Castle Paradox

[msw188]

I could have sworn that these sorts of commands existed (I was going to be dependant on them in my version of the Blue Magic script, see game design discussion forum), but I looked at the dictionary and couldn't find anything. I'm looking for a command that takes an enemy formation as an argument, as well as a slot number, and returns the enemy ID number in that slot. I thought there were commands to alter what enemy is in the slot as well, but I don't need those right now.

Basically I'm trying to be able to read enemy data for enemies in random battles. Do those commands exist, or was I hallucinating again? I have a bad feeling that there would be no other way to do this...
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My first completed OHR game, Tales of the New World:
http://castleparadox.com/gamelist-display.php?game=161

This website link is for my funk/rock band, Euphonic Brew:
www.euphonicbrew.com

[Camdog]

To the best of my knowledge, these commands do not exist. However, based on what I read about your blue magic idea in the game design forum, could you perhaps do something like this:

1. Create 4 copies of each attack, limit them to one slot each, and have them set a different tag on use (slot1attacked, slot2attacked, etc). Then, assign all 4 to a creature. (This would limit the amount if attacks the creature could use, but I don't see a way around that.)

2. Set an instead of battle script that checks what formation you're fighting, causes you to fight that formation, and then teaches a new spell to the blue mage based on what formation you fought, if the blue mage is alive at the end of the battle and the slotAttacked tag corresponded with the slot he was in.

[msw188]

Oh, the blue magic thread solution was worked out to not need the before battle script much as you outline, I believe. The problem there is that the slot-checking bitsets don't work yet.

No, this is an entirely different problem for me. I want to see how 'powerful' a group of enemies is before the random battle, and if they are considered 'weaker' than the heroes, the fight can be avoied. If there are no such commands, I may have to do a (long and arduous) table-lookup style script. Hmm...
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My first completed OHR game, Tales of the New World:
http://castleparadox.com/gamelist-display.php?game=161

This website link is for my funk/rock band, Euphonic Brew:
www.euphonicbrew.com

[Moogle1]

Your other option is to (arduously) arrange the enemy formations in order by strength, then compare against the formation number.
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Slime Salad :: Independent Game Design

[msw188]

I've honestly considered that, but it's a much worse task. First of all, it leaves no room for error. I can't decide later to make some new enemies for earlier in the game. Furthermore, if the script is to be any cleaner than a table look-up, I would need to limit myself to some kind of pattern involving how many formations exist in each 'difficulty level'.

On the other hand, the table is looking to be the way I will go, and it also allows me to assign ludicrous difficulty values to boss formations. This keeps the instead of battle script simpler, although I suppose I will still have to complicate it if I want to force plotscripted battles with formations that could also serve as random battle formations...
_________________
My first completed OHR game, Tales of the New World:
http://castleparadox.com/gamelist-display.php?game=161

This website link is for my funk/rock band, Euphonic Brew:
www.euphonicbrew.com

[Moogle1]

Now that's hardly true. If you place your formations three apart, then you can easily insert formations later.

Do you really want players to be able to bypass boss formations?
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Slime Salad :: Independent Game Design

[msw188]

No, I don't want them to be able to bypass boss formations. That's the issue. If I try to set up a standard forumla for difficulty using the formation number, then I will have to insert special ignoring flags for every boss battle formation. If I have a table, I can safely set a boss formation's difficulty return value to a number higher than the player can attain, and the instead of battle script will look less messy.

I should add that the size of the game makes it out of the question to save all of my boss formations until the end.

I could leave empty formations lying around (and even reserve certain multiples for bosses, perhaps), but that still feels like more planning than it's worth to me. It is maybe a more personal preference than I made it sound at first, but I value the flexbility of a table that I can alter in any way I please at any time over the relative simplicity of the script that would have a monotonic formula for difficulty. I just don't have enough planned out in terms of enemy difficulty as the game progresses to trust such a formula. There's a good chance that I will make certain areas with some harder enemy formations before other areas with easier enemy formations. I might even find that I have skipped an entire 'middle' class at some point.
_________________
My first completed OHR game, Tales of the New World:
http://castleparadox.com/gamelist-display.php?game=161

This website link is for my funk/rock band, Euphonic Brew:
www.euphonicbrew.com

[Moogle1]

Unless your bosses are spawned randomly, you don't have that problem. The instead-of-battle script isn't called on forced encounters. (I don't think so, anyway. Easy enough to test.)
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Slime Salad :: Independent Game Design

[msw188]

Hm, actually now that I think about it I'm pretty sure you're right. I sort of assumed that the instead-of-battle script would be run, since I am sure that the after-battle script is run after forced battles. But it doesn't make sense for the instead-of-battle script, because if it did run, you wouldn't be able to use a fight formation command within the instead-of-battle script without causing an infinite loop.

I'm still leaning towards the table for my own reasons as outlined above, I'm really glad you pointed that out about plotscript-forced battles. I wonder whether it runs for NPC and textbox called battles...
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My first completed OHR game, Tales of the New World:
http://castleparadox.com/gamelist-display.php?game=161

This website link is for my funk/rock band, Euphonic Brew:
www.euphonicbrew.com

[Moogle1]

Pretty sure it doesn't.
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Slime Salad :: Independent Game Design