i know there is a lot of scripts out there that will grid. My question is on a game that has a grid limit and with scripts that lay down fighters. Only way to still use them is to go and pick them up sector by sector. Is there a script that has the option of going and collecting all fighter that you have out so you can use scripts that lay down fighter again?

thank you for you time

Wilber

aaahahahaha. lol. rofl.

i needed a good laugh today!

I always thought the grid limit was (SECTORS - 11).

Seriously, no script that I am aware of as that would be a really wacked game to be involved with. Sounds like an Op got punked on the grid and this is his/her solution to a situation that he was unable to handle. We are seeing more and more of these "rules" and sysOp use of "sweepers".

I am guessing this is an unlim and you are using a world whatever script. If you can control your cash script to drop only toll figs, then you could write a script to target tolls for pickup.

               / Promethius / Enigma / Wolfen /

"A man who has no skills can be taught, a man who has no honor has nothing."

We have a rule like that for the building games on ICE9... have toyed with ideas on a script to enforce that rule, but it has pretty much been player enforced so far, and besides Sweeper scripts are fun

Good reason for me not to play on that server.

               / Promethius / Enigma / Wolfen /

"A man who has no skills can be taught, a man who has no honor has nothing."

I too have wondered if it is possible to have a script collect your grid. Whether defensive/offensive/toll.

The main idea I have come up with is an array that would serve to hold the counters for the various corps/players. That is the easy part. The hard part would be what criteria would be used to determine would fighters would be removed? A random sector, the lowest sector nums with figs, the highest? I could easily see a situation where a script could remove somebodies gate fighters if is not done right, and boy would I be in the doghouse then...

i am not sure how hard it is but i was thinking either only removing tolls and or fighter in a sector that there is less than 5 fighter in there

Yes that would be a problem.

I was thinking of two options- either a way to list sectors to not pull from, or have the script deal with one specific type of fig, such as toll. Or as Wilber said, any sector with less than 5 figs.

Build a list of sectors with less than a certain number of figs, in sectors that don't have planets listed in the DB, that may or may not match a certain fig type or port type (don't pick up upgraded ports, fuel ports, whatever). Then randomly select from that list, twarp there, pick up the fig, twarp back to base, remove from the list, continue. After X number of rounds, condense the list. If you don't want to randomly select from the array as you go (various technical reasons why you might not want to), you can pre-randomize the list and simply condense and re-randomize after X number of rounds. I wrote a flip-based randomizing algo for just such interim rands.

Of course the script itself would only really be useful under certain rules, in unlims, in games that I (personally) wouldn't even play in. But... it could be done.

Doesn't exist at the moment tho, I mean most people want to increase their grid... not reduce it.

Either script - sweeper for T-editing sysOps or a player script to pull fighters would be very easy to write. Would I write such a script? No. The player script is too simple to write, and with a little thought anyone can do it, and T-Edit use during a game is T-Edit - it is something beyond the players ability to control. Might as well write T-Edit scripts to max everyone's L6 planet on day one or pod players randomly.

               / Promethius / Enigma / Wolfen /

"A man who has no skills can be taught, a man who has no honor has nothing."

No, I think there is a difference between randomly podding players, and removing fighters. The main script I run clears fighters in a designated area, in order to provide players new in the game a place to play where they don't have to worry about getting pdropped the instant they leaved FedSpace... there is a second script I run that prevents Fed blockades for X number of days before a game starts.

Randomly podding players would add nothing to the game experience, except maybe a very weird version of russian roulette.

T-Edit is still T-Edit regardless. The game is not being played by the players, but being changed by an Op. The podding of players was an extreme example, but still something that a T-Edit can do w/o a problem. Used to be that T-Edit was frowned upon for any reason as it isn't letting the players play the game. Times change, sometimes not for the better.

               / Promethius / Enigma / Wolfen /

"A man who has no skills can be taught, a man who has no honor has nothing."

Oddly enough Prom, I can see where you are coming from, but you are leaving out a very important factor: intent. Using TEDIT to modify a game after a bang in an unadvertised way, for a sysop to cheat, or a reason along those lines is something that I think we can all agree is not just frowned upon, but is dead wrong. But what if the intent is to enhance gameplay? To provide a new kind of TradeWars experience? In those kinds of situations, I do not see what is wrong with using TEDIT, especially in an advertised way. I see no difference with that then using TEDIT to create a new kind of ship, or planet, or gold alien race. It is not as if they hack the database to do something that the mechanics of the game do not allow.

A few years ago, the use of scripts changed the way that this game was played. Maybe it is time for a new kind of revolution, where Sysop TEDIT scripts will do it again? Sweeper type scripts are only part of what I am using. Here are some other things I have in the pipeline, I am curious to see what you, and the community at large feel about them:

1) Universe Creation Script - A script that will build a universe with a bubble in it, these kind of bubble games have become the Ice9 signature in recent years. It is about 95% complete, and there are just a few odds and ends to tie up.

2) Sysbot Messanger Script - This script uses TEDIT to send a canned messages to all new players. It informs them of game rules, or any other information that the sysop wants them to have. It also can send a blast message to all players, to inform them of new game bangs and scheduled server maintenance. It also is mostly complete, but has a few bugs I want to clear up before releasing.

There are also many other ideas I have floating around and outlined in my head, but those are the only two that are anywhere close to being released.

Anyhoo, getting off my soap box for now

T-Edit such as you described do not affect game play. A unique universe or messages (some might term spam) do not mess with the mechanics of a game in progress. Putting in the game bang that a sweeper script is in use is also a good idea - those that don't care for that type of setup can stay away from it - those that like it can go for it.

The sweeper scripts, however, do mess with the game by removing assets (minor as they are). The scripts also cause problems for the non-scripter if they have a script that requires a jump point adjacent to fed / dock or for colonizing/whatever. It also becomes a fairly minor issue to drop fighters after the sweeper runs and catch the unsuspecting noob as he ewarps in. Scripts that decimate a grid are no different than the sweeper. I am not sure what is being enhanced by these types of scripts. Killing noobs, if one wants to do that, is easy regardless of figs surrounding fed. If not in the MSL sweeper lane, they get two moves instead of 1 if they are lucky. A game can be either for noob type players or an open game. Trying to make an open, non-truce game noob friendly is a waste of time in my opinion when you have hunter/killer players also involved.

I am glad that this discussion was permitted in this area as it was a discussion regarding scripts and not of the typical "how do I" type.

               / Promethius / Enigma / Wolfen /

"A man who has no skills can be taught, a man who has no honor has nothing."