day/night timer final conclusion?

I know this was discussed many times before and i've read through all previous posts to the subject, but i dit not find the conclusion. I know how to simulate night with transparant layers. But CAN you let coldstone keep track of the time, because the night effect is useless otherwise.

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Quote

Originally posted by Jona:
I know this was discussed many times before and i've read through all previous posts to the subject, but i dit not find the conclusion. I know how to simulate night with transparant layers. But CAN you let coldstone keep track of the time, because the night effect is useless otherwise.

Mr. Jona,

Yes, keeping track of time is very easily done with a variation of Straytoaster's (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/vftp/show.pl?product=coldstone&category;=resources&display;=rating&file;=timer_dev_tools.sit")timer(/url) code. I've got a write-up of how it works (url="http://"http://stark.evula.net/plugin_faq.htm#tiptimer")here(/url).

The bottom line is yes, you can do it. Just make a timer and stick it in. Decide how long night and day will last, and when the timer counts to the specified time switch the filters.

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Stark, I've read your timer tips as well as Straytoaster's readme file. Can you please tell me how to put it into a regular game and not a plugin? I admit that I didn't really understand much of what I read, as usual.

Thanks.

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-- Debra
Danillitphil Productions

Quote

Originally posted by Debra:
Stark, I've read your timer tips as well as Straytoaster's readme file. Can you please tell me how to put it into a regular game and not a plugin? I admit that I didn't really understand much of what I read, as usual.

Debra,

Plug-ins and games are very similar. The difference is that with a plug-in the designer does not have access to the location files, thus to add items to an area they have to use plug-in load calls.

With a regular game, once you create the timer(which will be the same as a timer created for a plug-in. Ie, no difference in code at all), you need to add it to every zone. Just go into each location definition and click on the "Local event" button. In the event window that pops up add a "call event" to the main list which calls up the event to add your timer.

So to sum up, you need to do 3 things to make and add a timer:

  1. The timer code
  2. An event to load the timer
  3. An entry in each location def that calls the event that loads the timer

If you need clarifications, feel free to ask.

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The ways I see will not cary on through the different areas. As in the timer would start over once the player exits the area. A timier that will not do this would be an evant and a spell. the spell would be set to have the duration you want the timer to be set for the remove effect ould activate the event where you would have the action and if you wanted the timer to be repeated you just have the event cast the spell.

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Thanks,
GrahamVH
graham@vhpublications.com

Quote

Originally posted by GrahamVH:
The ways I see will not cary on through the different areas. As in the timer would start over once the player exits the area. A timier that will not do this would be an evant and a spell. the spell would be set to have the duration you want the timer to be set for the remove effect ould activate the event where you would have the action and if you wanted the timer to be repeated you just have the event cast the spell.

GrahamVH,

Actually, the timer does carry over. That is what step #3 does; load the timer in the area what the player walks into it. Since the timer code utilizes globals as a counter, when the new timer is loaded it retains the previous value and continues counting from there.

I have a timer working in several different Coldstone items, and it works very well. The problem with using a spell is that there is a bug with spell removal effects if you cast multiple spells at the same time(ie, if you have a resident spell timer that when the duration expires it fires itself off again, and then you cast a different spell that has a duration, one of the spells will cease to expire and become permanant).

If you have not looked at how the timer code works you can read about it (url="http://"http://stark.evula.net/plugin_faq.htm#tiptimer")here(/url).

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(This message has been edited by Stark Bledfast (edited 11-14-2002).)

Hey, Stark --

Could you give us a step-by-step example/demo of placing a timer event?

Let's say that after 20 minutes, I want to place an item, a shoe, on the map.

Please, please, please, please, please!!!!!!!

I've read your tips and they're good, but just not good enough for MY thick head!!

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-- Debra
Danillitphil Productions

Quote

Originally posted by Debra:
**Could you give us a step-by-step example/demo of placing a timer event?

Let's say that after 20 minutes, I want to place an item, a shoe, on the map.**

Yeah, I'll see if I can write up an example today... 🙂

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Don't bother, Stark. I actually figured it out by myself. I'm beginning to get how this stuff works.

Thanks anyway!

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-- Debra
Danillitphil Productions