Namothil

Gah. Take a break for a few months, and come back to find this. Well, here's my two cents, for whatever they're worth. Please excuse any incoherency in this post - I'm not quite fully awake at the moment. I do not see that there is anything inherently superior in either type of scenario. That said, there are variations in the difficulty of producing a good scenario of either type. In a medium like BoA, linear scenarios will be easier to write well than non-linear scenarios. Quite simply, the non-linear scenario will require significantly greater scripting effort to deal with all paths the designer chooses to implement. (Note: Not all possible paths - that's not going to happen, unless you make a ridiculously small scenario.) Given this, and assuming a designer equally talented in the production of linear and non-linear scenarios, more scenarios of a given quality can be produced in a given time if those scenarios are linear. Since I strongly prefer to have a greater variety of scenarios, I'd have to say that I prefer designers to produce linear ones. (Note: The preceding assumption is obviously not true, however, it is my opinion that designers are generally better at making linear scenarios than non-linear ones. If you happen to be an exception, then by all means, make non-linear scenarios. Assuming that they really are good, I'll enjoy them just as much as the linear ones.)

Tolkien. Not his names directly, but try putting some together using the elvish words supplied in various places. (e.g. Silmarillion appendix) I suggest selecting a meaning for a name, and then finding a string of words that fit it. This can produce great results. (And truly bizarre ones.) String sylables together. Consult a book of names.

You know, you could have just posted the section that wasn't working, instead of the whole thing. I don't see anything wrong - what, specifically, is not working correctly? Also, why are you only using odd text numbers? (It should work, just seems to be an odd decision.)

Use who_used_custom_item() again.

Sorry about that. I thought it was obvious that I was ommiting arguments.

This appears to be a script for a custom item. That being the case, you would want to use who_used_custom_item() in put_boom_on_char() To replace damage nearby, I suggest looking at damage_near_loc() using char_loc_x() and char_loc_y() to get the location of the character who used the item. You'll want to include blocks to prevent the item from being used outdoors.

If combining 'tint to a neutral shade' and 'tint red' doesn't work, then you probably do need to edit the graphic. For Windows, EasyPeg is a reasonably good free program. (Search for it, I don't remember where to download it offhand.)

Where are the town boundaries in relation to the edge of the editable area? (They need to be smaller than that area.)

Your problem is, I think, a misunderstanding of what tinting does. It adds red to the graphic, rather than making it red. (At least, that's my understanding.) In this case, you're starting with purple - red and blue in more or less equal proportions. Tinting it red should make it a slightly more reddish purple. The difference might not be noticeable.

They should be in the same zip file as the editor. (Or whatever the format is for a Mac, if you use one.)

Did you remember to put a clear statement at the start of the second item?

Search for that string. The line count is a bit buggy. (At least in Windows.)

The second. All items with custom scripts are removed from your inventory when you leave the scenario.

What 'them' do you not know where to get? Drakefyre's templates? He gave you links to them. A script file? You have to write it for yourself. A text editor? It would be decidedly odd if your computer doesn't have one. The docs? They came with the editor.

Sure about that? The spire in Nethergate is three icons high (Judging from the image's inclusion in Avernum files), and three icons exist for one pillar style in Avernum 2 (I presume the same graphic is used in 1 and 3, but am not sure). Check G724. Not sure if all three are used in the second case. That said, I don't think it's possible in BoA.