How to get range of two numbers?

[Venn]

I am currently working on a isometric tactical RPG called Masanis: Counterpoint of Twilight (working title), similar to Final Fantasy Tactics.

I am working on the code for the experience gain engine. In which the character is required to achieve 100 points of exp to level up for all levels. Depending on the range between the character's level and the defeated NPC's level will determine how much experience is gained from the kill, for example:

Masanis: Counterpoint of Twilight's Experience Table
--------------------------------------------------------------------
NPC lvl 14 or higher > Character recieves 100 EXP
NPC lvl 13 > Character = 95 EXP
NPC lvl 12> Character = 90 EXP
NPC lvl 11> Character = 80 EXP
NPC lvl 10> Character = 75 EXP
NPC lvl 9> Character = 70 EXP
NPC lvl 8> Character = 65 EXP
NPC lvl 7> Character = 60 EXP
NPC lvl 6> Character = 55 EXP
NPC lvl 5> Character = 50EXP
NPC lvl 4> Character = 45 EXP
NPC lvl 3> Character = 40 EXP
NPC lvl 2> Character = 35 EXP
NPC lvl 1> Character = 30 EXP
NPC lvl = Character = 25 EXP
NPC lvl 1< Character = 20 EXP
NPC lvl 2< Character = 15 EXP
NPC lvl 3< Character = 10 EXP
NPC lvl 4<Character = 5 EXP
NPC lvl 5 or less < Character = 1 EXP
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Problem is, I need to have the range between the two levels returned in a variable. So I can use it to determine the experience gained. Example: Character's Level = 12 and the NPC's Level = 15, which would give me a range of three and character would then recieve 40EXP.

My question is: How would you go about getting the range between the two number's returned numericly? Any ideas would be a great help. Thank you very much for your time and knowledge.

P.s I did look in the help files and did not see it and tried everthing I can think of .

[shadow=blue,left,300]- Venn

[/shadow][/size]

[Nailog]

Well, let's examine that mathematically.

You start off at 25 exp as a base.

If the enemy is lower level than the character, you subtract 5 * the number of levels, to a limit of 5. If the experience would be 0 or lower, it becomes 1.

If the enemy is higher level, you add 5 * the number of levels, to a limit of of 14. If the experience gained was above 100, it was brought back to 100.

Turn this into a script using the character level and the enemy level as arguments and you have what you need.

script get_kill_exp

//
// get_kill_exp(lvlKiller, lvlKilled)
//
//Returns exp gained based on the level of the killer, and the level of the killed unit.
// lvlKiller : Level of the unit that made the kill
// lvlKilled : Level of the unit killed
{

var lvlKiller, lvlKilled, iExp;

lvlKiller = argument0;
lvlKilled = argument1;
iExp = 25;

iExp = iExp + (sign(lvlKilled - lvlKiller) * 5 * abs(lvlKilled - lvlKiller));

if (iExp > 100) iExp = 100;
if (iExp < 1) iExp = 1;

return iExp;

}


You could make a bunch of if statements to do the same thing, but this seems easier. To use it, you'd do something like ...

exp_gain = get_kill_exp(5, 8);

In that case, if the killer was lower level by 3 levels, he'd gain 40 exp.

[Venn]

Thanks alot for the info and code Nailog. That took care of my question better then I had hoped. To be honest you hit nail on the head, I fell into using the old faithfull "If Statments." Still learning augmenting but I do understood how you used them in this code.

[shadow=red,left,300]Thanks Again,
- Venn[/shadow]

[Nailog]

Looking back on it, I made it slightly more complicated than it needs to be. Instead of ...

iExp = iExp + (sign(lvlKilled - lvlKiller) * 5 * abs(lvlKilled - lvlKiller));

... you can use ...

iExp = iExp + (5 * (lvlKilled - lvlKiller));

Sorry about that.