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There will be certain principles governing the way the map is generated (rooms will be connected by hallways, for instance). I've written a dungeon creation algorithm before; I just haven't used it in any game I've released. I know more or less how it's going to work, but I don't want to make any proclamations yet until I've finished implementing it and made any necessary changes.

I've begin some preliminary work on random battlefield generation!

For a variety of reasons, I have decided to limit this feature to dungeons for now, since (a) dungeons are the environment with the greatest potential for interesting procedural configurations, and (b) making a generator that intelligently combined all of the various outdoor tilesets would be a nightmare. (And really, I'd like to get started working on the campaign itself again, so I'm limiting the feature to a scope that I know I can finish somewhat expeditiously.)

Right now, the plan is to create an algorithm that intelligently cobbles together dungeons out of 5 x 5 prefabricated chunks. (Below is a picture of one such chunk.) I haven't 100% decided on all of the details yet, but I imagine that hallways will mostly be 3 x 5 in size, some with destructible objects to form choke points. I'll post more about it tomorrow when I make more progress. :)

Aaaaand a second test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxriucwN-yI

There's now an optional sixth parameter that can be used with the SpawnChar action: triggers. This works just like triggers added to the <Unit> tag in a map, except that the trigger type and script to run are delimited with a colon instead of a comma.

Fixed a bunch of bugs (version number wasn't showing up, game froze whenever SpawnChar was used, etc.) and updated the installers.

Did some work figuring out what size portraits we'll need for larger characters (golems and such), and did a test to determine the appropriate size for mouth variations in anticipation of possible support for talking animations.

Within the install directory, look for application.xml; it might be in the subdirectory META-INF > AIR. That should have the version number in it. I'll look into this other stuff. :)

EDIT: Aha! I found the causes of all of these bugs and fixed them. The installers have been updated online, if you wanna give it another try!

[OnTurn/0]

So, how do you code script for a Use trigger, since the player can keep activating it over and over? Here's an example:

Code Select Expand

<Unit trigger="Use,UseSwitch">0,99,Switch,7,11,None,None</Unit>

<Dialog>OnTurn/0//
<Action>SetVal/LightsAreOff,=,0</Action>
<Action>EndConvImmediately/</Action>
<Reply>.../EndConv</Reply></Dialog>
 
  <Script>UseSwitch
<Action>IfValRun/LightsAreOff,=,0,TurnLightsOff</Action>
<Action>IfValRun/LightsAreOff,=,1,TurnLightsOn</Action>
<Action>IfValRun/LightsAreOff,=,2,PrepLightsForTurningOn</Action>
  </Script>
 
  <Script>TurnLightsOff
<Action>ChangeCondition/Global Lighting,Night</Action>
<Action>SetVal/LightsAreOff,=,2</Action>
  </Script>
 
  <Script>TurnLightsOn
<Action>ChangeCondition/Global Lighting,Indoors</Action>
<Action>SetVal/LightsAreOff,=,0</Action>
  </Script>
 
  <Script>PrepLightsForTurningOn
<Action>SetVal/LightsAreOff,=,1</Action>
  </Script>

You'll notice we're doing a few things here. First, we've set up our Switch with a Use trigger that runs the script UseSwitch when it's activated. We've also set up our map so it sets a custom integer variable named LightsAreOff to 0 at the very start of the battle (that's what the OnTurn/0 dialog is for). So far so good!

Next, we have UseSwitch itself. UseSwitch simply checks the value of LightsAreOff to see what it should do next, then runs the appropriate script. If LightsAreOff = 0, then that means the lights are on and flicking the switch should turn them off; thus, it runs TurnLightsOff. If LightsAreOff = 1, then that means the lights are off and flicking the switch should turn them on; thus, it runs TurnLightsOn.

All simple so far, yes? The only thing that gets a little tricky is that IfXRun actions don't behave in an if/else manner; we can't just set LightsAreOff to 1 in TurnLightsOff, or else UseSwitch will detect that the value is 1 and turn them right back on in the very next line! We have to be a little tricky and set them to 2 in TurnLightsOff; then, once we've passed the second line in UseSwitch, we then change the value from 2 back to 1 using PrepLightsForTurningOn.

And now, just to prove that this actually works: here's a movie showing it in action!

http://youtu.be/Ru99YVUW5n8

[Use]

Added new destructible object trigger type: Use. Unlike Pressure triggers, Use triggers simply give the player the option to trigger the object when a character is adjacent to it and has not yet attacked. This will then run the associated script, just like a Pressure triggered object.

There is now a third type as well, Use Once. This creates an object that can be used once and only once. (Recommended for treasure chests!)

Sorry, that's just stupid. Absolutely nothing he says in the transcript indicates actually suspicious behavior. This kid was one of his neighbors; walking around your own community in the rain is not "suspicious behavior." Nor is staring at the strange man who is clearly following you in a car.

Zimmerman just makes declarative statements like "He looks black" and "Something's wrong with him" and "These (expletive) they always get away." That doesn't establish suspicious behavior--what it does do is establish that he has a set of biases that led him to view perfectly normal behavior as being somehow suspicious. I have a hard time imagining Zimmerman finding a white kid walking home in the rain "suspicious."

[DamageCharAt]

I've uploaded a video showing traps in action!

Also, new script action: DamageCharAt. It's just like DamageChar above, but instead of one parameter with character name, it starts with two parameters: the target's Y and X coordinates.

The four parameters: the Y coordinate of the character to damage, the X coordinate of the character to damage, the base damage to deal, and the element the damage belongs to (Pierce, Slash, Heat, etc.) Optionally, you can add a fifth parameter, which will serve like the affects parameter in an attack. (By default, DamageCharAt actions affect Health.)

(This action is actually probably better suited for use with traps than DamageChar, since it can affect enemies without unique names identifying them who bumble into traps.)

The installers have been updated.

[trigger="Pressure,PressurePlateTrap"]

Woo! Pressure plates are now working. When a character walks onto a destructible object with a Pressure trigger, the character will stop moving and the associated script will run.

Triggers are added on a map-by-map basis by adding a trigger parameter in the <Unit> tag of the destructible object you want to use the trigger with. This, for instance, will add a Pressure trigger to a PressurePlate object and set it to trigger the script PressurePlateTrap:

<Unit trigger="Pressure,PressurePlateTrap">0,99,PressurePlate,0,9,None,None</Unit>

You can now specify the triggering character's coordinates using -Y- and -X-, useful for things like having particle effects on the space a script has been triggered.

New script action: DamageChar. Has three parameters: the name of the character to damage, the base damage to deal, and the element the damage belongs to (Pierce, Slash, Heat, etc.) Optionally, you can add a fourth parameter, which will serve like the affects parameter in an attack. (By default, DamageChar actions affect Health.)

This script will trigger a shower of smoke and sparks at the triggerer's location, and deal 8 base Heat damage to the triggerer:

Code Select Expand

  <Script>PressurePlateTrap
<Action>SpawnParticlesAt/Smoke,-Y-,-X-</Action>
<Action>SpawnParticlesAt/Sparks,-Y-,-X-</Action>
<Action>DamageChar/-FNAME-,8,Heat</Action>
  </Script>

This case is caused by media creating a race issue out of a case that has nothing to do with race.

Smarty, I know how you like to recite conservative talking points verbatim in these discussions, but come on. What made Zimmerman think that Trayvon was suspicious? What him think that Trayvon Martin was on drugs? Use your head, man. Race absolutely has something to do with this case.

No.

I'm now working on adding triggers to destructible objects.

There will be two types: Pressure and Switch. Objects with Pressure triggers will activate the moment a land-based character or other object occupies its same space; Switch triggers will require the character to deliberately activate the object.

In addition to a type parameter, object triggers will have a second parameter: the name of the script to run when the item is triggered. Nice and simple. ;)

Similarly to how Frozen characters turn blue, Burning characters now turn reddish-orange.

Frozen characters now appear visibly frozen on the battlefield.