275 replies to this topic

[Quester]

How about the new Yeslick NPC mod for BGII:SoA ? What would happen if installing both your first component and that mod together?

[Kaeloree]

You would just get both versions of Yeslick in the game.

[Smiling Imp]

You would just get both versions of Yeslick in the game.

Basically, yeah... By using the mystical power of 'control Y', you can happily have K'aeloree's version of Yeslick in your party and still enjoy the Water Gardens.

Edited by Smiling Imp, 29 January 2012 - 06:23 AM.

[Smiling Imp]

Hey guys, Smiling Imp here. Download Managers are still down, so the newest version of the mod is attached to this post. To make things simple, we'll just call this v1.0, cool?

 BG1NPCSoA v1.0.zip   29.25MB   258 downloads

New things included in this version include:
Tiax's files are now appended correctly
People in the Water Gardens have more to say
New store and characters in the Water Gardens
Revised and improved some dialogs
General grammar and typo corrections

Edited by Smiling Imp, 29 January 2012 - 07:43 AM.

[Miloch]

Is this different from the 22-January version you posted under downloads?

[Smiling Imp]

Is this different from the 22-January version you posted under downloads?

Aside from the few things that I mentioned above (and four or five new items in Kagain's store), not really. It is more of a cleanup from the file name changes that I made where some dialog triggers were still using the old death variables (As Tiax is one of my favorite characters, the fact that his dialogs were not appended correctly was really bugging me) . I'm beginning to get more picky about adding new content as I will soon reach the 32MB limit, so for now, just revising dialogs and changing items BAM's until I have an some kind of brilliant epiphany that must be included in the mod.

Edited by Smiling Imp, 29 January 2012 - 08:03 AM.

[Smiling Imp]

Oh yeah, almost forgot, I changed the spell books, added thieving points and experience for the characters that were lacking. I found this chart that helped me out big time. Not sure if there is a link to this anywhere else, but it is a resource that would definitely help other people interested in modding.

http://playithardcor...n_Charts#Cleric

[Quester]

Basically, yeah... By using the mystical power of 'control Y', you can happily have K'aeloree's version of Yeslick in your party and still enjoy the Water Gardens.

Is there any way you would consider adding some checks for other versions of NPCs that your mod adds, and adjust the installation accordingly? I.E., if Yeslick NPC is detected, BG1 NPCs would install a version of the first component that includes everything but Yeslick, etc.

Using cheat commands to adjust the game while playing sort of breaks immersion for people like me.

Edited by Quester, 29 January 2012 - 09:41 AM.

[Miloch]

I believe it is coded as a separate component for each NPC (or NPC pair) but I don't recall if there were component conditions. It could add a REQUIRE_PREDICATE NOT FILE_EXISTS_IN_GAME ~some_other_yeslick.cre~ ~A different Yeslick is already installed.~ or the like to each component (might have to check several versions - see my example for detecting 5 or 6 different versions of Branwen here). Of course, that will only work if you install it after the other mods, not before.

[Smiling Imp]

Using cheat commands to adjust the game while playing sort of breaks immersion for people like me.

Yeah, I know what you mean. Okay, I'll see if I can get down Miloch's technique.

I believe it is coded as a separate component for each NPC (or NPC pair) but I don't recall if there were component conditions.

That's true except for the first component which adds Skie, Branwen, Garrick, Yeslick, Eldoth and Shar-Teel. Will your Branwen technique still work in this case? And if so, how exactly would I code that?

[Oracle]

Congrats on the the new version off the mod ,

[Quester]

Yeah, I know what you mean. Okay, I'll see if I can get down Miloch's technique.

That would be fantastic.

A few more notes:

1. What does the readme mean about component 12 - do you have to install all previous components to install that one?

2. No information at all given on component 13?

3. How many new magic items does your mod introduce? Would you consider a somehow 'toned-down' version for those of us who mainly want the new NPC content but don't want a lot of new items? (personally, for me the game is more fun when magic items are somewhat scarce and/or hard to come by, so I try to avoid item packs and mods who litter the landscape with magic items).

4. A request: consider adding a changelog for each new version at the end of your readme. This will help both yourself and players to keep track of changes, I think.

Sorry for being so demanding. But please take it as a sign of interest and appreciation for your mod.

[Smiling Imp]

1. What does the readme mean about component 12 - do you have to install all previous components to install that one?

So basically, if you wanted Xzar to banter with Shar-Teel you would need to install all the NPC components for that to happen.. and the reason for that is because the 12th component includes almost all the death variables for all the NPCs so if they are not installed, WEIDU will give you an error message saying "abc death variable" is not found and I did not have another solution for getting it done. Perhaps if some more experienced modder drops me a code, I can remedy that.

2. No information at all given on component 13?

Yeah, I guess I could add a bit of something. Essentially this would make Sarevok harder when you face him and gives him back his orginal BG1 portrait with his helmet.

3. How many new magic items does your mod introduce? Would you consider a somehow 'toned-down' version for those of us who mainly want the new NPC content but don't want a lot of new items? (personally, for me the game is more fun when magic items are somewhat scarce and/or hard to come by, so I try to avoid item packs and mods who litter the landscape with magic items).

It adds about two hundred items. I myself prefer a high fantasy world, but everyone has their own tastes. I guess a 'Kagain-lite' would solve that problem as his store is the main offender in that area. Again though, I would need to put some thought into how exactly to achieve that.

4. A request: consider adding a changelog for each new version at the end of your readme. This will help both yourself and players to keep track of changes, I think.

Now that I can do on my own..

Sorry for being so demanding. But please take it as a sign of interest and appreciation for your mod.

No worries.. I knew this was not all going to be chocolate and cake, but as long as I have the spare time I don't mind making some accomodations. And thanks for your interest and feedback.

Edited by Smiling Imp, 30 January 2012 - 06:54 PM.

[Miloch]

That's true except for the first component which adds Skie, Branwen, Garrick, Yeslick, Eldoth and Shar-Teel. Will your Branwen technique still work in this case? And if so, how exactly would I code that?

Well, you could either make separate components and REQUIRE_PREDICATE using that technique, or, if they are not necesarily dependent on each other but you still want to keep them in the same component, just use:

ACTION_IF NOT FILE_EXISTS_IN_GAME ~some_other_branwen.cre~ BEGIN
... Branwen stuff here
END ELSE BEGIN
  PRINT ~Branwen already found; skipping to next NPC...~
END
//
ACTION_IF NOT FILE_EXISTS_IN_GAME ~some_other_yeslick.cre~ BEGIN
...Yeslick stuff here
END ELSE BEGIN
  PRINT ~Yeslick already found; skipping to next NPC...~
END

Might want to componentise them though - could make more sense.

[Smiling Imp]

Well, you could either make separate components and REQUIRE_PREDICATE using that technique, or, if they are not necesarily dependent on each other but you still want to keep them in the same component, just use:

ACTION_IF NOT FILE_EXISTS_IN_GAME ~some_other_branwen.cre~ BEGIN
... Branwen stuff here
END ELSE BEGIN
  PRINT ~Branwen already found; skipping to next NPC...~
END
//
ACTION_IF NOT FILE_EXISTS_IN_GAME ~some_other_yeslick.cre~ BEGIN
...Yeslick stuff here
END ELSE BEGIN
  PRINT ~Yeslick already found; skipping to next NPC...~
END

Might want to componentise them though - could make more sense.

Thanks Miloch.. I have now included checks for all NPCs with their own mods, even the ones in German and Polish. However, I am certainly missing the death variables included in some mega-mods. Perhaps there is a handy list that would make finding these easy, because downloading some of those big mods takes hours on my computer.

Anyhow, I was studying the CrossModBG to see how they they achieved adding banters with death variables from different mods and came across this bit of code.

ACTION_IF FILE_EXISTS_IN_GAME ~ABC.dlg~ AND FILE_EXISTS_IN_GAME ~123.dlg~
THEN BEGIN...

Unfortunately, this does not help me b/c my cross component banter pack is all in a single dialog file. Is there a way to check for death variables in a dialog file instead of in the .TP2?

Edited by Smiling Imp, 31 January 2012 - 02:40 AM.

[Miloch]

Just look at the level1npcs.tp2 components for NPCs to get all the existing filenames. You don't want the DVs, but the filenames. You can check for .dlg files but it is usually easier to check for .cre files instead.

And you can do the same inside a dialog file. Something like:
APPEND IF_FILE_EXISTS npcdlg
IF ~~ BEGIN whatever
SAY ~You can say that again.~
IF ~~ THEN EXTERN mymod now
END END

Look at aurora/compile/agaurora.d - many examples of using IF_FILE_EXISTS in a dialog file for crossmod stuff.

[Quester]

It adds about two hundred items.

That is *a lot* of items. It should probably be mentioned in the readme. I for one would love to use your Kagain, but I also want to keep mod-added magic items to a minimum for balance and challenge reasons. So a tweaked, even item-less, version would be great.

[Smiling Imp]

It adds about two hundred items.

That is *a lot* of items. It should probably be mentioned in the readme. I for one would love to use your Kagain, but I also want to keep mod-added magic items to a minimum for balance and challenge reasons. So a tweaked, even item-less, version would be great.

hahaha! The reason for so many items was that one time I finished the De'Arnise Keep quest and had about 150,000 gps before even going off to Spellhold. I was hoping that perhaps people would spend that excess gold in Kagain's shop where the items are overpriced and the item descriptions are sometimes vague so you really have no idea what you are getting.

I'm going to study the Yasraena mod to see how they broke off the 'Yasraena-Lite' option. After that it will only be a matter of doing some minor editing in his dialog file and creating an exisiting store using only in-game items. If I can get it down, 'Kagain-Lite' will be available in the next version.

Edited by Smiling Imp, 01 February 2012 - 08:45 AM.

[Smiling Imp]

Just look at the level1npcs.tp2 components for NPCs to get all the existing filenames. You don't want the DVs, but the filenames. You can check for .dlg files but it is usually easier to check for .cre files instead.

Thanks again Miloch, that was a big help. I do have a few questions though.

Do these need to be included?

~%tbg%quayle.cre~ OR FILE_EXISTS_IN_GAME~%tutu_var%safana.cre~

Honestly, I have never played tutu or BGT and was afraid that if I included this varierty that it might disrupt someone's game that brings BG1NPCs with them to SoA. Is this fear unfounded?

And you can do the same inside a dialog file. Something like:
APPEND IF_FILE_EXISTS npcdlg
IF ~~ BEGIN whatever
SAY ~You can say that again.~
IF ~~ THEN EXTERN mymod now
END END

Look at aurora/compile/agaurora.d - many examples of using IF_FILE_EXISTS in a dialog file for crossmod stuff.

You mean like this?

APPEND IF_FILE_EXISTS e3fadej
IF ~~ THEN BEGIN ag_fade1
SAY @737 /* ~You can say that again.~ */
IF ~~ THEN EXTERN agaurora now
END
END
CHAIN
agaurora now
@578 /* ~Is there anything I can do for you today?~ */
END
++ @579 /* ~Have you any gossip to share?~ */ EXTERN agaurora gossip
++ @580 /* ~I would like to see your wares, please.~ */ DO ~
StartStore("agaurora",LastTalkedToBy())
~ EXIT

Only I would have to tweak this from a PC banter into two NPCs bantering, right?

Edited by Smiling Imp, 01 February 2012 - 09:23 AM.

[Smiling Imp]

Alright, I just got done adding a Kagain 'Lite' option to the TP2. It will be added to the next version.

Inter Component CrossBanter will also now work without all the NPC's being installed.

Edited by Smiling Imp, 02 February 2012 - 08:16 PM.