Monday, August 29, 2011

Brick Wall, Redux

Updated my video drivers, and FNV didn't implode.

Performance seems somewhat improved; but I haven't logged enough time to comment on crashes.

So, being unable to sleep, I decided to work a bit on the sorter scripting. Got the reloading sorter repaired, made a couple additions to the general sorter; and finally started on the survival sorter.

Therein lies our problem this morning.

This time, the editor wouldn't take any more lines at 674; and near half of those are partially finished lines (I copy in the Refname.RemoveItem line, and then just go back through and add in item names).

So, it looks like one of three things has to happen:

1) Axe the sorter completely. Don't tempt me.

2) Cut half the frankly stupid number of consumables out of the sorter. This will result in endless bitching, and the eventual implementation of #1.

3) Chain two quests and scripts together, and make them run in sequence when the sort order is given. More work, more opportunity for problems, and no one is likely to ever notice beyond bitching that I didn't leave the correct number of item X in their inventory? Where do I sign?!


Edit, 0253PST:

Finished the split-script. Ye Gods that crap was a lot of work. I ended up having to write the whole mess in Wordpad, then copy as much as it would let me into the first script; then move the remainder into the second. The dialogue command initiates the first script, the first starts the second before shutting itself off.

Will it work? I have no fucking idea. I'd say yes -- there's no reason it shouldn't -- but I've seen plenty not work that 'should have' in this game. I put nothing past this iteration of the engine.

Total number of lines for all three sorters: 1317. That doesn't count the retrieval scripts; just the ones that put items into categorized containers.

This also doesn't cover armor, weapons, or ammo. I figured trying to sort those would be a hornet's nest -- no matter which I picked, I'd end up pulling stuff one player or another was trying to use; without invoking NVSE (which didn't go so well last time).

I think I'm getting RSI again...

4 comments:

  1. The joys of releasing mods publicly. Of the number of people that download the mod, less than 10% will probably endorse it, but more than that will complain about something that really isn't within the author's ability to control. At least this seems true on the Nexus. I can't say I've heard of similar problems on the Video Games Underground (used to be f3Underground), but my exposure to the mods and the authors on that site is more limited, more by choice than any other reason.

    What all the whiners need to do is learn how to mod themselves: even just simple things, and yes, I realize that with modding, "simple" is a relative term. I also realize that for this to happen, a large scale virgin sacrifice will probably be required, and on the level of using a small town's worth...

    I have started to learn how to mod myself, mostly just tweaking things so they are more to my liking. Currently, I am consolidating a number of armour and weapon mods to reduce entries on my load order, and moving all the various containers scattered across the wasteland into one convenient location. This is helping me learn some of the basics with the GECK, and FO3Edit.

    I consider myself to be a lazy sod, but the whiners in the gaming community make me look like a workaholic. Learning these tools for simple functions doesn't require any special skills except the ability to read and follow instructions, and learn from your mistakes.

    Oh wait...that's why their whining...

    I do hope you can get the scripts figured out Nos, even if it is just for your own use. It sometimes seems like the developers are trying to make things difficult for the modders on purpose. I'll shut up now ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. "It sometimes seems like the developers are trying to make things difficult for the modders on purpose."

    Actually, I've said for years now that game devs hate mods and modders.

    I remember back in the days of C&C Generals and Battlefield 1942, every patch EA released for said games broke every mod.

    Every. Patch. Most mods had to be either completely rewritten, or at least heavily modified.

    Then there was the time Relic released a patch that completely redid how scripts were handled in Dawn of War; making it that they could only be used in compiled form -- and of course they wouldn't release a compiler -- but they totally didn't have anything against the mod community; why do people keep insinuating that?!

    The joke ended up being on Relic -- they were too lazy to write their own compiling format, and it turned out someone had already written a third party compiler/decompiler for another game that used that same format. Their big "fuck you people" to modders ended up being a minor inconvenience at best.

    I chalk it up to the "game master" attitude.

    "I created this perfect world, and by God you people are going to play the game as I intended! *mod breaking patch*"

    But then I've hung around too many RPG servers over the years, so I have a rather poor attitude towards GMs in general.

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  3. "Learning these tools for simple functions doesn't require any special skills except the ability to read and follow instructions, and learn from your mistakes."

    Wow... I could make a long list of game modding communities that this applies to, but it's pretty much all of them.

    ReplyDelete
  4. "Actually, I've said for years now that game devs hate mods and modders."

    I think I have seen you mention that once or twice around here, it just never came to mind while I was typing out the previous post.

    @Herculine: I am rather restrictive on the game modding communities that I visit with any regularity and I've only been doing so for just over a year now, but I am still inclined to agree with you, based upon what I have seen so far.

    ReplyDelete

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