6 réponses à ce sujet

[TEWR]

So having just gotten the DAO UE for the PC yesterday, I haven't begun to understand the toolset. I don't even have the game or the toolset downloaded to my PC yet, since I need to get certain things in order before doing so.

However, I would like to begin work on some mod ideas I have right away, as I have a few bubbling around in my crazy brain -- at least, when the monkey playing the cymbals isn't taking over.

The first one that comes to mind should be a relatively simple one, assuming a few aspects can be done with it. As the thread title suggests, I'd like to fix Soldier's Peak. There are probably similar mods out there that accomplish more or less the same thing -- in fact, I remember researching one that basically consisted of going to the Dryden Estate in Ferelden.

But... despite that, I'd very much like Soldier's Peak to be functional after the quest is finished. It just.... boggles the mind how Levi and Mikhael can feel comfortable operating outside the Keep, on a snow-capped mountain, with only a large fire to keep them warm -- which while it would help, probably wouldn't do much to keep them comfortable.

But more then that, I'd like the Keep to actually hold true to how it was promoted. You know, the whole "Acquire your own fortress!" bit.

Doesn't really live up to that in reality. Shame really.

So to that end, my question for the time being to ask is this:

1) Is it possible to mod a DLC? I assume so, but I'd like to make sure. If it is, then I can begin laying the groundwork for my mod, as far as planning it out goes.

I'll be accepting recruits for people that would like to assist me. In fact, I'd really like some people to help me out here, as I don't know much about the toolset right now.

Modifié par The Ethereal Writer Redux, 07 juillet 2012 - 09:05 .

[MerAnne]

I suggest looking at Inverness Keep by BillHoyt. It is posted here on the Bioware projects - warning - spelling optional so I may have misspelled. BH loaded the builder-to-builder file so there are a lot of great examples and there is 'a little bit of everything' - quest givers, small quests, permanent storage, NPCs (nonrecruitable). BH did something similar to what it sounds like you would like to do, but created a new area rather than using Soldier's Peak.

And Sunjammer did a number of mods that help people learn to write mods. I tend to focus on learning one thing at a time before moving on to the next thing. I haven't used Sunjammer's mods because of that, but you should definitely check them out to see if they help you. Just because I have to work slow/methodical doesn't mean everyone is that way!

There is a lot of great stuff out there that you can use as a starting point. My personal suggestion is to start with a small/achievable goal and build from there. Trying to learn everything at once is likely to cause frustration.

Rehabbing Soldier's Peak... the first thing that snaps to mind - what if the person doesn't have that DLC? If you want them to have access to the interior of Soldier's Peak, you might have to create two methods of entering to allow for people who do and don't have the DLC downloaded. And you will have to find and to keep track of flags so that you don't refurbish Soldier's Peak before the quest has been completed.

[pizzapicante]

You might want to start making a small module, like Tchos and his Trouble in Reinsfere (or something like that), as MerAnne said trying to learn everyting will frustrate you, try something small to learn the basis and then you can go wild and ask everyone around (mainly DarthParamethrics) how to do specific things.

[MerAnne]

I've got a SLOW internet connection so I'm pulling another question you asked elsewhere into this conversation... How long does it take to learn the toolset?

That depends on what you want to do and if you have any experience programming. Head morphs - not long. New hairs, beards, weapon or armor styles longer - because you have to learn more than just the DA toolset. Cutscenes and new areas - I don't know, I've never done them.

Creating new items (new stats on existing items really) only a few hours - at most. Putting those items into the GW's inventory or creating permanent storage - probably a couple of days each. It is hard to measure since I can only work with the toolset a few hours a time here and there.

And that is with experience programming in a 'C-like' language to begin with. I didn't have to learn any programming design/logic, just how to implement through the DA toolset. Even so, I spend hours at a time on figuring things out that I'm embarrassed to post a question about because they seem so trivial.

[TEWR]

MerAnne wrote...

I suggest looking at Inverness Keep by BillHoyt. It is posted here on the Bioware projects - warning - spelling optional so I may have misspelled. BH loaded the builder-to-builder file so there are a lot of great examples and there is 'a little bit of everything' - quest givers, small quests, permanent storage, NPCs (nonrecruitable). BH did something similar to what it sounds like you would like to do, but created a new area rather than using Soldier's Peak.

And Sunjammer did a number of mods that help people learn to write mods. I tend to focus on learning one thing at a time before moving on to the next thing. I haven't used Sunjammer's mods because of that, but you should definitely check them out to see if they help you. Just because I have to work slow/methodical doesn't mean everyone is that way!

Awesome! I'll give it a look-see when I get the chance. It sounds like I can use it as a foundation on understanding the toolset for this particular venture. I've got a few ideas on what I want to do, and hopefully I can turn Soldier's Peak into a great fortress.

MerAnne wrote...
Rehabbing Soldier's Peak... the first thing that snaps to mind - what if the person doesn't have that DLC? If you want them to have access to the interior of Soldier's Peak, you might have to create two methods of entering to allow for people who do and don't have the DLC downloaded.

I'm confused a bit here on what you mean exactly. Why would I have to do what you're saying, out of curiosity? Seeing as how the mod would apply to the DLC, the DLC would be a requisite wouldn't it? Not just to play the mod, but to make it as well?

MerAnne wrote...
And you will have to find and to keep track of flags so that you don't refurbish Soldier's Peak before the quest has been completed.

That's true. I've sometimes left Soldier's Peak to change party members or sell items. I wouldn't want people who do the same thing to return and find that they can't complete the quest because the mod ruined it for them.

[MerAnne]

Before I start.... keep in mind that not everyone HAS the Soldier's Peak DLC. I do because it came with DA:UE. you have to have it in order to write the mod. But as to whether a player is required to have it to restore Soldier's Peak... that I don't know. I don't like to force people to buy something to play a mod.

DAO has the area maps, etc that you can use as a starting point to create your own areas. If you want to refurbish Soldier's Peak (Inverness does something similar with carpets and paintings) you won't want all of the various items on the floor and will want to add furniture, clean, etc. I haven't worked very much with the area maps, but I don't think you can (easily) make extensive changes to what is 'there'. Which means that you will probably need to create your own maps that look 'just like' the interior of the Soldier's Peak. If you recreate the area map for the interior of Soldier's Peak it becomes your area map and is no longer the area map associated with Soldier's Peak DLC - i.e. players won't have to have the DLC to play your mod unless you make it a requirement.

But I wouldn't try that all at once. Pick one, small, achievable goal and do that. Preferably something you want anyway. My progression was.... head morphs, replace existing NPC head morphs, create head morph as a preset for my GW, create new item (actually it was 'give existing item new stats making a new item with an existing appearance'), put items in inventory (then I had to figure out, put item in inventory once and only once, don't require disable/enable when starting new game), add permanent storage to camp, and then I started working on NPCs

I wrote a 'read me' file as a part of creating the storage for camp. It isn't enough to teach anyone to create a mod, but would hopefully remind me to do things that I might otherwise forget. I wanted to do some more testing, but I can post the mod to bioware if it is something that you are interested in. The latest 'promise' from Sprint is that they will have service 'restored' by Friday, until then, connections drop so often that I wouldn't try uploading anything

And ask questions - pizzapicante is right DarthParamethrics is an incredibly knowledgeable individual.

[TEWR]

I managed to find a thread that gives a helpful tutorial of various aspects of the DA toolset. It's in my favorites currently, and once I can figure out what's wrong with my computer I'll download DAO and the toolset and begin slowly creating examples based on said tutorial.