Dummy Elements?

[Godsigma]

Ok, im not a scripter, im a writer and designer. I dont do scripts because it gives me one 'Hel' of a headache for a good reason. so some one give me a simple explanation of what a dummy element and a dummy status are. if their ones i just made and am using that i can deal with but since im not sure i thought i would ask and if it seems a noobish question, ive been using RMXP for over a year on this one game and i just want to finish the scripting so i can move on to the animations and such, i have over 400 sprites and about 30 tile sets to make. all HK so wish me luck on that. but please explain to me WTF a dummy element is.

[legacyblade]

I'm not sure if this is the correct definition, but I think it's an element used by a script that you don't want the user to actually see in the menu. Using a theoretical ABS engine for example (one that hasn't been made, and I don't know if any work like this), say that swords can stab and slash. However, a few big swords can't stab (just because they're freaking huge and it's not plausible to stab with them). So you could add the element "NON-STAB" to every sword you don't want to stab with. But you don't want any menu systems to display that, so you treat it as a dummy element that doesn't get shown to the user.

Or it could just be elements that you're only putting in the editor as dividers to make it easier to keep things organized. (--------Magic Elements--------)

[Aqua]

It can also be used to help configure some scripts that would involve the database without having to configure them in the script.
You'd just have to tick off some check boxes.

[Blizzard]

It's simple. i.e. You give a weapon element 9, but 9 is not a real element, it's used to determine the weapon type with a script. Now, if you give that weapon another normal element (i.e. 4) and you have an enemy that is vulnerable to element 4 (let's say 200%) damage, the actual damage dealt will be 150% because the average of element 4's (200%) and element 9's (100%) vulnerability is 150%, not 200% as it is supposed to be. Element 9 is actually a element and should not be included in the elemental damage calculation. Scripts that mention dummy elements usually have an additional piece of code to do exactly that. That's why there are dummy elements.
With dummy status effects it's a similar story. Basically they are not being displayed in the actor status.

[Godsigma]

ah so its for damage calculation! ok! makes sense! now that i know how to deal with them correctly then i wont have to worry about not being able to finish this section of work! YAY! thanks guyz (And girls if any)!

[Aqua]

What...O.o
They're not for damage calculation...
-___-

[Godsigma]

its the way blizzard explained it! if enemie a is weak to elements 1 and strong to 9, where 1 is fire and element 9 is a dummy element, instead of it doing only 150% damage from miscalculating that as an actual strength, it says oh, i need to do this instead of redoing damage. this way it know what kind of pain to dish out so if 9 is 'Odin angry smite morons' then instead of altering damage it will do the smiting. Make more sense how i see it now? or do i need to uselessly explain that i smoke too many herbs to keep track of it all?

[Blizzard]

No, you got it right. If an element isn't marked as a dummy, it will be included in the damage calculation which will give wrong results.

[Aqua]

No... if Element 9 was a dummy element, it wouldn't smite the enemy... o.o
It wouldn't play any part in the damage calculation; only element 1 would.

So it'd do 200% dmg.

[Godsigma]

no argue no argue! all i needed was a stupid question answered! not a war over who was right! dont make me call Cheif SlapAHo!

[Blizzard]

Aqua, that's what I said. It is wasn't a dummy, it would be used in the calculation. If it was, it wouldn't.

[Aqua]

Yeah... what you said was right, Blizz.
But what Godsigma said was not.