Slowdive's Little Daily Blog

Post by **slowdive** » Tue Oct 12, 2021 4:47 am

I started adding the d20 screen option to IB. I also added the system that splits up multiple attacks so you make the attacks separately and can even be on separate targets. If you still have move points, you can even move after the first attack before the second attack.

The background and gold frames can be overriden of course from your module's "ui" folder for "ui_bg_fullscreen" and "ui_minimap_frame" and the d20 die are also in the "ui" folder.

W.I.P.

: IB29.PNG (380.43 KiB) Viewed 629685 times

Post by **Dorateen** » Wed Oct 13, 2021 2:06 pm

I enjoyed the dice rolling simulation in Solasta as well. Look forward to seeing it implemented for IceBlink.

Post by **slowdive** » Fri Oct 15, 2021 7:42 pm

I'm thinking of turning back on the 3d view option in IBbasic and I will need to add some additional functionality to the built-in art editor. So I have a few poll questions.

POLL QUESTIONS:
-Did you like the 3d view in the old IBbasic and would you like to see it turned back on (the code is still in there, just commented out)?
-Did you like the use of that 3d view system in The Raventhal and The Birthday or should they stay close to their original design from when they were first released (only 2d maps)?
-Would you be interested in me adding the 3d view to IB as an option for builders to use? It would probably use up the entire screen with the floating UI on top of the 3d view with maybe an option for a frame around the entire screen for the "viewport" look?

Post by **Dorateen** » Fri Oct 15, 2021 8:43 pm

Hi slowdive,

I would very much be interested in seeing the 3D mode in IceBlink, especially as a viewport display. I do not have experience with the IBbasic version of those modules, but from the screenshots it looked pretty cool.

Post by **slowdive** » Fri Oct 15, 2021 11:41 pm

Here is a mock up idea, what do you think? I would maybe have more stone background parts with the normal IB UI on top instead just the black background areas. The "frame" image would be a single image that each builder could switch out to whatever they want to use and the normal IB UI would go on top of that. The mini-map and move arrows buttons UI would appear/disappear with toggle buttons. Thoughts and suggestions?

: IB33.PNG (536.11 KiB) Viewed 629654 times

Post by **Dorateen** » Sat Oct 16, 2021 2:01 pm

Very nice. Even though the mini map can be toggled on and off, is it possible to make it a little smaller? I feel as a separate UI element, it should not overlap the main adventuring window so much, although I know screen real estate is limited.

Otherwise, looks great!

Post by **slowdive** » Sat Oct 16, 2021 3:13 pm

How about this version? I scaled down the mini-map and made the move arrows the size of the other buttons which they would have been anyway.

: IB3Dmockup02.png (667.31 KiB) Viewed 629641 times

Post by **Dorateen** » Sat Oct 16, 2021 3:49 pm

Perfect!

Post by **slowdive** » Sat Oct 16, 2021 4:27 pm

Okay, here is with a full background (just a mock-up and not perfectly done) which builders can use their own of course:

: IB3Dmockup03.png (911.88 KiB) Viewed 629639 times

Also, the way the backdrop image in the 3d view works is you can have a single backdrop (88x88 image) or have directional and time of day (352x352 image) like below:

: bd_cobble01_16.png (19.47 KiB) Viewed 629639 times

And each square has an assigned backdrop so you could transition from indoors to outdoors on the same map by using different backdrops and the engine draws horizontal slices for the appropriate backdrop in the distance. It worked well in old IBbasic.

I'll probably change IB to use 440x440 or 880x880 backdrop images so builders can create more detailed images if they want or use the old GB size of 88x88 scaled by 5 or 10. Thoughts?

EDIT: Also, I will start live streaming my HEARKENWOLD Let's Play with IB v204 later today. Version 204 has the caster AI update and the d20 screen with multiple attacks and moves split up (last attack or spell will end turn even if more moves are left). I'll be searching for bugs and taking notes so the live play might be slow

Post by **slowdive** » Sun Oct 17, 2021 4:25 am

I started my Let's Play of Hearkenwold with IB v204:

https://youtu.be/tN8iymQ76Q8

: feature.jpg (137.71 KiB) Viewed 629626 times

Post by **Dorateen** » Sun Oct 17, 2021 2:24 pm

Good start to the adventure, your party looks quite capable.

I noticed on its turn, the spider did not cast web. Is that because your characters moved in to melee range?

Regarding the 3d view backdrops, that looks like the way to go. I imagine it is even easier for indoor/dungeon maps where a builder does not have to worry about a sky/time of day background image.

Post by **slowdive** » Sun Oct 17, 2021 3:24 pm

I'll have to look at the spider encounter again to see what happened. If it is a GeneralCaster and has 100% casting, it should cast a spell unless there is no spell that passes the criteria for optimal use (may try and save SP for a later round unless if optimal).

You don't have to use the directional/time of day backdrop on exterior areas, it is just an optional thing that is nice to have. There are also overlay wall tiles that can add doors, windows, shelves, containers, furniture, weapon racks, light coming down from cave ceiling opening, etc. on top of a normal wall tile.

I just revised the load/save system in IB v204. It now has 10 save slots for the player. It also has a "quicksave" slot that can be made from the save menu or from F5. I also have an "autosave" slot that is triggered before each encounter if the module author has the allowAutosave flag set to true in the module's settings (Hearkenwold has it set to true, was that intentional?). If you try and click on the "autosave" slot in the save game dialog, it gives you a message that says (and it doesn't allow the player to use the slot for saving, only loading):

gv.sf.MessageBoxHtml("This save slot is used by the game engine only. Before each encounter, an autosave is made if the module author allows it (module setting allowAutosave = true/false). This module has allowAutosave set to: " + gv.mod.allowAutosave);

: IB34.PNG (594.33 KiB) Viewed 629151 times

Post by **slowdive** » Mon Oct 18, 2021 2:39 am

Dorateen wrote: ↑Sun Oct 17, 2021 2:24 pm I noticed on its turn, the spider did not cast web. Is that because your characters moved in to melee range?

So it looks like I was only checking for effects from the spells effect list and not for the event where the spell uses the spellEffectTag instead of the spellEffectTagList. IBbasic only uses the spellEffectTagList so the code I copied over was ignoring the old way of using the spellEffectTag. The benefit of switching to the list is that you could have a spell that does multiple types of effects such as a spell that does minor healing and bless, or sleep and blast of light, etc. Either way, I changed the General Caster AI to look for both instance (the old and new methods) so now Hearkenwold is working correctly (I tested it out).

SIDE NOTE: I was able to turn back on all the 3d view code for IBbasic and test it out. I still need to turn back on the toolset parts, but everything works fine so far. Once it all is back in and checks out, I'll add the code to IB v204 as well.

Post by **slowdive** » Wed Oct 20, 2021 4:22 am

I'm trying to track down a few attack modifier calculation bugs so no streaming tonight. I not sure if modifiers from items or effects are being added into the attack modifiers so I'll need to verify that and fix if needed.

Post by **Dorateen** » Wed Oct 20, 2021 2:07 pm

Do you think it is something in the latest builds? I had been testing a lot in 200, and then upgraded to 203 at the end just before I posted the module. I don't recall seeing attack modifiers not being applied. But then, I was also running higher level characters, and it is probably more noticeable in the early game.

edit: Not very extensive, but I just tested in build 203, a fighter with BAB 10 unarmed. I equipped a +1 short sword, and the character sheet shows a BAB of 11. I then fought a battle, and his attack rolls showed +11.

Post by **slowdive** » Thu Oct 21, 2021 4:41 am

It looks like the bonuses from items was being counted correctly, but not from effects such as prayer. I tried to clean up the calculation a bit so it is easier to follow the code going forward. I think I have everything accounted for now and I updated the d20 screen to show all the modifiers.

Code: Select all

public int CalcPcAttackModifier(Player pc, Creature crt, bool isMainHand)
        {
            //int modifier = 0;
            int situationalModifier = 0;
                        
            int equippedItemsMod = 0;
            int ammoMod = 0;
            int bab = pc.baseAttBonus;
            int babEffectMod = 0;
            int attributeMod = 0;
            int fromBehindMod = 0;
            int targetHeldMod = 0;
            int adjacentEnemyPenalty = 0;
            int sneakAttackMod = 0;
            int twoWeaponMod = 0;
            int poorVisionMod = gv.mod.poorVisionModifier;
            int preciseShotAdder = 0;
            int hardToKillMod = 0;


            //All modifiers from equipped items
            equippedItemsMod = gv.sf.CalcAttackBonusesNoAmmo(pc, isMainHand);

            //target is held bonus
            if (crt.isHeld())
            {
                targetHeldMod = 4;
                situationalModifier += 4;
                //gv.cc.addLogText("<font color='lime'>" + pc.name + " <font color='white'>attacks held creature: +4 att</font><BR>");
            }
 
            if (gv.sf.isMeleeAttack(pc)) //MELEE ONLY
            {
                //BAB and Effects total mod includes permanent Effects from Traits
                babEffectMod = gv.sf.CalcTotalEffectBABModifier(pc);
                
                //Attribute mod
                attributeMod = gv.sf.CalcPcMeleeAttackAttributeModifier(pc, isMainHand);
                
                //attack from behind modifier
                if (IsAttackFromBehind(pc, crt))
                {
                    fromBehindMod = gv.mod.attackFromBehindToHitModifier;
                    situationalModifier += gv.mod.attackFromBehindToHitModifier;
                    if (gv.mod.attackFromBehindToHitModifier > 0)
                    {
                        //gv.cc.addLogText("<font color='white'>Attack from behind: +" + gv.mod.attackFromBehindToHitModifier.ToString() + " to hit." + "</font><BR>");
                    }
                }

                //sneak attack bonus                
                if (pc.steathModeOn)
                {
                    if (pc.knownTraitsTags.Contains("sneakattack"))
                    {
                        //+1 for every 2 levels after level 1
                        int adding = ((pc.classLevel - 1) / 2) + 1;
                        sneakAttackMod = adding;
                        situationalModifier += adding;
                        //gv.cc.addLogText("<font color='lime'> sneak attack: +" + adding + " to hit</font><BR>");
                    }
                }

                //twoweaponfighting mod                
                if (hasWeaponInOffHand(pc))
                {
                    twoWeaponMod = gv.sf.CalcPcMeleeTwoWeaponModifier(pc, isMainHand);
                }

                //hard to kill mod            
                if (gv.sf.hasTrait(pc, "hardtokill"))
                {
                    hardToKillMod -= 2;
                    //gv.cc.addLogText("<font color='white'>" + "blinded by rage" + "</font><BR>");
                    //gv.cc.addLogText("<font color='white'>" + "-2 attack penalty" + "</font><BR>");
                }
            }
            else //RANGED ONLY
            {
                //Attribute mod
                attributeMod = (pc.dexterity - 10) / 2;
                
                //ammo used modifier                
                Item itm = gv.mod.getItemByResRefForInfo(pc.AmmoRefs.resref);
                if (itm != null)
                {
                    ammoMod = gv.mod.getItemByResRefForInfo(pc.AmmoRefs.resref).attackBonus;
                }
                
                //BAB and Effects total mod includes permanent Effects from Traits
                babEffectMod = gv.sf.CalcPcRangedAttackModifier(pc);
                
                //factor in penalty for adjacent enemies when using ranged weapon
                if (isAdjacentEnemy(pc))
                {
                    //if (gv.sf.hasTrait(pc, "pointblankshot"))
                    if (gv.sf.canNegateAdjacentAttackPenalty(pc))
                    {
                        //can ignore attack penalty due to PC having a pointblankshot type of trait or effect 
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        adjacentEnemyPenalty -= 4;
                        situationalModifier -= 4;
                        //gv.cc.addLogText("<font color='white'>" + "-4 ranged attack penalty" + "</font><BR>");
                        //gv.cc.addLogText("<font color='white'>" + "with enemies in melee range" + "</font><BR>");
                    }
                }
                
                //precise shot trait
                if (gv.sf.hasTrait(pc, "preciseshot2"))
                {
                    preciseShotAdder = 2;
                    //gv.cc.addLogText("<font color='lime'> PreciseShotL2: +2 to hit</font><BR>");
                }
                else if (gv.sf.hasTrait(pc, "preciseshot"))
                {
                    preciseShotAdder = 1;
                    //gv.cc.addLogText("<font color='lime'> PreciseShotL1: +1 to hit</font><BR>");
                }
            }

            if (situationalModifier != 0)
            {
                //gv.cc.addFloatyText(new Coordinate(pc.combatLocX, pc.combatLocY), "+" + situationalModifier + " att", "white");
            }

            int attackMod = equippedItemsMod + ammoMod + bab + babEffectMod + attributeMod + fromBehindMod + targetHeldMod 
                + adjacentEnemyPenalty + sneakAttackMod + twoWeaponMod + poorVisionMod + preciseShotAdder + hardToKillMod;
            
            return attackMod;

Post by **slowdive** » Thu Oct 21, 2021 4:27 pm

I think I’ll add the adjacent ally AC bonus system to IB and make it a module setting so the author can choose to use it or not. The way it works is that a PC (or creature) gets a bonus to their AC for each ally that is in an adjacent square to them. This creates some benefit to staying close to each other and makes you think more about your location on the map. The down side is that AoE spells will take advantage of you if you group together so you will need to make a choice.

Thoughts?

Post by **Dorateen** » Thu Oct 21, 2021 5:25 pm

slowdive wrote: ↑Thu Oct 21, 2021 4:27 pm The way it works is that a PC (or creature) gets a bonus to their AC for each ally that is in an adjacent square to them.

I enjoy party mobility in tactical combat, so as a player I'm not likely to keep a character on adjacent ally square without reason. Having said that, if there is an AC bonus for doing so, I think it should be the result of some condition: like an aura of protection from a paladin, or a fighter who has the ability to block incoming attacks. I don't think by default, player characters should get the bonus for standing next to one another. But having it as a toggle in the settings is good so that builders can play around with the idea.

Post by **slowdive** » Fri Oct 22, 2021 12:21 am

I think the conditional based bonus makes sense. My thought was that when close together, you don't have to focus your defense on as many sides so you AC would be higher. Also, it adds additional strategy to position on the combat field and which enemy you attack (the middle one is more protected than the fringe enemies). I used to play a game called Lord's of Conquest ( https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Lords_of_Conquest ) that used this mechanic and it made it feel more chess like (partially deterministic with combat location and random with attack and damage rolls). I finished adding the code into IB and have it set as a flag in the module's settings. I will set it to true in Hearkenwold for episode 5 just for show and then I'll turn it back to false for future episodes.

Next up I'll start adding the 3d view system in the toolset and then in the engine.

Post by **Dorateen** » Fri Oct 22, 2021 2:04 pm

I definitely see the value in adding this additional strategic layer to positioning. And I think you mentioned it would apply to enemies, too? That should be interesting and it will be worth seeing the AC bonus setting in action.

Post by **slowdive** » Fri Oct 22, 2021 4:05 pm

Episode 5 (posted last night) has the near ally ac bonus turned on. I’ll turn it off in future episodes, I just wanted to show how it works in the one episode. There are pros and cons to spreading your party out with this system. And the enemies in swarms are more difficult to hit so AoE spells come in more handy.

Post by **slowdive** » Fri Oct 22, 2021 10:18 pm

I started looking into adding the 3d view system to IB and it may be a bit challenging to modify the Area Editor. It looks like Karl made some changes to the area editor for maybe a Way Point system, but now the designer doesn't show up in Visual Studio for editing. I tried various ways to fix this, but I can't figure it out. I guess I could make a separate Area Editor for 3d areas? Thoughts? If not, I'll just stop working on the idea of 3d areas and start focusing on bug fixing from the todo list.

Post by **Dorateen** » Fri Oct 22, 2021 10:52 pm

I wouldn't go through the trouble. It would have been interesting to experiment with, and even I only intended to start with indoor/dungeon areas for a 3d view. Better to focus on changes that will benefit all builders/players.

Post by **slowdive** » Thu Oct 28, 2021 4:40 am

I fixed the damageAdder issue. I explained a bit in today's stream. Today's stream (ep7) was just showing some of the fixes and some of the still existing issues with the new advanced general caster AI. Most of the issues are with the move before casting system which is a real cool system when it works correctly

Well, more bug hunting to do in the next day or two before getting back to a proper Let's Play stream of Hearkenwold.

Post by **slowdive** » Sat Oct 30, 2021 4:12 am

I finished everything on the list for v204. I'll stream a few more play tests with Hearkenwold before posting v204.

Post by **slowdive** » Wed Nov 03, 2021 4:40 am

Making some final tweaks to IBbasic v1.0.15 before release. I made some changes to the way triggers are placed and edited to make it more intuitive and avoid mistakes. I have also been play testing The Elderin Stone as part of my search for bugs.

Post by **slowdive** » Fri Nov 05, 2021 8:00 pm

I posted IBbasic v1.0.15 to The NWVault and to Google Play.

I'm having issues with iOS since they moved to iOS 15 and my old Mac Mini having issues updating Xcode to version 13. I may have to stop worrying about posting an iOS version for now. Most downloads come from Android and PC anyway and it'll save me $100 a year in Apple Dev fee

(although money never really is an issue, but dealing with Apple is just too frustrating

)

Post by **slowdive** » Sat Nov 06, 2021 10:01 pm

I made a basic trailer for IBbasic. I blew through my entire budget of $0 on it

Don't expect too much, but here it is...

https://youtu.be/UEPS-h8LsUA

I am planning on an Official Release date of November 19th, 2021. Hopefully some "streaming parties" and mini module competition to come in December.

Post by **Dorateen** » Sun Nov 07, 2021 3:51 pm

Nice, trailer gives a great overview of the IBBasic capabilities. And I always loved that music from the Raventhal.

Post by **slowdive** » Thu Nov 11, 2021 9:25 pm

A couple of images for marketing and promoting the release date:

: IMG_2050.PNG (1.85 MiB) Viewed 630044 times

: IMG_2051.PNG (1.09 MiB) Viewed 630044 times

: IMG_2052.PNG (589.2 KiB) Viewed 630044 times

: IMG_2054.PNG (1.95 MiB) Viewed 630044 times

: IMG_2063.PNG (245.98 KiB) Viewed 630044 times

Post by **slowdive** » Sat Nov 13, 2021 3:35 pm

I've play testing and bug fixing the past few days. One thing I noticed is how overpowered the current sleep spell is. I created a new property for Effects called "worksOnLevelOrLowerOnCreatureOrPc". I know, not a very descriptive property name

It basically is used to see if a creature (or PC) is above this level and if it is, they are immune to the effect (spell, trait, item, etc.). So now the sleep spell (I haven't thought of any others that would need the value changed from its default of 99) will only impact creatures and PC level 1 and 2 (level 3 and up are immune). Hold, web, and entangle have their value set to 99 so they work on everything still (depending on DC check). I was able to put some powerful creatures to sleep and that just seemed wrong

Code: Select all

        public bool isCreatureImmuneToEffect(Creature crt, Effect ef)
        {
            //see if their level is greater than the effect works on level
            if (crt.cr_level > ef.worksOnLevelOrLowerOnCreatureOrPc)
            {
                return true;
            }
            //go through each trait to see if have trait with immune effect
            foreach (EffectTagForDropDownList efTag in crt.immuneToEffectTagList)
            {
                if (efTag.tag == ef.tag)
                {
                    return true;
                }
            }
                
            //go through each effect to see if it is a remove effect type
            foreach (Effect pcEf in crt.cr_effectsList)
            {
                if (pcEf.removeEffectTagList.Count > 0)
                {
                    foreach (EffectTagForDropDownList efTag in pcEf.removeEffectTagList)
                    {
                        if (efTag.tag.Equals(ef.tag))
                        {
                            return true;
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
            return false;
        }

Post by **Dorateen** » Sat Nov 13, 2021 4:24 pm

Interesting. If I could share a few thoughts on the idea:

Sleep in IceBlink has for a while been the only mass/AoE debuff spell. It is very useful for crowd control, and with the limited spell selection, often a wizard had to choose between mage bolt or sleep for their first spell choice. The spell does have a saving throw, a dc 10 fortitude check, I believe. Powerful creatures can have much higher saves, and this also leads to a sort of immunity, as with a fortitude of 6, for example, a creature only needs to roll a 4 or better to resist the spell. The chances improve with higher attributes, and a monster with a fortitude of 10 practically is immune.

Sleep is not as deadly as it was in the Gold Box games, where helpless creatures and characters could be killed in one hit. Instead, this just incapacitates the target for a few rounds, and are subject to +4 to hit them. I think that is fair, and again, it is all saving throw dependent.

Conversely, many enemy spell casters/monsters will start throwing sleep around and I think it is a good challenge for a mid-level party, should characters fail their saving throws. I would hate to take that out of a creature's arsenal, simply because PCs have reached level 3 or higher.

I think it is good to have the setting in the effects, so it can be adjusted by the builder per module. These are just some thoughts based on what I've experienced. As always, I look forward to seeing the new change in action.

Post by **slowdive** » Sat Nov 13, 2021 4:48 pm

That's a good point about the DC. I guess I was looking at the SRD and it has sleep affecting up to 4HD of creatures (4 1HD, 2 2HD, or 1 4HD etc.). I was playing The Elderin Stone and putting everything to sleep, but I just checked the sleep effect and it has "saveCheckType" set to "none" so maybe that'll help. But, yeah, the value can be set to 99 so that nothing changes from now.

The SRD has:
Effects DC - base save bonus(reflex,will,fortitude) - attribute mod(dex,wis,con) + effect level + effect originators attribute mod (wis,int,cha,etc.)
natural 1 always fails and natural 20 always passes

In IBbasic, I have only been using: Effects DC - Base Save Bonus
Maybe I should include the other modifiers as well?

for example, the SRD says that the DC for a wizard is:
"The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a wizard’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the wizard’s Intelligence modifier"

Post by **Dorateen** » Sat Nov 13, 2021 5:28 pm

For IceBlink basic, if you can include the other modifiers, that would probably be good. Gives player incentive to boost their saving throws through items and such.

Post by **slowdive** » Sun Nov 14, 2021 4:14 am

So for IBbasic, I changed the sleep spell back to affecting everyone (not just those under level 4) and will instead rely on save checks. I updated the entire save check system in IBbasic to use the following formula:

DC = effect DC (typically 10) + spell level (1-4) + caster's applicable attribute bonus (int, wis, cha)
saving throw bonus = base save bonus (from class table of reflex, fortitude, will) + attribute modifier (reflex=dex, fortitude=con, will=wis)

if d20 roll + saving throw bonus >= DC then you passed

I've finished the code and will start testing it out tomorrow after I update all the creatures in the various modules (I already updated the standard creatures, spells, traits, and effects)

Post by **slowdive** » Mon Nov 15, 2021 12:20 am

I changed the IBbasic apply effects in combat system to check effects at the same time each round as they were applied. I was checking all effects at the start of each round and I think IB checks the effects stored on the creature/PC on their turn. The way I am doing it now is I record the move order index of the caster onto the effect square or the effect stored on the creature/PC. Then I check on each turn to see if any effects need updating if their move order index stored matches the current move order index. So the effect is checked and applied at the time of casting and then is not checked again until the next turn of the original caster of that spell/trait/item (exactly one full round later).

Thoughts?

Also, I changed the info hover over in IBbasic to be more like what is in IB. The info now pops up in the log (over the top of the log) when you hover over a creature or PC (see images below). I used to have the info (very little info) directly over the top of the token and this was to obstructive I think. I think this new method is much cleaner, what do you think?

I also changed the AC bonus for adjacent allies to only be +0.5 per ally so you need at least two allies to gain +1. I think this makes grouping your party together a little less beneficial, but still makes you think about it. spreading out is better to avoid AoE attacks, but standing together gains a small AC bonus. I think this is more balanced.

: IBbasic41.png (131.76 KiB) Viewed 719977 times

: IBbasic42.png (132.19 KiB) Viewed 719977 times

Post by **Dorateen** » Mon Nov 15, 2021 2:51 pm

I think that is a good change regarding effects, I guess that has to do with debuffs that would end on a round but the character would not lose the status until their next turn. Should be better now.

The AC bonus sounds right. I do like the tactical considerations, and seems a fair tradeoff between better protection and vulnerability to AoE spells.

Going back to the sleep spell, I think removing the limitation is a good call. Following the SRD is a smart guideline, but there are some mechanical/system differences with IceBlink, I just wouldn't want to make certain spells obsolete as characters reach higher levels. Also, I double checked and the dc that I have is 15 for Sleep. So it is pretty powerful, but I think encounters can be built around that.

Post by **slowdive** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 4:35 am

Thanks Dorateen for the input and insight. I submitted v17 to the Apple App Store for review with a setting to not release until the 19th. Apple takes longer to approve than Google Play so I needed to get a build out now. I'll post v17 to Google Play on Wednesday with a release date setting of the 19th. I can post v17 to the NW Vault on Friday morning. So hopefully everything will be ready to go on the 19th for the initial release of IBbasic. I suppose there will be some bug reports once people start playing with it, but so far it has mostly just been me play testing. Hopefully no major bugs though.

Post by **slowdive** » Wed Nov 17, 2021 12:39 am

I finished a little early and Apple approved the update. I think I will release IBbasic v1.0.17 tomorrow evening so it should be officially out there on Thursday. That should give me some time on the weekend to fix any bug reports that show up.

Post by **slowdive** » Thu Nov 18, 2021 12:23 am

Yeah, I finished releasing IBbasic v1.0.17 and it can be found at the NW Vault for PC, Google Play for android, and Apple App Store for iOS (and should work on M1 macs).

Post by **Dorateen** » Thu Nov 18, 2021 2:55 pm

Yeah, I finished releasing IBbasic v1.0.17 and it can be found at the NW Vault for PC, Google Play for android, and Apple App Store for iOS (and should work on M1 macs).

Congratulations on the big release! Look forward to seeing some projects for IBBasic.

Post by **slowdive** » Thu Nov 18, 2021 3:37 pm

Thanks Dorateen! They’ll probably just be my projects or my conversions of IB projects like has happened in the past

. Which is fine because it may introduce some to the IB modules that may not have seen them otherwise.

Post by **slowdive** » Sat Nov 20, 2021 12:44 am

We got a nice review from RPG Crawler about IBbasic. He has some good insight and feedback on needed improvements and the parts he liked.

https://youtu.be/5VfbjjN3KA8

Post by **slowdive** » Sat Nov 20, 2021 4:30 pm

So RPG Crawler mention that one of the largest weaknesses of IBbasic is the interface and clutter. I'm not as experienced or well versed as Dorateen, Pongo, and others. Do you guys have any suggestions (maybe a mock up or description) of how to improve or revamp the interface to be more intuitive and provide a better overall experience? Do you have any examples of interfaces from similar retro style games that work well and why? Thanks!

Post by **Dorateen** » Sun Nov 21, 2021 4:41 pm

I thought the interface "clutter" was due to making IBBasic available for smaller screen platforms like tablets and phones? The full PC IceBlink engine I think looks fine, but that would not be possible for basic. Seems there was always going to be a tradeoff between what you can practically fit and what functions, even if its not as visually pleasing. Is making the buttons smaller an option? That might help create more room to move around UI elements.

Post by **slowdive** » Tue Nov 23, 2021 2:49 am

I've tried smaller buttons before, but it is hard for phones and fat thumbs

RPG Crawler made me a video with a bunch of feedback and suggestions (is unlisted so non-public) on how to improve the UI for an app that is trying to work well for both PC and mobile. Of course that isn't really easy to do, but I tried making a few mock-ups of some ideas to maximize screen real estate. What do you think of the following layouts? Very similar to regular IB in some ways. The different UI panels could be toggled on/off and I will add the party time/location text as well:

All panels toggled off:

: mainmapOff.png (38.76 KiB) Viewed 969803 times

Layout Option 1 with all panels toggled on:

: mainmapOn.png (192.7 KiB) Viewed 969803 times

Layout Option 2 with all panels toggled on:

: mainmapOn2.png (331.63 KiB) Viewed 969803 times

Layout Option 2 with move arrows toggled off and log automatically shifted to the middle:

: mainmapOn3.png (330.05 KiB) Viewed 969803 times

For reference, here is the current IBbasic layout (from iPad):

: IMG_2050.PNG (577.96 KiB) Viewed 969803 times

Post by **Dorateen** » Tue Nov 23, 2021 4:33 pm

I like Layout 2. Something about the character portraits lining up on the right of the screen. Maybe along the top was obscuring too much of the view, but on the side it looks better. I can't think of many cRPGs I have played with portraits on the top, except for showing initiative order in combat.

I also like the placement of the log, and how it automatically moves to bottom center if the arrow buttons are toggled off.

Post by **slowdive** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 5:53 pm

I finished the UI rework of the game and the toolset. I went with a slight combination of Options 1 and 2. All UI elements can be toggled on/off for the most part. I posted v1.0.18 (PC version) to the NW Vault for those wanting to see the changes and provide feedback.

https://neverwintervault.org/project/ic ... inetoolset

Below images have some UI elements turned all on and some with everything turned off:

: Capture01.PNG (116.97 KiB) Viewed 969753 times

: Capture02.PNG (163.05 KiB) Viewed 969753 times

: Capture03.PNG (183.38 KiB) Viewed 969753 times

: Capture04.PNG (127.63 KiB) Viewed 969753 times

: Capture05.PNG (149.4 KiB) Viewed 969753 times

: Capture06.PNG (165.77 KiB) Viewed 969753 times

: Capture07.PNG (184.69 KiB) Viewed 969753 times

Post by **Pongo** » Thu Dec 02, 2021 6:39 pm

Looking really nice - good work!

Post by **slowdive** » Sun Dec 12, 2021 10:41 pm

I updated the Android and iOS versions (v1.0.19) to include the new UI improvements from above. So now IBbasic v1.0.19 is available for PC, Android, and iOS.

Now I can get back to my Hearkenwold Let's Play, updating IB, importing Hearkenwold to IBbasic (updating the import tool for that), and maybe starting a Let's Play of The Elderin Stone in IBbasic.

Post by **slowdive** » Sat Dec 25, 2021 2:23 pm

For use in an codex response:

: toolset01.PNG (142.88 KiB) Viewed 672776 times

Post by **Pongo** » Sat Dec 25, 2021 2:48 pm

Merry Christmas Iceblinkers

Nice screenshot for Codex - good example of the convo system with conditions!

Post by **slowdive** » Sat Dec 25, 2021 5:44 pm

Yes, Merry Christmas fellow IceBlinkers! Always my kiddos favorite day, haha

Post by **Dorateen** » Sat Dec 25, 2021 5:59 pm

Hope they enjoy their presents. The first computer role playing game I got was on Christmas '89. And lots of fond memories playing D&D this time of year.

Post by **Pongo** » Sat Dec 25, 2021 8:59 pm

Nice! 1989 was a good year for RPGs - which one was it Dorateen? I got Space Rogue on the c64 that year and spent many hours slooooooowly making my way around the galaxy. Very impressive at the time. Curse of the Azure Bonds came out that year but I think it was a few years later when I got it.

Post by **slowdive** » Sat Dec 25, 2021 10:35 pm

Around 1989, I moved up (I feel it was a step up) from my c128 to an amiga 500 with the memory expansion card to a whole 1MB (512k + the expansion 512k). I was playing PoR on it and I could use the numpad to move in combat which was really nice compared to c64 mode movement in PoR. I got the memory expansion mostly so I could play Dragon's Lair which was the coolest graphics game at the time, haha

Post by **Dorateen** » Sun Dec 26, 2021 2:41 pm

Pongo wrote: ↑Sat Dec 25, 2021 8:59 pm Nice! 1989 was a good year for RPGs - which one was it Dorateen?

Might & Magic II. And then Pool of Radiance shortly thereafter. That started a run of playing some amazing cRPGs throughout the early to mid nineties.

Post by **Pongo** » Fri Jan 07, 2022 9:10 pm

That's a great introduction to the genre! I only got into Might and Magic much later on, I wish I'd played them on release, I would have loved them.

Post by **cartons** » Wed Mar 09, 2022 1:12 am

slowdive wrote: ↑Sun Dec 12, 2021 10:41 pm Now I can get back to my Hearkenwold Let's Play, updating IB, importing Hearkenwold to IBbasic (updating the import tool for that), and maybe starting a Let's Play of The Elderin Stone in IBbasic.

Hey, this is super late and out of the blue, but could you elaborate on that point? I figured IBbasic could only import games that used tilesets for maps, and that Hearkenwold's maps were made up of large images. I'd been building my own game with images maps, but had been rethinking that approach in case I ever wanted to move it to IBb.

Post by **slowdive** » Wed Mar 09, 2022 3:31 am

cartons wrote: ↑Wed Mar 09, 2022 1:12 am
slowdive wrote: ↑Sun Dec 12, 2021 10:41 pm Now I can get back to my Hearkenwold Let's Play, updating IB, importing Hearkenwold to IBbasic (updating the import tool for that), and maybe starting a Let's Play of The Elderin Stone in IBbasic.
Hey, this is super late and out of the blue, but could you elaborate on that point? I figured IBbasic could only import games that used tilesets for maps, and that Hearkenwold's maps were made up of large images. I'd been building my own game with images maps, but had been rethinking that approach in case I ever wanted to move it to IBb.

You could convert a single image map into tiles (IB has this ability that Karl added), but what I did before for Hearkenwold was to create my versions of Hearkenwold maps that use tiles and are close to Dorateen's single image version. Most of the maps that Dorateen uses in Hearkenwold are using tiles to create a single image so my versions are not too different. The import tool will bring in any tiles that were used in the IB module and all the triggers, props, etc. I then go into the imported areas and add any missing tiles that were part of the single image map.

Post by **cartons** » Wed Mar 09, 2022 1:06 pm

Sounds like a lot of work, even if its maps are already largely tile based. But hats off to you if it means I can carry Hearkenwold in my pocket

I'll have to test the tileset converter myself, but I imagine it'll produce unreasonably large files given how I've been drawing my maps until now. Thanks.

Post by **slowdive** » Thu Mar 10, 2022 2:47 pm

cartons wrote: ↑Wed Mar 09, 2022 1:06 pm Sounds like a lot of work, even if its maps are already largely tile based. But hats off to you if it means I can carry Hearkenwold in my pocket

I'll have to test the tileset converter myself, but I imagine it'll produce unreasonably large files given how I've been drawing my maps until now. Thanks.

I wouldn't worry too much about porting to IBbasic as IBbasic isn't seeing much activity or interest at this point. Just stick to IB and PC as that is where the focus will be going forward (IBbasic is pretty much feature complete at this point). The niche group that enjoys IB is mostly PC users. IBbasic was always meant to be an introduction to the regular IB (similar to how the old AD&D Basic sets were used to introduce people to AD&D). IBbasic is fun in its own right, but it was always meant to be a much simpler version and a fully complete and polished version of IB. The regular IB will probably never end in feature additions and updates as it is always growing.

Post by **cartons** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 9:51 pm

Thanks for the advice. I stepped away from IB for awhile because there were some planned updates to IBbasic that I was hoping to use in my IB adventure, and I figured I'd wait until v204 before stepping back, but I've been bit by the bug again and just want to keep building, hah!

Post by **zach_holbrook** » Fri Mar 25, 2022 5:15 pm

Just wanted to check in and say hey! Also, I haven't had a crash in a while -- I think whatever issues Windows 11 was causing might have been fixed by updates. (I hope that's the case anyway!)

Post by **slowdive** » Sun Mar 27, 2022 5:44 pm

Great to hear that the Win11 crashes have mostly gone away. I have been silent for a bit since I have been in the process of replacing my old laptop. I picked up a MSI ge76 raider from Costco on sale a few weeks ago. I didn't want to install much on it or log into many sites until I knew for sure that I liked it. After a couple weeks of testing, I realized that it was crashing way too often while in idle mode so I reset the laptop and took it back to Costco. I picked another to see if it was just a bad motherboard or ram issue with power and this second one seems to be working great so far. So after a week of testing without crashes I am now installing chrome and logging into more places other than just microsoft and gog. I haven't installed Visual Studios or OBS just yet. So I'm slowly getting the thing setup

Post by **slowdive** » Sun Apr 10, 2022 4:28 am

I started playing around with the idea of a 3D version of IB. It would include the option to have 3D maps and 2D maps depending on the module's art style. It would be using Unity for rendering, audio, animations, and particle effects. So in theory, you could go pixel art style or full realistic 3D art style depending on your module. All the rest of the IB system would stay the same so existing modules would still work. For the 3D option, I would like to have first person map travel (and maybe a toggle for 3rd person) and top down combat (with rotating and panning camera as needed). So when you enter combat, the camera would rotate to a top down view. I am playing with the idea of allowing encounters to happen on the same maps as the main maps if the builder so chooses. If using separate combat maps, it would work the same as it does now with a scene switch from the main map to the encounter map.

Below is a link to a basic test of the first person movement. Of course I would use appropriate tile sets and tokens, but I'm just prototyping for now.

https://youtu.be/J3mExsAFGF0

Do you prefer the pixelated textures or the more realistic textures? I noticed that the video is not the best resolution and the real thing looks better that what is on YouTube. I like how Talespire looks and I would like for the combat view to look like a top down view on a Talespire map type of thing. That way it retains that pen and paper feel in a single player cRPG. Thoughts?

Using Unity will simplify and improve the whole graphic, audio, animation, and particle systems in IB. This should result in cleaner code for the IB game systems in the end (in theory). Of course, I'm just tinkering around to see how it may or may not work out. I spoke with Jason and Jonny (Bouncy Rock) to get some tips and a general feel if Unity could work for IB and that was extremely helpful for me. Thoughts?

Post by **Dorateen** » Sun Apr 10, 2022 2:22 pm

I'm excited about the idea. Personally, I prefer the pixelated textures to the realistic ones. I think once you introduce any higher resolution graphics into an otherwise pixelated environment it creates a clash. Also, the pixels help maintain that old school charm of IceBlink.

I do like the Talespire look a lot. Understanding that project had been conceived as a tabletop supplement, I had always wanted to see that style in a computer role-playing game.

Post by **Pongo** » Sun Apr 17, 2022 6:27 am

Yeah that looks nice! I agree with Dorateen about the pixelated textures.

I hadn't seen Talespire in action before but it looks pretty cool. The combat approach looks like it would work, definitely captures the tabletop feel.

Post by **slowdive** » Tue Apr 26, 2022 3:57 am

I've been slowly working on testing IB in Unity to see if it will work. I was able to get area loading and drawing the layers working (not shadows, Props, grid, FoW, etc. yet) plus zoom and pan. Nothing really implemented yet, just trying to see if the main parts will work. Unity has a built in Tilemap system that is very efficient for rendering tilemaps fast. I'm trying to use it by creating Unity Tiles from the data in the IB area files. I have a title screen just to test the transition to the main map screen. I have to hit the "A" key (just for testing) to create and start rendering the tiles so that is why there is a slight delay from the black screen to the map. I have it set to 120fps just to limit it, it can run at over 1000fps on my laptop if I don't limit it

Also, I have a toggle ("B" key) to switch between perspective and orthogonal views and you will see me switching back and forth just to show that I have a 3d cube in the scene and the difference between the two modes. Regular IB maps will probably be set to orthogonal view only, but I am just playing around here to understand settings. For some reason panning only works in orthogonal view, I'll need to fix that for the 3d encounter maps (I'm starting to lean towards 3d encounter maps being separate maps just like we have now in IB).

See the link below for how it is working out so far (sorry about the weird audio noise):

https://youtu.be/8611W3-2N14

Post by **Dorateen** » Tue Apr 26, 2022 1:52 pm

Looks interesting. I suppose there would be a way to set the fog of war distance on a map?

Post by **slowdive** » Tue Apr 26, 2022 3:27 pm

Fog of war will work like it used to with black tiles covering unexplored squares. I will adjust the zoom in/out and panning to be limited to the map edges. I’ll have the panning by click + drag and keyboard as well. Maybe zoom could have a keyboard key as well.

Post by **slowdive** » Mon May 02, 2022 4:44 am

I finished importing all the scripts from IB to the IB unity version. Maybe I'll call the Unity version IB2 or IBu? I am going through all the imported scripts one-by-one and commenting out the parts that will need adjusting (draw and animation stuff mostly). So I have a lot of "TODO" parts

I just have the "CommonCode" script left to go through. I'll then start tackling one screen at a time starting with the launcher screen and then the title screen. So overall some good progress has been made with the limited time I have.

Post by **Dorateen** » Mon May 02, 2022 7:10 pm

Looking forward to see more examples of Unity IceBlink.

I think we had an IceBlink 2 version at some point. IBU could work, almost reminds me of an academic institution.

Post by **zach_holbrook** » Thu May 05, 2022 1:39 pm

This does sound exciting. How much revision would a Unity version of IceBlink require on the builder's end?

Post by **slowdive** » Thu May 05, 2022 8:40 pm

zach_holbrook wrote: ↑Thu May 05, 2022 1:39 pm This does sound exciting. How much revision would a Unity version of IceBlink require on the builder's end?

I’m coding the Unity version so that it will not require any changes from the builder. That is the plan. It should only create new options. The only parts that may change are some of the trickier code additions that Karl added that I can’t figure out how to convert (maybe the lighting system, but that should have a good Unity option to use).

Post by **zach_holbrook** » Fri May 06, 2022 12:50 am

Sounds great. I'm eager to test things out and play around with new options -- school ends next month, so I'll be working on Malkin a lot again very soon!

Post by **slowdive** » Tue May 10, 2022 4:31 am

Some more slow progress here as I try to learn Unity. Unity works very different from the way IB does for handling game loop and game object stuff so it is taking me a bit to get accustomed to the new way of doing things. So far I have the launcher screen working (the UI is mostly prototype and will need some IB specific style) and the title screen comes up. On the title screen, I have the exit and load saved game mostly working. I'll probably work on handling all the trigger, fog of war, and movement blocking stuff next before returning to the create character and party builder screens for "new game" option on title screen.

Post by **zach_holbrook** » Tue May 10, 2022 3:36 pm

Nice! Sounds like good progress to me.

Post by **cartons** » Sat May 14, 2022 1:13 pm

Taking a break from building after finishing the first major dungeon in my game, but just piping in to say that I TOO am excited about this IBU!

Post by **slowdive** » Tue May 17, 2022 4:37 am

Quick update. I have been able to get some more work done with IB v204 (which will be using Unity). I have the area transitions working and area loading happens on demand instead of all at the start of the module. This means the module will load up very quickly (I still need to clean up some additional repetitive loading code first). I also have FoW working and started on a settings screen. I'll be adding some more settings menu features that are shown in this video: https://youtu.be/YOaYQrN1oYQ

Here is a quick video to show where I am at as of today (much of the UI are still placeholder stuff):
https://youtu.be/78oxEmLy7iw

Post by **zach_holbrook** » Fri May 20, 2022 4:13 pm

Exciting stuff. The main menu and UI look fantastic. Zooming is so nice to have too. This is gonna be so great!

Post by **slowdive** » Wed May 25, 2022 6:34 pm

Just a quick update:
I’ve been busy at work with IB in Unity. I will post another video once I finish up the main map screen UI work (which is almost finished). Most of the button don’t lead to actual screens yet and I’ll work on those one at a time. I do have the conversation system and screen mostly working at this point and area transitions.

Post by **zach_holbrook** » Fri May 27, 2022 1:34 pm

Excellent! Looking forward to seeing the video!

Post by **slowdive** » Mon May 30, 2022 4:02 am

Here is a quick video to show some of the items I have been working on the past week or so.

https://youtu.be/vvg2g6g0gBk

The main map UI only has right clicking on portraits (doesn't actually change the party leader or switch tokens yet), journal button, and party button working so far. The log panel has an issue with gaining and maintaining focus as well as a couple of other bugs to figure out. The UI art and text style is still placeholder-ish. Any thoughts or suggestions are most welcome.

Post by **Dorateen** » Mon May 30, 2022 2:06 pm

Everything looks so smooth! I like the new layout of the journal and the character sheet, that was impressive.

One thought: when pulling up item information, would it be possible for the information box to open in the center of the screen, instead of on the right side? It would mean covering the character portrait, but I think might look better.

Also, not to put any pressure on you, do you have an approximate time frame when build 204 might be ready?

Post by **zach_holbrook** » Tue May 31, 2022 3:49 pm

Looking great! The character sheet is much more user friendly now.

Post by **slowdive** » Fri Jun 03, 2022 10:07 pm

I'm not sure exactly on the timeline for v204. It depends on how quickly I can get everything working in Unity. It will also need some testing by module authors to verify that their modules are still working correctly. I'm trying not to change any of the underlining systems code and try my best to replicate the graphical systems in Unity. So in theory, all existing modules should not need any changes and should work out of the box. There may be some differences with the weather and map elevation system, but I'll try and keep as much as I can working with Unity. Right now I'm working on implementing all the different screens and then I'll go back and polish the graphical systems. I'm getting faster with each screen as I learn and understand more about Unity and how best to implement IB systems into Unity.

I was hoping to have the "tooltip" type box with the item info be more connected to the mouse position with an offset, but I had issues getting it working well in local/world space with different screen resolutions. I'll revisit that at some point, but for now, I'll just have the box show up in the middle as suggested.

Post by **slowdive** » Thu Jun 16, 2022 12:16 am

Messed up my back last week so didn't get much done. Started working more on the inventory screen this week and have some parts working. I still need to address the tooltip item info location so that it is closer to the mouse location. I plan on having the party tokens on the right side of the screen and toggling them will select a player for comparison info. So when you hoover over an item, you will have two tooltip boxes next to each other, one with the item hoovered over and the other will be the equipped item of the selected PC that has the same type. For weapons and rings, you would get both ring hands and both weapon hands I guess. Anyway, it is a working thought and I'm not sure if it will work well or not. In the video below, you will see that the items are in a scrollable box instead of pages. The filter buttons are there, but not coded yet. Thoughts?

https://youtu.be/xzpVVNVxO34

Post by **cartons** » Sun Jun 19, 2022 2:32 pm

All of quality of life changes welcome! I like the idea of a comparison for equipable items.

Post by **Pongo** » Tue Jul 19, 2022 6:29 pm

Looking good! Tooltips will be much more user friendly, especially with a comparison option with what you're wielding. Look forward to testing it!

Post by **slowdive** » Sat Aug 20, 2022 10:03 pm

I am thinking of doing some recurring live streams of coding sessions as a chance to connect with the IceBlink community and also to keep me on a coding schedule

I'll try and do either Saturdays or Sundays at 12:00 Arizona time.

Tomorrow's stream: https://youtu.be/rM7kETVl3K8

Feel free to drop by for a few minutes and say hi if you get a chance. You can also watch after the fact, but coding is pretty boring so probably not worth watching

EDIT: I switched the starting time to noon.

Post by **slowdive** » Thu Sep 08, 2022 2:41 am

I posted a quick update to show where I am at with the IB Unity Inventory Screen and get some feedback:

https://youtu.be/caNVeWIxZxU

It isn't a lot of progress since the last stream, but it is some progress

Post by **Pongo** » Mon Sep 26, 2022 7:45 pm

That inventory looks a lot more modern and intuitive. I like the way it easily brings up the comparison with the equipped weapon - makes life so much easier.

Post by **slowdive** » Tue Sep 27, 2022 11:36 pm

I like the comparison toggle as well. Next up is to make all the UI elements load up the images from the module's "ui" folder and use those instead of the default ui images (assuming the module has a replacement image with the same filename). I will also need to think about using the builder's MainMap and CombatMap UI layout file that describes a custom layout, etc.

Post by **slowdive** » Wed Nov 09, 2022 12:54 am

To celebrate the 10 year anniversary of IceBlink Engine (yes, it has been a decade already

), I thought I would try and do some streams on Twitch of me playing some of the modules. Maybe I'll play some of the earlier modules first.

I'll be streaming on Sundays at 1PM Arizona time (I'm the same as Denver right now).

https://www.twitch.tv/slowdive_fan

Drop by and say hi if you get a chance

Post by **Dorateen** » Wed Nov 09, 2022 3:26 pm

Sounds good! I can't believe it has been ten years already, but that's right. The Kickstarter for IceBlink was funded back in November 2012.

Post by **Dorateen** » Mon Nov 14, 2022 2:50 pm

slowdive, I was able to watch yesterday's stream of Raventhal a few hours afterward. It was great to see the 3D view in the iceblink basic version. Looked like a lot of fun with the fans following along.

Post by **slowdive** » Tue Nov 15, 2022 12:01 am

Dorateen wrote: ↑Mon Nov 14, 2022 2:50 pm slowdive, I was able to watch yesterday's stream of Raventhal a few hours afterward. It was great to see the 3D view in the iceblink basic version. Looked like a lot of fun with the fans following along.

It was a ton of fun! I posted it on YouTube so that you and Pongo could check it out. I think I will continue the adventure this Sunday at the same time for about an hour or so (live on Twitch) and then post again to YouTube. I stream and record at the same time since Twitch doesn't keep videos for very long. Happy to hear that you were able to watch a bit and that you enjoyed it.

IB ten year anniversary celebration EP1:
https://youtu.be/4XAmL8dE_XQ

Post by **slowdive** » Tue Feb 11, 2025 6:29 am

some WIP of IB3D in Unity https://youtu.be/gWUu3ot0Ig4

Post by **Dorateen** » Sat Mar 01, 2025 5:41 pm

I just saw this... pretty amazing. Good to see more IceBlink development!