Author:
Lutz Pietschker
Version: ca. 2003
Ambush Main Pages | Manual | License Agreement
If you're interested in adding to the project, please read the "Call for Help" section!
The "eAmbush Project" is an effort to create a game assist database, i.e. it is meant to help the Ambush! player with the paragraph look-ups, squad administration, die rolling etc.; it is not meant to replace the boxed game or to provide any artificial intelligence. The components are
Jeff Fisher has created a Cyberboard gamebox for Ambush! and Move Out! that covers the third point for these modules. I started with creating a user interface in FileMaker and then building the data files for the Ambush! game.
The current result of my efforts is a Game Assist Database that can be downloaded and used as a stand-alone application. For those of you who have a FileMaker Pro 5 license there is also a complete set of the original FileMaker tables and layouts.
Also available for download is a set of the main data content in tab-separated ASCII format for those who want to load the raw data into an application of their own. And before you ask... no, I won't create an MS Access front-end. Never ever. Perish the thought.
Please read the license agreement before you download any of this!
Are you interested to join in? We have lots of work to do to make this a complete electronic gamebox:
If you want to take up one of the tasks (or more), please contact me so we can avoid double work.
I can use Excel files, they seem to work pretty well in all contexts, but tab-separated is also ok. I work on a Macintosh, so I usually have no file compatibility problems, send any version you like to. Here are some hints on the formats that make importing your files into the database easier for me:
Please double-check all the data before submitting it. A game like Ambush! is very sensitive to wrong paragraph references, condition numbers etc.!
This is the description of the file format of the exported data files. Only the raw data content is exported, none of the auxiliary fields used by the FileMaker front-end. The file format is "tab-separated ASCII" (extension ".tab").
The data files are meant to be used to build additional front-ends for the Game Assist Database.
The field names are not the same as used in the FileMaker databases, but they are similar. The purpose of the data format specification is to provide an exchange format for the raw data.
File name: AmbSoldierCards.tab
<module>_<nation>_<cardnumber> is the calculated index for the lookup of records belonging to the card.
| Field Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| module | string | Name of the Ambush! module the card belongs to |
| nation | string | 2-letter-symbol for the nationality of the soldier |
| cardnumber | integer | Number of the card |
| letter | string | Letter of the unit counter to use |
| vpvalue | string | VP value (as printed on the card) |
| unittype | string | Unit type (as printed on the card) |
| weapons | string | Initial weapons of the unit (as printed on the card) |
| crew | integer | Initial crew (for vehicles only) |
| closed | integer | Initial state open/closed (for vehicles only) (1 = closed) |
| gun_prep | integer | Initial crew (for vehicles only) (1 = gun prepared) |
| firstturn | integer | Paragraph number for first turn after activation |
| notes | string | Notes (as printed on the card, minus 1st paragraph info) |
File name: AmbSoldierCardRecords.tab
| Field Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| index | string | Index of the card, built as <module>_<nation>_<cardnumber> |
| condition | string | Condition for which this record is valid |
| paragraphs | integer | A string with 10 paragraph numbers, separated by CR characters, corresponding to die rolls from 0 to 9; may be empty for vehicle cards |
| in | integer | initiative value (on first record of card only, except for vehicles) |
| pc | integer | perception value (on first record of card only, except for vehicles) |
| ws | integer | weapon skill value (on first record of card only, except for vehicles) |
| ds | integer | driving skill value (on first record of card only, except for vehicles) |
| mpa | integer | movement point allowance value (on first record of card only, except for vehicles) |
File name: AmbMissions.tab
<module>_<mission> is the calculated index for the lookup of crds belonging to the mission.
| Field Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| module | string | Name of the Ambush! module the mission belongs to |
| missionnumber | integer | Mission number |
| missionname | string | Mission name |
| maps | string | Maps needed |
| prologue | string | General mission info (as printed in the scenario text) |
| setup | string | Set-up information (as printed in the scenario text) |
| vpneeded | integer | VP needed to win the mission |
| squadinfo | string | Squad generation info (as printed in the scenario text) |
| specialrules | string | Special rules for the mission (as printed in the scenario text) |
| endcondition | string | End-of-mission conditions (as printed in the scenario text) |
File name: AmbMissioncards.tab
| Field Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| index | string | Index of the card, built as <module>_<missionnumber> |
| condition | integer | Condition number |
| activationlevel | integer | Activation level number for this condition (without the "0-" part) |
| rowcolumn | string | Hex letter and number (= column and row on the mission card) |
| paragraph_ref | integer | Paragraph reference (if any) (black-print) |
| eventtext | string | Event or sighting reference (if any) (black-print) |
| movement_ref | string | Enemy movement reference (if any) (red-print) |
File name: AmbParagraphs.tab
| Field Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| module | string | Name of the Ambush! module the paragraph belongs to |
| paragraphnumber | integer | Paragraph number (not necessarily 3 digits) |
| paragraphtext | string | Text content of the paragraph (may contain line breaks!) |
File name: AmbTables.tab
<table_id> is the index for the lookup of records belonging to the table.
| Field Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| table_id | integer | Unique id number of the table or chart |
| tablename | string | Name of the table or chart |
| tablenotes | string | General notes and explanations for this table |
File name: AmbTableRecords.tab
| Field Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| table_id | integer | Unique id number of the table or chart this record belongs to |
| sort_id | integer | Display order of a connected set of records |
| recordtext | string | A string with up to 16 texts, separated by CR characters, corresponding to contents of up to 16 table columns |
As the author of this page I take no expressed or implied responsibility for the content of external links; opinions expressed on such pages are not necessarily mine. The web space provider is not responsible for the contents of this page or any linked pages.
Written and published by Lutz Pietschker. Please send comments about technical problems to the
site master.
-Made with a Mac!-
, last change 2011-03-12