Add BG:EE area to IWD:EE

[pete_smith1229]

I'm trying to add some BG areas to IWD:EE. My first attempt is editing Kuldahar Pass (AR2000.ARE) and adding a travel trigger for the cave in the south-west of the map. The cave I'm interested in is from BG:EE (BD0061.ARE). I did the following:

1. Exported the BD0061.ARE (removed Location Flag "BG1AREA (8)")
2. Exported the BD0061.WED
3. Exported the BD0061.TIS as palette-based TIS
4. Exported the WTLAKE.TIS as PVRZ-based TIS
5. Removed any references to BG files to "None" (i.e. creatures, sounds, music etc.).
6. Set trigger parameters accordingly (i.e. Destination area, Activation coordinates etc).

I can see the area in NI but when I attempt to travel there using the console function "MoveToArea()", the game crashes. In-game, when I click on the travel trigger, the game freezes for a second and then unfreezes but nothing else happens, the area doesn't load.

I assumed taking a BG:EE area and copying this to IW:EE would be possible considering it's all under the EE engine so am I missing a step?

[Guest]

8 hours ago, pete_smith1229 said:

 

1. Exported the BD0061.ARE (removed Location Flag "BG1AREA (8)")
2. Exported the BD0061.WED
3. Exported the BD0061.TIS as palette-based TIS
4. Exported the WTLAKE.TIS as PVRZ-based TIS
5. Removed any references to BG files to "None" (i.e. creatures, sounds, music etc.).
6. Set trigger parameters accordingly (i.e. Destination area, Activation coordinates etc).

Hello !

You don't need :

- to export WTLAKE is already exist in IWDEE.

You need :

-  to export BD0061ht.BMP, BD0061lm.BMP and BD0061sr.BMP too.

- to export BD0061.TIS as original and not palette-based TIS (palette-based is for vanilla game)

- to export B006100.PVRZ, B006101.PVRZ and B006102.PVRZ as well.

- About the references only creatures not present in IWDEE need to be strictly removed because of missing animations, but others references should not crash the game if missing.

 

Hopefully I haven't forgotten anything

 

PS : In fact you can export BD0061.TIS as palette-based TIS but if so, you need to export it again as PVRZ-based TIS, for create the PVRZs...

NI create only two PVRZ, against three in BGEE, I didnt' notice any difference in game but it's probably better to keep the original one.

Edited November 10, 2023 by JohnBob

[Lava]

I believe I should tell you that none of this will be compatible with my Rediscovery of Kuldahar. The mod adds new areas (both major and minor ones) for Kuldahar, the Lower Clearing area or the Upper Kuldahar, new caves, quests, townspeaople. 

https://downloads.weaselmods.net/download/the-rediscovery-of-kuldahar/

It's okay if you want to create some kind of alternative, though, I don't mind, but thought it may be an important piece of information.

[Graion Dilach]

Wait, do you edit the Pass? If I read this right, OP's talking about that cave in Kuldahar Pass which is an info trigger saying that it's too small in the vanilla game (I actually also thought of replacing that info trigger with a travel trigger for a mod-added cave quest or something already) and adding a quest NPC or two to Kuldahar should be mod-independent, like how your other questmods work already.

I don't see the incompat.

Edited November 10, 2023 by Graion Dilach

[Lava]

Oh my, it's Kuldahar Pass. Sorry, I somehow missed the word "Pass".

I think I know which area you're both speaking of and I once thought about adding something there, but I don't think I ever will. It would be cool, though, if there was some even bigger area.

As for the Rediscovery, my mod is changing it way more: new regions, entrances, bams, containers, adding day/night cycle, including unique night tileset, actors and it is done directly. There are also two new "districts". It's not just adding "NPC or two", the town is rebuilt, including the .are file. (I do not replace the script, of course, so it's still fine with other mods that expand it, use it to add new NPCs etc).

Anyway, this thread isn't about my mod, sorry for not reading the post carefully enough!

Edited November 10, 2023 by Lava

[pete_smith1229]

@JohnBob - Many thanks! I'll follow your instructions and will report back when (hopefully) all goes well!

@Lava - Thank you for mentioning your mod (just downloaded it!). Adding new areas was just something I was curious in trying but since your mod already adds a lot of areas and quests, I'm going to have to have a playthrough with your mod!

@Graion Dilach - Great minds think alike! I thought to start small with a simple cave before I try to be too ambitious. Thanks for specifying the area I was talking about.

[Lava]

Well, if you want to see more IWDEE quest mods that add areas, then I released 6 of them + there are also some IWDEE NPCs that you may want to try out.

https://downloads.weaselmods.net/tag/iwdee/

It would be pretty cool to see some new stuff, though, so you should definitely continue working on some new content, especially if that's for IWDEE! Cheers!

[pete_smith1229]

@Lava - Thanks for the link, I downloaded your other area-based mods so it will be fun to try them out. The content I'm working on is not lore-based, and unfortunately I started modding using NI way before I knew about Weidu so most of my content was created manually including adding string values to dialog.tlk so chances are it's not going to be compatible with other mods. I may still release it as a completely standalone mod as currently there are new spells, armour, items, animations etc.

@JohnBob - Thank you again! Managed to get it working, had to remember to make the entrance and travel trigger names consistent. Now the Kuldahar Pass cave is accessible!