Naming variables

[Lu]

  Does anybody know if it's safe to use the same name as a death variable and for a global variable?

[SimDing0™]

It should be. Death variables are stored with "SPRITE_IS_DEAD" preceding them, so there shouldn't be any interference.

[Avenger_teambg]

Unless he meant 'SPRITE_IS_DEADMYGLOBAL'

[Lu]

   Can't speak for him, but I've surely never heard of the "SPRITE_IS_DEAD" thingy before, so thank you for the information
   Actually, my question was caused by a less philosophical problem. To make an NPC leave the party when she is dead,
 I use the following block in her script (assuming that the death variable is "A"):
   IF
     InPartyAllowDead(Myself)
     Dead("A")
   THEN
       SetGlobal("A","GLOBAL",1)  // need it for some other reasons
       LeaveParty()
   END
   Sometimes it works, but sometimes it doesn't
   Should I use instead of Dead("A") another trigger, like Die(), or HPLT(Myself,1), or (by what I've just learned)
    Global("SPRITE_IS_DEADA","GLOBAL",1)?

[Ghreyfain]

Global("SPRITE_IS_DEAD") is the most reliable, I find.  Dead() doesn't include things like petrification, chunkification, ice... ification, and so one.  I think.  Actually, I'm not too too sure why Dead() sucks, but it does, so use the global.

[SimDing0™]

But Dead() checks the global... sure you're not thinking of Die() or something? Or BG1.

[Ghreyfain]

Oh, hmm, yeah, could be Die().  Die() sucks, and BG1 sucks because of chunktification not setting SPRITE_IS_DEAD, right?

[devSin]

My initial impression is that the script would tend not to work because the object is already dead. I'm not sure how it works for things in baldur.gam, but I don't think a non-existent object (a "no-corpse" creature, in this case) can be relied upon to execute their scripts. Have you tried externalizing the script (sadly, baldur.bcs may be the only place to go)?

petrification, chunkification, ice... ification

All these chunky deaths should remove the character from the party, though, right? So it's not really worth worrying about in this case.

[Lu]

My initial impression is that the script would tend not to work because the object is already dead

   I had the same doubts before trying the script. But it works more often than not, so hopefully there's no need
 to add the block to baldur.bcs

[Vlasák]

But Dead() checks the global... sure you're not thinking of Die() or something? Or BG1.

afaik from my testing, Die() works well in BG2(+ToB) - the only thing when it fails was the effect of Imprisonment...

[Avenger_teambg]

Dead(S:name*) checks the 'sprite_is_dead' variable
while
Dead(O:object*) checks the object.
The former is in pst, bg1, bg2, iwd the latter is in iwd2.

Die() is triggered only once at the moment of death, and the dead actor's scripts are getting stopped.
So the engine has exactly one AI cycle (i guess), to check on this trigger.
Probably that makes Die() unreliable.

I'm unsure how iwd2's function is working, it won't detect dead objects outside of a given area for sure.