Guild of Writers

I was just wondering if it was naive of me to think that I will be able to learn enough alcscripting to get my age completed, as i go? I understand that all of the leading age creators use a network of ppl to complete their ages and I plan to do the same, but It is hard to map out an age when you really don't fully understand what one consists of.

1. Basic Modeling/ Creating Vis regions
2. Colliders
3. Textures
4. Lighting/light mapping
5. Animations i.e. water, doors, puzzles, etc.
6. Sounds/ sound regions
7. ?

Where does scripting come in? What does scripting accomplish?

I guess I could rename this post, "Order of operations". I always feel more secure when I have at least a rough idea of the whole of a project. I remodel homes for a living and nothing makes me lose sleep like the unknown; not knowing if my sheetrocking can be done tomorrow, or if that is going to interfere with another crews job. Or if the granite guys ordered the granite according to an outdated cabinet spec. Stuff like that.

Putting it like that may make age building seem stressful form my perspective, but no. I could have listed better examples, but I think you understand where I'm coming from. I'm serious about this project of ours. No other art form so touched my life as did Myst. That must sound odd to many who read this, but I know there are others that feel the same and would understand that statement completely.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Alcscripting happens at almost every step in the process. It is how you define clickables, animations, wavesets, and most other not-purely mesh and material related things. The term alcscript is a misnomer since it is not scripting. Scripting, or programming is not the same thing as writing "alcscript": alcscript merely defines settings while programming creates functions to do things. Programming does have a part in age creation in the form of Python coding (needed for complex interactions in-game, for instance complex puzzles and journals). Programming your age is usually done as one of the last steps in the age-creation cycle as it depends heavily on existing objects in your age.

So could someone give me an example of a puzzle that would require scripting? I just had my 30th birthday and I want to plan my time left on earth. LOL If i'm going to have to learn a programing language, I should get on it now.

Assuming you mean Alcscript :

- Try to make a (small) lake using wavesets
- Try using visual/soundregions
- Try using sitregions

For all of these there is code and explanations in the wiki.
If you feel ready for some Python, you could try to make a book, there is a forum post around with D'Lanor's scripts which you can use.

Actual Python scripting is used throughout the game to control high-level game logic behaviour. The most complex examples are the KI, the Relto Shelf, and Nexus. But even much simpler things, like having to press some buttons inn the right sequence to open a door, or controlling an age's fog depending on the time of day, or collecting journey cloths, or showing a linking book on screen require Python scripting. For the really basic needs, there are pre-defined Python scripts shipped either with the game or (in case they were written by fans) with the Offline KI that you can use to get properly working (in multiplayer) door-buttons in your age without writing your own Python script.

I can see where you would need some script for keeping the order of things in a puzzle. Thanks that was actually helpful. Gives me insight.