The S2 Script-o-Rama

[Seikales]

Well, another question for y'all...

There are events like UnitCreated() etc. in the events list.

Now, the UnitCreated() event returns with an object, most likely, and most likely with an object of Unit class. Though, I have no clue what that class is, what parameters it has and such.

Is there a way to make the program print those information out? Some way to pry into the abyss of the code?

[T.C.]

Now, the UnitCreated() event returns with an object, most likely, and most likely with an object of Unit class.

Chances are it won't - most events are simply hooks for triggering stuff, you have to specify yourself. As for print outs, read my section on logging (Section II.3)

[Seikales]

Ok, so I have changed the scripting.lua as follows:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

...

EpisodicScripting = scripting
scripting.SetCampaign("jap_shogun")
out.ting("Shogun Japan campaign script!")

function TCS_Create_Log()
local DateAndTime = os.date()
local TCSLog = io.open("data/Logs/log.txt","w")
TCSLog:write("[Log Created] "..DateAndTime.."\n\n")
TCSLog:close()
end

local function OnNewCampaignStarted(context)
new_game = true
becoming_shogun_advice = true
TCS_Create_Log ()
scripting.game_interface:add_restricted_building_level_record("SHO_Port_3_Nanban_Trade_Port")
scripting.game_interface:add_restricted_unit_record("Cav_Spear_Great_Guard_Takeda")
scripting.game_interface:add_restricted_unit_record("Heavy_Ship_Nihon_Maru_Mori")
end

...

I tried three different methods.

1) I saved this file in data/campaigns/jap_shogun folder.
2) I added this file to my mod and kept the file in the folder.
3) I added this file to my mod and deleted the file in the folder.

however, nothing happened. I did not see any file getting created etc.

In another attempt I added this in export_triggers_lua as

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

...
events.NewCampaignStarted[#events.NewCampaignStarted+1] =
function(context)
local DateAndTime = os.date()
local TCSLog = io.open("data/Logs/log.txt","w")
TCSLog:write("[Log Created] "..DateAndTime.."\n\n")
TCSLog:close()
return false
end
...

This method I tried by saving the file in the folder and adding it to my mod. As I suspected, it overwrote functions of some other parts of the script and I no longer had any initial
missions, or spawning armies. Although it is not the way it should be done, I tried whether it would work
but no. There was no file again.

At no point the program gave any errors. It started smoothly.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance

Edit: If I change the path to data/log.txt instead of data/Logs/log.txt, it works. It will NOT create a folder for you apparently, but it will write in a folder if you create it. You have to create the folder, if you wish it at a nice neat location

[Seikales]

Question: Is there a way to retrieve the name of the faction when the FactionTurnEnd event fires?

[Seikales]

Question: Have you EVER tried to run these on the scripting.lua? I keep getting errors.

Edit: I forgot that the event listener for FactionTurnEnd was already defined on AddEventCallBack definitions. Although very small, there exists an OnFactionTurnEnd function defined for this. Editing that function will do whatever is required.

The upper question still remains though

[T.C.]

It will NOT create a folder for you apparently, but it will write in a folder if you create it.

Sorry, I should have made this a little clearer, Buy you are right in where it went wrong

Question: Is there a way to retrieve the name of the faction when the FactionTurnEnd event fires?

Just use the FactionName condition (ie use it's output as a variable)

[T.C.]

Have you EVER tried to run these on the scripting.lua? I keep getting errors.

Yes, I run everything out of scripting.lua.

[Seikales]

If my scripts are correct, the total population of a clan doesn't change with recruitment, for example. That's a bugger! Total shame.

And, as an example. the population of the Mori capital Aki is 100,000.

Just use the FactionName condition (ie use it's output as a variable)

Could you please kindly elaborate on this? A detailed example will be of great help mate. I am new to this Lua stuff and mostly new to event/callback etc. things.

[.Mitch.]

If my scripts are correct, the total population of a clan doesn't change with recruitment, for example. That's a bugger! Total shame.

And, as an example. the population of the Mori capital Aki is 100,000.



Could you please kindly elaborate on this? A detailed example will be of great help mate. I am new to this Lua stuff and mostly new to event/callback etc. things.

local function OnFactionTurnStart(context)
    
if conditions.TurnNumber(context) == 2 then -- Here you can test what turn it is if you want
        if conditions.FactionName("hojo", context) then -- Here you can check what factions turn it is
                 if conditions.FactionIsHuman("hojo", context) -- Here you can check if this faction is the player
                 end
         end
end

[Seikales]

I meant a direct retrieval of the clan name. Otherwise, controlling against every clan name is required and it is a bit of a hassle. This is more of a general questions actually. I mean, when an event is called (say, in events/triggers), the information is transferred within the 'context' variable. It surely includes information that can be used. As an example, there is a CharacterTurnEnd event, which you can check against the CharacterType etc. You know, these kind of things usually have some sort of data structure, which can be perhaps accessed. Again to speak with an example (gedanken),

A has two parameters, Length and Width

You may access A.Length and A.Width, either directly or by using A.Length() if it has been defined (these I say from my general object oriented programming knowledge).

So, I am wondering if I can access the structure of the context when I call it AND reach its parameters like this. For example, context.FactionName() would give me anything?

Hope I make some sense Cheers and thanks for the replies!

[T.C.]

I meant a direct retrieval of the clan name. Otherwise, controlling against every clan name is required and it is a bit of a hassle. This is more of a general questions actually.

Just set up a table and loop through it, it will do it in a few lines of code. If you don't know how to use this I can write an example.

I mean, when an event is called (say, in events/triggers), the information is transferred within the 'context' variable. It surely includes information that can be used. As an example, there is a CharacterTurnEnd event, which you can check against the CharacterType etc. You know, these kind of things usually have some sort of data structure, which can be perhaps accessed.

The type of context is userdata, which means it is mostly information from the C side of the exe. Very little of it is useable from a Lua point of view, except perhaps context.string. I'll look up an example of this being used later, I don't use it myself and as such can't write something off the top of my head.

[Seikales]

Just set up a table and loop through it, it will do it in a few lines of code. If you don't know how to use this I can write an example.

I would very much appreciate an example, even for the sake of comparison. Thanks in advance.

[.Mitch.]

Create the table to house all of the factions in Shogun. Like so:

local factions_table = {"faction1", "faction2", "faction3", "faction4"}

Create a loop and simple If statement to check what factions turn it is. You sound like you want to be able to do stuff depending on whatever faction it is, so your gona need an If statement for however many factions there are, there is no escaping this as you can't dynamicaly link a variable with the content of a variable without an If, which kinda makes this whole loop and table thing pointless as its still hugee code. Even CA don't use Loops, they just use a large amount of If statements, its easier.

Here is a basic concept of looping through a table, not exact for what you want, because I don't know what you want:

for x = 1, #factions_table do -- Loop through the factions table
if factions_table[x] = "shimazu" then
--DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH SHIMAZU HERE
elseif factions_table[x] = "hojo" then
--DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH HOJO HERE
end
end -- Ending the Loop

As you can see, it would be just as fast to do it the way I showed you earlier, with a set amount of If statements.

Unless you want to learn dynamic tables of which you set the space in the table based on the number of the current loop, which is honestly not worth it imo, then your best off just getting down and doing the large number of If's.

[Seikales]

Hmm, yes. That's a good way. Splendid. Thanks Mitch.

Edit: I tried the following, which won't go through (error)

for x = 1, #major_factions_table do -- Loop through the factions table

klan = major_factions_table[x]


if conditions.FactionName(klan, context) and not conditions.FactionIsHUman(klan, context)
TCS_Log_Update(klan)
end
end

Unfortunately, the program won't accept the klan variable in the function. This is so annoying. They almost don't want us to do any scripting.

[Seikales]

I tried the following, which won't go through (error)

for x = 1, #major_factions_table do -- Loop through the factions table

klan = major_factions_table[x]


if conditions.FactionName(klan, context) and not conditions.FactionIsHUman(klan, context)
TCS_Log_Update(klan)
end
end

Unfortunately, the program won't accept the klan variable in the function. This is so annoying. They almost don't want us to do any scripting.

Edit: I also tried
klan = "\""..major_factions_table[x].."\""

in hopes that this will be OK since generally input is like "mori" and the programmers can be some anal retentive sadists but, alas, that didn't work neither.

[T.C.]

I tried the following, which won't go through (error)

for x = 1, #major_factions_table do -- Loop through the factions table

klan = major_factions_table[x]


if conditions.FactionName(klan, context) and not conditions.FactionIsHUman(klan, context)
TCS_Log_Update(klan)
end
end

Unfortunately, the program won't accept the klan variable in the function. This is so annoying. They almost don't want us to do any scripting.

Lua is case-sensitive, check your FactionIsHuman.

[Seikales]

FactionName(klan, context) won't work. I also checked for FactionIsHuman and everything else.

But,

if conditions.FactionName(klan,context) == true then

works.

Although if checks for boolean, somehow when comparing against the condition, you have to use the == true statement.

This is rather strange. Please try it yourself and tell me if I am mistaken.

[Seikales]

Now, I am trying to get some nice random numbers. The os.time and os.clock are not very useful, they don't generate much randomness when used in

math.randomseed(os.time())

Any alternatives for a really good random number generator?

[T.C.]

FactionName(klan, context) won't work. I also checked for FactionIsHuman and everything else.

But,

if conditions.FactionName(klan,context) == true then

works.

Although if checks for boolean, somehow when comparing against the condition, you have to use the == true statement.

This is rather strange. Please try it yourself and tell me if I am mistaken.

You shouldn't have to, there must be a mistake elsewhere in your code. Probably because you said:

if conditions.FactionName(klan, context) and not conditions.FactionIsHUman(klan, context)

Which is like saying "If it is 3 O'clock and it is not 3 O'clock then..."

Now, I am trying to get some nice random numbers. The os.time and os.clock are not very useful, they don't generate much randomness when used in

math.randomseed(os.time())

Any alternatives for a really good random number generator?

math.random is a really bad tool to use for random number generation. Here's one I wrote myself:

As for randomisation, here's a much better, slightly different version I made. See what you can understand of it yet, it'll always be here for future reference

It randomises by first creating a table with 100 "random" numbers in it (using the math.random() function which isn't good at all), then getting the millisecond value of the current time and using it to select one of the 100 random numbers. It would have been easier to use seconds, but if you want to use this repeatedly it is better to use milliseconds as computers can do more than one thing in a second

+Rep to anyone who can point out the flaw in that combination of numbers + milliseconds (Yes, I am aware it is there )

         --os.clock() returns the time in seconds that Lua has been running for. It is the only Lua 
	--clock function that returns a time value in seconds and milliseconds, making it very useful.
	--math.modf() returns the whole and fractional values of the number handed to it - using this
	--we can separate the seconds from the milliseconds
function TCS_Rand_Num ()
	--Assign the os.clock output to a var
	local DateAndTimeRandNum = os.clock()
	--Assign the separated value to a var. (NOTE: This will only return the first of two values,
	--so the whole number part, not the fractional.
	local Num_1 = math.modf(DateAndTimeRandNum)
	--declare a table
	local Rand_Num_table = {}
	--for 1 -> 100 assign the ith value to be a pseudo-random number, using math.random
	for i = 1, 100 do
		Rand_Num_table[i] = math.random(1, 100)
	end
	--take the clock value (seconds and milliseconds) away from the separated value(seconds) to
	--leave you with only a milliseconds value. then multiply it by 100 and round up to the nearest integer (math.ceil)
	--to give a whole number based on the millisecond the function was called.
	local Num_2 = (math.ceil((DateAndTimeRandNum - Num_1) * 100))
	--then using the number select one of the pseudo-random numbers from the table "Rand_Num_table"
	--and return it
	return Rand_Num_table[Num_2]
end

So you can use this as follows:

local NumberVar = TCS_Rand_Num ()
if NumberVar > 3 then
	...
end

[Seikales]

Just check

if conditions.Factionname(klan, context) then

without any other condition and klan is a variable name. Tell me what you get. I tried it stand alone that way and it didn't work until I wrote

if conditions.FactionName(klan, context) == true then

I know it is strange but I don't see any mistake in the code. Anyhow, try it if you wish.

About random numbers: I read on the web that the os.time function won't return millisecond information unless you use extra libraries. Is that a mistaken information then?