IN: Combat simulator, was: Re: IN> Brick on brick

[Michael L Wilson]

On Tue, 6 Nov 2007, Elizabeth McCoy wrote:

> BTW, regarding that simulator?
> http://www.sjgames.com/general/online_policy.html
> "[Can I] Create a character generator or other game aid?
> 
> Yes, as long as you include the appropriate notices. [link=http://www.sjgames.com/general/online_policy.html#gameaids]  We want to ENCOURAGE our fans to create these programs, share them with the community, and have fun doing it. If you want to charge money for a game aid based on our work, the Online Policy does NOT apply . . . you must either get a license from us, or sell us the game aid for distribution as a regular product, and either way we'll hold you to professional standards. Email licensing at sjgames.com with a formal proposal letter.
> 
> We do, however, have some advice for creators of game aid programs. First, provide documentation. Some simple instructions on how to use the most basic features will be a big help to users. Second, support your creation. We've set up a forum [link=http://forums.sjgames.com/forumdisplay.php?f=58] for feedback; plan on being aware and active in these discussions."
> 
> Sounds like the simulator is a game aid -- you're not doing more than plugging
> in numbers, and it's not paired with a character generator, or some kind of
> graphics engine, right?

Right.  All I did was to hack up a quickie command-line utility to run 
some one-on-one combats between the characters in my group and some 
arbitrary enemies.  No interventions.  No supernatural actions.  Just the 
"always on" type of effects, such as one of the character's Ofanite of 
Michael Choir Attunement.

A more complete simulator would be a significant project, partly because 
there's the problem of intelligently selecting a strategy (does the 
calabite attack hand-to-hand or use resonance, for example), and partly 
because there's a lot of details to get right, and finally because 
interventions are totally at GM discretion.  It's hard to get that sort of 
intelligence into a program.

I _do_ keep debating writing a better character sheet generator.  
Unfortunately, since I'm a computer scientist, I'd end up writing a 
generator for other programmers and not for the masses.  One of these 
days....

-Mike