ThreeNippledWanda

Is there a code to reference object variables, or the selected variables from things like abilities and status effects, to display them inside of dialogues or on a menu screen, or a method for checking them to use via conditional checks?

gamingislove

Dialogues only support global variables, i.e. you'd have to transfer the variables you want to show into a global variable before showing the dialogue.
As for conditional checks - when used in the event system (Check Game Variables node), you can check variables from all available sources, other checks in the various settings only support global variables and sometimes object variables, depending on where they're used.

ThreeNippledWanda

I thought that might be the case. Disappointing, but workable. It seems you've incorporated a link to item variables, though, which is muy bueno.

For conditional checks, I was thinking more in the line of triggering, un-triggering or otherwise altering status effects when certain variable conditions attached to an ability are met--that sort of thing. The variable system, once you get past the initial confusion, seems limitless in its efficacy, except there has to be a way to link them. I use a lot of formula steps to check and recheck various variable conditions, but apart from a potential instability inerrant to such a system my fear is that it will end up using too much processing power as the game builds out.

gamingislove

Hm, I'll look into improving this in the future. Would it matter where the variable comes from for your conditional check (e.g. object variable on the combatant or ability variable of a known ability), or is it just important that it's there?

ThreeNippledWanda

I would say that the feature would be much more useful for everyone if you could select it to be as specific as possible. So, it could in some cases just look to see if a variable exists, *or* maybe in another case you'll want to specify the origin.

Say, for instance, that you create an ability called 'Wounds' with a bunch of variables attached to determine whether a character is injured, and which status effects those injuries should trigger. Some could be Boolean type (either you've severed your left arm at the elbow, or you haven't), while others might be floats (you have 9 untended lacerations), and if the conditions apply then so will the effects. Other examples might include, but would not be limited to:

-So-and-so adds 1 to 'ModerateLacerations_Open' float: trigger bleeding effect for 12 Seconds.

-So-and-so adds another point to 'ModerateLacerations_Open' float: trigger to stack another 12 second bleeding counter on top of the former.

-So-and-so's bleeding counter reaches 12: remove one instance of bleeding, subtract 1 from 'ModerateLacerations_Open', add 1 to ''ModerateLacerations_Untreated', trigger a 'Disease Check' status effect to count down while occasionally checking against a random number to see whether an infection occurs.

-So-and-so receives treatment for his wounds: subtract 1 from 'ModerateLacerations_Untreated', add 1 to ''ModerateLacerations_Treated', remove the 'Disease Check' status effect, trigger another effect to count down until the wound healed. Remove instance of this effect when wound heals.

-So-and-so dies of dysentery: Check Boolean variable, 'OregonTrail', Trigger 'Death_Sudden' status effect, kill So-and-so, add object variable, '*Corpse' to So-and-So's game object, transfer So-and-so to inventory, trigger status effect 'decay' for So-and-so with a timer that adds additional effects at certain intervals.

And those are some examples of why I thought this might be a handy feature. It could also expand some abilities to give additional bonuses (or penalties) depending on whether one of it's (or maybe another's) variable boxes are checked. Have a 'Knowledge' variable that gives bonuses when you read from books that check one of its variables as true. That sort of thing. For damaging abilities, you could have them deal additional damage with different damage types depending on variables. If you do all this by creating a bunch of individual abilities, you'll end up with a really long list.