Topology Nodes use Prev to my dismay!

[Periculi]

I guess the use of Prev in the gate code DestID within the topo nodes is a little bit dumber than I thought. As in- When making paths that loop, if you enter the wrong side of the loop you can end up with 2 gates to the same place, breaking the loop.

I have 2 paths to SK in a topology, when I went one way to SK then back the other way I ended up with SK being treated as the previous gate when I intended Charon to be the previous gate for that node.



Just wanted to point that out. When making complex networks in a topology, watch out for using the Prev instead of an absolute node address.

/me starts pulling out all the Prevs in my topology.

edit- actually that's a bigger problem than I realized at first. If I have a path set up with 3 random paths, and you enter the wrong way the whole thing breaks- so I can't have multiple paths that contain randomly chosen nodes in them.

In other words, a topology with any type of multiple paths linked must use absolute coordinates, and any random paths (choose node a or b or c) must be on dead end lines that guarantee the direction of initial entry to insure that the Prev node is in fact the one you want it to be.

So, back to the beginning of a topology plan.

This is the topology and xml set I wrote with lots of paths and branches from Eridani to St. Katherine's. It can be played if you add the rest of the files and resource folder to it. Unfortunately, it doesn't work properly. To see it in action, go to St. K's one way (via Rigel) then go back the other way (to Charon) and watch the game build 2 gates to St K in the first system back. Other loop errors could likely be found in some of the paths.

[Betelgeuse]

ya I never used DestID="Prev"
I have always had set networks when I make networks (more due to the system name issue than this though)

a simple solution (that we can't do only george can but still) is assume the gate is two way unless a flag is there (so the game would just create a gate back at the destination, you can even name them incoming or incomingX so the special system isn't broken). That way you can just get rid of all the incoming gates and get rid of the ambiguous prev.

[Periculi]

hmm.. I am just switching out any random paths (which need the Prev gate use) or nodes that make use of the simple Prev form from areas that I have planned to have multiple routes.

You actually need the Prev gate ID usage if you aren't sure which node is the previous node and for random paths it works great as long as their is only 1 initial set direction that the player can access it. If a part of the system can be accessed from 2 or more directions, then the Prev gate can be troublesome.

And are you saying you made networks? Where are they, I want to play one!

What is the system name issue?

[Betelgeuse]

I made some long long time ago before extensions where in iirc (I can't even find the posts anymore, so it must be before the OTF was created)

I created a side system mod (every system had two out gates one was a dead end system) and several spider web type topologies (I liked those you didn't have to plod through parts of the game you didn't want to but it was easy to get lost ).

The name issue is that given a system name you know exactly what node you are on or the node you are going to. This kills the idea of making a maze or even simple side system mod (its not a maze if you know exactly where you are).