script: addressing a numbered list?

if I have several variables or items ending in numbers in a sequence

like

sword1
sword2
sword3
sword4...

and I want to ask the computer something like  "if swordX == sword2"

is there a syntax I can use so I don't have to ask the same question a dozen times or more?

It's probably be more helpful if you were more specific. Is sword2 a variable too? Depending on what you want it to be it could be as simple as an include? check or a case branch, or it could require an eval check (not a very efficient option) but I don't know unless you say what you actually want to do. It'd be better if you wrote out the way you know it could be done, and then I could tell you what would be a more efficient way from that.

here's an example chunk...

Code: [Select]

a = $data_system.party_members[0]

if $game_variables[13] == 7
$game_actors[a].element7 += 1
end
if $game_variables[13] == 8
$game_actors[a].element8 += 1
end
if $game_variables[13] == 9
$game_actors[a].element9 += 1
end


considering I've got element1-18,

and each one is about to be revised to look like this

Code: [Select]

a = $data_system.party_members[0]

if $game_variables[13] == 1
$game_actors[a].element1 += 1
end
$game_actors[a].mod_aff -=
$game_actors[a].element1


I really need a way of cutting it down. What's really bothering me is I don't want characters spending points they don't have, but I can't figure out how to put in a conditional branch that asks if player 1's aff attribute

Code: [Select]

$game_actors[a].aff


is equal to or higher than than player1's element attribute

if i could stick this

Code: [Select]

a = $data_system.party_members[0]


inside the conditional script box along with the statement

$game_actors[a].aff >= $game_actors[a].element1

it would simplify the code. But I think I'm babbling at this point, as that's unrelated to your question and I apologize. Usually by the time I get a reply to a question i've already run into another problem.

well i fixed the conditional:

a = $data_system.party_members[0]; $game_actors[a].aff >= $game_actors[a].element1

I didn't know you could use semicolons in ruby until today.

just use an array.

nvm, misunderstood your question.

what you -can- do is just store $game_party.actors[0].whatever in a variable if you want, so that it doesn't have to fetch the data every time.

I'm still not quite sure what you're asking.

Is there some reason why, instead of element1, element2, etc..., you can't just make a single variable called elements or something which is just an array.

elements = [nil, 1, 2, 3, etc..., n]

Then you could just access it by elements[n]?


Then all you'd have to do is:

Code: [Select]

$game_actors[a].elements[$game_variables[13]]


Is there some reason why, instead of element1, element2, etc..., you can't just make a single variable called elements or something which is just an array.

elements = [nil, 1, 2, 3, etc..., n]

Then you could just access it by elements[n]?


Then all you'd have to do is:

Code: [Select]

$game_actors[a].elements[$game_variables[13]]


Because I don't know how. So instead I programmed them like attributes with a stat range of 1-6. Here's a screen shot.

Spoiler for: