A male npc romanceable concept

[aeviannce24]

Ok, I merely said I had no clue how to code it. I'm no good with areas and things like that.

 

Icen

 

Oh ok, sorry, my bad

[aeviannce24]

Hi guys!

 

Guess what, I've finished the side project I was making a week ago and if you want, you could download it at this link:

 

http://www.shsforums.net/index.php?autocom...mp;showfile=687

 

It has quite a number of bugs no doubt but please try it and do give comments or suggestions if you want, anything will help me greatly!

 

Many thanks to Icendoan, Mike1072 and Ardanis for all your help!!

 

The reason for the side project is for me to get familiar with mod making, specially kit mods since I'll be using the things I learned for this mod.

 

So anyway, I've been looking at special ability of the PC - Slayer Change, and I was wondering if someone could tell me how does the Slayer Change REALLY works? (you know, with the "you're slowly loosing grip" and "I choose to become a slayer" etc.)

 

Again, thanks for all your help!

[Icendoan]

I'm not sure how it does the dialogue, personally...

 

Looking at all the versions of SLAYER*.spl, none of them has anything that starts a dialogue, in fact, I don't know which one is the the PC's slayer change, I assume SLAYER2.spl

 

It changes your Animation, well, Polymorph into Specific.

 

It protects from Charm, Confusion, Unconsciousness, a load of spells, Disintergrate, Petrification and Imprisonment.

 

It attacks *you* with nearly 1600 magic damage!

 

It then casts BESERK on you about 10 times, each with a delay.

 

I know this isn't what you were looking for, but it doesn't reference dialogue in any way! I suggest using NI to reference SLAYER2.spl in dialogue and scripts, in case there is a match that starts the dialogue.

 

Icen

[aeviannce24]

Hmm... thanks for the info Icen and I think I know how to work around it!

 

Anyway, is it possible to add an animation to the game other than overriding one animation? I was looking at the animation ids and I'm guessing It can be done but, I'm not really sure how since the last time I check, modders with the similar idea just override some not very used animation ids like the shade lord and others for their mods. Can I append my animation somehow?

 

Thanks in advance!

[aeviannce24]

Uhh... anyone got an idea?

 

I've been scanning on 2da tables and I really think creating a new animation instead of replacing one can really be done. So, anyone got some ideas with this?

[aeviannce24]

Hey guys, its me again. I just got back from a 2 year hiatus with some questions.

 

I was looking at the class "Avenging Slayer." I find it to be quite perfect for him and decided to make the kit. In the wiki, it was stated that experienced Slayers gets more confident for each enemy they fell. I was thinking of adding this ability to the kit.

 

What I intended to do was give him a dice chance to get +1 damage, -1 bonus to Thac0, or 1/2 attacks per round in random, for every enemy he kills from a level 12 and on. It seems that there is no specific command for a spcl that would make this happen.

 

Is there a way to work around this? Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!

[berelinde]

I don't know how I managed to miss this thread back in 2008. IIRC, I was going through a serious burnout phase and paying little attention to the forums, so maybe that's why.

 

Anyway, first to answer your question. It is very difficult to detect an enemy's death in the Infinity Engine. Other engines seem to have functions that allow it, but there is no neat, clean way of doing it in BG2. There is a Died() trigger in the IESDP that can be called in a creature's override script, but not all creatures in the game *have* an override script, and even when they do, the Died() trigger is rather unreliable. Even if you do decide to go that route, it would mean appending the script of every creature in the game, and that's a daunting prospect. You might be better off finding a workaround that would mimic the behavior you want. Maybe you could give him a special ability that he can use X times per day, where X increases with his level? Yes, it would be cool to tie this ability to the kills he makes, but there's no way to do it using the Infinity Engine.

 

Or, even better, you could add something to your own creature's override script that would set a short timer when combat begins. When the timer expires, if the NPC is still in combat, the script could apply a spell that would give him a boost to his abilities. This would imply that he's actually making kills. I'm no scripting genius, but you might be able to use something like this. It would go in his override script.

 

IF 
Global("##CombatBonus","LOCALS",0)
CombatCounterGT(0)
InParty(Myself)
!StateCheck(Myself,CD_STATE_NOTVALID) // the code for this is posted elsewhere
THEN 
RESPONSE #100
	SetGlobalTimer("##CombatTimer","GLOBAL",THREE_ROUNDS)
	SetGlobal("##CombatBonus","LOCALS",1)
END 

IF 
Global("##CombatBonus","LOCALS",1)
GlobalTimerExpired","GLOBAL")
CombatCounterGT(0)
InParty(Myself)
!StateCheck(Myself,CD_STATE_NOTVALID)
THEN
RESPONSE #100
	ReallyForceSpell("##myspel",Myself)
	SetGlobal("##CombatBonus","LOCALS",0)
END 

IF 
Global("##CombatBonus","LOCALS",1)
GlobalTimerExpired","GLOBAL")
OR(3)
	!CombatCounterGT(0)
	!InParty(Myself)
	StateCheck(Myself,CD_STATE_NOTVALID)
THEN
RESPONSE #100
	SetGlobal("##CombatBonus","LOCALS",0)
END

 

You could give the spell a duration of whatever time you liked, but I would recommend something short, like 5 minutes or so. ## is your modder prefix. You need one of those to avoid overwriting other modders' variables and file names. Black Wyrm Lair maintains the list, but I'm unable to access the forum to give you a link. Not sure whether that's because I'm IP banned (unlikely, but possible, I suppose) or because the site is experiencing an outage.

 

Before you go through all that, though, there is something to think about. Do you want to create a new kit or do you want to make a joinable NPC? According to this poll, less than 1% of players select NPCs because of the kits, spells, and items they bring to the party. I understand your desire to get the details right, but if it's giving you headaches, don't worry about it. Players will still like your NPC just fine if he comes with nothing but himself.

 

You said that you wanted to work these things out to acquaint yourself with the engine and its capabilities, right? In my semi-limited experience, kit/item/spell modding is completely different from NPC/quest modding. With kits/items/spells, you are dealing with small, fixed files. With NPCs or quests, you are making pathways for the player to interact with creatures or situations. With NPCs or quests, you are dealing primarily with dialogue coding and scripts. You could always practice modding by making a test NPC and getting that NPC in the party. After you've accomplished that much, you will probably know enough about coding and scripting to expand the concept.

 

In either case, people are usually only too happy to help you work out the kinks. The forum is full of threads asking for advice on how to do something or how to unravel a cryptic WeiDU error message. That's one of the reasons forums exist. Also, the more progress you make, the easier it becomes to find help with the details. I don't know how other people feel about it, but if I see a thriving project that is halted by an obstacle, I'm more willing to help the modder overcome it. It isn't because I'm mean-spirited, it's just that the biggest obstacle new modders face is trying to do too much too soon. It is easier for me to troubleshoot "Lexor error: empty token" than it is for me to offer a coherent suggestions to a new modder who wants to make a total conversion.

 

Happy holidays and good luck with Valleth!

[ericp07]

Looks like a character concept with great potential! I didn't have a problem with the ability scores, but I don't follow the majority opinions on what constitutes an overpowered character (this comes from my role-playing background, and I realize that everyone's experience is different). If I may make a suggestion, subtract one point from CHA, and give it to DEX. A Kensai doesn't get as much defensive protection as many other characters, so a high DEX will help his AC. Adjusting scores depends on what your vision of the character is. It's good to have a balance of strengths and weaknesses, but not if the weakness is crippling. Just something to keep in mind

 

I hope to see this mod develop, as there's plenty of room in the game for another Kensai (which is one of the coolest kits in the game, IMHO), and it looks to me like the character will be very interesting to get to know and to be a good companion for the PC!

 

Happy modding,

Eric

[aeviannce24]

Thanks for the confidence boost Eric! Thank you too, berelinde for having the time to explain the code and how the forum ticks. I really appreciate it! (a real confidence booster ).

 

berelinde, the code is a really good idea. I think I can manage to get that one done. I have a question though: DLTC displays a variety of scripts types, like the override script, class script, etc. How are they different with one another?

 

Making the kit didn't gave me much of a problem, though assigning the kit to the .cre left me clueless. (CamDawg's kit tutorial was of great help.) What's giving me headache is the romance itself. I'm not quite versed in making fully interactive scripts yet. (managed to get him in-game and join the party with a simple script though. Thanks to ace.) But as of now, I'm trying to focus more on the romance dialogs and banters itself. It turns out that I haven't quite put in mind how I could write his dialogs to... well, be coherent with his persona as well as how the pc would say in reply.

 

Oops, I've babbled long enough. Sorry about that

[aeviannce24]

Updates! From hereon, I'll be giving updates about everything Valleth. Any comments are greatly appreciated.

 

First off, I decided to re-evaluate his stats. The reason for this is since generally he is a fighter and can't dual-class, The only important stats for him would be his str, dex and con. Other stats are just like icing on a cake. Sure, he may look overpowered, but given his item restrictions and what-nots, I think he'll be fairly balance for the game. (and still strong enough to overwhelm tactics and scsII >)

 

STR: 17

DEX: 18

CON: 16

INT: 14

WIS: 15

CHA: 13

 

Okay, so here's my analysis:

INT 14 - he has survived decades upon decades of constant fighting and ambushes. Surely he would have a good amount of wit about him.

WIS 15 - experience has taught him who to trust, and who to kill.

CHA 13 - despite his callous nature, he is in some merit a competent leader and is quite a handsome creature.

 

Changed his class to Avenging Slayer:

Avenging slayers are fighters who see it as their duty to deal justice in a cruel and unforgiving world plagued by monsters and villains. These would-be heroes seek out the seeds of future destruction to prevent new further suffering and to quench the thirst for vengeance that many feel.

 

Advantages:

- Bonus +2 to AC.

- He gains another +1 bonus to his armor class every 5 levels.

- +1 bonus to save vs. death every 3 levels.

- Immune to fear and morale failure.

- Executioner's Eyes: At the 12th level, each attack has a chance to inflict fear on his target. (save vs. spell negates)

- Wrathful Urge: At the 18th level, With every hit it has a 15% chance of dealing 10d20 damage on target (no save) as well as hasting himself for 10 seconds.

- May use 'Fury Blow' ability one time per day for every 3 levels (does not start at first level): For two rounds, all his attacks will deal critical damage. Nearby enemies will be inflicted with fear if fails to save vs. spells (-4 penalty).

- At the 15th level, gains 'Retribution' ability one time per day for every 5 levels: Deals 10d12 damage buffeting away enemies surrounding the fighter. Causes fear, stun or enfeeblement at random (no save).

 

Disadvantages:

- Cannot be evil.

- Can only be of Neutral or Chaotic alignment.

- May not wear better than studded leather armor.

- No High Level Abilities.

- Cannot Dual Class.

 

Wrathful Urge ability will be replaced by berelinde's code if I can find a way to make it an ap. Otherwise, I'll just stick with this one.

 

Oh yeah, I also found a suitable portrait for him! However, I don't know how to post it here.

 

Again, my main concern right now is writing up a good romance. So that would be all for now. Once again, any comments or suggestions are very much welcomed!

[aeviannce24]

Or, even better, you could add something to your own creature's override script that would set a short timer when combat begins. When the timer expires, if the NPC is still in combat, the script could apply a spell that would give him a boost to his abilities. This would imply that he's actually making kills. I'm no scripting genius, but you might be able to use something like this. It would go in his override script.

 

Is there a way to make this level dependent? I want this ability to be available when he reaches a certain level. Thanks!

[aeviannce24]

Hmm... I was wondering, is it possible to add or append a reply to a pre-existing npc dialog? Let's say that the pc needs to speak first to a certain creature before he/she would have the option of joining him to the party. Is this possible? If so, how?

[berelinde]

Or, even better, you could add something to your own creature's override script that would set a short timer when combat begins. When the timer expires, if the NPC is still in combat, the script could apply a spell that would give him a boost to his abilities. This would imply that he's actually making kills. I'm no scripting genius, but you might be able to use something like this. It would go in his override script.

 

Is there a way to make this level dependent? I want this ability to be available when he reaches a certain level. Thanks!

Yes, you could easily add a LevelGT() trigger to that. The IESDP has the syntax.

 

Hmm... I was wondering, is it possible to add or append a reply to a pre-existing npc dialog? Let's say that the pc needs to speak first to a certain creature before he/she would have the option of joining him to the party. Is this possible? If so, how?

There are two ways to do it. The easiest way is to use an I_C_T, if you want your NPC to interject during the conversation. If you wanted your NPC to say something after the conversation is over, you could set a variable using ADD_TRANS_ACTION and then call it in the script. I can't go into any detail now, since I'm at work and really should be working, but you can read up on it in the WeiDU documentation. If you still have questions once you have done so, we can go over it then.

[jastey]

Adding a reply option for the PC is rather simple, if you know how. You need to know which dialogue file the creature talks with, and which state number you want to add to. Then you can use EXTEND_BOTTOM to add the reply option. Have a look at the WeiDU readme.

Note: Do not use EXTEND_TOP as it adds the reply option as the top one, and with that changes the order of the existing ones (which is bad compatibility wise for mods that add transactions to a certain state).

[PotiusMori]

Just want to say this sounds like a cool mod idea - you can never have too many NPC's to choose from!

 

Sounds like you have a really clear character concept going - I'm sure he'll be really popular. Can't wait to see it finished!!