Updates: Add Player Dialog

Have completed updates to the Add Player dialog. I don't have a before picture to show, but believe me, this is half of what I used to have. This is from what I gather the least requirements to get a Combat Application going. Again, everything is saved in XML format.

Next up is to make sure the following functions: New Encounter, Duplicate Encounter and Import Player. Then move into working on the Attack Table. Hopefully I will have something in two week with the Attack Table. Things are looking more like the end of March before I have a beta ready for testing.

Major Revision underway

After getting some rather excellent feedback I am moving to revise and streamline much of the application for version 1.0. I don't have any screenshots as of yet but let's just say the AddPlayer dialog has been cut in half, and the Attack Dialog has been significantly cut down. This is in order to remove some aspects of combat that really don't need to be automated as strictly as my initial idea was. For example I have replaced the Subdual, Ambush and Reverse Stroke checkboxes with just a Special Attack checkbox. The user checks this if the player is attacking in a way that would be "special" rather than a standard melee. This could be a cast from an item like a directed spell from a ring, a subdual attack, reverse stroke, etc. Also I have removed the Flank, Rear and Surprise checkboxes from the dialog box and will assume the player will include that number in the modifiers box.

I still have separate boxes for the first roll and the open ended roll. This is purely to check for fumbles and breakage numbers since they are all different based on the weapons. The application still will keep track of parries and attack numbers. It will still keep track of the basics like hit points, power points, exhaustion points, Critical information, initiative, bonuses, etc.

This version will also not have the 5 Step Action Phases from RMSS/RMFRP. The plan is to implement this later after the application has had a few months of use to gauge how practical the app is. Active Spells will be displayed on the Attack Dialog AND in a Pane in the main window.

No word yet on the Databases. Hoping to hear something by either the end of this week or the beginning of next week. I am in the process of overhauling the databases as well in attempt to make them a bit more readable and to make them a lot faster to load and read. For example each weapon now has it's own attack.xml file and each critical table has its own xml file.

XML Databases Replaced with Templates

Per request of ICE I have removed all XML database files from the repository/source and have replaced them templates. As of right now when it comes to development, I am not sure how these will be distributed or how another developer will be able to get a hold of completed XML files for testing or developing purposes.

I should know by the end of this week, hopefully, what direction we are going to go with these databases.

Thanks!

Code updated today

I have updated the repository with what I have thus far with the code. Again let me stress that right now this code is for developers only. This is not release code. Also if you are using Code::Blocks you will find the Code::Blocks project file already in the source code. If you are using MSVC++ I'm not sure if the project file can be imported or if you need to start with an empty project and just import the code.

I have completed the logic with the Spell Dialog so that it now comes back with a result from the Spell Static Maneuver table. It's not 100% completed as there are still a few rules I have not implemented yet such as action based on types, resistance and so on.

Here is a rough idea of my to do list. I haven't included any dates since I don't know how long each portion will take.

1) Need to move some code into the CombatObj class file in order to allow both the Attack Dialog and Spell Dialog to share some logic. Specifically the attack rolls. I plan to keep the Spell Dialog window for anything spell related included directed spell attacks.

2) Complete the Spell Dialog logic to include Basic Spell Attacks, EAR and BAR rolls, resistance, targets.

3) Include a place in the AddPlayer Dlg to include Spells for the character. This will also include some clean up of the window itself. It's getting clogged with information. (When I have the Character Generator program up and running, these dialog boxes will ultimate disappear and an encounter will automatically generated based on the character sheet. To edit, the character generator will be accessed through Orc as well as Orc can be access through the Character Generator.

4) Start coding the logic for the action steps: Action Declaration Phase, Initiative Phase (Already implemented), Snap action, Normal action, and Deliberate action phase. Have the players select what action will happen in which phase. The program will then parse through each step during combat.

5) This is where code implementation will stop and testing will begin. Once testing is completed I will release Orc from this point as Version 1.0. Ceats will not be a part of this version unless I can get another developer to work on that. Also the only Database for this version will be a RMSS database that has been customized somewhat. It is not an exact copy. Additional databases will not be included unless other developers want to create these databases.

Again I do not have exact dates for each of these goals, however a guess is three to four weeks until I get to testing. I would say a good 2 weeks to test so possibly 6 weeks at least until a stable release of Orc.

After this Elf: A RMSS Character Generator will begin coding. (Yeah, codename right now is Elf. Orc for fighter, Elf for builders ;) ).

Spell Dialog Taking Shape

Right now all this dialog box does is display the players spells, and gives the GM all the information they are going to need to cast the spell, including the description. When it comes the XML database for this particular dialog I have included only the spells from Spell Law. I do have all of the spells from the entire line of Rolemaster RMSS/RMFRP in my computer in Access Database form and this XML spreadsheet came from that database file so in time I can augment this XML file to include other books, however this release is geared to be simple and small. As you can see only the spells the player can cast are present. By clicking the spell you get a description.

From here, the user then enters the rest of the information: Preparation rounds (if the spell is Instantaneous, marked by an asterisk, this field is ignored), modifiers if any and then the 1D100 roll. The program automatically adds the +50 per RMSS rules and also any modifiers from the Spell Casting Table such as Base Lists mods, use of voice, hands, etc. Also if not instantaneous, then it grabs the modifiers based on preparation rounds. The result from the Spell Static Maneuver table is returned. If the spell is automatic the result will simply state: "Spell is cast".

I hope to have a window pane like a marque that will display all spells currently active for the round. I don't have it here right now but also if the player fumbles, the fumble roll will happen here.

The difference between all three dialog boxes depend on the action the player is taking. Sometimes they combine. For example a Directed Spell attack would mean the player needs to first cast the spell from the Spell Dialog, then if successful, the Player then uses the Attack Dialog selecting the Directed Spell Attack and rolling normally for the attack.

Logic to Movement Maneuver Complete

The Movement Maneuver Window for Orc has been completed. The last thing to do is link to the attack dialog in a way where the user could go back to this window to get movement information or save that information to the Player Object to use in conjunction with either the 5 Step Melee Process with Rolemaster or Ceats.

The Movement Maneuver dialog takes the Movement Maneuver table and allows you to cross reference the difficulty and a 1D100 roll to get a result. If you add a speed value you will get the distance traveled by your character based on their BMR. You will get four values, one for each action phase (snap, normal, and deliberate) and the total. The value for each action phase is the distance the player is to move for that action phase. For example, let's a say a player decides to perform a press and melee. They need to roll a Movement Maneuver first. Using the example above we see the player rolled pretty high and therefore can move 2 hexes (he's a hobbit by the way). If there is a description with the value, that description is displayed. Currently any hit point information is not automatically saved.

Here is a summary of what is left to do with Orc before full debug testing will being.

1) Link the movement generated here to a variable in the Player Object to reference later on.
2) Have Movement Maneuver update hit points or anything else from the description
3) Start the Spell Dialog Window and implement the ability to cast spells and get the results of the cast.
4) Link the Spell Dialog as well to the Player Object to reference later
5) Implement the 5 phase Action sequence for RMSS. This will be a Dialog window at the beginning with a Selection List for each phase. The player needs to pick a phase and an action. They need not fill in for each phase. From here the program will parse through the list and display what needs to be done by what player. Program will take away the percentage from that action to calculate movement and attacks.
6) The ability to update any information on the character screen by clicking the node and having a text box come up.
7) Implement a pane to show casted spells if any.
8) Additional time for other enhancements such as implementing Ceats and a Skill Window.

I'm hoping to get up to number 6 by the end of this month where I plan to move into closing out enhancements and moving into debugging for a few weeks. Middle of March I plan to have a beta ready to test.

April is when I plan to start development on the Character Designer for RMSS. I'm hoping to have something available from that by August of this year.