Table-top RPG (TTopRPG)

NOTE: If you're looking for a TTopRPG 2.0 download, go here instead! This page is a very old diary I typed up during my development of an older version!

This is a small developer diary describing my attempts at making a Visual Basic program designed to duplicate the activities of the tabletop for purposes of playing an authentic Dungeons and Dragons game online. This was sparked by playing World of Warcraft, when a guild member talked about missing playing the game. I've been playing lately myself, taking someone through Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil and him taking me through City of the Spider Queen.

I first wanted to see if there were any tools available that would allow me to play. So I downloaded klOoge. It had some interesting functions, but when I connected with my laptop, some of the functions didn't work, and when I moved some icons around in the primary list, they disappeared from the main screen, and I couldn't get them back. It wasn't very intuitive.

I also took a look at screenshots from OpenRPG, but didn't try to run it.

Both programs had a primary grid screen with the capacity to display a map underneath, and a primary chat area.

I figure if I develop my own, it will need the following things:

• Grid area with ability to display multiple jpg maps, one at a time, and allow scrolling and zooming, with the ability to hide or shade areas of the map (DM only)
• Primary chat area with ability for player-player private chat and party only chat (assuming only one DM - if there are multiple DMs, they should get a private chat too)
• Dice rolling dialog with quick way to select dice and roll them, similar to picking them up at the table and rolling them yourself. The DM should have the ability to roll dice and either show or hide them. More often, he hides them.
• Ability to move icons around, remove some, add some new ones, and add indicators where necessary (where to place a fireball, where are you searching, etc.). Players can move their own icons, or possibly any other, when the DM allows them to
• Ability to keep notes, some visible, some not (intiative order (DM), remaining hps of characters, spell effects up and rounds remaining, etc)
• Support delaying in combat and reminder to ask if still delaying

Other things to keep in mind:

• A single player should be able to control multiple characters. The DM sets this up
• A session should be savable, including how maps are hidden
• klOoge had an interesting way of revealing maps - a box drag system, which I'm developing for myself now

6/7/2005

What I've accomplished:

• I have a main form developed that supports resizing.
• I have main chat and private chat ability
• I can display a single map (hardcoded), which took some work getting lined up in Corel. It was also difficult to determine the right size for the 5' squares so that they coincided with the squares on the original map.

What I have yet to do, immediate plans:

• DONE 6/7: Base the grid on scrolling instead of always starting at 0,0
• Done 6/7: Try a scanned image instead of one taken with a digital camera - distortion may throw the grid lines off in the picture. I may need to support adjusting the grid in different parts of the map, too.
• DONE 6/7: Verify that a 10' square is 22.4 pixels across instead of 22.746 the way Corel suggests - after getting a scanner today, I found it is MUCH more accurate, although I still cannot determine the size of a 10' square on a map without some trial and error. After I set up a map resource editor, this shouldn't be much of an issue
• DONE 6/8: Group only chat (everyone can see it, I'll leave it up to the DMs to make use of the Honor System)
• DONE 6/8: Zooming on the center of the map image instead of basing it on 0,0 (Got this working, but I'm finding it might be more intuitive at times to be able to zoom by pointing on a surface on the map instead of using the scroll bars and zoom buttons. I'll see what I can do, but this will probably be a future enchancement. Another nice feature might be to click on apoint on the map and have it move that point to the center)
• DONE 6/12: Figure out why I need a conversion factor of 22.456 when calculating the size of a loaded image (I won't bother trying to figure this out for now. Hopefully the conversion factor is exe determined and won't change on different machines) - actually I found the answer on p.129 of Programming VB 6.0 - I used the .ScaleX method with vbHimetric and vbPixels to get an actual pixel dimension. I replaced all the conversion code and it works identically. Glad that loose end is cleaned up. I actually found this while trying to look up how to display text in a picture box.
• DONE 6/8:Safeguards against trying to send chat text when a session isn't open
• DONE 6/9: Safeguards for resizing the forms too small
• DONE 6/9: Limit popup options to players (they see the option to Kick and Ban players when they right click on a name)
• DONE 6/9: Fix a bug with a chat line getting focus when a chat form is activated, causing the application to freeze from 100% CPU activity as the main and private forms fight for focus when the private form is minimized. I would like chatting forms to set focus to their chat lines when activated for convenience. (I got it to work by setting Tabstop to False on all controls except the input line, and setting the focus to the input line if the chat area is clicked. It accomplishes the same purpose without the infinite loop problem of setting the focus on the Activate message).
• DONE 6/9: Hide private chat boxes instead of closing them, to preserve text
• DONE 6/9: Make the scrolling change more intuitive based on zoom and map size instead of always being 40 large/10 small (I set small change to 4 always, 20 to large always, and even allow the map to be centered on any point, all the way to its edges. This still might need some more work. I can see where a minimap will be needed where you can click it to jump to any location on the map)
• Integrate the box routines into hiding the map
• Rename controls and forms to final versions, reorganize code (functions and subs at the end, form functions at the top, and scroll, text line and button routines grouped together), get rid of test routines. Or do I want functions associated with specific controls grouped near those control functions (like the specialized Picturebox paint routine close to the Picturebox routines so I can find it quickly by double clicking the picturebox on the design form? Sigh, I dunno)

Longterm plans:

• Started 6/10: Dice dialog, and toggle to reveal in main chat (DM only, players are always revealed, for now) - I don't ahve a toggle, but all player rolls are public, DM rolls are hidden, and the DM knows if the roll is authentic
• Display icons for characters and cycle through in order of initiative. DM will have a larger display showing all creatures involved in combat (each will need an Init modifier and ability to modify as the DM), and ability to add new creature to combat as the need arises
• Send hiding data to all machines as changes are made, and provide updates to new players when they join (map packs, hide data, etc)
• Allow browsing of old maps (another dialog), and force loading of new active map
• Map resource editor, with ability to set square size and offset, and view the results before making them part of a map pack
• Perhaps upgrade the DirectX version from 7. I think Visual Basic 6.0 only supports up to DirectX 8 - DirectX 9 I believe requires .NET. I discovered a limitation where my laptop could not communicate with a remote user with my main workstation as the host. A second machine on his network also could not communicate. It might be a limitation in DirectX, perhaps all games have that problem. I imagine games that are hosted remotely from all machines don't have this problem. For now, other than that limitation, it does what I need.
• Started 6/13: Drag icons around on the map screen - I wrote a small program to demonstrate this and have integrate markers into the app, but not icons yet

I don't think the online program has to keep track of absolutely everything, just what it takes to get through a tabletop session. Much information only needs to be known at the player level. Sometimes the DM needs to look at player sheets to see if they have an ability, though.

6/8:

• Made a map list dialog supporting multiple map files, one loaded at a time on the main form - later this will need to support saving and loading the hide and icon data
• Added a few more short term changes above

6/9

Most of the items form 6/7 are done. Here's a new immediate changes list:

• Design how the final form will look, with a map minimap, character icon list and initiative order block. I figure anything else can be just another dialog (dice rolling, character info, map browsing, etc.)
• Started 6/10: Set up dice rolling dialog allowing you to quickly select 1 or multiple dice and roll them all - will we need a seeder to make sure it starts random? I'll test. I also need to think about automatically applying modifers for things like attack rolls, dispel checks, concentration for defensive casting, spell resistance, etc.
• Started 6/10: Move session join and host buttons into the top menu to make room for more immediate functions in the frame next to the map display. The menu selections should disable after a connection. A user should also be able to willingly disconnect without ending the program. (I still have to arrange for a disconnect without ending the program. And disabling menu options is frighteningly easy.)
• Add markers and hiding to the map, and save the information and reload it. This will eventually require arranging files into base map packs, and another folder specifically for adventures in progress (any two or more of which could easily involve the same map pack but different characters).
• Done 6/9: Make zooming and scrolling on the map less klunky (I enabled drawing the map on scroll instead of just letting the control go. It stutters a bit but it's easier). Now the map can be centered anywhere. I'll leave it the way it is for now.
• Done 6/14: Experiment with adding markers to the map with information ("Fireballing here", for example), and sending them across to other machines and removing them. This should equate to what you're doing at the table. If you put something there or take it off, everyone should see it happen. Possibly, some private markers, especially for the DM, may be available. - DM can delete any marker, only clients can move and modify their own

I just realized I could add something to the dice rolls to allow players to set up their own buttons with modifiers and send that across. For instance, Concentration checks, Attack 1, 2 and 3 for the primary attacks, Concealment roll, Reflex save, etc. So it would have a description blank, a modifier blank, and a button. Click it, and it rolls the dice, adds the modifer, and sends the result and the description. This would have to be set up on a per character basis, and sinze a single player could control multiple characters, they will need to be able to select which character they are rolling for (which will probably be enforced by whose turn it is in combat, but could easily need to support rolling out of turn, such as a Reflex save against a fireball).

6/10/2005

I just added five description and modifier blanks to the dice screen to test out special rolls. They report the description and modifier to all the machines, now, too. But I forgot to show the actual dice rolls. That would be important for detecting possible crits. The program could probably be set up to automatically report a crit roll, too.

I've also started making a toolbar that will allow a user to place, remove or move icons (on a player's turn only, although the DM can do it anytime), do the same with markers (anyone, anytime), and hide/reveal the map (DM only). At first, icons can be dragged anywhere, but in times of combat, I want to enforce movement rate and let the program count down squares remaining based on movement rate (supporting single moves, double moves, and modifiers due to spells).

6/12/2005

I took a break for a day because I was a bit burned out from programming, and I had a killer headache (not enough carrots in my diet).

Anyway, I got text working and can even calculate its size for centering. What I figure I'll do is detect the pointer moving over an icon, and if the icon it's on is different from the last one it was on, it will repaint the screen with the info of the icon (name, hp (DM) or status (player - they can see their own hp though)), or allow seeing all statuses and names for all icons always.

6/13/2005

I wrote a little stub app to test placing icons, highlighting them and chaing their information. I'm realizing I may need a list of all icons to look up their information instead of highlighting each, much like I keep notes of creature's hit points on a scrap piece of paper while the fight is taking place.

It's important to make the program intuitive to how a game is conducted at the table.

...

The program now allows me to make markers, and drag both the markers and icons around.

I need to set it up for zooming and using map coordinates instead of PictureBox coordinates.

I also assume I'll need a Quick Marker function so when I ask where a fireball is getting cast, the player can just right click and select "Quick Marker" instead of having to type anything.

I'm also thinking about how the program will need to save these things, and send them across to people that are joining in the middle of a session.

I don't know yet what challenged there will be for people that get disconnected and have to rejoin. Perhaps they can just do a reload. If the master disconns, though, that pretty much messes everyone up, unless the master saves its information often. Perhaps it can save it in chunks (markers as they are placed or moved, icons as they are placed or moved, etc.)

Also, the master will be the one responsible for telling all machines what the id's are for created icons and markers. The client will tell the master it is placing the icon, then the master will choose an id for it and send it to all clients, including the one sending the request. That way, no id's will overlap.

6/15/2005

I sent off the latest Alpha and am hoping to test it with two clients soon. I still haven't solved the problem of two machines on the same LAN communicating to a machine across the internet (the second machine on the LAN freezes and doesn't always receive system messages).

In order for the program to be usable next week, I need:

• Character list - enterable by the client, savable and reloadable, with a selection for a user controlling multiple characters. Should the master save them and send them down or should the user be responsible for loading them?
• Implement the hiding algorithm, and don't render monster icons in nonvisible areas
• Send data down to clients that join in the middle of a session (characters, hiding data, markers, icons)
• Implement icons and the ability for DM to move all, and to establish which character(s) a single user can move on their turn

The final version should have:

• A screen that organizes all creatures and characters involved in battle by initiative roll (as a creature is added to the list, it can roll initiative automatically, assuming its Init modifier is set up. Characters can roll initiative explicitly and have a special message sent across)
• A screen for clients to load and look at previously explored maps
• Notes, public and private?
• Treasure, CR, magic items notes
• Selectable portraits for character icons, graphics for creature icons
• Enforce positioning in grids during combat

Other things I've thought of:

• If a character turns invisible, should there be a way to hide its location? Perhaps the DM flips an invisible flag so that only that character can see himself?

6/15/2005 - #2

I just did an alpha test. The other user said he couldn't see the button used to resize the upper half of the form. I checked my code and found I that I was basing the new position of the button on the size of the map window, but I was repositioning the button before I resized the window. This caused the button to be a little off sometimes. So, I moved the button adjustment to occur after the map window adjustment, and it looks stable. Hopefully that bug won't happen again.

Also, the application errors out when you minimize the main form, becuase it attempts to perform a window adjustment.

6/17/2005

Here's a link to the VB install package. Unzip this into its own folder and run setup. Choose an installation directory and click the computer icon. After it's installed, navigate to the installation directory and run Project1.exe. NOTE: This program will not work without the \map and \sounds directories.

6/19/2005

I realized it might be nice in my box drag routines (which I have another app successfully implementing) to be able to set an enter group of visible squares to be visited, without replacing them. The only splitting would be where boxes are cut by the edge of the box. Perhaps it might be easier to flip a switch and just make all boxes visited, then the DM can set to visible whatever he likes.

I also have an icon displayer going, but the shrunk images don't come out very well. I'm sure if I upgraded to Direct3D, they would look much better. The way I have it will do for now, for testing.

Another nice function on the main map form would be to adjust the damage taken by an icon, instead of having to set its damage taken so far directly.

I would also like to display the app's version number on the main form, since it auto increments each time I build an exe from it.

6/21/2005

I'm at the point where I'm ready to think about getting monster and character icons onto the map. It's presenting some challenges though, and I need to think about how I'm going tog et it to work. Displaying the icons and tracking their information is the easy part. The hard parts are:

• Setting it up so that a player that logs on can submit a character or choose a previously submitted character to control. Being able to select one prevents having to re-enter the information every time they log on, and allows other players to control the icon if the other player is absent. This character is only part of the current adventure for now, but will likely be stored on the player's machine for future submissions for other adventures.
• Displaying the player icons on the main form (only the ones selected to be controlled by players) with a clear indicator of whose turn it is to move - I figure this will be a vertical list able to show at most 6 icons with the ability to scroll up and down. I may need to order the icons by initiative as well.
• Locking the icons so that players can only move the icons that the DM sets for them to move
• Multiple icon information display options
  • Display all or display on mouseover
  • Display icon selected
  • SHIFT select multiple icons
• Integrate icon selection with the initiative screen from the DM side, through rolling initiative, selection for whose turn it is, adding more to the battle, and auto-advancing turns

Of course, it's probably just best if I work on one thing at a time:

• Get icons and graphics displaying with information
• Set up information display options

6/22/2005

I also realized that the best way to design the initiative screen is to allow the DM to auto-advance down the list with the click of a button (which then notifies everyone whose turn it is and activates/locks the appropriate icons), rearrange the order manually, and set it to be the turn of anyone the DM wishes. At first I was just going to allow auto-advancing the turns, but I realized that was too restrictive. This way, the design is a little more open.

8/26/2006

Well, after a long break I decided to come back to it. Over the past couple weeks, I've added the following:

• A functional combat screen that supports advancing turns, decreasing spell durations, find combatants on the battle grid, and altering orders in the list by changing the init value, just like I would on my scratch paper at a table
• Icons with the ability to change their data (PC's can only change the name and portrait) and move them around. The program doesn't lock the PC icons to particular players or even turns in combat. I didn't see any reason to lock their positions, because that doesn't happen at the table, either. Only the host can place icons.
• Host will communicate map data to new connections and when a new map is loaded. There is no previous map browser functionality at this time. For now, everyone has the same map up as dictated by the host.
• The dice roll screen allows players to input various d20 rolls. No character data is communicated across the connections, except for the results and descriptions of dice rolls for characters. Characters and export and import characters to their local hard drive.
• Host can create, load and save campaigns. Unfortunately, right now there is no way to preset a map for multiple campaigns. You have to prepare each campaign separately (or copy over the mapdata files to other campaign folders after setting them up).
• Host can flag box areas as visible, visited or unexplored

I did run into one problem, however: for some reason, sending the fog box data in a map down to a client across the internet occasionally causes a 80004005 error when the program attempted to do a Msg.Readstring on the packet. I haven't tested my attempted fix for it yet.

I decided not to lock and control things so much for simplicity, and the fact that if you're going to play a game like this with people, it should be with people you can trust and enjoy playing with, not just someone who sees your game and decides to hop into it.