Software....

[j_cheney]

I spent a bit going through my CDs today, trying to determine what I never use.

Like my Campaign Cartographer2, CC2Pro, and City Designer2.

I paid a lot for these (before I started writing for publication, actually) but I never use them, which makes me sad. I acutally did learn to use the first one, and used it to do a nice map or two.....but CC2Pro turned out to be more complex, and I never found the time to learn it.

And I don't know if anyone would buy them, either....so there they sit, in all their expensive glory, ignored in my closet.

Buyer's remorse.

Comments

[aliettedb.livejournal.com]

I tried drawing maps using a computer, and it was such hard work that I roped my boyfriend into drawing one for me. The software is rather harder to learn than you'd imagine.

[aliettedb.livejournal.com]

Oh, and you can't imagine the pile of writing software I have, which I paid good money for--and never used because it was just too much hassle. The only one I use on a regular basis is Freemind, and that cost me nothing.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

And I was too lazy to do more than look over Freemind....

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Exactly my problem....so I never use this stuff. Sadly, I think I paid about $170 all told.

[dr-phil-physics.livejournal.com]

I have all sorts of boxes of good intentions... dating back to the DOS 3.x era. And System/Finder 6.0.2 .

Dr. Phil

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Sad, isn't it?

[jjschwabach.livejournal.com]

I find, for the level of maps I need to remind me of what's west of where, and how many rooms are on the first floor of such-and-such a building, MSPaint's as good as anything else. Or scribbling them on paper.

I have a binder with a really elaborate map of a world I created when I was 14. I used two sizes of graph paper -- one with 1/4 inch squares for the main map, then several with 1/8 inch squares for detail maps. I also created a pantheon, trade routes, etc. But at the time, I was just using the world for D&D games. I never tried to write a story set there; I never really had the interest.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this software's simply too complex for what I want...

[jjschwabach.livejournal.com]

Yes, when all you want is to be able to remind yourself that the city of Blintari is north of the plains of Gizel, and that the Wianoka River cuts the continent in half, you don't need bells and whistles, you need some wavy lines.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

;o)

[displacedtexan.livejournal.com]

We really don't need to analyze this, do we? Soon we'll be adding up the $$ spent on CDs to which we never listen, books re never read, 1/18th scale model cars that just collect dust....

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

I left a duster on your bookcase...

[kara-gnome.livejournal.com]

I think that if we had back all the money that we've spent on what was a wonderful idea at the time--well, we'd have lots! :) And then turn around and spend it on other things.

It's very strange how something seems so perfect and just the thing at the time. Maybe, at the root, we're thinking, "I need more guilt in my life. I should buy that thing so I can feel guilty about not using it..."

Still, every once in a while, you really do find just the thing, and you never know ahead of time, not for sure, anyway. Funny, in a way.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

So true. I think this stuff ran me a total of 160-170. Sad now that I think about how I could have used the $ otherwise...

But we live and we learn.