BoA Editor Cookbook Version 0.3

[Erik Westra]

Hi guys,

 

I've finally finished a major new edition of the BoA editor cookbook. Here's a summary of what's changed:

 

1. Added a table showing the default floor types and how they appear in the game.

 

2. Added a table showing all the standard items available in the BoA game.

 

3. Added a list of all creatures (NPCs and monsters) available in the BoA game. The creatures are grouped by level number, and a separate table lists the creatures graphically. Each creature is colour-coded according to whether it is friendly, neutral, or hostile.

 

4. Added a chapter on quickfire.

 

5. Added a section on using custom creature scripts to have something special happen when a creature is killed.

 

6. Added information about creating a custom backdrop for an outdoor encounter by creating a "fight town".

 

7. Wrote an extensive chapter on "hills and heights".

 

I think this covers everything that people asked for -- if I've missed anything, please let me know.

 

Unfortunately, the "neat links" page on the Spiderweb Software web site still has the wrong address for the cookbook -- as always, the cookbook can be obtained (in MS Word, PDF and online) from: http://dnet.com/erik/BoA

 

Please let me know if you find any mistakes, or have any suggestions for new recipes to add to the cookbook, or anything else I can do to make it more useful for you scenario-designers.

[spyderbytes]

Thanks, Erik! Looks great.

 

I'm particularly pleased with the additions to the appendices... those should come in VERY handy.

[magpie]

Erik- that's fantastic! Thanks for doing this!

 

Magpie

[Icshi]

One word, Erik:

 

Superwonderfulterrific!

 

Congradulations on improving an already excellent document!

[Eldiran]

Woops! I think I found an error in your cookbook.

 

begintalknode 11;

    state = 4;

    nextstate = 5;

    question = "_open sesame_";

    text1 = "The guard scowls.  _All right, you can come in._";

 

The players would literally see _open sesame_ as an option-- the "_" don't translate to quotes in the question.

 

Other than that, it's excellent!

[Erik Westra]

Thanks, everyone, for the kind comments. And thanks to Eldiran for pointing out that mistake in the dialog node -- if you (or anyway else) notice anything else, please let me know and I'll fix it in the next version. Ideas for new recipes, etc, would also be most welcome.

 

Thanks again,

 

- Erik.

[Agent redemption]

thank you for the information on quickfire it will be most useful

[philstrek]

Great job! I've referenced the cookbook often.

 

Suggestion:

(You may want to add a paragraph in the "Shops" chapter about creating wandering merchants in outdoor encounters. It took me a while to figure out how to do it the right way.)

[Vent]

I love your cookbook but how about add the following (more technical) sections:

- A complete list of all the limits (number of dialogs, number of towns, and so on).

- A sort of database of functions available that can be selected/sort on varous theme, like those usable in outdoor, and so on). The lists will be only the function name and parameters, a click could give its comments/details. That's not related to cookbook? Not sure, getting lost in functions is a newbie problem. Ok that hardly fit in a standard doc.

[UA]

Nice.

 

However, I do reccomend you stop using Microsoft Word to output the HTML version. It produces ugly and disgusting HTML. And using 'Verdana' font might be better.

[Spidweb]

Remarkable work. Very impressive.

 

- Jeff Vogel

[Kelandon]

Is Erik Westra still around and working on this? We haven't seen an update in a while, and I haven't seen him around on the boards at all.