New Prototypes - can someone explain this link to a newbie?

I saw this nice post here http://www.terra-arcanum.com/phpBB/view ... hp?t=15826

However it talks about modifying a table of proto ranges as well as 3 files in the rule folder '(monster.txt, npc.txt and unique.txt). The text files do not exist in a custom made module and I have no idea where the other stuff is.

Could anyone of wizened knowledge explain this to me?

I would like to make custom monsters, pcs and items.

 

You just have to undat Arcanum main mod (the game). Use dbmaker (downloads section). You'll find those files in the undatted mod.

 

The critter tables are stored in the .dat files in the root folder, NOT in any of the modules.

If you're using the UAP, then you can find the latest critter tables in Arcanum5.dat.

 

Thanks for the replies, I've downloaded dbmaker.zip and extracted it to my main arcanum folder.

I'm not quite sure how to use it though - when I run it a console box appears briefly then disappears. I've also downloaded something called UnDAT_MatuX_TMS which talks about using commands with (I'm guessing) cmd.exe.

Do I need to do this for the Arcanum .dat files, and if so, what commands do I use?

 

Are you in your 60s? You can't be this retarded.

 

Err.. no? I just asked a question. There's no instructions for using this thing and no UI so it's not like I can just guess how to use it.

 

Jesus Mc Fuckin' Christ, do you see a command line utility for your first time in life?

 

You know, you could just tell me what parameters to use when running it.... I can set the directory to where the the exe file is, but that's no use if I don't know what to do from there.

 

Of course, it doesn't have an UI, you simpleton. You have to run it from the command line and it will tell you what commands it takes. And there's also a readme included in the .zip. But fuck all, you have to post on the forum and pester us about every little nagging thing.

Do we have to walk out your dog as well? Get fuckin' real.

 

The zip doesn't have a readme and my only experience with cmd and parameters is being required to enter them along with the application name. I assumed I'd get the same no-result as running the thing without cmd. I wouldn't of know of a help menu....

However now I see it so I will use it. Please don't assume other people have the same knowledge as you do and yell at them when they don't.

 

Have a look - http://terra-arcanum.com/amtut/amtut/undat_tutorial.htm

 

Thanks for your help!

I've undatted it and found the files. Based on what Drog said in his post and what I saw I think I mostly know what I have to do for custom npcs with custom dialogue;

- In mes/description.mes add a new name for the npc
- In InvenSource.mes add a new entry for the npc
- In rules/npc.txt add a new entry for thier stats tied to the description
- Add the script and dialogue in scr/ and dlg/
- Make a new Arcanum5.dat with either worlded or dbmaker.

However I'm not sure how to increase the ranges. The original post talks about increasing ranges in a table

However it doesn't say what file these ranges are in. I apologise for all the questions I am asking, but I cannot find anything.

The only things which even vaguely match up are oemes.mes, item_effect.mes and the proto folder but none of those fully match up with the ranges I was seeing in the table shown and regardless do not appear to be what I am looking for.

I am presuming the file I want is a hex file of some kind as the post says the ranges are hard coded. Where that is though, I don't know.

 

Geez...

You don't have to make new protos for the NPCs. They're MOBs (mobiles). Just put an NPC on your map in WorldEd and that's it. It's that simple.

 

For your regular merchant or quest giver it's most certainly a no-brainer, but I need a bit more then that.

I need to have a creature with an ID number that can be used by the random creature generator when traversing the world map. They'll similar to the assassins that you encounter in Arcanum but I want different names, dialogue and inventories.

I would just add an entry to the npc.txt and description files and make it into a data file, but I'd gotten the impression from the tutorial that I needed to make a proto as well. Well I'll give it a shot and see what happens.

 

Ok, edited npc.text and description.mes (used the hand assassin, just changed description to a new one I added), got all the folders in the same folder as dbmaker.exe and did

dbmaker.exe -r Arcanum5.dat art

which created a .dat file with no errors and listed all the folders and subdirectories which came in Arcanum5.dat in the console output window. So far so good. Then I thought it might be best to try the undat tool on the new Arcanum5.dat to see if I could modify it again in the future. Ran the shortcut which opened up a console window for a brief second and then did nothing. The window had no error messages, but then it didn't undat the folders either.

"dbmaker.exe -r Arcanum5.dat art" is the only command I've tried (and I tried many) which compiled with no problems and appeared to output the correct progression of folders and sub folders. What should I change?

 

I didn't know you could add "art" to undat just the art folder...

 

You don't have to put the files back into .dats. The 'data' folder has the highest priority.

 

@Wims

Strange, thought I made a post here replying yesterday but must have forget to click submit;

When I ran the exe using cmd.exe I was only creating a .dat file, rather then undatting it. Typing in dbmaker.exe -r Arcanum5.dat art
means "Look at every file in every folder and sub folder that are in the same directory as the art folder". I had originally put everything in a folder called UndattedArcanum5 but when I couldn't undat it, I moved the art folder and others to be in the same folder as dbmaker.exe.

@Drog Alt

I moved the folders into Arcanum\data and ran the main arcanum module. It seems to basically be fine but when I get to the end of the crash site and open the world map, the game crashed. I'm not sure what might cause that. I'm pretty sure it didn't ask me to overwrite any files, just merge some folders.

It might be I have to undat the other .dat files and put them all in the data folder so I'll give that a shot, but if you have any ideas please let me know.

Edit:

Also the only changes I made were adding this

Description: 17317 // MY TEST DUDE -----------------------------------
Internal Name: 6400
Level: 20
Basic Stat: Gender 1
Basic Stat: Race 0
Basic Stat: Strength 14
Basic Stat: Dexterity 16
Basic Stat: Perception 12
Basic Stat: Constitution 16
Alignment: -200
Faction: 14
AI Packet: 0
Material: 4
Hit Points: 70
Script: 19 03010 0 0 0 0
Script: 9 03011 0 0 0 0
Sound Bank: 20
Portrait: 1005
Retail Price Multiplier: 300
Social Class: 10
Inventory Source: 98

into npc.txt and adding {17317}{TestDudePerson} into description.mes so that it looks like;

{17312}{Bounty Hunter} //Dwarf
{17313}{Dangerous Looking Man} //Human Malochean Hand Leader
{17314}{Dark Individual } //Half Elf Malochean Hand Leader
{17315}{Ruffian} //Malochean Hand Grunt
{17316}{Cloaked Figure} //Malochean Hand Henchman
{17317}{TestDudePerson}

// Traps