Node chain won't work

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AuthorTopic: Node chain won't work
Shaper
Member # 73
Profile #0
I'm trying to do something with nodes and terrain in my scenario, but it's not working and I don't know why. I asked TM, but he couldn't figure it out either. Here's the conversation:

quote:
(7:43:49 PM) Zeeqon5: Hello.
(7:43:52 PM) terrorsmartyr: Yo.
(7:44:16 PM) Zeeqon5: I'm having with a node sequence in BoE that won't work the way I expect it to.
(7:44:20 PM) Zeeqon5: Or at all, for that matter.
(7:44:31 PM) Zeeqon5: Could you help?
(7:44:40 PM) terrorsmartyr: You're still working on BoE? Well, I should remember enough to be able to.
(7:44:51 PM) Zeeqon5: Okay, thanks.
(7:45:30 PM) Zeeqon5: There's three different terrain tiles in a row.
(7:45:55 PM) Zeeqon5: They each have the ability to lock into different terrains, or transform into different terrains.
(7:46:18 PM) Zeeqon5: There is an item sitting on the northernmost one.
(7:46:29 PM) terrorsmartyr: Okay.
(7:47:33 PM) Zeeqon5: The one on the north end transforms into the same terrain it locks into. The same goes for the southernmost terrain, except it changes into a different one.
(7:48:05 PM) Zeeqon5: The northernmost one changes into a south-moving conveyor belt, and the southern one changes into a north-moving conveyor belt.
(7:48:33 PM) terrorsmartyr: So you want the party to lock/transform the northern one without locking/transforming the southern one, I take it?
(7:49:06 PM) Zeeqon5: No.
(7:49:32 PM) Zeeqon5: The middle one transforms into a north-moving conveyor belt and locks into a south-moving conveyor belt.
(7:50:08 PM) Zeeqon5: I've set up a Scenario Timer to go off every 10 moves.
(7:50:22 PM) terrorsmartyr: (Why not a Town Timer?)
(7:50:35 PM) Zeeqon5: It could be.
(7:50:40 PM) Zeeqon5: Would that make a difference?
(7:50:48 PM) Zeeqon5: I'm trying to pack a lot into this one town, you see.
(7:51:11 PM) Zeeqon5: It's a very short scenario. Two, three towns tops.
(7:51:14 PM) terrorsmartyr: Well, town timers can be set to be fired on any number of turns, not just multiples of 10.
(7:51:29 PM) Zeeqon5: It doesn't matter anyway. I don't want it to happen too often.
(7:51:35 PM) terrorsmartyr: Okay.
(7:51:45 PM) Zeeqon5: I had a setup that worked earlier, but it happened too fast and looked stupid.
(7:52:33 PM) Zeeqon5: Anyway, the timer starts with an SDF check. It checks to see if (0,1) is set to at least 1 or less than 1.
(7:52:48 PM) Zeeqon5: Nothing has touched it yet, so it should be at 0.
(7:52:58 PM) Zeeqon5: If it's at least 1, the chain ends.
(7:53:27 PM) Zeeqon5: If it's less than 1, a Random Number node comes next.
(7:54:01 PM) Zeeqon5: If it's less than 21, it jumps to another Random Number node. If greater, chain ends.
(7:54:18 PM) terrorsmartyr: Okay, so every 10 turns, there's a 1/5 chance of something happening.
(7:54:24 PM) Zeeqon5: Right.
(7:55:02 PM) Zeeqon5: The second random number node: If less than 51, it locks the strip of terrain with a Lock Rectangle node.
(7:55:54 PM) Zeeqon5: After it locks the terrain, it calls a General Timer, which goes off after 1 turn.
(7:56:56 PM) Zeeqon5: After the timer ends, it transforms the strip, which changes it back from the conveyor belts to the default lockable terrains. Then the chain ends.
(7:57:37 PM) Zeeqon5: If the second Random Number node comes up at least 51, it transforms the strip, then jumps to the same 1-move timer.
(7:57:59 PM) terrorsmartyr: So let me get this straight:
(7:58:46 PM) terrorsmartyr: When the terrains are locked, they look like this:
S
-
N
(7:58:57 PM) Zeeqon5: No.
(7:59:24 PM) Zeeqon5: When they're locked, they look like this:
S
S
N
(7:59:34 PM) Zeeqon5: And when they're transformed, they look like this:
(7:59:40 PM) Zeeqon5: S
N
N
(7:59:49 PM) Zeeqon5: Only lined up.
(8:00:00 PM) terrorsmartyr: Right, right.
(8:00:14 PM) Zeeqon5: By default, they're motionless, Clear terrain that are lockable and transformable.
(8:00:16 PM) terrorsmartyr: Okay, so this item randomly gets shuffled from top to bottom.
(8:00:20 PM) Zeeqon5: Right.
(8:00:25 PM) Zeeqon5: Only it doesn't.
(8:00:29 PM) Zeeqon5: It doesn't move at all.
(8:00:48 PM) terrorsmartyr: Ahahahaha.
(8:00:53 PM) terrorsmartyr: We could've saved so much time!
(8:00:55 PM) Zeeqon5: It could be a quirk of the Random Number nodes, but I sat there holding 5 for a while.
(8:00:59 PM) terrorsmartyr: No, no, no.
(8:01:20 PM) terrorsmartyr: You need to have the conveyor terrains already placed in the town when the party enters it for any conveyor terrains you make in that town to work.
(8:01:32 PM) terrorsmartyr: Just stick the four conveyor belt types in a corner of town the party will never see.
(8:01:39 PM) Zeeqon5: I did that.
(8:01:45 PM) Zeeqon5: And it still won't move.
(8:01:56 PM) terrorsmartyr: Did you stick all of the conveyor types in?
(8:02:01 PM) Zeeqon5: Yes.
(8:02:06 PM) terrorsmartyr: That's odd.
(8:02:36 PM) Zeeqon5: Hmm...
(8:03:32 PM) terrorsmartyr: Do the conveyor belts not switch types, or do they not move things on them?
(8:03:58 PM) Zeeqon5: I don't know. They're inaccessible. I'll try making a path to them and see. Hold on.
(8:04:41 PM) terrorsmartyr: Okay.
(8:05:09 PM) Zeeqon5: *pounds head on desk*
(8:05:35 PM) Zeeqon5: I'm thinking the fact that the conveyor belts are Clear, Blocked and not Clear like I thought could have something to do with it.
(8:06:04 PM) terrorsmartyr: It might. Fix it and see.
(8:09:00 PM) Zeeqon5: Nope, still won't move.
(8:09:01 PM) Zeeqon5: brb
(8:09:06 PM) terrorsmartyr: k
(8:11:29 PM) Zeeqon5: back
(8:12:31 PM) Zeeqon5: I'll try setting the first Random Number node to a high number and giving the conveyor terrains different graphics so I can see if they're changing.
(8:13:09 PM) terrorsmartyr: Okay.
(8:14:40 PM) Zeeqon5: Not changing at all.
(8:15:39 PM) terrorsmartyr: -_-
(8:16:35 PM) Zeeqon5: I'm using the original, unmodified Windows BoE, by the way.
(8:17:59 PM) terrorsmartyr: I don't think there are other versions.
(8:18:31 PM) Zeeqon5: Ormus ported it to XP.
(8:19:14 PM) terrorsmartyr: I see.
(8:19:22 PM) Zeeqon5: I used to use that because it didn't bluescreen my computer so much, but I (curse)ed it up trying to put the (original) editor in it. He ported the editor too, but I didn't want to risk making a scenario that didn't work.
(8:19:45 PM) terrorsmartyr: Whatever works.
(8:20:06 PM) Zeeqon5: Unfortunately, my conveyor belts don't work.
(8:20:27 PM) terrorsmartyr: Why do you need the conveyor belts so badly, anyway? Is it imperative to your scenario?
(8:20:56 PM) Zeeqon5: Strictly speaking, no, but I'm trying to make it look nice.
(8:21:07 PM) Zeeqon5: (spoiler removed)
(8:21:15 PM) Zeeqon5: (spoiler removed)
(8:21:48 PM) terrorsmartyr: . . .
(8:22:06 PM) terrorsmartyr: Frilly aesthetic (curse) should not be snagging you up so badly. Scrap it and come back to it later.
(8:22:11 PM) Zeeqon5: (spoiler removed)
(8:22:28 PM) Zeeqon5: I know, but I'm stubborn.
(8:22:45 PM) terrorsmartyr: This is stupidly stubborn. Stop.
(8:23:35 PM) Zeeqon5: I'll ask on Spidweb and move on for now.
(8:23:57 PM) Zeeqon5: Mind if I post this conversation so I don't have to type the whole problem up again?
(8:24:22 PM) terrorsmartyr: Yeah, sure.
(8:24:25 PM) Zeeqon5: Thanks.
(8:24:29 PM) Zeeqon5: Thanks for the help.
(8:24:44 PM) terrorsmartyr: No problem. But do focus on the rest of the scenario.
(8:24:50 PM) Zeeqon5: I will.
Also worth noting is that I triple-checked that the rectangle I'm locking/transforming is the right one.

If anyone can figure out why this thing won't work and tell me, I'd be grateful.

--------------------
My Myspace, with some of my audial and visual art
The Lyceum - The Headquarters of the Blades designing community
The Louvre - The Blades of Avernum graphics database
Alexandria - The Blades of Exile Scenario database
BoE Webring - Self explanatory
Polaris - Free porn here
Odd Todd - Fun for the unemployed (and everyone else too)
They Might Be Giants - Four websites for one of the greatest bands in existance
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Posts: 2957 | Registered: Thursday, October 4 2001 07:00
Shock Trooper
Member # 10488
Profile #1
I suppose it wouldn't be that coordinates in rectangle nodes are backwards (y,x)...

The transformations work? It's just the conveyors that fail?

I suppose you could try making the relevant spaces conveyors to begin with and change terrain upon entering the town...
Posts: 334 | Registered: Friday, September 14 2007 07:00
Shaper
Member # 73
Profile #2
No, the transformations don't work, and I have the right coordinates. Top, left, bottom, right.

This is the starting town, if that's relevant.

EDIT: Also, I transferred it to a town timer to see if that would fix it, and it didn't.

[ Friday, January 18, 2008 19:47: Message edited by: The Almighty Do-er of Stuff ]

--------------------
My Myspace, with some of my audial and visual art
The Lyceum - The Headquarters of the Blades designing community
The Louvre - The Blades of Avernum graphics database
Alexandria - The Blades of Exile Scenario database
BoE Webring - Self explanatory
Polaris - Free porn here
Odd Todd - Fun for the unemployed (and everyone else too)
They Might Be Giants - Four websites for one of the greatest bands in existance
--------------------
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Posts: 2957 | Registered: Thursday, October 4 2001 07:00
...b10010b...
Member # 869
Profile Homepage #3
Conveyor belts are quite buggy, especially in combination with changing terrains. It's best to avoid using them where possible.

I think a couple of the rectangle commands are also buggy, so that they only transform terrains in the top left corner of the rectangle. I'm not sure if Transform Rectangle is one of them.

Have you tried inserting a Display Message or something at the end of the chain to confirm that the nodes are actually being called, so that you know that that isn't the source of your problem?

[ Saturday, January 19, 2008 01:34: Message edited by: Thuryl ]

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The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure!
Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00
Shock Trooper
Member # 10488
Profile #4
quote:
Originally written by The Almighty Do-er of Stuff:

Top, left, bottom, right.
As in, the Y coordinate of the top left space, followed by the X coordinate of the top left space, followed by the Y coordinate of the bottom right space, followed by the X coordinate of the bottom left space?

(It's a little confusing because a rectangle would normally be in the order left, top, right, bottom, but in Exile it isn't.)

[ Saturday, January 19, 2008 18:43: Message edited by: Celtic Minstrel ]
Posts: 334 | Registered: Friday, September 14 2007 07:00
Shaper
Member # 73
Profile #5
quote:
Originally written by Celtic Minstrel:

quote:
Originally written by The Almighty Do-er of Stuff:

Top, left, bottom, right.
As in, the Y coordinate of the top left space, followed by the X coordinate of the top left space, followed by the Y coordinate of the bottom right space, followed by the X coordinate of the bottom left space?

(It's a little confusing because a rectangle would normally be in the order left, top, right, bottom, but in Exile it isn't.)

Yes, that's what I meant.

I'll try your suggestion, Thuryl.

--------------------
My Myspace, with some of my audial and visual art
The Lyceum - The Headquarters of the Blades designing community
The Louvre - The Blades of Avernum graphics database
Alexandria - The Blades of Exile Scenario database
BoE Webring - Self explanatory
Polaris - Free porn here
Odd Todd - Fun for the unemployed (and everyone else too)
They Might Be Giants - Four websites for one of the greatest bands in existance
--------------------
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Posts: 2957 | Registered: Thursday, October 4 2001 07:00
Shaper
Member # 73
Profile #6
Finally got around to this.

I added a message to the lock rectangle node, another to the transform rectangle node that changes the terrain to conveyor belts, and another to the transform rectangle node that changes the terrain back, and tested it. I found that they were changed and changed back in the same round, which is odd since I put in the General Timer telling it to go off one round after it was called. I set it to 2 instead of 1, and now it works.

Thanks to everyone who helped.

[ Friday, January 25, 2008 13:42: Message edited by: The Almighty Do-er of Stuff ]

--------------------
My Myspace, with some of my audial and visual art
The Lyceum - The Headquarters of the Blades designing community
The Louvre - The Blades of Avernum graphics database
Alexandria - The Blades of Exile Scenario database
BoE Webring - Self explanatory
Polaris - Free porn here
Odd Todd - Fun for the unemployed (and everyone else too)
They Might Be Giants - Four websites for one of the greatest bands in existance
--------------------
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Posts: 2957 | Registered: Thursday, October 4 2001 07:00