Creature re-creation for BGII, help needed

[Ipsy]

I'm already satisfied that things are working as they should, so I'll have to change AreaCheck("AR1200") to something else that ensures the spawning will occur in any outdoor, above-ground area that's not a city or a dungeon. I may need to limit the number of places this may happen, but that's OK. So, my thinking is to write something like "OR !AreaType(CITY) !AreaType(DUNGEON)", etc., but I'm sure that's not exactly the way to write it. I'd rather avoid having to supply a list of area numbers, but instead specify by excluding inappropriate types of areas, as I'm hoping this will simplify things a bit. Is this a workable approach? If so, how should this be set up?

Hopefully someone with more knowledge of this will correct me if I'm wrong, but to make the beast only spawn in forest areas, it should be !AreaType(CITY) !AreaType(DUNGEON) with no OR. Keep in mind I haven't tested this in-game.

[ericp07]

I'm already satisfied that things are working as they should, so I'll have to change AreaCheck("AR1200") to something else that ensures the spawning will occur in any outdoor, above-ground area that's not a city or a dungeon. I may need to limit the number of places this may happen, but that's OK. So, my thinking is to write something like "OR !AreaType(CITY) !AreaType(DUNGEON)", etc., but I'm sure that's not exactly the way to write it. I'd rather avoid having to supply a list of area numbers, but instead specify by excluding inappropriate types of areas, as I'm hoping this will simplify things a bit. Is this a workable approach? If so, how should this be set up?

Hopefully someone with more knowledge of this will correct me if I'm wrong, but to make the beast only spawn in forest areas, it should be !AreaType(CITY) !AreaType(DUNGEON) with no OR. Keep in mind I haven't tested this in-game.

 

Thanks for that...it's what I was thinking as the way to set this up, and another modder suggested the same. I added AreaType(OUTDOOR) and both of the conditions you mentioned, and reinstalled the mod. Now I can test again

 

- E

[ericp07]

I had a visual effect set to play when the creature changes forms, but for some reason it doesn't play anymore. Someone suggested I add a Wait(1) to the script, just before the second creature form is created. I did so, but now the creature doesn't change forms at all!

 

Here's what I have for the script to change the creature from one form to the other:

 

IF
See(NearestEnemyOf(Myself))
Global("TimerStarted","LOCALS",0)
THEN
RESPONSE #100
SetGlobal("TimerStarted","LOCALS",1)
StartTimer("PanthAttack",12)
END
IF
TimerExpired("PanthAttack")
THEN
RESPONSE #100
CreateVisualEffectObject("SPPOLYMP","Myself")
Wait(1)
CreateCreature("EP#MABCS",[-1.-1],0)
DestroySelf()
END

 

How do I fix this? The result I'm after is that the creature attacks the party, then changes after two combat rounds to its second form and continues to fight.

 

Thanks,

Eric

[ericp07]

The Beast of Malar is finished I now have a creature that will have a chance to spawn anywhere from 0 to 6 hunting panthers I call Panther of Malar, shortly after my NPC joins, then once a day, in any outdoor, non-city area. They spawn not far from the NPC, and attack the party on sight. After two melee rounds, the Panther of Malar shifts forms to the claw slayer I call the Slayer of Malar. It fights to the death, and leaves lootable fangs and claws that the NPC must collect in order to receive special benefits. There will be five encounters in all, leading up to a "boss" fight with a priest of Malar and his cohorts (maybe a fallen ranger, definitely evil lycanthropes, likely a couple more Beasts of Malar or so).

 

I believe that wraps up this portion of the mod. Now to focus on the NPC herself.

 

Cheers,

Eric

[ericp07]

A funny thing happened to me as I was again testing the Beast of Malar in-game...

 

I noticed that, after killing one of the creatures and looting the claws and fangs, you can equip these items in the quick item slot! That was unexpected and unwanted, so I knew I had to change something. Also, someone mentioned that the claw and bite attacks shouldn't be lootable, as a character might be able to wield these as weapons, which I also didn't want to happen.

 

My solution was to first duplicate the .itm files for the claw and bite attacks, renaming them to distinguish from the originals, then to set the attack items as undroppable. Next, I removed the melee abilities from the duplicated items, since I want those to be items with no use other than to collect as loot (I'll set things up in my mod so these can be traded for improved gear for my NPC). Finally, I set these loot items as unsellable, and doing this fixed the items so that they can't be equipped anymore ("wrong item type"). Problem solved

 

Nice learning experience here, partly intuition, and partly Zyraen's patient guidance

Thanks,

Eric

[Guest Guest_erik_*]

if you're going to do that, you will need to use CreateCreatureOffScreen() or CreateCreatureObjectOffset() rather than CreateCreature().

CreateCreatureOffscreen is a bit painful in small-to-medium areas with the widescreen mod. I have a bug related to that in Full Plate I really need to fix one of these days...

[berelinde]

Yes, I've had some difficulties with that, as well. These days, I find myself using CreateCreatureObjectOffset() and CreateCreatureObject() far more often.

[ericp07]

Yes, I've had some difficulties with that, as well. These days, I find myself using CreateCreatureObjectOffset() and CreateCreatureObject() far more often.

 

Shucks, and here I thought it was all finished...how would this change the behavior, and what would be the advantage?

 

Edit: CreateCreatureObject() will spawn the creature too close to the party. The pack leader spawns close enough already, and the fights are brutal! Better to not be surprised by these things.

 

Thanks,

Eric