When you set the value to 1 it should remain 1 and be saved as 1 until you change the value with a script call.
Hmm, this seems contrary to what I've experienced. I don't have access to the files at the moment, but I recall that scripts which I had designed to spawn additional creatures on combat start (just once ever), would spawn creatures on combat start every time (after feeling), regardless of a flag variable.
Indeed! Thank you again for the effort Abraxas, it's nice to know that a strategy like this is possible, whether or not it would be safe/would require significant testing before implementation.
flag to ... allow the engine to clean up the majority of characters.
Certainly would be a nice addition.
Probably the largest benefit of such cleanup, apart from save file reduction, is that the scripts would no longer need to be loaded in/their events would no longer need to fire. Much of the original scripting of DoS shows how critical this can be; as an example, rats and other critters have scripting that includes a very frequent, permanent, timer. Even if the creature is dead, this timer remains.
@Ameranth: Setting characters on- and off-stage is the last thing to test, I guess. Would be more safe than destruction, I suppose. But will it have the same power?
Doubtful that it will, though it certainly seems to prevent script events from firing, which is helpful for performance in any case. Also, it was intended to find any bugs that might be appear if a creature needed by a script was "missing."
