Coming up next for Eternity: ExtraData

[Quasar]

Work on the ExtraData feature is about to commence. ExtraData stands to revolutionize what's possible in DOOM editing by allowing arbitrary amounts of information to be associated with various map objects.

The initial implementation is going to be for mapthings. Virtually any aspect of a mapthing could be set, even ones traditionally only settable via DeHackEd for an entire species -- want to have ONE imp on a level drop a key when it dies? This is one example of what will be possible, without any DeHackEd, complex scripting, or gross hacks.

Its going to use *very* simple text lumps to store data, and special mapthing types will act as place-holders, using their options field as an ExtraData record number. This'll be quick to learn for the editors. I think this promises to be one of the better things to happen to DOOM editing since the source release ^_^

I hope to have the system up and running in a couple of weeks max, and it will probably be the launching feature for v3.31 beta 1.

[spank]

That's cool!

[Naked Snake]

Wait..that means you could have a monster that dropped an object to advance the plot of a TC or something. Like...a demon swallowed a key and you gotta find it and make it spit it up. Or...an Imp has...well...swallowed a soulsphere (wtf) and you got to find it...or whatever. Still, pretty sweet there Quasar! You = teh rule!

[Julian]

You got the idea bbg.

[boris]

*cough*that's been possible with zdoom for a looooong time ;)*cough*

BTW, did I ever say that Eternity is a really nice port?

[Anders]

tarin: quasar only gave you an example of ExtraDatas possibilities.... it's going to be so much more....

[Naked Snake]

Could this also be used in other ways like killing a certain monster could open up a door or picking up a certain item could do an instant teleport of monsters instead of them teleporting in one by one? My ideas are odd I know but...still. Another thing I would find neat is if this could be if that say you could assign specific details to the enemies and items in a map like say Imp normally has 20 hp but a mapper could make a certain Imp in his/her map that had 40 health. Or that a that is really really super soul sphere instantly gives you 200 health, or picking up a DBS gives you ## shells or a Rocket Launcher loaded up with ## rockets. This would let mappers go into detail. Imagine that you're playing a map where you can do such things. That would rule. No two monsters could take the same amount of ammo to die.

[NiGHTMARE]

Will this let you use skins for enemies, e.g. have two troopers that look different?

[DooMBoy]

Shoot the trooper, get the blue key. Hmmm.........

[Naked Snake]

NiGHTMARE said:

Will this let you use skins for enemies, e.g. have two troopers that look different?

That would kick ass

Shoot the trooper, get the blue key. Hmmm.........

So simple even DooMBoy understands (just messin' with you DooMBoy)

[Shaviro]

Sounds cool! I can't wait to see it in action.

[Quasar]

Could this also be used in other ways like killing a certain monster could open up a door or picking up a certain item could do an instant teleport of monsters instead of them teleporting in one by one?

That kind of stuff is better handled through FraggleScript. Doing it via ExtraData would make something simple into something complicated.

Another thing I would find neat is if this could be if that say you could assign specific details to the enemies and items in a map like say Imp normally has 20 hp but a mapper could make a certain Imp in his/her map that had 40 health.

This is exactly the kind of stuff I'm thinking about, and my prelim list of ExtraData attributes for mapthings already includes spawn health :->

Or that a that is really really super soul sphere instantly gives you 200 health, or picking up a DBS gives you ## shells or a Rocket Launcher loaded up with ## rockets. This would let mappers go into detail.

Overriding the effects of particular powerup items is also an idea I've had before, and it'll be pretty cool too. You'll probably be able to add pickup effects to items like flags, so that one item could have multiple effects -- make your own backpack that gives full ammo!

[Little Faith]

Or what about giving certain monsters bots so they would act intelligently. Behold the power sneaky cyberdemons!

[Naked Snake]

Little Faith said:

Or what about giving certain monsters bots so they would act intelligently. Behold the power sneaky cyberdemons!

Kinda hard to be sneaky when hoof.wav plays everytime you walk.