Yo, Beamdog! How about coming out on toolset functions?

chimeric

Apparently, Beamdog encourages modding so people can enjoy the games more. They set up several forums for it. But, strangely enough, they let us guess at the old functions and at the new ones they make. What's up with that? Why not come to the board, Beamdog, when you add a feature and tell modders exactly how it works? Who else would know if not you?

Modding for this toolset is difficult enough without having to play the detective. For instance, I'm now asking around about Opcode 342, Override Creature Data. I'm trying to figure out what that does. Apparently it changes body heat and blood color. That's not information from Beamdog, it's what people at Gibberlings 3 have figured out. Only nobody seems to know just how it works. But in Siege of Dragonspear, I'm being told, there are several creature files that use this opcode in mysterious ways. And no one knows how.

Enough already! Stop hoarding the secrets of a toolset as ancient and interesting as Ankylosaurus magniventris! Just let us work!

Dee

Here you go. Check the Modding Features section.

Doubledimas

To be fair @Dee, there is nothing on opcode 342 in that document (I was planning on linking to it as well).

Dee

True; the v2.x release notes only contain information about the new features from v2.x. You can expect that kind of documentation in our release notes going forward; I don't think we have any plans to do the same for features that were there before v2.0, though.

I can ask around about that particular opcode to find out how it's supposed to work.

Dee

Okay, I've found some of our documentation:

Opcode 342, "Override Animation Data", allows an effect to change a creature's body heat*, blood color**, or personal space***.

* Hexxat uses this effect (Field 1, Value 0) to make it so she doesn't show up with infravision.
** You can use this effect to give a creature green blood, for instance.
*** You can use this effect to expand or contract a creature's personal space; the example I found is a creature whose personal space has been removed (Field 4, Value 0), which allows them to move through much smaller spaces.

And that's pretty much it.

Cahir

#chimeric probably know that, but you can find some useful info on IESDP section at G3 forums. For instance this thread introduce some details about new opcodes (including some info on 342 opcode): gibberlings3.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=26805.

argent77

There are also efforts being made to improve IESDP. See improved IESDP (work in progress) and related discussion. It already contains information about many of the new v2.0 features.

chimeric

The input from Beamdog is very welcome. Thanks, @Dee . But you say, you don't intend to document earlier functions. Well, all right. Maybe not in such detail, but surely there are too many mysteries remaining even in the old ones? What they are doing at G3 is probably too grand for me to grasp, and I don't need most of it, but I can see it's kind of confusing and all over the place. For example, the regular version of their guide is way behind not even the new functions but even ones added a while ago and already available in Near Infinity. Even the opcodes' names have changed. They say they'll update it, but it seems that we are supposed to just follow the discussion for now.

Well, it's good to have my question answered! And so quickly.

P.S. Wait. If I can decrease personal space, does that mean that I can also increase it, so a creature won't fit anywhere? Hmm...

kjeron

Dee said:

Okay, I've found some of our documentation:

Opcode 342, "Override Animation Data", allows an effect to change a creature's body heat*, blood color**, or personal space***.

* Hexxat uses this effect (Field 1, Value 0) to make it so she doesn't show up with infravision.
** You can use this effect to give a creature green blood, for instance.
*** You can use this effect to expand or contract a creature's personal space; the example I found is a creature whose personal space has been removed (Field 4, Value 0), which allows them to move through much smaller spaces.

And that's pretty much it.

Blood color is Field 2. Values are the same as opcode 7(Set Color), but it always uses the left-most color, so many are indistinguishable from each other.
Some useful ranges: 36-60, 75, 76, 77, 78, 116-134.

Removing a creatures personal space also enables them to cast spells from nearly any range, ignoring line of sight, and to attack in melee at their full visual range. It also enables them to be cast upon from nearly any range, ignoring line of sight, and attacked by enemies in melee from their full visual range.

Dee

Yes, that's correct. The opcode's name is accurate; whatever you set the Value to is what it will set the creature's personal space to. It may take some experimentation to get exactly what you want, though.

chimeric

kjeron said:

Removing a creatures personal space also enables them to cast spells from nearly any range, ignoring line of sight, and to attack in melee at their full visual range. It also enables them to be cast upon from nearly any range, ignoring line of sight, and attacked by enemies in melee from their full visual range.

Has this been done in a spell already?

@Dee : I must apologize for shouting rather rudely in the first post. It seems that you people provide more information than I thought.

chimeric

I just tried putting 0 for Body Heat, Branwen still glows reddish with infravision. Does this even work?