RandomSpawner leaving empty space

[PlutonianEmpire]

For example, lets say a RandomSpawner replaces ShotGun I have it set to DropItem 3 weapons, each from a different mod. When I load up Mod 1 and Mod 2 in ZDL but not Mod 3, The RandomSpawner at one point selects the weapon from Mod 3, resulting in empty space in-game where the ShotGun would normally be

How do I tell the RandomSpawner to try again if a weapon it selects does not exist?

[Blue Shadow]

By [wiki=ZScript_virtual_functions]overriding[/wiki] RandomSpawner's ChooseSpawn() function:

Code: Select all

class MyRandomSpawner : RandomSpawner
{
    override Name ChooseSpawn ()
    {
        // Copy the contents of the original function here, and modify as needed.
    }
} 

These two lines in that function should be of interest to you.

[PlutonianEmpire]

Would this go in DECORATE or somewhere else?

[Gez]

ZScript only.

[PlutonianEmpire]

I was finally able to get around to making a zscript with the override, and using the new randomspawner class, however doing so resulted in Zandronum refusing to start up:

https://i.imgur.com/EdLNUvY.png
https://i.imgur.com/zlHr7Ns.png
https://i.imgur.com/7gbjPKm.png

What gives?

[Gez]

Compatibility with Zandronum was not mentioned in the opening post. Zandy doesn't support ZScript last time I checked, so you're out of luck.

[PlutonianEmpire]

;_;

Alrighty thank you

[TDRR]

This is doable with some hacky trickery.

You make actors that inherit from the vanilla Doom weapons and give them the same names as the weapons in the mods your spawner intends to support. So if one of the mods isn't loaded, it spawns a Vanilla Doom weapon instead of nothing. Of course this has the problem that the other mods have to be loaded last.


There's a cleaner way with ACS that involves making a check if the spawned actor has spawned correctly, but i haven't tested it. Theoretically it should be this:

DECORATE

Code: Select all

ACTOR BackupShotgun : Shotgun {}

ACTOR ShotgunRandomSpawn : Inventory replaces Shotgun
+INVENTORY.ALWAYSPICKUP
states
{
Spawn:
TNT1 A 0
TNT1 A 0 ACS_NamedExecuteAlways("SpawnShotgun", 0)
TNT1 A -1
Stop
}
}

ACS

Code: Select all

Script "SpawnShotgun" (void)
{
     int x = GetActorX(0);
     int y = GetActorY(0);
     int z = GetActorZ(0);
if(Spawn("SomeModShotgun",x, y, z == 0) {Spawn("BackupShotgun", x, y, z);}
}

This example is not random and it spawns the same weapon unless the mod isn't loaded (of course you need to change "SomeModShotgun" to the weapon you want to spawn) but making it random isn't hard at all.

Of course, if you can give me more information (which mods are meant to be supported by this, specifically) i could make a complete version for you.

[Arctangent]

That also has the issue that the new weapon won't have the intended flags, TID, or special, meaning it won't be dropped with half ammo from monster ( and, subsequently, can't be picked up for ammo when dropped by monsters while Weapon Stay is on ), and you'll break compatability with any map that manipulates the weapon with scripting or causes something to happen when the weapon is picked up.

Also, speaking of Weapon Stay, not only would the weapon not disappear after being picked up, but because the thing that's spawning it is an item that would be picked up and then disappear, you'd be able to get all of the weapons from a spawner by combining Weapon Stay and Items Respawn, because the weapons will, well, stay, but the item that spawns them would keep respawning and thus spawning more weapons.

[TDRR]

That also has the issue that the new weapon won't have the intended flags, TID, or special, meaning it won't be dropped with half ammo from monster ( and, subsequently, can't be picked up for ammo when dropped by monsters while Weapon Stay is on ), and you'll break compatability with any map that manipulates the weapon with scripting or causes something to happen when the weapon is picked up.

Also, speaking of Weapon Stay, not only would the weapon not disappear after being picked up, but because the thing that's spawning it is an item that would be picked up and then disappear, you'd be able to get all of the weapons from a spawner by combining Weapon Stay and Items Respawn, because the weapons will, well, stay, but the item that spawns them would keep respawning and thus spawning more weapons.

You can transfer the TID as long as you pass it as an argument to the script (thing i forgot to do there) and yeah, the weapon DOES dissapear when you grab it and the Inventory item (spawner) would also dissapear, and when the inventory item respawns, the weapon does so too.
I have used this method many times and i know what it does, the only thing that can make the weapon properly stay is RandomSpawner and that isn't viable for Zandronum in this case.

( and, subsequently, can't be picked up for ammo when dropped by monsters while Weapon Stay is on )

That's incorrect. The weapon will dissapear as if weapon stay wasn't active, but it will give full ammo.
This can be fixed by checking for the +DROPPED flag and spawning a different shotgun in that case. (or give it a CustomInventory item that sets the +DROPPED flag)