splattergnome
09-11-2006, 11:57 AM
Many new suggestions for using the new features (item editor, new SFX, FFC) have been tossed aside because Zelda Classics scripting capabilities either already can or will soon be able to duplicate the wished effects quite easily. However, this causes a potential problem of a two-class society of Zelda Classic: the people capable of scripting, and those who don`t. My following suggestions aim at trying to reduce the breach:
An important tool in Zelda Classic in the future will be script templates which users will trade amongst themselves. However, many new users may be overwhelmed at opening the script files and editing variable values (even if it is commented well). This is why I have a relatively simple addition which will allow templates to be even easier for new users (and have other side-benefits for script-savvy people):
Scripts should be able to define custom names for each of the variables. Under the pertinent menus in Zelda Classic (for example for items in the item editor, or for FFCs... or whatever new possibilities will arrive) there should be a "details" or an "attributes" tab. In there, all of the inherent variables of the script/combo will be listed, along with the custom names defined in the script. The values can be easily edited in this tab for each.
The benefits:
When using generic templates, other users can easily modify important values from within the editor/FFC attribute screen without having to revert to the scripts. This allows people to fine-tune, and new users to see what they can change or not. Another possibility would be the ability to reuse scripts for multiple combos/items, just changing the important variables.
An example in action: in a future edition of ZC, the standard swords use the "sword" script which define their function. In the script, the d0-d9 variables defining range, damage, amount of hearts neccessary for shooting, and so on are defined. That way, the same script can be reused, and the "attributes/details" tab in the item editor would list the variables along with their names. If a script hasn´t had any of the variables defined/named, it would just have the empty variable name. People wouldn`t have to change the actual script, since they would see (rough example:)
d0 [damage] - 1
d1 [range] - 1
d2 [shoot distance] - 4
And so on. Another example would be if someone created a script for an item which simply plays an SFX, costing a certain amount of rupees. He creates the script using variables naming the amount of rupees and the SFX number - defining them with names ("cost" and "sfx number"). After setting up the items to use that script, the attributes tab would display:
d0[cost] - (whatever is defined, or 0)
d1[sfx number] - (whatever)
d2[undefined] - 0
And so on.
This would encourage people to create modular scripts which just have to have a few attributes changed, make small changes easy, and would make everything user-friendly to users who don`t want to take the jump into scripting. This is a rough example, yet I think it is would be useful, and would provide a unified way to create menus for changing data (like sword strengths, fairy healings, ect) while using the script structure which will become more and more important. (idontknow actually provided inspiration to this - trying to make his idea for a sword editor more universal and script compatible).
I hope that this was an understandable and useful suggestion.
splatty
An important tool in Zelda Classic in the future will be script templates which users will trade amongst themselves. However, many new users may be overwhelmed at opening the script files and editing variable values (even if it is commented well). This is why I have a relatively simple addition which will allow templates to be even easier for new users (and have other side-benefits for script-savvy people):
Scripts should be able to define custom names for each of the variables. Under the pertinent menus in Zelda Classic (for example for items in the item editor, or for FFCs... or whatever new possibilities will arrive) there should be a "details" or an "attributes" tab. In there, all of the inherent variables of the script/combo will be listed, along with the custom names defined in the script. The values can be easily edited in this tab for each.
The benefits:
When using generic templates, other users can easily modify important values from within the editor/FFC attribute screen without having to revert to the scripts. This allows people to fine-tune, and new users to see what they can change or not. Another possibility would be the ability to reuse scripts for multiple combos/items, just changing the important variables.
An example in action: in a future edition of ZC, the standard swords use the "sword" script which define their function. In the script, the d0-d9 variables defining range, damage, amount of hearts neccessary for shooting, and so on are defined. That way, the same script can be reused, and the "attributes/details" tab in the item editor would list the variables along with their names. If a script hasn´t had any of the variables defined/named, it would just have the empty variable name. People wouldn`t have to change the actual script, since they would see (rough example:)
d0 [damage] - 1
d1 [range] - 1
d2 [shoot distance] - 4
And so on. Another example would be if someone created a script for an item which simply plays an SFX, costing a certain amount of rupees. He creates the script using variables naming the amount of rupees and the SFX number - defining them with names ("cost" and "sfx number"). After setting up the items to use that script, the attributes tab would display:
d0[cost] - (whatever is defined, or 0)
d1[sfx number] - (whatever)
d2[undefined] - 0
And so on.
This would encourage people to create modular scripts which just have to have a few attributes changed, make small changes easy, and would make everything user-friendly to users who don`t want to take the jump into scripting. This is a rough example, yet I think it is would be useful, and would provide a unified way to create menus for changing data (like sword strengths, fairy healings, ect) while using the script structure which will become more and more important. (idontknow actually provided inspiration to this - trying to make his idea for a sword editor more universal and script compatible).
I hope that this was an understandable and useful suggestion.
splatty