Kelandon

Um, what does that mean? What did you do?

There's no state that runs when spells are cast. You can get states in terrain scripts to run when two specific spells are cast, but that's completely different.

Unless you have something new to add, which this person (arguably) did.

I'm going to go so far as to say that this instance of topic resurrection was okay.

1. Use the script specobj.txt. That is, place a terrain script and title it "specobj" and set the first memory cell to the state that you want it to call when it's searched.

2. Depends on if you're on a Mac or on Windows. Either way, I refer you to the docs, Chapter 4: Custom Graphics.

EDIT: Yeah, what Stareye said.

Most of those string errors are handled properly by BoA's compiler. I think if you over-load the text buffer on Windows, that isn't, but the others are.

I'm not talking about the error messages that BoA normally gives, like the ones that happen if you mis-spell a call or don't declare a variable or something like that. I'm talking about the ones that pop up an Unhandled Exception error and then cause BoA to quit.

Also, if Alint can check a script in well under a second, I think it shouldn't be a problem in BoA.

Holy god. Copy and paste DOES work for objects (items, monsters). That would have made several parts of Bahs SO MUCH EASIER.

I guess I was just too used to the BoE editor, which had a specific button for such a thing.

What are the things that can cause an Unhandled Exception in BoA? I'm hoping to make a list to store somewhere to help designers and also possibly to send to Jeff so that he might be able to modify BoA so that these simply pop up an error message rather than killing BoA outright.

I know two already:

* Using a terrain or floor graphic that doesn't exist. This is a problem with wallsets that are not complete, for example: if you place a wall with a door from a wallset that doesn't include a door (ie, cave wall), this causes an unhandled exception.

* Setting a creature facing a direction greater than 7 -- ie, set_character_facing(6,8).

These both seem to fall under the category of using a graphic that doesn't exist. What are other known sources of an unhandled exception in BoA?

EDIT: Found another one.

* Over-running the string limit. I got an unhandled exception in Vasskolis when I tried to display a message from the text buffer that was longer than 256 characters. I'm not sure if over-running the text buffer itself was the problem or if trying to display it was the problem, but either way, the over-long string didn't give the over-long string error like it does on a Mac.

Point taken.

I like getting specific feedback like this. Stuff like, "Hey, it would've been good if you had done [x]," or "I didn't get why you did [y] instead of [z]." It's very useful.

Yeah, DreamGuy's a troll. He's just really good at convincing people otherwise. Unless he produces, you know, at least a script or something, he has no potential to be anything else.

Point taken.

I like getting specific feedback like this. Stuff like, "Hey, it would've been good if you had done [x]," or "I didn't get why you did [y] instead of [z]." It's very useful.

Yeah, DreamGuy's a troll. He's just really good at convincing people otherwise. Unless he produces, you know, at least a script or something, he has no potential to be anything else.

I think the idea was that the combined number of scenarios that those people have made is large, rather than that each individual's contribution was large.

More to the point, those scenarios are pretty well-liked. Zxquez and lost_king made a reasonably large combined total of scenarios, but apparently only one of them is even worth a second thought.

I think the idea was that the combined number of scenarios that those people have made is large, rather than that each individual's contribution was large.

More to the point, those scenarios are pretty well-liked. Zxquez and lost_king made a reasonably large combined total of scenarios, but apparently only one of them is even worth a second thought.

When you're reading through old topics, please make sure that you only respond if you have something new and genuinely useful to say. Reviving an old topic without bringing something new to it is generally considered bad manners 'round here.

As far as I know, this is generally true of everyone. One more bug for us to bother Jeff about after he's done with GF3.

Redownload. Send Jeff an e-mail telling him the name you originally registered under and the reg codes for the new downloads. He'll send you new keys.

I knew something looked wrong with that line. Yup, that's the problem.

My assumption is that you have a bad set of parentheses earlier in the script, one that never closes or something. BoA's line numbers in this regard are screwed, and all I can tell you is that it must be somewhere before the line that it's complaining about.

Only place a "break" after a dialogue node if that node has "code" in it, ie

code =

set_flag(1,1,1);

break;

As far as the other... er... you might want to check the end of the script. Sometimes line errors roll over.

My most successful party in A2 has always been a human duo, one fighter and one mage-priest. I've never used a nephil or an archer character in my life, though, so I wouldn't really know.

Ambrosia Software also is extremely different in many other ways. It is far easier to make an EV plug-in than a BoA scenario. Ambrosia's employees actually read their boards and participate quite regularly. And any number of other differences are there, too.

What you're talking about is not what most people would call "linearity." That's why there's been some confusion.

EDIT: Also, I am curious. You make precious few references to anything that happens in the Guardpost or beyond. Did you actually complete the scenario?

As far as I know, none. But then, I include "condition = 1" even though it's completely superfluous.

The docs recommend that you include the "name = [character name]" line, which is the only reason that I do it, really. If anyone can come up with a reason not to do it, I probably will stop.

DreamGuy, the only suggestion that had to do with "linearity" that you made in your e-mails was that I add a sidequest or something in the Temple of the Goddess. While I suppose I could do that, the scenario would still, overall, be linear.

However, you made a number of suggestions about giving the player more options with regard to individual combats (making it possible to uncharm the charmed character in the drake lord-altar fight in Tunnels, for instance). If that's the sort of linearity that you're talking about, then you might want to make that clear, because I don't think many people think of that as linearity per se.

(Those suggestions won't be implemented either, because the majority of comments that I've heard are that tactical combat arises from taking away the most obvious options and making the player think of something new, and that tactical combat is good, so I don't want to ruin it for other people just to satisfy one player.)

But anyway, we're very early in the stages of BoA scenario development. Most of the scenarios can't help but be linear, because they're first efforts, and it's harder within the Blades medium to make a non-linear scenario than a linear one. TM and I aren't likely to make non-linear scenarios any time soon, but others may. Shyguy may make a scenario for BoA, and his are in a very different style than mine or TM's. So if you want a non-linear scenario, wait a little while and one will come out.

Or, even better, make one yourself.

You'll find that the bottom line here is scenarios made. People will perk up and pay attention if you start releasing quality scenarios. Otherwise, you're just another newbie.

EDIT: You know, DreamGuy, having thought about it more, I don't see how Jeff's scenarios could be considered any better as far as linearity goes, except for ASR, which the community likes by far the most. VoDT is pretty much linear, and ZKR is, too. Do you consider those to be less linear than anything else released by a third-party designer? If so, how?

In theory you can e-mail Jeff about it (his e-mail's on www.spidweb.com), but he's not likely to do anything about it.