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M's rule · 06-24-2006, 10:44 PM

Here's how I understand the process works:

When you start up the game, the program randomizes the objects in every text category. The resulting order of messages in each category does not change for as long as the game remains running. Let's say your XML file has 30 Rookie of the Year messages, and the game uses two of them every year (one for the NL, one for the AL). If you run the game for 15 seasons without quitting, the program will display all 30 messages in the sequence of their initial randomization. At the end of season 16, you'll get the same two messages you saw at the end of season 1, and so forth.

The game will display a message that has one or more conditions only if those conditions are met by the event that causes the game to look at that category. If the conditions are not met, the game looks at the next message in the queue and applies the same reasoning.

In your example about grand slam home runs, a message that specifically describes the grand slam will display only if that message has the GAME_BASES_LOADED condition and the value of the condition is 1 (meaning yes). Of all the messages in the database, only two of them mention "grand slam." Both are in category 277, and they both have the BASES_LOADED condition set to 1.

One of these messages will be displayed only if that message happens to be next in the queue AND the bases were loaded when the home run occurred. As you can tell, the chance of this happening is pretty slim.

However, that's not as much of a problem as it might seem, because it's clear (to me, anyway) that the game uses hard-coded text to describe what sort of home run just occurred if it wasn't a solo shot (2-run, 3-run, or grand slam). There's no text in the XML file that relates to how many runs came in on a homer. So, the vast majority of grand slam messages we are liable to see in the game are coming from within the program instead of from the database.

Personally, I'd like to see the XML file make much more use of conditions than it does now, but I suspect that's a project for the next version of the game and not something we can do much about in time for the patch(es?).

Does that explain it?

(I could swear I've seen this information spelled out somewhere; maybe it was in the earlier verion of the customization manual but for some reason was not retained for version 1.2.)

06-24-2006, 10:44 PM	#7
M's rule All Star Reserve Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Seattle Posts: 925	Here's how I understand the process works: When you start up the game, the program randomizes the objects in every text category. The resulting order of messages in each category does not change for as long as the game remains running. Let's say your XML file has 30 Rookie of the Year messages, and the game uses two of them every year (one for the NL, one for the AL). If you run the game for 15 seasons without quitting, the program will display all 30 messages in the sequence of their initial randomization. At the end of season 16, you'll get the same two messages you saw at the end of season 1, and so forth. The game will display a message that has one or more conditions only if those conditions are met by the event that causes the game to look at that category. If the conditions are not met, the game looks at the next message in the queue and applies the same reasoning. In your example about grand slam home runs, a message that specifically describes the grand slam will display only if that message has the GAME_BASES_LOADED condition and the value of the condition is 1 (meaning yes). Of all the messages in the database, only two of them mention "grand slam." Both are in category 277, and they both have the BASES_LOADED condition set to 1. One of these messages will be displayed only if that message happens to be next in the queue AND the bases were loaded when the home run occurred. As you can tell, the chance of this happening is pretty slim. However, that's not as much of a problem as it might seem, because it's clear (to me, anyway) that the game uses hard-coded text to describe what sort of home run just occurred if it wasn't a solo shot (2-run, 3-run, or grand slam). There's no text in the XML file that relates to how many runs came in on a homer. So, the vast majority of grand slam messages we are liable to see in the game are coming from within the program instead of from the database. Personally, I'd like to see the XML file make much more use of conditions than it does now, but I suspect that's a project for the next version of the game and not something we can do much about in time for the patch(es?). Does that explain it? (I could swear I've seen this information spelled out somewhere; maybe it was in the earlier verion of the customization manual but for some reason was not retained for version 1.2.)