Zugg Software :: View topic - How do you use CMUD to deal with enforced pauses from the MUD?

Beginner Joined: 02 Feb 2010 Posts: 16

I have written a script that works by calling specific aliases in response to output from the MUD and is working well apart from one slight problem.

The MUD includes some locations with events that freeze you so that you can't move or do anything until you are released (usually a few seconds). When my script involves transiting through one of these locations it keeps sending commands to the MUD which responds with "You cannot move at the moment". When I am released the script is then out of sync.

I have tried inserting #waitfor commands in the aliases that are called by the script as well as the script itself but this does not seem to help as the script has already sent all the commands. I think I am probably doing something silly but I need one of you to point it out to me.

Here is one of the scripts called by a trigger:

#var dropoffloc %1
#execute %replace(%replace(%replace(from@pickupplanet@pickuploc, " "),"'",),",")
#waitfor {shuttle}
board
goto @dropoffplanet
board
#waitfor {shuttle}
#execute %replace(%replace(%replace(to@dropoffplanet@dropoffloc, " "),"'",),",")
dropoff
#waitfor {You hand over the package and receive a receipt for it.}
#execute %replace(%replace(%replace(from@dropoffplanet@dropoffloc, " "),"'",),",")
#waitfor {shuttle}
#execute %replace(%replace(%replace(toak@dropoffplanet, " "),"'",),",")
ak
buy fuel

Wizard Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 2320

I assume your movement commands are within an alias represented by, for example, %replace(%replace(%replace(to@dropoffplanet@dropoffloc, " "),"'",),","). Is this alias simply a string of movement commands? If you are using the mapper, there are several things you can do, but I suspect you aren't. If you are using the mapper, let us know.

When exactly is this "freeze" happening? Is it at the point where you have put your #waitfor commands? Or is it in the middle of the movement alias immediately before the #waitfor? If it is the latter, the only thing you can do is to incorporate the delays into the alias itself. If the former, what you have should work, I think.

Beginner Joined: 02 Feb 2010 Posts: 16

Hi Rahab,
Thanks again for the help. I cannot get the mapper to work with this MUD so i am making aliases for the key paths instead. The pause is in the middle of the movement alias and I have added #waitfor commands into these too but when the main script calls the alias it seems to send all the text to the MUD in one go. Here is an example of one of my aliases (you can see the #waitfor command) but it still sends the movement commands to the MUD before the #waitfor text is received.

e
e
s
press touchpad
#waitfor {South Dome Exterior Airlock}
e
se
se
sw
s
s
w
w

Beginner Joined: 02 Feb 2010 Posts: 16

I think I'll try breaking up the trigger scripts into smaller chunks and using more triggers to advance them to the next state.... use more #if commands to check my location before advancing to the next state... dunno

Any other suggestions would be gratefully received

GURU Joined: 23 Dec 2000 Posts: 4834 Location: USA

Why can't you get the mapper working?

Wizard Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 2320

As far as I can see, that alias should work fine. Testing it in a blank session seems to work. Have you checked whether that text, "South Dome Exterior Airlock", appears before you press the touchpad? Have you tried using the alias by itself to see if it works?

Wizard Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 2320

Oh, wait, I see the problem. Using the #waitfor puts that alias into a separate thread. Once that happens, the rest of the trigger continues in the main thread. I thought it was the direction commands that was being sent immediately, but it isn't, is it? It's the rest of the trigger that is happening before the movement is finished.

I'm afraid that the only solution (other than using the mapper) is to make sure that the entire trigger, including the aliases, get executed in the same thread. This will mean breaking up the alias, as you have suggested, so that you don't need a #waitfor in it.

[edit]
Well, there is probably another solution too, which would involve sending a signal from the alias thread to the trigger thread, but I don't know enough about signals to help with that.

Beginner Joined: 02 Feb 2010 Posts: 16

Rahab, thanks for the help I will try breaking it up to see if that helps.

Matt, this MUD is made up of lots of custom user content and as such there is no uniformity in the location descriptions. There is enough to get the mapper recognizing the location name but it cannot find the exits. Coupled with this, the no exit messages are also custom and vary a lot which means that one would need a ton of no exit scripts to prevent the mapper getting confused. I tried fiddling a bit and decided that getting it to work properly would require too much work.