Is the item editor ever coming back?

[Durandal]

Among other things, I *really* miss being able to add any item with the Shift+g debug console in the first Avernum trilogy, or with the editor advanced features. I was super disappointed when it was taken out, not even for the special options or making an overpowered party, but because it was really useful for RP purposes. In Exile/Avernum 1, starting with nothing makes sense, since you'd likely be stripped of valuables and tossed down, but in others where you start as established adventurers, makes sense that someone in the party might have something better than bad leather and stone daggers. The better options for starting party variety really made, at least for me, the PC's more unique added a little bit of character, no pun intended. For instance, in Avernum 4 and later, being able to just add the swamp pants etc would have made a starting character feel like more of a hunter. Now the closest thing I can do is cheat gold into my inventory and buy stuff from early vendors and/or read up where early loot drops are to accomplish this little bit of RP that I indulge in to make the story feel more immersive... meh.

 

I guess this also goes for Avadon, too, since similar things would be relevant e.g. Khalida's intro states she is in full metal armor and has a sword, then she joins your party with leather and a dagger, so I can't even rectify this bit of dissonance with an edit... sad trombone.

 

So, yes, does anyone know if this will ever make a comeback?

[stranger]

You can if you just add the item to a script.

That's how the trainers work.

[Jerakeen]

Khalida's intro states she is in full metal armor and has a sword, then she joins your party with leather and a dagger,

Her intro also fails to mention that she's barefoot and pantsless, which you'd think would be worthy of note.

 

Sorry, I just can't get past this. Jeff, please give my characters pants.

[Durandal]

Her intro also fails to mention that she's barefoot and pantsless, which you'd think would be worthy of note.

 

Right? I've been considering that every time I start a new SWS game... since sandals and pants are items, what were they wearing before I found the basic clothing items? And SWS claims to be family friendly *tsking sounds*

 

And Stranger, could you elaborate on adding the item to a script? I'm really not familiar with any editing past the spoonfed copy/paste lines I find on the forums, but I've often wondered how I might *safely* add things at the nuts and bolts level.

[Jerakeen]

It's not hard at all, actually. First you look up the item number in the script called 'avitemschars', then you just add a little bit of code to a dialogue node in one of the scripts.

 

Say you want Swamp Boots - they're item #150. Now find the dialogue script for a convenient town, say Ft. Avernum. So the script you'd want is called 't1Ft Avernumdlg'.

 

You can attach the code to virtually any dialogue node, but you want to be sure it's one you can access at will. You can even rewrite the dialogue to reflect what you're doing, but it's not necessary. Dunbar is a nice, unimportant character; let's use one of his nodes. Search for this:

begintalknode;
state = 25;
nextstate = 26;
question = "_What's your job?_";
text1 = "_I'm the groundskeeper. And gardener. And fix-it man. I like gardening best, but I do what they need._";

and add a few lines of code at the end, like so:

 

begintalknode;
state = 25;
nextstate = 26;
question = "_What's your job?_";
text1 = "_I'm the groundskeeper. And gardener. And fix-it man. I like gardening best, but I do what they need._";
code =
reward_give(150);
break;

Now every time you ask Dunbar about his job, you'll get a pair of Swamp Boots. You can change the item number to get something else, of course.

[Durandal]

Hugs and platonic kisses Jerakeen.

 

One last question: how do I make the script give more than one item, for the sake of convenience?

 

reward_give(150);

Would it be (150,151), (150)(151) or...?

[Jerakeen]

No, just repeat the whole command on a separate line, including the semicolon.

 

reward_give(150);

reward_give(152);

etc.