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1993-03-29
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*** BasicImp ***
*** Quick Docs ***
I'm just throwing this together to give a brief outline of some of the
features of BasicImp. I'm currently working on a C version of this program
that will incorporate all of the features contained in this version. If
you want to add some functions to this program, feel free to, just send me
a copy or put it up on a FTP site or a BBS some where I can get ahold of
it. I want to see what other programmers can do for this program. It's
yours to do with what you wish. I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't go in
and put your name on it and pretend you wrote it. I put a lot of effort
into this program and if you add to it, just put your name after mine
OK????
By the way, you NEED AmigaBasic to run this program!! Haven't found a good
PD AmigaBASIC compiler yet...
Why did I write this program?
Well, I bought both of SSI's Dungeon Master's Assitants (vol I and II).
They were great for pre-game stuff, but they didn't help much during play.
So I wrote a simple program that just displayed some tables that I used
alot. Then I added a dice roller for those huge rolls (for hit die for 100
monsters or something). After that I thought, hey why don't I just make a
screen that holds all the monsters and keeps track of their current hit
points?? Well, I did, and I also added a game clock to keep track of time
(for Fly spells and such). Finally I added a character loader that would
take DMA vol II characters and load them in so I could just pop up
character information that I need during play. All this put together
proved to be quite handy, I hope you find it as such.
After some frustration with AmigaBASIC (beyond the EXTREME slowness of it),
I moved the program over to AMOS. I quickly gave that up because of AMOS's
tendency to make things harder than they should be.
Finally (after taking a quarter of C at the University) I decided to
completely re-write the program in that wonderful (and FAST) language. And
well, that's where I am now....
So what does it do and how do you do it?
Everthing is pretty self-explanitory, but I'll explain some things anyway:
About: This just displays free memory and some info.
Suspend game time: stops the game clock
Reset game time: resets game clock to 0
Close top window: this closes the most recently opened window. There aren't
close gadgets on the windows for various stupid reasons.
(memory will be sucked up with many open windows)
Quit: duh!
The Dice menu: rolls the die indicated. The Mix function takes standard
dice notation as an argument and displays the result
(1d6, 3d8+5, 9d12+10, etc)
The Tables menu: Just select the table that you want to see and the program
will open up a window displaying the table you have
selected. By the way, the tables are text files that
are loaded in, you can change them to second edition
if you wish. (they are in the "Tables" directory)
Encounter: Update draws the monster table
Generate single monster will prompt you to click in the box
where you want to put the monster and then prompt for info
on the monster and then the hit die (3d8, 5d6+2, 12d12+20)
Generate multiple generates a bunch of em.
Damage monster will do just that.
Load and Save encounter will do just that.
Characters: Load vital stats will load in a DMA vol II character (be sure
to use the CleanUp utility first) Click in the slot that you
want to put the character. You can also use the supplied
template to type in your own.
Display other info will display a bunch of info
Damage character will hurt em!
The numbers 1-8 represent each slot, select them to display
vital stats on the character in that slot!
I think that's it, I'm sorry if these docs aren't too much, but I did it
all from memory, so I probably goofed on a few points. After you mess with
the program for a while you should figure everything out. Sorry about the
slowness of the program, I can't help it, it's Microsoft's fault for making
such a slow BASIC. If you want speed, wait for the C version.
I need some ideas for new functions to add to the C version of the program.
Here's the ideas I have so far:
An encounter map that will display character and monster positions
graphically
Making a dedicated character generater for Imp if you don't own
DMA vol II (currently being worked on by a friend)
Abilty to load DMA volume I encounters (hard one)
Abilty to have all of the monsters in the encounter table act
intelligently and swing automatically. Maybe using
initiative and morale!
Abilty to edit characters (add XP and such)
Full multitasking support (clipboards, etc...)
Nifty graphics and sound (anyone a good artist??)
A dungeon editor and map displayer (maybe a separate program?)
I've also got some ideas for other AD&D utilities like a random dungeon
generator, a world database, etc....
Well, I hope you have fun with this. If you like it, send me some E-mail
and tell me that you would be interested in software like this. I don't
want to develop them if no one wants them! Future versions will be
shareware so also tell me if you would be willing to pay for them (a small
fee, to help me with tuition, you know how that is). Don't worry, they
won't be crippled or anything, don't you just hate it when you get a new
utility and you can only do two things on the menu bar??
But anyway, I hope you find this program useful, and I hope you will be
patient will the release of Imp, I'm still learning how to program
Intuition (gawd I hate all those structures). Wish me luck. Later....
College address:
Zach Forsyth
Sanford Hall room 271
1122 University Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
(612)-624-9355
Home address:
Zach Forsyth
248 Minneapolis Ave
Amery, WI 54001
(715)-268-9042
E-Mail: fors0037@student.tc.umn.edu
O)