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[int value]

function dialog_request(int value) {

   if (value==1) {

      if (character[GetPlayerCharacter(2)].inv[1] > 0) {
         SetDialogOption (topic, 0, 7);
      }

   }
}

"int value" means that the value of the parameter (the "1" in "run-script 1") you pass to this function is stored in the integer variable named value.
With
  if (value==1) {
you check if this variable is set 1 (i.e. "run-script 1" was used). The code enclosed in the brackets is then executed.

To check if "run-script 2" was used, you just have to check if value is 2. Thus you would do:

function dialog_request(int value) {

   if (value==1) {

      if (character[GetPlayerCharacter(2)].inv[1] > 0) {
         SetDialogOption (topic, 0, 7);
      }

   }
   else // value is something else than the above
   if (value==2) { // run-script 2 was used
      // do stuff
   }
   // check for value==3 and so on
}

1st question:

FollowCharacter(ZOMBIE, -1); // stop following anyone

2nd question:

AnimateCharacter is a non-blocking function, meaning the command
  MoveCharacter(ZOMBIE,189,146);
is executed immediately afterwards before the animation had a chance to play.
Use
  AnimateCharacterEx (3,5,5,0,0,1); // animate blocking
instead.

1.) Here's a scenario:

Crossfade music tracks: Yes

Room 1
Music volume adjustment: Quiet
Play music on room load: 1

Room 2
Music volume adjustment: Loud

Now, when you change rooms from 1 to 2, music 1 suddenly jumps to the loud volume setting although it is currently being faded out. This is very apparent if there's no other music being started in room 2.
I think it should fade out at the previous room's volume setting?


2.) In the palette window (32-bit), how about making the color number a textbox instead of a label, so the value can be copied into the clipboard?
Also, it would be nice if it could work in reverse, ie you copy or enter a number there and you see which color it is?

You're welcome.

This has been asked a few days before: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=14074.0

Is
SetDialogOption (int topic, int option, int new_state)
what you're looking for?

You might want to use the new repeatedly_execute_always, so the mirror character gets updated even when the game is blocked (talking etc.).

check if a config file exists, and if it does not i run setup

Good idea, that would be nice if it were done automatically.

There's no built-in function to move a non-player character (NPC) to a new room.

However, using script, you could do:

StopMoving(NPC); // you have to stop characters before manipulating x and y coordinates
character[NPC].room = 7; // number of room you want to put him in
character[NPC].x = 160; // x-coordinate of character in new room
character[NPC].y = 120; // y-coordinate of character in new room

You can also write a custom function if you need to use this often:

Global script (outside of any other functions)

function NewRoomExSpecial(int charid, int room_number, int x, int y) {
  if (charid == GetPlayerCharacter()) // specified character is the current player character
    NewRoomEx(room_number, x, y); // use the normal NewRoomEx function
  else { // for non-player characters
    StopMoving(charid);
    character[charid].room = room_number;
    character[charid].x = x;
    character[charid].y = y;
  }
}

Script header
import function NewRoomExSpecial(int charid, int room_number, int x, int y);

Then, in the Interaction editor -> Run script, for the first example, you would only have to write

NewRoomExSpecial(NPC, 7, 160, 120);

Hope this helps.

Sorry for being such a pain, but if plugins can draw directly onto the screen (that gets redrawn by AGS), could that be made possible from within AGS too?

Braces.

if (character[GetPlayerCharacter()].inv[3]) || (character[GetPlayerCharacter().inv[4]) { // player has cab fare

has to look either like

  if ( (this) || (that) ) { // proper syntax

or like

  if ( this || that ) { // works too

Edit: Btw, the character[].inv variables are whole integers, not just 0 and 1.
So you could have an inventory item MONEY with the value representing how much of it you have.

I thought he meant how to use hotspots 17-19 since they all have the same color in the editor.

SetGlobalInt(23, GetGlobalInt(23)-GetGlobalInt(2));

should do it?

Right, just use MoveCharacterBlocking.

Edit: Come to think of it, the whole SetPlayerCharacter thing is pretty unnecessary. See my modifications above.

Edit 2: And the location variable is unnecessary now, too. GI 77 holds that value.

Edit 3: Aargh, no it's not. run-script 10 needs it.

Edit 4: No, it doesn't. Or does it?

I see. Thank you!

A single-color, partly transparent graphic overlay double the screen size causes about 15fps dropoff on my computer (640x480x32).
You're right, not much difference to RawRestoreScreen...

Thanks anyway.

Edit: One last thing.

You said:

Plugins don't tend to have this problem because they aren't copying such large chunks of data on a regular basis.

You mean restoring the background image?
Then how does the SnowRain plugin manage to be so fast? It has to clear the screen too somehow, right?

[Dialog script for Topic 1]

I was thinking about doing something like this myself, but haven't got around to it yet.
How about this (haven't tested it):

- CAB: Car character in map room
- CABDRIVER: Character to talk to when you want to use the cab
- Dialog topic 1: Talk to cab driver
- GlobalInt 77 stores which location to drive to when entering map screen

Dialog script for Topic 1

@S
option-on 1
option-on 2
option-on 3
option-on 4
//...
run-script 10
return

@1 // ego: Take me to location 1
set-globalint 77 1
run-script 11
return

@2 // ego: Take me to location 2
set-globalint 77 2
run-script 11
return

//...

Global script

int location=2; // game starts at this location

function dialog_request (int parameter) {
  if (parameter == 10) { // run-script 10: dialog startup
    SetDialogOption(1, location, 0); // turn off dialog option for current location
      // location number=dialog option number for this to work
  }
  else
  if (parameter == 11) { // run-script 11: player has chosen a destination
    if (character[GetPlayerCharacter()].inv[1]) { // player has cab fare
      location = GetGlobalInt(77); // set current location to destination
      NewRoom(MAPROOMHERE); // go to map room
    }
    else { // player doesn't have the cab fare
      string buffer;
      GetMessageText(500, buffer);
      DisplaySpeech(CABDRIVER, buffer); // cabdriver: Sorry, not enough money!
    }
  }
   
}

Map room

Player enters screen (after fadein)

  StartCutscene(4);
  if (GetGlobalInt(77) == 1) { // Player has selected location 1
    MoveCharacterBlocking(CAB, x, y, 0); // drive to location 1 on the map
    NewRoom(z); // go to this room when arriving at location 1
  }
  else
  if (GetGlobalInt(77) == 2) { // location 2
    MoveCharacterBlocking(CAB, x, y, 0); // drive to location 2
    NewRoom(z);
  }
  //...
  EndCutscene();

Edit: Changed everything back. This happens if I start to think too much.
Should work as it is now.

With "Disney style" I just meant not too much shading.

So, yes, that's exactly what I had in mind. Good job!

Keep 'em coming.

What I mean is this:
If you DON'T use the RawDraw functions in rep_ex, and only use them now and then as you say, there won't be a noticable difference if you use an additional overlay to draw upon.

But, if you DO use the RawDraw functions in rep_ex, there will be a significant performance gain since you don't have to use RawRestoreScreen to clear the screen.

Wouldn't this RawDraw overlay be a nice thing implement then?

Right, technically, you don't need brackets for every
if (character[GetPlayerCharacter()].inv[1] > 0) SetPlayerCharacter(HANSON);
but I recommend adding the brackets anyhow in case you decide to put more lines in there later.

I don't know what you're trying to do exactly. There's a lot of duplicate code in there. Could you elaborate?

I want it to be the character I am talking to, not my character.

You'd have to store the number of the character you're talking to in a variable before running the dialog. Then you could do
  string buffer;
  GetMessageText(500, buffer);
  DisplaySpeech(VARIABLECONTAININGCHARACTERYOURETALKINGTO, buffer);