Handling Effects

[shadowwulf]

```
Should I make a loop in the main loop something like the following(on the fly probably a lot of syntax errors)

[code]
for I to max players
    if getvar(poisoned) > 0 then
      poisondamage=getvar(I, poisondamage)
      setplayerhp(I, getplayerhp(I)-poisondamage)
      If getplayerhp<1then
          call playerdeath(I)
      End IF
      putvar(poisoned - 1)
    end if
[/code]then move onto the next status effect.

If i understand this correctly, it would cycle through all status effects for all players.
I would probably want this to run once every 10 seconds or something.

-OR-

Would if be more feasable to run the loop in the client. I would figure this to be more stressful on the system because i would have to send packets back and forth alot.

Any ideas?

```

[varinyc]

That should be in the client side game loop, and only for one person (the person using that client)

since it will be in every client when you pass the game out, every player who play will get checked. ^_^

So take that, and forget the For loop and you should be fine. I'm pretty sure at least .__.

EDIT: Kimimaru's Idea would work better, two posts below.

[shadowwulf]

Yeah that was one setup I was playing with.
This would also permit me to do multiple similar effects without worrying so much about lag.
Like with bleeding status effect…
You could have multiple bleeding wounds that have varying degrees.
bleed1=10
bleedcount1=30
bleed2=15
bleedcount2=10
so for 10 seconds you lose 25hp, then the next 20 seconds you lose 10.

Then in the event of adding another bleed, I would replace the weakest bleed.
Multiply bleed by bleedcount, then find smallest, replace.

hmm maybe thats the best method. client side.

[Kimimaru]

I think it actually may be better to do this Server-sided. When the player obtains the status effect, then it will send a packet to the Server, and then everything should be done there. As a result, the INI file will be in the Server folder as opposed to the Client folder. Also, it's more important that the Server gets the player's updated HP values because if you just updated it on the Client, then it's possible to reach 0 HP but not die. The Server also controls the updating of players' HP.

I'm just pointing out what I believe will be a better solution.

[shadowwulf]

hmm.

Originally i thought this.
I already have a single .ini file inside each account folder.
It holds all the modifiers and whatnot for each of that players characters.
I could just add all the variable and they would be checked by 1 universal timer.
My guess is the game loop is run numersous times a second so i want it to activate like every 30 seconds rather than each game loop.

I know how i would want to run the checks but i have no clue how to start the timer type deal yet.

[Kimimaru]

Why not just create the INI file when the player obtains the status effect, set a value to a variable, use a timer, remove it when the time's up, then set another value to the same variable. Here's an example:

A player steps on a poison tile. The code for the poison tile would be something similar to this:

```
If Val(GetVar("\Accounts" & GetPlayerName(Index) & "_Status.ini", "Poison", "Poisoned")) <> 1 Then
Call PutVar("\Accounts" & GetPlayerName(Index) & "Status.ini", "Poison", "Poisoned", "1")
Call SetTimer("Poisoned", 180000)
End If
```
Of course, you'd have to create the timer Sub yourself, but that's the basic idea. After that, remove the timer, and put this code somewhere:

```
Call PutVar("\Accounts" & GetPlayerName(Index) & "Status.ini", "Poison", "Poisoned", "0")
```
I think that would work.

[shadowwulf]

then what about when they log out?
is it going to automatically hold off on the timer or is the timer gonna be eating up resources?
Plus that would be lots of timers when i could do one timer that does alot instead.

[Kimimaru]

You could always do something like this before the code:

```
Do While IsPlaying(Index) And Val(GetVar("\Accounts" & GetPlayerName(Index) & "_Status.ini", "Poison", "Poisoned")) <> 1
```
That would allow the code to execute like normal and then end when the effect wears off or the player logs out.

You could try to fit it all into one timer if you'd like, though. You do that by using IF statements like the one on my previous post for each status effect.

[anasky]

Hmm, I agree on the fact that when you step on the tile (let's stick to that for now) he sends a packet to the server.
The server will update the .ini file, and there already is a loop for the seconds (Look for it by looking for the Night.).
That will be the place where your poison will take place (since it only has to do that once every second).

```
Dim StatusI As Long
Dim BleedingTime As Integer
Dim BleedingDamage As Integer
For StatusI = 1 To MAX_PLAYERS 'this might not work, just change it to 99 or 500 or something
    If IsPlaying(StatusI) Then
          BleedingTime = ReadINI("Status", "BleedingTime", (App.Path & "\Accounts\" & GetPlayerLogin(StatusI) & "\yourfile.ini"), vbNullString)
          BleedingDamage = ReadINI("Status", "BleedingDamage", (App.Path & "\Accounts\" & GetPlayerLogin(StatusI) & "\yourfile.ini")
          If BleedingTime > 0 Then
              Call SetPlayerHP(StatusI, GetPlayerHP(StatusI) - BleedingDamage, vbNullString))
              Call WriteINI("Status", "BleedingTime", BleedingTime - 1, (App.Path & "\Accounts\" & GetPlayerLogin(StatusI) & "\yourfile.ini"))
          End If
    End If
Next StatusI

```
What to do:
- change yourfile.ini to your actual file
- BleedingTime would be in seconds.
- BleedingDamage would be the amount of damage substracted each second, not each milisecond.
- find the place to paste it.

I was going to add it for the login, but actually, i think it works without even troubling about the log-in.

UNTESTED. I don't see a reason why it won't work though.

Good luck!

[Kimimaru]

You forgot to add in **End If** statements, but I think he should know that he needs to put them in.

[anasky]

Fixed xD

[Fred]

I think also taking dmg from .ini file and after that save it its a bad idea. Server will be much faster you will get it from memory.

[anasky]

True, but when server crashes, everything will be healed.
Also, setting it in memory will let the PC lagg eventually, as it's RAM will be sucked up.

[shadowwulf]

yeah when the game takes like 250+ Mb ram already! lol
Dont forget the client loads all the tilesheets and whatnot into memory.

[Fred]

First - we are taking about server memory, not client :)
2nd - PC will be not lag. More lag will be from getvar and putvar because hard disk are slower than computer memory.
3rd - it will not take much memory because it shoud be only one byte value in player account rec.
4 - if server crash then all data will be lost even experience, but this is the system of eclipse saving accounts. IT will be funny when you are loosing example exp, lvl etc, but you have still poison effect on youself.

[shadowwulf]

…
I am using 2.8(vet version)
Some of your points are null&void! :)

And on memory i was refering to if things were kept on client. I should have clarified.

[Fred]

@Shadowwulfâ„¢:

> …
> I am using 2.8(vet version)

Eclipse version have nothing to this.

@Shadowwulfâ„¢:

> Some of your points are null&void! :)

Witch one?

[anasky]

@pheXion:

> 4 - if server crash then all data will be lost even experience, but this is the system of eclipse saving accounts. IT will be funny when you are loosing example exp, lvl etc, but you have still poison effect on youself.

If I get it correct, you say we are back to level 1 when server crashes?

@pheXion:

> 3rd - it will not take much memory because it shoud be only one byte value in player account rec.

It will be two bytes (two ints) each player! What if you got 100 people logged in before the server reboots: 200 bytes. Now, imagine you become as good as PCO was. 100 players on at a time, meaning allot more log in before the server reboots (if it even reboots). Let's go for 1000 for the PCO example: 2000 bytes, this might sound low, but what if you make everything that way? INI files do they time at that moment, but if you make it like this entirely, you can easily run the server for months before memory is filled.

[Fred]

> If I get it correct, you say we are back to level 1 when server crashes?

Don't be infantile… of course back to last server save...

> … 2000 bytes, this might sound low, but what if you make everything that way? INI files do they time at that moment, but if you make it like this entirely, you can easily run the server for months before memory is filled.

It is everything in eclipse made in that way! Everything its in memory and after some time its saved to ini files. Look on saving accounts in eclipse. Its the best method. If things will be in that way what you saying server will be incredible slow. Thats why in eclipse saving accounts to inis are in time dalays - beacuse in your way it will be slow as hell.
This will be funny if you want to make server full of ini putvar and getvar. I would like to see this and see red light shining from hard drive 24h/7d as it writing and loading data all the time with "incredible speed".

[anasky]

I'm not saying it's actually faster, but it will be once the server is running for months.
Also, the system isn't made to have a spam of poison-effects, but it is something to place it here and there.

I've made all my systems in .ini's (simply because they HAD to be saved, but whatever) and I didn't encounter any lagg.
The server was running on a 1gb RAM pc, and was still working fine with 30 people.

[Fred]

for 30 people if you have not so much put and getvars it will be microseconds, but if you will be have more players and more loops with writeini then you can have lags.
When you are coding you can make it just work (like writeini) or you can make it work and optimize. You choose.
IMO this is just wrong coding.

[shadowwulf]

you seriously expect anyone using eclipse to see 30+ people at a time?
If i get that many people joining in ill be looking to recode in something much more stable.
Eclipse is a great starter engine but thats what it is. a starter engine.
I stick with it because for the cost(free) you get alot and its a great learning experience(the design part not the code part).