In ManaServ, what does the 'special' mean?

[dlqingxi]

Hi,

I find this description in the mana wiki. (http://doc.manasource.org/scripting#get_special_info)

specialinfo:on_use

specialinfo:on_use(function callback)
Assigns the callback as callback for the use event. This function will be called everytime a character uses a special.

I can't understand what is the 'special' in mana world, Is anybody who can give an example of that?
When it(special) will be used? And what is that ?

Thank you very much.

[Reid]

I think that you will find your answer here: http://doc.manasource.org/specials.xml

[Ablu]

That documentation page Reid linked is not 100% complete. I will update it later when i come home again.

But specials are like magic in tmwAthena.
You can script a heal "special" and give it to the character. The client then gets an entry in the special list. If he uses the special the scripted action will get exectued on the current target or whatever. So basically the the Specials can be used for all kind of magic / special attacks with weapons or even just playing animations like "dance"

I will update the doc page this evening. Maybe it will be more clear afterwards.

Regards
Ablu

[Crush]

A "Special" is what other MMORPGs often call a "Skill" (skills in Manaserv are passive stats which collect experience points).

Specials are active action a player can perform. Specials can for example be used to implement magic, special weapon attacks or emotes. They can be unlocked for a character through the scripting system. When I stopped developing for Manasource I was planning to add "passive" specials which can not be used, but which give the character passive bonuses just by having them. That would have allowed to implement a class system by giving characters "being a mage" or "being a knight" specials with large percentual bonuses to certain stats.

I don't know if that ever got finished after I left the project.

[Ablu]

I don't know if that ever got finished after I left the project.

We decided that specials are active. Passive specials would either be skills or attributes. So i dropped the start for passive specials when i extended the implementation for the active specials a bit ago. But the behaviour your described is possible to do with skills and / or attributes.

Regards
Ablu

[Ablu]

I updated http://doc.manasource.org/specials.xml with the latest development status, a small explanation about what specials are and a small example of a heal spell as special. Please let me know if you still miss something!

Regards
Ablu

[Bertram]

Hi Ablu,

IMHO, the specials.xml doc doesn't show clearly how the skill is linked with the special and with the script called.
No field or id is corresponding in the examples.

Just wanted to point it out.

Best regards,

[Crush]

Hi Ablu,

IMHO, the specials.xml doc doesn't show clearly how the skill is linked with the special and with the script called.
No field or id is corresponding in the examples.

Just wanted to point it out.

Best regards,

Specials don't have a direct link with skills. When they do interact with skill levels, it's in the script. In this case by requesting the users skill level of a specific skill from the gameserver and then by adding exp for that specific skill.

[Ablu]

Ok. I will try to make it more clean. Thanks for the feedback.

EDIT: @Crush: Yes I am aware of it. I just wanted to show a useful example code that shows what is possible.

[Ablu]

@Bertram: better like this?

[Bertram]

Hi Ablu,

Better, yeah.

I'd just add a note explaining how you set the special_name linking the special entry with the script, here "Magic_Heal",
and why not give an example when using a special id, thus explaining how you link an special id with a script.

Anyway, just my opinion,

Best regards,

[Ablu]

Ok added a comment to that. Thanks.