Beta07 has a new tutorial: Recue-quest! There are also other improvements, see the version notes for details. We are now nearly out of beta for the SP version, so now I expect to start work on the Knat's db version before christmas!
BETA! This system is very much a work in progress! I am offering it up to anyone interested in helping out, in hopes of getting valuable feedback from beginners and experienced builders alike. Anyone helping out with this can expect to get their names on the credits-list of the final product, and anyone can help, no matter how little or much they know about scripting and using the toolset. Just letting me know what parts of the tutorial you had problems with will be helpful enough. I'll also appreciate help with testing for possible exploits and other types of bugs, and for that matter with proofreading of the tutorials and Readme. Any kind of feedback, really!
This is a system for making quests without the need for any kind of scripting knowledge on the part of the builder at all. All the scripting has been done for you already! If you can read and write, then you can use this!
It works by putting "tokens" (little misc items) in the inventory of the NPC you want to be a questgiver. The OnConversation script on the NPC detects the token(s) when someone tries to talk to the NPC, and starts the special quest-conversation that is associated with that token.
The builder must write variables on the tokens. First of all, the tag of this particular quest. (It's the same tag as used by the journal editor.) Then he must write the actual conversation strings to be used in the conversation, and some facts like how much xp and gold to hand out as reward, number of items (in the case of a fetch quest or courier-quest), number of kills (in a kill-quest), etc. I have tried to make it so that there are no more variables to write than fills one page of the Variables-tab.
A number of things happen automatically. If there's a map pin with the quest-tag + "_PIN" it is activated automatically, if there's an encounter with a tag of quest-tag + "_ENCOUNTER" similarly, if there's a key in the inventory of the quest-giver with tag of quest-tag + "_KEY", the PC gets it at the start of the quest. And so on and so forth!
When the quest is done, the token is destroyed and the NPC will revert to using his own conversation. Unless there is another token in his inventory! Then he has another quest that needs to be done!
The whole idea behind this is to make a system that can be used by the greenest newbie who just can't wrap his mind around scripting. If you're not one of those, then you're probably better off using something else! At least for now. Maybe when the system has matured it will become something useful for more experienced builders when they just need to throw in some side-quests in a hurry.
Thanks, Cary! It's true; it was my discussions with Cary over a long time that gave me the idea to try and make a module-making system for non-scripters. I have received lots of good ideas for it from other community members -especially the new members of The No Scripting Guild- but without Cary this system wouldn't even have been an idea. Cheers! :)
Posted by nereng at 2008-10-1614:08:40
Yes, keep your eyes peeled folks! :) The next update will probably happen sometime next week, and will have numerous improvements from the technical perspective, and hopefully one more tutorial! Long term plans include solutions for the PW community; One using Knat's extension and another using NWNX. First priority is still the newbie modder, though! Ease of use and No Scripting For You is paramount! Cheers!
Posted by Fleshmelter at 2008-10-1612:52:01
Hmmm, gotta keep my eye on this one =) _________________________ PW Action Server: | Chaosgate |
Posted by nereng at 2008-10-1213:36:04
@red teflon: A different set of scripts for PWs? That may be the best idea I've heard today! I've been trying to figure out how to write the scripts so they work equally well in SP and on PWs, but making two different sets seems like a better idea! Thanks for the input! Cheers! :)
Posted by red at 10:57:25 Voted10.00
Hey nereng, I am glad you are keeping this project fresh, it is a good idea. Perhaps adding a persitant set of scripts might be helpful as well.
Posted by ozDallo at on10/12/08
A must for the technically challenged builder. Truly cool as is, and knowing nereng's energy it will just keep getting better and better. So full marks from me!
Posted by nereng at 2008-10-1122:00:39
Beta02 is here! There is a new lesson: "How to make kill-quests", and numerous improvements in the scripts. Map-pins are now deactivated (not destroyed!) automatically when the quest is over, unless you write a var on it to keep it active. No more renaming of scripts either, so now I can brag that you don't even have to look at a script when using this system! Several improvements in the kill-quest, which there is also a tutorial for now. And of course, no more lag in the Murky Forest! Cheers! :)
Posted by Catoptromancer at on08/09/09
Like-wise, I had no idea you could right click on an item in a creature's inventory to change the tag. I thought everything had to be edit/copied from the standard pallette first..Thanks for that gem! 2)I was hoping for an on/off toggle in case you want to respawn a quest, but that does sounds pretty good:)
Posted by nereng at 2008-10-1017:25:10
@Catoptromancer: I'll be checking both the Bioboards and this place regularly, so any of them is fine, really. However, maybe the best thing to do is to start a guild for this? Hmm... To the questions! 1) I had no idea that problem would go away if you make the trees static! Yup, I do get some lags, but only in a couple of places. That could be because my lovely, brand new computer is so powerful! *grins* Anyhow, I'll make all those trees static in the next update! 2) Destroying the pins automatically afterwards is a good idea! I think I'll let that be the default, and only let the pins remain if they have a variable on them! How does that sound? :) 3) That's an interesting idea as well! Builders will have to write a variable on the item instead of renaming a script, and also put the Module script in place. I can put all the code inside an if-clause at the top of the module-script, so it will retain all functionality of the default script and can also be copied to other versions easily... Sounds good! I'll have ready that in the next update I think! Cheers! :)
Posted by Catoptromancer at on08/09/09
Nereng, do you want feedback here or at the bio boards? I played through the module once so far. It was a lot of fun and everything seems to work as intended. For starters, 1.Nothing to do with the quest system, but in the Murky Forest: Do you get a strange, bad lag that strikes everytime you run or try to move a few meters? If so, setting all the new x3 plc trees to static eliminates the problem. The way I do it is by checking the Usable box and then unchecking the Usable box so the Static box becomes available..then check the Static box. (The bandits killed poor Aluvian Darkstar, her horse and the paladin escortee because the lag grabbed me there,lol.) 2.I'm interested in an option to disable map pins after a quest,if needed..(for courier quests such as a postmaster that has a letter or two to be delivered to different places every time, after a set amount of time has passed.) 3. I'm about to start the tutorial, and at step #43: I'm wondering if making a variable to set on the items, like, "0nsqs_acquired, int, 1" or "FIRE_OA, string, 0nsqs_acquired" is possible? If it is, it could trim down the number of scripts needed.
Site
