spyderbytes

Nifty neato!

 

Did I just not see the list of additions/changes, or are we supposed to figure that out on our own?

Currently not possible. Or at least impossible without creating an unsupported hack.

Play my scenario when it comes out and find out.

 

Seriously, I don't want to give too much away, but I don't make any changes to the party avatars. The trick is in coming up with an in-game explanation of why invisibility works in the way that's possible to implement.

Um, that would be 'typos'. Can I test now?

Good article with good advice.

Look at the Character Skills chapter in the Appendices.

I have yet to actually run out of dialog nodes (though I've come close in a couple of towns), but I do try to conserve them. Thing is, I have a few "chatty" NPCs (not necessary stuff, generally--usually comic relief) that can really chew through those nodes.

Which is why I remember having read that's what SDF range was... I remember being surprised. However, since I can't seem to find where I read it, I can't say for sure, now, if it was an "official" source, or someone just guessing and presenting it as true.

Guess it's time to make a party of SOBs and see if/how badly my scenario breaks.

EDIT: If all else fails, RTFM. Docs for inc_flag():

Guess that answers it...

You said it much clearer than I did. But yeah, that's what I made a failed attempt to say.

My bad... I just skimmed the sample code and didn't notice that--OR the fact that one calls END_TALK and the other doesn't.

 

If not for that last, clear_strings() and add_string() would still have covered the situation...

A combination of erase_char() and place_monster() ought to do the trick. That is, unless you're talking about the party or an NPC that's expected to have dialog--then the problem becomes much more complex.

When you call begin_talk_mode() (so the NPC can talk in the first place ), you have to supply the node number where the dialog begins. JV also uses the node numbers internally, so they HAVE to be unique across a particular town to work properly.

I can't find it now, but I remember reading somewhere that the valid range for SDFs is -255 to 256. Is that correct? Anyone know for sure?

 

I've been assuming it is, and so my 'karma kounter' starts with 0 as neutral and uses inc_flag() calls (plus or minus) when the party does good/bad stuff.

 

Your example dialog would be a bit cleaner (and save you a node, if you run as tight on them as I tend to ) if you used action = DEP_ON_SDF instead of the condition check. That would also make your article a tutorial, of sorts, on one of the more advanced dialog techniques.

Hehe... as such things go, once you point it out, it practically jumps off the page at you, no? But that begs the question... how the heck did it work as expected up until the game was saved and reloaded? Inquiring minds want to know...

I don't mean to insult your intelligence, but have you checked to make sure there's no set_state(), set_state_continue(), end() or anything like that between the start of the LOAD_SCEN_STATE and where you init the quest? That sort of thing can easily slip up on you if you forget you had a call like that and just append something before the break (which I often do ). At any rate, the symptoms seem to be pointing to some kind of "gotcha" rather than a problem with the call.

 

Only other thing I can think... I notice you have this as quest "1". Do you already have a quest "0"? I wouldn't think that would matter, but then, I do start with 0 and it works for me.

If there's anything wrong with your syntax, I'm too braindead to spot it. Looks like you're doing exactly what I do... and it works fine for me.

 

When you play (for example) one of Jeff's scenarios, are quests being added to your list?

Does

 

if (char_on_space(x,y) == -1) {

// do something

}

 

not work?

 

Or, if you want the inverse

 

if (char_on_space(x,y) >= 0) {

// do something

}

 

Haven't tried it, but can't see why it shouldn't work...

Actually, I think it might be Jeff's string handling that has some bounds checking problems. I had the same problem (crashing after load from a save) in one script where I was using string constants defined at init (then putting them in dialog by var name).

 

As soon as I cut and pasted the strings directly into the message_dialog() call, the problem went away.

 

Try doing something like play_sound(-57) instead of the message_dialog() and see what happens. I was thinking the problem was the string constants, but it could be something slightly screwy with message_dialog() itself, I guess...

Thanks, Erik! Looks great.

 

I'm particularly pleased with the additions to the appendices... those should come in VERY handy.

^ That, too. I knew there was another point I intended to make but forgot. Drakey's article is quite good.

 

You can also check here for some creature scripts you could use "as is" or as inspiration for things you can do in creating your own monsters. Just don't hold the scripts of mine there against me... I was just learning Avernumscript when I wrote those. I should update them with what I know now, I suppose...

^ That, too. I knew there was another point I intended to make but forgot. Drakey's article is quite good.

 

You can also check here for some creature scripts you could use "as is" or as inspiration for things you can do in creating your own monsters. Just don't hold the scripts of mine there against me... I was just learning Avernumscript when I wrote those. I should update them with what I know now, I suppose...

2, 3. You can do these right now. You can individually set a monster's resistance to Fire, Cold, Magic, Mental, Poision/Acid, and Melee, anywhere from 0% (no resistance) to 100% (completely immune).

4. I'm sure this can be "faked" somehow, though I haven't given it enough thought to know how.

5. No way to do this that I know of. And I agree... it would be nice to have (but unlikely we'll ever see it).

7 - 14. Most of this can be faked with some creative scripting.

15. I would definitely like to see this, too (but doubt that we ever will). I could do some interesting things with it.

 

EDIT: Had a typo

2, 3. You can do these right now. You can individually set a monster's resistance to Fire, Cold, Magic, Mental, Poision/Acid, and Melee, anywhere from 0% (no resistance) to 100% (completely immune).

4. I'm sure this can be "faked" somehow, though I haven't given it enough thought to know how.

5. No way to do this that I know of. And I agree... it would be nice to have (but unlikely we'll ever see it).

7 - 14. Most of this can be faked with some creative scripting.

15. I would definitely like to see this, too (but doubt that we ever will). I could do some interesting things with it.

 

EDIT: Had a typo

For your point 7, you can come close to "faking" it by only putting (for example) flaming arrows in your scenario (that do most of their damage from fire). Then make the monsters immune to fire damage.

 

It would have been nice to have damage broken down by piercing/slashing/bashing/etc., and being able to set resistances to each. But the system we have will work, if not as well.

For your point 7, you can come close to "faking" it by only putting (for example) flaming arrows in your scenario (that do most of their damage from fire). Then make the monsters immune to fire damage.

 

It would have been nice to have damage broken down by piercing/slashing/bashing/etc., and being able to set resistances to each. But the system we have will work, if not as well.

So you're essentially wanting to change which sheet is used for outdoor cliffs? I sure haven't seen any call to set that (but then, I've done very little outdoors so far).

 

If you're wanting it to be used everywhere outdoors, you could define your own cliff terrains and copy them into the default numbers. But I don't know of any way you could change some of the cliffs, but not all, if that's what you're wanting.

 

EDIT: If that wasn't clear, I was talking about:

 

begindefineterrain my_number;

import = current_cliffs_number;

te_which_sheet = sheet_number_you_want;

 

begindefineterrain original_cliffs_number;

 

That last line will copy it back where it was, just with a different sheet.

 

EDIT 2: Left out an '=' in my pseudo-code.