INFO_CONTACT_STRING(Integer info_level)

INFO_SCAN_STRING(Integer scanner_contact, DBREF scanned_contact_data_object) Changed in S?????

EV_NEW_CONTACT(Integer contact)*

EV_CONTACT_LOST(Integer contact)*

EV_INSIDE_CRITICAL(Integer contact)*

EV_OUTSIDE_CRITICAL(Integer contact)*

Notes:

* Triggered only on objects with the EV_DRIVEN flag.

INFO_CONTACT_STRING is not a typical event. It is evaluated, and is expected to return contact information based on the info_level, which is a number from 1 to 5. The highest level, 5, would return a string such as "USS Lafayette -- Federation Antietam-class Heavy Cruiser". Level 3 might return "Federation Heavy Cruiser", while 1 and 2 might return simply "Heavy Cruiser".

INFO_SCAN_STRING is called to return information from scanning an object. It is evaluated on the object which is performing the scan, and not the scanned object. Using the contact number, the data object of the scanned object can be retrieved, and appropriate displays created.

EV_INSIDE_CRITICAL and EV_OUTSIDE_CRITICAL are triggered on objects when a contact enters their cricital range, as defined by the configuration parameter CF_CRITICAL_RANGE.

Example:

A spherical nebula with 15000 units in radius, noticable from a range of 10000 units could be set up with a sensor range of 25000, and a critical range of 15000, plus the EV_DRIVEN, NEARSIGHTED, CAN_SENSE and INVISIBLE flags. EV_NEW_CONTACT could inform the ship's navigator that a nebula was on sensors in a particular direction. EV_INSIDE_CRITICAL could then set the ship HAZY and CATARACTS, to both impair the ship's sensors, and make it difficult for other ships to see it. EV_OUTSIDE_CRITICAL could reset these flags. (INVISIBLE would need to be set so that the nebula wouldn't show up as a normal contact.)

You could also code a wormhole similarly, but instead of setting HAZY and CATARACTS, the approaching ship could be set INVISIBLE, and MANUAL_DIRECTION, then the new super-fast speed and heading could be coded in MOVE_HEAD_BEARING, MOVE_HEAD_ELEV, and MOVE_SPEED. Of course, it would be nice if these attributes ensured that the ship also came out of the wormhole.