EZ Script: save the city!!!

[Boalt92]

I want to set a mission similar to the ants/mech men sequences in FF1, where you have to defeat the villains before the destroy "x" number of buildings.

My first thought was to make it a timed mission, but I'd like to tie the encounter to specific buildings on a map.

My questions:

1) Can I use

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"Objects: building1 named buildingXX" where buildingXX is an existing building on a city map for the objects?  Can I randomize the selection by naming the buildings on the map "buildingXX_1"...."buildingXX_10" and using

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Encounter: save buildings
...
Objects: building1 named buildingXX, building2 named buildingXX, building3 named buildingXX
i.e. will it randomly select three objects that start with buildingXX?

2) I was going to use one encounter for the wrecking crew and another (run simultaneously) for the hunter-killers.  Would it be too taxing on the system to try to combine both into a custom encounter, ie:

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Encounter: save buildings
Type: custom
Actions: minions start at distance, minions hunt heroes, minions start immediately, villains attack object, villains start immediately
...
Objects: Objects: building1 named buildingXX, building2 named buildingXX, building3 named buildingXX
again using buildings (placed on the map) named "buildingXX_1"..."buildingXX_10"

Lastly,
3) If I use 3-5 objects, will the villains attack in order (starting with "building1")?  the nearest object?  etc.


Thanks in advance for your help, I'm really enjoying EZ Script

B92

[BentonGrey]

Interesting questions, I'm curious about this too.

[M25]

1)  A building is an object, so you can have <building_template> named my_building.  EZ script won't randomly select objects though.  It can randomly select encounters, so you can have different encounters for different buildings (and tweak the cutscenes appropriately).

2)  It's no more taxing that running two separate encounters.

3) Villains should choose the nearest object.

[Boalt92]

Thanks for the quick response.

If I understand you correctly:

a) I have unique building templates called "savebuilding01"..."savebuilding10" (more health than standard buildings)
b) these templates are placed on the map like any other object
c) My encounters will use "Objects: savebuilding01 named building1"..."Objects: savebuilding10 named building10";  any cutscene references will refer to "building1"..."building10".  IE. "Camera on building1"; "hero1 moves to building1"; etc.


Benton (and anybody else interested)--
I'm still experimenting to find a good balance of challenge and playability.  I think the best format for this would be:

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Story: buildings
Starting Encounters: Intro, HKs

Encounter: Intro
Type: Cutscene
Next: Choose 1 from save1, save2, save3
#intro cutscene to set up action and start random selection

Encounter: save1
Type: Guard Object
Objects: savebuilding01 named building1
Next: if objects lost: bummer
Next: if objects saved: round2
# use same format for save2 ... save10; add more objects as needed

Encounter: round2
Type: Cutscene
Next: Choose 1 from save4, save5, save6
# splitting the "save" encounters lets you add more villains and/or objects and lets you change up dialogue; repeat for as many rounds as needed

Encounter: HKs
Type: Hunt
Next: HKs

Encounter: bummer
Type: Cutscene
Next: End

You can fill in the gaps for minions/villains and other details, but you get the idea.  I've done similar encounters using allies and found that 3 is as many objects/allies as you want to have for any encounter...any more makes it too easy to win (the villains never get them all).  I'm also using a separate HK (hunter-killer) encounter to cause maximum mayhem for our heroes!

Assuming I get it working, I'll try to get a sample script posted.

B92