Ambrosia Garden Archive
    • EVO: Clever ideas for converging plotlines?


      Lacking Nova's boolean flexibility, I'm looking for suggestions for clever ways to creating converging plotlines in Override.

      In a nutshell, say that you have mission B and mission C, which are independent of each other and parallel, not part of a linear progression. You then have mission D, which you only want to be available after both B & C have been completed (and both of their associated mission bits have been set).

      I tried using the AvailBitClr field with a cleared bit (1XXX), so that I could tie the mission bit for C to that field (and use AvailBitSet for mission 🆒, but EVO doesn't seem to recognize a cleared bit reference in the AvailBitClr field (can't fake it as a second AvailBitSet).

      I have a working method by setting a mission bit with a mission A which preceeds both missions B & C (and is mandatory for both), as early on in the plotline as possible. Mission B sets a bit normally, but mission C then clears the bit set by mission A, so that same bit (originally set by mission A and then cleared by C) can be used for the AvailBitClr reference for mission D, while the AvailBitSet reference for D is the bit set by B.

      Everyone have a headache now? I know I do. That's why I was wondering if anyone had a better way.

      Branching plotlines are easy. Converging seems a little harder.

      MScott

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      MScott
      (url="http://"mailto:evo_apocalypse@hotmail.com")mailto:evo_apocalypse@hotmail.com(/url)evo_apocalypse@hotmail.com

    • I dont think you can in EVO. AvailBitClear doesnt actually function, like shootpenalty doesnt. I think EVO 1.0.2 might have 2 AvailBitSet's, but I'm not sure.

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      --sitharus
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    • There's no real problem about converging missions in EVO.

      The system you are suggesting sounds like it ought to work. I don't remember there being an issue with avail bit clear, but I may have solved the problem a different way and therefore not encountered this. It's been a while...

      There are some examples in FH and FF.

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    • I think what you say might be possible, though perhaps not in the fashion you describe. I did something like this in my old plugin, Eclipse, which I officially cancelled sometime last May (I didn't hype it much, fortunately, so you probably have never heard of it--but it was pretty cool!). Anyhoo, I'm not on my Macintosh right now, but if I get a chance this weekend (I'll have to work it in around my forensics meet), I'll hop on the Performa and tear it apart with ResEdit, and try to give your question a definitive answer.

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      P L A T Y P U S

    • It is entirely possible in EVO, as others have said. F-25 v.2.0 uses mission bits to their fullest extent (and I mean fullest 🙂 ) and I recall having several branching areas like the one you are attempting to create. For the record, the only function we determined that never worked was FailBitSet. It was a cool idea, but it doesn't do anything.

      _bomb

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    • assuming availbitclear hasn't been deemed unfunctional, here's a way to do it: let a be a mission leading into b and c (not necessarily the one immediately before, just one which has to be done in order for b and c to be available). have a set bit 511 (or some bit you're not using for anything else. i'll call it 511 here, and i'll say that b sets 1, just so that we have some nomenclature). then have c clear bit 511, and have d only work when 1 is set and 511 is clear (i.e. availbitset=1 and availbitclear=511). the problem with this is that it's important for a to be done before b and c (if b is done before a, then 1 will be set and 511 will be clear, so d will be available. if c is done before a, then a will set 511 and d will never be available), so you have to have an a somewhere which leads into both b and c (i.e. they can't be completely independent strings)

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    • Whoops, I think I was wrong about availbitclear, it's one of the others that doesnt iirc... Pitty I dont have my EV reference material with me...

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      --sitharus
      (url="http://"http://www.damnsw.net/~triplet/forums/")Carracho Help - Updated, upgraded and better!(/url)
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      Insults are the arguments employed by those who are in the wrong. Jean-Jacques Rousseau

    • Thanks all.

      P.S. blackhole, I think it might be RefuseBitSet based on what I've tried (and didn't work).

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      MScott
      (url="http://"mailto:evo_apocalypse@hotmail.com")mailto:evo_apocalypse@hotmail.com(/url)evo_apocalypse@hotmail.com