Is it possible to add new locations to the Arcanum Main game

By location, I mean like a new Town or area where you can have items, chests, monsters, shacks, huts, etc.

If so...how would the task rate ona scale of 1-10 where: 1 - Very Very Easy and 10 = Very Very Difficult.

 

Yes, it is possible to add new locations to the main Arcanum map. It's rather hard to rate the difficulty as simplisticly as you ask for it though without knowing your level of skill with using editing programs like the World Editor and without knowing how large a location and how much detail you plan to put into it. I am currently working on a major mod to Arcanum on the scale of Chris's CarArcanum and I've been at it for about a year now. It takes a lot of time, planning and effort to make multiple changes, but if you only want to add one small trading village with maybe a dozen buildings or less and don't plan to go crazy on the details or size of each one, then I would put the diffulty around 5-6, or moderately difficult and challenging, but not extremely difficult. I think the biggest problem that modders may run into is that when they start making changes they see some new thing that they would like to change and get caught up in it so it is hard to stop making changes. That's why I say that planning is important.

I hope this helps.

 

The easiest way is propably to make a new map and have a dialogue with a npc that will teleport you there .Of course another dialogue would be needed to teleport you back back or for example if u are bad an action like a killing to bring you back.


Fist u need to make a copy of the Arcanum.dat located usually at
C:\Sierra\Arcanum\modules
Then use undat or dbmaket to undat it.
Then u need to use the 1.7.0 editor.
(before u do go to that file MapList.mes usually located in
C:\Sierra\Arcanum\modules\(name of the copiedarcanum module)\Rules
stydy it and add a new map

something like that
{5081}{Monsteria, 200, 200, WorldMap: 0, Area: 13})

Now use the 1.7.0 editor and create a new 32*32 grass map.
Save it as Monsteria

As a start put monsters . Npc are hard to do .

Now in order to go there you need to talk to a npc.
Because talking is hard to do less change the situation to suit your not so good modding ability at the time.

Less pretend that the new place is the place that you go as punishement when u kill an innocent person lets say a trader.

Find a standart trader copy him and give him a special name
(u can copy opjects with (control)+left mouse pressed.

To change the name of the trader first before u opened the 1.7.0 editor u need to put a special name in a file called

gamedesc.mes

So now copy that trade make another building with another trade chest assosiate chest with him select new day and night stand.

Now u have a copy of that trader. Change his name ... (read amtut)
select the name that you put at gamedes.mes
Now npc are really objects and each npc has triggers ...

Script Attachment Points
tempus_fugit = 79
SA_EXAMINE = 0
SA_USE = 1
SA_DESTROY = 2
SA_UNLOCK = 3
SA_GET = 4
SA_DROP = 5
SA_THROW = 6
SA_HIT = 7
SA_MISS = 8
SA_DIALOG = 9
SA_FIRST_HEARTBEAT = 10
SA_CATCHING_THIEF_PC = 11
SA_DYING = 12
SA_ENTER_COMBAT = 13
SA_EXIT_COMBAT = 14
SA_START_COMBAT = 15
SA_END_COMBAT = 16
SA_BUY_OBJECT = 17
SA_RESURRECT = 18
SA_HEARTBEAT = 19
SA_LEADER_KILLING = 20
SA_INSERT_ITEM = 21
SA_WILL_KOS = 22
SA_TAKING_DAMAGE = 23
SA_WIELD_ON = 24
SA_WIELD_OFF = 25
SA_CRITTER_HITS = 26
SA_NEW_SECTOR = 27
SA_REMOVE_ITEM = 28
SA_LEADER_SLEEPING = 29
SA_BUST = 30
SA_DLG_OVERRIDE = 31
SA_TRANSFER = 32
SA_CAUGHT_THIEF = 33
SA_CRITICAL_HIT = 34


When the conditions are met for example when that npc is dying killed by an evil hostile player the attachment point is executed.
Now u need to create a script that will look like this
Use number for example 100 and make this script.

teleport Player to map 5081 at X:300 Y:400

return and RUN default

Attatch script 100 to attatchment point 12 (dying of the trader from the world ed)

5081 was the next available number at MapList.mes and 300,400 the place where the evil player will appear when he/she kills the poor innocent
trader.
For a first time u need to to the undevture very linear.
Put wall,monster and potions all around and prop like potions ....

Now after the player kills all mobsters collects all the loot he needs to find a way to go back ....

For that we will use a book .....

I hope that amtut describes how to make a book .

Now the book is another object .

The point is that the book is magick and when you insert it to your inventory it will trasport you back to the main world .....

For the book to do that create the book ... and on the script attachment 21
(insert book in player inventory ..) you need to attach a script that you have previously inserted .....
( Of course on the text on the book u can write a nice story for the player to read )

The script would be like this



teleport Player to map 5000 at X:60000 Y:60000
remove this script
return and RUN default


5000 is the main arcanum map ( look at MapList.mes ) and 60000,60000 would take you close to tarrant ? or at sea find a location at land obviously or whatever....

Create that script 101 and attach it to script point 21 of the book with the world ed.....

That it u are set ......

 

THanks for that info. I very much appreciate it