Scripting question - ARE (Actor) vs CRE

[Da Rock]

I have checked, and I cannot seem to find any scripting topics regarding this...

 

First, I'm using IWD2 (I cannot remember how other games display these). In a "standalone" CRE file, there are 7 script slots:

Override Script,

Special Script 1,

Team Script,

Special Script 2,

Combat Script,

Special Script 3,

Movement Script.

The previous list is in order of preference, according to SCRLEV.IDS and I understand this bit.

 

However, Actors in an ARE file have 6 slots:

Override Script,

Class Script,

Race Script,

General Script,

Default Script,

Specific Script.

 

Do the ARE script slots work the same way as CRE script slots, i.e. Override first, then Class, then Race, etc... ?

 

From what I can see, "standalone" scripts are empty for characters that appear in areas. On the few occasions this is not the case, for example 30ICETRL.CRE (Hardened Ice Troll).

Is the above example, the only CRE script slot used is Combat script (AATGN.BCS) - which also exists as the General script in an ARE file.

 

So it appears that a character in an area can have up to 13 script slots! So which takes precedence? The 7 CRE slots, or the 6 Actor slots?

[Guest plainab]

I have checked, and I cannot seem to find any scripting topics regarding this...

 

First, I'm using IWD2 (I cannot remember how other games display these). In a "standalone" CRE file, there are 7 script slots:

Override Script,

Special Script 1,

Team Script,

Special Script 2,

Combat Script,

Special Script 3,

Movement Script.

The previous list is in order of preference, according to SCRLEV.IDS and I understand this bit.

 

However, Actors in an ARE file have 6 slots:

Override Script,

Class Script,

Race Script,

General Script,

Default Script,

Specific Script.

 

Do the ARE script slots work the same way as CRE script slots, i.e. Override first, then Class, then Race, etc... ?

 

From what I can see, "standalone" scripts are empty for characters that appear in areas. On the few occasions this is not the case, for example 30ICETRL.CRE (Hardened Ice Troll).

Is the above example, the only CRE script slot used is Combat script (AATGN.BCS) - which also exists as the General script in an ARE file.

 

So it appears that a character in an area can have up to 13 script slots! So which takes precedence? The 7 CRE slots, or the 6 Actor slots?

If I remember correctly what I read in the IESDP, the ARE Actor scripts will override any script in the CRE file. Useful I suppose if you want a general creature to behave one way most of the time, and behave differently in a specific spot. I guess it could save you from having to make two nearly identical CRE files. Not sure though.

 

Feel like testing it out? Let us know the results if you do.