Blockland Forums > Suggestions & Requests
Eventing should be more like Programming
Mr.Noßody:
--- Quote from: Headcrab Zombie on March 21, 2014, 03:46:09 PM ---I'm sure you'd figure it out easily.
Honestly, I find that easier to understand that the current eventing system the first time I saw it
--- End quote ---
Maybe.
I'm just used to the old way of doing things I suppose.
TristanLuigi:
--- Quote from: Mr.Noßody on March 22, 2014, 12:23:55 AM ---Maybe.
I'm just used to the old way of doing things I suppose.
--- End quote ---
Yeah, when you get used to something you tend to think it's always been that easy, kind of like when you go on a ride in Disneyland and suddenly the 2 hours in line are completely forgotten.
Dezcaban³:
The thing about the current eventing system is that it is extremely user-friendly and does its job flawlessly, until you start adding on tons of stuffty event add-ons and try to make it into a complex CRP with variable control events, and then get frustrated when it doesn't work.
While I completely agree that there's room for improvement here I seriously hope you're not considering removing the current eventing system in turn for something that has, throughout blockland history, traditionally been done with the use of actual scripting.
TristanLuigi:
--- Quote from: Dezcaban³ on March 22, 2014, 12:30:28 AM ---traditionally
--- End quote ---
So? This is great because
--- Quote from: Dezcaban³ on March 22, 2014, 12:30:28 AM ---it is extremely user-friendly
--- End quote ---
but if you
--- Quote from: Dezcaban³ on March 22, 2014, 12:30:28 AM ---make it into a complex CRP
--- End quote ---
and
--- Quote from: Dezcaban³ on March 22, 2014, 12:30:28 AM ---does its job flawlessly
--- End quote ---
to do stuff that has
--- Quote from: Dezcaban³ on March 22, 2014, 12:30:28 AM ---traditionally been done with the use of actual scripting.
--- End quote ---
If you're wondering why I'm using your quotes, it's that this is a great solution that combines the complexity we need for advanced users with the user-friendliness we need for beginners, who can then work their way up. Simple events like onPlayerTouc > Kill are just as easy, but complex things that normally require scripting become so much easier. There's no compromise here, it's win-win.
I know what you're thinking - why not just script? Because scripting requires syntax. Unlike this system, where you just need to put your thoughts into tiles, connect them, and it just works, scripting requires that you completely learn TorqueScript and all of it's ins and outs. There's a little less fluidity in that. If I want to set up a conditional, I have to write it. Here, you just place it down and find what you need. Of course, scripting will always have more flexibility, but sometimes that's a bad thing. You can't possibly make scripting happen by chaining together what's essentially drop-downs. My point here, in a phrase, is that scripting is too manual. But there's another part too. By making simple and advanced functions part of the same system, people can gradually increase their knowledge without really trying. Over time you just get better. If I start tinkering with events, in no way will that ever get me learning scripting. This system will inspire players to build more complex things simply because it's part of the same chain of learning. And finally, this isn't meant to replace ALL scripting. There will always be limitations. Weapons, vehicles, things like Slayer or RTB, or larger gamemodes like Slayer and Creep won't be accessible by this, but that's not the point. The point is to open up a world of potential for smaller things, like City RPGs, or a bank, or passcode systems (try doing that without VCE or coding a new event.) And I think this can do that.
TL;DR: This system is easy to pick up but has a long range of applications so that it stays useful for even complex things. While it won't replace scripting, it will definitely make some of its purposes more accessible and to be honest this is just more flexible. Really, though, read the paragraph.
Headcrab Zombie:
--- Quote from: Lugnut on March 21, 2014, 06:44:25 PM ---not... exactly
--- End quote ---
Well yeah you could write in a legacy support thing. But a lot more work will still have to be added to support the new event system
The main issue with the "use scripts instead" idea and why I would love a more robust eventing system is that it's annoying to write, save, package, and execute a bunch of small things you use once then never touch again.
I think a neat idea would be a sort of "script event": when you place the event, you're given a textbox where you can write out a script. Obviously you'd have to have a lot of restrictions: no global variable access, restrict access to only select functions (math functions, maybe some others), protect against infinite/long loops, etc. Something like the expression chip from wire mod (garry's mod), I used the hell out of that.
But yeah, large advanced stuff should never be done in events for multiple reasons