Journal Modding Help (QUEST, QUEST_DONE, etc.) for BG2:EE. Solved!

[BCaesar]

Hello. I'm just starting to add journal entries to my mod. I can create a journal entry using something like:
AddJournalEntry(@1,QUEST)

But it just adds it as a normal journal entry.

Same with adding an entry using AddJournalEntry(@2,QUEST_DONE)

Also how do I use EraseJournalEntry? Do I just need the next to perfectly match the text for the entry I'm erasing, because I did that and it didn't seem to work.

 

This is for BG2:EE

Thanks.

 

I also posted this here:

https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/874722

 

And they recommended the tutorial here: http://gibberlings3.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=26671

 

Fixed! Solution below: Post #8

 

BG2:EE requires a different system then used originally.

[jastey]

AddJournalEntry(@1,QUEST) and AddJournalEntry(@2,QUEST_DONE) is the normal game syntax, so I'd be interested in an answer for that, too.

EraseJournalEntry(@1) should remove the above first entry, yes. For further help you would have to post your code.

 

BCaesar: Since you tend to post the same questions in several modding forums, please give links to the other discussion threads. Because I like to know answers to the questions and don't feel like scanning several forums, and also because it's like participating in a discussion but only hearing half of the discussants. (Also, in general, it is seen as a bit unpolite by the older modder generation.)

[Wisp]

Hello. I'm just starting to add journal entries to my mod. I can create a journal entry using something like:

AddJournalEntry(@1,QUEST)

 

But it just adds it as a normal journal entry.

 

Same with adding an entry using AddJournalEntry(@2,QUEST_DONE)

You don't really say what problem you are having. But since it's EE I'll just go ahead and guess it can be fixed by using ADD_JOURNAL.

[BCaesar]

 

 

BCaesar: Since you tend to post the same questions in several modding forums, please give links to the other discussion threads. Because I like to know answers to the questions and don't feel like scanning several forums, and also because it's like participating in a discussion but only hearing half of the discussants. (Also, in general, it is seen as a bit unpolite by the older modder generation.)

 

Done. I needed the "ADD JOURNAL" command as Wisp stated.

[BCaesar]

 

Hello. I'm just starting to add journal entries to my mod. I can create a journal entry using something like:

AddJournalEntry(@1,QUEST)

 

But it just adds it as a normal journal entry.

 

Same with adding an entry using AddJournalEntry(@2,QUEST_DONE)

You don't really say what problem you are having. But since it's EE I'll just go ahead and guess it can be fixed by using ADD_JOURNAL.

 

 

You guessed correctly.

[jastey]

Thank you!

I didn't know ADD_JOURNAL is necessesary for this. I thought it's for grouping the journal entries under one title etc... good to know.

[BCaesar]

Thank you!

I didn't know ADD_JOURNAL is necessesary for this. I thought it's for grouping the journal entries under one title etc... good to know.

 

I'm using the newly-released-for-BG2:EE Keldorn Romance as my example. It's done there.

http://gibberlings3.net/forums/index.php?app=downloads&showcat=91

(not that I need to tell you where the link to that is, but other people might want it.)

[BCaesar]

Ok here's my solution. I don't need to use EraseJournalEntry since all my journal entries are grouped together and once I do quest-done they're all marked as done. So all I need to do is create them. Here's what I did (and it seems to work) spelled out as best as I can (for those following me).

 

This is for my quest, Necklace of Talos.

 

So in my TP2 file I have:

ADD_JOURNAL TITLE (@1000) @1001 @1002 @1003 USING ~AllThingsMazzy/translations/%LANGUAGE%/_btemplesmaevar.tra~ ~AllThingsMazzy/translations/%LANGUAGE%/_bbaldur.tra~

This is pulling from two different .tra files. @1001 is in _bbaldur.tra (and left blank in _btemplesmaevar.tra) and @1000, @1002, and @1003 are all pulled from _btemplesmaevar.tra (and left blank in _bbaldur.tra).

 

 

Then in _bbaldur.baf I have:

	AddJournalEntry(@1001,QUEST) /*Necklace of Talos: Death From Above

Today I was hit with lightning shooting from the sky along with a woman's voice asking me as to the location of her necklace. I assume this something to do with the necklace I stole from the Temple of Talos. Perhaps I could talk to the priestess and give back her necklace or otherwise appease her.*/

and in _bbaldur.tra I have:

@1001 /*Journal*/ = ~Necklace of Talos: Death From Above

Today I was hit with lightning shooting from the sky along with a woman's voice asking me as to the location of her necklace. I assume this something to do with the necklace I stole from the Temple of Talos. Perhaps I could talk to the priestess and give back her necklace or otherwise appease her.~

In _btemplesmaevar.d I have:

	DO ~AddJournalEntry(@1002,QUEST)~ /*Necklace of Talos: Necklace for Cyric

Mae'Var has passed the necklace on to his pet Priest of Cyric. The thief did not truly want the item, he only wanted to test my willingness to jump at his command. He also gave me a cryptic warning about watching out for storms, I assume because Talos is a god of lightning.*/

and

DO ~AddJournalEntry(@1003,QUEST_DONE)~ /*Necklace of Talos: All's Well That Ends Well

I have made amends with the Mistress Ada, the Priestess of Talos and will once again be able to receive services at that temple.*/

And lastly I have the following in _btemplesmaevar.tra

//Journal Entries
@1000 = ~Necklace of Talos~
//Entry 1001 in _bbaldur.tra
@1002 = ~Necklace of Talos: Necklace for Cyric

Mae'Var has passed the necklace on to his pet Priest of Cyric. The thief did not truly want the item, he only wanted to test my willingness to jump at his command. He also gave me a cryptic warning about watching out for storms, I assume because Talos is a god of lightning.~
@1003 = ~Necklace of Talos: All's Well That Ends Well

I have made amends with the Mistress Ada, the Priestess of Talos and will once again be able to receive services at that temple.~

[jastey]

ADD_JOURNAL TITLE (@1000) @1001 @1002 @1003 USING ~AllThingsMazzy/translations/%LANGUAGE%/_btemplesmaevar.tra~ ~AllThingsMazzy/translations/%LANGUAGE%/_bbaldur.tra~

This is pulling from two different .tra files. @1001 is in _bbaldur.tra (and left blank in _btemplesmaevar.tra) and @1000, @1002, and @1003 are all pulled from _btemplesmaevar.tra (and left blank in _bbaldur.tra).

I didn't know this works, either. It's a little bit dangerous, though, if you start adding the "missing" line numbers to the second tra file because you forgot about the cross-over (not that anything like that would have happened to me, haha). I also wasn't aware that all grouped quest entries get labelled as solved (but then, I usually code for the classic games, too, so I need to use EraseJournalEntry). If using EraseJournal Entry, I guess it only could pull the strings out of one try file, though - I guess?

What I do (most of the times, when I have journal entries across several dialogue files) is I make one journal.tra file that gets called like the setup.tra with all the journal entries, giving them unique numbers like @10000 so they do not get mixed by the dialogue tra lines.

 

Thank you for sharing, I definitely learned something new.

[BCaesar]

 

ADD_JOURNAL TITLE (@1000) @1001 @1002 @1003 USING ~AllThingsMazzy/translations/%LANGUAGE%/_btemplesmaevar.tra~ ~AllThingsMazzy/translations/%LANGUAGE%/_bbaldur.tra~

This is pulling from two different .tra files. @1001 is in _bbaldur.tra (and left blank in _btemplesmaevar.tra) and @1000, @1002, and @1003 are all pulled from _btemplesmaevar.tra (and left blank in _bbaldur.tra).

I didn't know this works, either. It's a little bit dangerous, though, if you start adding the "missing" line numbers to the second tra file because you forgot about the cross-over (not that anything like that would have happened to me, haha). I also wasn't aware that all grouped quest entries get labelled as solved (but then, I usually code for the classic games, too, so I need to use EraseJournalEntry). If using EraseJournal Entry, I guess it only could pull the strings out of one try file, though - I guess?

What I do (most of the times, when I have journal entries across several dialogue files) is I make one journal.tra file that gets called like the setup.tra with all the journal entries, giving them unique numbers like @10000 so they do not get mixed by the dialogue tra lines.

 

Thank you for sharing, I definitely learned something new.

 

 

Yeah I thought of that, and pretty much knew I'd forget so I filled in the missing tra lines with comments. So _bbaldur.tra looks like this:

//Journals
//1000 in _bmazzymaevar.d
@1001 /*Journal*/ = ~Necklace of Talos: Death From Above

Today I was hit with lightning shooting from the sky along with a woman's voice asking me as to the location of her necklace. I assume this something to do with the necklace I stole from the Temple of Talos. Perhaps I could talk to the priestess and give back her necklace or otherwise appease her.~
//1002 and 1003 in _bmazzymaevar.d

And _btemplesmaevar.tra looks like this:

//Journal Entries
/*Necklace of Talos*/
@1000 = ~Necklace of Talos~
/*1001 in _bbaldur.tra*/
@1002 = ~Necklace of Talos: Necklace for Cyric

Mae'Var has passed the necklace on to his pet Priest of Cyric. The thief did not truly want the item, he only wanted to test my willingness to jump at his command. He also gave me a cryptic warning about watching out for storms, I assume because Talos is a god of lightning.~
@1003 = ~Necklace of Talos: All's Well That Ends Well

I have made amends with the Mistress Ada, the Priestess of Talos and will once again be able to receive services at that temple.~

All my files are full of comments since I have the working short-term memory of a goldfish. My .tra files have the speaker listed as a comment on every line, my .d files have the text in English listed in comments after every tra reference, my script files tell me which script file or dialogue file is next in the sequence (so if a dialogue is triggered by a script file there's a comment telling me where that dialogue file is), etc.

 

It takes me longer to code, but it takes me less time to edit and fix mistakes that way so I figure I come out ahead. Most of my time is spend editing/fixing rather than writing anyways.

[jastey]

Wow, that is definitely smarter than my "uh, what was I coding there six months back?" approach!