Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
No circular links, please
Changed line(s) 6,7 (click to see context) from:
Introducing the EventFlag: a condition in game programming that causes a variable to change. Event Flags are set off when certain events take place -- {{Boss Battle}}s, {{Cutscene}}s, [[CharacterLevel leveling up]], {{One Up}}s -- anything that's important to the plot or to your stats. Flags can also trigger anything, from changing a character's status to activating subquests or side-plots to adjusting what sort of RandomEncounters show up. How and when they are implemented, and what they do are purely up to the game developers.
to:
Introducing the EventFlag: Event Flag: a condition in game programming that causes a variable to change. Event Flags are set off when certain events take place -- {{Boss Battle}}s, {{Cutscene}}s, [[CharacterLevel leveling up]], {{One Up}}s -- anything that's important to the plot or to your stats. Flags can also trigger anything, from changing a character's status to activating subquests or side-plots to adjusting what sort of RandomEncounters show up. How and when they are implemented, and what they do are purely up to the game developers.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* Some early releases of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' had a glitch which allowed for a kind of NewGamePlus; by entering an area you can normally only access once around halfway through the game, it would reset the story back to this point, while retaining all skills and equipment you had obtained. As illustrated in the main article, this also has a risk of breaking the game due to it causing unexpected results; Yuna can crash the game due to being present in a battle she would normally be unavailable for, and it's possible to be permanently trapped by being on the wrong side of a locked door if it was already triggered first time around, since this is stored in a separate flag that isn't reset.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 4,5 (click to see context) from:
A condition in game programming that causes a variable to change. Event Flags are set off when certain events take place -- {{Boss Battle}}s, {{Cutscene}}s, [[CharacterLevel leveling up]], {{One Up}}s -- anything that's important to the plot or to your stats. Flags can also trigger anything, from changing a character's status to activating subquests or side-plots to adjusting what sort of RandomEncounters show up.
to:
Introducing the EventFlag: a condition in game programming that causes a variable to change. Event Flags are set off when certain events take place -- {{Boss Battle}}s, {{Cutscene}}s, [[CharacterLevel leveling up]], {{One Up}}s -- anything that's important to the plot or to your stats. Flags can also trigger anything, from changing a character's status to activating subquests or side-plots to adjusting what sort of RandomEncounters show
Changed line(s) 10,13 (click to see context) from:
There are different ways games can implement this. The variables might be stored independently, which would usually be done for side quests, or even simple bits of information such as permanently opening a door or having a conversation with an NPC, though this is not always the case. [=RPGs=] and some other game types also commonly use a story event flag, represented by a number, to store your progress throughout the game. For instance, if you enter the game's second area for the first time with a value of say "7", the game plays a cutscene and you engage in a HopelessBossFight. Do well, and maybe the game sets the flag to "8" which results in some unique dialogue. Do badly, and maybe it gets set to "12" with some different outcome. When you enter this area again, the game checks the story flag, knows you've already encountered the boss because the value is greater than "7", and won't repeat events. Naturally, these are arbitrary values set by the game designers.
Let's say the NoobCave is normally permanently inaccessible after completing it due to a locked door, but it somehow is still possible to enter anyway. Enter the area again and the game sets the story state back to "7". As far as the game is concerned, you never encountered the HopelessBossFight and it will play out again. Where this might be a real problem is if you have to cross a [[BrokenBridge bridge that collapses]] or go through [[LockedDoor a door that locks]], and the game ''still'' remembers these obstacles are now impassable, trapping the player.
Let's say the NoobCave is normally permanently inaccessible after completing it due to a locked door, but it somehow is still possible to enter anyway. Enter the area again and the game sets the story state back to "7". As far as the game is concerned, you never encountered the HopelessBossFight and it will play out again. Where this might be a real problem is if you have to cross a [[BrokenBridge bridge that collapses]] or go through [[LockedDoor a door that locks]], and the game ''still'' remembers these obstacles are now impassable, trapping the player.
to:
There are different ways games can implement this. The variables might be stored independently, which would usually be done for side quests, or even simple bits of information such as permanently opening a door or having a conversation with an NPC, though this is not always the case. [=RPGs=] and some other game types also commonly use a story event flag, represented by a number, to store your progress throughout the game. For instance, if you enter the game's second area for the first time with a value of say "7", the game plays a cutscene and you engage in a HopelessBossFight. Do well, and maybe the game sets the flag to "8" which results in some unique dialogue. Do badly, and maybe it gets set to "12" with some different outcome. When you enter this area again, the game checks the story flag, knows you've already encountered the boss because the value is greater than "7", and won't repeat events. Naturally, these are arbitrary values set by the game designers.
designers, though normally these would be expected to increase as you progress since it simplifies things.
Let's also say the NoobCave is normally permanently inaccessible after completing it due to a locked door, but it somehow is still possible to enter anyway. Enter the area again and the game sets the story state back to "7". As far as the game is concerned, you never encountered the HopelessBossFight and it will play out again. Where this might be a real problem is if you have to cross a [[BrokenBridge bridge that collapses]] or go through [[LockedDoor a door that locks]], and the game ''still'' remembers these obstacles are now impassable, trapping the player.
Let's also say the NoobCave is normally permanently inaccessible after completing it due to a locked door, but it somehow is still possible to enter anyway. Enter the area again and the game sets the story state back to "7". As far as the game is concerned, you never encountered the HopelessBossFight and it will play out again. Where this might be a real problem is if you have to cross a [[BrokenBridge bridge that collapses]] or go through [[LockedDoor a door that locks]], and the game ''still'' remembers these obstacles are now impassable, trapping the player.
Changed line(s) 85 (click to see context) from:
* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'' is just about run by event flags, ranging from new enemies suddenly appearing based on your level and/or [[ScriptedEvent reaching a certain point in a quest]] all the way to keeping track of what every NPC is supposed to be doing at any given time of in-game day. However, some of these event flags are notoriously prone to glitching, [[GameBreakingBug sometimes with disastrous results]].
to:
* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'' is just about run by event flags, ranging from new enemies suddenly appearing based on your level and/or [[ScriptedEvent reaching a certain point in a quest]] all the way to keeping track of what every NPC is supposed to be doing at any given time of in-game day. However, some of these event flags are notoriously prone to glitching, [[GameBreakingBug sometimes with disastrous results]]. By entering a normally inaccessible area, it's also possible to complete the main quest in minutes, because this sets the story event flag to the finale.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 8,9 (click to see context) from:
Setting off certain Event Flags is necessary for the computer to know when you've won most games. (In the case of a game with MultipleEndings, which Event Flags are set off will usually decide what ending you get[[note]]the main other possible criteria being your KarmaMeter, [[FactionSpecificEndings what faction you're in]], what final level you're playing (some games have more than one), which FinalBoss you're facing (again, quite a few games have more than one), or [[LastSecondEndingChoice which option you picked from the drop-down menu in the penultimate cutscene]] -- and all of these can, depending on the game, [[DistinctionWithoutADifference boil down to a set of Event Flags anyways]][[/note]].) SequenceBreaking in the wrong places can make the game {{Unwinnable}} if a flag that was supposed to be triggered gets stuck in the wrong state.
to:
Setting off certain Event Flags is necessary for the computer to know when you've won most games. (In the case of a game with MultipleEndings, which Event Flags are set off will usually decide what ending you get[[note]]the main other possible criteria being your KarmaMeter, [[FactionSpecificEndings what faction you're in]], what final level you're playing (some games have more than one), which FinalBoss you're facing (again, quite a few games have more than one), or [[LastSecondEndingChoice which option you picked from the drop-down menu in the penultimate cutscene]] -- and all of these can, depending on the game, [[DistinctionWithoutADifference boil down to a set of Event Flags anyways]][[/note]].) SequenceBreaking in the wrong places can make the game {{Unwinnable}} if a flag that was supposed to be triggered gets stuck in the wrong state.
state, or if it results in a combination of event flags that normally would not happen, causing the game to crash or behave strangely.
There are different ways games can implement this. The variables might be stored independently, which would usually be done for side quests, or even simple bits of information such as permanently opening a door or having a conversation with an NPC, though this is not always the case. [=RPGs=] and some other game types also commonly use a story event flag, represented by a number, to store your progress throughout the game. For instance, if you enter the game's second area for the first time with a value of say "7", the game plays a cutscene and you engage in a HopelessBossFight. Do well, and maybe the game sets the flag to "8" which results in some unique dialogue. Do badly, and maybe it gets set to "12" with some different outcome. When you enter this area again, the game checks the story flag, knows you've already encountered the boss because the value is greater than "7", and won't repeat events. Naturally, these are arbitrary values set by the game designers.
Let's say the NoobCave is normally permanently inaccessible after completing it due to a locked door, but it somehow is still possible to enter anyway. Enter the area again and the game sets the story state back to "7". As far as the game is concerned, you never encountered the HopelessBossFight and it will play out again. Where this might be a real problem is if you have to cross a [[BrokenBridge bridge that collapses]] or go through [[LockedDoor a door that locks]], and the game ''still'' remembers these obstacles are now impassable, trapping the player.
There are different ways games can implement this. The variables might be stored independently, which would usually be done for side quests, or even simple bits of information such as permanently opening a door or having a conversation with an NPC, though this is not always the case. [=RPGs=] and some other game types also commonly use a story event flag, represented by a number, to store your progress throughout the game. For instance, if you enter the game's second area for the first time with a value of say "7", the game plays a cutscene and you engage in a HopelessBossFight. Do well, and maybe the game sets the flag to "8" which results in some unique dialogue. Do badly, and maybe it gets set to "12" with some different outcome. When you enter this area again, the game checks the story flag, knows you've already encountered the boss because the value is greater than "7", and won't repeat events. Naturally, these are arbitrary values set by the game designers.
Let's say the NoobCave is normally permanently inaccessible after completing it due to a locked door, but it somehow is still possible to enter anyway. Enter the area again and the game sets the story state back to "7". As far as the game is concerned, you never encountered the HopelessBossFight and it will play out again. Where this might be a real problem is if you have to cross a [[BrokenBridge bridge that collapses]] or go through [[LockedDoor a door that locks]], and the game ''still'' remembers these obstacles are now impassable, trapping the player.
