User:Mindtheblob

Hero Targeting

Almost all events require heroes to be targeted for roles. Furthermore, many events require heroes to match roles with specific criteria. There are three main types of roles to consider:

1. Required Roles
2. Optional Roles
3. Forbidden Roles

Required roles are mandatory. If no hero matches a particular required role, the event targeting will fail, and the event will not be in the pool of possible events for the encounter. Optional roles are not mandatory. An event may trigger even if an optional role is not matched. Forbidden roles are forbidden. If a forbidden role is matched to a hero, the event targeting will fail, and the event will not be in the pool of possible events for the encounter.

Note, to make matters more complicated, required roles may have optional targeting preferences, and optional roles may have required score thresholds. These are explained in more detail in the Further Targeting Examples section.

For current purposes, the sub-sections in this section will briefly explain hero scoring, aspects and tests.

Hero Scoring

Required and optional roles are the most common roles to come across in hero targeting. They typically choose their matches by the hero scoring the highest score of a score function. A score function is a function of requirements and their values for the role. These score functions may include, for example, personality or experience stats, specific relationships between heroes, and aspects such as hooks or items.

Examples of Score Functions

Role: hero1

Score Function: LEADER >= 50

This score function only targets the LEADER stat, and has a score threshold of 50 or above. For a hero to match this role, they must have a LEADER stat of 50 or above.

Role: hero1

Score Function: LEADER+HOTHEAD >= 100

This score function targets the sum of the LEADER and HOTHEAD stats of a hero, and has a score threshold of 100 or above. For a hero to match this role, the sum of their LEADER and HOTHEAD stats must be 100 or above.

Hero Aspects

Another common requirement in hero targeting is the listing of Required or Forbidden Aspects. Listed Aspects are required for a hero to match the target role, whereas Forbidden Aspects make a hero with those aspects ineligible for the role. A less common variant of Aspects is Aspects (One of). This variant requires the target to have at least one of the listed aspects.

Continuing with our previous example, lets add a Required and Forbidden Aspect to the role.

Example of Aspects and Score Functions

Role: hero1

Score Function: LEADER >= 50

Aspects: theme_crow

Forbidden Aspects: mystic

This score function only targets the LEADER stat, and has a score threshold of 50 or above. The Aspects lists a required aspect called theme_crow (the aspect for the crow transformation). The Forbidden Aspects lists an aspect called mystic (the hero class). Now, for a hero to match this role, they must have a LEADER stat of 50 or above, have the crow transformation, and not be a mystic.

Note! A similar effect to the Forbidden Aspects example above could be achieved with a Aspects (One of): hunter, warrior.

Hero Tests

A less common requirement is Tests. They are primarily used, when two stats do not want to be mixed in score functions.

Example of Test, Aspect, and Score Function

Role: hero1

Score Function: LEADER >= 50

Aspects: theme_crow

Test: AGE <= 35

This score function only targets the Leader stat, and has a score threshold of 50 or above. The Aspects lists a required Aspect called theme_crow (the aspect for the crow transformation). The Test requires the hero's age to be less than or equal to 35. Now, for a hero to match this role, they must have a LEADER stat of 50 or above, have the crow transformation, and be 35 years of age or younger.

Forbidden Roles

Forbidden roles are far less common. If a forbidden role is matched, the event will not be in the pool of eligible encounter events triggered.

Example of a Forbidden Role

Role: hero1

Forbidden Role: hero2

This event would fail to trigger if the hero2 was matched, in this case, we might assume the event is only available to a one hero party.

Role Names

Important! When reading event targets, the name of a role is just a name. How the role is defined with scoring, aspects and tests, introduced above, determines if a hero can be matched to the role. Typical role names for heroes used in event targets include hero1, hero2, personality names (goofball, healer, etc.), hook, rival, lover, volunteer, and so forth. With this in mind, a role named rival may well only require a certain personality threshold, or alternatively, it may not have any specific requirements at all. Consider the following quiz:

Quiz: Roles Named Rival

Role name: hero1

Let's assume this role will match any hero.

Question: Which One of the Roles Named Rival Requires a Rival?

A) Role name: rival

Aspects: mystic

B) Role name: rival

Score Function: GOOFBALL >= 80

C) Role name: rival

Score Function: RIVAL_WITH.hero1

D) Role name: rival

Score Function: RIVAL_WITH.hero1 >= 1

Answer: D. The score function in C. does not specify a score threshold. This means the role will prefer to target a rival of hero1, but it is not mandatory.

Special Cases of Hero Targeting

In straightforward encounter events, a hero is selected for a single role from the party that triggered the event.

However, there are various special cases, where heroes may be targeted for more than one role, as well as cases, where heroes may be targeted from outside the party.

These special cases are typically used for selecting specific heroes for event choice panels, dialogue, and enabling special choices for heroes with specific requirements. An example of the latter, many transformations have unique choices in certain events, and these are targeted with an optional role, that may well target a hero already matched to another role.

Important! This may result in confusion when interpreting hero targeting. There may be more required roles, than there are required heroes.

At the time of writing, the Wiki does not account for definitions such as fromRoles,notAlreadyMatchedAs, and alreadyMatchedAs in Event Targeting.

The fromRoles definition defines from which roles the role is drawn. The MatchedAs definitions are used to make sure that the same entity is either matched or not matched in another role.

These definitions can currently only be found in the Content Editor. Below, an example is given of what a special case might look like:

Example of a Special Case

Role: hero1 (required)

Score Function: LEADER >= 50

fromRoles: party

Role: rival (required)

Score Function: RIVAL_WITH.hero1 >= 1

Forbidden Aspects: mystic

fromRoles: party

notAlreadyMatchedAs: hero1

Role: hero2 (required)

Forbidden Aspects: mystic

fromRoles: party

notAlreadyMatchedAs: hero1, rival

Role: greedy (required)

Score Function: max(GREEDY, SNARK)

fromRoles: hero1, hero2

This example shows four required roles, but, in fact, only requires three heroes. As we have learned, hero1 requires a LEADER stat threshold, rival is required to be a rival of hero1, and hero2 is required to not be a mystic. Unlike the previous three roles, the greedy role is drawn fromRoles: hero1, hero2 and does not have a notAlreadyMatchedAs definition. The score function in greedy role will target the hero with the highest GREEDY or SNARK stat, but only from the roles hero1 and hero2.

Further Targeting Examples

This section will further examine hero targeting by looking at examples.

Scoring Thresholds vs. No Scoring Thresholds

First, consider the difference between a score function with a threshold, and a score function without a threshold:

Example:

A) Role: bookish (required)

Score Function: BOOKISH >= 80

B) Role: bookish (required)

Score Function: BOOKISH

Lets assume these roles choose a target by score. Example A) requires a BOOKISH score of greater than or equal to 80, and will target the hero with the highest BOOKISH stat. Example B) will target the hero with the highest BOOKISH stat.

The Max Scoring Function

The max(x,y,z) function is the most common function used in hero targeting score functions. It returns the highest value of a set of parameters.

Example:

A) Role: volunteer (required)

Score Function: max(CHARISMA, TENACITY)

Here, the max() function will target the hero with the highest CHARISMA or TENACITY stat.

The max() function can be used with thresholds:

Example:

A) Role: volunteer (required)

Score Function: max(CHARISMA, TENACITY) >= 20

Here, the max() function requires a hero with CHARISMA or TENACITY stat greater than or equal to 20, and will target the hero with the highest CHARISMA or TENACITY stat.

Complex Scoring Functions and Thresholds

So far we've entertained fairly simple score functions. But hero targeting may well look like the example below:

Example:

Role: statPotency (required)

Score Function: (1000*mystic)+((10*max(BOOKISH,POET,SNARK))+POTENCY) >= 1000

This is an example from The Entanglement event. Here, the role requires a hero to pass a score threshold of 1000. The score function uses STATS as well as an ASPECT (mystic).

All aspects have value. For mystic aspect, the value is 1.

The parentheses on the left are then (1000*1) or (1000*0) depending on whether the hero is of the mystic class. In practice, this target will almost exclusively target a hero of the mystic class with the highest stat in BOOKISH, POET, or SNARK (and throw in a little potency for marginal cases).

Note, it is still theoretically possible for the role to target a hero with a very high (100) BOOKISH, POET, or SNARK stat, or a hero with a POET (99) stat and POTENCY (10) stat, for example. For the latter case, the parentheses on the right would read (10*99+10) = 1000.

Relationship Scoring

One of the most common hero targeting functions are relationship scoring functions. Like aspects, relationships have value.

For relationships, the value is between 1 and 5 (a value of 1 being a low one heart (lover)/lightning (rival)/pawn (friend) relationship and 5 being a maxed relationship.

Relationship scoring operates on the same principles already discussed: They may be required (have thresholds) or preferred (lack thresholds).

Important! In relationship scoring, pay attention to the .rolename suffix in the function. This determines the previously targeted role that is the target of the relationship.

Examples:

A) Role: lover (required)

Score Function: LOVER_WITH.hero1 >= 1

Here, any LOVER relationship is required with the role hero1.

B) Role: lover (required)

Score Function: LOVER_WITH.hero1 >= 5

Here, a maxed LOVER relationship is required with the role hero1.

C) Role: lover (required)

Score Function: LOVER_WITH.hero1

Here, a LOVER relationship is preferred, but not mandatory, with hero1 because the score threshold is missing.

D) Role: hero2 (required)

Score Function: SHIP_WITH.hero1 >= 3

Here, any RELATIONSHIP (Friend, Rival, Lover) greater than of equal to level three is required.

E) Role: hero2 (required)

Score Function: PARENT_OF.hero1 >= 1

Here, hero2 must be a parent of hero1.

Theme Eligibility

Theme Eligibility is ubiquitous in almost any event where a theme (transformation, pet) is given. Theme eligibility is quirky. The Content Editor blurb states:

Must be able to get the given theme (doesn't already have the theme, no conflicting themes, has an available slot for one of the theme pieces to go in, and no other heroes already have that theme).

This means there are quite a few checks to pass when an Eligible for Theme is required in hero targeting. Important! No member of the company may have the same theme.

But perhaps the trickiest feature is that there is no way of telling which themes conflict with each other without referral to the wiki or the game files.

Examples:

A) Role: target (required)

Eligible for Theme: bear

Eligible for Theme Piece: tattoo

For a hero to match this target role, no hero in the company must have the bear theme. The hero must not have conflicting themes with the bear theme (wolf), the hero must be eligible for a head slot theme piece.

Case Study: Drifters

Putting it all together. Let's look at a complete case of hero targeting for the Drifters event.

For sake of clarity, fromRoles and notAlreadyMatchedAs definitions, briefly discussed in the previous section, are added.

Role: coward (required)

Score: max(COWARD, BOOKISH, LONER) >= 80

Eligible for Theme: green

Eligible for Theme Piece: tattoo

fromRoles: party

Role: rival (required)

Score: RIVAL_WITH.coward >= 1

Eligible for Theme: green

Eligible for Theme Piece: tattoo

fromRoles: party notAlreadyMatchedAs: coward

Role: leader (required)

Score: LEADER

fromRoles: party notAlreadyMatchedAs: coward , rival

Role: hero (required)

fromRoles: party notAlreadyMatchedAs: leader

The coward role requires a hero with one of the stats of COWARD, BOOKISH, or LONER to be greater than or equal to 80. No one in the company may have the theme green (Sylvan transformation). The hero must not have conflicting themes (wolf, fire, crow, frog, shadow, skeleton). The hero must have an open head theme slot.

The rival role is otherwise similar, but instead of a STAT requirement, the rival role requires a hero that is the rival of the coward role (notice the score threshold).

The leader role prefers a hero with a high LEADER stat (notice the lack of a score threshold).

The hero role has no requirements. Notice that the notAlreadyMatchedAs definition only defines the leader role. This means that the hero role may match with the same hero that is matched in the coward or rival roles, meaning that the event can actually be triggered with only three heroes.