Good practice on a Script question

[dungeonguru]

So I copied a script from a monster that was adding (Humanoid Form Only) to the non-natural weapons and noticed that SRD weapons don't have a livename/sbname on all weapons? Not sure if it's a glitch or intentional but it causes an issue on the statblock where the weapon is listed with just the name " (Humanoid Form Only)."

Is it good practice to call out the base weapon name directly? The script examples are below (both are run in Rendering phase):

OLD SCRIPT (doesn't work):

foreach pick in hero from BaseWep where "!wGroup.Natural"

eachpick.field[livename].text &= " (Humanoid or Hybrid Form Only)"
eachpick.field[sbName].text = eachpick.field[livename].text
nexteach

MY SCRIPT (works OK):

foreach pick in hero from BaseWep where "!wGroup.Natural"

eachpick.field[livename].text = eachpick.field[name].text & " (Humanoid Form Only)"
eachpick.field[sbName].text = eachpick.field[livename].text
nexteach

[Mergon]

I've had the same issue at times when using '&='. Like you, when I use the method you did it works.

I went with the old adage, if a method works, go with it.

[ShadowChemosh]

This is all based on "timing" your script is running too early and Livename has not been set yet.

In addition I would not do a foreach loop with the amount of CPU it requires to just set a name. Why can't you just set the names when you bootstrap?

[Mergon]

I was just commenting on the use of '&='.

I quite agree with ShadowChemosh on this. When bootstrapping I'd go to the fields section of the bootstrapped item. I'd add the field - livename and then the new name.

[dungeonguru]

Originally Posted by ShadowChemosh

In addition I would not do a foreach loop with the amount of CPU it requires to just set a name. Why can't you just set the names when you bootstrap?

I was working on a shapeshifter and I'm lazy enough to want the PC to do the heavy work. I would rather put this into the eval script, so that later when I copy 4 or 5 of the same creature and then go back and give them each different weapons, I don't have to use the Adjustments tab to modify an attack new names and new damages - just go to gear and pick shortsword for one and give another a club. Or (heaven help me), I give a copy of my files to one of my less technical players to keep track of his new lycanthrope PC...

Now for the bite attack the same race gets - that livename gets the "(in beast mode only)" added to the end of the livename/sbName and that's done in the bootstrap rather than a script.