DM_Aiwendil
30-09-2006, 22:47
I have just about finished two projects, both developed from player suggestions/requests, and I thought I would announce/describe them here in plenty of time.
The first is several extensions to item crafting, and the second is an area for new characters/customised starting kits. All scripting is completed (less minor, cosmetic type tweaks as is usually the case). There is still some "building" to complete/flesh out (such as conversations and shops) but as most of these changes have an impact across the whole mod (options need adding to many existing areas/merchants dialogues) we thought that it would be best for most of these changes to wait until after DM_Kev’s big Evil update before they are imported into the live mod.
With crafting there will now be two further ways to change your equipment’s appearance. The first will be using NPCs. Certain NPCs will now offer two new services, altering the appearance of equipment (crafting) and altering the colour of equipment (dyes).
The dying service is using the base of Mandragon’s Dye Kit script, but driven from an NPC rather than an item. Further, there will be a charge of 10 GP (initially) per change of colour. The biggest advantage of this service over the dye pots, is that there is a greater range of colours available (incorporating the new colours introduced in patch 1.67). You can still buy the “old” dye pots so that you always have a dye on hand, although the new colours will only be available through the NPC service.
When you choose to use an NPC to craft your equipment the success will be automatic, but it will cost 150% the GP value of normal crafting. To counter this there is another way to get your gear altered.
Once these changes are implemented you will find that the Smith’s Hammer will change (if you have one in inventory it will automatically “upgrade”). There are two changes to the Smith’s Hammer. One is that it will change from a Light Hammer to a Club. Not ideal in terms of appearance, but at least this way every character class will be able to use it (both for the smithing animation and the new PC crafting addition). I completely forgot that Light Hammers are, quite bizzarely, martial weapons (clearly carpenters must have good basic military training before they can nail a piece of wood). The second change is that they will now have an Activate Item option.
You must equip the “hammer” first and then activate it, choosing a target (a PC). This will allow a PC to craft another PCs equipment without the required proficiencies. Sort of. Because of myriad quirks and problems with the concept I came up with a relatively simple workaround, although it may seem slightly counter-intuitive at first. Here is a scenario:
Grunt, the Barbarian, wants to change the appearance of his new armour. He does not want to pay the extortionate prices for the local smith to make the necessary changes, and he does not have the skill or intelligence to do it himself. However, Grunt knows a Sorceror, Wizzo, who is very skilled at crafting.
Grunt asks Wizzo to craft his armour for him. They arrange a small fee for the service and then Wizzo whips out his trusty Smith’s Hammer and uses it on Grunt. Grunt is then presented with the usual crafting dialogue and proceeds to make the changes he needs (that’s the bit you may find slightly odd, but just imagine Grunt is telling Wizzo what he wants, while Wizzo actually does it, not too big a stretch I hope, picture the tailor adjusting your suit while your wear it...). When he is happy Grunt selects Make Changes as normal. At this point the success is rolled, but while it still uses Grunt’s gold it uses Wizzo’s skill! Thus you are effectively “borrowing” the crafting skill of the PC who uses the hammer on you.
(And yes, I know a Smith’s Hammer is not wholly appropriate to craft leather and wood etc, I was planning to extend the crafting system into different areas with different tools, I think it’s unlikely that will happen in UTT2, but will be looked at for UTT3, so just kind of gloss over that for now :))
That is crafting. Any questions?
Now, the new starters area. Once this new development is implemented the follow will happen.
When a new character enters the mod for the first time, their inventory will be stripped apart from the clothes on their back. They will be given a set of “tools” (the emote wand, dislike wand and a few extras to watch for) and 500 GP.
When they then enter the Dark or Light portals instead of going directly to Bree/Shire or Dol Guldur, they will be transported to “somewhere in Arda”. In this area will be a gypsy merchant who will offer you several services.
There will be shops relevant to your character (for Dwarves, Elves, Orcs/Goblins, Hobbits, Evil humans and Good Humans). These shops all share certain common items, such as tents, kindling, potions and basic scrolls etc. But they will also contain racial versions of most, if not all weapon types and a range of armour/clothing (plus any other “regional” items lying around such as food, healing kits, whatever). This is where you use your 500 GP to outfit your character as you see fit, not as Bioware decide.
The shops have a 100% resell value so you can buy something, try it out and if you don’t like it, sell it back to regain the full value you paid for it.
The gypsy will also provide a free dying service as described above. Crafting (self-crafting) is both free and automatic in this area only. So you are free to tweak your chosen items to fit your character’s background and personality perfectly (or as perfectly as the game mechanics allow).
Once you are happy with your gear you simply leave the area to be presented with which ever choices of starting area you would normally have (Bree/Shire for good/neutral, Dol Guldor for evil).
As I said earlier, the shops in this area are, as you can hopefully appreciate, taking some time to set up. Almost everything else is already working.
Remember, these changes have not been implemented into the live mod yet, and will most likely wait until after DM_Kev has finished his current updates.
Please ask any questions, make any suggestions you have in this time so we don’t need to do it once it goes live.
Thank you.
The first is several extensions to item crafting, and the second is an area for new characters/customised starting kits. All scripting is completed (less minor, cosmetic type tweaks as is usually the case). There is still some "building" to complete/flesh out (such as conversations and shops) but as most of these changes have an impact across the whole mod (options need adding to many existing areas/merchants dialogues) we thought that it would be best for most of these changes to wait until after DM_Kev’s big Evil update before they are imported into the live mod.
With crafting there will now be two further ways to change your equipment’s appearance. The first will be using NPCs. Certain NPCs will now offer two new services, altering the appearance of equipment (crafting) and altering the colour of equipment (dyes).
The dying service is using the base of Mandragon’s Dye Kit script, but driven from an NPC rather than an item. Further, there will be a charge of 10 GP (initially) per change of colour. The biggest advantage of this service over the dye pots, is that there is a greater range of colours available (incorporating the new colours introduced in patch 1.67). You can still buy the “old” dye pots so that you always have a dye on hand, although the new colours will only be available through the NPC service.
When you choose to use an NPC to craft your equipment the success will be automatic, but it will cost 150% the GP value of normal crafting. To counter this there is another way to get your gear altered.
Once these changes are implemented you will find that the Smith’s Hammer will change (if you have one in inventory it will automatically “upgrade”). There are two changes to the Smith’s Hammer. One is that it will change from a Light Hammer to a Club. Not ideal in terms of appearance, but at least this way every character class will be able to use it (both for the smithing animation and the new PC crafting addition). I completely forgot that Light Hammers are, quite bizzarely, martial weapons (clearly carpenters must have good basic military training before they can nail a piece of wood). The second change is that they will now have an Activate Item option.
You must equip the “hammer” first and then activate it, choosing a target (a PC). This will allow a PC to craft another PCs equipment without the required proficiencies. Sort of. Because of myriad quirks and problems with the concept I came up with a relatively simple workaround, although it may seem slightly counter-intuitive at first. Here is a scenario:
Grunt, the Barbarian, wants to change the appearance of his new armour. He does not want to pay the extortionate prices for the local smith to make the necessary changes, and he does not have the skill or intelligence to do it himself. However, Grunt knows a Sorceror, Wizzo, who is very skilled at crafting.
Grunt asks Wizzo to craft his armour for him. They arrange a small fee for the service and then Wizzo whips out his trusty Smith’s Hammer and uses it on Grunt. Grunt is then presented with the usual crafting dialogue and proceeds to make the changes he needs (that’s the bit you may find slightly odd, but just imagine Grunt is telling Wizzo what he wants, while Wizzo actually does it, not too big a stretch I hope, picture the tailor adjusting your suit while your wear it...). When he is happy Grunt selects Make Changes as normal. At this point the success is rolled, but while it still uses Grunt’s gold it uses Wizzo’s skill! Thus you are effectively “borrowing” the crafting skill of the PC who uses the hammer on you.
(And yes, I know a Smith’s Hammer is not wholly appropriate to craft leather and wood etc, I was planning to extend the crafting system into different areas with different tools, I think it’s unlikely that will happen in UTT2, but will be looked at for UTT3, so just kind of gloss over that for now :))
That is crafting. Any questions?
Now, the new starters area. Once this new development is implemented the follow will happen.
When a new character enters the mod for the first time, their inventory will be stripped apart from the clothes on their back. They will be given a set of “tools” (the emote wand, dislike wand and a few extras to watch for) and 500 GP.
When they then enter the Dark or Light portals instead of going directly to Bree/Shire or Dol Guldur, they will be transported to “somewhere in Arda”. In this area will be a gypsy merchant who will offer you several services.
There will be shops relevant to your character (for Dwarves, Elves, Orcs/Goblins, Hobbits, Evil humans and Good Humans). These shops all share certain common items, such as tents, kindling, potions and basic scrolls etc. But they will also contain racial versions of most, if not all weapon types and a range of armour/clothing (plus any other “regional” items lying around such as food, healing kits, whatever). This is where you use your 500 GP to outfit your character as you see fit, not as Bioware decide.
The shops have a 100% resell value so you can buy something, try it out and if you don’t like it, sell it back to regain the full value you paid for it.
The gypsy will also provide a free dying service as described above. Crafting (self-crafting) is both free and automatic in this area only. So you are free to tweak your chosen items to fit your character’s background and personality perfectly (or as perfectly as the game mechanics allow).
Once you are happy with your gear you simply leave the area to be presented with which ever choices of starting area you would normally have (Bree/Shire for good/neutral, Dol Guldor for evil).
As I said earlier, the shops in this area are, as you can hopefully appreciate, taking some time to set up. Almost everything else is already working.
Remember, these changes have not been implemented into the live mod yet, and will most likely wait until after DM_Kev has finished his current updates.
Please ask any questions, make any suggestions you have in this time so we don’t need to do it once it goes live.
Thank you.