A bunch of questions from a newbie

Hello everybody, as it is my first post here. Im sorry if these questions have been asked/answered 13451346 times before, but this forum is insanely huge and it would be nearly impossible to dig through it in search of answers.

I just started using the Vassal module editor some days ago to make a module of my own game (which is completed as an 'analog" version). I never used Vassal before, never played any existing modules (and do not want to at this moment). After reading the Guide i understand most things and I can make most of my project, but some issues are strange to me and maybe someone could make me understand it (or understand, what am I doing wrong etc).

  1. What is LOS Thread, how and whe n it is used etc?
  2. Is there ANY difference between Property Sheets and Spreadsheets except for the visual one?
  3. I would like to have something of that kind (like spreadsheet/propertysheet or like that) to have it as “show/hide stats” option (some information about abilities/statistics/whatever of a Piece), BUT I want it to be filled in the editor and NOT to be changable for the players during the game (they can only look at it, not change it). Is it possible? How?
  4. I would like to be able to make sth like a line or an arrow from one point on the grid(or game piece, doesnt really matter for me actually) to another. For example to be able for a player to show another player “i shoot with THIS unit to THAT unit” without writing it or whatever. Obviously, i can make (and have done it already) sth like “target” command making a layer on opponents unit and sth like “attack” command (and layer) on own piece. But would it be somehow possible to do it that way as i described before (line or arrow or sth like that)?
  5. I am not able to use Report Action. Do not need it SO MUCH in fact, but would be a nice feature if i could report actions of units in the chat window. I made (my Archers will once again be awesome example) a dynamic property on my Archer units called (i am telling it from memory, do not have Vassal here to check it) sth like “Shooting” with possible values 0 and 1 and command (for example) ctrl+alt+s as “shoot” to set the value to 0 and some other command which now i do not remember to “load” and change value to 1, and a layer following these values (showing if archer can shoot or already did it). Normal, i think. And after that i wanted to add Report Action trait. Hotkey that would trigger it (as far as i understood and as far as i remember) that Report Action was the same, as the one triggering Shoot (so alt+ctrl+s). It would send sth like “$Player’s name$ $oldPiecename$ shoots” or WHATEVER actually, doesnt matter, i thought that my report text was wrong so next time i left it on default value and also nothing happened. And thats all, i believe. NOTHING happened. No matter if I use keybord shortcuts or rightclick menu command of shoot, no report is made to chat. Help pls? :slight_smile:

I think these 5 questions is all I have now, most of other things I understood (or did not need in this project). Thanks for every answer I will get".

#4 and #1 are linked for you.

The LOS thread is exactly that: you click the button and click two points on the map. The feature can be set to snap to the exact center of the grid or from any point you select. The report in the text buffer can be set to list every hex the line travels through, or to say you checked LOS between Hex XXXX and Hex YYYY. And, you can set it to report the range (I especially like that one). Of course, it does NOT make a LOS "decision for you, but it can be quite a useful visual aid for you to use to apply the game’s rules.

In the case of wanting to show, “My archers here want to shoot at this unit there”, you can use the LOS to do that, as well. It would probably still do to type it into the text buffer, since it might not be clear if you’re looking at your options or committing to a shot.

Be aware that the LOS tool can be set so that it is NOT visible to the enemy player, I suppose for games with hidden movement, or to keep from telegraphing your intentions. But like most VASSAL functions, it is flexible and powerful and can be used with great effect in most games.

Report Action, I’ve only dabbled with, but it seems to be very powerful too. If you assign some function or process to a key, that can be tied to trigger a Report Action in the text buffer to alert everyone to “that something happening”. I suggest you play with it a bit in the Editor. I recall a module I wrote recently where one-step units which suffered a loss needed to be sent to a type-specific display for casualties (which would later figure for VP determination). Because a player could simply drag a unit off the map and to this display without another player seeing it, I felt it necessary to create a command to remove the one-step units (Unit Eliminated) rather than require the players to open the “graveyard display” and drag units into it. The Report was written to say which unit was moved and to which Dead Pool. It was a nice little touch.

You could also tie similar Reports to alert players to possible shy shenanigans, like illegal condition changes and the like. It could save you needing to go back to earlier .log files to determine what may have happened when… :slight_smile:

For “Reports”, insure that the variable

$message$

is included in the “Auto-report format for units moved on this map” within the map properties or reports will not work.