Consolidating Text Conditionals

[Legacy_Nic Mercy]

               

Would it be possible to consolidate all journal based text conditionals into a single script?

 

Essentially I have many quests with text conditionals based on which stage of the quest the player is on. I'd like to consolidate these into a single script I could update as I added new quests.

 

If this is doable, what exactly would such a script look like?

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Proleric]

               Can you give an example of a "text conditional"?


Conditional text, e.g, "I'm <searching for | have found> the grail" can be added to journals using custom tokens, but I'm not sure if that's what you mean.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Nic Mercy]

               

Can you give an example of a "text conditional"?


Conditional text, e.g, "I'm <searching for | have found> the grail" can be added to journals using custom tokens, but I'm not sure if that's what you mean.

 

Basically a conditional for "text appears when" in a conversation.

 

Here's an example of one of quest specific conditionals:

int StartingConditional()
{

    // Inspect local variables
    if(!(GetLocalInt(GetPCSpeaker(), "NW_JOURNAL_ENTRY"  + "beyondthelimit") == 3))
        return FALSE;

    return TRUE;
}

This checks to see if the player is on stage 3 of the quest. If the player is on stage 3 then the dialogue is shown. Otherwise the dialogue does not appear. What I was wondering was if it were possible to use ONE script to handle this sort of thing for every stage of every quest in my module rather than using a script for each one. Like say something using the quest giver's tag as an identifier.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Kato -]

               

Probably not feasible in a clean fashion with a standard conversation, thanks to anyone for correcting me if I'm wrong.

 

ZDialog would allow you to do this and much more, however, but that's a rather advanced subject. The system itself, once trimmed(thanks to the improvements made by friends Henesua and Lightfoot8), contains 19 scripts, but once installed, it allows you to build as many convos as you wish, each one using a single script, whatever the number of checks or "actions taken". For instance, in my PW, all merchants, smiths, enchanters etc. use the same single convo, yet they offer different services and tell you different things, and I don't need to know in advance how many available PC replies will be displayed, which is the main strength of dynamic dialogs.

 

If you're building a few small convos and don't need such flexibility, you're better to stick to the standard system, as you'll end up with about the same number of scripts and the convos will be simpler to build. On the other hand, if you plan to build several medium/large convos, ZDialog will reduce the required number of scripts and you'll also gain a lot of flexibility in the process(personally I don't use a single standard convo in my mod).

 

 

Kato

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Nic Mercy]

               

Probably not feasible in a clean fashion with a standard conversation, thanks to anyone for correcting me if I'm wrong.

 

ZDialog would allow you to do this and much more, however, but that's a rather advanced subject. The system itself, once trimmed, contains 18 scripts, but once installed, it allows you to build as many convos as you wish, each one using a single script, whatever the number of checks or "actions taken". For instance, in my PW, all merchants, smiths, enchanters etc. use the same single convo, yet they offer different services and tell you different things, and I don't need to know in advance how many available PC replies will be displayed, which is the main strength of dynamic dialogs.

 

If you're building a few small convos and don't need such flexibility, you're better to stick to the standard system, as you'll end up with about the same number of scripts and the convos will be simpler to build. On the other hand, if you plan to build several medium/large convos, ZDialog will reduce the required number of scripts and you'll also gain a lot of flexibility in the process.

 

 

Kato

 

 

Hm... words like "advanced subject" are scary! I think I'll just stick with what I know I can do! ty for the input!

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Kato -]

               

Let me know if you ever choose to use ZDialog and need help.

 

 

Kato

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_meaglyn]

               

You can do it with "normal" conversations as well. You need to decide on how you want get your NPCs to know the name of the quest. Then you use that mechanism in the conditional script. You still need a handful, one for state == 1, one for state ==2 etc. Sometimes you need an inequality so you may have some of those.

 

For example, assume for now your NPCs only have one quest. Then you set a string variable on each NPC with the quest name ("beyondthelimit" in your example.  Then the conditionals can be like this:

int StartingConditional()
{

    // Inspect local variables
    if(!(GetLocalInt(GetPCSpeaker(), "NW_JOURNAL_ENTRY" + GetLocalString(OBJECT_SELF, "questname")) == 3))
        return FALSE;

return TRUE;
}

Edited to fix premature posting...

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Nic Mercy]

               

You can do it with "normal" conversations as well. You need to decide on how you want get your NPCs to know the name of the quest. Then you use that mechanism in the conditional script. You still need a handful, one for state == 1, one for state ==2 etc. Sometimes you need an inequality so you may have some of those.

 

For example, assume for now your NPCs only have one quest. Then you set a string variable on each NPC with the quest name ("beyondthelimit" in your example.  Then the conditionals can be like this:

int StartingConditional()
{

    // Inspect local variables
    if(!(GetLocalInt(GetPCSpeaker(), "NW_JOURNAL_ENTRY" + GetLocalString(OBJECT_SELF, "questname")) == 3))
        return FALSE;

return TRUE;
}

Edited to fix premature posting...

 

interesting... might be worth exploring.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Proleric]

               

Here's a general method for consolidating all conditional scripts into one.

 

Reasons for using it are

1. It puts all the logic in one place, tagged by NPC, making everything easy to find.

   
2. You don't need to have many scripts before the toolset grinds to a halt.

   
3. Some checks are on quest states, but this allows all the rest, such as gold, items, companions or whatever.

The method is very simple. I'll give some examples that might seem complicated at first sight, but that's just to illustrate that one approach works for many different situations.

 

You still need a set of generic conditional scripts (check1, check2, check3...) for "Text Appears When..." which look like this:

 

   Spoiler
   

// check1
// Set check number and call master check routine
int StartingConditional()
{
    object oPC = GetFirstPC();                                     // or GetPCSpeaker() for multiplayer
    SetLocalInt(oPC, "DialogOption", 1);                           // 2 in check2, 3 in check3...
    ExecuteScript("check_master", OBJECT_SELF);
    return GetLocalInt(oPC, "CheckResult");
}

 

The check_master script looks like this:

 

   Spoiler
   

// Master plot check script
 
int bhCheck(object oNPC, int nOption);
int GetJournalQuestEntry(string sJournal) {return GetLocalInt(GetFirstPC(), "NW_JOURNAL_ENTRY" + sJournal);} // or GetPCSpeaker for MP
 
void main()
{
  object oPC           = GetFirstPC();  // Or GetPCSpeaker() for MP
  SetLocalInt(oPC, "CheckResult", bhCheck(OBJECT_SELF, GetLocalInt(oPC, "DialogOption")));
}
int bhCheck(object oNPC, int nOption)
{
  object oPC           = GetFirstPC();
  string sNPC          = GetTag(oNPC);
  object oArea         = GetArea(oPC);
  int    nGold         = GetGold(oPC);
 
  // Example : used in all conversations in which PC talks to self
 
  if (oNPC == oPC)
    {
      if (nOption == 1)  return (GetLocalInt(oPC, "HorseExhausted");
      if (nOption == 2)  return (GetJournalQuestEntry("jt_water") == 1);
    }
 
  // Example : invisible object used as conversation controller
 
  if (sNPC == "Prologue")
    {
      if (nOption == 1) {return !((GetGender(oPC) == GENDER_FEMALE)
                               && (GetRacialType(oPC) == RACIAL_TYPE_HUMAN)
                               && (GetPhenoType(oPC) == PHENOTYPE_NORMAL));}
      if (nOption == 2) {return (GetHitDice(oPC) != 1);}
      if (nOption == 3) {return (GetLevelByClass(CLASS_TYPE_COURTIER, oPC) &&
                                (GetAlignmentLawChaos(oPC) != ALIGNMENT_LAWFUL));}
    }
 
   // Examples : NPC (most of the entries will be like this)
 
  if (sNPC == "ROSALIND")
    {
      if (nOption == 1) {return !GetIsObjectValid(GetItemPossessedByParty(oPC, "BlackPowder"));}
    }
 
  if (sNPC == "Sierra")
    {
      if (nOption == 1) return (nGold > 0);
    }
 
  if (sNPC == "MissEva")
    {
      if (nOption == 1) return (GetJournalQuestEntry("jt_house") < 2);
      if (nOption == 2) return (GetJournalQuestEntry("jt_house") == 2);
      if (nOption == 3) return (GetJournalQuestEntry("jt_house") == 4);
    }
  if (sNPC == "MissWithers")
    {
      if (nOption == 1) return (GetLocalInt(oPC, "Adept") &&
                                GetJournalQuestEntry("jt_horse") < 1);
      if (nOption == 2) return (GetJournalQuestEntry("jt_horse") == 1);
      if (nOption == 3) return (GetJournalQuestEntry("jt_horse") == 2);
    }
 }

 

The same approach is used to consolidate "Actions Taken" scripts. We have a set of generic scripts action1, action2, action3...

 

   Spoiler
   

// action1
 
void main()
{
  object oPC     = GetFirstPC();                          // GetPCSpeaker() for MP
  SetLocalInt(oPC, "PlotOption", 1);                      // 2 for action2, 3 for action3...
  ExecuteScript("action_master", OBJECT_SELF);
}

 

The action_master script looks like this:

 

   Spoiler
   

// Master plot action script

void main()
{
  object oPC     = GetFirstPC();                      // or GetPCSpeaker()
  object oNPC    = OBJECT_SELF;
  string sNPC    = GetTag(oNPC);
  object oArea   = GetArea(oPC);
  int    nOption = GetLocalInt(oPC, "PlotOption");
  int    nGold   = GetGold(oPC);
 
  // Example : all conversations in which PC talks to self
 
  if (oNPC == oPC)
     {
       if (nOption == 1) {ApplyEffectToObject(DURATION_TYPE_INSTANT, EffectPoison(POISON_LARGE_SPIDER_VENOM), oPC);}
       if (nOption == 2) {SoundObjectStop(GetObjectByTag("SFXFollyOars"));}
     }
 
  // Example : invisible object used as conversation controller
 
  if (sNPC == "Prologue")
    {
      if (nOption == 1) {EndGame("");}
      if (nOption == 2) {MusicBackgroundStop(oArea);
                                 bh_destroy("cloned_pc");          // Wrapper for DestroyObject
                                 bhJumpCamera("WP_Dog_Guzzle");}   // Moves the cutscene camera position
      if (nOption == 3) {AdjustAlignment(oPC, ALIGNMENT_LAWFUL, 100);}
    }
 
  // NPC examples
 
  if (sNPC == "cloned_pc")
    {
      if (nOption == 1) {SetFacing(GetFacing(oNPC) + 90.);
                         DelayCommand(4., ExecuteScript("action1", GetObjectByTag("cloned_pc")));}  // Loop until clone is destroyed
    }
 
  if (sNPC == "ROSALIND")
    {
       if (nOption == 1) {CreateItemOnObject("nw_it_torch001", oPC);}
       if (nOption == 2) {CreateItemOnObject("blackpowder", oPC);}
    }
 
  if (sNPC == "DogScholars")
    {
      if (nOption == 1) {AssignCommand(oPC, bhJump("WP_Dog_Scholars"));}  // Wrapper for jump to object and set facing
      if (nOption == 2) {GiveXPToCreature(oPC, 50);}
      if (nOption == 3) {AddJournalQuestEntry("jt_faust", 2, oPC); ExecuteScript("action4", oNPC);}  // Ensures 3 happens before 4
      if (nOption == 4) {ExecuteScript("bh_exit",  GetObjectByTag("BABAYURI"));
                         ExecuteScript("bh_exit",  GetObjectByTag("Toffee"));
                         ExecuteScript("bh_exit",  GetObjectByTag("Johann"));}
      if (nOption == 5) {AssignCommand(oPC, SetFacingPoint(GetPosition(GetObjectByTag("Toffee"))));}
    }
}

 

A footnote on multiplayer:

 

   Spoiler
   

As I write for single player, I prefer to use GetFirstPC() instead of GetPCSpeaker(), because then I can use the action_master script whenever a plot action is required, not just in conversation. In multiplayer, the options are to use GetPCSpeaker(), limiting usage to conversation, or pass the PC as a local object on the NPC, allowing the same script to be used in any context.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Nic Mercy]

               

I'll give this a thorough look once I have some free time Proleric! Thank you for taking the time to really break this down for me. It's greatly appreciated!

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Nic Mercy]

               

I love the way this looks but I fear my ability to comprehend and implement it properly is not up to the task. Thank you though. I will keep this post handy for reference.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Proleric]

               No problem - feel free to PM if you'd like more insight later on.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Verilazic]

               

Let me know if you ever choose to use ZDialog and need help.

 

 

Kato

 

I found ZZ-Dialog 1.66 on the vault. Is that it, or is there a newer version?

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_meaglyn]

               

zz-dialog and zdialog are not the same thing although the former is an offshoot of the latter. I personally did not like zz-dialog as much when I looked at it but that may have been because I was already used to zdialog.  YMMV. You can find what appears to be the latest on the new vault here. There is a thread which I don't have marked that shows how to collapse all the 12 starting conditional scripts to 1 to reduce the number of scripts, which Kato mentioned.

 

Edit : fixed reference to earlier post to Kato... sorry TR - did not mean to drag you into this '>

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Kato -]

               

I agree with Meaglyn on his preference for ZDialog. ZZDialog ports the bugs already present in ZDialog and is a much larger system. As such, you DON'T want to use the original ZDialog either, but rather the version packaged with HGLL, since Funky(and PSpeed, on Funky's request) debugged it in the past and he did a great job. The collapsing idea was initially made and posted by Henesua, on a suggestion by Lightfoot8.

 

So, here is the debugged, trimmed version. And no, it does not break or suffers from missing entries if properly used.

https://drive.google...ew?usp=sharing 

 

Kato