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Calls that we wish existed in Blades of Avernum Editor
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #70
Nutter thing that isn't a call, but something I really, really, really wish Jeff would change. :)

Please, please, PLEASE, make it so that special encounters load every time the party enters a town, instead of only the very first time. It's getting to be a pain to go back to a really old save just because there's a spot that needs a special encounter I didn't think of when I was first designing the town.

I'd like to extend that to placing items, but I have an idea there's a more valid reason for only doing that the very first time the town is entered. So I'll compromise and not bellyache too much about the items if I can have special encounters that load each time. :D

EDIT: DOH! I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but one can save SOME trouble, at least, by putting a "dummy" terrain script somewhere outside the town that, when stepped into, calls set_town_status(some_town, 0). That forces the town to be completely reset (including placed items and special encounter locations) the next time you enter it.

That's not as good as just having that stuff re-init on every town entry, but at least I can use a save file a BIT more recent since I thought of that. :)

[ Wednesday, April 28, 2004 01:25: Message edited by: spyderbytes ]

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
Calls that we wish existed in Blades of Avernum
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #70
Nutter thing that isn't a call, but something I really, really, really wish Jeff would change. :)

Please, please, PLEASE, make it so that special encounters load every time the party enters a town, instead of only the very first time. It's getting to be a pain to go back to a really old save just because there's a spot that needs a special encounter I didn't think of when I was first designing the town.

I'd like to extend that to placing items, but I have an idea there's a more valid reason for only doing that the very first time the town is entered. So I'll compromise and not bellyache too much about the items if I can have special encounters that load each time. :D

EDIT: DOH! I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but one can save SOME trouble, at least, by putting a "dummy" terrain script somewhere outside the town that, when stepped into, calls set_town_status(some_town, 0). That forces the town to be completely reset (including placed items and special encounter locations) the next time you enter it.

That's not as good as just having that stuff re-init on every town entry, but at least I can use a save file a BIT more recent since I thought of that. :)

[ Wednesday, April 28, 2004 01:25: Message edited by: spyderbytes ]

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
Horrors! My crime was seen! in Blades of Avernum Editor
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #3
Actually, I'm not overly concerned about the town turning hostile. In this particular case, the town is teetering on the brink of hating your guts to start with. :)

I just didni't really want to have to come up with some way to make it consistent, within the game, that you're invisible but still "seen" stealing something. The invisibility potion already has some limitations on it (so it's not overpowering). I guess the character who gives it to the party can just add "and oh, yeah... if you steal something while you're invisible, someone might notice it disappearing into thin air and figure out there's someone invisible nearby." :)

Otherwise, I'm afraid players might either think it's just sloppy implementation or that I'm "cheating" them out of their right to steal while invisible. :D

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
Horrors! My crime was seen! in Blades of Avernum
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #3
Actually, I'm not overly concerned about the town turning hostile. In this particular case, the town is teetering on the brink of hating your guts to start with. :)

I just didni't really want to have to come up with some way to make it consistent, within the game, that you're invisible but still "seen" stealing something. The invisibility potion already has some limitations on it (so it's not overpowering). I guess the character who gives it to the party can just add "and oh, yeah... if you steal something while you're invisible, someone might notice it disappearing into thin air and figure out there's someone invisible nearby." :)

Otherwise, I'm afraid players might either think it's just sloppy implementation or that I'm "cheating" them out of their right to steal while invisible. :D

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
Horrors! My crime was seen! in Blades of Avernum Editor
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #0
Any way to override that (crimes being seen) while leaving items marked as property? At one point, the party in my scenario becomes invisible, and I'd rather they could steal with impunity while it lasts.

Even if the theft is "seen" and it pushes the town into hostility, no one in this town will react until the invisibility wears off; but it would just be nicer if there were some way to switch off crimes being detectable for the duration of the spell.

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
Horrors! My crime was seen! in Blades of Avernum
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #0
Any way to override that (crimes being seen) while leaving items marked as property? At one point, the party in my scenario becomes invisible, and I'd rather they could steal with impunity while it lasts.

Even if the theft is "seen" and it pushes the town into hostility, no one in this town will react until the invisibility wears off; but it would just be nicer if there were some way to switch off crimes being detectable for the duration of the spell.

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
Clarification in Blades of Avernum Editor
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #4
Ah... I should have thought to mention that, as well. :) That means that the call expects you to supply a value to it. IOW, that particular call expects you to supply a short, on_or_off--in this case, either 0 or 1, TRUE or FALSE. In your script, it would look like:

set_incidental_sound(TRUE);

to turn on incidental sounds, or:

set_incidental_sound(FALSE);

to turn it off. Of course, 0 and 1 are the exact same things as TRUE and FALSE.

EDIT: Since my post doesn't make it entirely clear, 1 == TRUE and 0 == FALSE, by programming convention. :)

[ Tuesday, April 27, 2004 16:11: Message edited by: spyderbytes ]

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
Clarification in Blades of Avernum
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #4
Ah... I should have thought to mention that, as well. :) That means that the call expects you to supply a value to it. IOW, that particular call expects you to supply a short, on_or_off--in this case, either 0 or 1, TRUE or FALSE. In your script, it would look like:

set_incidental_sound(TRUE);

to turn on incidental sounds, or:

set_incidental_sound(FALSE);

to turn it off. Of course, 0 and 1 are the exact same things as TRUE and FALSE.

EDIT: Since my post doesn't make it entirely clear, 1 == TRUE and 0 == FALSE, by programming convention. :)

[ Tuesday, April 27, 2004 16:11: Message edited by: spyderbytes ]

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
Clarification in Blades of Avernum Editor
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #1
That's probably a good point, for those who aren't familiar with programming language conventions. :) No, you don't type them. They're only there to let you know what you can expect to get returned (if anything) from a function, when you call it.

IOW, if the call definition starts with 'short', for example, it means it 'returns' a value that you can assign to a variable. For example:

how_many = party_size();
spot_x = my_loc_x();

Calls that start with 'void' indicate that the call doesn't return any sort of value to you. It just "does its thing".

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
Clarification in Blades of Avernum
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #1
That's probably a good point, for those who aren't familiar with programming language conventions. :) No, you don't type them. They're only there to let you know what you can expect to get returned (if anything) from a function, when you call it.

IOW, if the call definition starts with 'short', for example, it means it 'returns' a value that you can assign to a variable. For example:

how_many = party_size();
spot_x = my_loc_x();

Calls that start with 'void' indicate that the call doesn't return any sort of value to you. It just "does its thing".

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
Calls that we wish existed in Blades of Avernum Editor
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #68
This isn't a call, but this seemed the best place to add it. :) When editing a NPC in the Editor, I'd like the dialog to have "next/previous" buttons, to cycle through all the placed characters in town.

I made a change that required a new memory cell to be correctly set for all the inhabitants of a particular (populous) town. Scrolling through the town and clicking each inhabitant, then "edit this character" is a hassle, when all of them have to be changed.

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
Calls that we wish existed in Blades of Avernum
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #68
This isn't a call, but this seemed the best place to add it. :) When editing a NPC in the Editor, I'd like the dialog to have "next/previous" buttons, to cycle through all the placed characters in town.

I made a change that required a new memory cell to be correctly set for all the inhabitants of a particular (populous) town. Scrolling through the town and clicking each inhabitant, then "edit this character" is a hassle, when all of them have to be changed.

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
Age in General
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #56
I'm a rather precocious 4.8-year-old. Or is that an 8.4-year-old? I recently demonstrated on these boards a certain proclivity to dyslexia I wasn't aware I possessed, so I can't be certain. IMAGE(tongue01.gif)

I sincerely doubt that those who actively post on these forums represent even one percent of JV's total customer base. Much less those who have posted on this thread. Much less those who are actually telling the truth.

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
Custom Items/Graphix... Oui. in Blades of Avernum Editor
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #5
quote:
Originally written by Kelandon:

EDIT: I hadn't tried it_ed_icon_adjust or any of its siblings, though, because somehow I neglected to notice that they exist. My suspicion is that this will give some idea of what it looks like, but not always a great one.
Actually, the only ones (that I see anyway) that exist are fl_ed_icon_adjust and te_ed_icon_adjust (floors and terrains). Presumably, that's because those are used on the mini-map. But for items and creatures, looks like we're stuck with only seeing what it looks like in game.

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
Custom Items/Graphix... Oui. in Blades of Avernum
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #5
quote:
Originally written by Kelandon:

EDIT: I hadn't tried it_ed_icon_adjust or any of its siblings, though, because somehow I neglected to notice that they exist. My suspicion is that this will give some idea of what it looks like, but not always a great one.
Actually, the only ones (that I see anyway) that exist are fl_ed_icon_adjust and te_ed_icon_adjust (floors and terrains). Presumably, that's because those are used on the mini-map. But for items and creatures, looks like we're stuck with only seeing what it looks like in game.

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
A way to prevent blood stains? in Blades of Avernum Editor
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #6
The method of sending a message to a terrain script should erase the stains at the end of the current turn, rather than at the beginning of the next turn (I'm fairly certain I remember reading that messages are handled at the very end of the current turn). I think that'll get you closer to what you're wanting.

The terrain script can just sit somewhere out of the way... doesn't need to be "on" the terrain where it's needed. When it gets the message to go into action, it can either just cycle through the water squares removing stains, or use the trick of the dying monster recording it's x and y in SDFs so the terrain script knows just where to act.

A bit of a hack, but I think it'd be pretty close to what you're after. The blood will at least dissipate into the water more quickly than waiting for the player's next action.

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
A way to prevent blood stains? in Blades of Avernum
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #6
The method of sending a message to a terrain script should erase the stains at the end of the current turn, rather than at the beginning of the next turn (I'm fairly certain I remember reading that messages are handled at the very end of the current turn). I think that'll get you closer to what you're wanting.

The terrain script can just sit somewhere out of the way... doesn't need to be "on" the terrain where it's needed. When it gets the message to go into action, it can either just cycle through the water squares removing stains, or use the trick of the dying monster recording it's x and y in SDFs so the terrain script knows just where to act.

A bit of a hack, but I think it'd be pretty close to what you're after. The blood will at least dissipate into the water more quickly than waiting for the player's next action.

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
Beta for Windows BoA about to start. in Blades of Avernum Editor
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #6
I'm guessing the logic is that the windows betatesters will have first access to the "new and improved" Avernumscript. The one where the broken calls we're having to avoid now actually work and the new features that have been promised (and possibly a goodie or two that haven't been mentioned yet) have been added.

I can see both sides of the issue, but think that, overall, the way things are is the fairest. As in, given the chance, my baser nature wouldn't at all mind having early access to the new features before the rest of you got your hands on them. :D

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
Beta for Windows BoA about to start. in Blades of Avernum
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #6
I'm guessing the logic is that the windows betatesters will have first access to the "new and improved" Avernumscript. The one where the broken calls we're having to avoid now actually work and the new features that have been promised (and possibly a goodie or two that haven't been mentioned yet) have been added.

I can see both sides of the issue, but think that, overall, the way things are is the fairest. As in, given the chance, my baser nature wouldn't at all mind having early access to the new features before the rest of you got your hands on them. :D

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
A way to prevent blood stains? in Blades of Avernum Editor
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #2
If there's a better answer than that one, I don't know what it would be. Either that or have the DEAD_STATE send a message to a terrain script that breaks out a mop and cleans up any nearby stains.

I don't think you'll find a way to prevent the stain. The best I think you can hope for is to remove it as quickly as possible once it's there.

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
A way to prevent blood stains? in Blades of Avernum
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #2
If there's a better answer than that one, I don't know what it would be. Either that or have the DEAD_STATE send a message to a terrain script that breaks out a mop and cleans up any nearby stains.

I don't think you'll find a way to prevent the stain. The best I think you can hope for is to remove it as quickly as possible once it's there.

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
Jeebus I hate dealing with custom items. in Blades of Avernum Editor
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #33
Try just changing the scenario name to hellhole.bas and the main scenario script to hellhole.txt. I think that should do it.

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
Jeebus I hate dealing with custom items. in Blades of Avernum
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #33
Try just changing the scenario name to hellhole.bas and the main scenario script to hellhole.txt. I think that should do it.

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
Jeebus I hate dealing with custom items. in Blades of Avernum Editor
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #29
Apparently so. When I start a new scenario (in Editor 1.0.1), it says 49 and 20, respectively, for the scenario name and filename lengths.

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00
Jeebus I hate dealing with custom items. in Blades of Avernum
Shock Trooper
Member # 4180
Profile #29
Apparently so. When I start a new scenario (in Editor 1.0.1), it says 49 and 20, respectively, for the scenario name and filename lengths.

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-spyderbytes
Posts: 200 | Registered: Wednesday, March 31 2004 08:00

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