Need some scripting help

[Dr. Dictator]

Hi all,

I've been curious about Tropico scripting for a while, so I thought I'd write a script to fix the hotel bug. From what I've read, I see how to do it, but...

Since I haven't done any Tropico scripting, I've created a simple to get started. It contains three lines:


CheckFrequencyMonthEnd
MessageTypeDossier
MessageText "The month has ended."


If I understand things right, this should put up a message at the end of each month. I've saved this as testevent.evt ... and the question is where to put it.

If I were on a windows machine, I'd put it in "Program Files\Tropico\Events", but I'm on a Mac. The folder that contains the Tropico application also contains a bunch of folders with names like "movies", "maps", "voices", "data", etc, so I figure this is where I should put the folder "events". But Tropico doesn't see my script. I've tried putting the script a few different places, with no success.

So I have three questions. (1) Is my script above a valid script? (2) Does "Program Files\Tropico" contain the "maps", "data", "voices" etc folders on a windows PC? If not, what does it contain?  (3) Does anyone know where to put a script (and what to call it, I assume that testevent.evt is ok as a name) on a Mac (Mac OS X) so that Tropico will see it?

Thanks.

[Brf]

Your script looks ok.... but I dont know if Debug Mode works on a Mac... or if there is a Mac version of Eventadd.exe

[Dr. Dictator]

Your script looks ok.... but I dont know if Debug Mode works on a Mac... or if there is a Mac version of Eventadd.exe

My impression is that eventadd.exe is needed only to build events into a scenario ... i.e. combine them with a map, and isn't necessary for using a script with a random map, at least on a PC. Is that true? For example, you made a script that doubled rainfall. Anyone on a PC could use that script by putting it  in the right place, correct?

[Dr. Dictator]

Here's what Brf wrote in another thread

Under your /programsfiles/tropico directory, create a new directory called "Events".
Under the events directory, create a folder called "MoreRain".
In this morerain folder create the textfile "Rain.evt" containing the following lines:

CheckFrequencyYearBegin
ExecuteOnlyOnce
GeneralEffect Addto Cloudrate 100

I see now that the file is in a subdirectory of the events folder. I didn't try this...is it necessary, Brf? For example, would it work on a PC if you put Rain.evt directly in the Events folder?

It would also be useful to me if someone with PC Tropico would list the folders that "naturally" occur in the Program Files/Tropico folder.

Thanks.

[artemais]

I see now that the file is in a subdirectory of the events folder. I didn't try this...is it necessary, Brf? For example, would it work on a PC if you put Rain.evt directly in the Events folder?

You should not need a subdirectory in the events folder, UNLESS you have events that modify group or event variables, in which case you must have a subdirectory for the event to fire.

[Rich ¥Weeds¥ Nagel]

Here are the stock directories for a PC installation of Tropico (all PC sub-versions and expansion packs AFAIK):

C:\Program Files\Tropico\data
C:\Program Files\Tropico\data2
C:\Program Files\Tropico\games
C:\Program Files\Tropico\maps
C:\Program Files\Tropico\movies
C:\Program Files\Tropico\voice
C:\Program Files\Tropico\data2\miles
C:\Program Files\Tropico\voice\narrator
C:\Program Files\Tropico\voice\people

[Brf]

You are correct. On a PC, you can make a directory "events" under your main Tropico folder and put events in it that are applied to all Tropico maps or scenerios. That is what I was refering to when I said "debug mode", which I am not sure works on a Mac. As artemais said, you can put individual events directly into the "events" folder without a subdirectory, but then Group Variables will not be stored with game-saves. I like to use subdirectories anyway in order to segregate events and make them easy to add or remove as a group.

[Coconut Kid]

Here's what Brf wrote in http://www.the-nextlevel.com/tropico/cafe/index.php?topic=8860.msg183089#msg183089

Under your /programsfiles/tropico directory, create a new directory called "Events".
Under the events directory, create a folder called "MoreRain".
In this morerain folder create the textfile "Rain.evt" containing the following lines:

CheckFrequencyYearBegin
ExecuteOnlyOnce
GeneralEffect Addto Cloudrate 100

I see now that the file is in a subdirectory of the events folder. I didn't try this ; is it necessary, Brf? For example, would it work on a PC if you put Rain.evt directly in the Events folder?

It would also be useful to me if someone with PC Tropico would list the folders that "naturally" occur in the Program Files/Tropico folder.

Also be aware that more rain does not necessarily equal better. I was playing Mike Cresswell's map 'The Ancient One' which includes an offer that boosts cloudrate by 100% ; instantly the whole island was a swamp! The ground was so wet I had to feed my people pineapple because I couldn't grow corn anywhere! (On the good side, you should have seen my farms pump out sugar after that - too bad it wasn't a rum scenario.) So be careful when messing with CloudRate, small Effects can have big affects!

Also, you weather meddlers out there should be aware that changing CloudRate does not have an *immediate* effect. It changes how thick the clouds are, but the clouds still have to generate at the edge of the map, move over your island and do that rainy thing. So a change in cloud rate will take a few months before you see any effect -- and a few months more before any change in your crops' growth will become noticeable.

For random maps, players should know that how they set the "vegetative" slider also sets the rainfall level.