Intro/ Program freezes during function call

[Jonah1991]

Hello, i'm just getting started into C++ programming and during the course of learning have repeatedly looked to this community as a resource/suppliment for how to program. Ive come to enjoy my time on the tutorials, and browsing your forums and would now like to start getting involved.

Now for my current problem, i've created a small game in order to practice the concepts i've learned, however during my main function I attempt to call a second function called battle() and the program freezes during runtime when the function is supposed to be called (The input cursor blinks after the introduction to the program, and nothing i do allows it to progress.) Theres also an issue with altering the health variables within the battle function, but thats something for me to work on once it stops freezing.

OS = Windows 7
Compiler = Code::Blocks

And now, the source code. (note that i exchanged alot of the narration with single characters to make it shorter.)

#include <cstdlib>
#include <iostream>
#include <time.h>

using namespace std;

int battle();

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    cout << "Welcome to the first turn-based game created by Jonah \n \n";      //Intro. //
    cin.ignore();
    cout << endl
         << "You've been thrown into the gladiators pit \n"
         << "facing you is a manhungry lion, only one may survive. \n"
         << "You are equipped with a spear, and a shield. Shoddy clothes \n"
         << "are all that protects your otherwise, good luck \n \n";
    battle();               //battle() defined on line 44.//
    switch (battle())       
    {                       //Ending scenarios, (determined by return value of battle(). //
        case 1:
        {
            cout << "P";
            cin.ignore();
            cout << "GAME OVER";
        }
        case 2:
        {
            cout << "Q";
            cin.ignore();
            cout << "YOU WIN!!";
        }
        case 3:
        {
            cout << "R";
            cin.ignore();
            cout << "GAME OVER";
        }
    }
    cin.ignore();
    return 0;
}

int battle()
{
    int attOpt;
    int lionAttOpt;

    long HP = 100;                      //Combatants "health".//
    long lionHP = 100;

    while (HP > 0 && lionHP > 0); // Ends loop when either combatant's HP reaches 0.//
    {
          cout << "Select an attack by entering '1-3' \n \n"    // Allows user to input their choice of attack.//
               << "1.Charge \n"
               << "2.Thrust \n"
               << "3.Defend \n \n";
          cin >> attOpt;
          switch (attOpt)
          {
                case 1:
                {
                     cout << endl
                          <<"A";
                     cin.ignore();
                     break;
                }
                case 2:
                {
                     cout << endl
                          << "B";
                     cin.ignore();
                     break;
                }
                case 3:
                {
                     cout << endl
                          << "C";
                     cin.ignore();
                     break;
                }
          }

          srand (time(NULL));                // Seeds the time into the rand (random) function. //
          lionAttOpt = (rand() % 3);         // Produces a random number (dependent on seed) to produce lionAttOpt. //

          switch (lionAttOpt)           // the lions attack choice. //
          {
                case 0:
                {
                     cout << endl
                          << "D";
                     cin.ignore();
                     break;
                }
                case 1:
                {
                     cout << endl
                          <<"E";
                     cin.ignore();
                     break;
                }
                case 2:
                {
                     cout << endl
                          << "F";
                     cin.ignore();
                     break;
                }
          }

          if ( attOpt == 1 && lionAttOpt == 0)      // lists different outcomes of various attack choices. //
          {
               cout << endl
                    << ""
                    << "G";
               HP - 10;                     // damage done to combatants//
               lionHP - 10;
          }
          if ( attOpt == 1 && lionAttOpt == 1)
          {
               cout << endl
                    << ""
                    << "H";
               HP - 30;
          }
          if ( attOpt == 1 && lionAttOpt == 2)
          {
               cout << endl
                    << ""
                    << "I";
               lionHP - 60;
          }
          if ( attOpt == 2 && lionAttOpt == 0)
          {
               cout << endl
                    << ""
                    << "J";
               lionHP - 25;
          }
          if ( attOpt == 2 && lionAttOpt == 1)
          {
               cout << endl
                    << "K";
          }
          if ( attOpt == 2 && lionAttOpt == 2)
          {
               cout << endl
                    << "L";
               HP - 30;
          }
          if ( attOpt == 3 && lionAttOpt == 0)
          {
               cout << endl
                    << ""
                    << "M";
               HP - 55;
          }
          if ( attOpt == 3 && lionAttOpt == 1)
          {
               cout << endl
                      << "N";
               lionHP - 40;
          }
          if ( attOpt == 3 && lionAttOpt == 2)
          {
               cout << endl
                      << "O";
          }
          cin.ignore();
    }

    if (HP <= 0 && lionHP > 0)
    return 1;

    if (lionHP <=0 && HP > 0)       // Return values determine the result of the battle.//
    return 2;

    else
    return 3;
}

[Moschops]

while (HP > 0 && lionHP > 0);
This while loop contains no code, so it will run forever.
I expect you meant this line of code to read:
while (HP > 0 && lionHP > 0)

[Jonah1991]

Ha, thats embarassing.... that fixed it, thank you for your help.

[Moschops]

Next time this happens, run your code using a debugger and interrupt it when you feel like it; you will be shown the line of code currently being executed and can use that to diagnose such infinite loop problems.