Component-dependant engines

[Fyron]

shinigami said:
I didn't catch it earlier but Phoenix-D's posting of how SJ used the "Get_Design_Ability_Total" function is a great workaround to not being able to add our own ability types. Using it you can make one AI tag stand in for any number of dummy abilities just by using different amounts for "Amount1" and/or "Amount2.

That might not work; if you add 2 of the comps with amount1 of 1, you get the same ability total as having 1 of the comps with amonut1 of 2. Though, you might be able to mix it with "Get_Design_Ability_Component_Count("AI Tag 01") == 1", but that limits you to one per ship.

[President_Elect_Shang]

So this component:

Get_Design_Ability_Component_Count("AI Tag 16") > 0

will demand a component with AI Tag 16? Mmm...

[shinigami]

Quite true, Fyron, it does put a limit on the component of one per ship unless the modder plans things out very carefully.

Also, I've done some testing and have only been able to get the "Get_Design_x" functions to work in the VehicleSizes file so it is not as good a workaround as I had thought.

It goes right back to we need to be able to add our own dummy abilities, either in MainStrings or as a separate data file that the game can parse.

[Fyron]

You can always use abiliites that are non-functional in the file in question...

[shinigami]

Yeah, but if MM wants to make the game really mod friendly (more so than it already is ) why not take it all the way and come up with a method for us to use custom dummy abilities?

Of course, this would be something for the future, for now, kill those bugs!

[Raapys]

Well, turns out it was alot easier than using the ability stuff, I got the Get_Design_Specific_Component_Count to work, meaning I don't need to check for any abilities at all. It would be nice if it actually worked on the engine requirements themselves, though, instead of having to give that requirement to every single ship.