Re: (TFT) Computer aided gaming

["J. McGuire" <wtsoft@io.com>]

At 09:36 AM 7/18/98 -0400, you wrote:
>The basics should be easy to do, like encounter tables and even random map
>generators. Personally, I'd write it in Java because a) almost everyone
>could run it, regardless of system, and b) it doesn't take much time or
>code to do it in Java.

Don't believe the cross-platform thing... not with Microsoft in the game.
And Java is sloooooooow.

>Let me know how much demand there is for this kind of thing and I may have
>time to whip up some code.

Hey, guys... you ever take a real good look at what I do for a living? 8-)

<shameless commercial plug>

It doesn't do maps, but TableMaster can certainly do all of the encounter
tables, random events, and just about anything else that involves scripted
random generation of anything. You saw the sample table I posted to the
list a while back. Go download the demo from wtsoft.com and try it out!

I can't afford to give the thing away -- I need to buy groceries, after all
-- but I could certainly do a big discount deal for the folks on the list.
Like, if a) enough people (10 sounds good) wanted copies and b) someone
wanted to coordinate doing a group order, and sorting out the individual
orders, getting the right table packs with the right orders, and so on, and
sending them to the right people, I could treat it as a retailer order --
i.e., 40% off list. Note: If y'all want to do this *and* someone is going
to be picking the order up at GenCon, PLEASE give me some advance warning
so I have enough product with me! I've sold out the last two years.

And, of course, once you have TableMaster, you can write all the tables you
want, swap 'em with your friends (or the list!), put 'em on discs and sell
'em, for all I care. (remember what I said in the copyright discussion...)
If enough of us are using TM, we can get some pretty good stuff together.
(if need be, I can donate some server space on Winterhome to archive them.

As for maps, how about just typing 'em up in your word processor? That's
another of my products: a font package called "Mapographer", which includes
a hex map font and in the upcoming re-release, is going to have an outdoor
hex font as well. It wouldn't be much more work for me to drop in some good
dungeon symbols in the hexes, too.

Now...combine my hex map font with a few lines of code (Java or otherwise)
and you've got that map generator. Wouldn't work too well in TableMaster
itself because it's not very good at remembering the previous state of
things and doesn't do arrays (makes it hard to check on adjacent hexes) but
with the graphics taken care of by a handy font, the coding becomes a lot
easier.

</shameless commercial plug>

Irony Games has a great online map generator, at www.irony.com. (they have
great lots of stuff) I know Ed was talking about doing Java home versions
of some of the programs, and actually got a couple done, but I've been so
busy I haven't kept in touch to see what he's been up to.

>However, this gives me a good tangential idea - what about converting
>programmed adventures to HTML? You could have a seperate page with each
>paragraph, plus illustrations and maps, and hyperlinks to all the following
>paragraphs, as well as links to the main encounter tables and such. You all
>let me know what you think of this and, if it seems like a good idea, I'll
>release my microquests that way as well as the conventional way.

HTML... that sounds like a great idea. Sure makes it easy to put in the
graphics, too.

-- Jean

   Wintertree Software

http://www.wtsoft.com

    -=[ PLEASE DON'T FEED THE SPAMMERS ]=-
Boycott all junk emailers and Usenet spammers!

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