Interactive NPCs

[Chandler]

Well, I was asked to explain how one NPC could interact with another in the same level! Here's what I came up with.

Here's what calls the object.

PHP Code:

function onCreated()
{
  this.setShape(1, 32, 32);

  this.setImg("block.png");
}

  //So, the player touches the object
function onPlayerTouchsMe()
{
    //If the NPC has already been touched
  if (this.hasCalled) 
  {
    //Then ignore the rest of this code and just return nothing
    return false;
    //Else carry on with the script 
  }
  
    //Now, we say that the NPC has already been touched!
  this.hasCalled = true;

  //Now, look below and we have the line  'level.objectPosition'
  //Well, this is a global variable inside of the level! We can call this
  //variable from any NPC in the level.
  triggeraction(level.objectPosition[0], level.objectPosition[1], "Called", "");
} 


Here's the object that shall start interactive once the above object has been touched.

PHP Code:

function onCreated()
{
  this.showCharacter();

    //This is needed for the action to be called
  this.setshape(1, 32, 32);
  
    //This is a GLOBAL LEVEL VARIABLE
  level.objectPosition = {this.x, this.y};
}

function onActionCalled()
{
    //Make some fancy messages to display
  temp.messageInformation = {
    "I see, that you've found my hidden object!",
    "Just for that, you shall perish!",
    "It's been a pleasure talking with you though!",
    " "
  };   
    
    //Now display these messages to the player
  this.chat = temp.messageInformation[this.messageDisplay];
  
    //If the chat is displayed as nothing, make sure that it
    //doesn't carry on doing the rest of the script
  if (this.chat == " ")
  {
    return false;
  }
    //Now, basically it displays the messageInformation
    //at a specific index, 'this.messageDisplay' will control
    //which index to display
  this.messageDisplay++;
  
    //Repeat this process every five seconds!
  this.scheduleevent(5, "ActionCalled", "");
} 


I hope this explains a few things!

[Novo]

One minor problem: this.chat == " " <= There is a space in there... ( (this.chat == false) != (this.chat == " ") ) Why not do something like...

PHP Code:

if ( temp.messageInformation.size() >= this.messageDisplay )
  return; 


Like that, if the person doesn't say something for a while ( maybe two interacting NPC's!), then it wouldn't stop the timer...

[Rapidwolve]

PHP Code:

this.messageDisplay = (this.messageDisplay > this.messageInformation.size()? 0 : this.messageDisplay + 1); 


Returns to the first message.