The problem with using multiple threads is that all threads in a script share the same game buffer. So, you end up with a situation like this:
;e Thread.new { loop { echo "thread: #{get}" } }; loop { echo "main: #{get}" }
--- Lich: exec3 active.
>look
[Upper Dragonsclaw, Boulder]
You notice a rock cairn.
Obvious paths: down
>
[exec3: main: [Upper Dragonsclaw, Boulder]]
[exec3: thread: You notice a rock cairn.]
[exec3: main: Obvious paths: down]
If only one thread is using the game buffer, everything works fine. But if two threads (the main script is also a thread) are using the game buffer, neither one will get all the game lines. This won't be the case in Lich 5, but don't hold your breath waiting for that.
For now, I like to create a separate script that just watches for things like monster spell preps and sets global variables. Then, another script can check the global variables, decide what to do, and do it.
As an example, here's a script that will probably keep track of when a thunder troll prepares a spell:
status_tags
$spell_prepped_npc_ids = LimitedArray.new
$spell_prepped_npc_ids.max_size = 25
while line = get
if line =~ /^<pushBold\/>A <a exist="(.*?)" noun=".*?">.*?<\/a><popBold\/> raises its fists to the sky\./
$spell_prepped_npc_ids.push($1) unless $spell_prepped_npc_ids.include?($1)
elsif line =~ /^<pushBold\/>A <a exist="(.*?)" noun=".*?">.*?<\/a><popBold\/> claps its hands together in front of (?:you|<.*?>[A-Z][a-z]+<.*?>)!/
$spell_prepped_npc_ids.delete($1)
end
end
And another script that decides which monster to attack, and attacks it:
target_name_regex = /\b(?:thunder troll|puma|etc)$/
# you probably want to break the loop if fried/encumbered/bounty/etc
loop {
# you might want to use some sort of ability while in roundtime in a dangerous situation, but lets assume you don't have any of that
waitrt?
# only target live monsters with certain names
target_list = GameObj.npcs.find_all { |npc| (npc.name =~ target_name_regex) and (npc.status !~ /dead/) }
if target_list.empty?
# nothing to target; pretend there's code to loot and move
sleep 3
elsif (target_list.length > 9000) or GameObj.npcs.any? { |npc| npc.name == 'big ugly kobold of doom' }
# you should probably leave
elsif checkcastrt > 0
# looks like we're staying in the room, but rather than waiting for our entire cast roundtime to end, lets wait a tenth of a second and check again if we should leave
sleep 0.1
next
elsif target = target_list.find { |npc| $spell_prepped_npc_ids.include?(npc.id) }
# first priority is to corrupt anything with a spell prepped
$spell_prepped_npc_ids.delete(npc.id)
# we're assuming that 703 will be successful; you could have the other script watch for a successful 703 and delete from $spell_prepped_npc_ids instead
cast(703, target)
elsif (target_list.count { |npc| npc.status.nil? } > 2) and GameObj.pcs.nil? and not GameObj.loot.any? { |o| o.noun == 'disk' and o.name !~ /#{Char.name}/ }
# no npc has a spell prepped
# there are three or more monsters with a nil status, and no other players or disks in the room
# a nil status generally means the monster is not prone/kneeling/stunned/etc
# let's e-wave, I guess
cast(410)
elsif target = target_list.find { |npc| npc.status.nil? }
# no npc has a spell prepped
# there are not three or more monsters with a nil status
# there's at least one monster with a nil status, lets attack that
cast(702, target)
elsif target = target_list.find { |npc| npc.status !~ /stunned/ }
# no npc has a spell prepped
# there are no monsters with a nil status
# there's at least one monster that isn't stunned, lets attack that
cast(702, target)
else
# everything's half dead, pick something at random
target = target_list[rand(target_list.length)]
cast(702, target)
end
}
This is, of course, not a full blown hunting script. It's just some code I wrote up just now as an example. It probably isn't using the spells you want to use at the time you want to use them, but it should give you enough building blocks to write a script that can make much smarter decisions than your standard one-size-fits-all hunting script.