My Fifth (I Think) Topic in Two Weeks
I'm really bad at this aren't I? Anyway, I was tweaking a misn resource that I had, and a came across a small problem... You could get the mission over and over again! And since you lose your leg (and get it replaced, when you find out you go nuts), and this can't happen more than once! You keep losing the same leg, and getting it replaced, and going nuts over and over and over again! It's driving ME nuts! Sorry, got carried away... Suggestions or tips?
We'll need more information to tell you the exact cause of the problem. My guess is you didn't code the mission to check for whether a certain bit was set or not, a bit usually set by the mission itself upon completion. The only tip I can give is look at how storyline missions in stock EVN were coded. Take a look at the first missions for some of the major strings, particularly the parts about bits in the upper right corner. You'll notice each mission checks to see if a few certain bits are set or not, at least one of which is probably set by the mission itself when the player completes it. Bits can also be tricky to get the hang of, so be patient if you don't pick it up right away.
From the sound of things, you're making a major plug-in for EVN, something that sounds like it adds at least one other storyline, possibly a major one. Am I right so far? It also sounds like this is the first plug-in you've made. If that is also correct, my advice is to take a break and start smaller. Make a few tiny plug-ins. They don't even have to add anything, they can just tweak some things. Add a ship, make a weapon, figure things out.
On the other hand, if I'm completely wrong (or even just wrong about this being your first plug-in) then just hang in there. I've been fiddling with plug-ins for... well a while now* and I still don't completely understand how some things work. 
*It's not that I don't want to admit how long I've been experimenting with plug-ins, it's that I don't remember. I lost count after 4 years.
This post has been edited by DarthKev : 31 July 2010 - 02:22 AM
QUOTE (DarthKev @ Jul 31 2010, 09:20 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
It also sounds like this is the first plug-in you've made. If that is also correct, my advice is to take a break and start smaller. Make a few tiny plug-ins. They don't even have to add anything, they can just tweak some things. Add a ship, make a weapon, figure things out.
That doesn't mean it shouldn't evolve from that initial plug-in…
The Arpiaverse started as a cheat plug-in, involving a combat mission and huge sums of money as reward
Guys, you're not answering the question he asked. I shall endeavor (damn keyboard kept getting it wrong) to do so.
Spartan Jai: what you need to do is use "and not" logic to turn off the mission when completed. Put something like
QUOTE
B0 & !B1
into the Available field, and
QUOTE
B1
into the OnCompletion field.
For the record, this is NOT my first plugin, it's just my first with a misn resource. Now, about it being a major storyline, it could be, but I don't know if I'll make it one. Anyway, Starsword, I did what you suggested, and entered those bits exactly, and now the mission doesn't even show up. The mission is in the bar. (not that it makes a difference). Random factor 100%.
Darthkev, I don't have 3-d modeling software to create my own ships (all I did was reinvent the striker). As for weapons, I have uploaded two plugs with a crapload of those.
QUOTE (Spartan Jai @ Jul 31 2010, 11:05 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
For the record, this is NOT my first plugin, it's just my first with a misn resource. Now, about it being a major storyline, it could be, but I don't know if I'll make it one. Anyway, Starsword, I did what you suggested, and entered those bits exactly, and now the mission doesn't even show up. The mission is in the bar. (not that it makes a difference). Random factor 100%.
Darthkev, I don't have 3-d modeling software to create my own ships (all I did was reinvent the striker). As for weapons, I have uploaded two plugs with a crapload of those.
I said "something like," Jai; I chose those bits as an example. My point was that Available and the like use basic Boolean (binary) logic.
In the Available field, you need the bit that triggers the mission (if any; B0 in the example) to be True (or ON, or 1), and the bit that completing the mission would trigger (B1 in the example) to be False (or OFF, or 0).
To turn the mission off after completion, you turn ON (make True) the bit that you previously had as OFF (False).
You DON'T , however, need to use the exact bits I stated.
And, indeed, probably shouldn't, as bits 0 and 1 are almost certainly already used by the game's own scenario. Somewhere there's a list of unused bits, but for the moment try something like 9990.
I'm not sure why StarSword used two bits — you want this mission not to repeat, but it isn't contingent on having completed some other mission first, is it? If that's the case, then all you need is !b9990 in the Availability field, and b9990 in the OnCompletion field.
If you then want another mission, which similarly can't be repeated, and is dependent on having completed this one, then you'll want b9990 & !b9991 in Availabilty, and b9991 in OnCompletion. And so on.
That worked! Thanks for the help everyone! Really appreciate this! In fact, I like the idea of turning it into a major storyline...
This post has been edited by Spartan Jai : 31 July 2010 - 10:58 PM
I liked the idea of a storyline too much. So I tried it. When I used the set bits that require you to have completed the first mission before this one being available, it never showed up! I tried using different bits (For both missions) and made a new pilot file, and even changed it from a bar mission to a bbs mission! nothing worked...
By the way, I've noticed that most plugs that add a storyline do not send you to Our Spiel when completed. Why/Why not?
This post has been edited by Spartan Jai : 01 August 2010 - 01:48 AM
Those plugs that don't send you to the S7evyn system most likely don't do so because their creators never meant for them to. For whatever reason, they decided not to make the storyline a major one and thus players are allowed to continue playing EVN.
Regarding your mission, have you used a pilotlog to make sure b9991 and whatever other bits you used were set/reset according to what they needed to be in order for the mission to trigger?
QUOTE (Spartan Jai @ Aug 1 2010, 12:12 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I liked the idea of a storyline too much. So I tried it. When I used the set bits that require you to have completed the first mission before this one being available, it never showed up! I tried using different bits (For both missions) and made a new pilot file, and even changed it from a bar mission to a bbs mission! nothing worked...
Can you post the Availability and OnCompletion fields for each mission? The pattern you want is something like this (the letters represent whatever series of bit numbers you're using):
Obviously this gets more complicated if you want things like branching or combining storylines.
The other problem is that some of the bits you're using may already have been set by the original scenario for reasons of its own. As I said earier, there is a guide out there to which bits are available, and what the used ones are used for; I think it's called 'EVN Bits Bible' or something of the sort.
QUOTE (Spartan Jai @ Aug 1 2010, 12:12 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
By the way, I've noticed that most plugs that add a storyline do not send you to Our Spiel when completed. Why/Why not?
Our Spiel is how the original developers of the Nova scenario signed their creation. If you want to sign your plug-in, you should do it in a way of your own.
For the first mission, the availability bit is !B91. OnCompletion bit is B91. For the second mission, the availability bit is B91 & !B92. Completion is B92. I'm pretty darn sure these bits aren't used. I downloaded a list of the used bits from the guides section of EV nova Addons.
And it's only the second mission that isn't being offered?
Does it have any other conditions, such as legal record, that don't apply to the first?
You can't get the second mission at all, correct. And random factor is 10%, legal record requirement is 0, combat rating 0, etc. The only prerequisite I have is completing the first mission. And, I changed the bits, and they are now !b447, b447 for the first mission, and b447 &!b448, and b448
It is set to show up 100% of the time...
That was a typo that I didn't see.
This post has been edited by Spartan Jai : 02 August 2010 - 05:18 PM
Now I don't have the stuff with me, but should I also upload the plug with the first resource? Because they're only offered at a planet that is included in the plug (but that is easily changed), and plus it might help to check them both out.
Here it is. The first mission (1127) is fine. The second (1126) isn't working right. 1126 is dependent 1127. I can't add the first mission because the file size is too large.
misn.rez.zip (680bytes)
Number of downloads: 2
