I am going to post this topic here, since I do not know whether it belongs in the scripting or custom content category.
Does anyone know if it is possible to minimize the character generation options so that the player only has the choice out of different backgrounds? I want to do away with the choice of genders, races and classes for storytelling purposes.
Currently I manage to do this through a script that sets the player as the controller of a certain non-player character. But given that this will create inconsistencies between the played hero and the saved hero, I would rather opt for a different solution. (A SetHero() function would certainly be nice...)
My personal experience with the toolset thus far only encompasses the duration of an evening, but I suspect great things are possible with this application - despite some of its apparent limitations.
Minimalistic Character Generation
Débuté par
Hel
, févr. 24 2010 11:03
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#2
Posté 24 février 2010 - 01:01
Sunjammer
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The character generation process is scripted so you can skip it entirely and force the player to use a hero you have designed for your campaign (though there is a minor issue you have to work around to change the default bald appearance). There are some sample scripts on the Toolset Wiki (social.bioware.com/wiki/datoolset/index.php/Character_generation) and you can see it in action in the LRRHR modue script (social.bioware.com/project/334/discussion/586/). The appearance workaround is floating around in the Scripting forum.
I don't think we can currently skip steps in the normal character generation process (i.e. it is all or nothing). However we can probably limit the choices for races, class and origins if they are controlled by a 2DA.
I don't think we can currently skip steps in the normal character generation process (i.e. it is all or nothing). However we can probably limit the choices for races, class and origins if they are controlled by a 2DA.
#3
Posté 24 février 2010 - 01:41
Hel
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Sunjammer wrote...
... though there is a minor issue you have to work around to change the default bald appearance.
... the appearance workaround is floating around in the Scripting forum.
The face morph issue is actually the reason why I made this topic. I am aware of the workaround for changing the default bald head by making use of a pre-defined character in the module's override directory. However, that solution does not work for me as my current design plan is drawn out to offer multiple protagonists to choose from, each with their own appearance.
I have inspected most of the character generation possibilities on the Toolset Wiki and the forum, and have come to the conclusion that in order to work around this problem I have to resort to using the SetPartyLeader() function and discard the original hero character. But as I said, this will probably cause other problems in the long run, as your hero is not the hero that the game recognizes with the GetHero() function.
I hope that makes sense? Either way, thank you for your input, Sunjammer.[smilie]../../../images/forum/emoticons/smile.png[/smilie]
Modifié par Helekanalaith, 24 février 2010 - 01:44 .
#4
Posté 24 février 2010 - 02:02
Sunjammer
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Oddly enough Craig Graff and I were talking about this a couple of weeks back because he doesn't use GetHero in his Infinite Variable Storage system and that seemed a bit odd to me. The short answer is because GetHero isn't very useful in certain circumstances and there are better (i.e. more reliable/robust) ways to get the player's character. Assuming Craig doesn't respond before I get home I'll dig the relevant parts out of my chat log in case his comments might help you achieve your goal.
#5
Posté 24 février 2010 - 02:20
Hel
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The only reason why I believed GetHero() bears any significant value is because I assumed that the hero character is the only one that actually carries all the relevant plot data between different modules (e.g. Awakening using the hero to retrieve the Origins data). If this is in fact not the case, then my earlier objections are moot.
Now I am anxious to see what Craig mentioned in the chat log that would make the use of GetHero() obsolete.
Now I am anxious to see what Craig mentioned in the chat log that would make the use of GetHero() obsolete.
Modifié par Helekanalaith, 24 février 2010 - 02:22 .
#6
Posté 24 février 2010 - 04:34
Craig Graff
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GetHero is not obsolete, and there seem to be all sorts of hurdles and issues with making pre-defined protagonists. There are times when it is more appropriate to use GetPartyLeader or GetMainControlled than GetHero, since the hero is not always in the party nor always the one selected.
#7
Posté 24 février 2010 - 05:07
Hel
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Are there any disadvantages attached to not playing a hero character that I should be aware of?
For instance, say I create a module that is a continuation of the story from another module, a module where you do not play as your own hero character, but as a pre-defined character. At the start of the second module the player imports the character/save from the first module. Will I, as the builder, then be able to access the necessary data to continue the storyline? Or will I have shot myself in the foot because I forced the player to play a non-hero character?
This is not detailed anywhere, so I do not know what to assume here.
For instance, say I create a module that is a continuation of the story from another module, a module where you do not play as your own hero character, but as a pre-defined character. At the start of the second module the player imports the character/save from the first module. Will I, as the builder, then be able to access the necessary data to continue the storyline? Or will I have shot myself in the foot because I forced the player to play a non-hero character?
This is not detailed anywhere, so I do not know what to assume here.
Modifié par Helekanalaith, 24 février 2010 - 05:08 .
#8
Posté 27 février 2010 - 01:22
Qutayba
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I've been playing around with custom backgrounds, and this might be another direction you might look into, since you can limit the classes and races that pertain to a given background.
Check out: http://social.biowar...ounds_tutorial.
In principle you could limit the backgrounds to only one, and restrict that background to a single race and class. You also can control the appearance of a default character that you create in the creature editor and have that be the one that spawns in the chargen process. While I haven't looked into the face shaping side, I imagine there would be a way to lock the player out of that by scripting, just as there are certain backgrounds that are prevented from having tattoos.
Interestingly, you cannot limit the backgrounds by gender as far as I can tell (though I would think this could lead to some interesting storytelling possibilities: An Amazon from an all-female society, or a monk from an all-male order, etc.). You could always just ask the player to choose a particular gender in the readme and warn them that the experience will be funky if they disobey!
Depending on what you want, it seems to me that limiting the background options might be a simpler way to force a particular PC appearance and build, rather than switching between the hero pc and a possessed pc through scripting. StuntPope's tutorial that I linked above does a great job of walking you through a complex process, and there's a enough information there to allow you to tweak the process to get what you want.
Check out: http://social.biowar...ounds_tutorial.
In principle you could limit the backgrounds to only one, and restrict that background to a single race and class. You also can control the appearance of a default character that you create in the creature editor and have that be the one that spawns in the chargen process. While I haven't looked into the face shaping side, I imagine there would be a way to lock the player out of that by scripting, just as there are certain backgrounds that are prevented from having tattoos.
Interestingly, you cannot limit the backgrounds by gender as far as I can tell (though I would think this could lead to some interesting storytelling possibilities: An Amazon from an all-female society, or a monk from an all-male order, etc.). You could always just ask the player to choose a particular gender in the readme and warn them that the experience will be funky if they disobey!
Depending on what you want, it seems to me that limiting the background options might be a simpler way to force a particular PC appearance and build, rather than switching between the hero pc and a possessed pc through scripting. StuntPope's tutorial that I linked above does a great job of walking you through a complex process, and there's a enough information there to allow you to tweak the process to get what you want.
