!) so that a user knows which cells he can type into.... yes I know I have protected it...... If you export it to HTML, the green goes... and you could replace the peach colour too (in the HTML)! I have to say I'm a little bored of grey......

2. I could... but I won't. Here's why.

To automate the treasury, the 2 rosters have to be kept seperate.
The HTML export is easier under the current set up.... and actually, I prefer to keep the Skill, Selection and Injuries sheet separate too!

3. Yes add a Star Player if you want to. Remember though that each team (or race) has a max of 10 position players. Each Star will take up one of those 10 positions. In addition, the Star will have to be added in for each team he can play for. Aside from all the typing, I left the Stars out since they can only be freebooted (unedr BB2k1 rules) so there is not much point adding them as a permanent part of the roster (although I suppose you could add them at half cost and retire (or kill them!) them and the AC after each game!).

4. Yes it is for the same reason as the Stars.... if you want to freeboot a Wizard, this doesn't need to be on your roster. As long as you have 50k in the kitty, declare it once the pre-game starts and add the Wizard on manually. The 50k cost then needs to be deducted from game winnings on the Game Record sheet. On a separate note, I have had a request for each race to have Wizards costing different amounts. I can do this.... but it is intended as a permanent addition to the team (ie like 3E). Freebooting could be used when I have put this function in (by setting the cost to 50k and removing them after each game!).

5. Yes and no... its all the cells mentioned. You get an error message in B1 if you try and enter 3 War Dancers or 2 Big Guys etc (try it and you'll see).

Glad you like it... sorry if I can't make it exactly how you want it..... but as long as it works and is pretty easy to use then that's good enough for me!... unless of course you all want to start making donations...

Dave

Pedait · Post by **Pedait** » Mon Jul 08, 2002 8:35 pm

I've tried the export to HTML option, and indeed, it did'nt work. A shame for such a great utility!

McDeth · Post by **McDeth** » Tue Jul 09, 2002 9:12 am

Great Job Dave, on behalf of the Blood Bowl community i wish to express my thanks for the time you have obviously spend creating the spreadsheet.

There's one option however which i think you might want to include.

The option to include a link to the player picture when you set up your roster, so when the html is created it automatically includes the data re inclusion of pictures into the PBEM tool. This would be fantastic and would save a lot of time setting up the teams.

I'm not sure how easy/difficult this would be to do but it is my no1 wishlist choice

Diesel · Post by **Diesel** » Tue Jul 09, 2002 9:34 am

Being new to PBeM and the whole tool/trackers thing I was wondering how you set it up so that graphics of the players appear in the PBeM Tool during a match.

PS.... Thanx for the games & support McDeath & MartynQ, it's really helpin me get used to the doftware.

McDeth · Post by **McDeth** » Tue Jul 09, 2002 9:47 am

There is a read me file attached to the PBEM download which tells you how. Basically you have to edit the HTML with wordpad to include the pics.