Tag+chip+switch = frustration
Steven G. Lane
I'm sure this is easy, but I just can't get it to work.
I'm trying to create switch panels that are inactive until an uplink chip
is inserted into another panel. One example is a computer terminal that is
inactive until a nearby switch has an uplink chip inserted. Another is a
series of uplink chip switches, with only the first one initially active
-- the rest became active [and accept chips] one after the other as each
preceding switch gets its chip inserted.
For the computer terminal, I applied a light that's initially inactive and
is tag-activated, made the switch "light-dependent," and had the nearby
uplink switch activate the tag of the terminal's light. The light comes on
fine, but the terminal is still non-responsive.
The same happens with my sequential uplink switches. Putting a chip in the
first one turns the light on for the second switch (which is
light-dependent, again) -- but the switch is still apparently inactive
(i.e. it won't accept a chip).
I'm sure the inactive terminal bit can be made to work. It was on Aye Mak
Sicur, which I examined, and I thought I did things the same way.
Any hints?
--
Steve Lane
sl...@tezcat.com
Devon
In article <slane-10059...@news.tezcat.com>, sl...@tezcat.com
(Steven G. Lane) wrote:
> I'm sure this is easy, but I just can't get it to work.
>
> I'm trying to create switch panels that are inactive until an uplink chip
> is inserted into another panel. One example is a computer terminal that is
> inactive until a nearby switch has an uplink chip inserted. Another is a
> series of uplink chip switches, with only the first one initially active
> -- the rest became active [and accept chips] one after the other as each
> preceding switch gets its chip inserted.
>
> For the computer terminal, I applied a light that's initially inactive and
> is tag-activated, made the switch "light-dependent," and had the nearby
> uplink switch activate the tag of the terminal's light. The light comes on
> fine, but the terminal is still non-responsive.
the active phase of the light needs to be above a certain level - 75%, I think.
Forge on,
Devo n
James Hastings-Trew
> > For the computer terminal, I applied a light that's initially inactive and
> > is tag-activated, made the switch "light-dependent," and had the nearby
> > uplink switch activate the tag of the terminal's light. The light comes on
> > fine, but the terminal is still non-responsive.
Couple of things to check:
Make the computer terminal non-light dependent, merge your map, and verify
that the terminal is in working order first. You could spend days trying to
get this to work only to find out you gave the terminal the wrong script
number, or that your terminal text file is futzed in some way.
Once you are sure all is working, do this:
Set the chip insertion switch to a Tag
Create a light, set to the same tag that you assigned to the switch, and
set it to initally inactive. Make sure the inactive phase of the light is
below 75% intensity, and that the active phase of the light is above 75%
intensity.
Set the terminal to have this light, the correct script number, and light
dependent. That should do it.
Devon
In article <slane-11059...@news.tezcat.com>, sl...@tezcat.com
(Steven G. Lane) wrote:
> Thanks (and to Devon too). I think that's probably it. The activator
> lights only had about a 70% maximum intensity. I'll give it a try.
>
> But in the meantime I revised the map to block the uplink switches with
> platforms (i.e. wall panels) that raise one after the other to give access
> and I made an annoying discovery: Marathon doesn't appear to care if
> there's a platform blocking a switch. You can still activate it. I can
> march up to the bit of mismatched texture that indicates a sliding panel,
> hit the action key, and the door nearby opens right up, activated by the
> switch behind the panel.
> Anyone else seen this?
> Steve Lane
yep, that's what I usually use 'light-activated switch' for. you want the
player to go off to point x before he can raise the platform, right? so
just make an 'activate light' polygon (set to the light activating the
switch) and place this poly somewhere you want the player to have been
before he can trigger the switch.
heck, you get 64 lights. . .this is a nifty stunt. I got it from kendall
redburn, thanks kendall! I've used it in several places.
hope that works,
forge on,
Devo n
James Hastings-Trew
> But in the meantime I revised the map to block the uplink switches with
> platforms (i.e. wall panels) that raise one after the other to give access
> and I made an annoying discovery: Marathon doesn't appear to care if
> there's a platform blocking a switch. You can still activate it. I can
> march up to the bit of mismatched texture that indicates a sliding panel,
> hit the action key, and the door nearby opens right up, activated by the
> switch behind the panel.
>
> Anyone else seen this?
A switch can be up to 4 polygons away from the player, and the Marathon
engine does not care if the polygons in front of the switch "block" it or
not. I used this fact in a couple of new maps to change the appearance of
the switches so that I could actually have 5 or 6 new switch textures, not
just those on the one texture slot.
If the platform in front of the switch is player controllable, then the
player's action will go to the platform, not the switch. One trick that I
think FrigidMan uses is to make the switch light dependent, and have the
platform activate that light when it is activated.
Bryan E Holland-Minkley
Excerpts from netnews.alt.games.marathon: 11-May-97 Re: Tag+chip+switch
= frust.. by Steven G. La...@tezcat.co
> Thanks (and to Devon too). I think that's probably it. The activator
> lights only had about a 70% maximum intensity. I'll give it a try.
>
> platforms (i.e. wall panels) that raise one after the other to give access
> and I made an annoying discovery: Marathon doesn't appear to care if
> there's a platform blocking a switch. You can still activate it. I can
> march up to the bit of mismatched texture that indicates a sliding panel,
> hit the action key, and the door nearby opens right up, activated by the
> switch behind the panel.
>
> Anyone else seen this?
Yeah. In the scenario I'm making, "The Sands of Time", I had to use
a light-activated switch in order to keep the player from throwing the
switch too soon, even though the switch was behind a closed platform.
It's annoying, but can be handled by using light-activated switches.
This is in M2, I assume it's still there in Moo.
-Bryan Holland-Minkley
be...@andrew.cmu.edu
Steven G. Lane
In article <jhasting-ya0240800...@news.sk.sympatico.ca>,
jhas...@sk.sympatico.ca (James Hastings-Trew) wrote:
> set it to initally inactive. Make sure the inactive phase of the light is
> below 75% intensity, and that the active phase of the light is above 75%
> intensity.
Thanks (and to Devon too). I think that's probably it. The activator
lights only had about a 70% maximum intensity. I'll give it a try.
But in the meantime I revised the map to block the uplink switches with
platforms (i.e. wall panels) that raise one after the other to give access
and I made an annoying discovery: Marathon doesn't appear to care if
there's a platform blocking a switch. You can still activate it. I can
march up to the bit of mismatched texture that indicates a sliding panel,
hit the action key, and the door nearby opens right up, activated by the
switch behind the panel.
Anyone else seen this?
--
Steve Lane
sl...@tezcat.com