Help with the Plot Wizard

Ugly_Duck

I spent a few hours trying to get a quest made using the Plot Wizard, and I failed miserably. Is there any improvements available to the Plot Wizard, or better alternatives?

Proleric

I'd forget about the Plot Wizard. Easier to build plots manually, as explained in the Toolset manuals, Lexicon tutorials etc. Lilac Soul's script generator is helpful for non-coders, though learning how to write scripts pays dividends in the long run.

TarotRedhand

Plot Wizard tutorial is part of this collection of old Bioware tutorials. Mind you the pw only has something like four basic plots to work with. As @Proleric says, you'll be a lot better off learning to script and doing it yourself. Having said that, if you want to try an alternative system to the Plot Wizard there is Scriptease. It is an open source method that works with NwN (although I haven't tried it with EE so try at own risk). It is called ScriptEase and it takes a more visual approach. It was developed by the University of Alberta as a teaching aid and works with both NwN and Unity. To use it you will need Java to be installed on your machine. Some time ago I tried it out and came to the conclusion that, unless you are used to something like Scratch, it has a pretty steep learning curve and the documentation leaves a lot to be desired.

You can find the current build on GitHub here if you want to check it out.

TR

jimdad55

@Ugly_Duck, I've used Plot Wizard quite a bit. As has been said, you're better off learning scripting in the long run, but that is the long run. Plot Wizard is dead easy to use and does what it says on the tin. The tutorial Tarot referred to is also easy to follow. If you're looking for something quick it does the trick, especially if you're just learning . Was it a particular problem you had with it that I could help with?

Ugly_Duck

@jimdad55 I was trying to do:
1.) Kill a guy & get AMULET_001
2.) Take AMULET_001 to a friendly npc, and exchange it for MAP_001
3.) Use the MAP_001; destroy MAP_001 & give the player MAP_002.
4.) Player uses MAP_002 and it gets destroyed.

The rundown is this - Kill the cult member and get an amulet marked with the cult's sign. Return the amulet to the town guard. The town guard gives you the first map. The first map, when used, teleports the player to a new area. The first map gets destroyed, and a second map is created in the players backpack. The second map teleports the player back to the town they left from & also gets destroyed.

jimdad55

I’ll have a go at this tomorrow but the immediate issue I see as regards Plot Wizard is that very little of this centred around conversations. It sounds to me, without knowing anything about it that you’re deep in scripting territory. I’m assuming you don’t know anything about scripting and that’s why you’re using PW?

The great thing about hanging your story on conversations is that you immediately get “text appears when”, “Actions taken” and even “other actions” tabs to perform checks and do things.

From the top of my head, 1&2 sound like a “Fetch and deliver” type plot, 3 and 4 will need Script Generator at least for the teleporting etc. if you don’t want to use conversations or scripting. I’ll get back to you. .

Ugly_Duck

thank you jimdad55

jimdad55

OK, your problem here is that I know next to nothing about scripting. Others could probably give you a script that would do all this and cook your breakfast !

I had a play this morning and here's what I could achieve with PW.

1. Fetch and retrieve plot ( no maps available had to use scroll).
2. Guard gives plot, cult member is villain, use chest and item to retrieve is amulet.
3. Return to guard, he takes amulet and he gives map (scroll I'm afraid). It appears in your inventory.

So far so good. This all works fine. Your problem comes at the next point when you want to use the scroll to teleport him on use of the map. This is where you really need a competent scripter as the scroll given by the guard doesn't have script slots when I do this in PW.

What I did do was use a placeable map ( which does have a script tab ) which I placed on the ground beside the guard, added a dismissive bit in the conversation about "it's lying over there" and used a Script Generator script in the OnUsed to teleport the PC ( complete with vfx!) to a waypoint somewhere else which also destroyed the map. I'm guessing, although I didn't have time to do it that I could easily have added to give the PC a new item ( map2) to the SG script.

So, no, you couldn't do much of this in PW but you could achieve what I've outlined above ( and probably better as I didn't have a lot of time) without knowing scripting by using the combination of PW and SG ( which is absolutely the non scripter's friend).

TarotRedhand

@jimdad55 Try it with my Micro Maps. They are both placeable and item combined into one thing and there are 11 slots for custom maps.

TR

jimdad55

Will do. Thanks, Tarot.

Ugly_Duck

I got something working, but it has an un-intended side effect. After using the "map" to teleport, when I go to do the quest again, or even put the "map" in my backpack; the teleport fires without me even using it.

jimdad55

Is this still map 1 because in SG you can add the option to destroy it after use? I’m guessing if it isn’t destroyed any use will result in the same script firing. Is there not an option in SG to make it only fire once? I can’t remember.

Ugly_Duck

@jimdad55 Here is the script that I'm using. The problem is, after using the "map", any time the "map" is put back into the players backpack, the teleport fires without being activated. The "map" may be put back into the players pack unlimited amounts of times; from repeating the quest that gave it to them - a repeatable quest for a PW.

Ok, here is what I got:

// ** This script uses "tag-based" item scripting.
// ** If you use the item this script it named after, target yourself with the curser
// then, it will teleport you to the TAG of the Waypoint named in this script.
// To use: Name this SCRIPT after the ITEM to be used. On the ITEM, give it the item property "Unique Power".
// Select yourself as the target of the "Unique Power"; the VFX will fire & you'll be teleported there.
//
//


/* Script generated by
Lilac Soul's NWN Script Generator, v. 2.3

For download info, please visit:
http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Other.Detail&id=4683&id=625 */

void main()
{
object oPC;

if (GetIsInCombat(GetItemActivator())
){

SendMessageToPC(GetItemActivator(), "Improper use of item!");
return;}

oPC = GetItemActivator();

object oTarget;
location lTarget;
oTarget = GetWaypointByTag("WP_BSCULT_TELE_LOC_002");

lTarget = GetLocation(oTarget);

//only do the jump if the location is valid.
//though not flawless, we just check if it is in a valid area.
//the script will stop if the location isn't valid - meaning that
//nothing put after the teleport will fire either.
//the current location won't be stored, either

if (GetAreaFromLocation(lTarget)==OBJECT_INVALID) return;

AssignCommand(oPC, ClearAllActions());

DelayCommand(3.0, AssignCommand(oPC, ActionJumpToLocation(lTarget)));

oTarget = oPC;

//Visual effects can't be applied to waypoints, so if it is a WP
//the VFX will be applied to the WP's location instead

int nInt;
nInt = GetObjectType(oTarget);

if (nInt != OBJECT_TYPE_WAYPOINT) ApplyEffectToObject(DURATION_TYPE_INSTANT, EffectVisualEffect(VFX_IMP_UNSUMMON), oTarget);
else ApplyEffectAtLocation(DURATION_TYPE_INSTANT, EffectVisualEffect(VFX_IMP_UNSUMMON), GetLocation(oTarget));

oPC = GetItemActivatedTarget();

object oItem;
oItem = GetFirstItemInInventory(oPC);

while (GetIsObjectValid(oItem))
{
if (GetTag(oItem)=="BSCULT_MAP_002") DestroyObject(oItem);

oItem = GetNextItemInInventory(oPC);
}

// ** This line of code is commented out because I used it for a similar item, and just copied the script.
// CreateItemOnObject("bscult_map_002", oPC);

}

meaglyn

Tag based scripts are called for a number of item events like (un)acquire and (un)equip in addition to activate.

Assuming you only need to have it work for activation you can add something like this near the top of your script.

if (GetUserDefinedItemEventNumber() != X2_ITEM_EVENT_ACTIVATE) return;

The everything after this will only happen on activation and it won't do anything on acquire anymore.