Updating script support, taking requests

[Patrik]

Hello everyone!

With Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs just around the corner, it's time to update The Dark Descent so it's able to use all those new and cool assets.

While we're at it, we thought we'd turn to our awesome modding community to see if there are any script functions you feel are missing in the current version of the game.

Edit: Suggestions are now closed. A big thanks to everyone who contributed. Expect the update some time soon.

[felixmole]

I remember that when I toyed with the Custom Story Development Kit, I was mostly experiencing problems with handling the monsters.

• A function to give away the player's position to the monster, but without having it chase the player. Just have him look around where the player was at the moment the function was executed, just like if the player had made some noise.
• A callback function that is called when the monster (1) searches for the player (alert) (2) chases the player (attack) (3) gives up chasing the player (idle), for example void MonsterTriggered( enum State state, const Monster & monster) (C++ syntax here; sorry have forgotten the AngelScript syntax). The level editor could just leave a blank where the developer can choose to define a callback function for a monster entity.
• A function to force the monster to forget it was chasing the player, to use for example when it gets stuck into a wall or breakable door. Make it as though it lost track of Daniel and just go back to its route. [Note : I am not sure if this can be achieved by calling SetEnemyDisableTriggers().]
  
• A function to check whether the monster can be seen/heard by the player, that could be used to force the monster to despawn without letting it finish its course.
  

Note: it has been a long time since I haven't touched the level editor, I have forgotten many things about it, but these are the points I (think I) can remember.

[Fatalist]

Some script functions from hpl1 - ReplaceEntity, SetWideScreenActive, AttachBillboardToLight, MoveEntityToArea, SetBodyProperty (change body mass, gravity and other body setup in game)

Add function CreateEntityAtPlayer, its really missing.
And add function for change screen color with different intensity.

[Gilligan's Hell]

The monster searching the room thoroughly and checking the closets would be a nice script to be added.

could reveal some intelligence from the monster.
just an idea

[PutraenusAlivius]

Can you make the if-else function that the parameter could turn Integers to Bools and vice-versa?

EDIT:
And can you do a global timer which is a timer that you can only use in the Global.hps so that we don't have to do a super complex timer?

[Kreekakon]

Perhaps something that can return the exact position of certain object's positions of the map (X, Y, or Z values)?

Also maybe something similar to Actionscript 3's OnEnterFrame function which will constantly check the state of something int he map so that we wouldn't have to use a incredibly fast timer as an alternative.

[FlawlessHappiness]

Spoiler below!

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SetFallDamageActive(bool); 


A function that sets falldamage active and inactive

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SetPlayerJumpHeight(float); 


Sets the jump height of the player

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SetPlayerInteractionRange(float); 


Sets how far the player can reach.
(I don't know how much realism this one will add, but if it's easy to include, why not?)


And more screen effects with colors, instead of only the sepia one. Gray-tone, setting the contrast, etc.

Ability to call functions when the player presses a button on the keyboard or mouse

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AddRepeater(string& asName, float afTime, string& asFunction); 


Adds a repeater to the script that keeps calling.

asName = Name of the repeater
afTimer = Time in between repeating
asFunction = Name of the function
void MyFunc(string &in asRepeater)

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StopRepeater(string& asName); 


asName = Name of the repeater

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ActivateInsanityEffect(string& asEffect, bool abActive); 


asEffect = Name of the insanity effect
abActive = true or false to activate or deactivate

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TurnWheelToSpeed(string& asName, float afAcc, float afGoalSpeed, int alState, bool abResetSpeed); 


Turns a wheel, like a valve, at a defined speed and direction.
asName = Internal name of wheel
afAcc = Acceleration
afGoalSpeed = Desired speed
alState = End state of wheel. 1 = Right. 0 = Middle. -1 = Left.
abResetSpeed = determines whether the speed is reset after goal speed is reached.


Also some stuff to the monsters would be cool.

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ForceEnemyRun(string& asName, bool abActive); 


Forces the monster to run.

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AddEnemyPatrolNodeRepeat(string& asName, string& asFirstNodeName, string& asSecondNodeName, string& asThirdNodeName, float afWaitTime, string& asAnimation); 


Forces monster to patrol between the desired pathnodes. When reaching the first pathnode, he will wait the waittime, then continue to the second pathnode etc. If no third pathnode is specified, it will go back to the first pathnode again.

So it goes like First, Second, Third, Second, First, Second, Third etc.

[Tomato Cat]

How about a "MoveEntityToScriptArea" function? With parameters being said entity and script area. Or simply a "MoveEntity" function with x, y, z args?

And how about function for creating and setting a boolean value in the sense of SetLocalVarInt? This would be VERY useful.

[PutraenusAlivius]

I got some.

Spoiler below!

Global timer parameter. Use in Global.hps only!

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void AddGlobalTimer(string& asTimer, float afTime); 


Adds a Global Timer.
asTimer - Timer name
afTime - Time in seconds

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void FUNCTION(string &in asTimer, float afTime); 


Callback.

Chain events. It causes 3 set of events happening in a chained order in one parameter. Use only three!

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void ChainEvent(string& asEventOne, string& asEventTwo, string &asEventThree, float afEventTime); 


Does three events in one consecutive order. Note that all three events have to be called first. It takes the Function of the event's name.

asEventOne - Event number one.
asEventTwo - Event number two.
asEventThree - Event number three.
afEventTime - Time in seconds does the time of the chain will occur.
[php]

And that's all I got. Will edit if have more.

[Apjjm]

I have quite a large wishlist i'm afraid

Bug fixes:

Spoiler below!

• AddAttachedPropToProp - zPosition parameter is used for zRotation
  
• AddAttachedPropToProp - Attaching a breakable entity and then breaking this entity (setPropHealth) will cause the game to crash if the base body is moved
  
• Breaking a prop sometimes fails to create the broken entity (Typically only happens after a large quantity of props have been attached & removed using AddAttachedPropToProp). This seems to be really random and I dont have any way to reproduce this consistently short of attaching a bunch of props over time and breaking the base the entity while it is moving.
  
• AddAttachedPropToProp crashes when attaching props with joints (e.g. doors, cupboards)
  
• Return const string& rather than string& on relevant functions
  
• Monsters created through CreateEntityAtArea / breakProp events are unable to follow path nodes
  
• Editor: The entity editor can fail to load bodies properly when using open to load a multi-bodied prop after editing one.
  
• Editor: The entity editor erroneously rejects valid animation field entries when editing animations.
  

New function wishlist

Math & Number functions

Spoiler below!

• Sin/cos/tan & atan/acos/asin/atan2
  
• exp,log
  
• sqrt, pow
  
• min,max,abs
  
• PI(), E()
  
• ParseInt(string), ParseFloat(string), ParseBool(string)
  

Entity functions

Spoiler below!

Positional

• float[] GetEntityPosition(string entity) - Return x,y,z as float[] for position in world coords. Could also have a separate function for x/y/z.
  
• float[] GetEntityRotation(...) - Get the x,y,z rotation of the entity (or could return rotation matrix / quaternion if this makes more sense).
  
• float[] GetEntityScale(...)
  
• SetBodyPosition, rotation & scale
  
• In the case of multiple bodies use primary body or make functions operate on the body level rather than entity level.
  
• Getters, setters & adders, for velocity & acceleration
  
• GetEntityMass(...) so we can properly use the force commands
  
• float[] GetBoundingBox(...) - return AABB of entity as float[] {x1,y1,z1,x2,y2,z2}.
  

Bodies

• Methods to list the bodies of an entity
  
• Methods to find the type of an entity (e.g. enemy, static_prop)
  
• Adjust some body properties (e.g. mass, canAttachCharacter)
  
• GetBodyDensitity() / GetBodyVolume() - return volume/density of body using the shapes.
  

Misc

• Toggle if the mesh should be drawn or not without de-activating the whole entity
  
• RemoveEntity(string entity)
  

Utility

• string GetNearestEntityToPoint/Area(x,y,z)
  
• bool EntityCollidesAt(entity1,entity2,x,y,z) - Returns true if the entity 1, when moved to position x,y,z would collide with entity 2.
  
• string[] GetCollidingEntities(entity) - Return a list of all entities colliding with the given entity
  
• float[][] GetContactPoints(entityA,entityB) - return a list of contact/intersection points in either world or local coords between two colliding entities. Return empty list if the entities do not collide.
  

Area functions

Spoiler below!

• CreateScriptAreaAtPosition(x,y,z,xrot,yrot,zrot,xscale,yscale,zscale) - Allow us to create script areas at a position
  
• CreateStickyArea, PlayerStartArea etc
  
• string GetAreaType(string area) - Return type of area. E.g. "script", "start", "sticky" etc
  
• Allow us to adjust parameters of sticky areas & rope areas
  
• RemoveArea(string area) / RemoveEntity(string entity)
  

Lang Files

Spoiler below!

• string[] getLangCategories() - Array of all lang categories
  
• string[] getLangEntries(string category) - Array of all entries in a category
  
• string getLangEntryText(category,entry) - Get entry specified, return empty string if no match found
  
• createLangTempEntry(string category, string entry, string text) - Create a temp lang entry in given category with given name. This entry can be cleared on save.
  

Player

Spoiler below!

• Getters and Setters for position of the player body
  
• Get/set the camera rotation without needing to use lookat
  
• Enable/Disable the night vision effect through script rather than full conversion
  

Input

Spoiler below!

• GetKeyState() for a given key code, or something similar
  
• Similar deal for mouse buttons
  

Map

Spoiler below!

• string[] GetEntities() - Return an array of all entities in the map
  
• string[] GetMatchingEntities(string entityFilter) - Return array of all entities in map matching given filter (e.g. "barrel*" can be used in the collision functions, but it would be nice to get an array of all the matches which that function makes).
  

Misc

Spoiler below!

• unt8[] toByteArray(x) & fromByteArray(uint8[]) for primitive types
  
• OnSave and OnLoad events so that we can save & restore global-scoped classes manually (Either through callback (e.g. lantern) or like OnEnter)
  
• Perform light pre-processing of scripts (#include, #define and #ifdef) - There is an angelscript extension for this.
  
• Document AddKeyPart, SetPermaDeathSound functions
  
• Set/GetLocalVar support for primitive arrays
  
• CallFunction(string, string[] args) - Call specified function, negating the need to use function pointers for callbacks. The string[] args can be used to get arguments of any type using GetLocalVar functions.
  
• Print a message to the program log or using AddDebugMessage stream if an exception is triggered inside the script [e.g. referencing a null object or array index out of bounds] containing line number & a brief error description.
  
• Regular expressions (string[] RegexGroups(...) & RegexMatches(...) )
  
• string[] GetListLocalVariables<Type>() & GetListGlobalVariables<Type>()- List of all defined local/global variables of a specific type.
  
• Quicksort, search & binarysearch for arrays of primitives
  
• convert floats & doubles to string with fixed number of decimal places / sig. fig
  

Config options

Spoiler below!

• Permit us to adjust the killplane position (default: -500y i think) in the global config
  
• Permit us to disable saving in the global config
  

Edit: Okay that's my wall-of-functions done for now. Thanks for doing this script support update, even if you don't get round to all the stuff we come up with!
Edit 2: Added suggestion to misc regarding in-script exceptions (e.g. array index out of bounds).
Edit 3: Added a few more suggestions in utility & misc.