Re: IS_NPC and IS_MOB

From: Kenneth G. Cavness (stargoat@tic.com)
Date: 12/18/95


On Mon, 18 Dec 1995, Levork wrote:

> > > In utils.h we have the lines:
> > > #define IS_NPC(ch)              MOB_FLAGS(ch).isnpc
> > > #define IS_MOB(ch)              (IS_NPC(ch) && ((ch)->nr >-1))
> > 
> > Note the ((ch)->nr > -1) part of IS_MOB?
> > 
> > That's the number that is automagically assigned to a character whenever 
> > they are first created. That number will be -1 for a "real mob". If an 
> > immortal is switched into an NPC, however, that number will be assigned 
> > to whatever their number is. 
> > 
> > So, a MOB is an NPC that isn't switched into.
> 
> Hm, I was under the impression that a MOB meant prototyped mobile as 
> opposed to a non-prototyped mobile (i.e. the product of an animate dead 
> spell), and that the ->nr actually was the index into the mob_proto 
> table. NPC covers both non-prototyped and prototyped.

Perhaps it manages both, but it makes little sense. Why would a 
non-prototype mob be any different from a prototyped mob, short of stats?

There is a definite ID number assigned to a character. You can get this 
by statting that person from the start. The save procs use this, I think, 
as a lookup in the binary file ( I haven't really checked that code, though).

I can tell you, though, that IS_MOB() is how several checks are made.

--
Kenneth G. Cavness                  |   http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~cavness
Associate Editor                    |   "That which is possible is not always
MIDS, TIC                           |    probable." -- Isaac Asimov
1-512-451-7602                      |   "What about the Tuna?" -- Unknown



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