Seeking Input for a digital record sheet for AToW

[rjhancock]

I appreciate the help on that but until I have a working data structure in place and ways to get the data into the database, not sure WHAT I need just yet. Eventually it will be all of the traits, skills, personal weapons, misc gear, unit data, etc. Every piece of data. that is needed for all parts of BattleTech play.

But I'm building this out a bit at a time as well as the tools to make management of it easier (including mass import). So this may be a case of I get the basics in place then see if y'all can help me get the rest of it done. I'll keep this thread updated for sure. I'm liking what feedback I'm getting and it's really helping.

[Daryk]

My spreadsheet has all the skill and trait (positive, negative and variable) data built into its data sheet already.  The skill data includes handling subskills and tiered skills, but not specialties (yet).  It can also handle Fast and Slow Learner.

[monbvol]

I also have a sheet around somewhere that shows all the possible combination of traits that alter skill xp to skill rank values and what those values are that you are free to use as well.

[Daryk]

You cracked how to do Gremlins?  ???

Color me intrigued!  :thumbsup:

[monbvol]

Mostly.  I failed to catch how Gremlins and Tech Empathy do not apply during character creation in my spreadsheet but yes it will return correct skill ranks for the proper stacking of Fast Learner, Tech Empathy, Gremlins, and Slow Learner and all their possible combinations.  Which all sounds super awesome until I point out my spreadsheet is not built to self optimize but defaults to banking and the user has to know those thresholds if they wish to correctly optimize.

I can't remember exactly how I did it but I have vague memories of setting up a table with the appropriate break points and a rather odd function that would use the trait values to look at the proper column and correctly account for all possible valid combinations.

Also I made a stand a lone simple table that showed the thresholds for all possible combinations.  But I can't find the link for it now.

[Daryk]

If you find it, please let me know!  I think it was the potential combination of Tech Empathy/Gremlins with Fast/Slow Learner that hit my "no, just no" threshold...  8)

THIS is the true power of social media.  We've been working on similar projects for a long time, but it wasn't until this random conversation I realized you might have a solution to a thing I thought was too hard to solve!  :thumbsup:

[monbvol]

Found it.  Third link in my sig, first post, second file attached for the simple table.

[Daryk]

Awesome, thanks!  I only have a handful of days before I check back in to the Pain Palace (the five-sided one).  Not sure how far I'll get, but I'll definitely take a look!  :thumbsup:

[Daryk]

Hmmm... OK, I see you have the costs calculated, but not the logic to apply the right column (the trick being Tech Empathy and Gremlins only apply to certain skills).  That will take some more work, I think.  But hey, the math at least has already been worked out, so thanks for that!  :thumbsup:

[monbvol]

Oh yeah for the function that's buried somewhere in my actual character sheet which is the embedded mediafire link in the same post.  That'll be another beast all together to separate out.

[Daryk]

Beast indeed!  The formula I wrote to just sort out Fast/Slow/(Normal) Learner was over two lines long...

[rjhancock]

I have Fast/Slow learner figured out as it had an immediate impact on XP calculations. Haven't gone further than that. And even mine is just 2 flags on the model then basically checking if both are present, then either or and figures that all out correctly.

But this next phase isn't the math portion, it's the part that has all the data in a single place so all the apps I'm working just have 1 place to go to get it and if an errata updates or more are added, one spot and all apps get it all at once.

[Daryk]

For the skills, I have "Skill Name", relevant Attribute(s), Target Number, Type (SB, SA, CB, CA), and two more columns (TN and Type again) if they're tiered.

The traits are a matrix that ranges from the lowest possible value (e.g., -1,000 for Enemy, Extra Income, and Unlucky) to the highest (up to +1,100 for Rank).  Only Extra Income ranges from -1,000 to +1,000.

[rjhancock]

I have the traits in my current data with their ranges and required minimals, I just don't have any additional calcs done beyond Slow/Fast learner. It'll get there though.

[Daryk]

Cool!  That's a decent chunk of the problem solved already!  :thumbsup:

[rjhancock]

Yup. Now just to get said central repository up and running and the data moved over to it. lol

[arachneo]

Beast indeed!  The formula I wrote to just sort out Fast/Slow/(Normal) Learner was over two lines long...

Mostly.  I failed to catch how Gremlins and Tech Empathy do not apply during character creation in my spreadsheet but yes it will return correct skill ranks for the proper stacking of Fast Learner, Tech Empathy, Gremlins, and Slow Learner and all their possible combinations.  Which all sounds super awesome until I point out my spreadsheet is not built to self optimize but defaults to banking and the user has to know those thresholds if they wish to correctly optimize.

I can't remember exactly how I did it but I have vague memories of setting up a table with the appropriate break points and a rather odd function that would use the trait values to look at the proper column and correctly account for all possible valid combinations.

Also I made a stand a lone simple table that showed the thresholds for all possible combinations.  But I can't find the link for it now.

I have a formula that calculates the cost in xp from level and base skill cost. This basic cost is the one that is affected by traits (slow / fast learner and/or gremlins / tech empathy) adding or subtracting 1 on the basic cost of the affected skills.

With this formula I don't need to save tables with the cost of the skills. It's simple and fast.

I'm curious about your formulas.

[Daryk]

My spreadsheet is linked in my sig block if you want to take a look...

[monbvol]

Same.  Third link in sig block, first post, mediafire link actually in the post.

[arachneo]

From what I see, both of you are working with a table.
I am working with a mathematical formula to calculate the experience points from a certain level and an inverse formula to obtain the level from the experience points.

If anyone is interested, just ask.

[monbvol]

I went table because it was the easier way to make sure the correct skills were impacted by the correct traits while supporting banking XP.

[Daryk]

Exactly, though I'll add Attributes to that mix in my case.  Tiered skills need extra processing too.

[rjhancock]

As of right now I use a hash table to store the XP per skill level and use said table on initial skill creation when a level is provided. After that, every update will check the table based on current traits.

[rjhancock]

Posting here as it's relevant. Had a meeting with MS today regarding licensing. Went well. I don't have one as of yet but the individual helping me is investigating what needs to be done to allow me TO license it.

[Daryk]

COOL!  :thumbsup:

Best of luck with the project!  8)

[rjhancock]

Still no response one way or the other with MS. Still in process. I asked this on a few discords and going to ask here as well.

Would y'all want me to push what I have now to a server for testing and general use? Only basic point buy is currently working (no equipment/etc).

[Daryk]

If you're still working on it, I can wait for Life Paths.  :thumbsup:

[rjhancock]

If you're still working on it, I can wait for Life Paths.  :thumbsup:

Life Paths will be a post license task (unless that takes forever then I will get back to it).

[Daryk]

Ah, ok.  I have no doubt you've got point buy working, so I'm easy either way.

[rjhancock]

Yea, I tried to start with life Paths then the logic got complicated so switched to point buy.