Spawn random items from a list?

[Stevedog]

I'm wanting to spawn random items when a script is run. My initial thought was to generate a random number and then have a series of elseif statements.

if random_number == 1 then
spawn(item 1)
elseif random_number == 2 then
spawn (item 2)
ect..

But now I'm wondering if I can't just set up an array and have the script pull a random item from there. However I have not used LUA before and don't know if it can't be done or if I am just getting confused on syntax.

[Batty]

Do something like this:

Code: Select all

function randomStuff()

stuff = {"throwing_axe", "long_sword", "pitroot_bread", "leather_boots", "lurker_hood"}
spawn(stuff[math.random(1, #stuff)], level, x, y, facing)

end

stuff is a table, tables in lua start at 1 & not 0 like usual. #stuff is the # of elements in the table so math.random picks a number between 1 & size of stuff (5).

[Stevedog]

Thanks! That helps immensely.

[Huder]

#stuff

What this hash means?

[Grimwold]

#stuff

What this hash means?

It means the number of items in table stuff.

Seems to be a shortcut for table.getn(stuff)

[HaunterV]

oh?

# is a shortcut? here i was modifying the tome library script manually...

[Grimwold]

oh?

# is a shortcut? here i was modifying the tome library script manually...

Yeah you can use # to return the number of items in a table, or the number of characters in a sting it seems... great for looping through tables that you keep adding things to.

[JohnWordsworth]

I know it's kind of moot for Grimrock Editing, but I seem to remember that table.getn() was deprecated and ceases to exist in Lua 5.2 (Grimrock uses 5.1, and even if they did upgrade, which is unlikely, then I think compatibility mode adds it back in). Anyway, it seems the hash is the preferred way going forward for people expecting to use Lua elsewhere!

[Stevedog]

Okay, one more thing. I'm using this format:

stuff = {"throwing_axe", "long_sword", "pitroot_bread", "leather_boots", "lurker_hood"}
spawn(stuff[math.random(1, #stuff)], level, x, y, facing)

and I'm wondering if there is a way to put a blank or nothing object. I would like for the barrel to have either an item, monster or nothing. I have been using a counter item as it doesn't show in the game, but this seems like a kludge.

[Batty]

You could try putting nil in the table. It might complain "attempt to reference nil" (or crash) or it might just spawn nothing, I haven't tried it.

Code: Select all

stuff = {"throwing_axe", "long_sword", nil, "pitroot_bread", "leather_boots", "lurker_hood"}

Other than that I'd just do:

Code: Select all

num = math.random()

if num < 0.3 then
   spawn item
   elseif num > 0.3 and num < 0.6 then
   spawn monster
end

You'd have roughly 30% chance of spawning either item, monster, or nothing.