Using arrays to avoid duplication of events

[Bob_The_Mighty]

I got another one for you...

This is what I want to do: When a unit moves into a certain area, i want to check if that unit has learnt the 'tracking' skill. If so, it triggers a message telling you stuff.

There are 4 units, each of whom may or may not have the skill. Since there are numerous locations with different messages I only want to have one event per location which means that it must work for all 4 players.

At the start of the scenario I make sure none of them has it with this:

Code: Select all

[set_variable]
	name=tracking1
	value=no
	[/set_variable]
[set_variable]
	name=tracking2
	value=no
	[/set_variable]
[set_variable]
	name=tracking3
	value=no
	[/set_variable]
[set_variable]
	name=tracking4
	value=no
	[/set_variable]

Then when they learn the skill I store the unit and do this:

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[set_variable]
	name=tracking[$unit.side]
	value=yes
	[/set_variable]

And when I want to use the skill I have this:

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[event]
name=moveto
first_time_only=no
[filter]
x=93-98
y=25-28
side="1,2,3,4"
canrecruit=1
[/filter]
[store_unit]
	[filter]
	x=$x1
	y=$y1
	[/filter]
	variable=unit
	[/store_unit]
[if]
[variable]
	name=tracking[$unit.side]
	equals=yes
	[/variable]
[then]
[message]
	speaker=unit
	message= _ "There are deep footprints here of a very large two-legged creature. They seem to be leading north."
	[/message]
[/then]
[/if]
[unstore_unit]
	variable=unit
	[/unstore_unit]
[/event]

But it doesn't work. I tried replacing the first four [set_variable] tags with a single one, like this:

Code: Select all

[set_variable]
	name=tracking[$unit.side]
	value=no
	[/set_variable]

But I'm pretty sure that doesn't work either. Do I need to store each of the units in turn to make it work? Or what?

[NeoPhile]

Is there any reason you couldn't use role=tracker? You seem to be making this needlessly complex.

[Sapient]

Well, there are numerous ways to do this; and there are numerous problems with the way you tried to do it.

At the start of the scenario I make sure none of them has it with this:

Code: Select all

[set_variable]
	name=tracking1
	value=no
	[/set_variable]
[set_variable]
	name=tracking2
	value=no
	[/set_variable]
[set_variable]
	name=tracking3
	value=no
	[/set_variable]
[set_variable]
	name=tracking4
	value=no
	[/set_variable]

First of all, those aren't arrays. You don't really need to use arrays in this situation if you don't want to. If you play your cards right, you don't even need to initialize anything either.

But let's say I did want to initialize these values, and for some reason I wanted them to be in an array tracking[]. Then I would put this inside the scenario tag somewhere:

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[variables]
 [tracking]
# player 0, unused
 [/tracking]
 [tracking]
# player 1
  is_tracking=false
 [/tracking]
 [tracking]
# player 2
  is_tracking=false
 [/tracking]
 [tracking]
# player 3
  is_tracking=false
 [/tracking]
 [tracking]
# player 4
  is_tracking=false
 [/tracking]
[/variables]

And then the variable for each side is
tracking[$side_number].is_tracking

And the value is
$tracking[$side_number].is_tracking

But, there are easier ways of doing it.

[Bob_The_Mighty]

Quote:
And then the variable for each side is
tracking[$side_number].is_tracking

And the value is
$tracking[$side_number].is_tracking


Is that what you meant? Because I would take it to mean that you could check if they had the skill by doing this:

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[if]
[variable]
   name=tracking[$side_number].is_tracking
   equals=$tracking[$side_number].is_tracking
   [/variable]
[then]

But that is a tautology. And anyway, how would I give them the skill? Like this?

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[variables]
 [tracking]
  tracking[$side_number].is_tracking=true
 [/tracking]
[/variables]

The reason i did it like this was because I want to use it for other things. For instance, say the unit had to have tracking level 3 to get the message. Would I initialise it to zero then check like this?

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[if]
[variable]
   name=tracking[$side_number].is_tracking
   greater_than_equal_to=3
   [/variable]
[then]

Oh, I just realised I am terribly confused...

[Sapient]

To anwer your questions: no, no, and no. You could check if they had the skill by doing this:

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[if]
  [variable]
   name=tracking[$side_number].is_tracking
   equals=true
  [/variable]
[then]

The [variables] tag can only be used for initialization at the beginning of the scenario. Inside an event, you can give them the skill like this:

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  {VARIABLE  tracking[$side_number].is_tracking true}

If you want a number instead of a boolean, you should initialize level=0 instead of is_tracking=false.

(note: in the above code I assume that $side_number variable has been set by the side turn event. Otherwise, you could use the $side of a stored unit.)