Guide on how to write RT3 events

[nedfumpkin]

Oilcan, reknown author of the all time best-selling hit, A Handbook to RT3 - 2010, is considering authoring a companion tome on writing events.

Let's help.

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How to write seasonal and weather related events will be my contribution to an appendix for complex events. I suggest an appendix for these types of events that can be added to later on if people want to contribute.

My opinion is that the optical method of displaying events as suggested is appropriate, however, for complex events using a text appraoch would be better because it could get confusing. I would also suggest developing a standard format for presenting events in a text manner. Just my thoughts.

[Wolverine@MSU]

Is this going to be an "on-line" guide or eventually a downloadable/printable handbook? If the latter, it might be useful to "write" the various parts in a word processor (MS-Word or equivalent) such that it could be compiled and converted to a PDF for posting. I agree that some sort of "standardized" presentation should be followed, for consistancy sake. I would particularly like to see an explanation about using mathmatical operators, because try as I might, I still haven't gotten my pointy little head around how to do this. I would be willing to contribute instructions on more "advanced" topics, such as how to expand the number "true/false" variables within one variable by using binary arithmatic, or making an event occur randomly within a given time frame, like I used for economy changes in my Michigan 1830-1860 map.

[cheminot]

I fully agree with Wolverine, but you guys are getting ahead of the game. This tut is for beginners, so keep it simple. Mathématical variables is for later
.

[obertran]

Perhaps is silly but we could make a wiki and translate on it

[nedfumpkin]

I fully agree with Wolverine, but you guys are getting ahead of the game. This tut is for beginners, so keep it simple. Mathématical variables is for later
.

That's why I am suggesting that the complex events be as an appendix to the main Guide. I'm thinking that if a novice follows the Guide in creating their first scenario for most events, they will usually also want to put something for 'zing' in it. Just natural I suppose. So this will give them a leg up on it, and perhaps inspire them to come up with a variation all their own.


Wolvy...I've never used the math operators either so I would be interested.

As for the binary numbers, I am using that in the Northern Ontario scenario, and then I am using the binary numbers as part of a lottery ticket number too. I am using 4 variables. One each for the different pathes and goals, and then a fourth for exttras. To keep it interesting, (G=goal)...G1 gets +7, G2 +20, G3+500 and on...so the number comes up as 527 when all are achieved. Lottery tickets have variations of the goals plus random numbers....(and the only time someone won it was an AI player ...B*st*rd! :) )

[Gumboots]

I don't know enough about event writing to be much use with that aspect of it, but I'd be happy to help with proof reading and any other donkey work.

[OilCan]

Great to see the building interesting in a guide on how to write events.

(The medications used for a simple surgery can mess up your head for a couple of days, but the fog is clearing. I plan to use the recovery time to write this guide.)

I was envisioning a single, downloadable manual, but I do like the idea of a list of links to different example events. Using a list will allow more example events to be added as time passes.

So Hawk,would this be doable? This may require its own web page. And the list of downloadable items may look something like this:

How to Write an RT3 Event
Seven Steps to Writing An Event (PDF 740KB)
Helpful Tips About Events (PDF 1.2MB)
Setup Company Event (PDF 500KB)
Setup Trains Event (PDF 745KB)
And so on....

[OilCan]

Ned & others,
I'm going to ask a dumb question here, but what's the difference between 1.06V and TM in the event's editor, besides the list of locos and buildings? Does TM have some conditions or effect statements not found in 1.06V?

[Hawk]

Sure! I'm certain we can figure something out. There is the Tips, Tutorials, Utilities web page. Wouldn't this fall under the Tutorials category?

[OilCan]

Yes, I would think so. It will definately be a tutorial.

[Hawk]

I'm not saying I would mind creating another page, but it seems it would be easier to find on the Tips, Tutorials, & Utilities page, along with the other tutorials.

[Blackhawk]

Ned & others,
I'm going to ask a dumb question here, but what's the difference between 1.06V and TM in the event's editor, besides the list of locos and buildings? Does TM have some conditions or effect statements not found in 1.06V?

If I remember correctly they are pretty much the same.

[nedfumpkin]

Ned & others,
I'm going to ask a dumb question here, but what's the difference between 1.06V and TM in the event's editor, besides the list of locos and buildings? Does TM have some conditions or effect statements not found in 1.06V?

For the purposes of events, TM and 1.06 are the same.

[OilCan]

Thanks to both. Good to know.

[OilCan]

An update.

I'm still working on 'how to write events'. It's a complicated topic, as you well know.

I have broken the topic into sub-topics with each sub-topic in a separate document. Like chapters in a book. This allows a person to 'open' and read which ever chapter they are interested in.

I have 3 documents ready for review:
1. Seven Steps to Write an Event
http://www.hawkdawg.com/txt/rt3/OilCan/ ... 20ONLY.pdf
2. Tips to Write RT3 Events
http://www.hawkdawg.com/txt/rt3/OilCan/ ... 20ONLY.pdf
3. Writing a Condition
http://www.hawkdawg.com/txt/rt3/OilCan/ ... 20ONLY.pdf

These documents are still in a rough form, so please don't share them just yet.

You are welcome to review any or all of the documents. Any comments you wish to offer on how to improve the documents will be appreciated.

There are at least three questions I would like each reviewer to answer:
1. Are the instructions clear enough for someone who has never written an event?
2. Is there any information missing which should be added?
3. Is any of the information in the document incorrect or not completely correct?

AND...a big plea to TM users: please offer comments which tailors the instructions to TM.

You can send me a Private Message or post your comments.

I hope to have 2 more documents ready soon (Writing an Effect, Variables)
There are about 20 or so examples of various types of events which will be posted as well.