Pyrite Launch

Hey guys,

I've relaunched the site: http://www.dauntlessmachines.com/

It feels rough but entire magnitudes better.  I'm calling this the "Pyrite" launch, a pun on gold code.  If you find any bugs please shoot me a message through the 'help' section.

This version includes: Organizations and Game sections to help order players, Character pages for persistent expenditures, notes character administrators can leave on the page for things like experience awards, and social logins like Facebook and Google+.  Still a long way to dynamically creating rule sets, but a start none the less.

ZBott

Now excuse me, I'm going outside to play.

Dauntless Machines

Hey everybody!

Due to a change in tactics and legal concerns, I've went in a new direction.  Sorry I didn't post this sooner.  I saw some attention to my site and didn't want to give a false impression.

To start, I'm running this as a website first: Dauntless Machines

The site will be a testing ground for both intractability, rules publishing, and most importantly data tracking.  Once this gets working to full "gold" code, I'll start on the app side.

Second is I had to pick a name that was available and corporate-able so I didn't get sued if things went bad.  It's a sad fact in the world but I had to create something to absorb the fall out if I got into a fight I couldn't win.

This new company also provides me with the tools to either go into a full blown company or hire freelancers on a per-assignment if the cash flow increases.

So for the people who supported me so far I want to give a shout to and say I'm still rolling this out.  It's a new format that gives me a wider audience, and allow me to go back and release the apps as needed.

Thanks guys,

ZBott

Drop-down Gorgeous

Hey all,

Kind of a minor one on the outside, but bigger on the inside.  I've got it to change some key fields based on the Game drop-down.  It changes the name on top, the experience, and the downtime values.  Here's a picture:

See the powah!  For each game, it'll change the drop downs.

I have a bit more editin' for prettyness, but for now it's peachy and keen.

This is the details the storyteller/DM/GM/ref will receive.  I have to make a change for the 10 Mile version to fit specs, but I can switch things around how you need.

An Introduction:
I'm getting close to buttoning up this project, the next part will be SQL based.  It's where Mobile Grapevine really enters back into the picture.  Game Admins can make a new game organization, add chronicles, characters, and players.  This is just the basic overhead for keeping track of people's emails and pertinent information.  Slowly this will morph out into a storyteller then player based account system, allowing players to log in, select their characters, and submit spends for each and every game using the service that they have a character in.  I should be getting to this next week some time, as long as the Spends Maker doesn't give me too many more headaches.

See you all later,
ZBott out.

PS: 4/14 is my birthday!

Champagne Wishes and HTML Emails

Hey all,

I got it shooting out HTML formatted emails, still looks ugly.  Here, take a look:

And here is some sample text email I sent myself to my Gmail account:

I added the reply box as proof.

Other than proving I can be crass, what it's doing is shooting data to me, formatting it for ease of reading, and pop!  Not the most impressive thing in the world, but it's to show I am working on my days off.

What I'll be focusing on next is making it easier to read, better laid out, and researching a decent web hosting service so I can get this online.

Once I have this online and running, the next stage will be managing the games.  This is where it's tricky with my budge: The service must allow me to host games that look like PBBG (Persistent Browser Based Games), which some hosting services will not allow for basic hosting services.  Once I can get it up and running, head storytellers/game master/dungeon masters/etc can make email lists for themselves.  I'll be making it where orgs can also host a series of chronicles, so they'll be grouped together.  From there downtime spends will be sent to all appropriate addresses within a single chronicle.

I'll be posting more updates as they come,
ZBott out!

Update!  I got a bit more formatting done, so I'm showing off:

I blued my email address.  Otherwise if you have any ideas on how I should set up color schemes, let me know.

Add and Delete Functionality is Functional

Hey all,

Just a quick post.  I got this thing to now both add and delete spends.  Next is to fully format it for email.  Take a look:

I've removed game selection for now, and just streamlining some functionality.  The drop down has a list of experience costs, the field to it's right has the name, and below has the details section.  I'll be adding labels to each of them soon, but I was just fixing the arrays today when I got off work so its still ugly.

At the bottom will be a submit button for emails, at the top will be game selector to choose format for experience spends and STs/GMs/DMs to be emailed.

ZBott out!

It Mutated!

Hey Everybody

Still working, but things have been slow as I'm trying to prep for a new baby in my family.

I've decided to cut back from a native app program to all web based, which I was a lot stronger at doing in the first place.  This means less worrying about the better platforms, or how to create something that works on iPhones and Android tablets seamlessly, and more just focusing on server backends and mobile web frond ends.  The only problem is your device will have to be connected to the internet.

This first stage is going to be a lot simplier, too.  It's just a spends calculator.  Here is a rough copy of what I'm building to test with Milwaukee Beasts, the WtA LARP I run:

Currently it takes the drop down menu and the field to it's right and adds it to an array, then displays the array.  There are two arrays, one for the experience and one for downtime actions.

Once I start getting the databases integrated, it will have a login, and allow players to make basic spends on their own, straight into the database, and send emails to the storytellers on more complex ones for verification.  This will really streamline some of the out of game maintenance, all from your web connected device.

ZBott out!

Zounds!

Hey all,

I'm working on my first project still, and I finally have some days off to really plug away at it, hopefully before Christmas.  It's nothing fancy, just a sound board, but as I've never worked with sounds before this is new territory to me.

My follow up to this will either be a simulation game or a text editor.  Again, nothing fancy, but building up some raw skills that seem to be eluding me.

I'll post some screen shots when I get this app completed, and load it to the Google Play market.

ZBott out!

Back at it, kind of

Hey all,

Back to programming, but this time I'm going to focus on related projects to build up some skills.  I was having problems with buttons functioning right, certain types of UI glitches, and other such nonsense.  I'll have a full list of what I'm working on next time I update.

ZBott

Nanowrimo Break

Hey all,

Taking a break to try to pound out a novel I've been thinking up for like two years now.  Hopefully I'll get it done and back at coding in December!

ZBott

Now with Columns and Rows

Hey all,

Minor update, really, but I felt it's been to long to just edit a previous post.  I got my character windows to start putting things down in their own columns and rows.  Take a look:

With the character list to compare

It's still listing the tab as each field's name, and text boxes for multiple entries aren't working right yet, either.  Again, just a minor update, but pro is the opposite of con, and I am making the opposite of congress.  Next step will be making the click-on text show up correctly on the right and text boxes spawn.

ZBott

Now With Fields!

Hey all,

Mostly just another screen cap today, but this time, I'm generating fields per entry!  Take a look:

Notice the poor formatting, because it won't be there much longer!

As you can see, it's put down the tab name for each entry, and it lays out everything in a line.  I'm in the middle of making things work faster, so I'll be fixing that soon, too.  It also just has the generic info, and I'll be fixing that soon, too, but that'll come after some generalizing and adding parts for each venue to the master control file.  The goal is by two weeks it starts to populate the correct data in, but first I needed to generate the proper fields.

ZBott out!

Character Window in the Rough

Hey all,

Back at it, I've finally gotten the character pane to start to generate tabs.  Take a look:

Important data coming soon!  I probably should have focused on a vampire or werewolf, but I picked what came up first.

As you might notice, I have major inside yet.  It's a-comin', but the tabs are completely generated from an XML control file!  Soon I should have all parts there at this rate by the end of October, and hopefully be able to save and delete, too.

ZBott out!

Back to the XML!

Hey all,

So I'm back to rebuilding the MET MGV XML file. (AKA Mind's Eye Theater Mobile Grave Vine eXtention Markup Language).  This file will determine lay out for the files, and, after a bit, save and file printing functions.

Here's what I got so far:

Yay, code!

This only covers what you'll find all classes, and it's missing several parts that determine if a field is a small box, like Name, or a table like XP.

I'll keep you all posted when I get the actual program to eat this and spit out something worth looking at, till then, say class.

ZBott

Update!  I now have it sorting out character types by the second file:

Now it will pull out all appropriate character types, not just me having to specify.  Getting much closer to soft coding all of this.  Next week, I'll be working on making the character windows actually spawn correctly, the character list populate with correct data, and the details show actual details.

Now with Character List

Hey all,

So lately I've been working on streamlining towards my game specific rules files, and I've gotten this much to show:

With Grapevine's character list for comparison

Not very pretty yet, I know.  A friend of mine says it looks like Windows 98, so I'm tempted to make the background that sickly green felt color just to get back at him.

Soon I'm going to have it stop spawning the character files, instead you'll need to go to the character list.  I'll make the character list close-able, too, when I get it working right.  I'll also start to sort out the game files by game dates, game specs, items, plots, and so on, and they will get their own list windows, too, which will be accessible from the menus.

This step means both I'm still at it, but more importantly, I can start to work on making the columns game specific, and start to present important details.  Sadly, it means that at this pace it'll be a while before the applet gets to a website.  Sorry, I hope to have it done by the end of the year, and that might not happen with only two days a week to focus on this.  Still set on a summer release of the android version, hopefully better news next time.

Tell me what you think in comments below.

ZBott

Update!   I got the pictures rolling, though not the data pane.  Take a look:

This is including all data gathered, even if faultily displayed at the moment, will work to correct soonish.

Hopefully it gives a better idea on what to expect.  I don't have pictures for the icons, those belong to Grapevine, and as I'll be capitalizing this privately, I'll only use Grapevine's icons if and when I can buy the rights from Adam Cerling and co.

Update 2!  Just some more edits to the pane so it looks closer to right:

Also at full size, so you get a good idea of what to expect

The character name, group, sub group are going to be populating soon, the NPC will be check boxes, and the active will list full status such as dead or harrowing.  For now, I work 7 days in a row, so this won't really get much loving till then.

Prepare for some code!

Hey all,

Sorry I'm late, just been a busy week.

I've stepped over one problem to work on another, so I'm going back to XML code.  Here's what I got so far:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<mgv game="grapevine">
   <classes>
      <werewolf>
         <stats>
            <attributes>
               <physical type="text" tab="2" placement="right_top" />
               <social type="text" tab="2" placement="center_top" />
               <mental type="text" tab="2" placement="right_top" />
               <negPhysical type="text" tab="2" placement="right_bottom" />
               <negSocial type="text" tab="2" placement="center_bottom" />
               <negMental type="text" tab="2" placement="left_bottom" />
            </attributes>
         </stats>
         <abilities>
            <ability />
            <background />
            <influence />
            <merits />
            <flaws />
            <gifts />
            <rites />
            <renown>
               <honor />
               <glory />
               <wisdom />
            </renown>
            <other />
         </abilities>
         <items />
         <history />
      </werewolf>
   </classes>
   <game />
   <rules />
</mgv>

What all that is, is the prototype for the Grapevine data format class thing (technical term there) which my Mobile Grapevine will use to parse in, then read out per class, item, etc.  This is only a very limited bit, focusing again on my test case of Werewolf characters.  When it's working, whenever it sees a Werewolf character, it will pump out a properly formatted window pane, and the data will go into the correct fields.  My two week goal will to be that screen shot.  Stay tuned!

ZBott

Frames, JFrames, and the #test Menace

Hey all,

After a day of working on it, I got this to show:

What does this mean?  I now have frames!  Nothing is inside them at the moment because I'm just testing frames from a .GEX file.  In here I'm going to put tabs, and inside said tabs I'm putting the data you want to see, and I mean your game data of course!

I have another day of code with my only other plan to be a long bike ride.  Until then, feel free to make a bizarre background out of my screen shot if you have nothing better to do.  As gamers, I hope you do have something better to do, otherwise we have no plots!

ZBott

After thought: What other games are people looking to have a Grapevine like program for?  I know the Fate system has someone working on an app for it, and there is one for Legends of the 5 Rings, but what do you want, personally?  Leave the game you want to see Grapevine-ified in the comments below.

Update!

I got a little farther, so I wanted to post showing what it looks like with tabs:

I'm having some weird error drawing in the correct data, but I'll be fixing that, and the sizing issue soon.  I might just skip ahead a little and make it where the areas that should have data (instead of 'null') will be a text field with the correct data inside.  -ZBott

Fun with Tabs

Hey all,

I know some people have been keeping tabs on me (Puns!), so I want to show what I have so far.  Nothing amazing, but it does have promise.  This is the very rough stage of making an entire GEX file load up all it's pertinent data into tabs.

Problems I'm working out: It's full of odd junk data (#text:  is half of my tabs!), it doesn't layer quite right so the traits aren't nesting under the character sheet, and is quite limited on how far it can grow.  All this will be fixed soon, it's all just stupid bugs that need smacking.

I wanted to go on to match the full image length, but this post is mostly a rush to have it out this week sort of deal, and not leave people wondering where I am when I promised to get back to work.

ZBott

PS: Still exceedingly poor.  I couldn't go to Gen Con this year, though I don't exactly have a lot to show if I went.  Even going there as a spectator is wildly out of my price range.  I hope to go next year, though, and to many more showcasing a working, in-phone version of the app.

Question to the Vampire: The Masquerade Crowd

Hey all,

Odd problem has been causing me some grief, and I realized I might not need to worry about it.  How many use the Aura field for both level and name?  Or even at all?  If it's used it make XML all made because of duplicate attributes.

It looks like this for those who don't know what I mean.

If it's important to games, I'll make sure it flows over nicely, but otherwise for each thing I don't need to worry about the better off I am.

ZBott

August Returns

Hey all,

All this summer till now I've been exceedingly busy, but now I have some more time on my plate to work on the program.  Each week I'll be trying to get at least one post out covering my progress toward Applet Grapevine, the test bed for all things going into the final app.

I did a little coding today:

This is a more sophisticated used of XML compared to last time, where I'm choosing what I pull instead of just dumping everything into the terminal.  Still pretty much just spitting out data like I did months ago, however it's using pure XML instead of me pulling it out and turning it into a text string.

For now my plan is to use just XML for the data, and then finding a way to have users generate rule sets for games.  This will eventually lead to there being 3 files related to the game: The game's data itself, the official rule set, and then house rules addendum file.  I know most of this is reiterating everything, sorry if it seems redundant.

With my next post I hope to have things back to a graphical user interface for people, instead of dry text.

ZBott out

New Poll!

Power Poll, Extend!

Enough Dragon Ball references.  To the right of the dodelledo (-->) is a new poll, asking what sort of features you, gentile readers need the most.

To the left (<--) is a +1 button if you are so inclined.  Please let others know if you think this project is hot, or at least worth talking about.

Thanks to all people reading up, I hope to not have to do more blog maintenance for a while now.

ZBott out!