OK. If you check the EVO board, you'll see a post regarding a massive plug this guy is starting called Escape Velocity 3 or something like that (yeah I know, maybe he'll have to change the name).

Well, in his initinal post he was touting 5000 missions for the plug (no that's not a typo), but it was pointed out that EVO's limit is 512. However, couldn't this fellow accomplish his goal by putting all the missions in several plug files instead of just one or two?

Please go to the EVO board, read the topic, and offer your advice if you have any. Can such a thing be done, and how can it be done?

Thanks,

UEC

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Well, I responded to that thread already, but I'll add my two cents here as well. I always thought it would be possible to put two plugs in successively. That is, at some point to quit EVO take a plug-in out of the plug-in files, and drag a new one with entirely new missions into the folder, then open the same pilot file in the same universe, but with new mission. I don't see why not, but I've never actually tried it.
Mission bits and system location are stored in the pilot file in any case, so it seems like it should be possible. In fact, this is the principle that makes plugs conflict. That any resources with the same ID number are treated identically by EVO.
With 5000 missions (can you imagine writing 5000 missions??), you would probably run out of bits, though, and would have to clear several to make room for more bit-setting.

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Bubbles

It can be done quite easily, yes.

However, he aint going to finish his plug. He is some guy who thinks EV-Edit will let him do worlds, well he is wrong. So I won't bother.

However, he CAN have 5000 (thru 10 mission plugs), but only 256 mission bits per pilot. So unless he has ALOT of governments will ALOT of strings, he cant do it.

512 missions, 256 bits.
EVO will only read upto 512 missions and the pilot can only hold 256 misnbit slots....

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Only 256? Are you sure? The bible says 512 (at least the version I have does). Or are you talking about a different memory limit within the pilot file itself?

I've been thinking, and I believe it would be (theoretically) possible to handle many missions with only a few mission bits. For example:
If you a making a plug and you have 10 sets of mission strings which move with direct causality from one to another. Give each string an AvailBitClear setting 1 through 10. In addition, each mission's AvailBit is set by the mission before. However, mission strings alternate the method of direct causality: the first string sets bits to cause the next mission to appear, the second string clears bits to cause the next mission to appear, and so on. In the first few missions, set all the availBitClear bits (that would not take all ten missions). In this way 10 bits can be used over and over again to control the flow of 10 different mission strings. Using this method, you can handle 100 missions with only 20 mission bits, a ten by ten matrix. With 200 mission bits, a 100 by 100 matrix, you can handle 10,000 missions. More than enough for any sane plug-in designer. With room to spare for all sorts of other uses of mission bits. This is a simple example, but I think it illustrates the principle that mission bits do not need to be the limiting factor in any plug-in designer's scope. There may be some logical problems with my example, too. It's hard to keep that many bits in my head at once. But even if it would take 300 bits in this arrangement to enable 10,000 missions, the allocation of mission bits is ample.

Was that at all clear?

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Bubbles

(This message has been edited by Bubbles (edited 01-31-2000).)

According to the EVO Bible, the max mission bits is 512.

Does the pilot file have a seperate limit?

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(pipeline)

Hmm, I could swear it was 256...

Oh well, I trust the bible more than my memory..

Whoops, sorry about that one folks!

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A quick word on mission bits: Override stores 256 flags that can be set by your missions when they fail or succeed.

The above is a direct quote from the EVO Bible. There ARE 512 mission bits, but override can only store 256 at any one time (in the pilot file)

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Frandall wrote:
**A quick word on mission bits: Override stores 256 flags that can be set by your missions when they fail or succeed.

The above is a direct quote from the EVO Bible. There ARE 512 mission bits, but override can only store 256 at any one time (in the pilot file)
**

I think we need a ruling on this from someone who has actually looked at the game code. The EVO Bible is not infallible.

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Is it possible that this 256 value was taken from the EV bible and NOT the EVO bible? Just wondering.

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WickedDymo says 512 in the EVO Bible Annotated Edition. But it's changed from the EVO bible. I don't know what his source was. Maybe he could clear this up.

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Bubbles