Ace's very long NPC creation guide

[Nijel]

Thanks, I read this guide and it was quite usefull.

[Athos]

I love you [2]

 

I'm getting re-acquainted with BG2 after long years of abstinance, and have just begun exploring the wonderful world of mods. But the little I've seen have already got me excited about writing my own. My first feeling was "yeah, right, like I'll have the patience to learn anything", but now I just think I might.

 

May the Gods bless n00b-helping people like yourself =)

[theacefes]

Aw, thank you.

 

Good on you for getting into modding. If you want to stick around a bit, I've got a new version of this tutorial in the works that will hopefully not only discuss the basics of NPC creation, but also romances, quests, and more. (with examples that are actually easy to follow!)

[Athos]

It will take some time before I actually engage into 'the arts' hahaha At least 'til I finish the run through I started. BG1 NPC mod made the first game a whole new experience, and now I can't wait to get to ToB and play it with Ascension and Wheels of Prophecy. I'm also playing with Angelo on my party, but my next game will surely have Sarah and Auren

 

Anyway, I'll surely wait for it =) and try to make an unpretentious NPC at first, to get the basics.

 

Thanks a lot!

[Jarno Mikkola]

Hmm, I can't seem to be able to access to the tutorials just now, is there something wrong with them? Or is it that they haven't been moved to the current site... yeah, I do have offline backup too, but I can't show links to it, so people would have access to the real thing.

 

Ace's NPC Creation Guide Web Version

So, erhm, the address is just wrong, as it should link to here.

[theacefes]

Oh yeah, I did some updates to my site so I moved it there. Whoops! I'll update the link on the first page.

[xdeathplanetx]

Ok after 10 hours I've decided that I'm not able to fix some problem I post what the bug files say hoping someone know what to do

 

WeiDU v 185 Log

 

C:\Programmi\Black Isle\BGII - SoA\Setup-Ilumi.exe

[./CHITIN.KEY] loaded, 590565 bytes

[./CHITIN.KEY] 182 BIFFs, 41794 resources

[dialog.tlk] loaded, 9195850 bytes

[dialog.tlk] 74107 string entries

[./Autorun.ini] loaded, 1365 bytes

[./baldur.ini] loaded, 3031 bytes

Possible HD/CD Path: [C:\Programmi\Black Isle\BGII - SoA\]

Possible HD/CD Path: [D:\CD1\]

Possible HD/CD Path: [C:\Programmi\Black Isle\BGII - SoA\CD2\]

Possible HD/CD Path: [D:\CD2\]

Possible HD/CD Path: [D:\CD3\]

Possible HD/CD Path: [D:\CD4\]

Possible HD/CD Path: [C:\Programmi\Black Isle\BGII - SoA\CD5\]

[./Keymap.ini] loaded, 5615 bytes

[./Mplaynow.ini] loaded, 230 bytes

[dialogf.tlk] loaded, 9276034 bytes

[dialogf.tlk] 74107 string entries

[dialog.tlk] claims to be writeable.

[dialog.tlk] claims to be a regular file.

[WeiDU.log] parsed

[sETUP-ILUMI.TP2] parsed

 

Install Component [ilumi for BG2:SoA]

[Y]es or [N]o or [Q]uit?

Installing [ilumi for BG2:SoA]

Copying and patching 1 file ...

ERROR: error loading [ilumi/ILUMI.cre]

Stopping installation because of error.

 

ERROR Installing [ilumi for BG2:SoA], rolling back to previous state

[ilumi/backup/0/UNSETSTR.0] SET_STRING uninstall info not found

WARNING: [ilumi/backup/0/UNINSTALL.0] is a 0 byte file

[ilumi/backup/0/UNINSTALL.0] loaded, 0 bytes

Will uninstall 0 files for [sETUP-ILUMI.TP2] component 0.

Uninstalled 0 files for [sETUP-ILUMI.TP2] component 0.

ERROR: Unix.Unix_error(20, "stat", "Ilumi/ILUMI.cre")

PLEASE email the file SETUP-ILUMI.DEBUG to xdeathplanetx (xdeathplanetx@hotmail.it)

 

Install Component [ilumi for BG2:SoA]

[Y]es or [N]o or [Q]uit?

[Jarno Mikkola]

Ok after 10 hours I've decided that I'm not able to fix some problem I post what the bug files say hoping someone know what to do

Well, we would need the setup-*modname*.tp2 so we can check your code, but anyways.

 

WeiDU v 185 Log

Get the newest WeiDU.exe from the newest Windows Binary Archive(.zip file) from here that you'll then rename, you do wish to use the newest functions...

 

Possible HD/CD Path: [C:\Programmi\Black Isle\BGII - SoA\]

Possible HD/CD Path: [D:\CD1\]

Possible HD/CD Path: [C:\Programmi\Black Isle\BGII - SoA\CD2\]

Possible HD/CD Path: [D:\CD2\]

Possible HD/CD Path: [D:\CD3\]

Possible HD/CD Path: [D:\CD4\]

I suggest that you make a full install, not the Standard/"insert CD" version, as you have far more power this way.

 

C:\Programmi\Black Isle\BGII - SoA\Setup-Ilumi.exe

Hopefully you have Windows XP SP2, not SP3, Vista or Windows 7, cause the program files folder("Programmi") in those Operation Systems is protected by mirroring the files from or to a folders and so the changes you try to make have no effects at all. If you have either Vista or Windows 7, install the game to some other folder that's not inside the "Programmi" folder, translate the word "Games", and so install the game to the C:\Games\Black Isle\BGII - SoA\ -folder.

 

ERROR: error loading [ilumi/ILUMI.cre]

Stopping installation because of error.

Make sure the file called "ILUMI.cre" is in the folder called "Ilumi" ... and the Operation System check above.

 

Edit: So it turned out that the ilumi.cre was just in a sub-folder, and so the setup file couldn't find it... so this is a reminder that you need to remember to keep track of the locations of your files, and keep them up to date in the .tp2 .

[Guest EpicWizard]

Wonderful!I LOVE you!~

[Zireael07]

I thought I'd look at the guide (old as it is), but alas, the link is dead!

[Mike1072]

I thought I'd look at the guide (old as it is), but alas, the link is dead!

I updated the post so it points to the right place again. Stop moving the file around, Kat!

[Guest Guest_theacefes]

Meh.

 

It's slightly updated. There are probably some typos in there because it's a bazillion pages but it makes the process easier to follow for beginners.

 

I'll keep the older one up in case people like that better.

[Lu_]

I think, the .CRE file section requires more detailed coverage, -- namely, such fields as Hit points, Attacks (per round), and Morale, Morale recovery, and Morale break

A very simple matter, in fact, yet my impression is, kinda 90% of the authors of NPC mods somehow have no idea what these values are about

[Jarno Mikkola]

I think, the .CRE file section requires more detailed coverage, -- namely, such fields as Hit points, Attacks (per round), and Morale, Morale recovery, and Morale break

A very simple matter, in fact, yet my impression is, kinda 90% of the authors of NPC mods somehow have no idea what these values are about

Just look at the .cre file... yeah well:

The Morale is just the maximum amount the creature has.

The Morale minus Morale Break is the amount of drama the creature can take after which it panics.

The Moral Recovery is the set of seconds the moral takes to recover by one.

Attacks Per Round should be one, unless the exported .cre has difference. This is because the class actually sets this every time the character levels up.

The hit point should be obvious... but it's the natural amount of hit point the character has, minus the Con bonus.

The best ways to set these and other stuff is to make a level 1 character and let the player level them up.

[Lu_]

Why the mocking smiley, though? I didn't say that nobody knew it, did I?

Seriously, though, the words "what these values are about" in my post mean "how to set them properly'

Say, Attacks per Round (ApR) must always be set to 1 (for a joinable NPC, that is)

HP - original NPC's always have this value set below maximum (except for level 1)

For morale values, converting .CHA to .CRE files (as it is suggested in the tutorial) will always lead to wrong results (where 'right' again means the standards set by Bioware)

And so on, and so forth