A while back I had an idea. I won't go into the details (it isn't necessary) but one of the basics is to have the ship extras dialog organized into two sections, one for your ship's status (you have different outfits represent the various systems on your ship, and they either enhance or deplete ship performance depending on status, malfunctioning engines would slow you down for example). And the other section is of course for "real" outfits (outfits & weapons).

Now the only way (that I know of) to actually separate the two sections is with an outfit (as you can see in the picture I've named it "Modifications:" with a few line breaks), now there are obviously some problems with using an outfit as a separator, and I've fixed all but one to my satisfaction.

The one I haven't fixed is the fact that all outfits are separated by a comma and a space. Now I've looked all over the place for the string with a ", " in it, and I've come up short. And now I'm pretty sure it's hard coded into the Nova engine (so there's nothing I can do to get rid of it). I've tried moving it all over the place, having it just below the separator, right above the actual outfits, in the middle, and now on the same line as the outfits; I think the thing is a gddmn eyesore, and it bugs the hell out of me.

So I've come here to ask what you guys think of it. Should I scrap my idea because of a misplaced comma? Or should I keep the thing and just deal with it. Or can any of you think of a way for me to help "hide" this devilspawn comma?

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Well, the only thing I can think of is making one of the default outfits that can't be sold invisible and adding the name at the end.

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I don't understand what you mean.

Besides, you can't have invisible outfits.

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Quote

Originally posted by Trigger-Happy Slig:
**
Besides, you can't have invisible outfits.

**

Says who?
They're even in the stock scenario.
-Az

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(This message has been edited by Azratax2 (edited 02-07-2004).)

Quote

Originally posted by Azratax2:
Says who?

The nova bible mentions nothing of an invisible item flag. Of course the bible was pre-release so that feature could have been added.

Quote

Originally posted by Azratax2:
They're even in the stock scenario.

That's news to me.

Would you mind giving me the resource ids for them? And if you know it, what is the flag to make an item invisible?

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Quote

Originally posted by Trigger-Happy Slig:
**That's news to me.

Would you mind giving me the resource ids for them? And if you know it, what is the flag to make an item invisible?

**

Sure.
All the T# strength levels (rids in low 200s), the Krypt mind attack (339). I think it's done with a semicolon infront of the name of the resource.

Oh, what TC is that dialog from?
-Az

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(This message has been edited by Azratax2 (edited 02-07-2004).)

Simply leave the lowercase fields blank, nothing will show up in the player info dialogue.

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I'd have to guess that the commas are hard-coded. str# 2002 (misc strings) in Nova Data 5 is the place to find most of the random text used in the game, and that doesn't have a comma or anything similar in it. You could make it so that the player has at least two items in every category and combine the last item of a category with the title and first item of the next category, but that's probably not the best solution.

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Quote

Originally posted by slouch:
Simply leave the lowercase fields blank, nothing will show up in the player info dialogue.

I wouldn't say that. Nova will still put a ", " after each unnamed outfit, so you'd end up with

, , , ,

But I don't see how not naming my outfits fixes the comma problem after my divider. I have the divider, and the ", " follows because it's an outfit. I don't want that comma. I's unsightly. But because it's hard coded, the only thing I can do is move it around.

Like this:

this:

and this:

Quote

Originally posted by Aprosenf:
I'd have to guess that the commas are hard-coded.

It seems like this is so. I've checked misc strings several times now, and I can't find a ", ". I've also checked the Nova engine its self, no ", " string there either. :frown:

Quote

Originally posted by Azratax2: **

Oh, what TC is that dialog from?
**

It's an un announced TC. With a few bits and pieces that some will find very familiar.

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Quote

Originally posted by Trigger-Happy Slig:
**It's an un announced TC. With a few bits and pieces that some will find very familiar.;)

**

This isn't a perfect solution, but at the least it wouldn't look quite so awkward: Have you tried simply using the comma in place of the colon after "Modifications"?

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Quote

Originally posted by Trigger-Happy Slig
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by slouch:
Simply leave the lowercase fields blank, nothing will show up in the player info dialogue.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wouldn't say that. Nova will still put a ", " after each unnamed outfit, so you'd end up with

, , , ,

Actually, no commas will show up if there isn't anything to display. Just like the Krypt mind attack and Bureau bomb in the default scenario. But no, I don't see how this would help your situation anyway.

What about flipping the two sections, and giving every ship a default do-nothing outfit that can be entered after the line breaks. (Not a seperate outfit, but part of the "Automatic System..." outfit). Might work.

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(This message has been edited by slouch (edited 02-07-2004).)

Quote

Originally posted by slouch: **
What about flipping the two sections, and giving every ship a default do-nothing outfit that can be entered after the line breaks. (Not a seperate outfit, but part of the "Automatic System..." outfit). Might work.**

I'm not exactly sure what you mean. Would you mind explaining it a little more?

Quote

Originally posted by Lindley:
This isn't a perfect solution, but at the least it wouldn't look quite so awkward: Have you tried simply using the comma in place of the colon after "Modifications"?

Yeah, but I'm a little too anal to settle for that. I might end up doing it anyway, if I don't decide to just scrap the entire idea.....

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(This message has been edited by Trigger-Happy Slig (edited 02-07-2004).)

Use the "Automatic Systems Diagnostic" as your outfit for the second section title. (I'm assuming the line breaks were part of the Modifications outfit lcname). After the linebreaks, have some thing like "Communications Systems checkout:OK". The comma would then come after that.

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Solution!!!!!

Here she is, no more comma:

I got rid of the map software outfit, and simply used the divider, and added "Transferable map software" to the end (the evil comma then follows along on the outfit list). Like so:

(line break)
(line break)
Modifications:
(line break)
(line break)
Transferable map software

All in one lc outfit desc. I have no idea why I didn't think of this before.

I'm so happy!!!!

p.s. Thanks guys for all your suggestions and help, it was much appreciated.

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smart.

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So do you guys have any other suggestions or ideas regarding this feature (you do think I should keep it right)?

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What would happen if someone sold the 'Transferable map software'? Unless you make the outfit unsellable your going to have a problem.

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VERY revolutionary way of dealing with the boring 'ole outfits list! I can only suggest the slightest tweak. Assuming that it cannot be sold (or that selling it will result in automatic granting of a similar outfit), make the trick lc outfit desc read something like this:

Basic Logic Systems: OK.
(line break)
(line break)
Modifications:
(line break)
(line break)
Transferable map software

-- Now you've got a period at the end of the first outfits section, instead of a comma. This would look best if you moved "WARNING:" outfits to the beginning of the outfit list... which would be a reasonable organization for a diagnostic readout anyway.

I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of this TC.... "Teaser plug soon! Teaser plug soon! Teaser plug soon!" (Did I say that out loud? Feel free to ignore the greedy beggar if his demands will slow you down.)

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(This message has been edited by Dr. Trowel (edited 02-07-2004).)

Quote

Originally posted by Lumpy the Elf:
**What would happen if someone sold the 'Transferable map software'? Unless you make the outfit unsellable your going to have a problem.
**

It can't be sold, and it cannot be viewed in the outfitter. And if for some strange reason the player didn't have one, I have a 'nagger' cron that grants one.

Quote

Originally posted by Dr. Trowel:
**I can only suggest the slightest tweak.

<snip>
**

Great idea!! That fixes the other slight comma problem as well. Thanks!

Quote

Originally posted by Dr. Trowel:
I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of this TC.... "Teaser plug soon! Teaser plug soon! Teaser plug soon!"

Don't get your hopes up.... well, at least not for a month or two

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(This message has been edited by Trigger-Happy Slig (edited 02-08-2004).)