Shadow Battleaxe Classified

Based on game build 714014 | Last updated: 2026-03-07

Overview

shadow_battleaxe_classified is a classified (non-persistent) entity that acts as a talk broker for the Shadow Battleaxe weapon. It handles server-side dispatching of dialogue strings and client-side playback synchronization. It is not added to prefabs directly but attached via AttachClassified on the parent entity (the Shadow Battleaxe) and is only active when the weapon is equipped by a player.

The component interfaces with the talker component of the parent entity to emit dialogue using Say, and it uses networked variables (net_smallbyte, net_tinybyte) to synchronize dialogue state between server and client.

Usage example

-- Internally managed by the Shadow Battleaxe prefab during equip/unequip.
-- This component is attached automatically when the weapon is equipped:
--   parent:AttachClassified(inst)
-- and removed when unequipped:
--   parent:DetachClassified(inst)

Dependencies & tags

Components used: talker (via inst._parent.components.talker:Say(...)) Tags: Adds CLASSIFIED tag.

Properties

Property	Type	Default Value	Description
string_list	net_smallbyte	nil	Networked ID of the current string list (index into STRING_LISTS).
string_id	net_smallbyte	nil	Networked ID of the current string within the list.
sound_override	net_tinybyte	0	Networked sound override ID; triggers saydirty event when > 0.
enabled	boolean	false	Flag indicating whether the classified is active (not used for logic).
timeouttask	task	nil	Server-side delayed task to reset talk state after ~1 second.
hastarget	boolean	nil	Server-side flag indicating whether the current target is the local player.
_parent	entity	nil	Client-side reference to the parent Shadow Battleaxe entity.

Main functions

Say(inst, string_list, string_id, sound_override)

• Description: (Server only) Triggers a dialogue line on the Shadow Battleaxe. Updates networked variables and schedules a timeout to clear the current line. Must only be called on the master simulation.
• Parameters:
  string_list (string) — Key of the string list (e.g., "starving_l2"), corresponding to an entry in STRINGS.SHADOW_BATTLEAXE_TALK.
  string_id (number) — Index into the selected string list.
  sound_override (string) — Path to the sound override (e.g., "rifts4/nightmare_axe/lvl2_talk_LP"). Uses default sound if not found.
• Returns: Nothing.
• Error states: No-op if string_list or string_id are invalid or missing.

SetTarget(inst, target)

• Description: (Server only) Sets the target entity for dialogue (typically ThePlayer). Enables listening to "saydirty" events only if the target matches the local player, to avoid unnecessary talk triggers.
• Parameters:
  target (entity or nil) — The entity to target; nil is treated as the local player.
• Returns: Nothing.

GetTalkSound(inst)

• Description: (Common) Returns the appropriate sound file path based on sound_override. Falls back to a random entry from TALK_SOUNDS.
• Parameters: None.
• Returns: string — Sound file path.
• Error states: Returns a random sound if sound_override ID is invalid.

Events & listeners

• Listens to (client): saydirty — Triggers OnSayDirty, which decodes and speaks the dialogue line on the client using the parent's talker component.
• Listens to (server): saydirty — No-op; client-side only. Server relies on explicit Say() calls.
• Pushes: None.