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Post by Ghost Bear on Dec 2, 2004 6:27:56 GMT
I've noticed that myself, and I'm pondering ways around it. The item list is good in theory, it's just fairly tedious to do in practice. Most definitely. So how about just doing it for the common few potions. Laumspur, Alether and maybe Rendalim's Elixir? Huzzah! There are two in Book 11 for starters, yeah. I don't think there's actually ever more than a x3 multiplier though. I didn't see the weapon summary note no. The Helshezag rules could be done in much the same way as the Psi-Surge rules, but you'd need a counter to keep track of the 'second and subsequent' bit of the rules. That could possibly be linked to the 'Fight a Round' button. You could then even keep track of how many rounds the combat takes, and display that in the window, which will help in the 'if the fight takes more than x rounds', or 'you may evade after x rounds' situations. [/quote] My pleasure! |
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Post by Peregrine on Dec 2, 2004 8:25:29 GMT
Most definitely. So how about just doing it for the common few potions. Laumspur, Alether and maybe Rendalim's Elixir? Ooh, yes... it's coming to me now... a drop-down list, for Meals, common potions, maybe even items like Rope...  Ahh... I'm having brainwaves here too... a rounds counter that can be reset... I'd shied away from trying to enforce things like "one combat only each time you open the Combat window", which is why, for instance, Kai-ray isn't enforced at once per combat, and why Helshezag would be tricky to automate. But a rounds counter, alongside the random number display that I'd planned to put in...  Thanks Ghost Bear! |
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Post by outspaced on Dec 2, 2004 10:25:54 GMT
Could I also request that you add to the drop-down item menus any/all items that require a template--i.e. where an item affects your CS/EP, such as the Sommerswerd (+8 CS), Padded Leather Waistcoat (+2 EP), Chain Vest (+4 EP), etc. That would make it easier for people to play the books without having to set-up all the items themslves (which might appear a little overwhelming at first).
Perhaps a 'Use' button beside the Backpack Items that only works for certain Template Items (Potion of Laumspur +4EP, Rendalim's Elixir +8EP, etc.) and performs the bonus and deletes the item automatically? Or maybe that could get too complicated, actually.
Would it be possible to add a different drop-down item menu template for each book? It's probably far too complicated, actually. The only reason I mention it is because it would prevent spoilers for future books, and at the same time the menu could contain all items found in that adventure, making the menus themsleves much smaller and more manageable, but also allowing items from future books to be added more easily, rather than adding to a huge list later on, which might affect the functionality of the savegame.
Just a few ideas.
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Post by Peregrine on Dec 2, 2004 12:09:33 GMT
Could I also request that you add to the drop-down item menus any/all items that require a template--i.e. where an item affects your CS/EP, such as the Sommerswerd (+8 CS), Padded Leather Waistcoat (+2 EP), Chain Vest (+4 EP), etc. That would make it easier for people to play the books without having to set-up all the items themslves (which might appear a little overwhelming at first). I suppose I could, and there aren't that many stat-boosting items across all the books. If I do that, do you see any reason to keep the item editing screen, or is it redundant? I'm not sure what you mean. How does this differ to the 'Use' button that's already there? Besides it working for non-stat items, which makes it function just like the 'Drop' button (but it makes sense to "use" Meals, or Ropes and Keys on the occasions where you leave them behind). It could work, though there'd need to be a book selector as well. Rank might work, but only if we assume the player has done all books, which is unreasonable. Ahh, but then there's spoilers for the current adventure.  *user glances at list* "Hey! Look at the bonuses on that! Where do I get that item?" Thanks! Keep 'em coming. |
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Post by outspaced on Dec 2, 2004 13:54:19 GMT
I suppose I could, and there aren't that many stat-boosting items across all the books. If I do that, do you see any reason to keep the item editing screen, or is it redundant? The equipment editing screen isn't redundant, since a player could go in and create their own version of the item, unless you make it so that the player is forced to select from a drop-down menu rather than being able to type in/edit the stats themselves. If you keep the combo system you're using for the Weapons, though, the editing screen could still come in handy for 'advanced' users Because I'm an idiot and didn't understand how it works!  OK, the way you've coded it works perfectly, I just didn't understand how to get it to work perfectly. Since it already does this, my suggestion is irrelevant. That's good news for you! Oh, that's quite true, but not quite as bad as a first-time player starting Flight from the Dark for the first time and seeing Helshezag as an item . . . |
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Post by Ofecks on Jan 14, 2005 7:21:50 GMT
I tried this out the other day. Neat stuff. Some ideas of my own:
- The absolute best (and unfortunately, the most complicated) thing you could do with this is try to assimilate all these features into a statskeeper-like interface. Meaning, you access and read the online editions through the program, and they can interact with one another. For example, if you have Healing or Curing, each new section link you click on automatically restores 1 EP. I'm constantly forgetting to do this, being absorbed in the adventure.
- As stated, an item database would be incredibly useful. If the program and books are connected, you could implement item hotlinks in the text that would add them to your inventory. If the program remains stand-alone, you should only display the items available to you during the current adventure (via book-selector or something).
- Custom rules updates, like NRD (Not Restorable by Discipline) EP, Dual-weapons, Multi-Kai, Loyalty bonuses, etc.
- A multi-page interface. It takes up WAY too much room on the screen as it is. You just can't realistically cram a LW action chart into a 800x600 resolution. At the very least, some scrollbars should be put in.
You're already off to a great start on this thing, but I really think your best direction would be to turn this into a high-functioning, automated (to a degree) official Project Aon statskeeper program, where you can do everything you need to play the books in one program. Maybe you can get together with the PA staff who codes the Statskeeper and swap some ideas.
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Post by Peregrine on Jan 14, 2005 21:21:26 GMT
- The absolute best (and unfortunately, the most complicated) thing you could do with this is try to assimilate all these features into a statskeeper-like interface. Absolutely. As I see it, there are three issues to consider with this. 1. How much can be automated from the present state of the PA books? A lot of data useful for this sort of endeavour could be embedded in the XML itself, simplifying matters, but isn't presently. 2. How much do we really want to automate things? The beauty of Statskeeper, I always thought, was that it was very nearly as flexible as the original paper Action Chart in letting you set your own rules. With LWAC, I went for less flexibility but more convenience - and to compensate, I plan to introduce alternative rules for people who want them. I never intended to create the wholly automated Lone Wolf Computer Game. 3. How much can I be bothered automating? ;D This relates back to what can conveniently be gleaned from the book files themselves and what must be done by me (like the item database). This also raises the fact that LWAC is open-source and I'm not the only one who can improve it... The version of this I intend to implement in the near future is simply a list of common items, like Meal, and Laumspur Potion +3, and... and Hourglass. It's more a labour-saving device (getting three identical Potions at once and having to type them all in, and set their properties, is a pain). The full database will have to wait. Multi-Kai? Hadn't thought of that... you could run separate instances of the program, or just switch between save files a lot. Loyalty bonuses? How do you mean? Heh, yes, about that... well, I considered early on that it was a bit big. But I excused it on two counts. The first was that I was more interested in getting a working program than getting a brilliant layout done. The second was selfishness: I use 1280x1024 resolution, under which it fits nicely (there's a screenshot of it in use at www.projectaon.org/~timothy/lwac.png). And if there was one thing I didn't like about Statskeeper, it was constantly flicking back and forth between windows, and scrolling around. I like LWAC because it puts everything right there for me. That's just my preference; again, I'm open to suggestions, the program is open-source, and furthermore I'm perfectly willing to collaborate with anyone who fancies themself a better layout designer than me (not a tough ask, really). I think it already fits that description, though in a different sense to what I think you mean. It's automated to a large degree - from item and Discipline bonuses to CS, to the Use button to apply item effects. It's already quasi-official, thanks to Project Aon kindly hosting it (and nobody objecting to my subtle use of the PA logo as the window icon). And it's got everything you need to play the books, except the text itself (but then, that means it works for both the original books and the PA editions, right? ;D) As always, big thanks for the feedback! |
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Post by Ofecks on Jan 15, 2005 16:02:52 GMT
2. How much do we really want to automate things? I myself would prefer to have everything automated that is otherwise a pain to implement playing normally with a real action chart or the current statskeeper. Fully-automated combat including extra damage (from Psi-Surge or Helshezag, etc.), NRD EP rules, and gradual Healing/Curing are all I would need. The item use engine in your program is great already. Completely understandable, heh. Unfortunately my coding skills stop at a basic knowledge of HTML. Yup, that works. I could easily do that with the current statskeeper by opening multiple tabs in Mozilla. Mozilla rocks. As in, you're able to use Mindblast in the Magnakai books without having Psi-Surge yet, providing you finish previous Kai adventures with it. This mostly relates to my wish for fully-automated combat, but the Healing loyalty bonuses would be useful too if you were to implement that function. Apples and oranges, really. I don't mind scrolling around at all, just as long as there's enough room for the text and I can get to wherever I need on the chart easily. |
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Post by Peregrine on Jan 15, 2005 21:24:48 GMT
I myself would prefer to have everything automated that is otherwise a pain to implement playing normally with a real action chart or the current statskeeper. Fully-automated combat including extra damage (from Psi-Surge or Helshezag, etc.)... With the exception of Helshezag, I don't think combat can be any more automated than it currently is. You can't just hit a button and let it resolve the combat, because the player must be able to make decisions and modifications in each round (evasion, psychic attacks, Deliverance/Archmaster Curing). Helshezag is a special case, but the groundwork for implementing it was laid when I added the rounds counter. It will be done, eventually. Are coming. This will probably involve making the current Current EP selector on the summary bar uneditable, and replacing it with at least two selectors down by the CS/EP section -- one for normal damage, one for NRD damage. Add to that a Heal/Cure button, which would reduce normal damage when pressed -- then once that's zero, either no Healing occurs, or NRD damage is reduced, depending on what rules the player has chosen to enforce. Sound good? You can already do this (Mindblast, that is, not Healing). If you have Mindblast, the Mindblast option is available in the combat window. Having one or more Magnakai Disciplines (the only way the program knows you're playing a Magnakai book) doesn't affect this. The same goes for Weaponskill. |
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Post by Peregrine on Mar 18, 2005 21:39:27 GMT
Expect some progress on LWAC soon! Exiled here in the US though I am, I've managed to procure a laptop, and I promptly installed Eclipse. So, now that I'm also officially on Spring Break, I can get back into LWACky programming goodness forthwith. (On the downside, it's going to be a slightly tedious process rebuilding the scripts I had for auto-packaging the files, and I don't have the FTP details on me to upload it. But, umm, I'm sure I'll think of something.  |
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Post by Relenoir on Mar 19, 2005 4:22:19 GMT
Exiled? There are people in the Darklands who'd just love to be exiled here! Spring Break this week? Your school is awful kind to give you a vacation a week after all the other colleges; it makes vacation spots less busy, and prices to travel cheaper too! Of course, if you were planning on going to Fort Lauderdale or Miami to see lots of college-age people in bathing suits, it might be a little less busy than you may have wanted it to be. . . Nice to hear about the progress though. Keep up the good work! ;D |
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Post by Dusk Fox on May 31, 2005 1:19:59 GMT
I've been playing through the books again recently, and I've found this program to be very useful--great job!
One thing I noticed, however, is that the damage multiplier doesn't seem to be able to be set at 1/2--there are a few occasions where this occurs, I think (such as on the river barge in Book 8, when Paido takes half the damage in combat). You may want to consider that option, if I'm not just blind and totally missing it.
I'm also on the bandwagon of having a few generic selectable items (Laumspur +4 E, Alether, Rope, Meal, et cetera) on the list of selectable Backpack Items, and maybe some of the major Special Items listed under that category. While it may be a spoiler for first-time players, be honest--how many of us are really first-timers?
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Post by Peregrine on Jun 1, 2005 16:56:00 GMT
Thanks for the feedback!
I'm having some real headaches trying to redesign the way Endurance losses are handled in combat. The archery contest is my key example; at present, if you use Psi-Surge here, you lose Target Points, not EP. I think I've got a working solution, though, so hopefully I'll get it implemented soon.
Here's how the enhancements list for LWAC 1.1 looks:
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Post by Dusk Fox on Jun 4, 2005 5:00:26 GMT
Standard Laumspur is +4--you're going to find that constantly in the first 12 books, as opposed to the few extra-potent versions and the very few weak versions. Personally, my favorite healing potion has always been Kourshah, but that's just me.
Alether is almost always +2--I can only recall one time where it's been +4, and that's the only variation I remember.
For backpack items to consider, you may want Rendalim's Elixir (pops up from time to time) and Rope.
As for items you're adding--you may as well add anything from the carry-over list in Book 13, in my opinion. That's a pretty good list of significant items.
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Post by Peregrine on Jun 4, 2005 14:25:20 GMT
Thanks Dusk Fox. Those were just my little notes to myself to double-check the standard bonuses, but you saved me the work. |
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*user glances at list* "Hey! Look at the bonuses on that! Where do I get that item?"
