Searched forums. Modding magic?

I'm currently trying to modify the way spells are handled in Arcanum (with Drog's Unofficial Patch (the latest version)). First, can you tell me where the rules about spells are stored and how to get them into plain text? One of the things I need to do is reverse the "bug" fix related to reflection shield (the one which makes spells permanent). This is important to me, as a player who thoroughly enjoyed, for example, permanently locking buildings with mage lock, or making statue gardens out of the citizens of Tarant. But it's also related to a project I'm working on.

Do you think you can help?

I tried searching the forums for the word "Magic" and clicking relevant-sounding thread titles. Also already read the WorldEd pdf manual, as much good as that's done me. Any modders or mod-enthusiasts out there able to help?

Edit: I found this in the archives by searching for "Drog" and "Reflection"

This would seem to suggest that I can remove the fixes to Reflection shield by editing Arcanum6.dat can anyone confirm or deny this?

Also, is it possible to download an earlier Unofficial Patch, before the fix? Version 080420, for example, leaves a lot of the exploitative magic glitches intact.

 

That's old info. Arcanum6.dat now only contains Extra Content stuff.

Look into Arcanum5.dat/rules/SpellList.mes. You should figure it out.

P.S. Enable BBCode in your profile.

 

Drog

That is exactly what I needed. You have answered my question without leaving any room for misunderstanding. Thank you.

 

Oh, and in case you're curious, there's no documentation on the spell scripting.

 

No problem

I'll just compare it to what's already there, checking the references I do have. Thanks for saving me an internet search!

 

Grrr

Undatted all the files I could find from the original install, but couldn't find the original SpellList.mes. What am I doing wrong here?

 

The release version of SpellList.mes is in Arcanum3.dat. Arcanum4.dat contains the one from the official 1.0.7.4 patch.

Anyway, in case you're trying to remove my fix and get the permanent follower glitch back. All you have to do is remove "Disallowed_TSF: OSF_MIND_CONTROLLED" from the Dweomer Shield and Reflection Shield spells. At lines 3103 and 3203 respectively.

 

Thanks for your help

I will do that. I suspected as much, but I wanted to compare the original to be absolutely sure. Also, I need to change a few things in there for my present project. I don't want to tell anyone what it is, just in case I lose my enthusiasm before I finish, but it will be epic.

I'm going to look in on a few versions of the .mes file to see what kind of guide I can slap together from my notes and observations. I'm sure you could write a better one, but I understand that Arcanum modding has been going on a very long time and there are newer things to mod which present more of a challenge. Fortunately (or unfortunately) for me, none of these cool, new games run on my computer