Component-dependant engines

[Phoenix-D]

iifs might not work in that file, then. :/ Did you try just the AI tag?

[Raapys]

Uhuh, think I might have made a mistake.

Yah, looks like it's working now, thanks. Would be nice if there could be a function that looked for a specific ability description, so we could just use the 'Description Only' ability instead of wasting the AI tags and such.

[Fyron]

Actually, there is. Kwok made much use of it in Balance Mod, such as this "ability" on the SDD:

Ability 2 Type := Description Only
Ability 2 Description := Automatically used if a ship is successfully boarded, destroying the ship and the attacking ship.
Ability 2 Scope := Space Object
Ability 2 Range Formula := 0
Ability 2 Amount 1 Formula := 0
Ability 2 Amount 2 Formula := 0

[shinigami]

Raapys said:
Would be nice if there could be a function that looked for a specific ability description, so we could just use the 'Description Only' ability instead of wasting the AI tags and such.

Something like that would really open up our modding options and eliminate the need for the AI tags.

I was thinking about something like this:
Code:

---

Ability 1 Type                        := Unique String

Ability 1 Description                 := 

Ability 1 Scope                       := Space Object

Ability 1 Range Formula               := 0

Ability 1 Amount 1 Formula            := "UW Basketweaving"

Ability 1 Amount 2 Formula            := 0  

---

Then have a functions like Get_Design_Ability_Unique_String("UW Basketweaving") or some such.

Of course, the best thing would be if we could simply add do-nothing abilities to the Main_Strings.txt file!

[Raapys]

That's what I was thinking, would make it all much easier.

Fyron: Yeah, the description only ability is there; unfortunately there's not a Get_Design_Ability_Description_Component_Count("Description here")'ish function. If there was we could add unique 'identifying' abilities to all components we wanted, we'd just need to have a unique description.

[Captain Kwok]

You can actually give an ability any name you want and use formulas for amount1 or amount2 to produce different sorts of data for display purposes. Not sure, but I would think you could use the Get... function with it since it returns just the string.

[shinigami]

When I try to use "Test" as an ability on a component I get an "Unknown Value" error.

I don't think I'm following what you're saying, CK.

[Raapys]

Yeah, I don't think that works CK. That's what I tried to do the first time basically, although I even added the ability name in the mainstrings file. The game wont start as it doesn't recognize it or some such.

[Captain Kwok]

My post was sort of incorrect. You can use a blank name for the ability and use amount1 and amount2 to produce formula results such as seeker speed.

I guess you can't just put in any name.