4 replies to this topic

[Fiohnel]

Hello. A rookie modder here. I intent to translate/edit Bioware's NPC names and (if possible) classes name. This image described what I'm looking for;

For example, I want to change Imoen's name into Alicia, and her Mage/Thief into Engineer; which script and files do I need to edit/translate? How complicated it'll be? I know it can be done, just that after looking so far I can't find any tutorials related to my questions.

Why would I want to do that? This is the motive.

Another questions while I'm at it:
1. What script I need to edit in order to change Aerie's post-transform portrait? Her .CRE files are ogre by default
2. Direction to tutorials etc about editing area's pop-up description would be handy
3. Additional guide on changing the race text description (Human) at low-left screenshot would also be handy

I guess that's it for the moment. I'll be studying more tools while waiting for replies. Thank you.

[Jarno Mikkola]

I intent to translate/edit Bioware's NPC names and (if possible) classes name.

The Creature name should be easy, as you just copy the files and change their strings. The Class names might be a little harder, as you need to replace several strings in several places... Now it's easy to replace the one in record page, but it might be harder to replace them in different places, especially if you intend to use multiple NPCs with the same class, as you just can't do that.

What I would do is to get the Near Infinity from here(the NearInfinity beta 20.rar) and unpack it so it becomes a .jar file, the JSE6DK from here that you need to run the .jar file, and use it to open the game(it's perhaps best if you copy the whole game folder to somewhere else so you have a backup), open the dialog.tlk with the Near Infinity and find the names you wish to replace in it, and replace them.

The Aeries portrait is easy to replace when you find the .cre files of her, and then just replace them with others. The .bmp files that you need to display the picture in the game, need to be 60x38 for the s.bmp and 170x110 for the m.bmp...
Or you could rename your .bmps as the originals, the smaller as naeries.bmp and larger as naeriem.bmp, and by putting them to the override folder.

Edited by Jarno Mikkola, 04 February 2010 - 10:58 AM.

[Fiohnel]

What I would do is to get the Near Infinity from here(the NearInfinity beta 20.rar) and unpack it so it becomes a .jar file, the JSE6DK from here that you need to run the .jar file, and use it to open the game(it's perhaps best if you copy the whole game folder to somewhere else so you have a backup), open the dialog.tlk with the Near Infinity and find the names you wish to replace in it, and replace them.

Oh my god, that's so easy and simple. Tried and works. I'm glad I asked. Thank you very much.

I still haven't tinker with .bam files, or how to put/replace additional .bmp so NearInfinity can detect them so it's hard to understand what you mean in next paragraph. Time to experiment again and I should be able to figure it out on my own.

[berelinde]

Looking at the linked post, I notice that you're trying to create 4 NPCs whose personalities are 'similar' to game NPCs.

At this point, I'm unclear as to whether you're trying to replace game NPCs with other NPCs of your own creation, simply rename and respec existing NPCs, or introduce 4 completely new NPCs to the game.

Even though the last sounds like the most work, it probably would be the least.

If you're trying some combination of rename/replace, it's going to be a lot harder, because everyone in the game world will still refer to Imoen as Imoen. From the moment you leave Irenicus' dungeon, you're going to have everyone talking about Imoen. Gaelan Bayle will still say "Aye, Imoen, that be her name." Your friends will probably be saying "Imoen? I thought her name was Alicia." Unless your friend's name is Alicia and she's an engineer, in which case, she'll probably think you're a stalker. Relationship issues aside, you could modify the game dialogue so that everybody refers to her as Alicia instead, but that would just mean a lot more work for you, and far more complicated work than merely swapping out the name on the character sheet. Let's face it. Your average player doesn't open the character record all that often. One of the things many players look for in deciding whether or not a game is worthwhile is internal continuity. Glaring continuity gaps caused by you and your friends seeing the name "Alicia" when everyone else calls her "Imoen" are visible from a long way away.

People have discussed the possibility of reintroducing NPCs killed in Irenicus' dungeon for years. Bring back Khalid/Dynaheir. One of the things that stops them is the amount of work involved. The game world thinks they're dead. To resurrect them, you'd have to change every instance where somebody mourns the loss of Khalid/Dynaheir. Though personally, I think it would be funny to have Khalid interject with "I got better!" To date, there has only been one successful NPC resurrection: Jastey's Ajantis mod. Ajantis was the paladin you could recruit in BG1. You accidentally kill him in the Windspear Hills. That's the only time in the entire game that Ajantis is mentioned, and even that mod hit a couple snags.

If it were me, and I was trying to impress my friends with the coolness of the game, I'd probably opt to write up a kind of one-day NPC, someone the party could interact with in some way, or maybe even recruit. You could even name her Alicia and make her an engineer, if you wanted.

[Fiohnel]

At this point, I'm unclear as to whether you're trying to replace game NPCs with other NPCs of your own creation, simply rename and respec existing NPCs, or introduce 4 completely new NPCs to the game.

It'll be rename and respec existing NPCs. Since I have no talent for writeup so the most straight option is to hijack the official NPCs along with their stats and dialogues.

Oh, and I already worked out how to edit/replace names in .DLGs using WeiDU and translation method before I find out how to change their displayed names. Go figure.

Thanks for the thoughts still. I'm sure there are many other solutions in making them interested to play the game in vanilla, but so far this is the best I can think that fits my group the most.