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Bone Guardian Construct v1.0

Bone Guardian is basically a stand-alone IRC bot, able to...

  • Category Other
  • Size 7.7 MB
  • Program by Rotten

Bone Guardian Construct v1.0

Bone Guardian is basically a stand-alone IRC bot, able to connect to any IRC server without the use of third-party software.

Bone Guardian is basically a stand-alone IRC bot, able to connect to any IRC server without the use of third-party software. The Guardian is meant to be the perfect companion and tool for an online D&D game played via IRC, coming to the aid of both DM and player alike, to make online gaming better and easier. It was created especially for pen-and-paper style gaming on IRC, with the purpose of compensating what IRC lacks and improving what IRC does have. Some of the features included in version 1.0 are:

* Dice Roller, the indispensable tool of any RPG. Classic D&D syntax, any die type, unlimited dice

* Calendar, keeping track of time on Toril and Sigil

* Mimir, featuring fully customizable databases, thus being effectively an encyclopedia on anything from general notes on people, places, monsters or items, to knowledge relevant exclusively to a particular campaign, such as information on NPCs, past events or locations of interest in your game world, all accessible online by players and DM alike during game sessions. As of version 1.0, the construct actually has three mimirs, including an online one, completely editable from this website.

* Character registration, meaning that you can now claim a character name, and add a description to it which everyone else can see. The character information is stored online, it's not bot dependent.

* Lookat command, the long awaited feature which never found it's way to IRC before.

* Basic IRC channel maintenance, both automated within the bot or done thanks to a complete control of the bot by it's master.

* Update notification, telling the bot's master when a new version is available and where to get it

- F.A.Q -

_______________

General aspects

- Bone Guardian?

First things first. Bone Guardian is an IRC bot (Internet Relay Chat Robot). Unlike many other so-called IRC bots, Bone Guardian is a stand-alone application, with a built-in mini IRC client, so you don't need mIRC or any other third party software to use it.

- What does it do?

Well, it's functions are rather limited at the moment, but I'm always adding new features to it. Basically, it is an automated construct which responds to user input in a predefined way. Bone Guardian aims to be the perfect companion for an online D&D game played via IRC, useful for both the DM and the player alike.

- Is it free? Will the final version cost anything?

Bone Guardian, just like all the other Rotten projects, is considered freeware. My policy is that as long as I'm poor, might as well work for free; however, if you would like to make a donation (be it substantial or merely symbolic), contact me.

- How does it work?

You launch the application, and a small interface appears. Once you supply it the necessary information and click 'Connect', the bot tries to connect to the specified IRC server. If successful, it will login, appearing as a normal client to both the server and the other users. It will then join the specified channel, where it will monitor user input (the users chatting) and respond whenever necessary.

- So how do I use it?

As already mentioned, you must first supply the server information. Then, if everything is OK, the bot connects and begins it's vigil. Now, you must keep in mind that the bot is a separate entity (from you), so if you want to use it to roll dice, you will have to connect to IRC yourself using whatever client you prefer (such as mIRC) and (this is important) CONNECT TO THE SAME SERVER NETWORK. You don't necessarily have to connect to the same exact server, but yours and the bot's must be in the same network (for example the both have to be part of the Undernet network) otherwise you won't see the bot once you connect. Now this could prove a bit tricky since some servers only allow one connection from one computer, so it's almost impossible to be on the same server with the bot. But, as I said, any other linked server will suffice. (For more information on servers and IRC protocol you should read the documentation which comes with your IRC client). Anyway, once the bot is connected, you can very well minimize it and leave it alone. Connect to the IRC yourself and watch it in action if you so desire, but it isn't necessary, as the bot's connection status can be monitored from it's interface or the tray bar icon if minimized. Now, in order to use the bot, whether it is you who ran it or somebody else (only one person needs to run a bot), you use the bot by giving it commands via the IRC. Thus, you connect to the IRC using your client, join the same channel the bot is in, and then type the commands in the channel (or in private) preceded by the ! character. (More on this in the readme.)

- So what commands are there?

The commands, listed by category are:

General: ROLL, ROLLTO, DATE, MIMIR, LOOKAT

Identification: INTRODUCE, REGISTER, IDENTIFY, DESCRIBE, PASSWORD, KICK

Master: SAY, DO, COMMAND, KILL

More details about each command can be found is the aforementioned readme file.

- Can I keep the bot in two or more channels simultaneously?

Well no, but you could run two or more bots (i.e. instances on the bot), each in a separate channel. Of course, there's the server issue again...

- What about this 'mimir' thing, what's it all about?

The mimir function is supposed to act as an all-round source of knowledge. Think of it as an encyclopedia describing people, places, monsters, items and just about anything you can think of. The Bone Guardian comes with 2 small local databases (mimir.mdb and mimir_local.mdb located in the installation directory) which you are encouraged to edit, adding everything you consider relevant, especially if you're a DM running his campaign, and one big online database which anyone can edit directly from the web. Use it to give players information on places, NPCs, past events, anything. The default database that comes with Bone Guardian will be periodically updated on the Rotten website, so be sure to check time and anon.

The mimir

- A Mimir you say?

The Mimir is a database system, stored locally and used by the construct for online queries from users. These databases can contain anything from people, places or monsters to knowledge relevant exclusively to a particular campaign, such as information on NPCs, past events or locations of interest in your game world.

- How does it work?

The actual mimir consists of two files, 'mimir.mdb' and 'mimir_local.mdb' which can be found in the construct's installation directory, and one file which is stored online. Both local files have the same structure but their uses are slightly different.

- The First Mimir.

The main database, 'mimir.mdb' is meant to be the default repository of information, but also it is the one used by the creator of the Guardian, namely myself. After the release of the construct, there will be periodical updates to this database, available on this site

- The Second Mimir.

The other local file, 'mimir_local.mdb' is meant for you, the master of the Guardian. This you should edit and add important information for your players to access in-game as well as any other sort of knowledge you find appropriate for the construct to possess.

- The Third Mimir.

This is the web-based mimir, which can only be edited from this site. Anyone can access it, and add some piece of information to this mimir, information which can then be accessed by all the Guardians. The information stored on it can also be perused online from this site, which makes it a valuable tool even for those that are not interested in the Guardian construct.

- So why 3 mimirs?

Easy. When a new update for the main repository is released, it is supposed to overwrite the old 'mimir.mdb', and just so you don't lose any valuable information that you have added yourself, I made a separate database just for you, so you are free to overwrite the 'mimir.mdb' while your data is safe in the secondary repository. As for the Third Mimir, well, though it will probably the largest, it is not 'official', meaning that just about any type of information can get on it. It you want to use it, by all means, but if, however, you think that it might contain information disruptive to your campaign, you are free to disable it.

- Does the 'mimir' command search for similar words as well?

Yes, it does. The bot will first refine the search and then, if no exact occurrence is found, move on to search for similar words.

- How do I add my own data to the mimir?

The database files were created with Microsoft Access 97, so to edit them you may need the same or newer version of this program. For info on the actual process of editing a mdb database, read the documentation that comes with MS Access (it's rather obvious and straight-forward). As noted previously, it is recommended that you use the 'mimir_local.mdb' file instead of the main 'mimir.mdb' if you wish to prevent the loss of your data. This file can be found in the directory where you installed the Bone Guardian.

As for the Third Mimir, as has already been discussed above, you can add your own data to it through the interface available here. Any and all are encouraged to add data to it, since the more information it holds, the better and more useful it is for everyone. Just be sensible about the information you add. If it doesn't belong in there, don't add it.

- Anything else I should know before starting to edit?

When editing the mimir database, keep in mind that IRC messages are limited to a particular number of characters each (as defined by the server you're connected to), so the 'data' field should not exceed this limit lest the particular message might not be shown. This is usually 500 characters so when adding data, go for brevity.

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