How to keep track of CombatTarget?

[staalo18]

How can I track whenever the CombatTarget of an actor is changing? Something like an event OnCombatTargetChange() would be nice, but that does not exist.

Any ideas welcome!

 

[scorrp10]

Shouldn't this Actor Event work?

; Event that is triggered when this actor's combat state against the target changes
; State is as follows:
; 0 - not in combat
; 1 - in combat
; 2 - searching
Event OnCombatStateChanged(Actor akTarget, int aeCombatState)
EndEvent

I mean, if an Actor switches to another target, would it not generate a OnCombatStateChanged(newTarget, 1) ?

[staalo18]

Unfortunately, no. No event is triggered until the combat state changes from 1 to 0 or 2. That means that a combattarget change (without combate state changing) does not fire this event.

 

However, I think I have a solution (implementing it right now):

 

I will be using a ReferenceAlias "CombatTarget", which is filled with the current combat target of the actor (also tracked via a RefAlias in the same quest), and a Scene which tracks the actual CombatTarget of the actor against this ReferenceAlias via the "IsCombatTarget" condition:

Phase 1 is active as long as the condition check "IsCombatTarget" of the actor against the ReferenceAlias "CombatTarget" returns true. As soon as the actor's CombatTarget changes, the condition is no longer true, and Phase 2 starts (which is active as long as the condition check returns false). In the Phase 2 script fragment the ReferenceAlias is updated to the new target. That will make the scene will return to Phase 1, until the target changes again. Phase 3 is if the actor is not in combat (sets CombatTarget Alias to None).

As a result, the ReferenceAlias "CombatTarget" will always hold the up-to-date combat target of the actor.

 

 

[scorrp10]

I dunno...    if this is just for a specific short period in a quest...  

In the script attached to alias whose target you wish to track:

bool TrackTargetChange = false
Actor CurrentCombatTarget = None
Float TargetCheckIntervalSeconds = 1.0

Function StartTargetChangeTracking()
	TrackTargetChange = true
	CurrentCombatTarget = GetRef().GetCombatTarget()
	RegisterForSingleUpdate(TargetCheckIntervalSeconds)
EndFunction

Event OnUpdate()
	If TrackTargetChange
		If GetRef().GetCombatTarget() != CurrentCombatTarget
			CurrentCombatTarget = GetRef().GetCombatTarget()
			Debug.Trace("Combat Target changed to " + CurrentCombatTarget)
			; Do stuff
		EndIf
		If TrackTargetChange
			RegisterForSingleUpdate(TargetCheckIntervalSeconds)
		EndIf
	EndIf
EndEvent

I suppose the scene option will work as well.   I.e. looking at a scene where Camilla shows player the way to Bleak Falls Barrow, scene completion condition is her being less than a certain distance from a marker, so while the scene is running, it must be constantly polling for that condition.

[Sphered]

There's a magiceffect condition you could play with. In theory you could apply that effect to a cloak ability with no damage. A script or shader or whatever else would then apply, but only as long as IsCombatTarget is true

Not tested... and could well be one of those dormant conditions that do not do as they sound like they would. Basically just try it out