Krypt on 10/5/2005 at 17:29
Quote Posted by str8g8
Just a quick question, though ... I realise I don't fully appreciate the limitations of what can and cannot be achieved with scripting, but why do we need multiple gamesys files and multiple maps? ... can't different teleport locations open and close according to a simple "date" vairable that is passed to the game via the loader? Doesn't Deadly Shadows have a day variable to decide when, for instance, enforcers appear? Isn't it the same principle?
It would be possible to script it so teleports only work if a variable is in a certain state. The problem is that you have to tell the teleport where it's going in advance. This means that in order to allow people to "plug in" new maps you would need some kind of generic naming convention for the map filenames like "day02map04". Then you'd have to find some way to get FM authors to adhere to the convention. Also, whatdo you do if a city map is intended to teleport to 5 FMs, but the player only has one of them? It would crash when the player went into the teleport for any of the other 4 maps. I don't think this system would really be possible, practically.
I think this would be a great idea, but only if you set it up as a mod where people download one big thing and install it. I don't think a dynamic database of maps you can plug in and remove at will would be technically feasible. I say wait until 10 or so FMs come out then get to work on something like this.
Rantako on 10/5/2005 at 17:58
The reason I suggested using different maps rather than game days is that, with game days, you would have to complete one day before advancing to the next, and wouldn't be able to go back a day. Also, using game days would mean you could only add maps after previous ones - you couldn't (as far as I know) add a new game day before the first one, meaning you couldn't have missions before TDS in the city, which was the whole point of having a time-based city in the first place.
str8g8 on 11/5/2005 at 08:06
Rentako, I'm sorry I didn't make myself clear, I meant using a system like the Deadly Shadows game days, the principle, not the actual scripts implemented as they are.
My theory about plugging in maps would involve the FM creator editing the map (to place the teleports) and the script to say when the teleport is open. But as I say, not having delved into scripting yet, I have no idea how difficult this would be.
In any case, it sounds as though something along these lines might be possible, at least in theory, at some stage - and that's good enough for me. In the meantime Krypt is right and we should probably wait until some FMs are actually out!
cheers
str8g8
Rantako on 11/5/2005 at 17:55
I agree completely about waiting for FMs to come out - such a set up as this would only be rewarding if there was plenty in it. But it does no harm to be prepared, and so I've been looking into scripts...
As far as I can tell, there is no way to check if a map exists. There are no script conditions for it.
Incidentally, it seems you can make the game day go backwards - it's simply a GlobalInt, and there is a script action which lets you add or subtract any value from any GlobalInt.
Bardic on 11/5/2005 at 18:24
For people who don't have all the missions you just have a little loading room that takes you to the start of the district, make a copy and rename it for every FM. (how big would a single room be?)
When someone does get the FM for that portal it overwrites the empty room with the same name.
And I can see this being a year or more away. Get the FMs out, see where different storylines go. When we have some good ones similar to the Calendra series and The Seventh Crystal release a district with 4 or 5 FMs to save on downloading a whole district for a single FM
2003MINI on 12/5/2005 at 01:34
All good ideas. Seems like the city is a good idea. But yes, get some FMs out there. Who knows, maybe the easiest thing to do is just take the first city version that is put out there.
