Still frustrated with Trigger Timer

[conboy]

This is the most aggravating feature ... No matter what, how simple you try to make it to figure out the inner workings of how it works, it frustrates you. There is nothing I can do to make it go beyond one turn from the triggering event. It makes me feel intuitively inadequate.

Grrr!

Amateur scenario developers, beware! There appears to be no way to drive the event beyond 1 turn beyond the Triggering Event (with only 2 factions). See below.

Trigger Delay Actuation test results. Settings - 2 factions 1 AI, 1 Human. Trigger Settings: Turn = 2. Results of Trigger Timer tests (read Starting Value, Target Value, Turn Start when actuated):
0,1,3
0,2,3
0,4,2 (!)
0,5,3
0,6,3
1,1,2
1,2,3
1,3,3
1,4,Does not actuate <10 (ended at 10)
2,2,3
2,3,3
2,4,3
2,5, Does not actuate <10 (ended at 10)
3,0,2
3,3,2
3,6,Does not actuate <23 (ended at 23)

[bru888]

Feel not intuitively inadequate! The game itself can be explicitly inadequate, the way it is designed, neglected, tweaked and broken without adequate testing, neglected, etc. (Don't even try arguing with me about that after the latest patch, 7.1.8, tearing up unit graphics - how that could be released and now left that way for months is beyond me - and this is only the latest manifestation of that cycle.) I've seen triggers tweaked, for example, only to break their basic functioning.

But Trigger Timer has always been a bear in part because it is quite literal. That's not to say that it is functioning flawlessly; it could indeed be buggy.

Three quick pointers:
* Remember that Trigger Timer is quite literal so if you did not choose an alliance for Check Turn, it is counting the turn starts for both alliances each turn.
* "0" is the first iteration and "1" is the second so when the Event is first encountered, that's "0" for this turn. Again on next turn and that's "1," activating Effect.
* To add even more complication, in a quick test, I found that there was a difference between Turn = 2 and Turn > 1 as to how Trigger Timer worked.

Again, I'm not saying it isn't buggy but I am saying that with attention to detail, working each step out logically, and by testing over and over again (perhaps in a test scenario to save you time), you can get Trigger Timer to work beyond one turn.

[conboy]

Bru,

I forgot the part about making sure one selects the correct Turn Start setting. Thank you for the reminder - you pointed it out before now that I am reminded of it, so forgive me for abusing your patience yet again.

Nevertheless, it is so the function is so untrustworthy to me that I better leave it out to prevent players from wondering why the left-flank division never showed up.

I have spent 16 hours trying to get that sombedge to work dependably! ptah!

conboy

[bru888]

I feel your frustration, believe me. This game would be so much better even with just proper documentation and instructions but that is not to be and we must do what we can with what we have. Fortunately, we have been able to learn much among ourselves, sharing our knowledge willingly. Unfortunately, aside from a couple of guides which are stickied but of necessity quite general and brief, our knowledge keeps sinking down the boards and must be relearned and repeated over and over.

Hang in there.

[PoorOldSpike]

...There is nothing I can do to make it go beyond one turn from the triggering event.

What's the specific trigger event you're talking about? What exactly are you trying to trigger?

[conboy]

The Trigger Condition called "Trigger Timer".

[PoorOldSpike]

The Trigger Condition called "Trigger Timer"...
....the function is so untrustworthy to me that I better leave it out to prevent players from wondering why the left-flank division never showed up..

Good for you mate, the simpler and more streamlined we can make our scens, the better.
There are other ways to make units show up. personally I've never needed a Trigger Timer at all..