Deathwatch

[RavenX]

Originally Posted by Mathias

What I'd do, in order to plan ahead for compatability with other dark heresy series games, is to add a race selection to the characters. At this point, the only race you'd add is the space marine, but you still want to create a chooser that users will use to select a race, and you'll use the autoadd option in bootstrap.1st to make the default selection in that chooser the space marine race.

Then, even though you've created that chooser, you don't add it as a portalref anywhere, until you're ready to expand to another game, when you'd create other races.

In regards to other races, I will need a chooser for NPC design. In the core rulebook we have Tau, Tyranid and Heretic forces that will need to be added as stock characters for use in the tactical console but I am focusing on the basic things right now.

I think a race or racial subtype that bootstraps the necessary items will cover it though. Some Nids are Synapse creatures capable of operating outside the limits of the hive mind, while others are dumb as box of rocks without being in synapse range.

[RavenX]

This is the table portal I created

 <portal
    id="SoSoloMode"
    style="tblNormal">
    <table_fixed
      component="SoloMode"
      showtemplate="SoSoloMode"
      alwaysupdate="yes"
      showfixedlast="yes"
      scrollable="yes">
      <list>!Hide.SoloMode</list>
      <headertitle><![CDATA[
        @text = "Solo Mode Abilities"
        ]]></headertitle>
      </table_fixed>
    </portal>

[Mathias]

The solo mode hiding works, right? I wasn't sure if you were having problems with that.

[RavenX]

Its hiding all of them for some reason instead of showing the Rank 1 picks.

[Mathias]

Try going to the develop menu...floating info windows...Show Selection tags. Then, find and check all the solo mode abilities, and press OK.

On the list of tags for each one, make sure that everything looks right.

If not, try adding debugs to your script:

 
    <!-- Hide us if we don't meet the required rank -->
    <eval index="1" phase="Initialize" priority="10000"><![CDATA[
debug "Checking: " & field[name].text
debug "Our rank is " & herofield[acRank].value
debug "and we require rank " & field[ReqRank].value
      if (herofield[acRank].value < field[ReqRank].value) then
        perform assign[Hide.SoloMode]
debug "This ability was hidden"
        endif
      ]]></eval>

Look at the debug output (develop...floating info windows...show debug output) and make sure all the field values look correct.

The first thing I'd suspect is that your script is happening so early, that herofield[acRank].value hasn't been set yet, so it's value is 0.

[RavenX]

The script was running too early. I found that the field[acRank].value was being calculated at Final 1000. I changed the script to Final 1500 and its working properly now. ^_^ Feels good to be able to get debug things working right.

So this debug function you're showing me is to assist in tracking down things and finding bugs in the scripts?

[RavenX]

Progress as of now
I have attached a screenshot of my progress on Deathwatch.

I have managed to implement Solo Mode and Squad Mode tabs through a selector on the top right corner of the user interface. The user chooses which mode their Space Marine is in, and the relevant tab is shown for that mode along with a table that displays the abilities the Space Marine has access to.

I have managed to implement the Psychic Powers, Solo and Squad Mode abilities as of now. These were probably some of the larger hurdles I was worried about.

Psychic Power tab only shows up if the character has a Psy Rating of at least 1.

I have to finish doing some racial bootstraps for the space marine race to deal with implants and talents, but as the screen shot attached shows, I've managed to figure a few things out on my own and get them implemented properly.

I still have a few issues I will need assistance with but I think the tougher tabs have been conquered now. I am going to finish cleaning up the UI on this data and get the basic character creation aspects wrapped up before taking on the advancements.

I feel quite accomplished now though.

Mathias,

Thank you for the help, your insights have been invaluable into getting the data this far.

I have a question for you. I know you can make a check box appear on the UI that the user can click on (Like in Pathfinder the way Paladins have the "Lost if Ex Member" checkbox) is it possible to create checkboxes that appear on the UI that the user can't check? I am asking on account of skills. I was considering having the check boxes on the skill tab in a way similar to the character sheet (Basic? Trained? +10? +20?) so the user can see what training and upgrades they have on skills.

[Tzurah]

Originally Posted by RavenX

Alright that sounds like a solid plan.
If this is done properly we can expand it to include other systems. Which is my intention. I hadn't thought about it before but Pathfinder has subtypes for race that bootstrap things like Darkvision. Character race subtypes would work in this setting to cover the hidden bootstraps, and not require me to bootstrap all the items to chapters.

Quick question RavenX; I've been subscribing to this thread (interesting reading).

Stepping back a bit to the benefits Space Marines get as a 'race', if you are going to code it to the fact that these are Space Marines how are you accomadating that some Chapters have minor physiological deficiencies and so they wouldn't gain those benefits? Is it possible in Hero Lab for the Chapter someone chooses to cancel a single benefit provided by being a Space Marine?

[RavenX]

Tzurah,

I am in the process of figuring out things as I go along. This is a learning process for me. I know you are referencing the Space Marine Implants, which at this time I plan to move onto a Cybernetics tab once I get it built. I might just bootstrap the implants to the chapters instead of the race. I haven't decided how it will be done. But there are benefits that are universal to marines and those are being put on the race. I will figure out how I will apply the implants as I get to them. As it currently stands I am in the process of adding the wargear from the armory. I'd like to get the equipment taken care of so I can cross it off my to-do list.

I have made a lot of progress here, but I am still a way off from finalizing this.

RavenX

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Mathias,

Could you show me what you did to create the #situational macro?
I have a few things in the equipment that add situational bonuses to skills and attributes and would like to be able to account for those on the user interface and character sheets.

For example the Narthecium grants a +20 to Medicae on Space Marine patients. I'd like to just have that show up as a situational modifier.

In addition, how did you set up the gear in shadowrun so that some things have an equip checkbox while others do not?

RavenX

[RavenX]

Tzurah,

In regards to what you brought up on the Implants. What I might do is go with an Implant component to manage those and have it set up on each chapter a taglist with all of them active. If a Space Marine's gene-seed turns out to be deficient, the user can then unselect which of the implants the chapter does NOT have access to. I believe this might be the best fix for this.

RavenX