trying to understand Order Strings

[Halisika]

• everything I've read says they cannot be changed because they are "hardcoded in the game". Does this mean if I take all order strings off a custom ability, it will do nothing? Or does it mean that it will only use the parameters in Data and Stats?
• I just don't understand how they work, and why they exist if the effects of the actual spell can be modified in the Ability Editor.
I have looked around the Internet before posting this, and nothing seems to have worked.

 

[Marvic June B. Corpuz]

I'm not sure if I could really help, I'm also new to the world editor. Regarding your question about order strings. Order strings are very important in an ability especially, if the custom ability you have made had a custom trigger. Changing the order string would cause an error. Although, if the ability you made has no custom trigger and you choose to change the order string, it won't. The ability will still works like the default ability and the effects are base on the data that you edited.. Example: You created a custom ability that is base on Entangling Roots, this has an order string of entanglingroots too, then you change the string to frostnova, it won't cause an error, the spell still works unless if the custom ability has a custom trigger that requires a dummy to use the string for the ability to effect.

Sometimes it's necessary to change the order strings, especially if the ability is base on Spell Book. If you created a hero and it's four skills is base on spell book, you need to change the order string of one spell book different from the other.

I hope that somehow I was able to help. Sorry for my bad English...

 

[Halisika]

Yeah I'm definitely clear on how you can't have two abilities with the same order string or they'll screw up. But in your example, if you BASE the ability on Entangling Roots but change the string to "frostnova", which one will it be? How will it change?
I'm not worried about triggers because I'm doing my best to use them minimally, and so far they shouldn't be a problem (thank god).

And it's fine, don't worry, I'm just glad you answered

 

[Accname]

Changing order strings doesnt do anything.
The data has absolutely no effect in game. Its just there because its another never implemented feature.
The world editor is full of these.

However, there are a few abilities which order strings can be changed because they got an additional data field for that.
These are: Channel, Charge Gold/Lumber / spellbook / (maybe another one i cant remember right now)

As you can see those abilities have no real effect and are used mainly for triggered effects.
If you want to have the same kind of ability twice for a single unit use a dummy ability + dummy caster and trigger the use.

 

[Marvic June B. Corpuz]

If the base ability is entangling roots, and you change the order string to frostnova, the effect of the ability will be base to the original ability, only that the order string is changed.

 

[KaerfNomekop]

The order string affects what trigger action will cause the unit to cast that ability (such actions issue a unique order string to the unit). You can't change the order strings of most abilities - they will always use their default order string no matter what. The exceptions, which Accname has listed, can have their order strings changed, and will respond to the changed order string instead of the original.

 

[Accname]

If the base ability is entangling roots, and you change the order string to frostnova, the effect of the ability will be base to the original ability, only that the order string is changed.

If you take the base spell entangling roots and change its order string to frostnove:
Nothing happens.

It will change nothing at all because this feature is not implemented and never will be. The ability to change the order strings does absolutely nothing at all.

 

[KaerfNomekop]

The ability to change the order strings does absolutely nothing at all.

It only changes the order strings for those abilities you listed: Channel, Spell Book and Charge Gold and Lumber.

 

[Accname]

It only changes the order strings for those abilities you listed: Channel, Spell Book and Charge Gold and Lumber.

I was referring to the entangling roots example there.

And even for those abilities where it works, its a different data field. They got the normal order string value, which again, does nothing, and then an additional field for the actual order string as part of their data.

 

[Halisika]

Huh... so if I have two spells, for a 5-sec and then 1-sec cooldown (see my earlier thread), do I need to make their order strings different? I made a trigger not to cast them, but to replace one with the other when another spell is cast, and to switch them again when the spell ends. (Whether that trigger actually works yet is a different story xD)

 

[Halisika]

Also, thank you for all the answers about them doing nothing. Damn those non-implemented features!

 

[Accname]

Just leave the order strings as they are. They do not do anything anyways.

And you can very well switch two abilities if you like, that doesnt matter, just dont have 2 abilities of the same kind on one unit at any time at once.

 

[KaerfNomekop]

just dont have 2 abilities of the same kind on one unit at any time at once.

You mean two abilities with the same order string. Abilities like Silence and Cloud have about the same effects, but they can be used by the same unit because their order strings differ.