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Hey,

I've been thinking, (never a good thing...) What aids do people have to create their army lists?

Me, I run a purpose made spreadsheet that keeps track of how many points I've allocated and where and so on. It's filterable so that I can print it without a lot of unecessary lines.

So, I was thinking (here it comes), why don't I share it with everyone else? It's far from perfect and currently mostly contains the models that I've got access to, but the general structure of it is expandable.

Does posting such a spreadsheet violate game creators copyright, or interfere with their IP, or something else in this venue, or are there any dakka guidelines that say: Don't do this, we don't want the potential hassle.

So, What's the verdict on this? Can I, or should I, create an article with this tool so that others can use it and expand on it?

// b


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh, and if this has been answered a thousand times before, I'm sorry. I did a cursory search that didn't come up with anything.

Sharing templates is fine and welcome, sharing anything with actual stat lines, rules or points costs is not something we are allowed to do. I think there is one lurking around somewhere but I cannot remember where.

So, if I take my spreadsheet, remove the column that contains the costs, it should be fine? But then maybe it looses its point. Would filling in the points be "too" much work for it to be used?

What if I multiply the costs by 10? Then the sheet doesn't contain any points costs, but could still be useful.

There's a line around here somewhere as to what goes as infringement and what does not.

The sheet is pretty generic, it only contains names, points and some conditional formatting to make it easy to see what's included.

But I take it it's a no-go with points included then?

// b

Yup, total no go with points (as useful as it would be) I'm afraid.

But what about fair use?

Couldn't this be classfied as that?

I'm not trying to be forceful about this, but it's a subject that interests me because there are so many gray areas. I have full respect for any community that simply says "No thank you, we don't want the trouble".

I just know too little about these issues, I guess.

Fair use varies across the world, and as we operate in a lot of countries, we generally have to go with the safest option to save us the hassle of any legal action (which would be what is necessary to resolve fair use issues of this type).

I 'spose you could create an Excel sheet with a table that looks back to a master data sheet... but that'd just be a lot of work for nothing.

I just do a new one in Excel each time. I always use the same style formatting, so it makes it quick.

If you to as HBMC suggests you can get the spreadsheet to hide the sheet with all the data and thus the figures cannot be seen and the formula's would still work, protecting it would then stop someone with the knowledge in being able to unhide the page.

Would this be allowed if done in this manner? and if so I can supply a macro that will hide the pages for you, witha how to in getting it to work. Provided that it is ok to do that. No point if its still not allowed

Thanks for your input and support.

The whole point was to create something that could be collaborated upon and not be locked down. The points costs would still be available in a 'hidden sheet' implementation. By selecting one option it would be trivial to see what THAT option by itself cost.

I'm guessing that would make it not-ok by dakka prnciples, which I fully respect and understand.

I'm also a firm believer in the KISS principle and obfuscating tables and figures to get around copyright restrictions would violate that principle. If not on any other basis than that it would make it non-trivial to improve and extend the calculations.

Or am I missing the point?

// b

Trust me, if there was any way to do a GW army buillllllllllderrrrrrrrrrr online and squeeky clean, we would be on it like flies on gak. If anyone from GW is ever reading this and wants us to make one, even white label for the official GW site, we'd be happy to do it.

edit: to avoid IP conflicts, I've edited a term in my post just to be safe

Fair enough, I have no intentions of doing anything that could cause harm to dakka, especially if GW are so insistant on not letting you make your own Army =][=post moderated by stinky GW=][= or things similar.

Shame GW aren't interested in it though, they only want pwoffit!!

berglin wrote:Hey,

I've been thinking, (never a good thing...) What aids do people have to create their army lists?

Me, I run a purpose made spreadsheet that keeps track of how many points I've allocated and where and so on. It's filterable so that I can print it without a lot of unecessary lines.

So, I was thinking (here it comes), why don't I share it with everyone else? It's far from perfect and currently mostly contains the models that I've got access to, but the general structure of it is expandable.

Does posting such a spreadsheet violate game creators copyright, or interfere with their IP, or something else in this venue, or are there any dakka guidelines that say: Don't do this, we don't want the potential hassle.

So, What's the verdict on this? Can I, or should I, create an article with this tool so that others can use it and expand on it?

// b


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh, and if this has been answered a thousand times before, I'm sorry. I did a cursory search that didn't come up with anything.

It's come back to the tried and true mthod of scratching the army out on a paper, then typing up an Excel spreadsheet. You don't have anything special, or "New".
Ask ArmyBuilder on what they have been going through to keep thier product from getting messed with. ( there are other's, but this one is THE bestest.)

Oh, as for 40K, I have 2 worthless CD's that you can get back in touch with GW about updating and getting back in the fight and your efforts might even actually be worth it.


I think you mean well, but honestly?
We have all seen how GW pays back its player base for doing "By the Player " products, and assistance. (LRB's, character sheets, army lists, etc.etc.etc.)
Unless you are in the cool kid club, you are going to be treated just like countless hundreds, of not thousands of other people that try to do stuff for thier favorite game and it ends up getting them shot down or stepped all over.

Basicly they smack you in the face and tell you that you can have another sugersmack in the chops for half price.

I think we should make our own game. With blackjack. And hookers!



Thanks for the input guys. I didn't really think that it would be new or that it would work. It just occured to me and I thought I'd ask.

Yeah, it'd be great / awesome / helpful, but unfortunately runs into too much possible trouble to put up on a website :-/