Party Member Pets - My first script! (Kinda)

[NytemareTV]

So... I know it's been a while since my introduction post, and I kind of fell off the map shortly after that. I am currently working and going to college so my time for working on UO stuff has been severely limited. This is my first project that I plan on releasing. I have done several single monsters and tamables, but nothing like this so far.

My Project: I am making a series of humanoid pets that will each follow a character archetype. I.E. paladin, warrior, mage, etc. I wanted to post what I have so far and ask some of the more experienced ServUO coders for tips and advice. I have attached my template I guess you could say. It has a lot of comments and more information about what I am going for here. Today I sat down and planned out a little bit more of what I want, so I will list that information as well.

Party Member Pets

• Should start with stats comparable to a new player with the same class.
• Stats would then rise as the pet is trained, up to the caps.
• Caps would be comparable to a player's overall cap, with modifications based on class.
• Pets will have a default AI, but with some modifications in their own script.
• Pets should be able to accept equipment and bandages from control master.

That's some of the first things I want to start adding in to the pets. I would also like some advice or tips on some pseudo-code I have written. Maybe someone can point me in a good direction as to how to get it written.

Heal Team (For my Healer)

if control master hits < (max hits - 50) || controlmaster poisoned
	Check bandage count
	if we have bandages, use one on control master
	if we don't have bandages, say "I have no bandages"
if mobile hits < (max hits - 50) && control master is same || mobile poisoned && control master same
	Check bandage count
	if we have bandages, use one on control master
	if we don't have bandages, say "I have no bandages"

Meditate (Maybe for all?)

if mana < max mana && not fighting
	use meditate skill

Use weapon ability

if mana > 30 && in a fight && weapon ability not active
	Activate primary weapon ability
	or activate secondary weapon ability

I'd appreciate any tips, advice, or suggestions anyone has to make this better. I think this will be a fun alternative to Mercs for low population servers especially. The whole goal here is to give a good RPG type feel and have a pseudo party.

Thanks,
Nytemare

 

[Voxpire]

This is a great idea!

Thanks to the ML+ expansion support in ServUO, you could potentially utilise the pet->owner healing system/featrure that already exists.
I believe it already encompasses your pseudo-code for the most part and all you'd need to do is override a couple of properties from the BaseCreature class.

I was thinking of something similar to what you're doing at around the same time you made this post, creepy coincidence or not, I'd like to mention the ideas I was discussing with my friend;

A personal army, which, like your idea, would utilise a party system relative to the commanding player, the major difference is, I wanted to do something with troop formations. The idea would be that the commander is used as a reference point for each troop's position in a selected formation. You'd be able to select from a pre-defined list of formations.

The main reason I want to attempt something like this is because I want to mess with AI formations for the lulz, inspired by classics like Age of Empires.

I could see troop formations as being a neat thing for an RPG style party, even if you only have one standard formation so your troops actually follow correctly and don't stumble upon your shoe heels as you walk, lol.

 

[tass23]

I'd appreciate any tips, advice, or suggestions anyone has to make this better. I think this will be a fun alternative to Mercs for low population servers especially. The whole goal here is to give a good RPG type feel and have a pseudo party.

Thanks,
Nytemare

Be careful using humanoid "pets", because their healing ability can skyrocket very quickly. Just about every pet leveling/evolution pet system I have run across had an issue with Mercs, especially as evolution pets. Putting a cap on their healing ability would be important to prevent people from just using their pets to play, and never having to heal them.

I'm not saying this is the way to go, and this isn't 'my' code, but just something I updated and posted here:
Custom Blues
https://www.servuo.com/threads/custom-blues.5304/#post-34611
There are a few different types of "players" that come with the above system, but they are designed to assist players on low-pop shards.

I was thinking of something similar to what you're doing at around the same time you made this post, creepy coincidence or not, I'd like to mention the ideas I was discussing with my friend;

A personal army, which, like your idea, would utilise a party system relative to the commanding player, the major difference is, I wanted to do something with troop formations. The idea would be that the commander is used as a reference point for each troop's position in a selected formation. You'd be able to select from a pre-defined list of formations.

The main reason I want to attempt something like this is because I want to mess with AI formations for the lulz, inspired by classics like Age of Empires.

I could see troop formations as being a neat thing for an RPG style party, even if you only have one standard formation so your troops actually follow correctly and don't stumble upon your shoe heels as you walk, lol.

It is definitely a nice idea! To expand on yours a bit more too, that AI would be nice to have for the Barracks system that you can incorporate into XmlSiege. The City Mayor would control the troops then.

 

[Neshoba]

take a look at the squire system at runuo it has some of what Your looking for if not all of it
http://www.runuo.com/community/threads/squire-system.543000/ may can get ideas here I use these with a name change

 

[NytemareTV]

This is a great idea!

Thanks to the ML+ expansion support in ServUO, you could potentially utilise the pet->owner healing system/featrure that already exists.
I believe it already encompasses your pseudo-code for the most part and all you'd need to do is override a couple of properties from the BaseCreature class.

Thanks! I'll have to look into the code for this. Any idea where it calls itself at home?

Be careful using humanoid "pets", because their healing ability can skyrocket very quickly. Just about every pet leveling/evolution pet system I have run across had an issue with Mercs, especially as evolution pets. Putting a cap on their healing ability would be important to prevent people from just using their pets to play, and never having to heal them.

Definitely will be capping all skills. I'm trying to figure out a way I can set a skill cap on all their skills and just make a call to that script to get their skill and stat caps. That way, people could modify the caps without having to dig through the code on every single pet.

I'm not saying this is the way to go, and this isn't 'my' code, but just something I updated and posted here:
Custom Blues
https://www.servuo.com/threads/custom-blues.5304/#post-34611
There are a few different types of "players" that come with the above system, but they are designed to assist players on low-pop shards.

I downloaded the code, will definitely give it a perusal. Thanks for the link.

take a look at the squire system at runuo it has some of what Your looking for if not all of it
http://www.runuo.com/community/threads/squire-system.543000/ may can get ideas here I use these with a name change

Downloaded this one as well for reference.

Thanks guys for all the great responses and thoughts.