SmartStasis -- a complex script for a simple CCS

Bale

Minion
If I may, I would like to request a new feature.

Please support autoSphereID and autoPotionID. I just discovered (the troublesome way) that it wouldn't ID my spheres. Though, for automatically identifying potions in combat, it would be good if you'd add a setting to only throw a potion if you have a spare. (Only do it if there are 2.)
 

zarqon

Well-known member
Other than the two potions idea, you have requested an existing feature of FTF. What you may have discovered is that it only detects unknown spheres/potions if you're in the clear, since otherwise taking the time to ID potions might get you kilt.
 

Veracity

Developer
Staff member
I'd like the two potions feature, too, since that is exactly how I deal with potions.

I know that I will end up needing one of the potions, so I make sure that I have one of each when I have identified all of them - and not throwing a lone potion at a monster guarantees I will not have to back farm that potion later, if it happens to be the one the gate needs and I end up IDing all the potions without having gotten another one.

I don't like back farming.
 

zarqon

Well-known member
Using them when you only have one has the added benefit of being able to skip non-gate potions once they are identified (thus only needing one). Thus, I find the current behavior preferable.

That said, setting conditions for one of each potion (with them being used as you get unknown ones) is pretty much functionally identical to getting two of each to ID later.
 
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Veracity

Developer
Staff member
Using them when you only have one has the added benefit of being able to skip non-gate potions once they are identified (thus only needing one). Thus, I find the current behavior preferable.
Can you elaborate, please? I am willing to change my behavior if somebody can demonstrate that a different, equally easy, behavior is better.

What do you mean by "skip non-gate potions once they are identified"? When you look through your telescope, you can see the first gate - but the bang potion and the south-of-the-border item are hidden from you. Therefore, you can only see what the "gate potion" is once you reach level 13 and have been given the final quest.

The Dungeon of Doom is available halfway through level 7. It's not a horrible place to adventure at that level; unlike the Enormous Greater-Than Sign, which you have to go through first, you don't get completely ridiculous stats if you adventure there at level 7.5 - unlike going there at level 13, after you have been given the quest, when you don't need stats. Plus, it is advantageous to get a zapping wand as early as possible, so if you happen to get non-keys from the Daily Dungeon, you can zap them early.

Therefore, I go to the DoD midway through level 7 to get my zapping wand and my bang potions. Therefore, I simply cannot understand what you mean when you talk about "being able to skip non-gate potions", since, at the time I am in the DoD, I have no idea what a "non-gate potion" might be.

Unless...and now I see that the only "gate potions" are blessing, teleportitis, giant strength, mental acuity, and detection, you mean that you can skip inebriety, healing, confusion, and sleepiness.

I'll have to consider. If I throw away my only inebriety and never see another, well and good. But if I throw away my only mental acuity and never see another, I have a 40% chance of being forced to back farm.

Did I say that I hate back farming?
 

zarqon

Well-known member
That's exactly what I meant -- if you're getting !potions when the DoD opens up (using unknown ones as you get them to detect them) and you use a potion which turns out to be a potion of confusion, you don't need to get another one since that is never used as a gate potion. Since there are four such "skippable" potions, it could potentially shave some turns off your run.

If you have auto-detect !potions on and BBB using your boxes between combats, you can simply set only the gate potions as conditions, instead of 1 of each.

This way, not only do I never need to backfarm, I don't need to farm 2 of each to begin with.
 

lostcalpolydude

Developer
Staff member
On the other hand, if you use a potion and find that it's blessing, and you don't get another blessing before you get the wand, and you need blessing, you've just added turns to your run. Maybe you would add those turns at level 7 by farming a second blessing potion just in case you need it. If you really don't want to back farm, getting one of all 9 potions seems faster than getting two of the 5 that you might need.
 

zarqon

Well-known member
You forgot that you need to use potions to detect them. If you only get one and never use them, how do you know which is which? You'd have to use/detect every potion except the right one to be able to only get one of each. Highly improbable.

I do see something helpful I could add though -- when auto-detecting potions, detect the unknown potion that you have the most of, rather than just the first unknown potion in the list that you have.
 
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lostcalpolydude

Developer
Staff member
If you have all 9 potions, you can just use them at the lair. The worst thing that can happen is you get 3 drunk in the process.
 

zarqon

Well-known member
Aha -- so it's a difference of needing one more potion (and having extra potions, like healing potions, available during my run) vs. possibly wasting 3 drunkenness -- and if I forgot to keep that drunkenness available on my last day, I could be screwed.

I prefer the first option myself, since it's trouble-free. Although I can see where speedy speed runners may prefer the second since it is one less potion needed! I'll think about a solution that allows both.
 

lostcalpolydude

Developer
Staff member
Identifying duplicates is always a good idea, at the very least until you find the drunkenness potion. I usually play softcore and pull large boxes, though the timing of using those pulls, how many potions to identify to begin with, and so on is interesting in its own way there.
 

Bale

Minion
What you may have discovered is that it only detects unknown spheres/potions if you're in the clear, since otherwise taking the time to ID potions might get you kilt.
Thank you. It seems that's why I didn't get my sphere identified.

I'd like the two potions feature, too, since that is exactly how I deal with potions.

Well, you could always add that feature directly into mafia and I'd be very happy indeed. When I suggested that modification previously Jason thought it was quite unnecessary. Perhaps for zarqon's reason, though he didn't explain it in as much detail.

I prefer not to use up my only potion of a type. If I have only 1 of an unidentified potion, I can just guzzle it and get the effect to use at the gate as long as I have IDed the drunkeness or have 3 spare drunkeness.I try to make sure I have one of those two conditions if I haven't ID'd enough potions.
 

zarqon

Well-known member
How about this: only autoID potions if you have at least 5 different potions. Always throw the unknown potion you have the most of. Stop IDing when you a) identify all gate potions, or b) identify the drunkenness potion.

There would be an in-script switch between this behavior and the current behavior.
 

Bale

Minion
It's still good to ID them. The healing potion is nice to know, even if you ID all gate potions. Even if the drunkeness potion is discovered, there's no reason to give up IDing other gate potions.
 

zarqon

Well-known member
Ok, then here's what I will do. Always ID unknown potions if you have more than one, regardless of autoPotionID. IDing potions even if you have only one (current behavior) will be toggled by the mafia combat setting. This means FTF won't be strictly transparent with the setting (it'll be better), so I will make sure to document this in the first post.

Why did this discussion happen in the SS thread?
 

Bale

Minion
That sounds awesome!

It happened in SS because I got confused about the dividing line between SS and FTF. Blame me, or better yet: send me a Red Balloon!
 

zarqon

Well-known member
You evidently figured it out, but for the record, the combat you originally posted was being handled by an old (and no longer supported by me) hidden city script. Ascend has not yet been updated with the current version of the MacGuffin script.
 
You evidently figured it out, but for the record, the combat you originally posted was being handled by an old (and no longer supported by me) hidden city script. Ascend has not yet been updated with the current version of the MacGuffin script.

Thanks for the info. It looks like it was being handled correctly though, just without any output to let me know it was doing more than letting me take damage.
 
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