question about random() in decorate

[bagheadspidey]

[wiki=Classes:Demon1]This page[/wiki] in the wiki shows a syntax for random() that I don't understand... It looks like this:

Code: Select all

random[DemonAttack1](1,8) 

...can anyone explain what the [DemonAttack1] is for?

Also, I feel like decorate's random() should be documented somewhere on the wiki. What is the correct name for this type of construct? A decorate function? Since it appears to be the only one of its kind, would it make sense to document it on the [wiki]DECORATE_Variables[/wiki] page, or should it go somewhere else?

[Gez]

I think it's just an identifier used so that the random number generator for this attack is not interfered with by other RNGs.

[Macil]

That'd be kinda odd. Using the same random number generator for everything wouldn't be different than using different random number generators per object (statistically, and assuming it's a good RNG).

[Graf Zahl]

ZDoom uses named RNGs to reduce the risk of demo and netgame desyncs. This specifies the name for the RNG.

The idea of named RNGs was introduced by Boom.

[bagheadspidey]

Thanks, Graf. I figured it was something like that, but the absence of quotes around the name made me think maybe it was an identifier that had been defined somewhere else.

So, I guess best practice would be to "name" each call to random... good to know.

As far as where to document it, I probably will just stick it on the decorate variables page until someone comes up with a better idea.