Inside Scoop page 1

EVENTS... GIVING RTFM A WHOLE NEW MEANING

by Jezz

As a member of the Fed2 staff, it's really important that I understand how everything in Federation DataSpace works, so that I can help people who have questions... at least that's what I told Hazed as I begged, shed tears, signed away my first born and pleaded in a most unbecoming fashion, to be allowed to learn how to write events a few weeks ago. The demi-goddess, perhaps because she saw some wisdom in my request, or perhaps because she wanted to shut me up, relented and agreed to send over the events and object editors.

I was thrilled when the package arrived, not least because of the burly security guards that were carrying it. They set the security box down on my desk, which promptly collapsed under the weight.

I lost absolutely no time in getting their com-link numbers... er... I mean opening the box. At first I thought it was a classic example of over packaging. I mean, how could two tiny data-disks and a note from Hazed possibly need to be packed in a steel box half the size of my desk?

I read the note. Hazed most eloquently told me not to let the contents of the box fall into the wrong hands or the Universe could be torn asunder amid much screaming, wailing, rending of planets and general havoc. She qualified "wrong hands" as meaning Zardoz or any other member of the house of Doz, which made perfect sense really. The note went on to say that I needed to read the events and objects manual in its entirety and complete the tutorial before I attempted to write any events for a real planet. It was about then that I realized the true function of the box. It was the only container strong enough to hold the vast manual and tutorial. A little shaken but undeterred, I rolled up my sleeves and got stuck in to the reading matter.

About a week later, Zardoz popped in to see what I was doing and hastily disappeared again when I told him I was reading directions. The more I read and did the exercises in the tutorial, the more I realized that practically anything could be done with events and objects. Now being able to do "anything" is a dangerous thing. Even though the idea of striking dead any financier that steps foot on your planet may sound appealing at first, it wouldn't tend to endear you to others in the long run. And besides, financiers aren't the most mobile creatures in the Universe anyway. They tend to find a dark lair and stay there, only poking their heads up to buy shares once in a while... anyway, back to the events...

My first project, after frying my brain by reading the events manual for weeks, was to set up the tarot reading on Arcana Major. When you visit the mystic on Arcana Major, it looks very simple. You pay 50ig at the door, chat to the mobile and then choose a card. The mobile then tells you what the card means. Easy huh? Well not quite as easy as it seems. When someone is charged groats the event writer has to plan for what happens if the visitor doesn't have enough groats. Each option needs a separate event. The same goes for the cards. There are twenty-two cards, many with reversed meanings as well as upright meanings. Choosing a card fires a random event which picks from all the choices available and each choice needs another event. The result was forty-eight events and ninety-five messages to accomplish that simple one-card reading!

Hazed checked over my work and to my complete surprise everything worked when it was loaded into the game. Buoyed by that success, I set about writing the Liberty puzzle. This one was a lot more complex. There are static objects and abstract objects, delayed events, changed links between locations and a variety of effects thrown in for good measure.

In order to write the events, I had to think like a flow-chart. All the "what ifs" had to be covered. What if the player has this object but not that object. What if they log off in the middle of something. What if they litter the place with dropped objects. What if an event makes a door open and there is already someone in the other room... should they see a message that the door is open too?

I eventually managed to get the events and objects files ready to be loaded and sent them in. Unfortunately I'd made an error on one of the first events which left me unable to test the rest of the puzzle until I had that part fixed. I'm quite sure Bella got tired of seeing Liberty files in the in-tray over the next few days, but after more than a few tries I've finally managed to get the Liberty puzzle up and running. The whole process gave me a new perspective on the events that we all take for granted in Sol. It takes a lot of work and planning to get complex events working correctly. In fact, the package price of two slithies for an object with five commands seems a paltry sum considering what goes into making them work.

The Liberty puzzle is not particularly difficult or complex. There is a small prize for those brave explorers who manage to gain entry to the bridge and ask the right questions. If you do make it that far, you'll realize that there will eventually be a lot more to find out. The Rift system was designed from the start to incorporate all three planets into a story, and as the third planet hasn't been built yet there is much more work to do. Liberty is simply one part of the story, but one which will have to be completed in order to finish the rest of the puzzle that will hopefully be available within a few weeks.

If you would like to try the Liberty puzzle, I recommend that you explore Ritual first. Take the flitter across to the island and have a good look around. You should be able to find some background information. Then head to Liberty, a derelict ship that orbits Ritual, and see if you can get to the bridge. I'd love to have your feedback if you manage it.

For all of you out there that are waiting for events writing to be available to all, if you're not into copious manual-reading then writing your own events may not be for you, anyway. But that doesn't mean you can't have events and objects on your planet. If you want something original and fun on your planet, write to feedback with your idea.. Remember that almost anything is possible if you can clearly explain what you want. If you have to spend slithies, please keep in mind that the slithies help keep Fed2 available to everyone.

Finally... if you happen to see Zardoz carrying a huge manual and grinning like a small child who has just found a loaded machine gun... could you please let me know? I seem to have misplaced my copy.

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