System editing ...

[lazarus]

I have a couple questions about editing the d20 system. Specifically, I'm interested in writing datafiles for "total conversions" like Warlords and Everquest. So, here's the questions:

1) how do I create something that's a "Core Rule Set" and can turn off the main d20 races and classes? This is important for, as I said, Warlords and Everquest, which fully replace everything.

2) how would I do the Warlords thing of Race/Class Abilities? Specifically, a Nothrog Assassin and a Dwarf Assassin don't have (entirely) the same ability set. Specifically, what I'm after is being able to insert class abilities based on the race of the character.

3) How would I go about doing something like fully replacing the magic system? (Everquest does that) Is that doable from the editor, or would that require editing at a higher level?

Laz

[lazarus]

I've now done the Class tutorial, and I suspect that what's needed for #2 is to edit the "bootstrap" script conditions on the class abilities to check on whether the race is appropriate?

Laz

[Colen]

lazarus wrote:
>
>
> I have a couple questions about editing the d20 system. Specifically,
> I'm interested in writing datafiles for "total conversions" like
> Warlords and Everquest. So, here's the questions:
>
> 1) how do I create something that's a "Core Rule Set" and can turn off
> the main d20 races and classes? This is important for, as I said,
> Warlords and Everquest, which fully replace everything.


For a project as big as that, it's going to be easiest to simply make a
copy of the d20 system folder, and use that as your alternate system.
You can then use "Hidden" elements, described in the authoring kit
documentation, to hide all the standard races and classes, and add your own.


> 2) how would I do the Warlords thing of Race/Class Abilities?
> Specifically, a Nothrog Assassin and a Dwarf Assassin don't have
> (entirely) the same ability set. Specifically, what I'm after is being
> able to insert class abilities based on the race of the character.


You can either do as you suggested, and just use bootstrap conditions,
or you can make two separate classes if the ability sets are different
enough. Alternatively, you can check for the required race in a script,
and disable the ability if it's not present. For example:

~ If we're not an elf, disable this ability
var result as number
if (hero.tagis[Race.Elf] = 0) then
result = assign[Helper.SpcDisable]
done
endif

The Barbarian "Fast Movement" ability does this if you want to look at
an example within the editor.


> 3) How would I go about doing something like fully replacing the magic
> system? (Everquest does that) Is that doable from the editor, or would
> that require editing at a higher level?


I'm not entirely sure - how different is the EQ magic system? If it's
totally weird and different, we may add support for it.


--
Colen McAlister, colen@wolflair.com
Chief Engineer, Lone Wolf Development

[lazarus]

The EQ magic system is a spell point based system. I think it's fairly doable using the d20 as a base (just have a Power Point Pool rather than a Spell / Day thing).

... I'm going to have to figure out the XML to do some of what I want to do, aren't I? (this would be SO much easier if the docs were finished ....)

Laz

[Colen]

lazarus wrote:
>
>
> The EQ magic system is a spell point based system. I think it's fairly
> doable using the d20 as a base (just have a Power Point Pool rather than
> a Spell / Day thing).
>
> ... I'm going to have to figure out the XML to do some of what I want to
> do, aren't I? (this would be SO much easier if the docs were finished
> ....)


If it works like spell points, it sounds like you could model it using
the Psionics system. Would that work? A psionic class gets a certain
number of points per level, can learn a certain number of powers, and
can has a common pool of points that can then be used to use powers.


--
Colen McAlister, colen@wolflair.com
Chief Engineer, Lone Wolf Development

[lazarus]

Um. I haven't actually /read/ the EQ magic system, and even if I had, I don't actually know the Psionics system. My instinct tells me that it'll work, yes.

Laz

[Colen]

lazarus wrote:
>
>
> Um. I haven't actually /read/ the EQ magic system, and even if I had, I
> don't actually know the Psionics system. My instinct tells me that it'll
> work, yes.


It sounds like it'll mostly work, then. If there's a minor change that
needs to be made, we can get that incorporated into the core data files
to make it easier to implement.


--
Colen McAlister, colen@wolflair.com
Chief Engineer, Lone Wolf Development

[lazarus]

I'm doing some testing, to see how things are going to work. By that, I mean I'm implementing a skeleton for the Nothrog race and the Assassin class in the Warlords game. I have three issues:

1) I can't figure out how to change a class's hit die type - what I mean by this, is that the Nothrog Assassin has a d8 hit die rather than the d6 of everyone else. I don't want to clone classes, as there's only 3 abilities that are different for each. If this capability doesn't exist in the default d20 dataset, how would I go about making it go?

2) the quoted above (hero.tagis[Race.Elf]) doesn't seem to work. At least, I'm not sure how to make it work. What I mean is this: I don't know how to add in Nothrog (the id I'm using is rNoth for that) to the Race. context. Also, when my PC is an Elf, the ability is disabled, and when the PC is not an elf, the ability is still disabled. Of course, I'm not sure how to set up a script - I don't recall seeing a tutorial on that.

3) In the Class Abilities tab, there is a selection for Source. Unfortunately, this is by name and not by id, so I can't pick out which of the three (?!) "Assassin" entries is mine.

Also, I'm not sure where to look to see the Barbarian "Fast Movement" ability.

Laz

[lazarus]

Ok, figured out #2. At least, part of it. The "Phase" for the script should have been "Final" rather than "First" (I suppose looking at that, that makes a lot of sense).

So, the script that I'm currently using looks like this:
Phase = Final

var result as number
if (hero.tagis[Race.Elf] = 0)
result = delete[Helper.ShowSpec] ~ yes, I found the Barbarian, and want to clone its Illiteracy thing
done
endif

Now, I need to figure out how to get my races into the Race. array/structure/whatever, and then I'm good. Until I need to work on Clerics, whose abilities are instead granted by Deity. However, I believe there's actual support for that? (Domain Ability, 3 of them, at varying levels. Pick only one Domain)

[I plan on doing as little editing of the base d20 set as necessary for this one. For the other total conversions - Iron Heroes, Everquest, and so on - I know I'll need to tackle that bit]

Laz

[lazarus]

... I now have some more abilities added in. This is actually quite fun, now that I'm vaguely getting a hang of the scripting language.

Laz