[Ohrrpgce] A few ideas and things

[TeeEmCee]

> > I don't quite follow you. But I realised it's no problem: I was
> > mistaken. If the loadgame screen was skipped, the newgame script would
> > run, and if the player then loaded a game, the loadgame script would
> > run.
> 
> What about if the player startes a *new* game?

Hmmm, I had assumed that a loadgame menu would do nothing if the
player choose 'new game'. But you're sayig, that menu actually has 3
options: cancel, loadgame and newgame. Should the newgame option be
removed? I doubt it is the intent of anything giving the player a load
game screen to let them restart the game instead. Or not?

> You would be affected by this if a script relied on a variable
> starting out as 0, or if you used a local variable before anywhere
> where it might get a value. I can only think of a few places where you
> would do this (really, 0 is such a very boring number...)

I just looked through some code and found a few. Any sort of loop or
while which counts as it goes. You sound like you're trying to think
of excuses to ignore the problem!

> I suspect the list on the Wiki is the most comprehensive list.

I just had a look at it, and it's the worst I've seen so far! It
doesn't have 56, 57, 58 or 60 although it does have the passcode
information right (For once I can be confident in saying that because
I checked the code yesterday.), unlike everything else.

That's why I'm so confused - different versions are more up to date in
different areas.



On 6/6/05, Mike Caron <caron.mike at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 6/5/05, TeeEmCee <teeemcee at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > I mentioned this a long time ago, when we first discussed this.
> > > Perhaps when you bypass the loading screen, you end up in save slot
> > > "-1", which really means "no game". That would indicated to show the
> > > menu. Then, when you actually load a game, it's save slot <whatever>,
> > > and you bypass the menu.
> >
> > I don't quite follow you. But I realised it's no problem: I was
> > mistaken. If the loadgame screen was skipped, the newgame script would
> > run, and if the player then loaded a game, the loadgame script would
> > run.
> 
> What about if the player startes a *new* game?
> 
> > > Or, maybe, a title screen plotscript, so that you can cycle through
> > > your movie on the title screen itself. I don't want to think about how
> > > to implement this, though.
> >
> > Maybe that too, if possible (have both?). Would have to jump straight
> > into a new game with intro script, set a special tag, and quit the
> > game on a keypress. Actually, this might get complicated - there are a
> > bunch of things would would need to disable. For instance, you
> > probably don't want stepon activated npcs
> > or battles to trigger. This might be too much bloat.
> >
> > > I believe that James mentioned that the reason we can't already do
> > > this is because he didn't want to upgrade the menu code to handle more
> > > than 4 slots. :P
> >
> > I meant, I would write the code :)
> >
> > > That's interesting. I had no idea this happened. Perhaps it's because:
> > >
> > > A) if you don't care about the argument, you leave it at 0.
> > > B) variables default to 0
> > >
> > > Thus, no one would notice. However, I assume this happens in the other
> > > special plotscripts too. Thing is, no one uses a variable without
> > > initializing it, so it's not that big of a problem.
> >
> > Actually, some of the scripts are passed non-zero arguments, like npc
> > ids or coordinates and battle formation numbers, which are not
> > optional.
> 
> That's what I meant by "other special plotscripts"
> 
> > What? I initialise none of my variables, except those that need to be
> > initialised to something other than 0. Most people don't, from my
> > experience, and I don't see the point of doing it either.
> 
> You would be affected by this if a script relied on a variable
> starting out as 0, or if you used a local variable before anywhere
> where it might get a value. I can only think of a few places where you
> would do this (really, 0 is such a very boring number...)
> 
> >
> > Now, please, any clues on gen()?
> 
> I suspect the list on the Wiki is the most comprehensive list.
> 
> > TMC
> >
> > On 6/5/05, Mike Caron <caron.mike at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > On 6/4/05, TeeEmCee <teeemcee at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > A few ideas. If unopposing/unimproved I might start on them soon (for
> > > > many, I need to get to reading through and understanding custom
> > > > first):
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > A command to run script by id number, and return the return value. I'm
> > > > actually quite shocked by how many people have requested this,
> > > > including me a few years ago (or maybe it's the same 2 people
> > > > complaining :)
> > >
> > > I'm not sure why this is so popular, but I think it's a good idea.
> > >
> > > > An option to skip the load screen (go straight to a new game), and
> > > > also a command to show the load game screen (with an option to not
> > > > actually load- like savemenu). The only problem is, if you do this and
> > > > have an option to load in the newgame script, when the player does so,
> > > > the game will be loaded and the newgame script run again! Any ideas on
> > > > getting around this? Maybe something better than this option.
> > >
> > > I mentioned this a long time ago, when we first discussed this.
> > > Perhaps when you bypass the loading screen, you end up in save slot
> > > "-1", which really means "no game". That would indicated to show the
> > > menu. Then, when you actually load a game, it's save slot <whatever>,
> > > and you bypass the menu.
> > >
> > > > An option to set an automatic proceed on the title screen after a
> > > > delay: Set it to 20 seconds, after which the title passes. You could
> > > > actually use this to create intro movies: have as title "such-and-such
> > > > presents:", set it to show for 5 seconds, skip the load game screen,
> > > > and play a looping demo until the player presses a key, then get into
> > > > the game.
> > >
> > > Or, maybe, a title screen plotscript, so that you can cycle through
> > > your movie on the title screen itself. I don't want to think about how
> > > to implement this, though.
> > >
> > > > Finally, what about an ability to set the number of saveslots
> > > > available to the player at the save/load game menus, range 1 to 32. It
> > > > would default to 4, incase someone is using higher save slots for
> > > > other purposes through scripts.
> > >
> > > I believe that James mentioned that the reason we can't already do
> > > this is because he didn't want to upgrade the menu code to handle more
> > > than 4 slots. :P
> > >
> > > >
> > > > Where would this new data go? In the range 61-92 in gen()? I can't
> > > > find any documentation of gen() that I trust- the one in custom.bas
> > > > includes 60 where one in game doesn't, and I remember MCW pointed out
> > > > that the wrapper scripts in plotscr.hsd alter generals that weren't in
> > > > something James posted on CP a while ago.
> > > >
> > > > Also, some script calls (as in, npc triggered, autoload map scripts,
> > > > etc) allow you to pass arguments to the scripts. Looking at the
> > > > source, I realise that I was mistaken the whole time that if you don't
> > > > want them, you don't have to declare arguments on the script? It seems
> > > > that if you do this, they will get placed in local variables. I wanted
> > > > to have true or false passed to the newgame script depending on
> > > > whether the player pressed a key at the title (above), this might
> > > > interfer with newgame scripts with locals, would this be a problem?
> > >
> > > That's interesting. I had no idea this happened. Perhaps it's because:
> > >
> > > A) if you don't care about the argument, you leave it at 0.
> > > B) variables default to 0
> > >
> > > Thus, no one would notice. However, I assume this happens in the other
> > > special plotscripts too. Thing is, no one uses a variable without
> > > initializing it, so it's not that big of a problem.
> > >
> > > >
> > > > TMC
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Ohrrpgce-motherhamster.org mailing list
> > > > ohrrpgce at lists.motherhamster.org
> > > > http://lists.motherhamster.org/listinfo.cgi/ohrrpgce-motherhamster.org
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Mike Caron
> > > Final Fantasy Q
> > > http://finalfantasyq.com
> > >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > ohrrpgce at lists.motherhamster.org
> > http://lists.motherhamster.org/listinfo.cgi/ohrrpgce-motherhamster.org
> >
> 
> 
> --
> Mike Caron
> Final Fantasy Q
> http://finalfantasyq.com
>