Difference between revisions of "MessageBox Tutorial"

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==Intro==
==Intro==
Most MessageBox mistakes stem from adapting a script that works in some cases, but not in more complex situations. To prevent this, this tutorial will work through several almost-working scripts, showing you their pitfalls. By the end, you'll have an all-purpose script that can be used and expanded for any situation, and know why every line is needed. We'll start out with some of the basic mechanics of the MessageBox and related functions, followed by common mistakes in complex scripts, and then the all-purpose script and how to set it up. Finally, we'll go through how to use the script to easily move between multi-layered menus, and some extras that you can tack on to it.
Most MessageBox mistakes are made when simple scripts are used as a base for more complex menu scripts. To prevent this, this tutorial will work towards a single all-purpose script that can be used and expanded for any situation. By the end, you will know the problems that can pop-up in a menu script, how to prevent them, and why every line of the all-purpose script is needed.


Note that there are 4 mediums to attach a menu script to: Activators, Quests, Tokens (Object scripts on items in the player's possession), and Spells (or Magic Effect scripts). This article will focus mainly on activators, but the other methods, their differences, and how to set them up will be discussed on other pages (coming soon). Activators are the focus as they are easier to use in most situations (see [[MessageBox_Tutorial#In_which_I_try_to_convince_you_to_use_an_activator|"In which I try to convince you to use an activator"]] for the reasons, though it's highly suggested to read the article first).
We'll start out with some of the basic mechanics of the MessageBox and related functions, followed by common mistakes in complex scripts, and then the all-purpose script and how to set it up. Finally, we'll go through how to use the script to easily move between multi-layered menus, and some extras that you can tack on to it.


Note that there are 4 mediums to attach a menu script to: Activators, Quests, Tokens (Object scripts on items in the player's possession), and Spells (or Magic Effect scripts). This article will focus mainly on activators, but the other methods, their differences, and how to set them up will be discussed on other pages. Activators are the focus as they are easier and safer to use in most situations (see [[MessageBox_Tutorial#In_which_I_try_to_convince_you_to_use_an_activator|"In which I try to convince you to use an activator"]] for the reasons, though it's highly suggested to read the article first).


==Basic Mechanics of MessageBox and Related Functions==
==Basic Mechanics of MessageBox and Related Functions==
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