Hello Dear Readers!

 

I know its sounds crazy from a mod maker: saying good news as i write documentation....

Not the most fun activity yes.

 

i just realized recently its improtant maybe even more important than the mod writing it self.

Here is how i come to this conclusion:

 

After i realized the way i built up the architecture of SLOS and replaced big part of code, i started think: why i i made this mistake? what i can do to avoid this happen agin in this big scale?

What lead this mistakes?

One of reason i found out is this:

When i try to script a functionality, let say capture a slave.

 

simplest solution is something like this:

when xyz requirement meet teleport this character away, add to a quest as slave and add amulet to it and faction so evrything know its a slave.

 

Then comes the rpoblems: i need to do something with this slave... let say slave get freed by player.

here is a problem: i know who is the slave from point of view of the slaver amulet. as slaver amulet got removed a procces need trigger that handle the event: a salve got freed!

so what i need to do?

need this slave removed from the quest that keep this slave as slave in hold...

well problem is first the amulet dont know witch quest take hold of this slave. This is not the part of the deal and plans when the scripts made... plus the amulet know the quest means all the slave amulet need store a quest variable inside, this variable need refreshed evry time the slave swaped beatwen quests... less then optimal.

 

So what?

the slave amulet need run a serch for the quest that hold this character as slave!

okay let say we found out what quest hold this slave.

new problem: need remove the actor from the quest... at first this shuld easy, just need find out what reference alias of the quest point the slave, and use the clear()  function to remove from here.

Well this 3 problem not one!

 

1-In my expereince if a script that not attached a quest try to interact the quest reference aliases other than read where that reference alias point... the script going to fail.

For this reason evry time need find a way order a script on the quest to do the removal of reference alias target. or for this matter assigning new one to it.

 

2-finding out what reference alias exactly from many we need interact... remember one quest can hold many of this reference aliasess... maybe multiple pointing diferent actors

 

3-need to know what script need to be loded to interact with the reference alias... a quest reference alias to accesible to scripts need to be a property on a script.

 

let say we jump this problem, then what we not done!

the slave still considered a slave as long as factions goes... so need execute faction removal.

 

the design decisions made as built up this things made on the fly when i reached the problem.

this aproach make possible realtive fast advance problem is system going to contain lot of sort sighted steps that in long run do more damage then harm.

 

the above written problem is solved... i found so far 2 possible working solution for it. poth get programed and put in use.

Plus the third and i hope the final one on the way.

 

so the quick write the script and going to work aproch definitly not working.

 

Secund lead is this:

when i last time started write a documentation how the system work i found out lot of bugs the existing system.

This bugs and design mess ups not come to existance IF i first make the guide first then the code it self.

 

Third and final lead:

when i reworked the script code and reviewed my code found few owersight that defintily come to light if first documentation made how exactly this thing works!

 

So what i duing today and near future is this:

writing a detailed documentation how the mod work and shuld work.

then based on this writing i make the mod to work this way add the missing parts ect.

 

i have a plan for Step 2. list of goals so i write a guide for the mod that reached full future complite state of Step2.

Then make the mod based on this guide to work as written.

 

this way i hope i save lots of hair and painful work. plus i plan realise this guide early so others can read it and might spot logical/disign erorr in it.

 

Any opponion?