switches

[amphro1]

how do switches work on staredit

 

[Ilendil]

I asked this same question when I came here.

It is pretty complicated.

You use switchs when you want to "switch" something on in another player's trigger list. Like this:

Player 1's trigger

CONDITION
- Player 1
ACTION
- Player 1 brings at least 1 any unit to 'attack'
- Set switch 'attack there'

Player 2's trigger

CONDITION
- 'attack there' has been set
ACTION
- Create 10 Zerglings at 'spawn'
- Order all Zerglings at 'spawn' to 'attack there'
- Toggle switch 'attack there'

And again, you use switches to "switch" between trigger lists, it also help a lot when spawning some units for several players, because if you do it on the entire force, or "team" then it will multiply the amount you wanted to create by the amount of players in the force or team.

 

[CmdrTydaeus]

Switches are like electronic switches - all 256 start in the off (clear) position, and may be flipped to the on (set) position. Labels may be placed on the switches by renaming them. Switches may have their positions changed by a trigger action, which may change a switch position in 4 ways:

Set Switch x - Regardless of Switch x's current position, switch x is flipped to the set position.

Clear Switch x - Regardless of Switch x's current position, switch x is flipped to the clear position.

Toggle Switch x - Whichever position Switch x is currently set to, set it to the other position.

Randomise Switch x - flip x to a random position (flip a coin, if heads, set x, if tails, clear x)
<HR>
There are three main uses for switches:

1. As boolean (True/False) variables
2. To create sub routine-like triggers
3. As randomisers

As boolean variables, you can keep track of information that can be one way or another. For example, you could have two triggers set such that switch 1 is set if player1 has less than 500 minerals, and cleared if player1 has 500 minerals or more (useless example, btw). More useful, if you have a RPG map with several quests, you can have a switch for each quest, with each switch being set when the corresponding quest is completed. Then, when certain quests have been completed (and their switches have been set) new quests can be opened up, and rewards can be given for multiple tasks being completed.

Switches may be used to approximate subroutines, as in most programming languages. Subroutines are created to make programming simpler, by creating several lines of code that will execute every time a certain 1-line command is given. In StarEditing terms, you can create a trigger such that every time a certain switch is set, certain actions will be performed, the switch is cleared, and the trigger is preserved. For example, in a RPG map, you could have it such that every time a player has x kill points, or has y razing points, or has obtained 3 khaydarin crystals, switch 1 is set and the kill points, razing points, or crystals are removed. Then, a separate trigger would have conditions that if switch 1 is set, the evil overlord gains 10 minions and switch 1 is cleared (preserve trigger).

Randomisation may be achieved through switches because of the randomise switch action. A single switch may be used if only two possibilities exist. In this case, randomisation is simple. For example, you could have a trigger where, if player 1 has at least 100 minerals and switch 1 is cleared, player 1 gains 5 gas and loses the minerals, and switch 1 is randomised (preserve trigger). And another trigger: If player 1 has at least 100 minerals and switch 1 is set, player 1 gains 10 gas and loses the minerals, and switch 1 is randomised (preserve trigger). In this case, player 1 gains either 5 or 10 gas (at random) whenever he or she accumulates 100 minerals. An additional trigger would be necessary, with conditions always and actions randomize switch 1 to make it so that player 1 doesn't automatically gain 5 gas the first time he or she gathers 100 minerals.

More than 1 switch may be used in the process of randomisation to allow for a greater possible number of results, with each additional switch allowing for twice the previous number of possibilities (and twice the number of triggers to handle results). In this case, you need to have some form of systematic method of creating the triggers so that you don't accidentally use the same outcome twice.

 

[Rapmaster]

It should be noted that one day in the b.net forum I posted a suggestion that triggers should be able to be randomized. (Blizzard was more friendly and laid-back then.) I believe it was Pat N. who replied saying he would forward it to the dev team.

And when the next patch came out-- randomization was possible.

My claim to fame.

Or maybe they were already planning it...

Before this, people had creative methods such as executing triggers when critters wandered into designated zones