A ghost from the past reappears…

[Kurgan]

Ah yes. There are also cables you can buy to throw your phone's display up onto an HD tv if you have it, if your chromecast lags for example.

[iKarith]

Ah yes. There are also cables you can buy to throw your phone's display up onto an HD tv if you have it, if your chromecast lags for example.

May need to see if I can spectate a game—never attempted to do it online, so I'll need to see what I can see. Don't want to detract from others playing if I can help it, and as of tomorrow I'm "fully vaccinated" and suitable to be around others in small groups who are not at risk of complications blah blah blah. (Although my fiancée has caught some cniffle I'm likely to get, so maybe I'll wait another week before venturing out into the big blue room with the leaky ceiling.)

[Kurgan]

Luck you. I'm way at the bottom of the vaccination totem pole in my area.

I could demo it with you, whether its a real game or not. I have literally played where the other person has nothing in front of them (but pencil and paper) and is just telling me what to move (and I'm Zargon).

[iKarith]

Luck you. I'm way at the bottom of the vaccination totem pole in my area.

Not really. The list of reasons why I need to be higher in the totem pole is … long—and NONE of it qualified me to get the thing because frankly seniors are a larger voting bloc. What did … my fiancee uses a wheelchair and needs a part-time personal care assistant, and I fill that role for her. That takes me from vaccine in May when literally anyone can get it to Group 1A, vaccine in December, if I'd realized it then. The compromised immune system, chemotherapy, asthma, diabetes, and all the other stuff didn't count for anything because I'm not old enough.

I could demo it with you, whether its a real game or not. I have literally played where the other person has nothing in front of them (but pencil and paper) and is just telling me what to move (and I'm Zargon).

What I'm really wondering is whether or not I'd be able to follow Vassal. I downloaded it and … I don't have the problem I usually do with lots of game-related programs…



The whole UI is massively massive. I think it thinks I have HiDPI here. I do have my font scaling turned up, but I'm gonna need to figure out how to tell it NOT to do that. I need a liiiiittle more stuff on screen than this. I guess that top part is a chat window? Not made for a dark theme, black on gray when I roll dice.

I suspect I want to modify this line:

<VASSAL.build.widget.PieceSlot entryName="dicetray" gpid="175" height="0" width="0">+/null/prototype;Bothsides playSound;Roll_Dice.wav;Play Sound;82,130;true\ report;56\,195;$playerName$ rolls 8 combat dice : $DiceDisplay1_Name$ $DiceDisplay2_Name$ $DiceDisplay3_Name$ $DiceDisplay4_Name$ $DiceDisplay5_Name$ $DiceDisplay6_Name$ $DiceDisplay7_Name$ $DiceDisplay8_Name$;;;8d\\ emb2;;2;;Increase;2;;Decrease;2;;Reset;82,130;1;false;380;30;,dice-skull.gif,dice-skull.gif,dice-skull.gif,dice-wshield.gif,dice-wshield.gif,dice-bshield.gif;,Skull,Skull,Skull,White shield,White shield,Black shield;false;DiceDisplay8;;;true;DiceValue8;0;1;true;;93,130;91,130\\\ PROP;DiceValue8;true,0,6,false;:56\,585:P\,$CombatDice_result$,:48\,130:P\,0\\\\ macro;8d;;56,520;;;48\,130,82\,130,49\,585,82\,130,50\,585,82\,130,51\,585,82\,130,52\,585,82\,130,53\,585,82\,130,54\,585,82\,130,55\,585,82\,130,56\,585,56\,195;false;;;counted;;;;false;;1;1\\\\\ report;55\,195;$playerName$ rolls 7 combat dice : $DiceDisplay1_Name$ $DiceDisplay2_Name$ $DiceDisplay3_Name$ $DiceDisplay4_Name$ $DiceDisplay5_Name$ $DiceDisplay6_Name$ $DiceDisplay7_Name$;;;7d\\\\\\ emb2;;2;;Increase;2;;Decrease;2;;Reset;82,130;1;false;330;30;,dice-skull.gif,dice-skull.gif,dice-skull.gif,dice-wshield.gif,dice-wshield.gif,dice-bshield.gif;,Skull,Skull,Skull,White shield,White shield,Black shield;false;DiceDisplay7;;;true;DiceValue7;0;1;true;;93,130;91,130\\\\\\\ PROP;DiceValue7;true,0,6,false;:55\,585:P\,$CombatDice_result$,:48\,130:P\,0\\\\\\\\ macro;7d;;55,520;;;48\,130,82\,130,49\,585,82\,130,50\,585,82\,130,51\,585,82\,130,52\,585,82\,130,53\,585,82\,130,54\,585,82\,130,55\,585,55\,195;false;;;counted;;;;false;;1;1\\\\\\\\\ report;54\,195;$playerName$ rolls 6 combat dice : $DiceDisplay1_Name$ $DiceDisplay2_Name$ $DiceDisplay3_Name$ $DiceDisplay4_Name$ $DiceDisplay5_Name$ $DiceDisplay6_Name$;;;6d\\\\\\\\\\ emb2;;2;;Increase;2;;Decrease;2;;Reset;82,130;1;false;280;30;,dice-skull.gif,dice-skull.gif,dice-skull.gif,dice-wshield.gif,dice-wshield.gif,dice-bshield.gif;,Skull,Skull,Skull,White shield,White shield,Black shield;false;DiceDisplay6;;;true;DiceValue6;0;1;true;;93,130;91,130\\\\\\\\\\\ PROP;DiceValue6;true,0,6,false;:54\,585:P\,$CombatDice_result$,:48\,130:P\,0\\\\\\\\\\\\ macro;6d;;54,520;;;48\,130,82\,130,49\,585,82\,130,50\,585,82\,130,51\,585,82\,130,52\,585,82\,130,53\,585,82\,130,54\,585,54\,195;false;;;counted;;;;false;;1;1\\\\\\\\\\\\\ report;53\,195;$playerName$ rolls 5 combat dice : $DiceDisplay1_Name$ $DiceDisplay2_Name$ $DiceDisplay3_Name$ $DiceDisplay4_Name$ $DiceDisplay5_Name$;;;5d\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ emb2;;2;;Increase;2;;Decrease;2;;Reset;82,130;1;false;230;30;,dice-skull.gif,dice-skull.gif,dice-skull.gif,dice-wshield.gif,dice-wshield.gif,dice-bshield.gif;,Skull,Skull,Skull,White shield,White shield,Black shield;false;DiceDisplay5;;;true;DiceValue5;0;1;true;;93,130;91,130\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ PROP;DiceValue5;true,0,6,false;:53\,585:P\,$CombatDice_result$,:48\,130:P\,0\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ macro;5d;;53,520;;;48\,130,82\,130,49\,585,82\,130,50\,585,82\,130,51\,585,82\,130,52\,585,82\,130,53\,585,53\,195;false;;;counted;;;;false;;1;1\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ report;52\,195;$playerName$ rolls 4 combat dice : $DiceDisplay1_Name$ $DiceDisplay2_Name$ $DiceDisplay3_Name$ $DiceDisplay4_Name$;;;4d\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ emb2;;2;;Increase;2;;Decrease;2;;Reset;82,130;1;false;180;30;,dice-skull.gif,dice-skull.gif,dice-skull.gif,dice-wshield.gif,dice-wshield.gif,dice-bshield.gif;,Skull,Skull,Skull,White shield,White shield,Black shield;false;DiceDisplay4;;;true;DiceValue4;0;1;true;;93,130;91,130\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ PROP;DiceValue4;true,0,6,false;:52\,585:P\,$CombatDice_result$,:48\,130:P\,0\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ macro;4d;;52,520;;;48\,130,82\,130,49\,585,82\,130,50\,585,82\,130,51\,585,82\,130,52\,585,52\,195;false;;;counted;;;;false;;1;1\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ report;51\,195;$playerName$ rolls 3 combat dice : $DiceDisplay1_Name$ $DiceDisplay2_Name$ $DiceDisplay3_Name$;;;3d\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ emb2;;2;;Increase;2;;Decrease;2;;Reset;82,130;1;false;130;30;,dice-skull.gif,dice-skull.gif,dice-skull.gif,dice-wshield.gif,dice-wshield.gif,dice-bshield.gif;,Skull,Skull,Skull,White shield,White shield,Black shield;false;DiceDisplay3;;;true;DiceValue3;0;1;true;;93,130;91,130\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ PROP;DiceValue3;true,0,6,false;:51\,585:P\,$CombatDice_result$,:48\,130:P\,0\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ macro;3d;;51,520;;;48\,130,82\,130,49\,585,82\,130,50\,585,82\,130,51\,585,51\,195;false;;;counted;;;;false;;1;1\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ report;50\,195;$playerName$ rolls 2 combat dice : $DiceDisplay1_Name$ $DiceDisplay2_Name$;;;2d\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ emb2;;2;;Increase;2;;Decrease;2;;Reset;82,130;1;false;80;30;,dice-skull.gif,dice-skull.gif,dice-skull.gif,dice-wshield.gif,dice-wshield.gif,dice-bshield.gif;,Skull,Skull,Skull,White shield,White shield,Black shield;false;DiceDisplay2;;;true;DiceValue2;0;1;true;;93,130;91,130\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ PROP;DiceValue2;true,0,6,false;:50\,585:P\,$CombatDice_result$,:48\,130:P\,0\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ macro;2d;;50,520;;;48\,130,82\,130,49\,585,82\,130,50\,585,50\,195;false;;;counted;;;;false;;1;1\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ report;49\,195;$playerName$ rolls 1 combat die : $DiceDisplay1_Name$;;;1d\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ emb2;;2;;Increase;2;;Decrease;2;;Reset;82,130;1;false;30;30;,dice-skull.gif,dice-skull.gif,dice-skull.gif,dice-wshield.gif,dice-wshield.gif,dice-bshield.gif;,Skull,Skull,Skull,White shield,White shield,Black shield;false;DiceDisplay1;;;true;DiceValue1;0;1;true;;93,130;91,130\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ PROP;DiceValue1;true,0,6,false;:49\,585:P\,$CombatDice_result$,:48\,130:P\,0\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ macro;1d;;49,520;;;48\,130,82\,130,49\,585,49\,195;false;;;counted;;;;false;;1;1\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ immob;n;V\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ globalhotkey;;82,130;49,715;Roll Combat Dice\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ piece;;; ;dicetray/ \ -1\\ 1;1;1;false\\\ 0\\\\ \\\\\ -1\\\\\\ 1;1;1;false\\\\\\\ 0\\\\\\\\ \\\\\\\\\ -1\\\\\\\\\\ 1;1;1;false\\\\\\\\\\\ 0\\\\\\\\\\\\ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ -1\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 1;1;1;false\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 0\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ -1\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 1;1;1;false\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 0\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ -1\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 1;1;1;false\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 0\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ -1\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 1;1;1;false\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 0\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ -1\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 1;1;1;false\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 0\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ null;0;0;175</VASSAL.build.widget.PieceSlot>

Thaaaat'll keep me busy for a day or two! That's ONE FREAKIN' LINE in the Vassal module's "source code", and it'll take me a bit to find the dice roll color in there (Especially since the color I want to modify might actually be in Vassal's source code itself. And probably I should be thinking about the UI scaling first.) Yay open source! I may want to find a dev channel somewhere and give them that screenshot. I'll go fix it, but they might need to give me a pointer where the problems live. My Java's a little rusty. Just ever so slightly … I learned a version or two of Java ago. Just one or two. Or 1.2. Yes, it was definitely 1.2 I think.

As for playing without stuff … my HQ and AHQ sets are at my fiancee's parents' place because they have space and we do not. They're out of town until the end of the month though. I'll probably grab the base game out of storage, but … I think I may want to keep my originals in the box and go build that 30mm board I always wanted and use some cheap plastic minis I don't care about breaking. Originals are getting expensive to replace, and who knows when the reprint will be available.

I really wish I'd known about that in time to get in on the extra figs! I mean, I'm sure the bonus quests will get scanned so I won't be left out of playing anything … but I'd like to have bought the physical thing. Most of my hobbies involve the idea that the digital thing can be lost or taken away at any moment for any reason or none. Offline copies, everyone!

[whitebeard]

Are you sure that is really all one line and not just appearing as one line because the line endings are in unix format? This could save you a lot of trouble.

[iKarith]

Are you sure that is really all one line and not just appearing as one line because the line endings are in unix format? This could save you a lot of trouble.

I'm running Linux. My vi editor isn't afraid of UNIX line-endings, since those are what it writes natively. It'll do the other kind as well, if it detects they're needed. It can even handle classic Mac line-endings (CR terminated). I've verified this compiling stuff for Apple II machines.

(I have strange hobbies.)

[iKarith]

Figured out how to change the color of text and I managed to get it to run at a normal 1.0 scale. Had to replace the shell script that starts vassal because:

tjcarter@aki:~$ export JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS="-Dsun.java2d.uiScale=1.0"
tjcarter@aki:~$ java -version
Picked up JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS: -Dsun.java2d.uiScale=1.0
openjdk version "14.0.2" 2020-07-14
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 14.0.2+12-Ubuntu-120.04)
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 14.0.2+12-Ubuntu-120.04, mixed mode, sharing)

The way the script checks for the version breaks and I'm told it needs at least Java 11 and it can't tell what I have. That's because the people responsible for Java are idiots.

So … can I use it now? … no, actually. At least, not quite yet!

Here's what I mean:



Aside from not really knowing how the controls work yet, obviously I was able to place the components for The Trial mostly correctly. Great! I can't really see the minis on the board very well. Most minis are just too small (WAY too small zoomed out like I just did for the screenshot) and the contrast is too low.

I'd honestly do much better with a blank board ala quest book and/or monster tokens. We have those. I have those. In SVG form, in fact. I asked for them and I've got them now. I just need to patch them in to the Vassal module to create a high contrast version. Possibly into just my own, if that'll work, or into a version to distribute to other players.

I admit the module editor is a little confusing but I also admit I've spent exactly five minutes with it and even less than that with the documentation.

[Daedalus]

I might be remembered, but probably more from B1FF's neck of the intarwebz…

I had a more ghostly avatar at the time, began some work with others to update the core rules with most of the common changes that are widely adopted by most everybody. Fell off the map because medical happenings happened, but that was ages ago.. . .

Spooky? A belated welcome to the Inn! Great to hear you beat the odds and have you back.

[iKarith]

I might be remembered, but probably more from B1FF's neck of the intarwebz…

I had a more ghostly avatar at the time, began some work with others to update the core rules with most of the common changes that are widely adopted by most everybody. Fell off the map because medical happenings happened, but that was ages ago.. . .

Spooky? A belated welcome to the Inn! Great to hear you beat the odds and have you back.

Stopped going by Ghost and variants because … I managed not to become one.