The Dame of Dakka

Hm, have you ever gotten the desire to create the ultimate sundae when you're just scooping ice cream?  That's how I am with this ABS project, and here are some things I've done and hope to add on.

-No Attack Tag - Enemy cannot attack the player. I'll need to update the event so that attacks can be executed from other places (in case I want a ranged enemy that wouldn't work in melee range)

-Immune Tag -  Player cannot attack Enemy, nice for chasing events.

-Animation Tag - Change the animation based on equipped weapon or enemy tags.

-No Attack Status Effect- Anyone inflicted with this state won't be able to deal damage.  I should also make an immunity version of this state (barriers).

-Extended the damage formula to include elemental multiplier and state attacks.  Should probably modify damage method so I can deal 0 damage (for status-only effects).

-Quicksand Teleportation - Need to test this, but if you sink far enough, you should teleport to a different map.

Want to do:

-Alternate Damage Method and Tag- Not only for status-only attacks, but also for "skills".  Actually, I think I can apply actual skill data here.
-Make ranged arrays - One to extend starting range, then another to start longXwide attacking range.
-Make "explosion" arrays - Detect things to attack within a radius.  I can guess the shape for squares (standard), diamonds (x+y <= range), X (absx=absy) and + (x or y = 0)

-Make reactions to getting hit, ideally turning towards attack or getting knocked back.

-Update Hud to show status effects.

-Shortcut buttons for consumables?

-Make a game out of it.

Now the Lass is an ABS

It's not an Action Battle System unless you can attack something with the push of a button, and pushing a button was easier than I thought.  Since I already have a method for the player to press a button and the event to activate something by walking into it, I put in a "damage" method.  The method will execute if the Event involved is an enemy, and then executes a damage formula to take away the HP.  Of course, the Event can also attack my party.

Interestingly enough, just setting the character's animation_id will start the attack animation, so to limit how fast my characters can attack, I simply make sure the method doesn't run if the animation_id is above 0.

Of course, it would be boring just to have normal attacks, so I will have to see if I can add states into the mix (such as a spider catching my party in its webs) and add notetags to customize attack animations and attack patterns (i.e. if it's just a wall that you can attack that shouldn't fight back).   I may also have to look into making an alive-dead party order at some point.  Hm, it would be interesting to create an ABS that employs States to restrain foes rather than just defeat them (and also need to ensure that some states can remove the ability to attack).  Hm, would have to think up a fancy name for this ABS.

The Lass is for the Lady

If you take a look at this pic, I am leading a party.  The flower is reacting to someone.  That someone is not my party.

I have managed to get an Event to react to another Event, restricted to whether that Event is an Enemy or can trigger events, and also restricted to whatever can be effected by Events.  Also demonstrated, though not easily visible, is that the Event is also affecting whoever touches it, whether it is an Enemy or the Player. (In this case, the flower subtracts some HP, which can "kill" the enemy".)  Also, Events that only trigger but aren't enemies can still trigger the flower but won't get damaged by it, so no crashing here.

Hm...I know the next step for an ABS is to implement some attacks, though at this point, I probably want to create a demo, even if it's just zombies tearing down a wall.  Anyway, I do have to add in some more code for functionality, such as knocking characters back and creating events that can trigger from enemies but not players.

Stepping Stones

Last time, I spoke about having each person in your party activate an event they step over.  By default, only your leader can step over switches and activated them one.  I hoped to have something a bit more dynamic by having said switches activate for each character walking over it.

The Lass Needs To Watch Her Step

Destiny 2...I'm spending too much time on it.

Anyway, what I decided to tinker with the "ABS" this time is making Events trigger other Events.  So for example, a trap can trigger to damage an Event Enemy or for a rock to hold down a pressure-sensitive switch.

So far, I created note tags to mark the events that can be triggered this way (so enemies don't talk to NPCs) and also allow NPCs to activate these Events too.  I also created a method to apply damage to the player and events who step on this Event and will work on them soon.

However, I'm trying to make events trigger with Followers too for a bit of touch (and in case I make flying arrows), though they're not triggering the Events yet.  I also have to try and make these events work for events on the same/normal layer as they're currently like mines at the moment.  I'll surely find my solutions after some rest.

The Lass Needs More Flavors

Last time I posted, I ended up with an issue that would give an Enemy Event only one chance to have a state but not receive it again.  It seems that I have to put in the on_turn_end method that pretty much manages things like states, so multi-dipping is now possible.

While I wouldn't actually need much, part of me wants to see if I can create an "ABS" from this.  Considering some states can damage HP, the next step would be to determine how 0 HP can effect an Event.  So I just spent the night adding a few more notetags:  one tag will change the event's Self-Switches or trigger a regular erase, and the other tag will change Switches or Variables (in case I want to tally points).

...To be honest, I have no idea what I will use the ABS for.  At least it's something to do while gearing up in Destiny 2.