LWAX Update - Skarn

[skarnivorous]

I know there are a few Action Chart projects happening, but I hope mine will find it's use too.

Goal of project
I wanted something to basically retain the paper and pencil concept of the original books but incorporating some of the benefits you might expect from using a computer to keep track of your character. I also wanted something that looks pretty.

Features

• Nice graphical interface.
  
• Saving and Loading of character and position in book.
  
• Fight a battle round and apply combat modifers and have damage auto calculated for you.
  
• Automatic enemy CS and EP import for battles from page of book. Works for multiple enemies too!
  
• Play with online or offline version of Project Aon books.
  
• Inbuilt web browser with appropriate size for reading Project Aon Lone Wolf book pages.
  
• Quick access to reference info and other features via 'Quick Icons'. (Can see summary of important info quickly, e.g. when asked if have discipline, quickly bring up list if you have forgotten, then return to playing).
  
• Automatic updating of 'info' interface to reflect your current disciplines and items etc.
  
• Complete for use up to final Magnakai book.
  
• Equipment management
  

[glow=red,2,300]Download it[/glow]www.freewebtown.com/skarn/downloads/LWAX-gadget.zip.

Update 4
What's New:

• Completely new layout and a lot of recoding.
  
• No resolution change - locked 800x600 'window' for now
  
• Equipment 'lost' item handling - all removed items go to 'lost' section. You can only have 30 things each for equipment and special items in 'lost' so empty it out a bit on occasion. Think of it as a recycle bin.
  
• Expand browser size/width with '+' button.
  
• Weapons module updated.
  
• Modifications to how Combat Skill and Endurance point modifiers are applied - now more 'sensible' how they behave when using combat module.
  
• Many bug fixes - big one being can now actually save a char
  

To do:

• Begin work on Grand Master functions.
  
• Iron out any bugs you all point out.
  
• Optimise all graphics and graphic routines - slows down when switching between 'views' often.
  
• Multiple resolutions and custom layouts - themes(?)
  

Important usage warnings:

• BETA = may crash and lose your character.
  
• If you CLOSE/QUIT the program, wait for 30 seconds or so before running again - you will know if you haven't done this when you reload and the interface keeps disappearing on mouse over or you get a start up error - Close - Wait - Reload.
  
• Makes use of ActiveX controls to show web browser and input dialogue boxes.
  
• You will need to allow internet access for the web browser component with your firewall.
  
• Extracts and installs 3 fonts if not on your system, but uninstalls when the program is closed.
  

[satori]

Wow! I like the layout and interface. I especially like the menu icons (lower left) you used. Would it be possible to get the graphic libraries you used? I'll give you full credit for anything I blatantly copy for my ongoing (slow) attempt. If you want I'd be happy to share my collection of item tables (so no manual item entries needed) and skills/abilities when they are finalized. I have all the items setup for the first book currently, just let me know if they would be handy for you to have.

I was a little confused about the battle system, but I only gave it a quick once-over so far. Just so you know, your messages did hit the list, at least for me. Again, good job

[skarnivorous]

Actually. I have ZERO graphical talent, or the money to buy a licensed package of graphic sets, so all te images used are freely available all over the place, OR a majority of the actual 'art' stuff is ummm just out of the lone wolf books from here. Again, they are being used for playing the books themselves so I would hope that's not a problem. Perhaps the Project Aon people would be able to let me know if it's ok to use the artwork from the books here, with this action chart. If not I'll just have to take them all out, and you can contend with boxes and blank spots, because I don't have another source for relevant images.

[skarnivorous]

;D Update 1 - See first post for information

[Doomy]

Is there a glitch in the combat system? I've noticed that sometimes in the first round or two the enemy gains 1 endurance point. Also, does this use the standard Combat Results Table or the extended one which appears (I think) in one of the Lone Wolf Club newsletters?
On the whole, though, I like this thing. It's very attractively presented.

[skarnivorous]

It uses the combat results table which comes with the original books.
However, it wasn't being implemented properly. The bug of enemy healing should now be fixed - it is most likely only seen when Lone Wolf makes an instant kill. Instead of death, the enemy was receiving a healing potion instead ;-).

Thankyou for pointing this out. Please let me know of any other oddness you identify.

[Doomy]

So that Kalkoth that killed me last night actually got decapitated in the first round, but pretended it hadn't? Cheating sod! ;D

I'd like to humbly suggest that this software would be improved by the addition of damage multipliers for use with the Sommerswerd vs undead, surprise attacks where only one side takes damage for the first round or so, and poisionous critters that do extra damage if you don't have Curing or whatever.
Also, is this compatible with GM disciplines yet?

[skarnivorous]

Ah. :-) What you have suggested sounds great in theory, but here is where my desire to make the books something you still have to 'play' when using my action chart. If you are holding the Sommerswerd you will have entered it's CS and EP modifiers when you add it as a special item. (It's a special item right?).

When you enter a battle with the undead, YOU have to make the adjustment to your current CS etc in the 'battle' popup. If you aren't sure what modifiers you currently have, bring up the 'Combat Notes' (a star icon) and have a read of what my action chart thinks you have/can do. Then YOU have to decide and adjust using the advice. :-D

If it was all automatic, what would you do? :-P

(plus...it's kinda a painful amount of work to make it automatic when you can manually do it in 1/1000 of the time it would take me to make it automatic).

When I enter the battle with the Vordak in book one, I attack straight away, so I get a +2cs for the first round, so I click twice on my CS in the battle popup. Then I fight a round using the fight button. It's now round 2, and I DON'T have Mindshield, so I take off my original bonus +2CS plus ANOTHER 2 from being attacked by Mindblast, and then fight another round.

Just like you would have to if you played the books in real life :-P

GrandMaster will most definitely be supported in the future. I know it will because I want to use my chart to play them! I'm still trying to survive book 1.

[Doomy]

Oh, OK. Please don't think I'm trying to dictate how you should run a personal project which you've been generous enough to share with us.
If you feel this aspect of book-keeping is a part of the gameplay experience and dislike more automated systems that's cool with me. I'll still use your chart because, as I said before, I happen to like it.
I do have another suggestion though:

How about optional messages showing the outcome of each combat round as if you'd looked it up on the table yourself, thereby making it easier to apply any damage multipliers?

[skarnivorous]

Sure, I can do that. I'll just figure a nice way of adding it onto the combat popup.
Are there modifiers which adjust the random number or combat results table on the fly?

And don't worry about making suggestions, I wasn't perceiving it as dictating, partly because it's hard to dictate to me anyway :-P I'll take on board all comments, but I may not necessarily heed them :-P

I'll re-edit the first post again when I've made some more updates to the program. Grand Master stuff will be a way off though.

[Doomy]

To my knowledge there is nothing in the books which influences random number picks in combat or the actual results as shown on the table- every modifier directly affects combat ratios or multiplies damage. Remember that some combats start with one side taking 0 damage though.

[skarnivorous]

Well, I'm up to Shadow On the Sand after many deaths and replays...I think I know book one off by heart now.

My current Lone Wolf seems to be going ok but of course I have been noting things which arise which would make improvements over my current action chart.

1. Damage modifiers like double damage for undead battles with a magic weapon. - I should point out Doomy noted this first, and I now totally agree
2. How to handle when you lose backpack, but might find it again later
(I'm going to make it possible to 'save' backpacks and special items etc to a file.
3. For some reason I thought you can only carry 12 special items at once...is this true? If not I'll have to increase the 'storage' space for special items.
4. Battles need more feedback. Not just to show the RESULTS of the round, but actually the count of what was lost (for those 'who lost more in the first round' kind of battles. - again, Doomy.
5. Quick links to book pages rather then going through the contents page. I wanted to go straight to equipment / special items straight away a few times, and found clicking the Tome icon, then the equipment option was tedious even though its only one more click.
6. I wanted to keep modifiers 'non automatic' so you had to apply them yourself...well, it's a pain, I keep forgetting, even with the reference pages I added, what I have an havent applied. I'm thinking of a 'click to apply, click to unapply' style modifier list. - DOOMY! I humble myself to your advice.
7. The descriptions being saved and reloaded seemed to me like a cool idea. I was going to go through the books and copy/write descriptions for all the equipment etc. Then when you add one to your backpack, it auto loads a nice description for you. Unfortunately you have to type the name EXACTLY as I did. So my 'Map of Sommerlund' description would not appear if you put it in as 'Sommerlund - map'. - not sure of a good solution

If anyone else using my action chart has points such as these, please raise them and I will consider adjustments.

:-)

[outspaced]

skarnivorous said:

3. For some reason I thought you can only carry 12 special items at once...is this true? If not I'll have to increase the 'storage' space for special items.

Tricky. Technically, you can only carry a maximum of 12 Special Items, but when acquiring some items (such as the pass in Book 9, IIRC) you are told: 'You do not need to drop an item if you already possess the maximum number of Special Items.'

[Gazguz]

Perhaps give each special Item a space taking factor, so items like a a boat ticket where you don't need to drop other special items to carry would have a space of 0. Other items would take up a space of 1 and special items are limited to 12 spaces. An extendible list where the player puts in the "size" of the item would be most flexible I guess.

[skarnivorous]

Space specification is useful. I will do it for Equipment and Special items
I have come across a shovel and pickaxe in the last book that needed to take up two spaces in my backpack...thanks for the idea.