Okay, then here's an idea: does the NPC follow the player around? If so, you could be able to determine the NPC's approximate location, within a 1-square radius around the player or something like that. As I said before, just use globals for X and Y. Hmm...
makes mental note
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Originally posted by diordna:
Okay, then here's an idea: does the NPC follow the player around? If so, you could be able to determine the NPC's approximate location, within a 1-square radius around the player or something like that. As I said before, just use globals for X and Y. Hmm...
This idea would work, kind of.
If the NPC is set to reach the player then it will always follow the player. However, if an external event calls the NPC switch(ie, doing an action independant of that NPC) then you run into some problems.
First, the "reach the player" NPC mode isn't perfect. The NPC will attempt to reach the player, but depending on its speed in relation to the Player, plus the path that the player moves in, the NPC sometimes can get lost, lag behind, or go another way to catch the player(ie, if the player goes east and north around a rock, the NPC might go west and north and meet the player on the other side of the rock). Thus when you use the global positioning you can certainly be off by more than a 1 tile radius.
Also, if the NPC is right next to the player, you are correct in that it is a 1 tile radius from the player. But you are talking up to a 3 tile difference if the NPC switches sides. Plus, the NPC disappearing suddenly from the player's right side and instantly reappearing on the player's left side is kinda goofy. 
But the bottom line is yes, this will work, if you overlook the above problems. And those problems are really just asthetic problems.
Good thinking.
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Really good story ideas here! What was really useful to me was to use graph paper first to draw out a map. Thanks!
I intend to spend two to three years developing my game. That includes creating graphics as well as using Coldstone's. And since I just figured out how to eliminate the white border around the images I create quickly and easily, I'm REALLY happy!!
I'm using index cards, since what the hero does interrelates with all events, items, and locations. (I can work it out more easily.) The index cards are divided by location. On the index cards under each division of location are that specific location's items, events, other characters, and what my character needs to do to get to another location or to gain something.
While I do have a general story in my head, what's important to me in developing the game is what a character does. Specifically, how does he/she gain anything?
So, I ask the questions,
-- "What does my character want?"
-- "How does my character get what he/she wants?"
-- "How and why does my character change?"
-- "What does my character need to get something else?"
-- "What helps my character?"
-- "What harms or hinders my character?"
Hope this helps.
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-- Debra
Danillitphil Productions
I'm back! (so much stuff to do.. augh...)
Thanks for the post, Debra, I particularly like your notecard idea- I was thinking about organizing mine with a chart that's used in my programming textbooks, but I'm sort of a planning-deficient kind of person, so that hasn't started yet. 
About the npc ideas.. What if an event set for "player contact" got laid out like this?
1.Change globals (Set gb_WizardX to ActualX, set gb_WizardY to ActualY)
2. Dialog junk.. text here, and so on, in liked actions
3. Dialog that initiates conflict (linked to...)
4. Npc Control (Delete Dark Wizard, add Dark Wizard 2 to gb_WizardX and gb_WizardY)
Better yet.. looking at the NPC control action, you could just add the Npc directly to ActualX and ActualY, I think..
Is there a bug or something that would prevent that?
-G
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Originally posted by Galadriel:
**About the npc ideas.. What if an event set for "player contact" got laid out like this?
1.Change globals (Set gb_WizardX to ActualX, set gb_WizardY to ActualY)
2. Dialog junk.. text here, and so on, in liked actions
3. Dialog that initiates conflict (linked to...)
4. Npc Control (Delete Dark Wizard, add Dark Wizard 2 to gb_WizardX and gb_WizardY)
Better yet.. looking at the NPC control action, you could just add the Npc directly to ActualX and ActualY, I think..
Is there a bug or something that would prevent that?**
Ms. Galadriel,
If you do the switching of the NPC from within the player contact event within the specific NPC, then you are good to go. This event will set the &&ActualX;/Y globals for your use.
The problem runs in if you just create an event, independant of the NPC, that removes the NPC and then places the new NPC at &&ActualX;/Y. The independant event will not be able to locate &&ActualX;/Y and substitutes &&PlayerX;/Y for these values.
As I understand it, this is how things work, and it is not a bug.
Make sense?
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Originally posted by diordna:
Bah! I was going to say that!
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Just make it so that on the death of the NPC, it creates a new NPC exactly where the current NPC is.
Just make sure that you realize that in order to do this the death of the NPC has to be "normal." If you use the NPC Control event object to "kill" the NPC then the death event of the NPC will not run. Also, if you have the NPC commit suicide then your game will crash. Kerboom!
Both of these things I personally consider bugs. I'm just trying to convince those that have the ability to "fix" these things that they are...
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