===============================
|  DDO CHARACTER GENERATOR    |
|    written by Chris Hamper  |
===============================

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|   License    |
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    This software is Freeware.  Feel free to redistribute this software to as 
many people as you like.  However, the software must be redistributed in its 
entirety, with no modifications.  Feel free to modify the data files if you'd 
like, but please don't redistribute these modified data files.  Instead, please 
notify me of the change as described below, so that I can include it in a later 
update.


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|  Disclaimer  |
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	This software is provided as-is, with no guarantee of any kind.  USE THIS 
SOFTWARE AT YOUR OWN RISK.  Though it is unlikely that this software will cause 
any damage, it may contain bugs which could cause unexpected behavior.  I will 
not be held responsible if your computer blows up, etc.


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| Installation |
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	This software requires the Microsoft .NET Framework version 2.0 or higher 
to run.  You should be able to get the latest version at www.microsoft.com 
(Click on "Downloads" on the left side of the home page, and do a search for 
".NET Framework").  Try to get the highest version "Redistributable Package" 
available.  Alternately, you can try searching on Google.com for it.

    To install the DDO Character Generator software, simply unzip all files in 
this archive to the desired directory.  If upgrading to a new version, it 
shouldn't be necessary to delete the old version first, unless you are 
experiencing problems.  Remember that your data files will be overwritten, so 
make a backup of the data files if you have made any modifications to them.

    If you have downloaded a data file-only update, simply extract the archive 
to the directory the software is located in.  Don't remove any files first; just 
let your unzip utility overwrite them.

    After extracting the files, run CharGen.exe to start the program.  If the 
program doesn't start, it is probably because you don't have the .NET Framework 
version 2.0 or higher installed.  Verify that you have at least version 2.0 by 
opening the Control Panel and double-clicking on the "Add or Remove Programs" 
item.  You should be able to find "Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0" listed there 
if it is installed.  If you do have the correct version, you may need to 
reinstall it.  If you still have problems running the program, notify me as 
described on the web site, and I'll try to figure out how to fix it.


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|    Usage     |
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    Simply select the desired Race and initial Class from the drop down boxes 
in the "Initial Stats" tab.  Then adjust the initial stats using the spin 
controls on the right side.

    Move to the "Level Progression" tab to select classes you intend to level, 
and in what order:  click the "Add Level" button to select the next class to 
level.  Make choices for skill upgrades, feats, etc. in the dialog box and 
click OK.  You can use the "Edit Level" button to modify the level currently 
selected in the level list.  The main window can be resized to view more of the 
information, if needed.  Columns in the table can be reordered or resized by 
draging the column headers or separators with the mouse.  Double-clicking the 
header separator will resize the column to fit its contents.

	Finally, move to the "Report" tab to generate a text summary of your 
character, which can be used to help create your character in-game.  This text 
can be copied and then pasted elsewhere (select the text using the mouse and 
press Ctrl-C to copy it).

	You can move back to previous tabs and modify your choices as needed.  Some 
of the choices made in the "Level Progression" tab may be lost if earlier 
choices are changed, as these choices may contradict each other.  The "Report" 
tab will be updated each time it is viewed.


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|   Problems   |
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    As this is a work-in-progress there are a number of bugs and unimplemented 
features.  The following is a list of known issues:

- Selection of spells is not yet implemented
- Window and menu settings are not carried over between executions
- More than 3 different classes can be levelled in a character, even though 
  DDO limits characters to a maximum of 3 classes.  Also, you can switch back-
  and-forth between Paladin and other classes, whereas in DDO you can't level
  Paladin any more once you raise another class' level
- Spell points might not be accurate in some cases
- There is a memory leak tied to selecting "New Template" from the menu
- Cancelling the dialog box after clicking "Add Level" in the level progression 
  tab still creates a new level.  This level can be edited normally.
- Changing the class of an existing level will erase all feats in that level 
  and in all levels above that, even if the "Edit Level" dialog is cancelled.
  Changing the class in the "Initial Stats" tab will erase all feats.
- Dialog boxes might not be correctly sized if the windowing theme uses large 
  fonts, or other issues, resulting in the OK and Cancel buttons being trimmed 
  off.  They can still be accessed by Tab-ing through the controls.


    If you find a bug or problem not listed here, please report it to me so 
that I can update the software.  Directions on how to notify me should be 
listed on the website where you got this software, or those listed in 
Help -> About...  Please provide as much information as possible.

    If reporting an inconsistency with DDO (health, spell points, feats, etc. 
don't match actual DDO values), include the initial class and levelling 
sequence of your character.  Keep in mind that the generated values may not 
match your DDO character's actual values due to your equipment, enhancements, 
etc.

    If reporting a software crash or failure, please provide a description of 
the failure and the steps you took that lead up to the crash.


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|   Credits    |
----------------

Much of the data upon which this program is based was taken from web sites:
http://en.ddowiki.ws/Home
http://home.comcast.net/~atyonnh/
http://ddo.ogaming.com/
Many thanks to everyone involved in the creation of those sites.

Thank you everyone who has provided information and reported bugs; you've 
helped me make this program better:
	LyleVertigo, hoosierboy75, kilaen, tr0tsky, ShienTao, marburg, 
	Steve Errotabere, Kragus, ivarthevik, ericacek, Seorith, worldsbestlovr, 
	fliptem, Damian, CaptainSpaulding, Dark Jester, 
	and anyone else	I may have missed

And of course, thank you everyone who's simply given me a thumbs up on the 
message boards.

----------------------
|  Revision History  |
----------------------

Version 0.5 - February 28, 2006
  - Added Load and Save functionality
  - Added Enhancements functionality
  - Fixed some skill calculation issues
  - Added some missing feat prerequisites
  - The "Edit Level" dialogs now appear in the center of the screen by default
  - Implemented some changes that may prevent the OK and Cancel buttons from 
    being trimmed off of the "Edit Level" dialog due to large fonts

Version 0.4b - February 23, 2006
  - Chosing "Whirlwind Attack" in the feats list will no longer cause a crash
  - Added an indication of when new spell levels are gained in the progression 
    table
  - Added ability increases at every 4th level, selectable from the "General"
    tab in the "Edit Level" dialog
  - Added display of save modifiers to the progression table

Version 0.4 - February 22, 2006
  - Stat and Skill increases from feats are now implemented
  - All feat prerequisites should now be checked correctly
  - Fixed the problem where the extra health or spell points received at lvl 1 
    were being added multiple times for multiclass chars.  This was broken by 
    changes made in v0.3.
  - The skills selection tab was modified slightly.  Skills you currently can't 
    raise are displayed in dark gray instead of red.
  - The feats list now grays-out feats that can't be chosen, and no longer
    shows feats you already posess at lower levels
  - The level progression window now shows both the number of points invested 
    in skills at that level, and the total level of skills that have been 
    raised in the Edit Level dialog
  - The total skill levels shown in the progression table now include skill 
    bonuses from feats
  - Some missing feat prerequisites have been fixed
  - "Perform" is no longer a class skill for Rogues
  - Double-clicking a feat in the feats list will add it to your chosen feats
  - Toughness, Mental Toughness, and Improved Mental Toughness feats should  
    function properly now

Version 0.3 - February 21, 2006
  - Feat selection is now mostly implemented
  - The Skills tab in the Edit Level dialog now shows which stat is linked to 
    each skill
  - The extra Human feat is now added/subtracted when the Race is modified on 
    the "Initial Stats" tab
  - Raising a skill at a lower character level now properly updates the skill
    level in higher levels

Version 0.2b - February 21, 2006
  - Search and Use Magic Device skills now use the proper stat modifiers
  - Some spell points have been given to Paladin and Ranger at level 4 based on 
    user comments.  Spell points are still very preliminary and might not be 
    exact, though hopefully they're close.

Version 0.2 - February 20, 2006
  - Skill levelling is now fully functional
  - The program now notifies you if data files are missing, instead of crashing
  - You can now double-click on a level in the progression table to edit it, 
    equivalent to clicking the "Edit Level" button


Version 0.1 - Initial Release - February 19, 2006
