Combat Manager application


Homebrew and House Rules

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Snapshot wrote:


Sorry for not responding sooner I have been working out of state a lot. Unfortunately that "data" is not accessible at this time, it is incorporated in the monster stat-block but not available in the monster editor. The information is stored in a text string and parsed by use of regular expressions, a method I dislike (regular expressions make my eyes bleed) but that is the current system kyle is using.

An interesting fact: I never used Regular Expressions in anything I did until Combat Manager. But they're useful here.

The design of the data has little to do with planning and everything to do with layering one feature on top of another. The stat blocks are purely a artifact of history and the way data is imported, down to the misspelled name "AbilitiyScores". Had I planned ahead years ago I would have used a tool to expand all of the data into something better and less silly.

I also would never have stored the data in XML files, as the performance has become worse as the app has become bigger. I'm in a halfway state between using sqlite and xml now.

The situational modifiers are a problem that vexes me, but I don't have a quick solution for the problem, and my time to work on Combat Manager has been so low recently and the needs so many.

Snapshot wrote:


I have been writing a new Herolab import for Combat Manager that has taken all my time, once I get it integrated in Combat Manager I will turn my attention back to the main source code and try to resolve some problems.

That would be awesome.


Hey Kyle,

do you think there is a possibility you could modify the "export custom data" to be sortable or searchable? Would help out a lot!

Thanks in advance!


Rhuarc wrote:

Hey Kyle,

do you think there is a possibility you could modify the "export custom data" to be sortable or searchable? Would help out a lot!

Thanks in advance!

I'll make the list sort itself correctly (that was a bug) and I'll add a filter field.


Kyle,

I have a request for a feature in an upcoming version of Combat Manager. At present, when you cycle through initiative, it will cause effects to wear off after the appropriate number of rounds have passed. However, if you are re-rolling initiative every turn (as some games prefer to do), this prevents you from advancing rounds and allowing spells and other effects to wear off. Can you add in a feature that allows for an initiative re-roll yet does not reset the round-counter for such effects?

Thank you for your time and consideration.


Bodhizen wrote:

Kyle,

I have a request for a feature in an upcoming version of Combat Manager. At present, when you cycle through initiative, it will cause effects to wear off after the appropriate number of rounds have passed. However, if you are re-rolling initiative every turn (as some games prefer to do), this prevents you from advancing rounds and allowing spells and other effects to wear off. Can you add in a feature that allows for an initiative re-roll yet does not reset the round-counter for such effects?

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Here's the problem:

Effects do not end on a particular turn, they end on a particular initiative count There's a hidden combination of Init Roll, dexterity mod, and a random number which marks the time of the effect. I could shuffle the players without resetting the initiative round, but the time the effects would end will not move with the players.


BUG: When customizing a monster, I cannot add different hit dice. For instance, 1d10 and a 1d8. Only the first hit die will register for random rolls.

I like customizing monsters and giving them various levels to make shamans, elite guards, etc. I also like having these things have their hp rolled by Combat Manager. I posted on this bug a couple of times and am just re-posting to keep it in your mind.

Thanks for all your hard work, Kyle! Your efforts have made the game so much more enjoyable!


Shard Obsidia wrote:

BUG: When customizing a monster, I cannot add different hit dice. For instance, 1d10 and a 1d8. Only the first hit die will register for random rolls.

There was a bit of code that probably has not changed since version 1.0.0 causing this problem. This will be fixed in the next release.


Kyle Olson wrote:

Here's the problem:
Effects do not end on a particular turn, they end on a particular initiative count There's a hidden combination of Init Roll, dexterity mod, and a random number which marks the time of the effect. I could shuffle the players without resetting the initiative round, but the time the effects would end will not move with the players.

You know what? I reckon that might actually be a good thing, assuming I'm getting this right, that is.

What I'm getting from that is: Let's say I'm 4th to act in round 1 and an effect is put on me lasting 2 rounds, say. If the end of the effect is the 4th turn of round 3, it wouldn't matter if my turn is shuffled to a different position by then because, technically I wouldn't be able to act until after the effect wears off, anyway. So, if my turn in round 3 was 1st, I would still be under the affect of the spell/condition/etc. and would have to wait till round 4. If my position in round 3 was 5th, then the effect would be over and I could act. So, basically - effect stays in the same position even when players change position each round.

Have I got that right?


mistamichal wrote:

You know what? I reckon that might actually be a good thing, assuming I'm getting this right, that is.

What I'm getting from that is: Let's say I'm 4th to act in round 1 and an effect is put on me lasting 2 rounds, say. If the end of the effect is the 4th turn of round 3, it wouldn't matter if my turn is shuffled to a different position by then because, technically I wouldn't be able to act until after the effect wears off, anyway. So, if my turn in round 3 was 1st, I would still be under the affect of the spell/condition/etc. and would have to wait till round 4. If my position in round 3 was 5th, then the effect would be over and I could act. So, basically - effect stays in the same position even when players change position each round.

Have I got that right?

If I've read you correct you've got that right. If you move up in initiative order, you'll get an extra round of effect. If you move down in initiative order, you'll lose a round of effect. I can't guarantee how fair this side effect would be.

<internal_stuff>
Once you start moving characters up and down the initiative chart, I make no promises about what the values will look like, just that they will stay in order. Since a character is slotted immediately before or after another character when the position is changed the numbers will bunch up. So you would have a character with the value 12(init)-4(dex)-234(tiebreaker) followed by 12-4-235 followed by 12-4-236 after a couple of moves. Of course, if you're re-rolling every round you might never get your characters bunched up.
</internal_stuff>

In the next release you'll be able to right click on the Roll Initiative Button and roll initiative without changing the round. Presumably you would want to click this after moving to the first character in every round.


Excellent stuff!

Cheers :)


Bug report: In 1.5.3, attempting to filter the Monsters tab by CR and clicking "Between" crashes the program

Edit: Also, when adding a natural attack to a monster, if all of the fields are blank, the program crashes


Pathfinder Adventure, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Curious for any that use this and Hero Labs together. Does this application do anything that the tactical console in hero labs doesn't? Do you see the benefit of running both during a game session, and if so how do you use them both?

Thanks in advance!


@Segallion

I hope this doesn't sound too curt and abrasive, but, how about quickly searchable databases of: stock monsters (that I don't have to pay for), spells, conditions, and rules just for starters. Then add in a random treasure generator, and a database of magical items. Not to mention the ability to damage or heal multiple creatures simultaneously, and apply whether or not they made a save for half damage with the click of a button.

Don't get me wrong, I love Hero Lab. I own it, and have purchased several of the data sets. I love Hero Lab for character creation and maintenance. I love combat manager because it considerably increases the speed of play at the table.


ianbleaker wrote:

Bug report: In 1.5.3, attempting to filter the Monsters tab by CR and clicking "Between" crashes the program

Edit: Also, when adding a natural attack to a monster, if all of the fields are blank, the program crashes

I can confirm both of those.


Just updated to newest version and I can't apply afflictions anymore. I saw that this was added back in during an earlier build, but did it get removed again and I missed it?


Kyle, still love Combat Manager!!!

I have a new feature request, well not really new just wanted to put it higher on your list of thing to do. It would be awesome if there were a way to track actions between specific combatants in some type of combat log such as Tagorr attacks Hobgoblin 1 and hits for 26 hp of damage or Fendal casts the spell fireball and damages Frost Giant 1 for 76 hp, Frost Giant 2 for 35 hp, White Dragon 1 for 37 hp.

If we could click on a party member or monster and then be able to choose an action then click on someone else to cause the action, would be cool!


~Kr~ wrote:

Kyle, still love Combat Manager!!!

I have a new feature request, well not really new just wanted to put it higher on your list of thing to do. It would be awesome if there were a way to track actions between specific combatants in some type of combat log such as Tagorr attacks Hobgoblin 1 and hits for 26 hp of damage or Fendal casts the spell fireball and damages Frost Giant 1 for 76 hp, Frost Giant 2 for 35 hp, White Dragon 1 for 37 hp.

If we could click on a party member or monster and then be able to choose an action then click on someone else to cause the action, would be cool!

I can all but guarantee you that this won't happen. The logistics/coding involved to have every possible offensive action of a PC/NPC/Monster "clickable," assignable (meaning aimed at another combatant) and trackable is mind-boggling. This is something that one of the players at the table should be responsible for. If one of the PCs is an INT based character you can assign them the task of keeping logs of the gaming session. In my games I actually hand out some XP for those players that keep track of activity at gaming sessions and then write it up in a journal/narrative format. I also have to ask, what would such a specific combat log be used for? I don't see how keeping track of specific attacks and their damage enhances the tabletop experience at all, obviously you do, or you wouldn't ask for it as a feature. So I'm curious as to what you'd do with such a log?


Thacko wrote:
Just updated to newest version and I can't apply afflictions anymore. I saw that this was added back in during an earlier build, but did it get removed again and I missed it?

I'm not seeing it work right now, I don't entirely remember the status I left it in.

There was an issue with Afflictions some time back and I disabled some functionality on mobile platforms, but I would like to have it working on PC. I've got it on my bug list now.


~Kr~ wrote:


If we could click on a party member or monster and then be able to choose an action then click on someone else to cause the action, would be cool!

An action log is on my old backlog of features. Since it's been sitting there for a couple years I don't know if I'll ever get to it.

MendedWall12 is right about the feature being complicated. It's not so much the code, but the user interface design that concerns me. Creating something that works is easy. Creating something that's elegant enough that you would want to use it is hard.


Kyle Olson wrote:
~Kr~ wrote:


If we could click on a party member or monster and then be able to choose an action then click on someone else to cause the action, would be cool!

An action log is on my old backlog of features. Since it's been sitting there for a couple years I don't know if I'll ever get to it.

MendedWall12 is right about the feature being complicated. It's not so much the code, but the user interface design that concerns me. Creating something that works is easy. Creating something that's elegant enough that you would want to use it is hard.

I actually think Kyle is down playing this a lot. There are so many actions in the game that would need to be implemented within combat manager, so that they could be logged it would make the application tedious to use.

Damage reduction, energy resistances, attacks of opportunity. And a multitude of other special abilities that interact with combat.
Then there are the situations that just occur within the game that are difficult to log.

For example, a fighter with three attacks using two weapon fighting and combat reflexes surrounded by multiple enemies would be attacking multiple opponents multiple times in one combat sequence, each attack would need to be resolved separately including any damage reduction or energy resistances that might apply.

What if in the middle of an attack sequence the fighter realizes that one opponent has stonesskin on and drops his normal primary longsword draws an adamantine shortsword and continues attacking.
All of these scenarios create complex situation that occurr in combat.

An action logged within Combat Manager must be performed by Combat Manager, at that point what exactly are your players doing, you've taken all the roles away from them, all they get to do is tell you who they are attacking and wait to see what happens. They might as well be playing computer game.

Kyle is correct however stating the interface would be one of the most problematic parts it would be massively complicated making it almost unusable for the purpose of Combat Manager, which is to facilitate combat management not complicate it.


Combat Manager Update to 1.5.4:

Fix issue with custom monsters being listed as Mythic
Fix problem with hidden character names appearing on Init window
Allow alternate die rolls other than 3d6
Minor rules db additions
Export dialog sorts properly and has a filter
Fix die roll parsing for multiple HD type monsters.
Add ability to reroll all initiaitve without changing round
Fix natual attack editor crash

CombatManager.com


Kyle Olson wrote:

Combat Manager Update to 1.5.4:

CombatManager.com

Great stuff, Kyle. The initiative each round works perfectly. I just tried out a few conditions lasting x number of rounds each and it's all spot on!

Thanks for all your work on this. I'll now be using Combat Manager exclusively and, next payday, I'll be sending a donation your way. :)


Bummer. I spoke too soon.

Bug report: Importing Hero Lab portfolios causes a crash.

The Exchange

mistamichal wrote:

Bummer. I spoke too soon.

Bug report: Importing Hero Lab portfolios causes a crash.

I've just tried 5 or 6 different .por files and all seem to work for me.

Aside from that. I'm still having trouble with linked hidden characters' names still being shown on the initiative window. It is the thing I most wish could be fixed.


Regarding opening Hero Lab files causing a crash - I have 100% failure on this even after uninstalling and re-installing v1.5.4. It worked in 1.5.3. It may be an installation issue, or the unZIP DLL is missing from v1.5.4. Here is the error from the error log:

System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'IonicZipDll, Version=2.5.1.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.

Since Hero Lab .POR files are in fact .ZIP files, Combat Manager is probably calling an unzip routine to access them. The error implies that v1.5.4 cannot find the .DLL that contains the unzip routines. I went back to v1.5.3 and HL import is working again.

I just found Combat Manager last night. Excellent work! In a world of less than ideal RPG software, Combat Manager is a true standout. Thanks!


kingpin wrote:
mistamichal wrote:

Bummer. I spoke too soon.

Bug report: Importing Hero Lab portfolios causes a crash.

I've just tried 5 or 6 different .por files and all seem to work for me.

Aside from that. I'm still having trouble with linked hidden characters' names still being shown on the initiative window. It is the thing I most wish could be fixed.

Are you using 1.5.3 or 1.5.4? If you're using 1.5.4, did you install over 1.5.3 or did you uninstall the old version first?


I installed over 1.5.3 first. Didn't work. I uninstalled (but did not delete any config files under apps/roaming/Combat Manager) and re-installed 1.5.4. Same result. Uninstalled 1.5.4, and re-installed 1.5.3. Hero Lab import now working.


Drakoz wrote:


Since Hero Lab .POR files are in fact .ZIP files, Combat Manager is probably calling an unzip routine to access them. The error implies that v1.5.4 cannot find the .DLL that contains the unzip routines. I went back to v1.5.3 and HL import is working again.

Argh! The zip dll isn't in the package again! Windows Installer drives me nuts.

I'll push out another build in a few minutes


Just checked, and under v1.5.3, IonicZipDll.dll is in the Combat Manager folder. I forgot to check if the file is there under v1.5.4. Also, obviously if IonicZipDll.dll is missing in 1.5.4, the test is to copy it from 1.5.3. If someone else doesn't do that first, I'll try that later, but can't try it right now. As far as I can tell, IonicZipDll.dll is part of the DotNetZip Library from CodePlex. So hopefully whatever is wrong is a simple oversight like a missing #define, or the file itself just missing from the installer. Ha, but it's software. It's probably some rare issue that only affects 0.1% of the users and I'm just one of the unlucky ones. :-)


Combat Manager Update to 1.5.5:

Fix issue with installer not installing zip dll

CombatManager.com


That fixed it for me. Thanks!


All fixed for me, too. Thanks, Kyle. :)


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

It seems like a lot of the new monsters from Bestiary 4 and a lot of the npcs from Inner Sea NPC codex got imported into the database without their ability scores making it through (says - for them)


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Also finding it on the later Wrath of the Righteous stuff, so maybe none of the new batch of NPCs/Monsters got their ability scores (Str, Dex, etc) imported.


Couple of quick notes on some functionality I just started looking at and that is the separate initiative window/pagelet. Going to hopefully be using this on a separate screen now that I discovered I can hypothetically use my Kindle Fire in that space.

1) Set the monsters to Hide Names. If you have multiple monsters all linked together with the same initiative count, the primary one changes to ???????, the rest retain their existing descriptions.

So ??????????
Orc 2
Orc 3
Orc 4

2) When you use the Next Turn button, and move to the hidden ????? monster, in the Active Character section of the pagelet, it shows the description that is hidden below. So continuing with the example below, you see Orc 1.

For our group, we're pretty up front with everything, so not a huge deal, but just some inconsistencies in the functionality.

DM'ing for my group again for a short stint and still love this program for managing combat. Couple of folks in my group were fairly impressed with it the other night. Thanks for continued development on this.


Sethvir wrote:
1) Set the monsters to Hide Names. If you have multiple monsters all linked together with the same initiative count, the primary one changes to ???????, the rest retain their existing descriptions.

Good point, I'll look at this.


I have a bug report again.

Even in the new release, a lot of the text is cut off at weird spots. For example, the Devourer, whose spell-like abilities are cut off after the first. For another, Prismatic Spray, with the information being cut off after only one paragraph. This seems to affect most parts of Combat Manager.

EDIT NOTE: The information seems to be there, as it's there if you try to customize. There just seems to be a glitch in (I'm guessing) how the information is being parsed.


Is there any way to 'activate' some common feats like Power Attack without having to open up the editor and manually edit the attack/damage rolls?


DreamGoddessLindsey wrote:

I have a bug report again.

Even in the new release, a lot of the text is cut off at weird spots. For example, the Devourer, whose spell-like abilities are cut off after the first. For another, Prismatic Spray, with the information being cut off after only one paragraph. This seems to affect most parts of Combat Manager.

EDIT NOTE: The information seems to be there, as it's there if you try to customize. There just seems to be a glitch in (I'm guessing) how the information is being parsed.

I noticed when I was messing around with a combat scenario, that Shaitans have some of their spell-like abilities cut off. Specifically, the 1/day ones Transmute Mud to Rock and Transmute Rock to Mud are cut off to say, "1/day Tran"


I have what amounts to a pretty serious bug to report. I just realized while playing this morning that the new installation somehow either deleted or lost connection to all of my saved custom monsters... X(

Anyone else have this issue?


MendedWall12 wrote:

I have what amounts to a pretty serious bug to report. I just realized while playing this morning that the new installation somehow either deleted or lost connection to all of my saved custom monsters... X(

Anyone else have this issue?

Just checked mine with the 1.5.5 installation and they are all there for me.


That stinks because it probably means that it's just a me problem, and I'll have a lot of work that I need to redo.

D'oh!


Just wanted to drop in and say thanks for all of this. Regularly use the program, know a number of others who do as well. It's also one of the first tools I suggest to new DMs.


MendedWall12 wrote:

I have what amounts to a pretty serious bug to report. I just realized while playing this morning that the new installation somehow either deleted or lost connection to all of my saved custom monsters... X(

Anyone else have this issue?

Unholy Antipaladins of Zon-Kuthon, I'm an idiot!!!! I had the category tab set to "Monsters" instead of "All." No worries, all my custom stuff was still there. I just couldn't see it because custom monsters only show up when "All" or "Custom" are selected.

Double D'oh!!


MendedWall12 wrote:
MendedWall12 wrote:

I have what amounts to a pretty serious bug to report. I just realized while playing this morning that the new installation somehow either deleted or lost connection to all of my saved custom monsters... X(

Anyone else have this issue?

Unholy Antipaladins of Zon-Kuthon, I'm an idiot!!!! I had the category tab set to "Monsters" instead of "All." No worries, all my custom stuff was still there. I just couldn't see it because custom monsters only show up when "All" or "Custom" are selected.

Double D'oh!!

ROFL!!! Made my afternoon!


I just recently downloaded the Combat Manager to my Pad Mini and so far I really like what I am seeing. One thing I have not located either on the Combat Manager site or here is a user guide?

Did I miss it along he way? I've figured out how to save encounters and my player group but I'd really like to import them from Hero Lab. My campaign is NPC heavy so I tend to run more characters than straight up monsters.

A nudge in the right direction would be appreciated...I did try searching for it prior to posting just in case it was buried in the thread.


Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but the 'smite' ability granted from various monster templates says it functions as the paladin's smite evil ability. This is not the case. The template smite ability only adds CHA mod to hit and bonus damage equal to HD, it doesn't bypass DR or any other stuff the paladin's smite does.

PRD wrote:


smite evil 1/day as a swift action (adds Cha bonus on attack rolls and damage bonus equal to HD against evil foes; smite persists until the target is dead or the celestial creature rests).


Hurderpus Maximus wrote:

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but the 'smite' ability granted from various monster templates says it functions as the paladin's smite evil ability. This is not the case. The template smite ability only adds CHA mod to hit and bonus damage equal to HD, it doesn't bypass DR or any other stuff the paladin's smite does.

PRD wrote:


smite evil 1/day as a swift action (adds Cha bonus on attack rolls and damage bonus equal to HD against evil foes; smite persists until the target is dead or the celestial creature rests).

I had to do some digging, but I suspect I pulled the text of the smite evil ability from d20pfsrd.com's Half-Fiend or Half-Celestial page. It doesn't match the PRD, or my PDF of the Bestiary, or my old physical copy of the Bestiary. I wonder where they got that text from?

Anyway, I'll make the fix to match the PRD.


Kyle Olson wrote:

I had to do some digging, but I suspect I pulled the text of the smite evil ability from d20pfsrd.com's Half-Fiend or Half-Celestial page. It doesn't match the PRD, or my PDF of the Bestiary, or my old physical copy of the Bestiary. I wonder where they got that text from?

Anyway, I'll make the fix to match the PRD.

Actually, I'm confused about the issue. The text on the PRD for Half-fiend is

PRD wrote:


Smite Good (Su): Once per day as a swift action the half-fiend can smite good as the smite evil ability of a paladin of the same level as the half-fiend's Hit Dice, except affecting a good target. The smite persists until the target is dead of the half-fiend rests.

The text for fiendish creature is:

PRD wrote:


Special Attacks smite good 1/day as a swift action (adds Cha bonus to attack rolls and damage bonus equal to HD against good foes; smite persists until target is dead or the fiendish creature rests).

I'm not entirely sold these are two different abilities. Does anyone have any evidence to say that these are or are not the same thing?


James Jacobs clarified in his thread that the Smite ability of the Celestial/Fiendish templates does exactly what it says it does, Cha to hit and HD to damage. It doesn't deal double damage to evil/good dragons/undead or bypass DR.

I understand JJ isn't an official designer, but unless you can get a FAQ thread up and running, and, you know, actually get the PDT to respond to the FAQ, then that's all the clarification you'll probably get.

The Half-fiend text, however, is different because it specifically calls out functioning like the Smite ability of the Paladin. Notice the Half-Celestial and the Celestial template both have the same differing text.

[Edit] If the abilities truly are different, I can understand why. Summons that are used to call things like lions, and tigers (especially the dire variant) would be come really good as an Arcane Caster can, essentially, have a Pokeball with a Paladin inside.

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