# How to create a power list? **URL:** \ **Category:** ChoiceScript Help\ **Created:** [February 4, 2020, 3:53am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-create-a-power-list/73355 "2020-02-04T03:53:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ivan\_the\_Sword\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecb155/32.png) [@Ivan\_the\_Sword\_Angel](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Ivan_the_Sword_Angel)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 3:53am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-create-a-power-list/73355/1 "2020-02-04T03:53:46Z")
I’m completely new to choicescript … and programming in general … and I may have hit the ground running a little too hard 😅 trying to make my first game. But I’m determined to complete it and therefore I need to figure out something that seems rather complicated and full of moving parts. I want to make a power list, like what you might see on say Hero or Villain: Genesis, with points to distribute on a number of pre-decided choices, based on a choice that defined the group of powers you could choose from. In essence, what kinda format would that take? Commands, organization, etc. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Ivan\_the\_Sword\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecb155/32.png) [@Ivan\_the\_Sword\_Angel](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Ivan_the_Sword_Angel)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 11:25pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-create-a-power-list/73355/2 "2020-02-11T23:25:25Z")
Anyone? Please? I can’t seem to make it work 😩 I can’t seem to find a guide or helpful post in this area, and my custom solutions have only worked halfway or not at all. Here’s an example of what I’m trying to do. I’m making a game where you’re a mage, and you get to choose from a class of magic at the start (fire, water, etc) and then you choose from a starting list of spells. Some of my list making has worked out, but I’m trying to make different levels of a chosen skill, and if you choose one you lose the option to pick the other. As with this down here, I have two tiers for healing magic. You choose one tier, you can’t stack it with the other. So I assigned a temp point value ‘Healingchoice’, and once you pick one the other becomes unavailable. HOWEVER I can’t seem to make it work with another variable for the cost of mana to buy the spell! I guess two selectable\_if commands can’t occupy the same space? But when I tried to use the if statement with two variables, that produced the same failure! Anyone know what command or correction to make? You have 500 mana points to spend. \*label Holy Holy Spells \*choice \*hide\_reuse \*selectable\_if (Healingchoice = 1) and \*selectable\_if (mana \>= 75) #Basic Healing Magic [+5 Healing][25] \*set Healing + 5 \*set mana - 25 \*set Healingchoice - 1 \*gosub Holy \*hide\_reuse \*selectable\_if (Healingchoice = 1) and \*selectable\_if (mana \>= 75) #Advanced Healing Magic [+10 Healing][75] ---
**Author:** ![LisHz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/lishz/32/257235_2.png) [@LisHz](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/LisHz)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 1:55am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-create-a-power-list/73355/3 "2020-02-12T01:55:06Z")
Let me see if I can help… ``` Welcome Mage! It is time to choose which spells will aid you on your quest. *if spell_type=1 *temp healing_open true *temp healing_type 1 *temp smite false *label Holy [b]Holy Spells[/b] Please select which spells you'd like to learn. *fake_choice *selectable_if ((healing_open) and (mana>=75)) #Basic Healing Magic [+5 Healing; costs 25 mana] *label healing_magic You have chosen @{(healing_type) Basic|Advanced} Healing Magic. This adds @{(healing_type) +5|+10} to your healing and costs @{healing_type 25|75} mana. Are you sure this is what you want to do? *fake_choice #Yes, I'm sure. *temp mana_cost "@{(healing_type) 25|75}" *temp healing_boost "@{(healing_type) 5|10}" *set healing_open false *set mana -(mana_cost) *set healing +(healing_boost) You feel a warm power run through your veins. You still have ${mana} mana left. Do you wish to learn more spells? Your healing power is now ${healing}. *fake_choice #Yes, I do. *page_break *gosub Holy #No, I'm done. *finish #No, I'm not. Very well. Please review the spells carefully. *page_break *gosub Holy *selectable_if ((healing_open) and (mana>75)) #Advanced Healing Magic [+10 Healing; costs 75 mana] *set healing_type 2 *gosub healing_magic *selectable_if ((mana>75) and (smite=false)) #Holy Smite [+10 Ranged Attack; costs 75 mana] You have chosen Holy Smite. This adds +10 to your Ranged Attack and costs 75 mana. Are you sure this is what you want to do? *fake_choice #Yes, I'm sure. *set mana -75 *set ranged +10 *set smite true Power crackles down your arms and into your hands. You still have ${mana} left. Your Ranged Attack is now ${ranged}. Do you wish to learn more spells? *fake_choice #Yes, I do. *page_break *gosub Holy #No, I'm done. *finish #No, I'm not. Very well. Please review the spells carefully. *page_break *gosub Holy #I'm done learning spells. *finish *finish ``` I removed the hide\_reuse as it was causing issues if people decided against a spell. You don’t have temp variables for basic and advanced magic individually because those are combined under the healing\_open variable. This is from startup, btw. ``` *create spell_type 1 *comment 1=holy 2=earth 3=air 4=water *create healing 10 *create mana 500 *create ranged 10 ``` Looking at this there is some repetition. I trimmed it down on the advanced/basic healing bit, but I bet you could write it with some multireplaces so that you only need that list of choices once and every spell has a gosub to them. Anyway. I hope this is helpful. I tested it out in CSIDE and it looks like it works. ---
**Author:** ![LisHz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/lishz/32/257235_2.png) [@LisHz](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/LisHz)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 2:37am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-create-a-power-list/73355/4 "2020-02-12T02:37:34Z")
Here is another way you can set it up. This might be even easier to handle. ``` Welcome Mage! It is time to choose which spells will aid you on your quest. *if spell_type=1 *temp healing_spells false *temp healing_type 1 *temp smite false *temp spell_name "" *temp cost 0 *temp boost 0 *temp descr "" *label Holy *set spell_name "" *set cost 0 *set boost 0 *set descr "" [b]Holy Spells[/b] Please select which spells you'd like to learn. *fake_choice *selectable_if ((healing_spells=false) and (mana>=75)) #Basic Healing Magic [+5 Healing; costs 25 mana] *set spell_name "Basic Healing Magic" *set cost 25 *set boost 5 *set descr "Healing Skill" *gosub spell_choice Your ${descr} is now ${healing}. *set healing +(boost) *set healing_spells true *gosub spell_choice_two *selectable_if ((healing_spells=false) and (mana>75)) #Advanced Healing Magic [+10 Healing; costs 75 mana] *set spell_name "Advanced Healing Magic" *set cost 75 *set boost 10 *set descr "Healing Skill" *gosub spell_choice Your ${descr} is now ${healing}. *set healing +(boost) *set healing_spells true *gosub spell_choice_two *selectable_if ((mana>75) and (smite=false)) #Holy Smite [+10 Ranged Attack; costs 75 mana] *set spell_name "Holy Smite" *set cost 75 *set boost 10 *set descr "Ranged Attack" *gosub spell_choice Your ${descr} is now ${ranged}. *set smite true *set ranged +(boost) *gosub spell_choice_two #I'm done learning spells. *finish *label spell_choice You have chosen ${spell_name}. This spell adds +${boost} to your ${descr} and costs ${cost} mana. Are you sure this is what you want to do? *fake_choice #Yes, I'm sure. *set mana -(cost) Your body warms with power and knowledge. *return *label spell_choice_two You still have ${mana} mana left. Do you wish to learn more spells? *fake_choice #Yes, I do. *page_break *gosub Holy #No, I'm done. *finish #No, I'm not. Very well. Please review the spells carefully. *page_break *gosub Holy *finish ``` ---
**Author:** ![Ivan\_the\_Sword\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecb155/32.png) [@Ivan\_the\_Sword\_Angel](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Ivan_the_Sword_Angel)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 4:55pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-create-a-power-list/73355/5 "2020-02-12T16:55:55Z")
thanks a ton! Either of these two setups should work great for my game 🙂 actually trimmed down even further since I don’t plan to have an ‘are you sure this is what you want?’ choice available ---
**Author:** ![LisHz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/lishz/32/257235_2.png) [@LisHz](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/LisHz)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 5:03pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-create-a-power-list/73355/6 "2020-02-12T17:03:46Z")
I put in the ‘are you sure’ because I know I’ve accidentally hit the wrong choice when reading a game on the bus/etc. But if you don’t need it, then you don’t need it. If you have questions about how/why I coded something, just hit me up and I’ll do my best to explain. Happy writing!