Trigger, events, condition question

[Jimaaten]

... Create another "Abu" site that replaces the existing "Abu" site, except that this Abu site will offer more resources for both food AND cedar. ...Hi, Azeem and Max-1. I didn't want to get in the middle of your scripting discussion (http://www.tiltedmill.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7630), so I've posted this in a new thread. I'm working on my first scenario and its been slow going. I have a question about doing something similar to the above captioned. I'd be grateful for some help. I don't have any programming experience, but the if, then stuff sounds similar to some basic math stuff I understood years ago in school. :p

I've started the world level three times and think I've worked out the problems I've been having with basic sites. Now I'm getting to the sites that need triggers and I have a few questions I haven't seen answered. I've read the tutorials, the pdf manual and several post, including Karter's (to you Max-1!) where he goes into them quite a bit. I am overwhelmed with info at the moment! ;)

To make a long story short (too late!), what I want to do is have Mine A & Mine B be affected by Site C. Site C won't open until Mine A & Mine B are opened. When Site C is open, I want it to increase the output of Mines A & B. Here's what I think I need so far and what I'm a little unsure about.

1. I need to create a trigger that checks if A & B are open, then make C visible (C will still be inactive).

2. When C is opened, I need a trigger(s?) to replace A & B with new versions of the mines with increased output -- A En(hanced) & B En(hanced) as it were.
2a. I need a trigger to make Mine A & Mine B Inactive & Invisible.

2b. I need a trigger to make visible A En & B En.
Now here's where I am a little confused. I want A En & B En to be active when they become visible. If I create A En & B En as active and invisible from the start of the game, will these sites try to interact with the player even though they haven't shown up yet. Is there an activate trigger for A En & B En that I need to add (starting them off as inactive as well as invisible)?

I'd also like A En & B En to revert back to Mine A & Mine B if upkeep is not made on Site C. Is this just as simple as which Site Category I give to Site C? Govt owned or Govt trade partner? I know in the game you can have a site close if you don't keep up with upkeep payments, but you can also stop trading without it closing down. So, would I need a trigger to do this and HOW?

Also, I'd like to have the mine names be the same on the map before and after the enhancement from Site C. Can I give the A En & B En the same Map Label of Mine A & Mine B respectively? Can you have two Item names in your list in the editor that are the same or do I have to give them different Map Label names.

Thank you for any help in advance. I think if I can understand how to do this, it would open up a lot of possibilities in future maps. If I can make it through this first one without completely going insane. :mad: :eek: :D

[Azeem]

What you can do through the trigger editor is have the effect do multiple effects: one to "Reveal" the site in question and then another effect to "Open" the site. I'm still messing around with the editor, so I don't entirely know what all of the effects are and how to set them up. You'd also have to "kill" the old site. There's also a trigger effect where you can "close" a site, making it inactive. But it seems that you can replace old sites with newer versions of the site if you create a chain of events.

[Jimaaten]

Thanks, Azeem. I've been playing around with them and ended up using a string of effects to close and make invisible the old mines and to make the new mines visible. I made the new mines active, but invisible from the start. The military sites are usually active but invisible and don't seem to interact with the player until visible. I haven't tested the scenario yet, so I shall see if that's right. If not, I'll make them inactive and add a string to the effects to open them. I just have to go back and modify the way I checked for the requirement for a cult temple in my scenario and then I'll play it.

I also found out you can name things the same Item and Map Label names without messing things up. :)

[Azeem]

Sounds great. I'd be interested to see it when you're finished. :)

The real challenge of CotN lies in its complicated editor. ;)

[Jimaaten]

Sounds great. I'd be interested to see it when you're finished. :)Thanks. I've been wondering about play testing, by people other than me. I've just started, but when I'm finished with my own testing, I wonder if at this stage should I just post it in the scenarios section or do I ask somewhere for testers? I'd like some feedback on things like opening costs for sites, whether I was too obvious on the world level or if something causes the game to drag.

I've already discovered that the map I made is too big, but I'm not going back to change that at this stage! :D I may add more villagers, just so someone can build a huge metropolis if they like. But it would be nice to get some different perspectives. I have ideas for four more scenarios that I'm still planning on doing, so some input now would help make them better. :)
The real challenge of CotN lies in its complicated editor. ;)Amen to that. I shudder everytime I see someone suggest on the C-IV forum that they should have flood plain farming as an option. "No, no more complicated rivers that have to be laid out just so in order to work." Just give me a paint river brush I can drag across the map.