Topic: Rolemaster Combat Minion - RM combat tracking software

[jdale]

The Martial Arts Companion tables would also be useful. Although there is some overlap with the Armory, it's worth having both, because they are different. The Armory tables are more consistent with the 2003 edition of Arms Law, and the MAC tables are more consistent with the earlier versions of Arms Law (which I believe is what is in the program now).

[Moostik]

Is there any interest in Arms Law 2003 at all? Don't know how many people use it....

MAC would be nice. However, it seems less likely ICE will find the author, and since the the book can't be re-released for that reason, I'm guessing the tables are out of bounds?

I would be able to supply the attack tables from Fire and Ice: The Elemental Companion in excel format. Could these be released with Armory and Arcane Companion tables? Nicholas? ICE?

[jdale]

Nicholas already gave the OK on the MAC files (page 3 of this thread) and I believe those tables have even already been converted.

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

Yes to Fire & Ice tables, yes to Arcane Companion tables, yes to Armory, and yes to MAC tables. (The book proper cannot be rereleased but I don't recall Steve going insane making the attack tables. If I rummage deep enough in my ancient archives, I could find his original submitted draft that he sent to me for proofreading, but I don't have the time for the necessary searches.)

Best wishes,
Nicholas

[markc]

It all sounds like it is coming together swimmingly. 
MDC

[Cory Magel]

I can't pick just three, but I did on the actual poll...
There are my Top 5.

1. Add The Armory and Arcane Companion tables (Chan, Ess, Ment and Martial Arts companions too - basically any attack or crit table that they can legally still distribute).

2. Show active spells and duration remaining.

3. Large creature criticals including Holy (and the normal ones in the Chan Comp), Mithril, Slaying etc.

4. Ability to add user-supplied tables

5. Button to clear all PC wounds (and NPC wounds?)

[Merkir]

Some of the items on the ToDo list could be implemented in a variety of ways, eg:

2. Show active spells and duration

I can think of about 3 different ways this could be done. I was thinking that this and many other items could do with further feedback/suggestions from YOU, the users of this app. Any feedback you have regarding your vision for the user interface (UI) for the various new functions would be great for me. Otherwise I'll just do it as I see fit.

By all means put in your requests/suggestions now! Many could do with discussion back and forth.

So let's get the ball rolling... How do you think the "Show active spells and duration" should work in practice? What UI should I put in place to do it?

[Jinor]

I personally use the 2003 Arms Law. I have an interest in it.

[Moostik]

I personally use the 2003 Arms Law. I have an interest in it.

IMHO, there could be an option to choose (in the options menu) what version of AL to use.
The way it is now Arms Law RMC is virtually the same as Arms Law RMSS/FRP in Minion.

This is because the first edition for RMFRP (1999) is an exact copy of the RMSS version (1995), that in turn uses the table data from RM2, virtually the same as Arms Law 1980. In 2003, all the tables changed. The results were virtually the same, so they are compatible - however, the new tables were modeled after The Armory, each entry spanning 3% rather than 1%, so the differ slightly. In addition, no weapons had defined critical type per entry, just severity. Like elemental attacks, each weapon had a predefined type, with the option to use the weapon in a different way to give alternate crit results - with a set modifier per critical type. These modifiers were set for each weapon, and there could be any number of alternate attack forms from 0-3. (e.g. random slash type weapon, use with krush crits with a -20 OB)

The thing is, it would be a major task. The tables in AL2003 would have to be converted as well as the critical tables, these were changed as well (the are the same in AL2003 and Armory) - practical results are the same, but descriptions of the crits are updated.

[OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol]

Is there a way to alter how initiative is calculated? The RCM uses (probably) the RMSS way to handle initiative but there were at least six other ways in RM2 (the original AL's, RoCoI's, RoCoIII's "simplified initiative", RoCoIV's "RoCoI's revisited", RoCoVII's IV system and RoCoVII's relative initiative system)...
Also, could it be possible in a new or paying version to allow additional skills to be rolled each combat phase? You would merely give a skill name and bonus and, each round, a roll is made for that skill. That would allow the management of combat maneuvers (feinting, closing, tumbling attack, melee scuffle, etc.)

[Cory Magel]

It's in there Olf Le Fol... it's in the options (I think).  We vary between 1d10 and 2d10 just within our circle, so it was nice to be able to alter that.

[OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol]

Doh! I never even noticed there was a setting button on the upper right! Though it seems the initiative bonus caps at 100 (?) Oh, well, you can use the Misc. box for any score over 100 so it's not that much a trouble anyway.
Thanks Cory.

[Merkir]

Doh! I never even noticed there was a setting button on the upper right! Though it seems the initiative bonus caps at 100 (?) Oh, well, you can use the Misc. box for any score over 100 so it's not that much a trouble anyway.
Thanks Cory.

Yes, the data entry form has sanity checks for most fields which limit the integers to min & max values. I will change the Initiative maximum from 100 to 1000 to make it the same as the Perception, M&M and Atunement maxima. You will see the change at the next software release.

[Cory Magel]

2. Show active spells and duration

I can think of about 3 different ways this could be done. I was thinking that this and many other items could do with further feedback/suggestions from YOU, the users of this app. Any feedback you have regarding your vision for the user interface (UI) for the various new functions would be great for me. Otherwise I'll just do it as I see fit.

Hmmm. Well, this is coming from someone who does not know the programming side well, but I assume the spell durations wouldn't be that much more difficult to put in than bleeding aside from the fact that it will expire.

Just throwing stuff at the wall here...

Programming every spell potentially usable into Minion would be horrid (and probably not a great idea from an IP standpoint) so is there a way to:
- Input the spell name/tag at the time cast.
- Have it show up next to the target of the spell (which could include yourself)
- Have a drop down that would indicate and therefore automatically adjust (or have a new column that gives base DB and adjusted DB for example)...
     - Additional DB
     - Additional OB
     - Additional Hits
       And so on...

Maybe have an option to potentially give a spell it's own initiative slot so that you remember to do things like... roll that A holy crit the foe is possibly taking cause you've cast a spell on it that does an 'A' Holy Crit every round it's in melee with you (technically I could see doing this in a make-shift way right now by naming a combatant "Holy crit" giving it X hit points and having it take one bleed per round until it expires).

Basically, have a way to input a spell, hopefully have it's effect reflect in the other proper fields (DB, OB, etc), remind you you need to pay attention to it if it requires active rolling (the holy crit example) and obviously have a countdown of rounds until it expires (keep in mind you might want an option to indicate how long the round is in the users game, similar to how initiative can be modified).

That start some ideas flowing?

[Merkir]

Cory, great initial feedback and my immediate response is, "what have I got myself into?!" 

Let's take things one at a time...

Just throwing stuff at the wall here...

Glad you said that, because some of it will stick, some won't.

Programming every spell potentially usable into Minion would be horrid (and probably not a great idea from an IP standpoint) so is there a way to:
- Input the spell name/tag at the time cast.

Yes, that's the way I see it. Perhaps in the future a comma delimited field could be added to each character which lists their commonly used spells. The GM could then select from a list or type in a spell name. Version 1 will be type in only.

- Have it show up next to the target of the spell (which could include yourself)

I wasn't going to include a target in the first instance, but I may rethink this. It may not be too difficult. Once in the spell 'dialogue', targets could be chosen from the PC and NPC grids on the main screen just like attackers/defenders are chosen. (Note that many spells with duration will have no target - illusion, globe, sphere, cloud, fog, wall, barrier, etc.)

I envisage a brand new panel on the main screen labelled "Spells in Effect" or "Current Spells", probably above the NPC grid. The panel would list all current spells with caster, spell name, duration and target(s):

Juliense -> Bless III (concentration) -> Juliense, Elharni, Snarkel      cancel spell
Dark Mage -> Fly II (30/30 rnds) -> Dark Archer Adept      cancel spell

- Have a drop down that would indicate and therefore automatically adjust (or have a new column that gives base DB and adjusted DB for example)...
     - Additional DB
     - Additional OB
     - Additional Hits
       And so on...

Heh, complexity just increased tenfold. This would no doubt be ideal, but I think this type of complexity would need to be left until a later iteration of the software.

Maybe have an option to potentially give a spell it's own initiative slot so that you remember to do things like... roll that A holy crit the foe is possibly taking cause you've cast a spell on it that does an 'A' Holy Crit every round it's in melee with you (technically I could see doing this in a make-shift way right now by naming a combatant "Holy crit" giving it X hit points and having it take one bleed per round until it expires).

A spell with an initiative slot I didn't think of. Again a good idea but probably needs to be left until a future iteration.

As to how the UI changes for all of this, still up in the air, but perhaps extra buttons next to the "Attack" button, the main being "Base Spell" and I think a "Prep" button could be added which counts down prep rounds too.


This is just one idea of how it could work... everyone please feel free to jump in with alternative/better ideas. Cheers.

[Moostik]

Just ideas...... (that's what this stage is for, right?)

possibly, make an empty database of spell effects with values to affect other boxes once targets are chosen

e.g. db, ob, hits current, snp, dwn

The user could type in a spell the group uses in the db as follows

Shield, +25;0;0;0;0
Sleep V, 0;0;0;0;10   (or whatever # rnds of magical speel the descriptin says)
Inspirations, 0;+10;0;0;0
Light I, 0;0;0;0;0
Healing I 0;0;1-10;0;0

...plus some other variables
level, duration, per level ?, targets?
Inspirations, 5;1;true;true
Healing I, 1;0;false;true
Woodwall 6;6;true;false

maybe make these into checkboxes in a spell sheet. Make any spellcasting action able to select a spell from the user-edited database (OR a general spell where you'd type in just level and duration) and automatically adjust OB and other fields for the duration of the effect. Subtracts PP automatically. Sets duration automatically based on values in the spell sheet.

We don't need or want the entire catalogue of spells predefined in Minion. But if we could type in a few ourselves....

[Merkir]

Moostik, that's a serious good idea and a great addition to what's already been said. Since most GMs have the PDFs, they could also paste in the full text of the spell which could be viewed as a rollover tool-tip. Note that there should be no problem in regards to IP since the GM is creating the DB record herself for personal use.

So it's just a matter of us coming up with the appropriate UI/syntax to be used by the GM when they enter what the spell does. What you've provided so far looks like a great place to start. And it would be in addition to what Cory and I have already discussed above.

... so who else has some great ideas... we're on a roll...

[gandalf970]

When there are injuries (negative modifiers) if there was a way to list "where" and "what type of injury".  An example would be "broken leg -75".  This is one of the things we need to keep track of for injury removal rolls.  Also I don't think when a critical says "+5" to your next swing that is in there.  I have been telling my players to add it to the roll, but it would be nice.

Weapon and Armor damage rules would be nice to have included as this could be tracked pretty easy by the program I would believe.

[Cory Magel]

I envisage a brand new panel on the main screen labelled "Spells in Effect" or "Current Spells", probably above the NPC grid. The panel would list all current spells with caster, spell name, duration and target(s):
Juliense -> Bless III (concentration) -> Juliense, Elharni, Snarkel      cancel spell
Dark Mage -> Fly II (30/30 rnds) -> Dark Archer Adept      cancel spell

I think that would be about as good, but ideally have something to remind you if one of the spells has an active effect (i.e. something that needs attention and doesn't just add to an existing number - like if you need to roll a Fire crit each round for people standing near Joe the PC rather than a spell that just gives Joe the PC a DB boost).

[Moostik]

When there are injuries (negative modifiers) if there was a way to list "where" and "what type of injury".  An example would be "broken leg -75".  This is one of the things we need to keep track of for injury removal rolls.  Also I don't think when a critical says "+5" to your next swing that is in there.  I have been telling my players to add it to the roll, but it would be nice.

Weapon and Armor damage rules would be nice to have included as this could be tracked pretty easy by the program I would believe.

I was thinking about this the other day, my first thought was to simply have the option to include Critical descriptions(text) in the log.