TCH_BETA.TXT

MegaTraveller (MT) Character Generator
Beta Version

(c)1994 A. S. Lilly

All appropriate trademarks and copyrights of GDW Inc. (the designers
of MT) are hereby acknowledged.

AUTHOR
The author (Andy Lilly) can be contacted at:
E-mail address [email removed].
or alternatively:
snail-mail c/o BNR Europe Limited, London Road, Harlow, Essex, CM17
9NA, (ENGLAND).
Andy is currently a member of the excellent TML (Traveller Mailing
List) which he would like to recommend to anyone and everyone.

COPYRIGHT
This program is available only to members of TML (including GDW) for
the purposes of testing only. The program may not be distributed,
sold or traded to any other person or company, nor used for any
purpose other than testing as defined by the author. Failure to
abide by these generous rules will make me unhappy. Be assured I
shall share my unhappiness with you personally...

PROTECTION
Due to the difficulty of protecting copyright of software, the
program includes anti-copying protection, in that it will only work
for a limited period of time. If you have a problem with this, i.e.
when started the program simply does not run at all, then contact
the author.
The more useful 'write character to disk' functions have been
removed from the code. Disabled functions are marked with [DISABLED]
in the text. Future program versions may cost cash but will have all
features enabled. Those alpha and beta testers contributing to the
program will receive reduced or free copies of the program depending
upon the earnestness of their feedback.

CHANGES FROM ALPHA VERSION:
Lots. Run it and find out.

OPEN INVITATION:


SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
This program is designed to run under Windows 3.1 (possibly 3.0) on
an IBM-compatible PC. It will run on a 640x480 screen (in 16 or 256
colour mode).

I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR ANYTHING YOU DO WITH THIS
CODE: This is a beta-test version of my MT character generation
program. It is _not_ bug-free. My hope is that TML users will
download the program and come back to me with any comments on its
usefulness, errata, etc. The following instructions are intended
only as guide-lines to the program's use. The author accepts no
liability whatsoever for any consequences arising from the use of
this program (or even from its presence within a computer system),
howsoever used. The only legal site from which this program can be
downloaded is engrg.uwo.ca (i.e. TML). Any other sites can be
assumed to have stolen this program - please notify the site's
system supervisor accordingly.

RULES:
The program is based upon the information supplied in the MT
Player's Manual and MT Vilani and Vargr sourcebook. The only obvious
exception to the rules presented in these books is that Charisma is
a physical characteristic common to all races, so when the Vargr
rules refer to Charisma, I have used Social Standing within the
program, maintaining Charisma as a rating of personal attractiveness.

ROLLS:
In all circumstances where something can be determined randomly
(rolls for survival, promotion, etc.) you can 'fix' the rolls: For
normal D6 and 2D6 rolls you are presented with a dialog box that
shows the die faces rolled and gives you the option to fix one die
at 6 (hence getting rolls in the range 7..12), to automatically fail
(sets the roll to 1 less than that required) or automatically
succeed (sets the die roll to exactly the number required for
success). In addition you may re-roll as often as you want and
Brownie Points can be used to help your rolls (BPs can only be
acquired in the Advanced character generation but can still be used
in Simple character rolls).
SKILLS:
For skills, you get a dialog box with the skill table names on the
left and the appropriate table on the right. Pick the table and the
pre-rolled skill is high-lighted. You can re-roll for a different
skill (note the nice little dice down the side of the table to
remind you what's going on) or select the desired skill with the
mouse and hit OK. Cascade Skills will cause the bottom menu to
appear with the possible selections for that particular skill;
choose one skill by clicking the appropriate button.
BRANCHES,ASSIGNMENTS:
As per skills, you get the dialog box with the various options and
either dice (1..6) down the side or the numbers 2..12 for 2D6 rolls.
The high-lighted result is the rolled one. You can re-roll or pick
an option by selecting it and pressing OK.
BOTTOM WINDOW BUTTONS:
When you get a selection of buttons in the bottom window, some may
appear with {} around the button text. This indicates that the
option is not normally available. You can still select it if you
want and a message box will check if you want to bend the rules...
Buttons that are greyed out are genuinely not available; this is
usually where you wouldn't want to cheat, or where it might confuse
the program if you tried!

USAGE:
The program is described below in sections according to the menu
headings for the main window.
FILE/NEW [DISABLED] - To start a new character you have to re-run
the program.
FILE/OPEN [DISABLED]
FILE/SAVE [DISABLED]
FILE/SAVEAS [DISABLED]
FILE/FULL SKILLS - Ah, something that works. When you've generated a
full character, hit this key and the History window on the right
hand side will fill with lots of skills you didn't even know you
had. All those marked with a * are your original skills. All the
others are the ones that are automatically included by your known
skills, with appropriate level deductions where appropriate.
FILE/QUIT - Bye bye.

BACKGROUND/NAME - Type in the character's name. Bit limited on space.
BACKGROUND/RACE - Use the menu to select the desired race. Do this
before any other part of the generation process. The Vargr (normal
and Urzaeng), Aslan, Vilani, Solomani and Zhodani races are all
recognised. Mixed Human is a mixed Solomani/Vilani (typical Imperial
inhabitant?). Other race types use the Mixed Human characteristics.
BACKGROUND/HOMEWORLD/NAME - Type in the new name.
BACKGROUND/HOMEWORLD/SET UWP - Lets you go through the homeworld
generation process step by step, either generating each
characteristic randonly or selecting the desired results.
BACKGROUND/HOMEWORLD/RANDOM UWP - Same process as /SET UWP but you
don't get to set anything so it all happens before you can say
'Generate me a random homeworld please'.
BACKGROUND/UPP - Generate your seven characteristics (remember I've
added Charisma as a separate 'sex appeal' attribute). If you want to
set a characteristic level, select the number and type in the new
value. To hold a characteristic at its displayed level, while
randomly rolling the others, set the check box(es) for the held ones
and then press ROLL. When you're happy, press OK to set the new
values or CANCEL to leave them unchanged.
BACKGROUND/SKIN,EYES,HAIR - Type in the new description.
BACKGROUND/AGE,HEIGHT - Doesn't do anything at the moment.

ENTER/GENERATION METHOD - Select whether rolls are automatic, high
(i.e. where advantageous to get a high roll, a d6+6 roll is used
rather than 2d6) or fully interactive. Skills can be selected
manually (by table and cascade), by cascade only (table and skill
are random) or randomly (totally random). Rules can be strict(ish)
or flexible. Automatic enlistment and re-enlistment can be set.
Mustering out benefits can be determined interactively or rolled
randomly. Setting Random rolls, Random benefits, Random skills and
auto (re)enlistment means as soon as you enter a service the entire
career will be automatically generated, your only real option being
when to muster out.
ENTER/COLLEGE - Selection of colleges as per Advanced character
generation rules in the Players Manual. You can enter the colleges
in any order although the college names will appear with {} around
them to indicate normally unavailable options (already failed
application, no suitable qualifications, etc.) You can always opt to
re-apply, force entry, etc.
ENTER/SERVICE (ADVANCED) - Complete Advanced character generation
for the Army, Marines, Navy, Scouts and Merchant services as per the
MT Players Manual.
ENTER/SERVICE (SIMPLE) - Complete Simple character generation for
the 18 services given in the MT Players Manual AND the 18 Vargr
services from the MT Vilani and Vargr sourcebook.

GENERAL NOTES:
You can do almost anything you like in this program. It is designed
to let you enter multiple colleges and services in any order.
Changing services (or even re-enlisting in the same one) always puts
your rank back to the lowest level but otherwise you keep all your
skills, etc. The History Window on the right side shows whenever
anything significant happens in your career. In later versions of
the program you can store this to file. So, if you want a character
who was never qualified for Flight School but somehow bribed his way
in - you got it! If he then decided the Navy was too pompous and
became a bureaucrat for a few years - so be it! If he then switches
to the Advanced Scouts for a bit of fun, he can do it! And when he
gets a bit older and the anagathics supply fails, he turns his hand
to the Merchants (Simple or Advanced) - you can handle it! All in
one program.

The only requirement of course is that referees have to watch their
players carefully if they use this program to dice up their
characters!

FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS:
Other character types and races will be added when possible. The
Zhodani data is based upon CT rather than MT data, so it may be
inaccurate now. Full character resume to text file output already
exists (but is disabled in the beta version to reduce the likelihood
of mass-copying of the program). The help file will be expanded to
include all necessary program functions (except where this might
infringe GDW copyright).

RETURNS:
This program is used solely on the basis that you return details of
any errors to the author. All Intellectual Property Rights are
retained by the author.

USER QUESTIONS:
* Some alpha users wanted to know if multiple-entry of colleges,
etc. was intended to be possible. Answer is Yes - see GENERAL NOTES
above. The program is specifically intended to be flexible so that
characters can be 'honed' to your specific requirements.
* Read all the above text before commenting back. The author IS
interested in comments about the look and feel of the program,
errata (in the MT tables or in the program itself), suggestions for
features, etc. He is not interested in 'moans'.