Ordering the Combat Tracker

[DNH]

This may well only be a problem with larger combats but I found that the combat tracker's default behaviour of ordering on initiative makes things difficult when it comes to entering the values. Now, I run a game (and a modified ruleset) where initiative is rolled individually, including for monsters (I am pondering a rethink on this policy, for the monsters anyway, but I don't think it changes my problem) and I find the drag-and-drop method to be long and tiresome for this. That is, I appreciate the ease and the power of this, but when the combat tracker re-orders the actors immediately, it can make things difficult to follow. Is it possible to order the combat tracker by actor name while initiative scores are entered, then re-order by initiative value? Better still, is it possible to have an initiative diefield on the combat tracker entry, so I can simply drag-roll it from there for each individual, just as I can for attacks? And is there also a way of zeroing everyone's initiatives at the start of the combat round?

Any thoughts?

[wootersl]

I think all that would require re-coding. But, you know you can type the values in those fields, right? I had the same issue when I was using the mouse wheel to change values (it would switch the order and suddenly I was changing someone else's value!). I just found it easier to ask each person what they rolled and type the value in. As you are typing and their position in the list is moving you can still type away. Just a thought, to save you from haveing to re-code the combat tracker.

[Moon Wizard]

In the d20 upgraded ruleset that I worked on, there is an option to automatically roll initiative when an NPC is added to the combat tracker. You can set the auto-init to roll for each creature, or for each group of creatures.

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7779

This might make it easier for you, since I find that it makes it easier for my games.

Cheers,
JPG

[DNH]

That's kind of the thing I am after, but not quite. And I had that before. What I am after really, and what I am about to start working on, is a button on the combat tracker to roll NPC initiative. You see, I use individual initiatives which change round on round (as they are modified by actions - spellcasting, weapon speed, etc). I am going to try and get it so that all the NPCs (monsters) in a combat tracker roll their initiative rolls (as defined in their creature entry) at the push of a button. Or I might have it work automatically as the new combat round begins.

... or of course I might give it all up as too much work and way beyond me!

[Griogre]

Probably the easiest thing to do would be to use moon_wizards code and then just have it roll inits everytime the round counter advanced.

[DNH]

I have this now. Very neat too!

What it does is sets an initmod value for the npc, initially based on size but can be adjusted to anything at any time. The initiative is rolled once the creature is added to the combat tracker and then once again, using the initmod value, each time the next round ticks over. Nice. This is going to speed up my game no end!

I also added in a line or two to send a chat message to indicate the new round, which I would have thought was essential but doesn't appear to work by default.