NPC animation script

[dimitrius154]

So far "Idle" and "Knockout" work on creatures and NPC's( not playersavegame type ) by way of scripts. The rest of animation groups cause freezing.

[Hrnchamd]

It seems to work okay?

Using current MCP with improved animation support on:
When under attack by an NPC, open console.
Select NPC and use "playgroup hit1" command.
NPC plays hit animation, pauses afterwards.
Use "playgroup idle" command.
NPC goes back to attacking.

[dimitrius154]

Yes, I tested the console variant - all anim groups work via console by PlayGroup (Anim Group) - PlayGroup "Idle" method. Scripted sequences don't work though.

[Hrnchamd]

Check your script conditions. It works with a script I just wrote (after I remembered to add it to the load list ).

[dimitrius154]

Lemme see..

begin SlamEffect

                               PlayGroup "Hit1"
                                                               PlayGroup "Idle"
if( Player->GetSpellEffects "MWE_Rage" == 1 )
                               PlayGroup "Hit1"
                                                               PlayGroup "Idle"
                                                               PlayGroup "Knockout"
                                                               PlayGroup "Idle"
endif
StopScript SlamEffect
end

The script is started on the creature or NPC upon impact. Nothing out of the ordinary...

[Hrnchamd]

You can't request all the animations on the same frame, they will overwrite the next one to play all the time. Wait some frames before playing the next one, and use the PlayGroup flags to get the hit animation to start immediately too.

[dimitrius154]

The creatures no longer freeze - but they still don't play the hit anims. The code is:

begin SlamEffect

float Timer

if(Menumode)
return
endif

if( Player->GetSpellEffects "MWE_Rage" == 0 )
                               PlayGroup "Hit1", 1
while( Timer < 0.5 )
Set Timer to Timer + GetSecondsPassed
endwhile
                               set Timer to 0
                               PlayGroup "Idle"
while( Timer < 0.5 )
Set Timer to Timer + GetSecondsPassed
endwhile
                               set Timer to 0
else
                               PlayGroup "Hit1", 1
while( Timer < 0.5 )
Set Timer to Timer + GetSecondsPassed
endwhile
                               set Timer to 0
                               PlayGroup "Idle"
while( Timer < 0.5 )
Set Timer to Timer + GetSecondsPassed
endwhile
                               set Timer to 0
                               PlayGroup "Knockout", 1
while( Timer < 0.5 )
Set Timer to Timer + GetSecondsPassed
endwhile
                               set Timer to 0
                               PlayGroup "Idle"
while( Timer < 0.5 )
Set Timer to Timer + GetSecondsPassed
endwhile
                               set Timer to 0
endif
PlaySound "Health Damage"
Stopscript "SlamEffect"

[dimitrius154]

>"menumode check seems wrong"

It's my standart breakpoint in conjunction with Main script adjustments in order to prevent sensitive scripts from running during game saving(not quicksave though - it does not call for menumode).

>"Scripting doesn't work like that.. "

I've been using this construction for some time. It does work. An empty while(){}endwhile construct would cause freeze since it reserves all frames for one script.

>"whole script executes once each frame"

My experiments with savegame crashing show otherwise - the game seems to alternate among various scripts at each tick - hence it's useless to stop "crash on gameload scripts" from within those very scripts.

[Jac Making my way back]

While loops take up too much processor cycles and aren't very reliable if I remember correctly. Use conditionals instead:

Code: Select all

begin SlamEffect

float timer
short doOnce

if ( MenuMode )
       return
endif

if ( doOnce >= 1 )
       if ( timer < 0.5 )
               Set timer to ( timer + GetSecondsPassed )
               return
       endif
endif

if ( Player->GetSpellEffects "MWE_Rage" == 0 )
       if ( doOnce == 0 )
               PlayGroup "Hit1", 1
               set doOnce to 1
               Set timer to 0
               return
       elseif ( doOnce == 1 )
               PlayGroup "Idle"
               set timer to 0
               set doOnce to 0
       endif

else
       if ( doOnce == 0 )
               PlayGroup "Hit1", 1
               Set timer to 0
               set doOnce to 1
               return
       elseif ( doOnce == 1 )
               set timer to 0
               PlayGroup "Idle"
               set timer to 0
               set doOnce to 2
               return
       elseif ( doOnce == 2 )
               set timer to 0
               PlayGroup "Knockout", 1
               set doOnce to 3
               return
       elseif ( doOnce == 3 )
               set Timer to 0
               PlayGroup "Idle"
               set doOnce to 4
               return
       elseif ( doOnce == 4 )
               set timer to 0
               PlaySound "Health Damage"
               set doOnce to 0
               Stopscript "SlamEffect"
       endif
                             
End

[dimitrius154]

I'll try again. The last few times I've tried a 'return' from at least second tier of a layered conditional I got return to the first tier - not script beginning..

[Jac Making my way back]

It should stop processing the script for one (or more) frames, then return to the beginning. I've never had problems with returns, so I don't know. That doOnce check should keep it running smoothly. Of course, this script wasn't tested at all, so it may not work.

[dimitrius154]

This variant works in endless loop - but what's important( and curious) is that hit animations work now. Oh well, means they are fixed now, somewhat.. will see what I can make of this.

[Hrnchamd]

Jac's is a 'state machine' approach. You set a timer which tells you when to switch state, and the commands are executed on the state transition. If you draw a flow diagram, then write one if statement for each connection between state, then you have all the code you need covered. It saves a lot of processing because in between states nothing is processing.

The timer is a bit like:

float nextcheck

set nextcheck to (nextcheck - GetSecondsPassed)
if ( nextcheck > 0 )
   return
endif

if ( state == 0 ) ; transition to state 1
   <do things here>
   set state to 1
   set nextcheck to 5      ; however long state 1 should last
   return
endif

if ( state == 1 ) ; transition to state 2
etc.

[Jac Making my way back]

As I've said, I've read that while loops take up a lot of processing and don't always work, so I go with alternatives that I'm pretty sure will work. Hopefully what I posted will help, but I don't have Morrowind installed right now so I can't test it.

[dimitrius154]

Got the contraption working. The final script is:

begin SlamEffect

float timer
short doOnce
short state
short slamthem

if ( MenuMode )
  return
endif

if ( doOnce )
set timer to 0
set doOnce to 0
set state to ( state + 1 )
if ( Player->GetSpellEffects "MWE_Rage" == 1 )
set slamthem to 1
else
set slamthem to 0
endif
endif

if ( state == 2 )
set timer to 0
set state to 0
set doOnce to 0
StopScript "SlamEffect"
endif

Set timer to ( timer + GetSecondsPassed )
 
if ( timer < 0.4 )
     return
endif

  if ( state == 0 )
if ( slamthem == 1 )
PlayGroup "Knockdown",1
else
     PlayGroup "Hit1", 1
endif
     PlaySound "Health Damage"
     set doOnce to 1
  elseif ( state == 1 )
     PlayGroup "Idle"
     set state to 2
  endif
                             
End

Now I wonder, if there's a way to send hostiles flying away from the player - the way shockwave from MWE Combat Enhanced works..

[dimitrius154]

Well now, I've got the shockwave(greater knockback) effect for circular attack in Rage state operational(they fly and fall as expected). The only thing left is getting spell effects applied to targets of opportunity, based on weapon enchantment - if possible of course.

Note to folks - while MWE does apply scripts ,through ToggleWorld -> StartScript structure, in area scanning function only the first conditionally valid creature or NPC found is getting the desired script assigned. The rest are ignored(bug).

MWSE area scanning scripts still cause savegame corruption, I'm afraid(bad script reference).

[peachykeen]

You don't want to use MWE for your scripts, it's not well supported and buggy.

MWSE scripts won't corrupt your save, so long as you don't try to start over with the stored reference when you load. Just reset the local variables, especially any MWSE ones.

[dimitrius154]

>"start over with the stored reference"

Indeed - but it's somewhat hard to reset them for looping scripts - especially if quicksave is involved(won't set MenuMode to 1). Is there any reliable way to determine that game saving procedure is about to begin?

[dimitrius154]

As for MWE - I had little to no trouble with it, since I merged all original mwe scripts I use into a single esp and disabled most of MWE_CombatUpdate functionality( slowmo and rage are all I need ). MWE area scanning based MWE-MWSE hybrid circular attack is working without crashes. Modified( MWE-MWSE hybrid) Crime Enhanced works well, and is the only alternative to Enchanted Editor I know,  regarding the "permanently stolen items" bug.