Request: Spell (Spl) Making Guides and Recommended Tools

Reddbane

I need to start making more complex spl files and I've more or less reached my limit of what I can do with Near-infinity or what I believe I can do with it. I wish to ask this from those more experienced modders. Is there some spl making guides available that you can point me in the direction of, and are there different tools I need to start making spells and spl files?

Thanks.

[Deleted User]

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Grammarsalad

What specifically do you want to do?

Reddbane

@Grammarsalad
I've been having problems editing and creating summon spells in near-infinity. More especially in discovering where the cre(s) which are summon are referenced.

kjeron

Opcode 67 specifies the CRE file in it's resource field.
Opcodes 127 and 331 specify a .2DA file in it's resource field, which contains references to the CRE files to summon.

Opcode 127 defaults to the following .2DA files (based on Parameter2) if it's resource field is left blank (hardcoded):

0	:	[MONSUM01.2DA]	(Monster Summoning I)	EA[4][ALLY]
1	:	[MONSUM02.2DA]	(Monster Summoning II)	EA[4][ALLY]
2	:	[MONSUM03.2DA]	(Monster Summoning III)	EA[4][ALLY]
3	:	[ANISUM01.2DA]	(Animal Summoning II)	EA[4][ALLY]
4	:	[ANISUM02.2DA]	(Animal Summoning II)	EA[4][ALLY]
5	:	[MONSUM01.2DA]	(Monster Summoning I)	EA[255][ENEMY]
6	:	[MONSUM02.2DA]	(Monster Summoning II)	EA[255][ENEMY]
7	:	[MONSUM03.2DA]	(Monster Summoning III)	EA[255][ENEMY]
8	:	[ANISUM01.2DA]	(Animal Summoning I)	EA[255][ENEMY]
9	:	[ANISUM02.2DA]	(Animal Summoning II)	EA[255][ENEMY]

Opcode 331 defaults to the following .2DA files (based on Parameter2) if it's resource field is left blank (as listed in "SMTABLES.2DA":

0	:	[MSUMMO1.2DA]	(Monster Summoning I)
1	:	[MSUMMO2.2DA]	(Monster Summoning II)
2	:	[MSUMMO3.2DA]	(Monster Summoning III)
3	:	[MSUMMO4.2DA]	(Monster Summoning IV)
4	:	[MSUMMO5.2DA]	(Monster Summoning V)
5	:	[MSUMMO6.2DA]	(Monster Summoning VI)
6	:	[MSUMMO7.2DA]	(Monster Summoning VII)
7	:	[ASUMMO1.2DA]	(Animal Summoning I)
8	:	[ASUMMO2.2DA]	(Animal Summoning II)
9	:	[ASUMMO3.2DA]	(Animal Summoning III)

(Not all of these files will normally exist in each game, some are exclusive to IWDEE, but can be imported).

Reddbane

Thanks for your help everyone, though I wonder if someone could point me in the direction of some resource for tutorial and/or guides for NI modding or spl modding. That way I can avoid asking any other seemingly obvious questions.

Grammarsalad

Okay, you may know about these, but I'll link them in case you don't:

http://weidu.org/~thebigg/README-WeiDU.html

http://gibberlings3.net/forums/index.php?s=d304987034f70ff1fea6c387bafb2a4d&showforum=62

https://gibberlings3.github.io/iesdp/

http://forums.pocketplane.net/index.php?board=16.0

http://www.pocketplane.net/tutorials/simscript.html

http://forums.blackwyrmlair.net/index.php?showforum=38

http://www.shsforums.net/forum/125-ie-tutorials/

Reddbane

I think a screenshot might help you guys understand my problem, which is likely just a matter of unfamiliarity of certain aspects of NI interface:
You see I have the Summon effect of a spell in the red circle, but there is no specification for "resource" with the columns, though I suspect it is the "unknown" above "dice thrown/max". My difficulty is twofold. First, there is the already mentioned problem of me being unsure which line is the resource file. Second, there is the matter of how I go about understanding (translating) the line in question so that I can easily find and/or replace the resource with that of the actual cre file. Again, is NI the proper editor I should be using to create such spells, or is there another one that is more intuitive?

I appreciate the recommendations of you more experienced modders.

[Deleted User]

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Reddbane

@subtledoctor
Thanks. I didn't even realize mine was out of date since I had downloaded what most engines link to when looking for Near Infinity.

Reddbane

Question: when you create a passive ability/spl (say one that gives extra spell slots), and you then apply that to a character, either through level up or a scripted function; does the Character keep the passive ability (that is to say the spl file) "attached" to them? Or, once the spell is applied does it merely apply the respective list of effects to the character and any record of the spl file is discarded?

Because this is the thing, I was thinking of having a dialogue menu the player can access where they say their intelligence and then the appropriate bonus spell slots are added via a corresponding passive ability, and likewise every time you open that (dialogue) menu, you can tell it a different intelligence (to account for permanent INT changes) and it would reset your bonus spells by removing the old passive ability(s) and adding the new one. However, if passive abilities disappear after they applied then, then this process becomes much less feasible.

If "passive abilities" don't attach to the character/actor, then might I get some advise on how to make this Bonus Spell menu work?

kjeron

Reddbane said:

Question: when you create a passive ability/spl (say one that gives extra spell slots), and you then apply that to a character, either through level up or a scripted function; does the Character keep the passive ability (that is to say the spl file) "attached" to them? Or, once the spell is applied does it merely apply the respective list of effects to the character and any record of the spl file is discarded?

Applied with timing mode 1, a variety of effect will leave no trace, as they modify the creatures base stats.
Applied with timing mode 9, any effect that *can* be attach to a creature, will attach itself, storing the resource that applied them in the "parent resource" field of the attached effect, allowing all effects from the same source to later be removed together through opcodes 321/229/230.

Reddbane

Is there an easy way to Reset the record of spells cast per round, in regards to an ability? That is to say I am experimenting an Innate Ability that effects spell-casting (which lasts 3 rounds), but I want the player to still be able to cast a spell in that first round after the ability is used. (Thus the player can cast as many as 3 spells while that ability lasts) I've been experimenting with using the improved alacrity effect for 1 second ( Increase spells cast per round (188) ), but even that seems to just allow the player to cast 3 or 4 spells in 1 second. I've also tried experimenting with the "power" value of Opcode 188, changing it to a number other than 9 (which is what the code Improved Alacrity uses), like 2, 1, and even 0, but regardless the still lets the player cast 9 spells per round.

Any advise or explanations?

[Deleted User]

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Reddbane

subtledoctor said:

Try having the initial ability use target mode 7 (caster) on the spell header instead of target mode 5 (caster).

Thanks! It works perfectly.