Topic: Vehicle event flags

[avalanche]

I'm trying to figure out what event flag instructs the game to run the event that occurs the first time the Enterprise goes down the hole after Agart.  Opening the hole only sets 30, and the initial event sets flag 32 (hex) which renders the Enterprise unusable for a while.  But that flag gets cleared later.  After you drill back up with the Falcon later, I assume you could still get on the Enterprise and head down the hole, so what flag prevents/forces that initial event?

[chillyfeez]

Not positive about this, but the routine may not repeat if a certain flag is set.
That's the way the tower of zot works.
Giving the crystal to the clerics sets the flag that makes Kain take you to zot.
During that event, another flag is set that makes that event not happen again, but when both are set the enterprise automatically goes to zot.
At the top of the tower, that first flag gets cleared, and without the first flag set, the second flag won't make you go to zot.

So if I had to guess, I'd say the "fixing the enterprise" flag negates a repeat of the initial descent event.

[LordGarmonde]

I never quite liked how the Zot system worked. It may be because I didn't actually know for years that there was Flame Armor on the 1st Floor... It may have been that I didn't actually know that you could leave at will...   

Seriously though - I just didn't like it, you could leave at will, but it took your airship out of action; so when you wanted to go buy some Mythril equipment you had to go get a Black Chocobo 

Though I don't think you should be able to leave Zot I noticed it was on a trigger which forced your landing. Would it make any sense to set something up in Troia that does that - I mean talking to the Clerics sets it up so that the Airship then triggers the event - but what about talking to the Crystal (or something) and then you walk out of the room -- rising ship -- then you're in Zot (possible with no escape!)... Thoughts?  What can I say: that Tower is just one thing that always bugged me...

[chillyfeez]

Sorry, LordGarmonde. Personally, I'm kinda pro-zot in general.
But you can do whatever you see fit in your own hacking endeavors, and I don't entirely dislike your idea. After all, the clerics "lend" you their crystal (so you can trade it for your girlfriend... I wonder is they really knew what the whole plan was), so you could initiate the trip to zot by taking thee cryasta. That makes sense, but yeah, in that case I think you shouldn't be able to leave after that.

[Grimoire LD]

I always liked the concept of the Tower of Zot, a tower hidden in the sky (as evidenced by FFIV:DS and Amano's original illustrations), ruled by a powerful being of the air that only if one knew where it was located in the sky, could be accessed.

As for its execution in FFIV... it did feel a bit cheap that they took the approach they did.

I honestly don't think the Clerics had any idea what was going on. The flow of events seem to be this...

(Not actually said, but they seem to act as if Cecil is asking for the crystal) "Cecil: Can I borrow the Earth Crystal?" "Cleric: If you can get it back from the Dark Elf, sure. Favor for a favor."

Then...

"Clerics: You got the crystal back!" (Dark booming voice from above rings out) "Kain: Well done; Cecil, I will take you to where Rosa is."

"Clerics: Seems you have some situation of your own. You can Borrow the Crystal, but make sure to return it!"

(Cecil never gets back to them)

This may somewhat explain why Troia in particular is the most suspicious of Cecil in The After Years since he blatantly breaks his promise and only ever gets them back the Earth Crystal when the entire situation is said and done.

Your approach to make the Crystal itself a warping point (or start an automatic sequence of events) where Cecil resolves to trade the Earth Crystal for Rosa and only then Kain is called and the Tower of Zot entrance is a one way trip, I could see that working well within the context.

[LordGarmonde]

Sorry, LordGarmonde. Personally, I'm kinda pro-zot in general.

Zot and I just got off on the wrong foot really - I seriously played this game for 20 years before realizing you could leave...I just never thought to try it...   - And... no Zot and no Meteo-Vengence 

But you can do whatever you see fit in your own hacking endeavors, and I don't entirely dislike your idea. After all, the clerics "lend" you their crystal (so you can trade it for your girlfriend... I wonder is they really knew what the whole plan was), so you could initiate the trip to zot by taking thee cryasta. That makes sense, but yeah, in that case I think you shouldn't be able to leave after that.

The dungeon itself is great - my problems were with the travel. When you leave in the end it's via Teleport - back to Baron...with the now Remote-Controlled Airship. I would not doubt Cid being able to make that, it just didn't feel right. Same with asking Clerics for their holy relic to borrow to you can exchange it for a girl to whom your not yet married...    Though somehow growing up I questioned that less than I did teleporting back to Baron.

Here's a question that just sprang to mind. I'd have to test again but I feel like I remember at one point playing a modified game where I could fly the Enterprise around the Underworld freely - but not the Falcon - because I didn't upgrade it yet. I was clearly not playing as intended, so that behavior may have arisen from that - but are they treated separately as far as where they are able to fly? I'd have thought that the flag that sets the Falcon to allow travel over lava would also impact the Enterprise - since I know if I take the Enterprise down later to pick up Excalibur (etc.) there's no problem flying over. I'll look into it a bit and report back - but if anyone already knows off hand please feel free to set me straight. I know story-wise that's why Cid took off with the ship originally - but I'm think flag/game-wise.

[LordGarmonde]

Your approach to make the Crystal itself a warping point (or start an automatic sequence of events) where Cecil resolves to trade the Earth Crystal for Rosa and only then Kain is called and the Tower of Zot entrance is a one way trip, I could see that working well within the context.

I kinda self-imposed that one on myself...unintentionally.. 

I always liked the concept of the Tower of Zot, a tower hidden in the sky (as evidenced by FFIV:DS and Amano's original illustrations), ruled by a powerful being of the air that only if one knew where it was located in the sky, could be accessed.

I hadn't realized that - it's kinda like the Sky Palace back from FF I...which as I think about it has exactly that kind of mechanism I'm suggesting...get the CUBE (English CAPS - lol) - and then walk into the teleporter 

[avalanche]

So if I had to guess, I'd say the "fixing the enterprise" flag negates a repeat of the initial descent event.

I think the enterprise-damaged flag is 32.  I think the only flag changes when the enterprise is fixed is that 32 is cleared. I'll have to double check to be sure another isn't set.  There must be another at least used in tandem. There are any number of other flags set in the underground. For example, if the drill flag being clear triggers it alone then I think that could work. You don't have the drill the first time, and the next time you are able to try going down the hole in the enterprise you have the drill flag so it wouldn't re-run that event.