Roller is a dice rolling program, with a difference, this one is actually useful
and it is the first of it's kind (that I know of) for the Psion, thanks to Jody
Armstrong for pointing out this omission and setting me on the course of writing
what is turning into one of the most complex programs I've written on the Psion.
So Roller rolls dice, but it does more than that, it stores upto 40 dice types,
and 40 rolls, all accessable from the main screen, it also allows you to check
against values and either report success or failure, or add extra rolls to those,
it even allows you to check one roll against another.
1. Installation
---------------
Roller comes as a .ZIP file, this can be extracted either using WinZip (or Similar on a PC) or using S5Zip on the Psion, the files should be extracted to \System\Apps\Roller, on either
the Internal drive (C:) or External Compact Flash (D:), you will also need to install Plugin2.zip into the directory C:\System\OPL, this will install the Plugin Module for you.
2. Running
----------
Once installed you will have a new icon on the Extras Bar called Roller, with a nice
picture of a Die, simply click on this to run Roller, after a few seconds you will
be presented with the main Roller Screen, with a Toolbar and one Icon on the desktop.
* * * * * QUICK START * * * * * *
Press Enter or tap the Icon, you've just rolled an AD&D Stat (complete with extra
percentile if it's 18).
Press menu or tap the side menu button, select Plugin|Magic|Start, select how many lives
you want, tap the buttons on the window to add or subtract lives, flip a coin, or exit.
Press menu or tap the side menu button, select Plugin|Generic Roll|Roll, select number of dice, dice type and number to add/subtract and tap okay to roll.
* * * * END QUICK START * * * * *
3. Using Roller
---------------
Roller uses the standard EPOC32 interface, with a toolbar on the right, with icons
and a clock, menus can be called up using either the side button or the menu key,
the program responds to the correct EPOC32 events and will shutdown properly if
asked.
3.1 Menus
---------
The menus allow you to access every function of the program the menus are
File
----
Open Data - Will Load a set of Dice and Rolls into
the program, at present only the default set is available.
Save Data - Will Save the current data set, creating
three files, <filename> which can be clicked to reload
roller and load in the other two files <filename>.die and
<filename>.rolls
Save As - Will Save the current data set as to new
filename.
Exit - Closes Roller, and saves the current data to the correct
set, when you load next time you will continue using this
set of files.
Dice
----
Add Die* - Adds a die definition to the files, see the section on
Dice for more information.
Edit Die* - Not Implemented, Allows you to select a Die and then change
the information about .
* These only work with the registered version.
Rolls
-----
Roll Dice - Performs the same as tapping an Icon or clicking on Roll Dice
on the Toolbar.
Add Roll - Creates a new roll, see the section on Rolls for more information
on creating and editing rolls.
Edit Roll - Edits the currently selected roll (the inverted one), see the
section on Rolls for more information.
Delete Roll - Not Implemented, This will delete the currently selected roll,
after a comfirmatory dialog.
View Roll - Shows the whole Roll string (3D6=18 1D100 for AD&D Stat), since
the backdrop view will clip this if it's too long.
Plugin
------
Magic - Name of the plugin module pre-installed.
Generic Roll- Creates a generic roll of nDn + n quickly
Config - Allows the adding and removing of plugin modules.
Window (only available if plugin windows are open)
------
Hide - Allows the user to hide any of the open windows
Show - Brings any windows hidden back into view again
Close - Allows the user to close any of the open windows, even if
they are hidden.
Tools
-----
Preferences - Allows you to set preferences for the program, will allow you to
choose which confirmatory messages you will recieve and if the
backdrop shows Roll String.
Register - Unregistered version only, allows the user to register the program
removing nag screens and allowing certain features to work.
Help on Roller - Displays the Roller help file, which will explain in detail about
the various parts of the program, and the concepts used, essential
reading.
About - Displays the DudleySoft Splashscreen.
3.2 Dice
--------
In the other dice rolling programs i've seen you can enter any number for sides,
now while this is flexible it's hardly correct, you can't get 23 sided dice (23
was chosen since it's a prime, and you can't make a regular 23 sided polyhedron.
You could choose to create a D23 as a new dice in this program, but you have to
decide to do it. The program starts with a series of Dice already defined, these
are D4,D6,D8,D10,D12,D20, D100 (Percentile) and D66 (Percentile, well sort of).
There is also a special Dice called Number which allows you to use constant
values in your rolls (as modifiers normally), I'm also concidering adding a
Variable type that asks for a value at runtime. To create a new Dice simply
select Add Dice and you will be presented with a dialog box.
Name - Name for your dice, if you leave it blank it will
generate the name as D<n> where n is the number of
sides selected.
Type - Currently Allows two types Die and Percentile.
Sides 1 - If your using a Die type this is the sides on the
die and you can ignore the other two values, on
percentiles, this is the sides on the first die.
Sides 2 - Ignore if your using a Die type, on a percentile
this represents the number of sides on the second
die (see you don't get this flexability if you
use inferior programs that roll a D100 as 1-100)
Flags - Ignore if your using a Die type, on a percentile
this controls how values are generated.
0 - Values go from 0 to <sides>-1, 00 will
become 100 automatically.
1 - Values go form 1 to <sides>
2 - Values go from 0 to <sides>-1, 00 stays
as 0.
3.3 Rolls
---------
Now comes the complicated part, when we want to roll a die at present we
need to create a Roll, this is a multi part operation, but you can go
back and change values at any point, and the dialog shows the current
roll status as part of it's display. At some point in the future I will
add a quick roll feature, that will mimic lesser dice rolling programs.
Adding and Editing Rolls use the same routines, and are identical except
when you edit a roll the program sticks you at the last die entered and
a new roll starts at the first die.
3.3.1 Roll Editing Dialog
-------------------------
This dialog is the core of the program and provides the amazing flexability
that you wouldn't get with a simpler program.
Operation - This is where the power really comes from, anybody
can write a program to generate a few random numbers
but with this system you can link them together to
form complex equations, the operation types are as
follows:
New - Starts a new roll value, if there is a previous value
it will be output, nearly all rolls will start with
new, or Add or Subtract.
Add - Adds this result to the previous result, speaks for
itself so I'll shut up.
Subtract- Subtracts this result from the last result, see comment
for Add.
Multiply- Multiplies the last result by this one.
Divide - Divides the last result by this one.
Less - Compares the last result with this one if this result is
less than the last one then one of two things happen, if
the Diagnose flag is set then A result is output saying
we failed and telling us the result of this value, if not
then we stop the roll. if its greater then we either
output a success message and continue or just continue.
Greater - Works the same as Less except the other way around.
Equals - Works the same as Less and Greater except it only succeeds
if the results are the same (used to great effect in the
AD&D Stat roll)
Type - The type of die that you want to roll, you can select
from any of the already selected die types here, a list
pops up if you tap on the box when it's selected.
Number - For a Die or percentile type this is how many of them
you want to roll, for a number type this is the actual
number you want to use.
Roll - This simply tells you the roll that you've created
in a standard format.
Allow Negative - If this is checked then the program will allow values
to go negative, if not then they will automatically
be set to zero should they fall below.
Diagnose Checks - Doesn't check for Bank account, this flag says that
when we use a check function we should inform the
user if the check has Succeeded or Failed, if this
is set you will see something like this as a result
14 Failed (18) the first value is the value rolled,
the second value is the value it was checked against
since this can be a dice roll, simply telling the
user that he has failed without confirming it would
seem a little unfair, this can be used for Saving
throws to give a visual indication of the status.
Finish (Button) - This finishes and stores the role, Note that every
Die after the current one will be lost if you select this
in the wrong place, check before you finish that you are
at the last die entry.
More > (Button) - This allows you to enter more dice, it moves you forward
one die in the list, you can go forward upto Die 8.
Back < (Button) - This takes you back one space, all the values after this
are remembered, so you don't have to re-enter them
if you've made a mistake further back.
Cancel (Button) - Cancels the current operation, the roll wont be written
back until you actually finish the roll.
4. Forthcoming Features
-----------------------
As you can tell this program still has a lot of stuff to be added, below is a brief
list of features that will almost definately make it into Version 1.0
* Dice string convertor, will convert a string as displayed by the
dice view and icons into the internal format of the program, either
for quick rolling or for saving to the desktop. (To be a plugin)
Features that might creep in at a future date (Possible and BlueSky stuff)
* Character sheets (this would require a massive new module that would
allow a lot of new features, such as automatic save throws, auto
character generation (using any selected roll type), automatic hit point,
Magic point,etc ... update, level up handling, overnight routines (for
healing/ magic point regeneration, spell learning, prayer learning.
Plus a full character sheet editor (HTF would that work? Multiple windows?
Drag and drop? How do you double/right click?)
* Games Master Plugin - Allow a lot of games master functionality as well
* Plugin Die Types (possibly using my Generic Plugin Module system), to give
access to all the features required by the Character sheet.
* Infrared/Serial linkup will allow Users to send and recieve rolls and
results, run a game on Psion Palmtops? Where do you get a honda to honda
serial lead?)
* PBEM (Play By E-Mail) system to send roll messages across the net and recieve
them at the other end as attachments and to be able to load them in and
use the results.
5. Copyright Notice
-------------------
(C) 1998 DudleySoft
To be finalised, however this product is current Copyright to DudleySoft, and is
Shareware
5.1 Registration Details
------------------------
You may register Roller via the Internet using Reg.Net, see my website at
http://www.dudleysoft.com/psion.html for more details, registration costs $15.
You may also send cheques for ú7.50(Sterling) to the address below made payable to
James Watson, don't forget to tell me your Machine ID otherwise I can't provide you
with a Registration Code. If you send your e-mail address as well I will get back to
you a lot faster.
5.2 Registration code transfer
------------------------------
I know some people get scared when they see a program that uses the machine ID, however
if you need to transfer your code (for replacement machines) simply e-mail me at dudley@dudleysoft.com, stating the reason and if possible your previous Machine ID and Registration code. (You should either keep your e-mail or keep a note somewhere, for safety)
I will concider your request and provided it's reasonable (if you keep trying to transfer your code then it's going to look suspicious and I'll have to refuse).
6. Contact Information
----------------------
The easiest and quickest way to contact me (James Watson) is to use my email
account, dudley@dudleysoft.com, this is currently forwarded to my home account
and is currently checked at least once a day.
Snail Mail:
James Watson
89 Riccarton
Westwood
East Kilbride
G75 9BX
Scotland
7. Extra (Esoteric) Information
-------------------------------
This program and ReadMe file was written to the Melodic Sounds of The Corrs, and Sleeper
and the not so melodic, but equally good sounds of Green Day. I used the Beta version
of OPLPlus by Andy Clarkson, on the EPOC Emulator (Rel version) emulating the Geofox
screen layout (for extra screen size) and tested on an 8Mb Psion Series 5, with
Compact Flash memory. The icons are spash screen were produced using Paint Shop Pro 4 and
5 and converted using bmconv.exe, the PC used is a Pentium 200MMX clocked to 233Mhz with
72MBytes of memory and a 4.3 GByte hard drive. The whole package and readme file were
