Can't spawn NPC in Five Flagons

[jemapa]

Hi, noob modder here, working on my first NPC and running into a problem.

I'm following along with Kulyok's Branwen mod (http://www.pocketplane.net/mambo/index.php?option=content&task=blogcategory&id=113&Itemid=84) and I have all the basics working - my NPC is in the game, her initial dialogue works, and when she joins the party all of her stats and equipment are correct.

I cannot, for the life of me, get her to spawn in the Five Flagons Inn (AR0509). Using EXTEND_TOP to extend each area's script, I've gotten her to spawn in AR0700 (Waukeen's Promenade), AR0704 (Mithrest Inn), and even AR0522 (the "Bard Stronghold" version of the Five Flagons), but in AR0509, she just won't appear. I even tried modifying Branwen's files to start her in AR0509, and she doesn't spawn either.

Using Near Infinity, I noticed that AR0509 doesn't have a script associated to it. Could that be the culprit? Does EXTEND_TOP not work if the area doesn't have a script to begin with? If so, how do I work around that? And if not, what else could be the problem?

[Roxanne]

 

Hi, noob modder here, working on my first NPC and running into a problem.

I'm following along with Kulyok's Branwen mod (http://www.pocketplane.net/mambo/index.php?option=content&task=blogcategory&id=113&Itemid=84) and I have all the basics working - my NPC is in the game, her initial dialogue works, and when she joins the party all of her stats and equipment are correct.

I cannot, for the life of me, get her to spawn in the Five Flagons Inn (AR0509). Using EXTEND_TOP to extend each area's script, I've gotten her to spawn in AR0700 (Waukeen's Promenade), AR0704 (Mithrest Inn), and even AR0522 (the "Bard Stronghold" version of the Five Flagons), but in AR0509, she just won't appear. I even tried modifying Branwen's files to start her in AR0509, and she doesn't spawn either.

Using Near Infinity, I noticed that AR0509 doesn't have a script associated to it. Could that be the culprit? Does EXTEND_TOP not work if the area doesn't have a script to begin with? If so, how do I work around that? And if not, what else could be the problem?

 

EXTEND_TOP creates a new script if it does not find an existing one to add to..

 

To make it work for the area you need to do two things -

1. associate the script with the area (can be done by editing the area file in NI.)

2. make the game use the new area file in game (if you just reload a savegame, it will use the old saved area) So to do this you can either

2a. start from a save where you have NEVER before been to that area (if by chance you have one)

or 2b. open a save in NI, select Baldur.sav, decompress it, navigate to your area in the list, open it, associate the script, save it, compress baldur.sav again (Instead of editing it you can also just delete it from the list + compress, in this case it will be just like 2a, i.e it is as if you have never been there.

[jemapa]

Thanks so much for the help! I've associated the script to the area in NI and it's working now. I moved the modified ARE file into my mod's folder and added a command in my TP2 to copy it over during the installation.

 

One thing I'm concerned about, isn't doing it this way bad for compatibility? Like, if another mod made changes to this area, mine would overwrite them since I'm completely replacing the ARE file. Is there no way to dynamically patch the script into the area using weidu?

[Roxanne]

Thanks so much for the help! I've associated the script to the area in NI and it's working now. I moved the modified ARE file into my mod's folder and added a command in my TP2 to copy it over during the installation.

 

One thing I'm concerned about, isn't doing it this way bad for compatibility? Like, if another mod made changes to this area, mine would overwrite them since I'm completely replacing the ARE file. Is there no way to dynamically patch the script into the area using weidu?

Copying over would indeed be bad.

Use

COPY_EXISTING ~ar0509.ARE~ ~override~

WRITE_ASCII 0x94 ~ar0509~

 

Offset 94 is where the area script is defined, so here we add ar0509.bcs. So this would only add the script without any effect on other things in the area.

[jemapa]

Perfect, thanks again! Works great.