Task System (preliminary work)

**joligario** · #1 10-01-2008, 11:52 PM

Next suggestion:

Alter the task table to have minlevel and maxlevel fields
Create a bool function for CheckTaskLevel()
Create perl quest function quest::istaskappropriate(taskid)

With those, we could let the system do the level checks for us. Not really a big deal, but just might be handy.

**joligario** · #2 10-02-2008, 01:31 AM

Odd text display. Here is what I am talking about. Please look at this task with your previous and new revisions. You'll notice the text gets cut short also.

SQL Code:

Code:

INSERT INTO tasks VALUES(13, 0, 'They\'re a Bit Short','[1, They might as well call you a scout, because you\'ll be going out and doing some scouting on some very high-profile sites. These sites are rumored to be burial grounds for priests of an ancient civilization, but there is not much information on them than that. Enough delay, get going and explore the single dwarven hut along the path in the north.][2, If your findings are correct, there\'s nothing around there that even remotely suggests an ancient burial ground. It\'s unfortunate, but there\'s one more spot you need to check before we give up all hope. Go ahead and explore the large rock tower on goblin isle. Be careful, if there is a burial ground, there\'s no telling what kind of creatures lurk nearby.][3, It\'s unfortunate that you weren\'t able to find any remnants at all. Perhaps there will be more to find next time. In the meantime, you need to report your findings, so speak with Tarerd Gahar. That is all.]','Money and Experience', 0, 1433, 2000, 0, 68, 1);

INSERT INTO activities VALUES (13, 0, 0, 5, 'the dwarven hut', '', '', 1, 0, 1, 0, 68, 0);
INSERT INTO activities VALUES (13, 1, 1, 5, 'the large rock tower', '', '', 1, 0, 1, 0, 69, 0);
INSERT INTO activities VALUES (13, 2, 2, 4, '', '', 'Speak with Tarerd Gahar', 0, 2, 1, 0, 202, 0);

INSERT INTO proximities VALUES (68, 1, 390, 410, 2060, 2080, -10, 10);
INSERT INTO proximities VALUES (69, 1, -8515, -8455, -1260, -1200, 20, 70);

butcher\Gibi_Bilgum.pl:

Code:

#BeginFile: butcher\Gibi_Bilgum.pl (68090)
#Quest file for Butcherblock Mountains - Gibi Bilgum: They're a Bit Short

sub EVENT_SAY {
  if($text=~/hail/i) {
    quest::say("Get a load of my sister over yonder. She doesn't know when to give up the swashbuckling. Idiocy is more like it. She's not the only one around here with some [tasks] that need... well, tasking. You might say I'm a taskmaster, only without the whip. I'm not sure how to even use a whip though, so maybe it's for the best.");
  }
  if($text=~/tasks/i) {
    if($ulevel >= 12) {
      if(quest::istaskactive(13)) {
        quest::say("They're a Bit Short is already in progress.");
      }
      else {
        quest::taskselector(13); #Task: They're a Bit Short
      }
    }
    else {
      quest::say("I don't have any tasks suitable to one of your experience.");
    }
  }
}

sub EVENT_ITEM {
  quest::say("I have no use for this, $name.");
  plugin::return_items(\%itemcount);
}

#EndFile: butcher\Gibi_Bilgum.pl (68090)

poknowledge\#Tarerd_Gahar.pl:

Code:

#Tarerd_Gahar.pl
#The Magic Pool

sub EVENT_SAY {
  if($text=~/hail/i) {
    if(quest::istaskactivityactive(13,2)) {
      quest::say("Thanks for contacting me, $name. Your information on this matter has been most useful.");
      $client->Message(7,"The ideal of burial grounds nearby is one that can not be easily overlooked. That's exactly why you were sent to check these areas out. Sadly none of them turned out to be the rumored burial grounds, but there's plenty more land to cover, so you maybe called upon again. You'll be recieving some payment, mostly for your time investment, but partially for the danger involved. Good job.");
      quest::updatetaskactivity(13,2);
    }
    else {
      quest::say("I'm sorry, I have neither the time nor the patience to chat right now.");
    }
  }
  if($text=~/pool/i) {
    quest::say("Oh Tatlan and Wicas sent you did they? I'll tell you what I told them, nothing is free. If you want to know about the pools then I need something [from you] first.");
  }
  if($text=~/from me/i) {
    quest::say("I'm sure it'll be easy for an adventurer as you. I am working on a potion, and I cannot currently travel to gather my last component. If you could bring me the blood of a Sarnak I'd be willing to share what I know.");
  }
}

sub EVENT_ITEM {
  if(plugin::check_handin(\%itemcount, 22519 => 1)) { #Sarnak Blood
    quest::say("Ahh this is exactly what I was looking for. All the information I've gathered from these pools has come from Myrist. Thiran will give you the book I used as a reference. Give him this note so he knows I sent you.");
    quest::summonitem(15958); #Note From Tarerd
  }
  else {
    quest::say("I don't need this."); #text made up
    plugin::return_items(\%itemcount);
  }
}

#END of FILE Zone:poknowledge  ID:202060 -- Tarerd_Gahar

**Derision** · #3 10-02-2008, 12:54 PM

Quote:

3. Under description, can you set up a description for the initial task window? For example: [0, This is my general description.][1, This is my description for step 1][2,3, This is my description for shared steps 2 and 3.]. Currently it is blank if step 1 and 2 are shared but if there is only 1 step, the main task window shows the entire text from the first step.

The way it works is that the entire description is sent to the client and it is the client which decides which portion to display based on which activity you are on. Are you saying it is not working like live ?

I think it maybe be possible to have an extra field in the task table for a description which is only displayed in the task selector window. If this new field was null, then it could just behave as at present.

Quote:

Alter the task table to have minlevel and maxlevel fields
Create a bool function for CheckTaskLevel()
Create perl quest function quest::istaskappropriate(taskid)

This would be simple to do. Could let them default to 0 meaning no level restriction. Anyone else have any input on this feature (and the extra field for a description specific to the task selector window) ?

Quote:

Odd text display. Here is what I am talking about. Please look at this task with your previous and new revisions. You'll notice the text gets cut short also.

I just ran through this task and can't see what you are referring to. Which text gets cut short ?

**joligario** · #4 10-02-2008, 01:48 PM

Old method (before you stated rev24 was made):

As you can see, the reward "Money and Experience" does not show up under rewards or on the main task screen. The entire 1st step is shown instead.

**joligario** · #5 10-02-2008, 01:49 PM

New code (using cavedude's PEQ after you said rev24 was made):

The entire first step is shown again, however it is truncated. The following steps have no text any more. Money and Experience now shows up as a reward but not on the main task window.

**Derision** · #6 10-02-2008, 02:23 PM

Putting the non-display of the reward on the task selection window aside for now, I don't see the other problems you are seeing:

I think I am running Rev29, but I have made no changes to the task code since Rev24. This is on Linux. I'll try a Windows build on the off chance there is some incompatibilty that has crept in. Guess I should also test with your task as the only active one, as that is a difference between your test and mine.

janusd · #7 10-02-2008, 05:23 PM

Adding the level check would be a big help as there were some Live quests that had level requirements before the quest giver would hand out those quests. You can see in the quest list for PoK in Alla http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/q....html?zone=158 that soem quests have a level minimum before the giver would hand it out. Or like this quest http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/q...tml?quest=3157 I remember from Live. I know when I was piddling around years ago after they added these armor quests, I started a noob and ran through Gloomingdeep. Once I left, I went to the armor guys. They only give quests in order, but I had to level to the appropriate level before later quests would be given.

**Derision** · #8 10-03-2008, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joligario

The entire first step is shown again, however it is truncated. The following steps have no text any more. Money and Experience now shows up as a reward but not on the main task window.

What client are you using? By the look of it, it is the 6.2 client, however the order of the fields in the Quest Journal (Objective/Status/Zone) is different to how my 6.2 client displays it (Zone/Objective/Status).

**joligario** · #9 10-03-2008, 06:08 AM

Yes, I see that... I am using Titanium.

**Derision** · #10 10-04-2008, 05:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joligario

Next suggestion:

Alter the task table to have minlevel and maxlevel fields
Create a bool function for CheckTaskLevel()
Create perl quest function quest::istaskappropriate(taskid)

With those, we could let the system do the level checks for us. Not really a big deal, but just might be handy.

I've just committed this. There are new minlevel and maxlevel columns in the task table. If either is zero, it is ignored, so you can have no level restriction, only a minimum level, or only a maximum level, or both.

The level restrictions are enforced in the TaskSelector (a Task won't be sent if it doesn't meet the restrictions).

To augment this, I have slightly altered the way Task Sets work. Previously you had to enable/disable tasks in a set on a per player basis.

Now, if you put a TaskID of zero in a Task Set (which is an invalid TaskID), all the tasks in that set will automatically be available for a player, subject to a level restrictions.

This means you can create a task set for an NPC with a bunch of tasks with different level ranges and just call quest::tasksetselector(set number), and let the task system decide which tasks to offer the client based on the level restrictions.

I have also added quest::istaskappropriate(taskid) if you want to have an NPC tailor what it says to a player based on that.

**joligario** · #11 10-05-2008, 06:05 AM

Just checking what new table is going to look like. Am I correct in assuming the following alter?

Code:

ALTER TABLE tasks ADD (minlevel int(3) not null default 0, maxlevel int(3) not null default 0);

**Derision** · #12 10-05-2008, 06:16 AM

I made them unsigned TINYINT on the assumption that level will never go past 255.

Required SQL:
ALTER TABLE `tasks` ADD `minlevel` TINYINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL DEFAULT '0',
ADD `maxlevel` TINYINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL DEFAULT '0';

**Derision** · #13 10-05-2008, 03:33 PM

I should have also mentioned that the Task Selector now checks to see if the player has any of the tasks it is being asked to offer already active and won't display them. If none of the tasks the Selector is asked to offer meet the required level range, or the client already has all those that do as active tasks, then the Selector window won't display.

This means that you don't need to check for tasks the client already has in your Perl quest, unless you want the NPC to say something in those circumstances.

ChaosSlayer · #14 10-08-2008, 12:46 AM

question: does reward has to be a specific item/items OR can system be set up to choose and give a random item from a list?

also: can system handle an ongoing bounty? Like Gnoll Fang quest - which tecnicly NEVEr ends - you keep bringing in gnol fangs- you keep geting reward- there is no set/max number of fang to bring

**trevius** · #15 10-08-2008, 01:06 AM

I imagine you could set that part up with a hash in a quest for when the task is completed. I wouldn't mind if there was a way to set rewards based on class, but I am pretty sure that can all be done with quests as well. I am going to make one really soon and will report if there are any issues. But, the system is already pretty complicated as it is lol. No reason to complicate it any further if the rest can be done with quests.