Lets hear about your editor mistakes

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AuthorTopic: Lets hear about your editor mistakes
Warrior
Member # 5274
Profile #0
I'd like to hear about some of the awful mistakes people have made in the editor that caused them to loose lots of work. Most of my mistakes thus far have been relitively simple, mostly doing something manually and then finding out there is a button that could have saved hours of work. I'd like to hear about the frustrating experiences of others to put my small ones into perspective, so now's that chance to tell everyone about your BOA horror stories and moan to your hearts content.

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I assume my reputation for arrogant presumption precedes me
Posts: 107 | Registered: Thursday, December 9 2004 08:00
Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
Profile Homepage #1
I can't recall mistakes I've made that have cost me hours of work, but I can remember having to do things manually that now can be done almost instantly via utility. When BoA first came out and I wanted to make a scenario about sliths, I decided to use icon adjustment to make different-looking sliths. I had to place them in the 2D Editor, muck with their cr_icon_adjust values in the custom objects script, load up BoA, enter a scenario and look at them, change their cr_icon_adjust values, reload a saved game and re-enter the scenario, change their values again, reload again, etc.

Now with Graphic Adjuster and the 3D Editor, it takes me about fifteen seconds to do what it took me half an hour to do before, and I can do it better.

EDIT: Oh god, and debugging pre-Alint was terrible! I had to reload saves about twenty times just to get it to tell me all the times I'd forgotten a semi-colon.

[ Monday, January 09, 2006 16:31: Message edited by: Kelandon ]

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Arancaytar: Every time you ask people to compare TM and Kel, you endanger the poor, fluffy kittens.
Smoo: Get ready to face the walls!
Ephesos: In conclusion, yarr.

Kelandon's Pink and Pretty Page!!: the authorized location for all things by me
The Archive of all released BoE scenarios ever
Posts: 7968 | Registered: Saturday, February 28 2004 08:00
BANNED
Member # 4
Profile Homepage #2
Worst thing to do in general is to accidentally toggle "Automatic Hills" to ON.

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Posts: 6936 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00
...b10010b...
Member # 869
Profile Homepage #3
Auto-hills does save a lot of time for making ordinary hills. It's just really bad if you have any cliffs at all nearby.

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The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure!
Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00
Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
Profile Homepage #4
Or any other terrains that don't work well with auto-hills, like walls.

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Arancaytar: Every time you ask people to compare TM and Kel, you endanger the poor, fluffy kittens.
Smoo: Get ready to face the walls!
Ephesos: In conclusion, yarr.

Kelandon's Pink and Pretty Page!!: the authorized location for all things by me
The Archive of all released BoE scenarios ever
Posts: 7968 | Registered: Saturday, February 28 2004 08:00
Infiltrator
Member # 5576
Profile Homepage #5
I don't think that I have yet had a very serious blunder with the editor. The behavior that the numberpad 5 paints the selected floor/terrain on the center square in the old 2D mode has annoyed me, as has the auto hill function. I also had some trouble back when I couldn't figure out any way to decrease height; only to increase it.

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Überraschung des Dosenöffners!
"On guard, you musty sofa!"
Posts: 627 | Registered: Monday, March 7 2005 08:00
Warrior
Member # 5274
Profile #6
quote:
Worst thing to do in general is to accidentally toggle "Automatic Hills" to ON
I hear you.

I've found the amount of costly time wasting mistakes has gone down dramatically since the creation of the 3D Editor. It's nice to be able to see what your actually doing.

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I assume my reputation for arrogant presumption precedes me
Posts: 107 | Registered: Thursday, December 9 2004 08:00
Infiltrator
Member # 5576
Profile Homepage #7
'Which way is the beam projector really facing?' was a major headache for me where using the old editor.

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Überraschung des Dosenöffners!
"On guard, you musty sofa!"
Posts: 627 | Registered: Monday, March 7 2005 08:00
BANNED
Member # 4
Profile Homepage #8
quote:
Originally written by Niemand:

'Why the #$%& are there projectors in this scenario?' was a major headache for my players where using the editor.


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Posts: 6936 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00
? Man, ? Amazing
Member # 5755
Profile #9
Speaking of projectors, does it work to have the power source behind a wall? I'm interested in the whole home theatre thing, but that glowing ball on a pedestal is a little much.

Thanks for any help.

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quote:
Originally written by Kelandon:

Well, I'm at least pretty sure that Salmon is losing.


Posts: 4114 | Registered: Monday, April 25 2005 07:00
Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
Profile Homepage #10
quote:
Originally written by Jumpin' Salmon:

Speaking of projectors, does it work to have the power source behind a wall?
I believe it does not, but the only way to know is to try it. My experience with beam projectors is that they behave in all sorts of nonsensical ways.

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Arancaytar: Every time you ask people to compare TM and Kel, you endanger the poor, fluffy kittens.
Smoo: Get ready to face the walls!
Ephesos: In conclusion, yarr.

Kelandon's Pink and Pretty Page!!: the authorized location for all things by me
The Archive of all released BoE scenarios ever
Posts: 7968 | Registered: Saturday, February 28 2004 08:00
Infiltrator
Member # 5576
Profile Homepage #11
the power source must be on one of the spaces directly to the north, south, east, or west. So if you had
<|o
where < is the projector | is a wall, and o is the power source, the projector will not activate, because the powersource isn't close enough. However, you could make a terrain which is/looks like a wall and is also a powersource. Then, just putting the special wall next to the projector will turn it on.

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Überraschung des Dosenöffners!
"On guard, you musty sofa!"
Posts: 627 | Registered: Monday, March 7 2005 08:00
? Man, ? Amazing
Member # 5755
Profile #12
Could a person just replace the graphic completely?

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quote:
Originally written by Kelandon:

Well, I'm at least pretty sure that Salmon is losing.


Posts: 4114 | Registered: Monday, April 25 2005 07:00
Infiltrator
Member # 5576
Profile Homepage #13
If you mean replacing the power source's graphic, it's easier just to make a terrain:
begindefineterrain x
import = y;//whatever you want it to look like
te_special_property = 38; //make it a power source
Or you could import the standard power source and set a different graphic, yes.

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Überraschung des Dosenöffners!
"On guard, you musty sofa!"
Posts: 627 | Registered: Monday, March 7 2005 08:00
Councilor
Member # 6600
Profile Homepage #14
Working with the 2D editor cost me hours of valuable time that could have been used more efficiently with the 3D editor...

Dikiyoba.

Edit: Spelling.

[ Tuesday, January 10, 2006 14:52: Message edited by: Dikiyoba ]
Posts: 4346 | Registered: Friday, December 23 2005 08:00
...b10010b...
Member # 869
Profile Homepage #15
I'm tempted to wait for the 4D editor before I start designing in earnest.

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The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure!
Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00
? Man, ? Amazing
Member # 5755
Profile #16
:)

Two days ago I naively imported a town into my scenario. It was glorious, I was finally going to activate one of the movies. As with all things, pain was immediate and overwhelming. I discovered that there are steps to take when importing a town.

0. Back up your work.
1. Add a new town to the existing scenario.
2. Switch so you are editing the new town.
3. Import the correct town (not zone) from the correct scenario, making sure the existing blank town is the same size as the town being imported.
4. Cross fingers.

I will have to start again.

Edit - It should be noted that it is exceedingly important to begin all BoA lists with a 0.

[ Wednesday, March 01, 2006 21:10: Message edited by: Jumpin' Salmon ]

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quote:
Originally written by Kelandon:

Well, I'm at least pretty sure that Salmon is losing.


Posts: 4114 | Registered: Monday, April 25 2005 07:00
Warrior
Member # 380
Profile Homepage #17
My biggest error was in thinking that this editor would be as easy as the Blades of Exile one. I have no computer knowledge and don't really care to learn scripting when all I really want is to just put out short stupid games for just me and a few friends. Though it was funny to see the cats flee in panic when I first opened the editor and screamed in shock.

EDIT: Ok... one friend...

RE-EDIT: Ok... just me. I have no friends.

[ Wednesday, March 01, 2006 17:18: Message edited by: My Name Rhymes With Orange ]

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When the portal to Upper Avernum starts to blow, first dump a bucket of water on it. Then run like hell.

We're all heroes! Hamsters and rangers everywhere, rejoice! Wait.... wrong game.
Posts: 154 | Registered: Wednesday, December 12 2001 08:00
Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
Profile Homepage #18
Which leads me back to my main point: the best thing that could possibly happen for BoA is a better (more integrated) editor.

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Arancaytar: Every time you ask people to compare TM and Kel, you endanger the poor, fluffy kittens.
Smoo: Get ready to face the walls!
Ephesos: In conclusion, yarr.

Kelandon's Pink and Pretty Page!!: the authorized location for all things by me
The Archive of all released BoE scenarios ever
Posts: 7968 | Registered: Saturday, February 28 2004 08:00
Guardian
Member # 6670
Profile Homepage #19
My worst mistake with the Editor is not knowing about the existence of the few tools it has. Like manually changing the height square by square, THEN seeing that you can do it all at one.

Arghhhhhhhhh.

EDIT: Latest pet peeve: having to re-do all my walls just so I can place terrain by a wall.

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I think that all right-thinking people in this country are sick and tired of being told that ordinary decent people in this country are fed up with being sick and tired. I am certainly not. And I'm sick and tired of being told that I am.
- Monty Python

[ Thursday, March 02, 2006 08:36: Message edited by: Dintiradan ]
Posts: 1509 | Registered: Tuesday, January 10 2006 08:00
Master
Member # 5977
Profile Homepage #20
I'm to paranoid to leave an open scenario unsaved for more then five seconds, so that's not my problem. however, before discovering the 3D-editor, I had problem placing terrain. I always placed the wrong terrain (espacially the closets and such, which only have graphic in the editor, as it would appear in the game, and not like walls and tables have them). It cost me loads of time to correct all these small mistakes.

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Play and rate my scenarios:

Where the rivers meet
View my upcoming scenario: The Nephil Search: Escape.

Give us your drek!
Posts: 3029 | Registered: Saturday, June 18 2005 07:00
Shaper
Member # 3442
Profile Homepage #21
The last one I made was to read the x co-ordinate wrongly on a space, and then enter it into a script.

Two hours of frantic searching for missing semi-colons, and hunting through the docs, I realised that my flip_terrain call WAS working - just not in the right place.

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And when you want to Live
How do you start?
Where do you go?
Who do you need to know?

Posts: 2864 | Registered: Monday, September 8 2003 07:00
Infiltrator
Member # 5576
Profile Homepage #22
I had a similar experience, not though not directly editor related, where had a script that was supposed to set off explosions randomly around wherever the party went, yet it only seemed to work in the NW and SE quadrants of the town. It took me several days of work to determine that my entire mistake was a line in the script, where I accidentally set the y coordinate for the explosion equal to the x coordinate, so that all of the explosions ended up distributed around the line y=x. In the end it was a little depressing when I realized what a small and stupid mistake it was.

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Überraschung des Dosenöffners!
"On guard, you musty sofa!"
Posts: 627 | Registered: Monday, March 7 2005 08:00