Making a mod, have some problems. (and a cool idea.)

[combineguy]

Ok, I'm making my mod, but I've got a few problems.
1: I can't figure out how to add objectives. And please don't tell me to search it, just give me an example and I can probably figure it out.

2: I also can't figure out how to keep people from going to a level until they have beaten the level before it. (and opened the trunk port.)

Also, I have a neat idea for a new enemy if that's possible, I think this may be done with alterations to the spam?

the enemy is... popups! They can be like the spam, but they just popup, (anywhere within they're spread zone, they don't go out of it) release viruses, (only like 2 or 3, so not as tough as spam) then vanish. However they have very low health and are NOT resistant to lasers.

[The GoldFish]

I'd have a read of How To 2 for the progression stuff, it's a pretty good reference guide, How To 1 on the same website might give you some information about the objectives anyway.

Regardless, Objectives operate basically the same way that game.txt events work. Here's an example;

Code: Select all

PrimaryObjectives_StartDefinition
   BuildingOnline :darlington,19    darlington_primary   Darlington_Intro.txt
PrimaryObjectives_EndDefinition



This is out of the end of your level's mission file (found in modname\levels\), and you have to edit it manually. The default entry is NeverTrue, which you just delete and replace it with what you want. Basically that objective checks if Building ID 19 in the level called Darlington is online (that building *has* to be global!). When you go into the task manager and switch to objectives, the text that the objective shows up on that page (such as "Destroy huge blancmange") is the entry in your strings_default.txt with the name 'darlington_primary'. When you click the objective in the task manager, it runs a script giving/repeating information about that objective to make it more clear. The name of the script it runs in this case is Darlington_Intro.txt

To keep people going into a level until they've completed the last is something you want to do when you've finished making your mod, I wouldn't worry about doing it right now unless you really want to, in which case I'd suggest you kind of pussy foot through it with How To 2 to help and post any particular questions you have. There's lots of manual editing involved in the process. So I reccomend you make a back up of your whole mod folder first!

[xander]

Ok, I'm making my mod, but I've got a few problems.
1: I can't figure out how to add objectives. And please don't tell me to search it, just give me an example and I can probably figure it out.

Look here, towards the bottom of the page. In fact, you should probably read through all of the guides that can be found on Icepick's the next game.

2: I also can't figure out how to keep people from going to a level until they have beaten the level before it. (and opened the trunk port.)

Again, read the guides. Basically, levels can be either available or unavailable, and they can either be playable or unplayable. If a map is available, it shows up on the map. If a map is playable, it has a mission file assigned to it, and can be played. If a map is available, but not playable, that means that no mission file is assigned to it, and that it will be greyed out on the map. Missions can be set using the SetMission command, either in game.txt as an action, or in a script. Levels are made available when a linked TrunkPort is captured, or using the MakeAvailable command in game.txt. MakeAvailable is buggy as hell, so I would advise that you not use it until the problem is fixed.

Also, I have a neat idea for a new enemy if that's possible, I think this may be done with alterations to the spam?

the enemy is... popups! :shock: They can be like the spam, but they just popup, (anywhere within they're spread zone, they don't go out of it) release viruses, (only like 2 or 3, so not as tough as spam) then vanish. However they have very low health and are NOT resistant to lasers. :D

I can't really think of a way of doing this. The units in Darwinia are hardcoded. Furthermore, Spam is a building, not a unit, so it doesn't behave like other units. You could have virii or other enemies "pop-up" using AISpawnPoints, but I am not quite sure that is the effect you are looking for.

xander