[4e] Combat Tracker Utility

[Errant]

Only just found this app two days ago and used it to help run a game yesterday. I just have to say: this is brilliant!

Took me a little while to figure out I had to install Adventure Tools before so I could load in monsters/NPCs but once I got going I found it very intuitive. The screen layout made it very easy to manage things. I think SarahDarkmagic will make it a breeze for new users in the future. If you can add that to the Combat Manager page somewhere I'm sure it'll prove handy.

I gather you can't bring up PC basic attacks or their powers in the Manager, thats a pity but I got around that by opening the Character Builder in the background & using alt-tab to check the relevant character sheet when ever needed.

Is there a way to remove a monster from an encounter though without rebuilding the entire encounter? I thought that would be handy for managing encounters on the run. I figured out how to bump creatures to the reserve so they're not part of the initiative order but the perfectionist(?) in me would have preferred to get the odd monster I loaded accidentally off my screen entirely.

Once again, brilliant work! I think I'll be using this tool in every 4E game I ever run. I hope Wizards sees it & buys the rights to use it as part of their official adventure tools set - just so you can get a nice financial reward for your efforts Mortaneus.

 

[Mercule]

Is there a way to remove a monster from an encounter though without rebuilding the entire encounter?

On the "Initiative" tab, there's a button labeled "Remove Fighter". That should do the trick.

 

[ArcaneSpringboard]

I'm also hoping for some good documentation. I'm trying to sell people on how good this is, but it lacks good documentation to teach people how to really use it.

I accidentally stumbled on the fact that you can assign what conditions characters and monsters cause, then just have them a click away during a fight.

A good, robust instruction manual would be great.

Oh, and telling it whether we are starting combat in a surprise round or not.

How do you assign what conditions the monsters and PCs cause? I see how to assign conditions, but I don't see how it's a click away?

Oh, and does anyone know if there is a way to have the program roll the attacks and damage dice?

 

[Errant]

On the "Initiative" tab, there's a button labeled "Remove Fighter". That should do the trick.

Awesome, thanks Mercule!

Any reason this tool isn't in the Enworld downloads section?

I only found it through a lucky google hit, I hate to think how many people have missed out on this because their search engines bombed out.

 

[Leorix]

How do you assign what conditions the monsters and PCs cause? I see how to assign conditions, but I don't see how it's a click away?

Oh, and does anyone know if there is a way to have the program roll the attacks and damage dice?

You assign conditions by opening the Statblock Library and editing the creature. Then select the Generated Effects tab and add any effect or condition you may need to use. As for dice rolling, the program can roll initiative and saves but not attacks & damage.

 

[Mercule]

Any reason this tool isn't in the Enworld downloads section?

I only found it through a lucky google hit, I hate to think how many people have missed out on this because their search engines bombed out.

I didn't know ENWorld had a downloads section, but I really don't spend as much time here as I did five years ago.

I would imagine Moritaneus would need to give his blessing, but I haven't the foggiest where it would go from there. Personally, I'd love to see it on CodePlex or SourceForge so there was a central place for some of us to keep working on it without ending up with 50 versions.

I won't do it w/o his sign-off. But, if he says "go", I'll happily put the project on CodePlex.

 

[Prizdar]

I was wondering how hard it would be to add a second window for players. I have another monitor I use for my players to shows maps, handouts, and combat rules. I would like to display initiative order and conditions but not all the stuff I use as a DM. I do not want to be updating 2 programs as well.

 

[Mercule]

I don't think it'd be too bad to add another window. The problem would be in having the data shared between them. That could take some significant rework.

 

[Prizdar]

I don't think it'd be too bad to add another window. The problem would be in having the data shared between them. That could take some significant rework.

If I wanted to try it myslef what program would I need to do it?

 

[Mercule]

If I wanted to try it myslef what program would I need to do it?

Visual Studio 2008: Microsoft Express Downloads

This app is written in VB, so download accordingly. Personally, I'm a C# guy, so I'm gonna recommend you get that download, too, especially if you've done Java or some flavor of C.

Lots of info here: The Official Microsoft WPF and Windows Forms Site

Even more here: The Official Microsoft ASP.NET Site

I recommend the asp.net site learning tab, even if you aren't planning on doing web development. The backing language is the same and, strangely, the web guys built a better site.

The main trick to adding the extra window will be in either moving the data objects to shared location and/or setting up events to keep the windows in sync.

I'm looking at adding a WPF front-end to it, as a learning exercise. WPF has some pretty cool data binding that'd pretty much handle the updates automatically. Unfortunately, I have so little "free" time, right now, that it'll be months before I could actually get it done, if ever.

Giving tips and looking at specific blocks of code takes considerably less time, though, so feel free to ask, if you get stuck on something.