Room_State_Tiering.txt
13. Room State Tiering - A mucho grande thanks to PolygonX8 for this suggestion, so be sure to huggle him when he's on IRC
How it works: You know how to make an event work, you have to make a screen on one dmap, use a kill all enemies flag, make it a boss room, make another room on another dmap a boss room, set up the level numbers, blah blah blah? Well, I'm here to tell you that the Boss flag event method is now completely and totally obsolete! How, you may ask?
It's actually extremely simple. Every room now has two new properties: a next screen and next map definition. It is editable in the room data in ZQ (incidentally, with this change the screen data has been changed to two tabs: the first holding all the flags and the second consisting of special data like this. Also note that the timed warp tics dialog has been moved to the special data tab). Basically, whenever you pick up an item, trigger a secret, or trigger lock blocks or chests, it will not only save that part of the room state in the current room, but also in the room defined by the new properties. So if screen 10 on map 3 has screen 74 of map 5 defined, triggering secrets on screen 10 map 3 (assuming it's an overworld or cave map) will also set secrets triggered in the subsequent screen, ready for when you enter that screen.
Drooling? Well I'm not finished yet :)
When secrets are triggered (or another valid activity, but I'll just use secrets from here on out) on one screen, it triggers the secrets on the subsequent screen. However it doesn't end there. If the subsequent screen has a next map and next screen defined, it will also trigger the secrets in that room as well. If that room has a next map and next screen defined... well, you see where this is going. The chain will continue until a null reference is found, or the screen you're currently on is defined somewhere in the chain.
Furthermore a loop can be defined for all-encompassing events. Say, on map 1, screen 00 points to 01, 01 points to 02, 02 points to 03, and 03 points back to 00. What will happen is that triggering secrets on any of those 4 rooms will trigger secrets for all of them. This, combined with the wonderful reset combo (HAH, you see, I had a good reason for making that right now :) ) will make stuff like, oh say, red/blue toggle switch dungeons to be possible without having to worry about synchronizing maps. Oh yeah, did I mention that this also works on dungeon doors as well. Unlocking a key door in one room will cause a shutter to open in another room (provided they are on the same side of the screen).
A few more things still need to be addressed, but this is currently where we stand. And to think, I have some more evil plans laying around that I plan to implement >
BEAT THAT DN!!! >_> <_< >_> <_<
j/k ... or am I?
