How to select a script at random?

[Joe98 92]

I have 5 scripts:

 

location0.sqf

location1.sqf

location2.sqf

location3.sqf

location4.sqf

 

I walk into a trigger and this runs another script named   head1.sqf    How do I  write a script that selects one of the 5 scripts at random.

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[Harzach 2518]

https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/selectRandom

 

But whatever you are doing can probably be done from one script.

[Joe98 92]

Thank you but I do not understand that.

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[Joe98 92]

I did find another way and I don't understand this either.   I don't understand the underscore at the beginning.

 

I have copied this from an old thread by somebody else.

 

_rNum = selectRandom [1,2,3,4,5];

 

if ( _rNum == 1 ) then { execVM "script1.sqf"; };

if ( _rNum == 2 ) then { execVM "script2.sqf"; };

if ( _rNum == 3 ) then { execVM "script3.sqf"; };

if ( _rNum == 4 ) then { execVM "script4.sqf"; };

if ( _rNum == 5 ) then { execVM "script5.sqf"; };

 

 

Would I place all of that in a script?

 

.

 

 

 

[Schatten 290]

@Joe98, you can simplify code:

private _scriptName = selectRandom ["script1", "script2", "script3", "script4", "script5"];

execVM (format ["%1.sqf", _scriptName]);

 

20 minutes ago, Joe98 said:

Would I place all of that in a script?

It depends what you want.

[Soapbox0331 17]

26 minutes ago, Joe98 said:

I did find another way and I don't understand this either.   I don't understand the underscore at the beginning.

 

I have copied this from an old thread by somebody else.

 

_rNum = selectRandom [1,2,3,4,5];

 

if ( _rNum == 1 ) then { execVM "script1.sqf"; };

if ( _rNum == 2 ) then { execVM "script2.sqf"; };

if ( _rNum == 3 ) then { execVM "script3.sqf"; };

if ( _rNum == 4 ) then { execVM "script4.sqf"; };

if ( _rNum == 5 ) then { execVM "script5.sqf"; };

 

 

Would I place all of that in a script?

 

.

 

 

 

@Joe98 I have used same method...this is all in one script. In my case, called from a trigger. AmbientFlyby.sqf:

 

_rNum = selectRandom [1,2,3,4];

if ( _rNum == 1 ) then { execVM "AmbientFlyby_1.sqf"; };
if ( _rNum == 2 ) then { execVM "AmbientFlyby_2.sqf"; };
if ( _rNum == 3 ) then { execVM "AmbientFlyby_3.sqf"; };
if ( _rNum == 4 ) then { execVM "AmbientFlyby_4.sqf"; };

 

Then subsequent AmbientFlyby scripts 1-4 are in the mission file.

[Harzach 2518]

My point is that having all of those scripts is likely unnecessary. Share your code.

[Soapbox0331 17]

22 minutes ago, Harzach said:

My point is that having all of those scripts is likely unnecessary. Share your code.

@Harzach I am sure you are right. Ok, intent is to create some variety to environment when players get to/spawn in their base/FOB. These are the "varieties" of flybys:

 

AmbientFlyby_1.sqf:

sleep 1;
ambientFly = [getmarkerpos "FlyByStart", getMarkerPos "FlyByEnd", 120, "FULL", "uns_ov10_usaf_FAC", WEST] call BIS_fnc_ambientFlyBy;

 

AmbientFlyby_2.sqf:

sleep 1;
ambientFly = [getmarkerpos "FlyByEnd_2", getMarkerPos "FlyByStart_2", 100, "FULL", "vn_b_air_uh1d_02_07", WEST] call BIS_fnc_ambientFlyBy;

 

AmbientFlyby_3.sqf:

sleep 1;
ambientFly = [getmarkerpos "FlyByStart", getMarkerPos "FlyByEnd", 120, "FULL", "vn_i_air_ch34_02_02", WEST] call BIS_fnc_ambientFlyBy;
sleep 2;
ambientFly = [getmarkerpos "FlyByStart", getMarkerPos "FlyByEnd", 130, "FULL", "vn_i_air_ch34_02_02", WEST] call BIS_fnc_ambientFlyBy;

 

AmbientFlyby_4.sqf:

sleep 1;
ambientFly = [getmarkerpos "FlyByStart_2", getMarkerPos "FlyByEnd_2", 200, "FULL", "uns_A1J_HCAS", WEST] call BIS_fnc_ambientFlyBy;
sleep 3;
ambientFly = [getmarkerpos "FlyByStart_2", getMarkerPos "FlyByEnd_2", 220, "FULL", "uns_A1J_HCAS", WEST] call BIS_fnc_ambientFlyBy;

 

 

[Larrow 2823]

2 hours ago, Soapbox0331 said:

These are the "varieties" of flybys:

 

Spoiler

_airCraft = [ "uns_ov10_usaf_FAC", "vn_b_air_uh1d_02_07", "vn_i_air_ch34_02_02", "uns_A1J_HCAS" ];
_flybys = [
	[ "FlyByStart", "FlyByEnd" ],
	[ "FlyByEnd", "FlyByStart" ],
	[ "FlyByStart_2", "FlyByEnd_2" ],
	[ "FlyByEnd_2", "FlyByStart_2" ]
];

_plane = selectRandom _aircraft;
selectRandom _flybys params[ "_start", "_end" ];
_numFlyBys = ( floor random 3 ) max 1; // 1-2
_flyByHeight = ( random 100 ) + 100; // 100-199.99

for "_flyby" from 1 to _numFlyBys do {
	[ getMarkerPos _start, getMarkerPos _end, _flyByHeight, "FULL", _plane, west ] call BIS_fnc_ambientFlyby;
	sleep (( floor random 5 ) max 2 ); // 2-4
};

A Random plane, flight path and height with random delay between multi-plane flybys.

It could be easily changed up to provide certain planes per flight path if needed (as per your original).

 

[Soapbox0331 17]

@Larrow Hey thanks for doing this, works great! Seeing what it went from, to your script, really helps my understanding. 

[Harzach 2518]

14 hours ago, Soapbox0331 said:

I am sure you are right.

 

That doesn't sound like me.

 

Anyway, I was replying to @Joe98, as this is his topic.

[Soapbox0331 17]

16 minutes ago, Harzach said:

 

That doesn't sound like me.

 

Anyway, I was replying to @Joe98, as this is his topic.

Ah, my apologies, didn't mean to commandeer the thread. Hopefully @Joe98 will post his code as well.

[Joe98 92]

_rNum = selectRandom [1,2,3,4,5];

if ( _rNum == 1 ) then { execVM "script1.sqf"; };

if ( _rNum == 2 ) then { execVM "script2.sqf"; };

if ( _rNum == 3 ) then { execVM "script3.sqf"; };

if ( _rNum == 4 ) then { execVM "script4.sqf"; };

if ( _rNum == 5 ) then { execVM "script5.sqf"; };

 

I confirm this works beautifully thank you. It does exactly as I intended.

 

There is no code to post as such.  I have a mission with a lot of random elements so that it plays differently every time. Except that the hints are the same. In effect they give the game away.

So, by having a number of different hints selected at random, the hints no longer give the game away.

 

 

 

 

 

[Harzach 2518]

44 minutes ago, Joe98 said:

There is no code

 

You are randomly calling five empty script files?

 

See @Schatten's post above. 

[Joe98 92]

No 

[pierremgi 4906]

17 hours ago, Joe98 said:

No 

What's a code for you?

Larrow show you a single code, truly more efficient than your bunch of sqf.

 

And, btw, and for further readers, a suite of if then..., if then... lines for a single result is just a waste of code because you are checking all the conditions, one by one. Not a real problem here but not a good habit.

So, better:

call {

  if... exitwith {...};

  if... exitWith {...};
....
};

or even, in your case:

execVM selectRandom ["script1.sqf","script2.sqf","script3.sqf",....];

[Joe98 92]

This is a game. It is meant to be fun and not work.

 

Many people have stated that they dropped the game and left the forum because they were given complex answers they don't understand.

 

Larrow's code is complex and I don't understand.  I am not going to study it because that would be work and not fun.

 

Your script uses fewer characters than the one I found. However, your script still lists all the individual scripts. But the list is horizontal.

The way I have done it the list is vertical. I can come back in 6 months, glance at the code and know exactly what it does.

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[Harzach 2518]

3 hours ago, Joe98 said:

The way I have done it

 

Is redundant. You are selecting a number at random, then assigning that number to a script. It's like pouring yourself a glass of water, then pouring that out into a different glass to drink from. @pierremgi's method just selects the script at random.

 

As to the rest, your definition of "fun" is not a universal truth. And running away from knowledge is silly.

[Joe98 92]

1 hour ago, Harzach said:

. @pierremgi's method just selects the script at random.

 

 

Yes I agree.  

And yet and yet and yet and yet. It lists the scripts horizontally.  When listed vertically it is much easier to read. It is easier to come back 6 months later and know what it means. it is easier to copy and paste 5 rows and then amend one number in each row.

 

Fun is playing pretend soldier and shooting Ai targets.

.

 

 

 

 

[Harzach 2518]

35 minutes ago, Joe98 said:

When listed vertically it is much easier to read.

 

So expand it vertically. It's a legal move, no one will be coming for you.

execVM selectRandom [
"script1.sqf",
"script2.sqf",
"script3.sqf"  // just remember, no comma after the last element!
];

Large arrays are easier to read this way.

[Joe98 92]

53 minutes ago, Harzach said:

 

execVM selectRandom [
"script1.sqf",
"script2.sqf",
"script3.sqf"  // just remember, no comma after the last element!
];

 

 

You see (he says referring to the other thread) it is easy to give a accurate instruction thank you 🙂

 

And now somebody else can utilise this in their mission.

 

 

 

 

 

[Harzach 2518]

The problem is that you are focusing on surface properties and not attempting to understand the structure.