I_EventCounter vs. I_CompareCounter

[SigniferOne]

Does anyone know when to properly use each of these two?

One would think that I_CompareCounter should be used for all but event_counters. But no, there are several undocumented features here, such as for example generate_random_counter having to be used with I_EventCounter exclusively.

Also, you must not declare and set the counter which you'll use with generate_random_counter, or that won't work either.

[gracul]

event_counter works between files, plain counters are campaign script only things.
event_counters are initialized with a 0 which can cause some EDB trouble (use 'not event_counter xxx 1' instead of 'event_counter 0')

[Gigantus]

I_CompareCounter does just that: comparing a previously set counter (set_counter)
I_EventCounter is related to an actual event (eg world_is_round) and checks for it's status

Generate_Random_Counter should be easy understood, it says GENERATE (ergo you can't declare it - else you would use random_counter_inc), but I fail to understand why you should not be able to change the counter or check it in the regular way once it is created. Principally it should work the same way as "set_counter" - creating a counter.

[Taiji]

I_CompareCounter is for counters and I_EventCounter is for event counters. Couldn't be simpler.

Is this the question you mean to ask: "What is the difference between event counters and counters?"

I use them all the time and yet I don't think I have the full answer.

But I can tell you that you don't declare event counters, hence your experience with generate_random_counter, an event counter generator.

And like Gracul mentioned, event counters can be tracked in files other than campaign_script.

[SigniferOne]

generate_random_counter could work differently:

You could declare a counter, set it to 0, and then assign random values to it via generate_random_counter. I don't see why that's not plausible. In fact since the engine expects use to use regular counters for pretty much all scripting needs, to suddenly work with event_counters in this one instance is a bit out of the ordinary. Would've been nice to have it documented, that's all.

[Taiji]

generate_random_counter is actually documented very clearly in the docudemons, so I'm really not sure what you mean.

---------------------------------------------------
Identifier: generate_random_counter
Parameters: event_counter name, min_value, max_value
Description: Sets the specified counter to a random value between min and max inclusive.
Sample use: generate_random_counter RandomCounter 10 20
Class: GENERATE_RANDOM_COUNTER
Implemented: Yes
Author: Mark
---------------------------------------------------

If you don't actually want an event counter then you just declare a counter and use random_counter_inc.

---------------------------------------------------
Identifier: random_counter_inc
Parameters: event_counter name, min_value, max_value
Description: Increments the specified counter by a random value between min and max inclusive.
Sample use: random_counter_inc RandomCounter 10 20
Class: RANDOM_COUNTER_INC
Implemented: Yes
Author: Mark
---------------------------------------------------

Which we can see is not well described since it also works for counters. The first one is fine, the second one needs adjusting. That's my opinion, and this looks better to me:

---------------------------------------------------
Identifier: random_counter_inc
Parameters: event_counter/counter name, min_value, max_value
Description: Increments the specified counter by a random value between min and max inclusive.
Sample use: random_counter_inc RandomCounter 10 20
Class: RANDOM_COUNTER_INC
Implemented: Yes
Author: Mark
---------------------------------------------------

[SigniferOne]

generate_random_counter is actually documented very clearly in the docudemons, so I'm really not sure what you mean.

---------------------------------------------------
Identifier: generate_random_counter
Parameters: event_counter name, min_value, max_value
Description: Sets the specified counter to a random value between min and max inclusive.
Sample use: generate_random_counter RandomCounter 10 20
Class: GENERATE_RANDOM_COUNTER
Implemented: Yes
Author: Mark
---------------------------------------------------

Where there is it said that the counters it generates are event_counters?

Or that the counter neither must not, nor cannot, be actually first declared previous to this line? That this command spontaneously generates event-countrs, and event-counters only, whose presence is unknown, are declared nowhere, etc etc?

[Carle]

N00B question: if I want to modify a Random Counter (i.e. a Random Generated Counter is then increased if FactionLeader has enough authority to increase odds of a good event) using inc_event_counter or random_counter_inc?

[Taiji]

random_counter_inc if you want a randomly chosen number between 2 values, inc_event_counter if you want to increment it by a set amount, and set_event_counter if you want to set it to a certain amount.

[Taiji]

One reason why counters are awesome is that they are logged. Just had to mention it in case anyone isn't using this feature. Scripting without using them would make it very hard to work out why scripts fail. With counters we can see exactly which process completed successfully, etc. before a CTD occurs.

[Gigantus]

Couldn't agree more.
I usually have some counters firing at the beginning and end of a faction's turn.

declare_counter reichs_fraktion
declare_counter katholisch
;--- Schweden ---
    declare_counter england_turn
    monitor_event PreFactionTurnStart FactionType england
        set_counter england_turn 1
      set_counter reichs_fraktion 0
      set_counter katholisch 0
    end_monitor
    monitor_event FactionTurnEnd FactionType england
        set_counter england_turn 0
    end_monitor
    declare_counter england_dead
    monitor_event LeaderDestroyedFaction FactionType england
        set_counter england_dead 1
    terminate_monitor
    end_monitor

[Taiji]

Where there is it said that the counters it generates are event_counters?

In red there, you have to name an event_counter, that's the parameter. Like I already went to some length to explain to you, to me it's random_counter_inc's description that's not quite correct.

Or that the counter neither must not, nor cannot, be actually first declared previous to this line? That this command spontaneously generates event-countrs, and event-counters only, whose presence is unknown, are declared nowhere, etc etc?

We don't declare event counters, simply learned through looking at scripts - I think it's plain to see what is declared and what isn't in vanilla. And really I don't see why anyone would want to declare an event counter if they'd not learned that it was necessary. It's not like there is an obvious reason for needing to declare counters beyond the fact that the log and examples tell us to.