Zone visibility question

[+Corfman Clan]

Hi,

 

Let's say I have three zones with the following state:

• zoneFarAway: not active, not visible
  
• zoneOuter: active, visible, contains zoneInner
  
• zoneInner: active, not visible, contains the player
  

The player performs some action which causes zoneFarAway to become active and visible. While the player is contained by zoneInner, zoneFarAway is not shown on the locations screen. However, as soon as the player leaves zoneInner, zoneFarAway is displayed on the locations screen (or the main screen). Likewise, as soon as the player enters zoneInner, zoneFarAway is no longer displayed. I should also mention that zoneFarAway is in distance.

 

Is there a way to have zoneFarAway show up on the locations screen even if the player is in zoneInner?

 

Thanks for any help!

[delta123]

If zonefarAway disappaers when you enter ZoneInner you should check all codes regarding zoneFarAway.

ZoneFarAway should only be set inactive/invisble when you start the cartridge.

[+Corfman Clan]

If zonefarAway disappaers when you enter ZoneInner you should check all codes regarding zoneFarAway.

ZoneFarAway should only be set inactive/invisble when you start the cartridge.

 

Thanks Delta123, but I don't see how that could be the case. Currently there is no specific code to change zoneFarAway inactive/invisible except in the definition of the zone. Also, there is only one place where zoneFarAway is set to active/visible, and that has nothing to do with entering/exiting zoneInner. Which, under your question would be needed too.

 

Any other ideas?

 

Thanks!

[Ranger Fox]

Twenty Questions? Sure, I'll try?

 

My guess as to the problem:

Have you checked the far away zone's distance range? Perhaps it's far enough away where you have to get closer before you can see it in the list. Have you tried putting a -1 for that value?

 

Failing that, my Twenty Questions question:

Where can you replicate it? In the emulator? What about on a device in the field? If you can replicate it, can you upload example code?

[+Corfman Clan]

I do have -1 for the distance range. I even played with moving the player out of zoneInner away from zoneFarAway. It doesn't matter where the player is outside of zoneInner on whether zoneFarAway shows.

 

I see this problem on the emulator and I'm pretty sure (though not positive) that I saw it yesterday when I field tested the cartridge on my Oregon 400T.

 

Perhaps I should try throwing together a quick test cartridge with just three zones and one item and see if I can duplicate the issue. I was hoping to avoid anything like that though .

 

Thanks !

[+Corfman Clan]

I should add one more tidbit of information that I just remembered. When I tested this in the field yesterday, I would see two of zoneOuter on the locations, then one would change to be zoneFarAway. I can't say if the change occurred when I left zoneInner or not. This behavior does not occur with the emulator.

[+Corfman Clan]

Okay, I was able to create a very simple cartridge that reproduces the problem. The zones are named as above and I added one item, zitemMirror with the command, look.

 

Using the emulator:

Looking in the mirror activates zoneFarAway. The mirror is in zoneInner. zoneFarAway is not visible until the player leaves zoneOuter. zoneFarAway stays visible until the player enters zoneInner. Once the player has entered zoneInner, zoneFarAway is not displayed until the player leaves zoneOuter.

 

Using an Oregon 400T:

Looking in the mirror causes zoneOuter to show up twice in the main screen. Once I have traveled out of zoneOuter, the second zoneOuter shows up as zoneFarAway. If I travel back into zoneInner, then zoneFarAway is not listed, but zoneOuter is listed twice once again.

 

Thanks for any help!

Far_Away.zip

[delta123]

First set zoneInner active when you start the cartridge(remove the code when you enter zoneOuter) then deactivating zoneInner after looking in the mirror will solve this but i dont know why the problem occurs. perhaps a zone in a zone causus some strange behaviour?

Edited October 25, 2008 by delta123

[+Corfman Clan]

First set zoneInner active when you start the cartridge(remove the code when you enter zoneOuter) then deactivating zoneInner after looking in the mirror will solve this but i dont know why the problem occurs. perhaps a zone in a zone causus some strange behaviour?

 

I hadn't thought of just making the zoneInner inactive. It doesn't fix the problem but it is a work around that I can live with.

 

Thanks delta123!