RuAdam
Level: Master Delver
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So now we have all sorts of neat stuff to script custom monsters with. Yet they still can't be seamlessly integrated. The issue I'm talking about is targeting. Custom monsters will ignore stealth/invisibility decoys and stalwalrts. Also stalwarts will ignore custom monsters. I'd like to give a few suggestions that could solve these issues.

Target of monsters/heroes imperatives.
I think these are pretty self explanatory.
I imagine that when monsters/stalwarts search for the closest target, they check the distance to every valid target. These imperatives would simply set the NPC to be a valid target.

Target monsters/heroes imperative.
Wait for valid target test
Target_X, Target_Y, Target_O script variables.

This is the other part that would solve all the problems with stealth and the like. Just like the game determines the closest valid target for monsters, it could do the same for NPCs based on their targeting imperatives. Obviously if the player is in stealth and outside their range, they wouldn't be a valid target.
Previously we'd use My_X/My_Y and Player_X/Player_Y to calculate the next move. But if we'd have these features, we could have much more seamlessly integrated custom monsters.

Finally an option to calculate distance between two points using one of the following three formulas:
1, abs(X1-X2) + abs(Y1-Y2)
2, max(abs(X1-X2) + abs(Y1-Y2)) (number of steps in an open area)
3, (X1-X2)^2 + (Y1-Y2)^2
4, Pathfinding distance (based on the pathability of the type of the invoking NPC)
This would help out greatly in scripting custom movement types.

skell
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

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I think that we could have instead two special variables $currentTargetX and $currentTargetY, which will always be set to what this character would target if it was a roach.

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Someone Else
Level: Smitemaster

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I like skell's suggestion - it would allow actually integrating goblin-like creatures. Also two target stuff.

Actually, if we had $currentTargetX and $currentTargetY, but also a script command GetNearestTarget and GetNextNearestTarget, we could theoretically have a monster capable of fighting three or more targets at once.

RuAdam
Level: Master Delver
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Registered: 08-24-2004
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My issue with skell's idea is that stalwarts would still ignore custom monsters.
Also it wouldn't allow for creating helpful custom NPCs that fight the monsters.

There was once a discussion about some allegiance system, but no simple solution was found.

Edit:
Something was bothering me about my suggestion and I finally figured out what. Custom friendly and custom enemy NPCs would ignore each other. So I thought of an alternative to the original imperatives I suggested.

Simple allegiance system
Have imperatives Allegiance monsters/heroes (mutually exclusive)
Allegiance monster targets heroes and is targeted by heroes, and allegiance heroes works vice versa.

This would allow for basic stuff, although it wouldn't be that flexible, so...

Complex allegiance system
Honestly even I think this might be overkill. But it would allow for complete flexibility in this regard, and I'm sure we'd see clever uses for it. So here it goes.
There would be special group labels that could be applied to NPCs. There would be three by default: Monsters, Heroes, Fluff. You could also add your own group labels.
Then you could use the Target <Group>/Target of <Group>/Is of <Group> markers to define how your NPC should treat others, and how should others treat the NPC.

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[Last edited by RuAdam at 07-12-2014 01:04 PM]

skell
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

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@hyperme - doesn't the new behaviors in 5.2 allow basically doing the targetting?

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hyperme
Level: Smitemaster

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skell wrote:
@hyperme - doesn't the new behaviors in 5.2 allow basically doing the targetting?

There are currently no implemented behaviours that affect targeting other than the Puff Target behaviour. I never got round to finishing the Monster Target and Ally Target ones because it would require quite a bit of poking around with monster and stalwart code to make it work. Since development has started up again, however, I can look into getting it done for 5.2

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