Still a Simple ACS question

[Siggi]

I'm using this script to end the level when all the monsters have been killed (allong with displaying a hud message).

Code: Select all

script 2 OPEN
{
while(True)
	{
	delay(2);
	if (GetLevelInfo(LEVELINFO_KILLED_MONSTERS) == GetLevelInfo(LEVELINFO_TOTAL_MONSTERS))
		{
		setfont ("BIGFONT");
		hudmessage(s:"Level Complete"; HUDMSG_PLAIN, 0, CR_WHITE, 0.5, 0.5, 0);
		delay (120);
		Teleport_NewMap (1, 0, 0);
		}
	}
}

now what I'm wondering is:
Why does it not work without the delay in it.
(when there was no delay it simply did nothing when all the monsters were dead, but then for debugging purposes I put in an else statement that simply printed "stuff", and I noticed it didn't continue printing the message indefinitely)
So, i'm also wondering, if the script stopped working after a sertain length of time when there was no dilay, will this script with the delay in it allways work?

(if something in what I said is unclear, please say so)

[Costja]

Code: Select all

script 2 OPEN
{
while(True)
	{
	delay(2);
...

This delay is required because

Please note that looping a script without a delay will cause ZDoom to automatically terminate the script, because it won't give anything else in the map a chance to run. You will see a message like the following when this happens:

Code: Select all

Runaway script 1 terminated

[Siggi]

Oh my,,, I can't believe I missed that.
So then the one with the delay will allways work.. cool.

One other thing, I have done somethig similar to get a message to appear at the top of the screen that shows the amount of monsters you've killed and the ammount of monsters in total.

Code: Select all

script 4 OPEN
{
while (True)
	{
	setfont ("BIGFONT");
	hudmessage(s:"monsters:", d:GetLevelInfo(LEVELINFO_KILLED_MONSTERS),s:"/",d:GetLevelInfo(LEVELINFO_TOTAL_MONSTERS); HUDMSG_PLAIN, 0, CR_WHITE, 0, 0, 0.1);
	delay (2);
	}
}

now this code works fine,,, but I'm wondering if there is a better way to do this?

[Siggi]

*cough cough*
I wouldn't normally bump a thread, but I'd apreciate some info...

[Phoenix]

looks like a fine way to do it to me. i'm not sure how you can make it any 'better'.

[Siggi]

Hmmmm, I just don't like the way it updates itself even though there has been no changes to the information.

I've allways thought there would be a more efficient way of doing that that I didn't know about,,, obviously I guessed wrong

[Phoenix]

oh, that.. well, it's probably possible to make it only update when new information is gotten, but that would take more code than you've got there and probably not be worth it really. as long as the hudmessage isn't logging itself to the console or displaying weirdly when it updates or something, no one's gonna know

[Siggi]

Heh, I guess you have a point there...
As long as it doesn't cause huge lag I'll just live with it (and no, I didn't have any performance issues with that script )

[Graf Zahl]

Hmmmm, I just don't like the way it updates itself even though there has been no changes to the information.

I've allways thought there would be a more efficient way of doing that that I didn't know about,,, obviously I guessed wrong

These updates don't cost much. The thing that takes the most time is to draw the text and that has to be done anyway.

[Siggi]

I'll consider my questions answered.
Untill I find more that is...