Possible to script the death of characters

[Vaz]

Is it possible to script the death of a character? In particular trigger the death because of contracting a trait - i.e illness?

Say for example, a character is injured in battle (suffers 50% damage), and get's a leg wound. That leg wound then has a chance of healing normally, or should that fail, it has a chance of getting worse - becoming gangrenous. Is there then anything which can "remove" that character from the game?

What does it look like on the family tree, if that's possible?

[Aikanár]

The only way I know of to kill a character or send him off the map, is by selecting him.
Since the e_select_character command is at least flawed and can be outruled either by the player himself or the AI, it is not the command of choice to do so.
Hence the only really reliable way is to know either the name or the label of the character.
At least, that's my impression of it, which means I can be wrong of course.

[Vaz]

What happens if you do it after the player has clicked "End Turn", but before the next computer's turn? Or something along those lines?

i.e "End Turn", Check if any character has "gangrenous wound" trait, if so, e_select_character, "kill" command, AI faction turn, etc

I'm sorry, I don't yet know the full technical terms of it, but that's the basic plan.

[Aikanár]

Hm.

What may be worth a shot is try to label the character when he acquired the anc or trait, something like this:

edct

Trait wounded
    Characters family
    AntiTraits recuperating

    Level slightly_wounded
        Description slightly_wounded_desc
        EffectsDescription slightly_wounded_effects_desc
        Threshold  1 

        Effect MovementPoints  -1 

    Level moderate_wound
        Description moderate_wound_desc
        EffectsDescription moderate_wound_effects_desc
		Threshold  2 

        Effect MovementPoints  -2 

    Level heavily_wounded
        Description heavily_wounded_desc
        EffectsDescription heavily_wounded_effects_desc
		Threshold  4 

        Effect MovementPoints  -3 

    Level severely_wounded
        Description severely_wounded_desc
        EffectsDescription severely_wounded_effects_desc
        Threshold  8 

        Effect MovementPoints  -4 

    Level near_death
        Description near_death_desc
        EffectsDescription near_death_effects_desc
        Threshold  16 

        Effect MovementPoints  -5 



;------------------------------------------
Trait recuperating
    Characters family
    AntiTraits wounded

    Level wounds_treated
        Description wounds_treated_desc
        EffectsDescription wounds_treated_effects_desc
        Threshold  2 

        Effect MovementPoints 1 

    Level in_field_hospital
        Description in_field_hospital_desc
        EffectsDescription in_field_hospital_effects_desc
        Threshold  4 

        Effect MovementPoints 2 

    Level treated_by_surgeon
        Description treated_by_surgeon_desc
        EffectsDescription treated_by_surgeon_effects_desc
        Threshold  6 

        Effect MovementPoints 3 

    Level in_recreation_centre
        Description in_recreation_centre_desc
        EffectsDescription in_recreation_centre_effects_desc
        Threshold  8 

        Effect MovementPoints 5

Trigger wounded01
WhenToTest PostBattle
Condition	CharacterIsLocal
and IsGeneral
and	GeneralHPLostRatioinBattle	<=	20

Affects	wounded	1	chance	100

Trigger	wounded02
WhenToTest	PostBattle
Condition	CharacterIsLocal
and	IsGeneral
and	GeneralHPLostRatioinBattle	<=	45

Affects	wounded	2	chance	100

Trigger	wounded03
WhenToTest	PostBattle
Condition	CharacterIsLocal
and	IsGeneral
and	GeneralHPLostRatioinBattle	<=	60

Affects	wounded	3	chance	100

Trigger	wounded04
WhenToTest	PostBattle
Condition	CharacterIsLocal
and	IsGeneral
and	GeneralHPLostRatioinBattle	<=	75

Affects	wounded	4	chance	100

Trigger	wounded05
WhenToTest	PostBattle
Condition	CharacterIsLocal
and	IsGeneral
and	GeneralHPLostRatioinBattle	<=	95

Trigger	recuperating01
WhenToTest	CharacterTurnEnd
Condition	CharacterIsLocal
and	IsGeneral
and	Trait	wounded	>=	1
and	EndedInSettlement
and	RemainingMPPercentage	>=	75

Affects	recuperating	1	chance	100

Trigger	recuperating02
WhenToTest	CharacterTurnEnd
Condition	CharacterIsLocal
and	IsGeneral
and	Trait	wounded	>=	1
and	EndedInSettlement
and	RemainingMPPercentage	==	100

Affects	recuperating	2	chance	100

Trigger	recuperating03
WhenToTest	CharacterTurnEnd
Condition	CharacterIsLocal
and	IsGeneral
and	Trait	wounded	>=	1
and	EndedInSettlement
and	NoActionThisTurn

Affects	recuperating	3	chance	100

Campaign_script

monitor_event	CharacterTurnEnd	CharacterIsLocal
	and IsGeneral
	and	Trait	wounded	>=	3
	if	I_RemainingMPPercentage	==	01
		label	wounded01
	end_if
	if	I_RemainingMPPercentage	==	02
		label	wounded02
	end_if
	if	I_RemainingMPPercentage	==	03
		label	wounded03
	end_if
	if	I_RemainingMPPercentage	==	04
		label	wounded04
	end_if
	if	I_RemainingMPPercentage	==	05
		label	wounded05
	end_if
	if	I_RemainingMPPercentage	==	06
		label	wounded06
	end_if
	if	I_RemainingMPPercentage	==	07
		label	wounded07      ;do this till 100 percent
	end_if
	if	I_RemainingMPPercentage	==	100
		label	wounded100
	end_if
end_monitor

monitor_event	CharacterTurnStart	ChracterIsLocal
	and	Trait	wounded	>=	3
	and RandomPercent	>=	60
	
	send_character_off_map	wounded01           ;by using send_character_off_map the character remains in the family tree as dead.
	send_character_off_map	wounded02	;continue till wounded100
	send_character_off_map	wounded100
end_monitor

This is just a rough thought and since it would require hundreds of lines of code, it probably would be better to just code it for all names for all factions. You could expand it by whatever thought you might have or reduce the labels of course to say 5%, 10%, 15% and so forth, but the possibility exists, that two characters would get labeled the same, and I actually do not know, if this will end in an CTD.

Edit:

What happens if you do it after the player has clicked "End Turn", but before the next computer's turn? Or something along those lines?

i.e "End Turn", Check if any character has "gangrenous wound" trait, if so, e_select_character, "kill" command, AI faction turn, etc

I'm sorry, I don't yet know the full technical terms of it, but that's the basic plan.

Do you mean like this:

Campaign_script

monitor_event	CharacterTurnEnd	IsGeneral
	and	Trait	wounded	>=	3
	
	e_select_character
	send_character_off_map	this
end_monitor 

monitor_event	CharacterTurnEnd	IsGeneral
	and	Trait	wounded	>=	3
	
	e_select_character	this
	send_character_off_map	this
end_monitor

I doubt that this would work, since the send_character_off_map command needs the name of the character. And if it might work with "this", I actually don't know if all characters would get selected who meet the conditions. I highly doubt that this would work.

Since I'm working on a siege-script, I've experimented a lot with the e_select_character command and found it to be highly insufficient at best.

[SigniferOne]

Campaign_script

monitor_event	CharacterTurnEnd	CharacterIsLocal
	and IsGeneral
	and	Trait	wounded	>=	3
	if	I_RemainingMPPercentage	==	01
		label	wounded01
	end_if

The only problem with this is that you can't use 'label' to label characters. As far as I know either they're labeled from start or do not have any labels at all.

[Vaz]

Hm... Interesting. I'll certainly pass it on to the main scripter.

Thinking on, could this be the route to a possible multiple different deaths. For example, Immortal Elves, but dying humans?

Say for example, this bit -

monitor_event    CharacterTurnStart    ChracterIsLocal
    and    Trait    wounded    >=    3
    and RandomPercent    >=    60
    
    send_character_off_map    wounded01           ;by using send_character_off_map the character remains in the family tree as dead.
    send_character_off_map    wounded02    ;continue till wounded100
    send_character_off_map    wounded100
end_monitor

Create "OldHuman", "OldDwarf" etc traits, and tie that trait to occuring to a specific culture/faction?

So, it looks like

monitor_event     CharacterTurnStart     CharacterIsLocal
     and     Trait     oldhuman     =     1     ;40 y o
     and RandomPercent     >=     20

     send_character_off_map     oldhuman01      ;continue to 20
end monitor

monitor_event     CharacterTurnStart     CharacterIsLocal
     and     Trait     oldhuman     =     2     ;50 y o
     and RandomPercent     >= 40

     send_character_off_map     oldhuman20    ;continue to 40
end monitor ;continue until 90 y o, and then have a 95% chance of dieing every turn

I hope that makes sense? This could be a major break, I think.

[Aikanár]

You would have to label the character who possesses the trait as well. You don't get around the labeling or knowing the name though.
So basically it would be a very huge script, not that complicated though, but huge.

[Vaz]

And I assume hitting on turn over performance... Ah well, I reckon it's worth it. +Rep.

Might be worth presenting that to KK?

[Aikanár]

And I assume hitting on turn over performance... Ah well, I reckon it's worth it. +Rep.

Might be worth presenting that to KK?

I suggest to first get it working without flaws. Then test it concerning performance slow down of the game. And after that, you might suggest it to KK if you might like to do so

[Vaz]

Okay. Well, this is your work, and it's still put a brightener on my day. Once again, my thanks.

[Augustus Lucifer]

I'd say testing that label works as it seems to be used in the context of this script is the first order of business. Labels for characters were introduced in Kingdoms, but I'm fairly certain the label 'command' existed before that. The extent of its entry in the DocuDemons is worthless:

Identifier:         label
Parameters:         label
Description:        Label
Sample use:         label crap
Class:              LABEL
Implemented:        Yes
Author:

I'm guessing it won't do what you want it to do. The reason I say this is that, to my knowledge, commands don't take any data from events or conditions which require them to run. A command requires all its arguments be specified with the command, so it wouldn't know when you say 'label cheese' that you want whatever character returns from the events and conditions to be labeled with cheese, it would presumably just create a label cheese and attach it to nothing, which is probably why the command documentation is so shoddy.

It's worth a try, but test that basic functionality of the command before doing anything more complex. If you can't label a character with that command, then the rest of the script depending on the label doesn't do much good.

[Aikanár]

You're absolutely right on that one AL.
As I wrote, it's just a rough thought written down without testing.
All of the code above was just written off-hand without any testing, just to give an example of the rough thought though

[TNZ]

Just tried it. It doesn’t work. Maybe if the ‘e_select_character’ command is used in the script that could work.

One:

	monitor_event CharacterSelected CharacterIsLocal
		and Trait wounded = 5
		e_select_character
		label death_wounded
	end_monitor

	monitor_event CharacterTurnEnd CharacterIsLocal
		and Trait wounded = 5
		kill_character death_wounded
	end_monitor

Two:

	monitor_event CharacterSelected CharacterIsLocal
		and Trait wounded = 5
		e_select_character
		label this death_wounded
	end_monitor

	monitor_event CharacterTurnEnd CharacterIsLocal
		and Trait wounded = 5
		kill_character death_wounded
	end_monitor

[Aikanár]

Nope, just tested it extensively. Sadly the "label" command just seems to work while spawning characters via script.
Interesting is, that it gives no error-messages whatsoever if used and not working, meaning the monitors will be executed without a problem and without any notice in the system.log set on trace, but to no result.

[Vaz]

Okay, thanks for all your help guys, I'll keep with the trial and error. I've dled the docudemons, so I'll see what I can come up with there.

[Gigantus]

Nope, just tested it extensively. Sadly the "label" command just seems to work while spawning characters via script.

Works in the descr_strat just as well (character line).

Maybe one should think of it as :"name tag" - a noun

[Aikanár]

Works in the descr_strat just as well (character line).

Maybe one should think of it as :"name tag" - a noun

Ah I did not express myself right I meant regarding the context of using it in the campaign_script.txt.
Of course you're right concerning the descr_strat.
Yep, I see it the same way, it's another name for a character to which one can refer to.

[Vaz]

Sorry, I'm being a little slow today - what does that mean then?

Script a trait, the effect of which gives the listed character that tag. The script then searches for characters with that tag, and remove them from the map? Would anyone be able to confirm that works or not? I'm a bit snowed under with 2D work recently.

[Gigantus]

To remove or kill a character you have to know his name. The "label" is basically another form of name and can only be given at the creation of that character, be it spawn or in the descr_strat.
Basically your idea failed because you cannot determine the name through a script and then use it. You can only test whether a name exists.

[confused german]

To remove or kill a character you have to know his name. The "label" is basically another form of name and can only be given at the creation of that character, be it spawn or in the descr_strat.
Basically your idea failed because you cannot determine the name through a script and then use it. You can only test whether a name exists.

You could make some 'undying' factions therefore, if you'd set the death age of all characters very high like 10000 and then script the spawn of all 'dying' factions' generals (maybe even via a settlement number counter - win a settlement -> a new character spawns.) These scripted guys then should be labeled and killed at a certain point of time. At best the killing script would include some random chance so they don't die every time in the same turn.
Only problem now would be the normally acquired characters for 'dying' factions via adoption, marriage and birth. As recently discussed adoption, birth and so on is also connected to settlement number.
Maybe you could script that a 'dying factions' characters death in battle spawns again a scripted other character to keep track of your settlement/generals-ratio.
Okay, negative side of the coin is that would be a lot of work and take out the random fun effect for these factions.

Can one somehow completely turn off adoption for specific factions?
And the same with marriages and birth, keeping a family tree the same time? (The family memebers then would just not be fighters, but mere show.)

Ah, sorry, been a little confused lately....
The point is you needed to switch off character spawn for 'dying factions' via adoption, marriage and birth and at best keep a nice looking family tree with no characters to appear out of it and keep the possibility of "accepting a heroic character into your family tree" (what's the word for this - you now what I mean, do you?).
Then you should script characters for 'dying factions' with the above mention triggers or likewise and also script their deaths within a certain period of time if possible.

?
cg