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Please Confirm Size Limitations on INK Script Import

Discussion in 'Release 74 Feedback' started by Aartemis, Jan 23, 2020.

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  1. Aartemis

    Aartemis Avatar

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    It seems there may be a size limitation on scripts to be imported into NPC's. However there are no Errors so its very hard to debug what in the world could be going on.

    The symptom I am currently seeing is that when a file is too big, the IMPORT button will not light green.

    I have pulled in the example script from INK, and it is fine. However its only about 30 lines and not many characters. I wrote a few scripts and none of them will import although they work perfectly fine in the INK editor.

    I can't tell if it is a line length limit, knot limit,or total length limit. One minute the script can import and the next it cannot (won't light).

    It seems that only by shortening the script to about ~30 lines can I get it to work. I have moved script knots around, tried different variations and the same symptoms seem to appear.

    Without documentation or information its like throwing darts on a wall blindfolded. So could you look and see if there are any limitations based on lengths that could be causing this import block to happen?

    Thanks!
     
  2. Paladin Michael

    Paladin Michael Bug Hunter

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    Greetings Aartemis,

    could you tell, please, where to find current information about how to import ink scripts to NPC's?
    Thank you :)
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2020
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  3. Aartemis

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    There is no information, we blunt force figured it out.

    • Go to the INK Processor and write and test your script. SAVE PROJECT to a directory. This creates the .INK file needed. (However I believe its just a text file with a .INK extension). Go to that directory and COPY the file.

    • Get your Automation and in your inventory Right Click, Edit Dialog.

    • Use the Edit Dialog GUI Folder OPEN to get the DATAFOLDER to appear, then PASTE the file you copied into the APPDATA Custom NPC folder it opens.

    • You should then see it in the Edit Dialog window and you can select it and IMPORT. Drag the Automation to your lot.

    You cannot yet place it in a town.
    You MUST be on your lot to talk to it (rights only won't do it)
    There seems to be some Length of File issues that can prevent the IMPORT button from lighting up.
     
  4. Aartemis

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    Also as you write your scripts, try to remember the SOTA NPC Interface and how it works/looks. While INK allows for VERY verbose options, the text window in shroud that has been adapted to run INK does not. The Multiple Choice functionality, while working, does not lend itself well to LONG verbose selections. The more wordier your choice selections, the smaller the font is in the GUI and readability suffers.

    Hopefully they can make some hooks or updates so there is not so much AUTOMATION SAYS: prompts with the text. It might be SO much better to have a INK style display box rather then the current adopted NPC GUI. But perhaps that is coming. :) It certainly feels like a cube shoved into a round hole at the moment. Not that I'm complaining because I'm excited as hell for it, it just seems there is a MUCH better way to display the script as it was intended to be shown.
     
  5. Anpu

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    In testing today, it will not allow you to import any file that is over(?) 1000 bytes. Under that, it will import.

    The example dialogue is a 781 byte file so it will import just fine.

    That is just way too low.

    Could this possibly be upped to a 8000 byte file limit? I *believe* that is the limit on 1 player created book.
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2020
  6. Paladin Michael

    Paladin Michael Bug Hunter

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    And the 8000 byte limit on player created books is still too little - would be fine at least 10000 :)
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2020
  7. that_shawn_guy

    that_shawn_guy Bug Hunter

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    Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.
     
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  8. Anpu

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    I’m fine with a 8000 byte limit for now.

    Once we have that limit, that gives us plenty to experiment with.

    We can then provide some better feedback on how low or high that 8000 byte limit is.
     
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  9. craftymethod

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    Any word on secret/hidden dialogue options?
     
  10. Warrior B'Patrick

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  11. Anpu

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    Can you share with us a sample ink dialogue script you are using that doesn’t appear to have a size limit?
     
  12. Vladamir Begemot

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    Some day we'll get a sweet player created dialog box. That's the dream.
     
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  13. FrostII

    FrostII Bug Hunter

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    Do you have any dialog box examples (pics?) that would be "sweet" @Vladamir Begemot ?
     
  14. Vladamir Begemot

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    I do not believe Lua coders have access to that kind of GUI control yet. But it'll come.
     
  15. Numa

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    This reminds me of the old Colossal Cave adventure game classic which was originally written for the PDP-10 (ie. very, very old).

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossal_Cave_Adventure

    ------

    YOU ARE STANDING AT THE END OF A ROAD BEFORE A SMALL BRICK BUILDING.
    AROUND YOU IS A FOREST. A SMALL STREAM FLOWS OUT OF THE BUILDING AND
    DOWN A GULLY.

    go south

    YOU ARE IN A VALLEY IN THE FOREST BESIDE A STREAM TUMBLING ALONG A
    ROCKY BED.

    --

    go west

    YOU FELL INTO A PIT AND BROKE EVERY BONE IN YOUR BODY!

    NOW YOU'VE REALLY DONE IT! I'M OUT OF ORANGE SMOKE! YOU DON'T EXPECT
    ME TO DO A DECENT REINCARNATION WITHOUT ANY ORANGE SMOKE, DO YOU?

    yes

    OKAY, IF YOU'RE SO SMART, DO IT YOURSELF! I'M LEAVING!
     
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  16. Beaumaris

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    I'm just amazed that the devs haven't sold NPCs with customizable dialog in the store yet.

    It seems like the obvious next step for monetization, given the number of player controlled NPCs in game.

    I'd easily pay for that feature, vs. having to figure it out.
     
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  17. Arkah EMPstrike

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    Chris mentiond increasing the character limit on the craftable ones to about 5000 and having a coto store version with 10,000
     
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  18. Numa

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    If the Ink scripts can trigger emotes on the NPCs we own or control then that alone would be a very big thing.
     
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  19. Anpu

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    I still think 5,000 bytes is too low. Do note, the byte file size is basically 1 per every single letter, number and symbol used in the script. Just the basic code (not just the npc text) is using up that byte count.

    I still feel 8,000 byte for just a basic npc. Then maybe 16,000 for a COTO bought npc.

    Though, I don’t know what those file sizes start to effect stuff in game.
     
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  20. Arkah EMPstrike

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    He mentioned this is a character limit. Not a file size limit
     
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