[Programming] Random Initiative

Hey guys! so for my Alien RPG ruleset, I almost have a random initiative button working in the combat tracker; I'm just not sure how to get it to be actually random.

The way initiative works in the ARPG is you have 10 cards, everyone draws a card, some NPC's draw more than one (this can be simulated by dropping the entity in the combat tracker twice i suppose). So unlike with dice, we can't have repeating initiatives.

Is there a way to perhaps rig this to Trenloe's Basic Card Extension? or how might i set it up so that a number can't be used again?

this is what i've put into the CombatManager. nInitNum is set up that way just so i could see if it worked, i'm just not sure how to do the randomization with elimination of results.

Code:

---

function rollInit()
        nInitNum = 0;
        for _,v in pairs(getCombatantNodes()) do
                nInitNum = nInitNum + 1;
                DB.setValue(v, "initresult", "number", nInitNum);
        end
end

---

Look at using a LUA table - with the 10 card values (assuming it's something like 1,2, 3, 4 ... 10?), then "shuffle" that LUA table and step through each entry in order assigning the value as the initiative.

Info on "shuffling" a table here: https://docs.coronalabs.com/tutorial...ble/index.html

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Trenloe

Look at using a LUA table - with the 10 card values (assuming it's something like 1,2, 3, 4 ... 10?), then "shuffle" that LUA table and step through each entry in order assigning the value as the initiative.

Info on "shuffling" a table here: https://docs.coronalabs.com/tutorial...ble/index.html

---

ok, so i've been messing around for a little while here. the math.randomseed( (os.time) ) bit is giving me errors that it can't call global math, and if i remove that completely, i instead get errors that it's failing to get global "type". It looks simple, but i'm clearly missing something.
edit: got it!

Code:

---

function shuffleTable( t )
    if ( type(t) ~= "table" ) then
        print( "WARNING: shuffleTable() function expects a table" )
        return false
    end
 
    local j
 
    for i = #t, 2, -1 do
        j = math.random( i )
        t[i], t[j] = t[j], t[i]
    end
    return t
end
 


currentIndex = 1  -- Deck starts at top card (1)
 
function drawCards( num, deck )
 
    local cardsDrawn = {}  -- Empty table to begin
 
    for i = currentIndex, num do
        cardsDrawn[#cardsDrawn+1] = deck[i]
    end
 
    currentIndex = currentIndex + num
    return cardsDrawn
end
 

function rollInit()
        cardDeck = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 }
        cardDeck = shuffleTable( cardDeck )
        currentIndex = 1  -- Deck starts at top card (1)
        for _,v in pairs(getCombatantNodes()) do
                drawCards( 1, cardDeck );
                DB.setValue(v, "initresult", "number", cardDeck[currentIndex]);
        end
end

function rollInitFifteen()
        cardDeck = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 }
        cardDeck = shuffleTable( cardDeck )
        currentIndex = 1  -- Deck starts at top card (1)
        for _,v in pairs(getCombatantNodes()) do
                drawCards( 1, cardDeck );
                DB.setValue(v, "initresult", "number", cardDeck[currentIndex]);
        end
end

function rollInitTwenty()
        cardDeck = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 }
        cardDeck = shuffleTable( cardDeck )
        currentIndex = 1  -- Deck starts at top card (1)
        for _,v in pairs(getCombatantNodes()) do
                drawCards( 1, cardDeck );
                DB.setValue(v, "initresult", "number", cardDeck[currentIndex]);
        end
end

---

edit: this almost works!

Code:

---

local cardDeck = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 }
function shuffleTable( t )
    if ( type(t) ~= "table" ) then
        print( "WARNING: shuffleTable() function expects a table" )
        return false
    end
 
    local j
 
    for i = #t, 2, -1 do
        j = math.random( i )
        t[i], t[j] = t[j], t[i]
    end
    return t
end
 


local currentIndex = 1  -- Deck starts at top card (1)
 
function drawCards( num, deck )
 
    local cardsDrawn = {}  -- Empty table to begin
 
    for i = currentIndex, num do
        cardsDrawn[#cardsDrawn+1] = deck[i]
    end
 
    currentIndex = currentIndex + num
    return cardsDrawn
end
 

function rollInit()
        cardDeck = shuffleTable( cardDeck )
        for _,v in pairs(getCombatantNodes()) do
                local playerHand = drawCards( 1, cardDeck );
                DB.setValue(v, "initresult", "number", dardsDrawn);
        end
end

---

this is what i have:
i have tried removing the quotation marks from around the numbers as well, but the code isn't getting far enough to know if that makes a difference.

Code:

---

local cardDeck = { "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9", "10" }
function shuffleTable( t )
    if ( type(t) ~= "table" ) then
        print( "WARNING: shuffleTable() function expects a table" )
        return false
    end
 
    local j
 
    for i = #t, 2, -1 do
        j = math.random( i )
        t[i], t[j] = t[j], t[i]
    end
    return t
end
 
cardDeck = shuffleTable( cardDeck )

local currentIndex = 1  -- Deck starts at top card (1)
 
function drawCards( num, deck )
 
    local cardsDrawn = {}  -- Empty table to begin
 
    for i = currentIndex, num do
        cardsDrawn[#cardsDrawn+1] = deck[i]
    end
 
    currentIndex = currentIndex + num
    return cardsDrawn
end
 

function rollInit()
        for _,v in pairs(getCombatantNodes()) do
                local playerHand = drawCards( 1, cardDeck );
                DB.setValue(v, "initresult", "number", playerHand);
        end
end

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pr6i6e6st

edit: got it!

---

So, is everything OK or do you still have issues?

You're also missing a lot of semi-colon line terminators in that code!

It seems like it’s working fine. Only concern is something I’m not sure we can do, giving npcs multiple initiatives.

And shoot, is that a problem? I didn’t realize I missed those

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pr6i6e6st

And shoot, is that a problem? I didn’t realize I missed those

---

If it's working 100% correctly probably not. I'm not sure what the FG LUA interpreter expects and if it will process all code correctly without semi-colons.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pr6i6e6st

Only concern is something I’m not sure we can do, giving npcs multiple initiatives.

---

Does multiple initiatives for NPCs mean they go twice? Or that they select the best?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Trenloe

Does multiple initiatives for NPCs mean they go twice? Or that they select the best?

---

They get to go a number of times in a round based on their speed. So a xenomorph with a speed of two draws two initiative cards, 5 and 8, he gets to act on turn 5 and 8.

Reminds me of lair/legendary actions in d&d which I don’t think there’s anything programmed specifically for

There's nothing programmed for that in CoreRPG. Maybe consider "spawning" a dummy NPC record in the CT - either manually or via code, that is essentially a placeholder for the NPC's second turn in the round, but this would mess with auto targeting and effects.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Trenloe

There's nothing programmed for that in CoreRPG. Maybe consider "spawning" a dummy NPC record in the CT - either manually or via code, that is essentially a placeholder for the NPC's second turn in the round, but this would mess with auto targeting and effects.

---

Right, I think I’ll just leave that alone. If d&D5e ruleset gets something similar I might try ripping it apart, but like you said, probably just going to screw things up, easier just to add a dummy in game.