26 replies to this topic

[igi]

Your best bet is the IESDP:
http://iesdp.gibberlings3.net/

You're second best bet is to use DLTCEP or NI instead of IEEP (IEEP is now quite dated).

You're third best bet is to use scripting instead of having the abilities built into the item, as it's mor flexible and allows for things like this a little easier.

[Shed]

Thanks for the tips...

I looked at IESDP. Either they are very bad at web design, or using their utilities requires a programming degree. I can't make heads or tails of thier site, but I'll dig around a bit more and see if I can turn up anything helpful.

Persevere. There's nothing wrong with the IESDP .

I can't even seem to get an item to allow the character equipped with it to cast a spell... I wanted to make an item that allowed it's user to cast "Heal" (SPPR607) once per day, but when he uses it, the game replies "Item drained" and nothing happens.

You get that message because (suspense)... the item is drained. Rest and try again.

I am pretty good at figuring things out, but I need somewhere to begin. For scripting, I would need to see some scripts that work, and a list of commands with an explaination of what each command does.

Download a working mod and look at its files. It's one of the easiest ways to learn . The IESDP does provide exactly that, however. It's called Scripting Actions.

The IEEP interface is fairly user-friendly and intuitive, but it's help files leave much to be desired. I often load in-game items to show me how things are put together, but there are no items that do what I want mine to do to so I can look and see how it's done. My 'stabs in the dark' have been less than successful.

There are plenty of items that allow the holder to cast a spell once a day. SW1H31 Daystar, for example, Extended Header 2.

[Shed]

Moved here as TeamBG Tools is a closed forum.

[Shed]

A brand new, never before used item just given to the character using Shadowkeeper is drained? Such items start out drained? I have to charge a brand new item for the first time like a cell-phone battery?

You could have charged it in Shadowkeeper.

But I was actually referring to the more complicated effects I want to attach to an item. Such as random monster spawning, or causing the equipped character (be he PC or NPC) to randomly and suddenly attack the party and then stop attacking the party after a few rounds, or after taking some % of damage of his total. There are no items that do that, or anything similar to that from which to reverse-engineer the effect.

Yes, I looked at that area. What it doesn't tell me, is how to attach the script to an item, and only activate it when the item is equipped, activate it relative to whatever character happens to be equipped with the item, set the script to run every two hours of gametime, and successfully function 50% (random chance) of the time, otherwise end taking no action.

What you ask is possible, but will be messy. Scripts cannot be assigned to items, only effects can. Therefore you have to do one of twothings, involving scripting:
Change one of the DPLAYER scripts.
Change the baldur and bladur25.bcs, since they are always running.

Probably something like:

IF
HasItemEquipedReal("myitem",[ANYONE]) // If the item is equipped
!GlobalTimerNotExpired("itemtimer","GLOBAL") // and if the timer has not been set
THEN
RESPONSE #100
SetGlobalTimer("itemtimer","GLOBAL",TWO_HOURS) // then set the timer
END

IF
GlobalTimerExpired("itemtimer","GLOBAL") // If the timer has expired
HasItemEquipedReal("myitem",[ANYONE] // and the item is still held
RandomNum(1,2) // Half the time
THEN
RESPONSE #100
CreateCreatureObject("mycre",LastTrigger,0,0,0) // Create a creature
SetGlobalTimer("itemtimer","GLOBAL",TWO_HOURS) // And reset the timer
END

IF
GlobalTimerExpired("itemtimer","GLOBAL") // If the timer has expired
HasItemEquipedReal("myitem",[ANYONE] // and the item is still held
RandomNum(2,2) // Half the time
THEN
RESPONSE #100
// Do nothing
SetGlobalTimer("itemtimer","GLOBAL",TWO_HOURS) // And reset the timer
END

Here's a new question:

I installed DLTCEP v6.6 and when I run it, it says "Please run setup". I run setup, configure everything I can think of, I even d/led the WeiDU application, and pointed to it, but it keeps saying "Setup isn't complete". But it won't tell me why it isn't complete, or what I missed. This is what I mean when I say "user-friendly". What does this program expect me to do? I don't know what it wants, and it won't tell me. It's like trying to figure out why an infant is crying!

Did you point to the chitin.key and the .dat file? Did you Save?

Edited by Shed, 23 May 2005 - 12:24 AM.

[Stone Wolf]

Oh, while browsing through scripting actions you might notice the command "ChangeAIScript(S:ScriptFile*,I:Level*Scrlev)". Do NOT use this, because it will permanently change the script assigned to the target. Go with what Shed suggested above.

[Tombstone]

Oh, while browsing through scripting actions you might notice the command "ChangeAIScript(S:ScriptFile*,I:Level*Scrlev)".  Do NOT use this, because it will permanently change the script assigned to the target.  Go with what Shed suggested above.

Thanks for the tips, both of you... Much appreciated.

I think I will shelve my item for now, however. I think I should start with something simpler.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On DLTCEP;

I did everything that looked obvious to do. I pointed to the chitin.key file, the WeiDu.exe file, all of it. After fiddling with the setup, it finally took. Too bad I can't remember what I did to make it work.

Now everytime I start the program, it gives me an error:

"Can't load MORALEAI.ids"

I did a little searching, and found that the MOREALEAI error is a bogus error message, so I tried creating an empty "MORALEAI.ids", and I tried stripping the two lines in "ACTION.ids" that refer to "MORALEAI.ids", but I still get the error. The app works fine, it's just annoying.

Also, I get the following informational errors in the event log;

Generating music list...
BLANK
Missing music (BLANK A) in musiclist.
BM2
Missing music (N2) in musiclist.
HARP_V2
Missing music © in musiclist.
BD3
Missing music (ZG2) in musiclist.
BJR
Missing music (ZA) in musiclist.
Found 304 musics listed in musiclists.
Incorrect reference #62182 (.tlk file is corrupted)

I don't know if any of this is critical, or just more bugs in DLTCEP like the MORALEAI bug.

[Stone Wolf]

Don't worry about any of those, they look like normal errors.

[igi]

They are not bugs in DLTCEP, they hardly warrent being called errors.
DLTCEP is trying to load the files the game says it has. However, the game doesn't have all the files it says it does, hence DLTCEP reports this.

The moraleai.ids file should go in your override directory.

Incorrect reference #62182 (.tlk file is corrupted)

This is the most serious error (though, it's still not terribly serious).

[Shed]

Thanks for the tips, both of you... Much appreciated.

I think I will shelve my item for now, however. I think I should start with something simpler.

Glad to be of help . It's also just great to hear someone say they'll start with something simpler at first .

[Tombstone]

They are not bugs in DLTCEP, they hardly warrent being called errors.
DLTCEP is trying to load the files the game says it has. However, the game doesn't have all the files it says it does, hence DLTCEP reports this.

So they're bugs in BG2 then. Whichever.

The moraleai.ids file should go in your override directory.

Thanks. I'll try that. :thumb:

Incorrect reference #62182 (.tlk file is corrupted)

This is the most serious error (though, it's still not terribly serious).

Okay, great. Mind telling me how to fix it?

[igi]

Okay, great. Mind telling me how to fix it?

I've never actually seen it before It sounds like DLCTEP is telling you one of the strref entries in the .tlk file is corrupt - but not why. You could ask over at the DLTCEP forum, but it's probably more effort to fix it than it's worth.
Have you edited the .tlk at all?

[Stone Wolf]

If someone has an install without any mods installed, could they check that strref to see what it's supposed to be? It's reported as empty in my install, though it does apparently exist.

[Rabain]

Same here, from about 10 before and 100 or so after are all empty.

I do have several mods installed however I don't get any error's in DLTCEP with any strings, blank or otherwise.

[Avenger_teambg]

DLTCEP found a binary 0 in the string but the length of the string doesn't match this 0.
It might mean a really really corrupted tlk.
If you resave the file you might get 2 results:
1. dltcep silently fixed the file, and it works as new
2. dltcep further screwed the file, and now you will see noticeable corruption.

From the error message i guess your tlk file has been truncated at the said string reference. That means you lost the end of the file
Normally bg2/soa ends at 62169 so you most likely corrupted the tlk yourself but it didn't damage the original content.

In any case, if DLTCEP reported such an error in the .tlk, warranty is completely void.

DLTCEP was coded for people who know how the engine works (iesdp knowledge).
Its "bogus" error messages can give lots of help, but i imagine some of them might be cryptic for a newbie. I have no intention to take great efforts to think about more descriptive messages. Either you learn IESDP or ask other people and then give ideas how to improve it. One can also find DLTCEP's source code on the net
Google keywords: dltcep source cvs repository

Edited by Avenger_teambg, 30 May 2005 - 12:18 PM.

[Tombstone]

DLTCEP was coded for people who know how the engine works. I have no intention to take great efforts to think about more descriptive messages. Either you learn IESDP or ask other people and then give ideas how to improve it.

How... helpful of you.

Well, this newbie has no plans to become a programmer. I already have a career, thanks. I suppose I'll stick with IEEP, as it seems to be better for newbies who lack understanding of the finer points of IESDP such as myself.

BTW, the only "mod" I've installed (and I don't even know if this qualifies as a true mod) is TeamBG's Jaheira Romance Fix. Other than that, the game is straight off the CD-ROMs with only BioWare's latest official patch installed.

So.... Did your "fix" screw up my game?

[Idobek]

Did your "fix" screw up my game?

Avenger said "If you resave the file" I am going to go right ahead and assume you didn't so, no, his fix didn't screw up your game. Is your game screwed?

Did you add a name or description to your item when you were making it? If so it was probably doing that that altered the dialog.tlk (all game text is stored in this file).

If you want to stick with IEEP then, fine, do so. However, since most modders don't use it you are going to be hard pressed to find help on using it. Most modders either don't know, have forgotten, or would rather forget how to use IEEP effectively. Oh, and even using IEEP the IESDP is going to be something you want to look at, particularly the part on BG2 Effects.

[Shed]

DLTCEP was coded for people who know how the engine works. I have no intention to take great efforts to think about more descriptive messages. Either you learn IESDP or ask other people and then give ideas how to improve it.

This makes it a powerful and easy to use tool . IEEP is actually considerably harder to do anything with, if you know what you're trying to do in the first place. It does have a background picture though .

Is there something wrong with your game?