Custom Item Creation - Problems with Descriptions

ZeshinX

Hey all.

Having some troubles with getting custom descriptions to work without overwriting existing item descriptions. I'm pretty comfy with creating items (using DLTCEP) and have got them working in game, along with the descriptions as well...but they seem to overwrite descriptions of other items.

I started just by opening an existing item, making whatever changes, then saving with a different file name so I don't overwrite the original...DLTCEP does the rest (have the dialog.tlk in the base BG2EE folder, it gets updated, then I copy to the EN-US folder....and I do have a backup of the dialog.tlk so I'm able to undo things easily). I'm finding that the custom description is overwriting the original item (though seemingly the item's actual abilities remain unaltered).

So next I tried creating an item from scratch. The above attempt was making a Carsomyr +5 long sword, but this scratch test I kept it simple (just a Long Sword +1 that adds 1d4+1 fire damage). I didn't start with any base long sword in DLTCEP, just made a new item altogether. I copied out the unidentified and identified descriptions though from a Long Sword +1, and just added 1d4+1 to the damage line for the identified description. Gave it a custom name (Widow's Fire +1), custom file name for the override folder....and it all worked until I saw the description for the plain Long Sword +1 had the added fire damage bit. Tested both in-game...Widow's Fire did it's added fire damage, the plain Long Sword +1 did it's thing (no fire damage)....but durn it, that description.

So yeah. I'm stumped. Been digging around in Google land and thus far I'm coming up blank.

I do have the BG2Tweak pack installed (some components of it, not all), but that's it, no other mods. Any help would be greatly appreciated (I have no plan to distribute whatever I make...they're just for personal use and fun).

CrevsDaak

The item file has a string reference stored only, while the string is stored in the dialog.tlk. You've edited the string, but did not change the reference in the file, so you actually edited an existing string which your custom and the original you've based your custom item off share the same description string.

Let me explain this with an example. Let's say I want to make a +2 two handed sword that gives the player immunity to confusion, so I use Spider's Bane as my base item. If I wanted to change Spider's Bane's description (whose reference is stored in long 0x54), I would edit the number I found there. If I make a new item out of Spider's Bane, and don't change the number of the string reference in 0x54, and you edit the new item's description's, you'll actually will be editing Spider's Bane description, because they share it.

This means, you'll have to get those edited strings into a .docx or whatever, put the dialog.tlk you had backed up, and start adding strings instead (which is completely harmless). I have no clue how to use DLTCEP so I don't know how you should add strings to dialog.tlk with it, but if you use NearInfinity (there's a thread in this very same subforum with download links, it's stickied) I could walk you through (you can also add new strings with WeiDU but it's more complicated).

ZeshinX

I seem to have solved it. It's as you say, I was editing a given description. I must have inadvertently copied the descriptions into from-scratch item or mixed up what I was doing, so I tried a different approach.

I have two instances of DLTCEP open. One to simply view items I'd like to use as a base, and one to actually create the item. That seems to be working as I've created two items with no visible description overwriting.

Still, I'll look into that Near Infinity thread. I messed around with that a few times and it's pretty nice...I just find Java-based apps a little too "twitchy" (not saying they're bad...I just don't seem to get along with them ). Still, definitely worth a looksee. My thanks CrevsDaak.

Grammarsalad

If you want to try weidu, you can start here:

https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/15010/short-introduction-to-weidu-and-simple-mod-template/p1

The only thing is that I'm sure the weidu version attached it out of date. It should be fine for simple item creation stuff, however