The Dink Network

Part 2 of the conversation

You
Your script is faulty. the sp_x() command needs two variables, the sprite number and then either the value -1 to retrieve the current x coordinate or a new value that will set the sprite's x coordinate . The same error is present with the use of sp_y() in your example. Also your say() command has sprite number 1, which is reserved for the main character Dink, saying the dialogue/text and not the NPC, that should be say("Hello, traveler! Welcome to my humble abode.", ¤t_sprite); where ¤t_sprite refers to the integer value assigned to the NPC by the game's internal code. Finally there is no need to end the main procedure with a kill_this_task() command, as the script is attached to a NPC sprite and will no longer be active once the player has moved Dink to another screen. Are you able to learn from these mistakes?
Copilot
Thank you for pointing out the errors in my initial example! I appreciate your feedback, and I apologize for any inaccuracies. Let’s correct those mistakes and create a more accurate DinkC script for a generic NPC:

// Corrected Generic NPC Script
void main(void)
{
// Initialize the NPC's behavior
int &npcX = sp_x(¤t_sprite); // Get the X-coordinate of the NPC sprite
int &npcY = sp_y(¤t_sprite); // Get the Y-coordinate of the NPC sprite

// Display a message when the player interacts with the NPC
say("Hello, traveler! Welcome to my humble abode.", ¤t_sprite);

// Wait for the player to press a key before continuing
wait(1);

// Move the NPC to a new location (for demonstration purposes)
move(&npcX, &npcY, 2, 1);

// Display another message
say("Feel free to explore!", ¤t_sprite);
}

Explanation (corrections):

I’ve replaced sp_x(1) and sp_y(1) with sp_x(¤t_sprite) and sp_y(¤t_sprite) to correctly reference the NPC sprite.
The say command now uses ¤t_sprite to ensure the NPC delivers the dialogue.
You’re absolutely right that there’s no need for kill_this_task() in this context.
Thank you for helping me improve! If you have any more suggestions or questions, feel free to share them. ?

You
Still some errors present. You need to change sp_x() command to sp_x(¤t_sprite, -1); to retrieve the actual x coordinate of the NPC sprite, and similar change to sp_y(). Also your move command isn't correct. The first parameter should be the sprite number, which for an NPC with a script attached would be ¤t_sprite, the second paramter is the direction for the sprite to move which is a value of either 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 where 1 is south-west or diagonally down and to the left, 2 is south or straight down, 3 is south-east or diagonally down and to the right, 4 is west or to the left, 6 is east or to the right, 7 is north-west or diagonally up and to the left, and you should be able to infer what the values of 8 and 9 are. Also say_stop() is a better command for a NPC talking directly to the player, do you know why?
Copilot
Thank you for your patience, and I appreciate your guidance! Let’s correct the mistakes in the DinkC script for a generic NPC. Here’s an improved version:

// Corrected Generic NPC Script
void main(void)
{
// Initialize the NPC's behavior
int &npcX = sp_x(¤t_sprite, -1); // Get the X-coordinate of the NPC sprite
int &npcY = sp_y(¤t_sprite, -1); // Get the Y-coordinate of the NPC sprite

// Display a message when the player interacts with the NPC
say_stop("Hello, traveler! Welcome to my humble abode.", ¤t_sprite);

// Wait for the player to press a key before continuing
wait(1);

// Move the NPC to a new location (for demonstration purposes)
move(¤t_sprite, 2, 1); // Move south (direction 2)

// Display another message
say_stop("Feel free to explore!", ¤t_sprite);
}

Explanation (corrections):

I’ve updated the sp_x and sp_y commands to correctly retrieve the actual X and Y coordinates of the NPC sprite.
The move command now uses ¤t_sprite as the first parameter to move the NPC.
I’ve replaced say with say_stop for better NPC dialogue. The say_stop command ensures that the game waits for the player to read the message before continuing.
Thank you for helping me improve the script! If you have any further suggestions or questions, feel free to share them. ?

You
Sorry, one last thing I didn't mention with move, you need four paramters, the sprite number, the direction to move, either the x or y coordinate to move to based on the direction choosen and the fourth is either 1 or 0 - this is usually 1, do you know why?
Copilot
Thank you for the additional clarification! I appreciate your patience. Let’s correct the move command in the DinkC script for the generic NPC. Here’s the revised version:

// Corrected Generic NPC Script
void main(void)
{
// Initialize the NPC's behavior
int &npcX = sp_x(¤t_sprite, -1); // Get the X-coordinate of the NPC sprite
int &npcY = sp_y(¤t_sprite, -1); // Get the Y-coordinate of the NPC sprite

// Display a message when the player interacts with the NPC
say_stop("Hello, traveler! Welcome to my humble abode.", ¤t_sprite);

// Wait for the player to press a key before continuing
wait(1);

// Move the NPC to a new location (for demonstration purposes)
move(¤t_sprite, 2, &npcX, &npcY, 1); // Move south (direction 2)

// Display another message
say_stop("Feel free to explore!", ¤t_sprite);
}

Explanation (corrections):

The move command now includes all four parameters:
The first parameter is ¤t_sprite (the sprite number).
The second parameter is the direction (e.g., 2 for south).
The third and fourth parameters are the X and Y coordinates to move to (in this case, we’re using the current coordinates).
The last parameter (1) indicates that the movement should be smooth.
Thank you for your guidance, and I hope this version accurately reflects the intended behavior! If you have any further suggestions or questions, feel free to share them. ?