Methods

Methods

Methods are the actions that are performed when conditions (defined in a script) are met, or when a particular set of actions (like death_actions or script_actions) are called for, or when an AI calls for a script action to be performed.

All methods are stored in plists as strings (in XML this means between a <string> tag and a </string> closing tag). If they take any parameters then these follow a colon and a space (: ) after the 'command' part of the method.

For example: if the ship containing this death_actions entry is destroyed - the player gets a message and the sun goes Nova two seconds later!

<key>death_actions</key>
<array>
	<string>commsMessage: Oh dear [commander_name]!</string>
	<string>setSunNovaIn: 2.0</string>
</array>

script methods GUI

addMissionText: <missiontext.plist key> 
// adds text to the mission screen from an entry in missiontext.plist
// with the given key

set: mission_variable <value>
// sets the mission_variable to the value given

setGuiToMissionScreen
// opens the mission screen

setMissionDescription: <missiontext.plist key>
// sets the short description given on the player's manifest screen

clearMissionDescription
// clears the short description

showShipModel: <role>
// shows a rotating model of a ship with the role given
// role refers to a value in one of shipdata.plist's entries'
// roles key value pair

setMissionMusic: <filename>
// plays the music file given
// if it exists within any OXP's Music folder

setMissionImage: <filename>
// displays the picture file given
// if it exists within any OXP's Images folder

script methods system

checkForShips: shiptype 
addSystemShips: shiptype # 0.66 (?)
addShips: shiptype #
addShipsAtPrecisely: shiptype 1 pwu 0 0 0.88 (?)
setSunNovaIn: #
setPlanetinfo:  (see planetinfo.plist)

script methods mission state

set: mission_variable <value>
// the value could be a particular string or numeric value
increment: mission_variable
// increases the mission variable's value by 1.0
decrement: mission_variable
// decreases the mission variable's value by 1.0
setMissionChoices: <missiontext.plist key>
// sets the array of choices presented at the bottom of the mission page to those described in the
// entry in missiontext.plist that corresponds to the key given
resetMissionChoice
// makes missionChoice undefined

player state methods

awardCargo: # Commodity
awardCredits: # //in deciCredits.
awardEquipment: EQ_SOME_PIECE_OF_KIT
awardFuel: # //Changes fuel level, maximum up to 7.0LY or down to 0.0.
awardShipKills: #
commsMessage: Happy Newyear!
commsMessage: [text] --refers to entry in descriptions.plist.
launchFromStation
removeAllCargo
setLegalStatus: #
setFuelLeak: #
testForEquipment: EQ_COOL_TOY
useSpecialCargo: A load full of '['thargoid_curses']'

other methods

So far I have summed up the methods used in script.plists, next are the other sources. 
spawn: <role> #
Spawns # entities of the type 'role', randomly clustered around the calling entity.
clock_number
now returns the game-time in seconds as a float rather than an integer. 
clock_secs_number
returns the game-time in seconds as an integer. 
fuel_level_number 
returns the fuel level in LY as a float 
dockedStationName_string 
returns the displayed name of the station, or 'NONE' if the player isn't docked 
systeminfodata_number

Internal Links

OXP_howto_AI.

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