It's the A2Template!

[Lilith]

He's tried that, and the trouble is that to recreate Avernum towns accurately, he sometimes needs to put walls directly behind tall pillars.

 

Quote:

Regardless of that, it is almost impossible to place it without altering the wall configuration - and that simply hasn't been very successful.

See?

 

Anyway, I wouldn't worry about it too much. It's just cosmetic, after all. Regular pillars will work just as well.

[Thralni]

Did he try that? I didn't see anywere a post were he said that. Well, doesn't matter. Still, if at one side a wall stands than you still have maybe two other spots to place it, or is a corner we are speaking about?

[Xoid]

Sorry about the hiatus, and not responding if anyone has emailed me about this. I am still working on it, just got caught up in an exam a week ago, and have been practicing far too much geneforgery.

 

I have got Almaria & Blosk mostly done, The Castle & Patrick's Tower completely done. I have about 2 other towns in varying stages of completion.

[Kelandon]

This is one of those utilities that may not meet with immediate acclaim but will probably turn out to be useful in the long run. Don't get discouraged by the apparent lack of response; many designers (probably including me) will use this eventually.

[Angarahad_dup1]

I was thinking of doing something in that area/time myself but i just don't have the time or patience to build it all myself. it's be great if you could send me a copy. my email is gwn2 (at) kent (dot) ac (dot) uk

 

cheers

[Thralni]

On Kelandon's site you can download it if you wish. Just go to SW's homepage and click "Neat stuff," and scroll over to BoA. There you will find a link to Kelandon's page.

[Kelandon]

My page is also, you know, linked in my signature.

[Xoid]

There are, literally, a ton of minor oversights in that version. Work is progressing on v 1.0.whatever. Mainly focusing on documenting deliberate changes, fixing bugs and adding the towns. So if you plan to use the template - as it is now - you can save yourself time and trouble by simply making changes that are easy to export to a different scenario. Essentially: alterations of the terrain are going to need to be redone if you use the improved version when it comes out, so stick to things like dialog, scripts and towns.

[Donald Hebb]

Question- which version of the ToM will you include?

 

Will you include multiple ones?

[Lilith]

Well, he's mostly basing it off Avernum 2, so I'm assuming the Avernum 2 tower.

[Xoid]

Update:

Documentation is coming along nicely. I've made a few modifications to scripts, simple ones mainly. 'Balancing & Corrections' of items, monsters. If that ain't your thing, then it will be simple to remove those changes.

 

Almaria, Blosk, The Castle, Patrick's Tower and Silvar are all done for! Uh... creatures, floors, items and terrain.

 

Cotra Ruins, Formello are both at the 20~30% terrained stage. ToM A2 is just after finding an 'origin', and is barely started.

 

Details:

Scripting for towns will be restricted to descriptions of what stuff looks like. E.g. the little blurb about Rone's lil' room in the Castle being done in the Vahnatai style only recently, etc. Or for placing the quickfire in that 'treasure room', inside the laboratory in Patrick's Tower.

 

Scripting for towns will also include naming NPC's that have actual names. E.g. Kelli from Patrick's Tower, Patrick, etc.

 

Magic doors that have differing TUS, STR and Unlock Doors requirements, as well as being able to be unlocked by the spell... after removing the magical part of the lock? It is now possible. Minor modifications to the door.txt and magicdoor.txt scripts, but modifications that shouldn't have been necessary, IMHO. They are backwards compatible with previous 'versions'. (I.E. Jeff's originals. And there was much rejoicing.)

 

@TM I said in a previous post that I might be making all the towns that I listed. I'll now say that I will be making them.

 

There will be the six major towns as they are when first entered in Avernum 2, minus dialogue. A second version of Cotra - as it would've been if it wasn't hit by that Empire raid. Angierach - because I'm making a reconstruction for the scenario that I will be making out of the template. Patrick's Tower - because I already have, and because I felt like it. ToM A2 Version - because the scenario I will be making off of the template is set inbetween A2 and A3. ToM A3 Version - for other's convenience.

 

(The template is basically going to be everything that I am reconstructing - before I modify anything for the changes that would have to have taken place over the course of the Avernum/Empire war.)

 

I've tried my hand at custom graphics - I just pray to god that Kelandon will convert the Windows version for me when I'm done - it'll be a true pain to... uh... 'borrow' someone's Mac, learn how to use it and then convert the scenario myself.

 

Final size is likely to come in at around 2 to 5 meg's when zipped, unless I cut down on graphics: which I WILL do. The scenario, when done is looking to be a bare minimum of 2Mb. The scenariodata.txt file is already at around 1000+ lines of code. But it is neatly set out, and documented.

 

Final Blurb:

My software design and development teacher would be so proud that... I'm finally documenting my code.

 

*sniff sniff, wipes eyes* It's a penguin!

[Kelandon]

Quote:

Originally written by CPeters:
Almaria, Blosk, The Castle, Patrick's Tower and Silvar are all done for!

Oh no! Did the shades get the Castle and Patrick's Tower, too?

But seriously, I'm hosting an apparently completely out-of-date version on my website. As soon as you have a new version to release, feel free to send it to me to replace that one.

[Overwhelming]

Quote:

Originally written by CPeters:

@Overwhelming: My email to you bounced - not sure why. Will retry in the morning.

That's strange, as I receive other emails through it. Please, try again. If you're not successful, just PM me, and I'll PM you an alternative email address.

boa.center(at)gmail.com

[Poit]

Quote:

Update:Documentation is coming along nicely. I've made a few modifications to scripts, simple ones mainly. 'Balancing & Corrections' of items, monsters. If that ain't your thing, then it will be simple to remove those changes.

Well congrats on getting this far. When I first heard about this it seemed like such a mind bogglingly large task that I assumed you would eventually be defeated by its magnitude and left as a shattered husk of a man.

Glad to know I was wrong.

[Xoid]

@Overwhelming: Since I am working on a vastly different version, do you want the:

• Incomplete, non Mac-patible version that is still a work in progress.
• Older version that is slightly buggy and incorrect.
• Version I am working on, when it is actually complete.

@Poit: I'll be the first to admit it was a big undertaking but I did say that I have oodles of time. I wouldn't have started if I didn't know that I could finish it. It was ambitious, yes, but I waited until I had about 13+ sections completed in a little under 3 days before I even dared to raise the community's expectations.

Frankly, it is not the sort of thing a n00b should undertake, but I knew I could cut it if I tried. That and I have worked with more complicated editors than blades. I don't claim to know it inside out, but I can't help but snigger at anyone who says that it is 'complicated'.

[Overwhelming]

Quote:

Originally written by CPeters:
@Overwhelming: Since I am working on a vastly different version, do you want the:

• Incomplete, non Mac-patible version that is still a work in progress.
• Older version that is slightly buggy and incorrect.
• Version I am working on, when it is actually complete.

Send me the version that you feel it's better for sharing (probably, the one that you will keep updating). There's no problem if it's incomplete, you can always keep me updated as you progress in your work, and I'll keep updating it in the BoAC.

[Poit]

Quote:

@Poit: I'll be the first to admit it was a big undertaking but I did say that I have oodles of time. I wouldn't have started if I didn't know that I could finish it. It was ambitious, yes, but I waited until I had about 13+ sections completed in a little under 3 days before I even dared to raise the community's expectations. Frankly, it is not the sort of thing a n00b should undertake, but I knew I could cut it if I tried. That and I have worked with more complicated editors than blades. I don't claim to know it inside out, but I can't help but snigger at anyone who says that it is 'complicated'.

Yeah look I don't think its terrible complicated but it certainly had the potential to be a mundane and thankless task. All in all I'm glad to see you stuck with it as this is the type of tool that will be very valuable to other designers over the years. Anyway congratulations, and I look forward to playing your scenario when it's ready.

[Xoid]

@Overwhelming: 'K. Sending snarky email w/ dodgy version now. I'm not joking about that y'know.

(What is this, like the 17th edit already?) Seems like that email bounced too. Probably a good thing really - the current version is that much different from the previous, but does need serious cleanning before release.

 

To quote the bounced email:

Quote:

It is buggy, incomplete, the graphic sheets need a complete reworking, it needs converting to Macintosh format (something that I cannot do.), I'm certain than there is at least some swearing in the README file, the scripts have not been put through their paces to my liking, and there are a couple of "evolutionary dead-ends" somewhere in the folder as well. All in all, it is a god damn mess.

@Poit: I have no idea if the scenario I am going to "fork" off from the template will ever be made to my own exacting standards. I'm a pessimistic perfectionist with a penchant for procrastinating. Unintentional tongue twister. Heh. Hopefully, the template will be at an acceptable standard sometime soon. Apart from cleanup, some scripting, and proper documentation, I don't think that there is a helluva lot left to do.

[Overwhelming]

Hi. PMed you another email address. I have no idea why the email is bouncing. (!)

[Xoid]

Update:

Both of these lists are... rough, at best, but it is a half-decent indication of where I'm at.

 

What has been done?

• Tower of Magi (A2 Version) is floored, terrained, and mostly creatured.
• In-house testing of most completed scripts is done.

What still needs to be done?

• There are still seven towns left to be scripted. (Including the three mentioned below.)
• There are still three towns left to be creatured, floored, itemed, scripted and terrained.
• There are still five towns left to be itemed. (Including the three mentioned above.)

[Xoid]

You know that you're dedicated when you've been using Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V to get around the lack of functioning 'b' and 'n' keys and still manage to make progress. Heh.

 

Two towns complete, three more a mere test away from being offically complete. (Officially complete under my lackluster standards, of course. ) Many visual glitches fixed, an extra town added (it's near completion too, I might add...) containers you can open and close, plus lock, a complete rewrite of trap.txt script with 10 varieties of death dealing (most with a single target and area of effect mode), etc.

 

I am desperately hoping that I get have new keyboard by the time I get up this morning. Ain't it great when someone else does your shopping for you?

 

sigh. I'm dog tired, bored and unlikely to work on it for at least a day. G'night people.

[Kelandon]

New version uploaded to its page .

[Xoid]

Quote:

Originally posted on Kelandon's Pink and Pretty Page:
Clint Peters has recreated the outdoor sections from Avernum 2 in BoA scenario format. This is a utility scenario, and all are welcome to use it to help create new BoA scenarios (with appropriate credit, of course). Note that these are the outdoor sections only.

Slightly inaccurate. There are towns, and there is plenty of scripting goodness. Might also want to flag it as a work in progress. Needs polishing, but I wanted to release it now in preperation for the unlikely advent of my death. If you're smart enough to think that reason is a crock, then would you believe that I might actually like someone to test out the template?

[Kelandon]

That sentence was accurate at the time it was written. I'll fix it now, though.

[Xoid]

I know, but I was being facetious.

[Overwhelming]

It's online in the BoAC.

[Donald Hebb]

...why are there purple and red bordered cave floors?

[Xoid]

That would be because I forgot to delete the following:

 

Code:

// [[[ BEGIN Internal use onlybegindefinefloor 254;	import = 1; // Cave Floor, splotchy green.begindefinefloor 1;	fl_ed_which_sheet = 510;	fl_ed_which_icon = 16;begindefinefloor 254;	import = 3; // Cave Floor, similar to floor #0begindefinefloor 3;	fl_ed_which_sheet = 510;	fl_ed_which_icon = 17;begindefinefloor 254;	import = 7; // Rough Cave Floor, similar to floor #4begindefinefloor 7;	fl_ed_which_sheet = 510;	fl_ed_which_icon = 19;// Internal use only END ]]]

...before I released it. Maybe I should change "Internal use only" to "For in-house development only".

 

In Avernum 2, it was really hard to see some floors properly, particularly when they were covered with terrain features. So I edited A2's graphics - I painted a one pixel border around floors #1, #3 and #7. Then 'made' editor graphics for BoA doing the same thing. It was mainly to help with construction.

[Donald Hebb]

Okay, serious problem.

 

I can't import the castle. I need the Castle for my scenario, and yet I can't import it into anything. I even re-downloaded the template and tried it with multiple editors- no go. Like, I really, really, really need to get at the castle and outdoors around it in there... But I can't.

[Kelandon]

It imports just fine for me. You're trying to import it into a large town, right? Do you get any error messages?

[Donald Hebb]

Same town sizes, no messages. Just a town that's basically an explosion of heights, terrains and creatures.

Think "Parallel Dimentia in 3d" and you'll be close.

[Lilith]

Ah, the Large Town Importation Corruption Bug. I coulda sworn that a recent version of the 3D Editor fixed that.

[Donald Hebb]

The most recent version of the BoA editor period has not "fixed that".

 

How the hell do I get around it?

[Xoid]

Weird beyond belief. I imported that town from the smaller and unreleased scenario made inbetween v1.0.0 and 1.1.0. I had no problems. I did had a small problem when importing a town earlier though. I just exited the program, restarted it and tried again. No problems after that. Is this bug more prevalent in the Mac version of the BoA editor, or was I just lucky?

 

Side note: The bug where a sign's text is erased upon a new floor being 'painted' over it was quite a pain. And will the 'Clear All Items' bug ever be addressed?

[Lilith]

Quote:

Originally written by Akai Hoshi:
The most recent version of the BoA editor period has not "fixed that".

How the hell do I get around it?

Send the scenario to CPeters or Kelandon and get them to import the Castle into it for you before sending it back?

Just a thought.

[Xoid]

For critique; current version of the guard script. Since I'm using a P4 based monster, I can't tell if it runs too slow on lesser machines.

 

Code:

// v1.0.5// guard.txt// Xoid (xoid@hotmail.com)// Version History://   v1.0.5 - Version by Xoid. Optimised, cleanned up.//   v1.0.4 - Abandoned version by Xoid. Didn't work.//   v1.0.3 - Version by Xoid. Altered so that blocked tiles can be placed as//            sparsely as possible. If blocked spaces ensure that an NPC cannot//            reach its destination, Jeff's inept coding causes major overhead.//   v1.0.2 - Minor revision by Xoid. Increments SDF, instead//            of setting it.//   v1.0.1 - Version by Xoid. Extra dialogue strings added.//   v1.0.0 - Version by Jeff Vogel. Original.// A simple script for guards or soldiers in towns. Acts like a regular npc// unless it's in a town the party has angered, in which case it goes mobile and// hunts the party down.// Memory Cells://   0 - Movement type.//     Legal values are: 0 - Wander randomly.//                       1 - Stand still until a target appears.//                       2 - Completely immobile, even if target appears.//                       3 - Walk to a waypoint and then back to start. Use//                           memory cell 4 to indicate which waypoint.// 1,2 - SDF coordinates. If these are left at 0 and 0, these memory cells are//     ignored. Otherwise, the SDF is incremented by 1 when this creature dies.//   3 - Dialogue node to start with if talked to. if left at 0, this//     character doesn't talk.//   4 - Waypoint. If memory 0 is != 3, then this value is ignored. Otherwise,//     it is the number of the waypoint the guard or soldier spends its time//     walking to and from.//   5 - Maximum distance. If memory cell 0 is != 0, then this memory cell is//       ignored. Otherwise, this is the maximum distance the creature will roam//       from its starting position. If left at 0, this will default to 6 tiles.////     [* Making this script backwards compatible with v1.0.0 of basicnpc.txt]begincreaturescript;variables;	int i,is_a_guard,target;	int gone_to_waypoint = 0;body;beginstate INIT_STATE;	if ((get_memory_cell(0) == 2) && (town_status(-1) != 2))		set_mobility(ME,0);	if (get_memory_cell(5) == 0)		set_memory_cell(5,6);	set_char_script_mode(ME,1); // This NPC will act even at distance.	if (creature_type(ME) == 4) {		is_a_guard = 1;		set_summon_level(ME,1);	}break;beginstate DEAD_STATE;	// Increment the appropriate SDF for this NPC's death.	if ((get_memory_cell(1) != 0) || (get_memory_cell(2) != 0))		inc_flag(get_memory_cell(1),get_memory_cell(2),1);break;beginstate START_STATE;	// React if the town gone hostile.	if (town_status(current_town()) == 2) {		alert_char(ME);		set_mobility(ME,1);	}	// If I have a target, go attack it.	if (target_ok()) {		if (dist_to_char(get_target()) <= 16)			set_state(3);		else set_target(ME,-1);	}	// Look for a target, and attack it if its visible.	if (select_target(ME,8,0)) {		do_attack();		set_state(3);	}	// React if I have been attacked.	if (who_hit_me() >= 0) {		set_target(ME,who_hit_me());		do_attack();		set_state(3);	}	// If this NPC is hostile, then hunt the party down. Otherwise, just	// peacefully move around. Go back to start if I roam too far.	if (get_attitude(ME) >= 10)		approach_char(ME,random_party_member(),6);	else if (get_memory_cell(0) == 3) {		// March to waypoint and back.		if ((gone_to_waypoint == 0) && (get_ran(1,1,100) < 15)) {			if (approach_waypoint(ME,get_memory_cell(4),1))				gone_to_waypoint = 1;		}		else if ((gone_to_waypoint == 1) && (get_ran(1,1,100) < 15)) {			if (return_to_start(ME,1))				gone_to_waypoint = 0;		}	}	else {		if ((my_dist_from_start() >= get_memory_cell(5)) || ((my_dist_from_start() > 0) && (get_memory_cell(0) > 0) && (get_memory_cell(0) != 3))) {			if (get_ran(1,1,100) < 40)					return_to_start(ME,1);		}		else if (get_memory_cell(0) == 0) {			fidget(ME,25);		}	}	// Text bubble code...	if (is_a_guard == TRUE) {		if ((is_combat() == 0) && (get_attitude(ME) < 10)) {			if (get_ran(1,1,100) < 6) {				i = get_ran(1,1,100);				if ((get_crime_level() > 0) && ((i < 6) || (i > 95)))					create_text_bubble("We're watching you... scum."); // Bless you, Morrowind.				else {					if (i < 26)						create_text_bubble("Evildoers will be punished.");					else if (i < 51)						create_text_bubble("Obey the law.");					else if (i < 76)						create_text_bubble("Stay in line.");					else						create_text_bubble("Watch it.");				}			}		}	}	// If I'm in combat and nothing above gave me something to do, stop now.	// Otherwise the script will keep running, eating up CPU cycles.	if (am_i_doing_action() == FALSE)		end_combat_turn();break;beginstate 3; // Attacking...	if (target_ok() == FALSE)		set_state(START_STATE);	do_attack();break;beginstate TALKING_STATE;	if (get_memory_cell(3) == 0) {		if (is_a_guard == TRUE) {			print_str_color("Talking: You make small talk with the guard, but you don't",2);			print_str_color("  learn anything new.",2);		}		else print_str_color("Talking: The soldier doesn't have anything to tell you.",2);		end();	}	else begin_talk_mode(get_memory_cell(3));break;

[KernelKnowledge12]

Quote:

Originally written by Thuryl:
Ah, the Large Town Importation Corruption Bug. I coulda sworn that a recent version of the 3D Editor fixed that.

This bug was fixed by Notus:
http://www.ironycentral.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=18;t=00057 7;p=2#000036

Either there's a new bug, or something's wrong with the build. Are you using OS X or Windows?

[Kelandon]

TM's on a Mac.

[KernelKnowledge12]

The code is fine, so there shouldn't be any problems. Unless you're not using the latest version of the 3D Editor, I cannot explain the error.

[Xoid]

Since September 29, 2005 09:45 PM - When the first vesion was posted, I have received ONE report of an error, to date. (December 18, 2005 10:54 AM, from TM. I would bow down and worship you as my god, but that thread died already, and I'm lazy.)

 

Do I have to hunt down some worthless saps, tie them to chairs and perform electric shock therapy on their genitalia until they agree to at least give a cursory inspection of my work? Anyone even tried checking out the numerous changes to scripts that I made, and feels like offering suggestions, or other criticisms? (Admittedly, basicnpc.txt, guard.txt, and various town scripts are already outdated.)

 

Or would someone like to volunteer to 'take one for the team'? (That... just sounds dirty to me for some reason. Meh. Whatever.)

[Kelandon]

You could do what everyone else does and ask for beta testers.

[Overwhelming]

Yes. And you can use the BTC, if you want.

[Xoid]

Quote:

Originally written by Kelandon:
You could do what everyone else does and ask for beta testers.

[sarcasm]
Isn't that what I just did?
[/sarcasm]

Meh. I thought it might make at least one or two people chuckle to think of a reigme where you must beta test someone's scenario, lest I hunt you down and perform electric shock therapy on your genitalia... and perhaps people could've taken the hint that I need beta testers.

[Dikiyoba]

I just downloaded the A2 Template. I feel like I'm home! It's so nice to wander around in old adventuring grounds again! I haven't gotten very far, just around the A2 Tower of Magi and outside of Mertis.

 

However, I did find a bug. My characters are in the outermost hall of the A2 Tower of Magi, traveling west. As they reach the westernmost turn in the hallway to go north or south, my characters suddenly get taken outside, straight into the middle of a pillar. This is a problem. I went to the editor and adjusted the town boundary. When I went back to the tower to try again, I got the same result, even though my characters are a few spaces away from the town boundary. Anyone have any ideas?

 

Help! Dikiyoba is stuck in the middle of a pillar and can't move. Anyone have a shattering crystal?

[Xoid]

I find with the various beta testing I've done over the years, especially for add-ons or mods, that it's best to use many, many savegames.

 

To attempt to save time during the internal process, a few dead-ends were left in the 2nd release - case in point: the Tower of Magi you start in is not the Tower of Magi you will end up in if you re-enter the town.

 

Noticed that bug myself about half a week ago. 3rd realease is on it's way, oooh... sometime in the next week or so.

[Tyranicus]

Quote:

Originally written by Dikiyoba:
As they reach the westernmost turn in the hallway to go north or south, my characters suddenly get taken outside, straight into the middle of a pillar.

I have the exact same problem. I have no idea what's wrong, but hopefully it can be fixed. Other than that I must admit that this is an amazing project. Out of pure curiosity, did you have a separate computer with A2 open, or did you have to keep Alt+Tabbing between the BoA editor and A2?

[Xoid]

Finalising documentation, fixing up an errant script or two, and v1.0.2 will be ready. Not a whole lot of changes. More details may be supplied if pressed for them.

 

Otherwise, I'll be playing Deus Ex for a week or so. Which basically translates to: I'm delaying the release just to spite you. Or I'm lazy. Take your pick.

[Xoid]

After a heavily extended gaming spree that consisted of six FPSs, four RPGs and two RTS games... I'm back. Sorry, but I felt that 12 games to completion (playing every class, side and strategy - at maximum difficulty) in three weeks earns me bragging rights. It also proves that I have no life.

 

One thing I could never in school was meet a deadline. It appears I still can't. I'm starting work again on this project. ETA for v1.0.2 is TBD. Ugh... too many acronyms.

 

As for the moment, I'm off for a sugar-fix. I'm sure my pixie sticks are somewhere around here...