[Mod] System Log

[alterecco]

A sudden craving came over me to make a regular mod, with no dependencies (believe it who will!)

Enter the System Log

It is a Usable Item (don't worry, you start the game with it) that throws you into a dockscreen showing a log over your actions. It track what systems you have been to and when, what stations you have visited, and what those stations have for sale (and at what price too! fanfare!)

I would like to expand on this screen, perhaps merging it together with Bobby's captains log if he is interested, and maybe also the screen Grey talked about, collecting statistics.

Let me know of any suggestions or bugs please, and you will get.. uhhh... something (likely a pat on the back and a smile)

Have at it...

Please note, this mod is built to be played with from the beginning of the game. There might very well be strange bugs/limitations and ghosts that haunt you if you play with it otherwise

[Song]

A sudden craving came over me to make a regular mod, with no dependencies

My god....are you ok? Shall I call a doctor? A paramedic? Undertaker?


But this sounds really useful. I'll have to try it out on my next playthrough.

[alterecco]

I'd be happy if you would call the sleep man...

You might try it out in this game also, just be aware that it will of course not show any info for systems already visited, and might show a strange message about your current system (it expects it to be the initial system, Eridani). There should be no errors however. If you visit old systems it will begin logging them.

[digdug]

this sounds awesome.

if we implement complicated trading routes, this can be a very handy tool

(btw, when I play, I usually do with pencil and paper what this mod does)

[alterecco]

(btw, when I play, I usually do with pencil and paper what this mod does)

That is exactly what I experienced myself the other day, playing for once. That prompted me to stop playing immediately and make this mod :)

If you have any suggestions for ways that this could be made handier (like pen and paper sometimes is), please bring it.

Maybe something like being able to highlight certain items/stations to a special screen where they can be easily accessed? Anything goes!

[Prophet]

Fantastic mod! It will definitely save some headaches!

I'm going to go try it out right now!

[Bobby]

I am currently doing a re-write of the captain's log mod to show pages based on system. (one page for Eridani, one page for the next, etc.)

Merging them would be a great idea, the only trouble I can see is the differing architecture of the screens.


based on my four system test including Elysium the mods seem to log systems the same way, so preserving the system when moving between screens shouldn't be hard.

[alterecco]

I am currently doing a re-write of the captain's log mod to show pages based on system. (one page for Eridani, one page for the next, etc.)

Sounds good. I was thinking this should be the way to do it also.

Merging them would be a great idea, the only trouble I can see is the differing architecture of the screens.

I am not sure I see what you mean. The dockscreens can be changed to fit into any setup.

For me the issue is more one of who should do it and how :) Do you have any thoughts on this?

[Bobby]

By differing architecture I mean how the screens display data, and how they collect and use it. Both seem to add each new system to the end of a list, so we should be able to pass which system is currently selected back and forth between mods, perhaps with a little conversion. Trying to transfer anything else would probably be difficult at best, but also relatively pointless since they do different things.


As for how to connect them I have an idea.

your mod's initial pane doesn't seem to do much apart from launch the other screens (and i think clear data on exit). Try this out and tell me what you think. The captain's log will try to imitate dsSystemLogInitial, and provide links to Events and Visited systems. currently it doesn't clear the globals on exit, but that's ok since "return" doesn't come back to it anyway.

Ideally when the captain's log (CL) launches system log (SL) it should pass over the currently selected system, and when SL switches back to CL it should pass the currently selected system again. (the screens should show whichever system it gets passed, though they both default to the current system)

[alterecco]

Oh my, that screen looks really cool :D

I love how you made the edit screen work. Top notch.

Here is my suggestion:

Combine the two mods into one. With a little bit of work I can make these two mods work very well together. I would suggest we remove the "Events" and "Visited Systems" actions, and just place one "System Details". That would take the player directly to a screen displaying the stations for this system, with previous/next links like you have them now. Perhaps augment the main system display (the pretty canvas screen) with the number of logged stations in each system, and the number of highlighted entries (a feature I plan to add to syslog)

The events log would stay as it is, except when the cursor is over a system there should be an option to go directly to the logs for this system.

I would suggest we run of one single event station, instead of using separate ones. I would dump mine and make some changes to yours to make them work together.

I also would like to make some changes to the captains log to not depend on vanilla T. In the OnGlobalSystemCreated you check for the existence of the node 'SE, and this would break in some cases. Also I would suggest unsing OnGlobalPlayerEnteredSystem instead of the other event, since it will trigger even on systems the player already visited (you just build in a check for having already handled this system)

I would then suggest I dump the system log mod, and just let that functionality be part of the captains log.

What do you say to that?

[Bobby]

Sounds good to me.

Perhaps augment the main system display (the pretty canvas screen) with the number of logged stations in each system, and the number of highlighted entries (a feature I plan to add to syslog)

I don't think that's quite augmented enough:
1. I widen the screen display by ~60 pixels to make room for #2
2. we add a list of friendly stations in the system along the right edge of the main display screen (probably a formatted string: the names of logged stations separated by "\n", possibly with "Corporate" removed to save space and filtered to remove the stations without any inventory) I know the system details action will show this, but it would be good to have that info at a glance. (one of my primary uses of the mod is to write notes like "tinker here" or "thors", why not automate that?)
3. replace the number at the bottom right with "stations: x y" where x and y are color coded to show friendly and enemy station counts
4. It would be nice to also log system types (volcanic, ice, binary, etc) and display that as well, but I don't know how to get that.

I would suggest we remove the "Events" and "Visited Systems" actions, and just place one "System Details".

Done, the new action goes to dsSystemLogStations, and throws an error.

I also would like to make some changes to the captains log to not depend on vanilla T. In the OnGlobalSystemCreated you check for the existence of the node 'SE, and this would break in some cases. Also I would suggest unsing OnGlobalPlayerEnteredSystem instead of the other event, since it will trigger even on systems the player already visited (you just build in a check for having already handled this system)

Done.



I added a "(syslog/update-system)" to the main display screen initialize element.

for #2: I got plenty of practice with some string functions writing the edit screen, so making a display-able list should be no problem, provided I can figure out how you are storing the stations, #3 is a piece of cake if given the variables.

Get it here.

[Ttech]

Oh sweet!

An alterecco mod that does not require dependencies?! Unhread of. This must not be the *real* alterecco.

[Song]

Oh sweet!

An alterecco mod that does not require dependencies?! Unhread of. This must not be the *real* alterecco.

I'm just waiting for him to come up with a set of mods that are all dependent on all of the others in the set.

[Aury]

Heh, given how TX2 is coming out (due to inheritance), TX2 is certainly shaping up to look like that, despite the goal of modularity XD
Actually, it's mostly due to shields & factions.

[alterecco]

Oh sweet!

An alterecco mod that does not require dependencies?! Unhread of. This must not be the *real* alterecco. :D

I'm just waiting for him to come up with a set of mods that are all dependent on all of the others in the set. :D

My final mod shall depend on all of xelerus!

However, that wont be until after I finish DSF, hhrhhmm