Senseless Frustration

[Mathias]

In order to remove strength from the game, you will also need to remove all the references to it. In order to do so, you'll want to open all the files in that game system in a text editor that can handle having lots of files open at once. Then, search through all those files for the text "aStr", and each time you find it, you'll need to decide how to remove it - I believe you mentioned you wanted to replace it with an "Attack" statistic.

This is not something that can be handled in the editor - it has to be done by manually editing the files.

[ShadowChemosh]

Originally Posted by Polecat

Except, if I wanted to make a feat I could just add a feat to feat section. Name it, copy and paste the text, and then move on to the next feat (without having entered how it impacts the builder beyond being a feat) but I cannot do the same for attributes.

This is the fundamental issue right here. NO you can't. You can't make a feat until you create the building blocks for a Feat in the first place. I have tried several different ways of saying this and its just not working. I am sorry I suck at writing.

In the world of IT and programming you can not work "ass backwards". It simply can't be done as you "must" build from the lowest level up.

[EightBitz]

Originally Posted by ShadowChemosh

This is the fundamental issue right here. NO you can't. You can't make a feat until you create the building blocks for a Feat in the first place. I have tried several different ways of saying this and its just not working. I am sorry I suck at writing.

In the world of IT and programming you can not work "ass backwards". It simply can't be done as you "must" build from the lowest level up.

I think you're talking about two different things. It sounds like Polecat has duplicated a pre-built system, and is modifying it using the editor. In that case, yes. You can just add a feat, because the building blocks are already there. You don't have to define anything about it except its name and unique ID, but it won't have any impact except for consuming a feat slot.

You (Shadow) are talking about building a game from the skeleton system or from scratch. In those cases, yes. You do have to create the building blocks first.

[ShadowChemosh]

Originally Posted by EightBitz

I think you're talking about two different things. It sounds like Polecat has duplicated a pre-built system, and is modifying it using the editor. In that case, yes. You can just add a feat, because the building blocks are already there. You don't have to define anything about it except its name and unique ID, but it won't have any impact except for consuming a feat slot.

You (Shadow) are talking about building a game from the skeleton system or from scratch. In those cases, yes. You do have to create the building blocks first.

The following is how I am reading what Polecat is saying. I could be totally wrong but I think the fact that you and Mathias are reading it different from me is not helping either. I will write out how I read it. And maybe Polecat would be so kind as to confirm which "interpretation" is correct. That would let us help him better.

From what I read Polecat has built a "brand" new game system that he created in word documents. Polecat wants to setup this "new" game in HL using the authoring kit. Polecat wants to use the editor to have a 'nice' GUI to do all the work and does not to want work in the RAW XML. Polecat is starting with attributes and wants to simply add a new attribute called "Attack" using the editor. The editor won't let Polecat do this as he has not defined the building blocks for Attributes yet or built the Editor Tab.

The above is how I am reading his posts and why I keep saying he has to start at the lowest possible level.

[Mathias]

ShadowChemosh, the Skeleton and Sample game systems (I think he's starting from the Sample) have Attribute components and they have attribute tabs in the editor. However, what they also have is a Strength attribute pre-defined, and then in the weapon compset, that strength attribute is used to calculate the weapon's attack value. So he's deleting the attribute itself in the editor, but then there are several other references to Strength elsewhere in the data files that still need to be deleted in order to completely remove strength, and those references are all in places that can't be accessed in the editor. So what he wants to be able to do, as I understand it, is alter the definition of how weapon attacks are calculated in this system without using the raw XML - handling that all in the editor.

[ShadowChemosh]

Originally Posted by Mathias

ShadowChemosh, the Skeleton and Sample game systems (I think he's starting from the Sample) have Attribute components and they have attribute tabs in the editor.

Didn't know that sorry my bad. All other game systems I have worked on have the attribute component hidden.

Originally Posted by Mathias

So what he wants to be able to do, as I understand it, is alter the definition of how weapon attacks are calculated in this system without using the raw XML - handling that all in the editor.

Pretty much exactly what I said above. Except for not understanding attribute did have a tab.

[Polecat]

Originally Posted by EightBitz

Have you enabled data file debugging? It's under the Develop menu. First option.

No I didn't, thank you!!

[Polecat]

Again, this is considerably easier. Thank you.

[ShadowChemosh]

Originally Posted by Polecat

Again, this is considerably easier. Thank you.

Have you watched or viewed the YouTube videos for the HL editor? I mean not knowing about Debug is really basic. I would view FAQ#2 for all the places to find help about the Editor and Authoring kit wiki. Its worth watching the videos to cover the basic layout of scripts and scripting in HL.

Then it maybe best to start small and see about trying to do small changes or addition to an existing system like Pathfinder or d20. Work you way up to using the Authoring kit and XML.

I apologize for what I said here as I "assumed" incorrectly that anyone in the authoring kit forum is a experienced editor already. It didn't occur to me to think that you may have taken the plunge straight into the deepest part of HL from day one. My bad.. Sorry...

[Mathias]

In the authoring kit wiki, http://hlkitwiki.wolflair.com/index.php5?title=Home if you go to "Basic Concepts & Terminology" and then "Data File Development Process", the first thing that article talks about is the debug options. If you haven't read that section of the wiki, I highly recommend it before proceeding further. How to get the skeleton files is described further down on the Data File Development Process page.