What software do you use to track data?
I currently use Archon to track my data, although that is somewhat painful since I use a Mac and I have to run a virtual machine to run Windows to get it to work. I have used Autominister in the past, and I would be using it now, but I do not have Excel installed on my Mac. I will probably use JOverseer once it starts working on my Mac. It runs fine under my Windows virtual machine, but not on Mac OS X.
I use JOverseer, works great.
I run Palantir and Archon side by side for all games I’m in, and run Autominister if I’m tasked to do so in a grudge team – they all have their strengths and weaknesses. I have looked at the ME Assist beta project, to which I am hopeful I can migrate at some point. I’ve heard good things about JO but not bothered to check it out yet.
I use excel to collect & collate information and organize my thinking. I use Joverseer as a game aid to do “what if” analysis, think about my options and get the visual picture of what’s going on in the game. Nothing will replace excel as a tool for me to do my turn planning, but Joverseer has replaced all game aids other than the combat calculator. Speaking of that, it would sure be cool if Joverseer could import the army details & pop center loyalty details and run a combat simulator using them. That’d save a bunch of time in thinking through combat moves.
JOverseer does have a combat calculator, but it had to be created manually. I can teach you how to use it, get to me off line…
Brad
Really?
The CC is the only thing I’m missing looking on JOverseer.
Have Fun!
Gixxx
OMG, you guys are sooo far behind! 
ME Assist has been doing this job for a couple of years… Automister!! Bless! ROFL
Hey dude, who are you calling far behind…? 
One of the problems that I see is that there are a couple of excellent programs out there that are in the hands of the select lucky few. I know at least one of them is slated for “public” release as soon as possible. It gets tiresome seeing the whole map and having all the game info a simple click away when the rest of the team doesn’t. I guess they think I stay up all night reading pdf’s…??? Ha!
Its not for those select few but those who ask Robert nicely… Depends if you can ask nicely?? Gone are the days I switched between Autominster and
Palantir for team administration, ME Assist is a pure work of genius and
was ahead of its time and I have doubts if JOverseer will even come close.
We gotta have another game soon…
I’ve being using JOverseer for almost a year now and have recently tried MEAssist but it has nothing that would make me want to move away from JOverseer… no additional features I could see and not as well presented.
I plan to do a more complete comparison of the two if I ever get time…
Jon
Gixxx,
if you haven’t found the combat calculator yet, try Tools> Combat Calculator and then drag your armies and population centres on to the desired sides from the Armies and PCs tabs respectively…
Jon
You got to drag armies??? In ME Assist one just types the hex and the prog does
the rest!
That’s because you haven’t seen it…
JOverseer has all the game data, it shows it in a split pane presentation with the map as a focus - so you don’t have to move away from the map ever to get information. Most of the data is actually interactive with the map. It also allows you to create and Order Check your orders, interactively with the map and other data, for example, you can drag and drop a map hex into your movement order - no more typing mistakes! Similarly, drag and drop characters into other order parameters - you’ll never fail to assassinate or transfer artifacts again! You can also view your orders on the map - arrows for movement, the show Red if you go to far, etc. Tracking enemy characters by turn showing their locations and activity. Highlight features that show whatver you want - on the map, etc.
MEAssist is a beautiful smashing of heavily customized spreadsheets into a map - kind of like my old custom Autominister sheets next to Archon’s map. Throw in MEOW, Order Checker, interactive tracking and viewing of orders and other data on the map itself and you have to give the nod to JOverseer for a much more detailed “view” of the game. They each look at much the same macro data, but of course, there are some micro issues that are more subjective “pet project” type modules.
Regardless of viewing style preference, everyone who plays really has to get their hands on one or the other soon enough!
Cheers,
Brad
Isn’t it up to the two authors to decide if the program(s) are ready for wide distribution? They’re the ones who’ll be hit with the increased support burden. They’ve already put in a huge amount of their personal effort into coding the programs. You know they’ll get tons of questions (some dumb, some not; some real bugs, some not) as soon as there’s a huge influx of new users. That said, is it desirable for them to get “released?” Sure it is! My point is simply that it’s up to each of the authors to decide if they have the personal time available to handle the inevitable support burden associated with wide distribution.
I don’t think people (ahem Guy!) should denigrate either program. Rather, give joyous thanks to the two people who gave so much volunteer time to put the programs together in the first place! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.
I use Joverseer and love it. I haven’t even looked at ME Assist because I didn’t know about it. But I applaud the authors of both!
Dave
Well said Dave!! True I should not dismiss JOverseer and I a congratulate the author
aswell. My point is I have been using ME Assist for nearly 2 years and I love that
program and really see no need to either use both or move to the new one.
Two programs on the ‘market’ is the best solution to give players not only personal
preferences but to provide competition to the authors and hopefully create
a system of updates… 
Finally kudos to both John and Robert for doing so much work for this world
of MEPBM!
I use Palantir for an overall mapping perspective… but also check the pdfs.
I use MeAssist as asked to in a grudge game… seems OK… but does have errors in it.
I use my own CC as all the ones I’ve seen built by others aren’t bad but never come close to the final outcome that I can get with the one I built for myself following the algorithms in the rulebook.
I’d love to try JO… but where do I get it from?
I tried to install Archon but didn’t like the idea of haing to be linked to the net and sending data off somewhere… no thanks
Ask Brad for an invitation or a copy!
Have Fun!
Gixxx
Guess I’m a dinosaur…funny to think that since I’m one of the most “techy” people in my real world work…
tried archon but didn’t like it…didn’t know about Joverseer or MEassist…
I use palantir for game map and I use automagic for orders, combat calc, etc…
but mostly I actually do read the turns and take notes and use excel sheets to plan ahead esp when I’m running multiple games b/c work is so hectic…
I like to see the turns and read through them so that I get a feel for how the others are playing their positions, not just the stats…over a period of turns you generally get a feel for what they will do next and you can help yourself better knowing that…I think anyway.
So i’m a dinosaur but it works for me pretty well. I actually spend a good deal of time scanning the map and looking for opportunities I might miss just going through turns…
anyway I’ll ask for the Meassist and see what I think…
jz
Michael,
That was my exact reaction when I first heard about the Archon map program. But it is a simple matter of deleting one file after downloading to prevent the program from accessing the internet – can’t remember if that is in the instructions or if I got that direct from the programmer, Tibor. A friend of mine created new graphics to make the roads and rivers “straight” like the turn maps (and the Palantir mapper for that matter) if that was a problem for you.
Drew