Profile for Eric-Ihrno
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Displayed name | Eric-Ihrno |
| Member number | 4531 |
| Title | Apprentice |
| Postcount | 32 |
| Homepage | |
| Registered | Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
Recent posts
Pages
| Author | Recent posts |
|---|---|
| A novice needs help! in Blades of Avernum | |
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Apprentice
Member # 4531
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written Saturday, July 10 2004 17:05
Profile
Also, the message_dialog command requires two strings, even if the second one is blank. For example: message_dialog("Testing, on two three",""); note the second set of quotes which do notheing but are required for the game to show the dialog box properly. Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| Editing Items in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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Apprentice
Member # 4531
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written Saturday, July 3 2004 07:52
Profile
The simplest kinds of adjustments are made dhrough the *data file that contains item data. If you don't know what this file is, read the manual. This kind of editing can give an item various properties that already exist in the game. For example, you could make the staff you mentioned add 1 to mage spells or intelligence, or regenerate X spell points when used (like the Rod of Arcana). If you really want the staff to continuously regenrate spell points every turn, you'll have to use a special script for it. Set the item's special class to whatever number you want (class 1 in this example) and then edit the START_STATE in your scenario script file to include: beginstate START_STATE; if(char_has_item_of_class_equip(0,1,0) == 1) { <Whatever you want to happen to the character each turn> } and repeat for each character. This way the effect you create will happen every turn to anyone who has an item of special class 1 equipped. Be warned that the effect will only work for the scenarion in which the character is given the item. It is not transferable because it depends on a special class and script. On a side note, be sure to consider the possibly unbalancing effects of this staff as well. It would be a very powerful magic item. Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| Editing Items in Blades of Avernum | |
|
Apprentice
Member # 4531
|
written Saturday, July 3 2004 07:52
Profile
The simplest kinds of adjustments are made dhrough the *data file that contains item data. If you don't know what this file is, read the manual. This kind of editing can give an item various properties that already exist in the game. For example, you could make the staff you mentioned add 1 to mage spells or intelligence, or regenerate X spell points when used (like the Rod of Arcana). If you really want the staff to continuously regenrate spell points every turn, you'll have to use a special script for it. Set the item's special class to whatever number you want (class 1 in this example) and then edit the START_STATE in your scenario script file to include: beginstate START_STATE; if(char_has_item_of_class_equip(0,1,0) == 1) { <Whatever you want to happen to the character each turn> } and repeat for each character. This way the effect you create will happen every turn to anyone who has an item of special class 1 equipped. Be warned that the effect will only work for the scenarion in which the character is given the item. It is not transferable because it depends on a special class and script. On a side note, be sure to consider the possibly unbalancing effects of this staff as well. It would be a very powerful magic item. Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| Graphics Problem in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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Apprentice
Member # 4531
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written Friday, July 2 2004 20:58
Profile
Thanks. Is there any way to remove blue from the graphic or do I have to edit the graphic file myself? What editor would you suggest? I tried playing around with the different adjust settings and got a bunch of greens, browns, and purples, but no red. Even taking the green cloak and swapping green and red just gives you purple. Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| Graphics Problem in Blades of Avernum | |
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Apprentice
Member # 4531
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written Friday, July 2 2004 20:58
Profile
Thanks. Is there any way to remove blue from the graphic or do I have to edit the graphic file myself? What editor would you suggest? I tried playing around with the different adjust settings and got a bunch of greens, browns, and purples, but no red. Even taking the green cloak and swapping green and red just gives you purple. Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| Graphics Problem in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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Apprentice
Member # 4531
|
written Friday, July 2 2004 15:41
Profile
I've been having problems using the it_icon_adjust and cr_icon_adjust commands. When I try to tint the color of an item or creature nothing happpens. For example, the following custom item: Begindefineitem 450; import = 16; it_full_name = "Salamander Cloak"; it_floor_which_sheet = 1002; it_floor_which_icon = 5; it_inventory_icon = 6; it_special_class = 1; it_ability_1 = 55; it_ability_str_1 = 1000; it_icon_adjust = 128; Is still purple, not red as should be the case for an icon adjust of 128. I have successfully used other adjustments, such as darkening the graphic or tinting it neutral, but colors don't seem to work. Also, no matter how much fire resistance I give the item (this example has 5000%), the character wearing it still takes damage from fire. Is there any way to grant immunity to fire? Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| Graphics Problem in Blades of Avernum | |
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Apprentice
Member # 4531
|
written Friday, July 2 2004 15:41
Profile
I've been having problems using the it_icon_adjust and cr_icon_adjust commands. When I try to tint the color of an item or creature nothing happpens. For example, the following custom item: Begindefineitem 450; import = 16; it_full_name = "Salamander Cloak"; it_floor_which_sheet = 1002; it_floor_which_icon = 5; it_inventory_icon = 6; it_special_class = 1; it_ability_1 = 55; it_ability_str_1 = 1000; it_icon_adjust = 128; Is still purple, not red as should be the case for an icon adjust of 128. I have successfully used other adjustments, such as darkening the graphic or tinting it neutral, but colors don't seem to work. Also, no matter how much fire resistance I give the item (this example has 5000%), the character wearing it still takes damage from fire. Is there any way to grant immunity to fire? Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| Ideas for security mechanisms. in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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Apprentice
Member # 4531
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written Tuesday, June 29 2004 20:36
Profile
Another realistic trap would be to have an entry room with locked/secret doors to hold any intruders up for a minute. Then, during that time the guards examine them and decide whether to manually trigger the collapsing floor/falling rocks/concealed spikes/whatever. This would reduce the change of accidentally getting the wromg guy. As for ways to get through the trap, besides the obvious ones (secret passages, passwords, keys), the characters could have to dress up in clothing and armor looted from other guards, or perhaps have a certain character with them in order to make the guard think they're friendly, or just fast-talk or bribe him into letting them through. Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| Ideas for security mechanisms. in Blades of Avernum | |
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Apprentice
Member # 4531
|
written Tuesday, June 29 2004 20:36
Profile
Another realistic trap would be to have an entry room with locked/secret doors to hold any intruders up for a minute. Then, during that time the guards examine them and decide whether to manually trigger the collapsing floor/falling rocks/concealed spikes/whatever. This would reduce the change of accidentally getting the wromg guy. As for ways to get through the trap, besides the obvious ones (secret passages, passwords, keys), the characters could have to dress up in clothing and armor looted from other guards, or perhaps have a certain character with them in order to make the guard think they're friendly, or just fast-talk or bribe him into letting them through. Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| Singleton Seeks Backpack in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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Apprentice
Member # 4531
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written Sunday, June 27 2004 11:27
Profile
You're right. It can't be done with the calls available. You'd need at least a call for the item number of an item on the floor and preferably a call that returns a particular item's value. You could make an ability that turns all items of a particular type in the character's inventory (e.g. iron chainmail or gold ore) into coins, but it would be limited. I think it might also be possible to make an ability that turns a character's entire inventory into money, but this would be very, very dangerous if used accidentally. You would use a loop that calls has_num_of_item for every number from 4 to 449 or however many extra custom items there are. The script would know each item's price because you'd program a bunch of SDF's in advance with the price of each item. It isn't elegant, but it soulds like it would work. Sadly, since there isn't a call char_has_item_equip that would work on items without a special class, you couldn't protect equipped items, so the character would have to drop everything he didn't want rendered into gold. Needless to say, I don't actually thing this ability would be a good idea, just that it's theoretically possible. Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| Singleton Seeks Backpack in Blades of Avernum | |
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Apprentice
Member # 4531
|
written Sunday, June 27 2004 11:27
Profile
You're right. It can't be done with the calls available. You'd need at least a call for the item number of an item on the floor and preferably a call that returns a particular item's value. You could make an ability that turns all items of a particular type in the character's inventory (e.g. iron chainmail or gold ore) into coins, but it would be limited. I think it might also be possible to make an ability that turns a character's entire inventory into money, but this would be very, very dangerous if used accidentally. You would use a loop that calls has_num_of_item for every number from 4 to 449 or however many extra custom items there are. The script would know each item's price because you'd program a bunch of SDF's in advance with the price of each item. It isn't elegant, but it soulds like it would work. Sadly, since there isn't a call char_has_item_equip that would work on items without a special class, you couldn't protect equipped items, so the character would have to drop everything he didn't want rendered into gold. Needless to say, I don't actually thing this ability would be a good idea, just that it's theoretically possible. Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| Singleton Seeks Backpack in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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Apprentice
Member # 4531
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written Thursday, June 24 2004 15:24
Profile
While you can't make a specially scripted item that stays with you, it would be easy to just edit all the scenarios you download to include the backpack item and then place a backpack right next to the starting location for you to pick up. You couldn't save items in the backpack but it would be almost as good as taking it with you between scenarios. (Just out of curiousity, has anyone used this trick to let their characters take Khoth's wands between scenarios?) But, it seems that your main concern with the backpack is for collecting loot. If this is the case, just add a merchant NPC called "Travelling Merchant" or whatever and include him hidden in each town. Then give the characters a special ability that unhides him and teleports him to their current location so they can sell him the loot as they pick it up. Even simpler, if you aren't that concerned with realism, it should be possible to make a special ability that transforms all items on the ground nearby into an appropriate number of coins. This would of course make it all too easy to get rich, but it would probably solve your problem. Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| Singleton Seeks Backpack in Blades of Avernum | |
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Apprentice
Member # 4531
|
written Thursday, June 24 2004 15:24
Profile
While you can't make a specially scripted item that stays with you, it would be easy to just edit all the scenarios you download to include the backpack item and then place a backpack right next to the starting location for you to pick up. You couldn't save items in the backpack but it would be almost as good as taking it with you between scenarios. (Just out of curiousity, has anyone used this trick to let their characters take Khoth's wands between scenarios?) But, it seems that your main concern with the backpack is for collecting loot. If this is the case, just add a merchant NPC called "Travelling Merchant" or whatever and include him hidden in each town. Then give the characters a special ability that unhides him and teleports him to their current location so they can sell him the loot as they pick it up. Even simpler, if you aren't that concerned with realism, it should be possible to make a special ability that transforms all items on the ground nearby into an appropriate number of coins. This would of course make it all too easy to get rich, but it would probably solve your problem. Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| Scripting Idea/Question in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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Apprentice
Member # 4531
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written Monday, June 14 2004 19:22
Profile
Now, if you want the NPC to actually follow in the footsteps of the party, that would be more tricky. I'd say that you make the NPC completely immoble (mem cell 0 = 2) and then include a script in town state 2 (called each turn) that stores the position of the last character in the party for the last few turns and then uses relocate_char to move the NPCs to those spaces. This would mean having a bunch of variables that store the coordinates of those epaces. Or, if you can make do with just 2 NPCs, you could just add them to slots 5 and 6 in the party. Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| Scripting Idea/Question in Blades of Avernum | |
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Apprentice
Member # 4531
|
written Monday, June 14 2004 19:22
Profile
Now, if you want the NPC to actually follow in the footsteps of the party, that would be more tricky. I'd say that you make the NPC completely immoble (mem cell 0 = 2) and then include a script in town state 2 (called each turn) that stores the position of the last character in the party for the last few turns and then uses relocate_char to move the NPCs to those spaces. This would mean having a bunch of variables that store the coordinates of those epaces. Or, if you can make do with just 2 NPCs, you could just add them to slots 5 and 6 in the party. Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| Scripting Idea/Question in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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Apprentice
Member # 4531
|
written Monday, June 14 2004 19:16
Profile
Assuming this has to take place in the game and not in a cutscene, I think you should make a custom creature script. You can set the creatures to remain close to the party. beginstate X; if (approach_char(ME, 0, 1) > 0) set_state (start_state); break; Will cause an NPC to try to stand right next to the PC in slot 0 if you call state X in the creature script. Anyone else, please correct me if I'm wrong. I've only written one creature script so far. Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| Scripting Idea/Question in Blades of Avernum | |
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Apprentice
Member # 4531
|
written Monday, June 14 2004 19:16
Profile
Assuming this has to take place in the game and not in a cutscene, I think you should make a custom creature script. You can set the creatures to remain close to the party. beginstate X; if (approach_char(ME, 0, 1) > 0) set_state (start_state); break; Will cause an NPC to try to stand right next to the PC in slot 0 if you call state X in the creature script. Anyone else, please correct me if I'm wrong. I've only written one creature script so far. Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| DwD - Vakhos' hidden weakness? in Blades of Avernum | |
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Apprentice
Member # 4531
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written Saturday, June 12 2004 19:26
Profile
Actually, it might be that he has something like 75% resistance to melee damage and 75% resistance to missile damage, but cloud of blades is neither, so there's no way to give damage resistance against it. If so, scenario designers shouild take note that giving a monster percentage melee and missile damage resistances in lieu of armor will have this odd effect. I'm looking at his creature script right now, but it's hard to make sense of. Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| DwD - Vakhos' hidden weakness? in Blades of Avernum | |
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Apprentice
Member # 4531
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written Saturday, June 12 2004 19:19
Profile
So cloud of blades does more damage than a blessed crossbow wielded by a character with a 12 in bow skill? That can't be right. My archer kept plunking him with bolts doing damage in the 50s or 60s, and doing similar amounts with a blessed greatsword, while he took hundreds of points of damage each time my mage/priest cast cloud of blades, and I can tell for sure that it doesn't do that much to other creatures. Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| Scenarios currently being worked on in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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Apprentice
Member # 4531
|
written Saturday, June 12 2004 19:11
Profile
I'm working on one called "The Cat Burglar" (unless I come up with a neat idea for a title before I finish it). A highly powerful and illegal magic item has been stolen and it's your job to hunt down the nephil bandit who stole it before he wreaks havoc on the surrounding towns. It'll be a while coming, though. I'm nearing completion of the first town and just starting to get comfortable with scripts and special encounters. Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| Scenarios currently being worked on in Blades of Avernum | |
|
Apprentice
Member # 4531
|
written Saturday, June 12 2004 19:11
Profile
I'm working on one called "The Cat Burglar" (unless I come up with a neat idea for a title before I finish it). A highly powerful and illegal magic item has been stolen and it's your job to hunt down the nephil bandit who stole it before he wreaks havoc on the surrounding towns. It'll be a while coming, though. I'm nearing completion of the first town and just starting to get comfortable with scripts and special encounters. Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| Help our Scenario Designers! in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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Apprentice
Member # 4531
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written Saturday, June 12 2004 18:56
Profile
Capture sounds intriguing. If you take away the party's equipment, can you give it back to them later? Fighting with sticks, rocks and kitchen knives would be an interesting twist. Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| Help our Scenario Designers! in Blades of Avernum | |
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Apprentice
Member # 4531
|
written Saturday, June 12 2004 18:56
Profile
Capture sounds intriguing. If you take away the party's equipment, can you give it back to them later? Fighting with sticks, rocks and kitchen knives would be an interesting twist. Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |
| DwD - Vakhos' hidden weakness? in Blades of Avernum | |
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Apprentice
Member # 4531
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written Saturday, June 12 2004 18:34
Profile
(spoiler) I just finished DwD and the one thing that's still bugging me is why, of all the things Vakhos could be vulnerable to, it has to be cloud of blades? Is there a logic to this beyond just needing to give him a weakness? Why not wooden stakes or holy symbols or some more traditional vampire weakness? Posts: 32 | Registered: Saturday, June 12 2004 07:00 |