Ambush!

The eAmbush! Project

Author: Lutz Pietschker
Version: ca. 2003

Ambush Main Pages | Manual | License Agreement


The Ambush! Game Assist Database (Program Version: 0.2)

If you're interested in adding to the project, please read the "Call for Help" section!

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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.

Downloads

Please read the license agreement before you download any of this!

Contributors

Call for Help

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.

File Formats for Your Input

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.!

Export Data File Formats

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.

Soldier Cards

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)

Soldier Card Records

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)

Mission descriptions

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)

Mission Cards

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)

Paragraphs

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!)

Tables

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

Table Records

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

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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