10 replies to this topic

[grannywils]

Please forgive me if this post gets to be really long. I have lots of questions and I'm trying so hard to learn everything at once. I've posted before, and so many of you have been so helpful to me, especially Darkewolf. I',m not sure I would have even gotten this far without those of you who take the time to help us neophytes.

Anyway. . . I have managed to get the DAO ModManager downloaded. And I have actually gotten a few mods and files onto and sort of working on my game. I have NBAIO, Dialogue_Tweaks, Lock Bash; and today I added storage_chest, Character Respec Addon and The Icons (I might have gotten those last ones from the Bioware site). I have not tried those three out yet, as I have not gotten onto the game today. However, I started all this when I wanted to be able to make more interesting looking characters. I found something called CC Extra Tints & Tones, and I thought I had it added to my game. It shows up in the appropriate path (documents/bioware/dragonage/packages/override). But when I started a new game, I was not given any new options for creating my characters face. I don't believe this is an item that requires the use of the Toolset (I hope). But maybe I have not installed it properly or maybe I just don't know how to use it. Can anyone help me out or recommend another mod or application that will allow me more freedom with my characters' appearances?

And, by the way I did also install the Toolset, but have not even begun to try to figure out how that works yet .

I have also seen other people mention on this site a mod called Custom Bodies that was being worked on by Jack Fuzz on the Bioware site. I had signed up to join his group at that site, but he seems to have disappeared. I think I read somewhere on this site that he may have been banned from that site. Does anyone know anything about that or whether or not his mod will be available on this site. Now that I'm finally learning how to do this stuff, I'd like to be able to use it once it is available.

And finally, Darkewolf, I saw you mention in one of your posts that you do use cheats in your game. I also use some cheats, although not all of them. But I would like to know where I can go to find a list of the cheats that are available so that I can choose which ones would help me the most. I like to win the game on my own, but I'm a very bad fighter, and sometimes a little help is appreciated. I have a list of a few of the "runscript" cheats and I use the money one and the fighting one from time to time. But it would be nice to know what is available, "just in case"

One last thing, eventually I hope to get good enough to be able to actually help out other people; but in the meantime thank you so much in advance to any of you who are willing to wade through all of my questions and offer any guidance that you can. Oh, and by the way I mentioned in an earlier post that my husband, who is a computer tech, will not give me much help because he hates gaming and he is too busy. But I should mention that he did build me a really kick-butt computer system and he takes really good care of it for me!!! Thanks to you all, and Happy Mother's Day for all you Mom's out there.

[roninsoul7]

CC Extra tints and tones uses a chargen file, so do some other mods that change appearance, so you have to make sure you only have one of those in your override folder, there is a mod on the nexus site that will compile the different files into 1 working file.

There are two cheats I like using myself, Dragon Age Beguiler (lets you edit your characters minus dog) and Dragon Age mutator, both are done by the same author and work well. Not only do they work well, but the Beguiler mod allows you to change stuff ingame, without having to type stuff in.

[grannywils]

roninsoul7: Thank you for the info. I will try to find the chargen file compiler mod that you mentioned, and will also look up those two cheats. Thanks again for the info.

Anyone else out there who can help me with any of my questions?

[DarkeWolf]

Here's the link to Terra's chargen compiler- http://www.dragonage...file.php?id=971
Just remember to set it to compile all of them together, and to delete the old ones

Ok, now that I've got that out of the way so that I dont forget about it.... Next one so I dont forget....
My two main cheats are Beguiler and Metagame items-
http://www.dragonage...file.php?id=205 Beguiler installs like a program. so dont use the damodder or damodmanager for it
http://www.dragonage.../file.php?id=13 metagame items does install like a regular mod, so damodmanager is fine for this one.
http://www.dragonage...file.php?id=166 mutator, that Ronin also mentions is also a good one. Lots of nice options. Also installs like a program, and has a checklist of mods that you can activate or deactive from within the mutator program.
Beguiler is interesting. You can do quite a bit of the same thing with it, that you'd use the console cheats for. However, it comes with several skills, that you have to spend skillpoints on. You can either use the console cheat for that, or this mod- http://www.dragonage...file.php?id=179
All you have to use the skillpoint for tho is "On". Then use the On skill for whichever toon you want to use the beguiler to cheat with. After that, they can use any of the available options in beguiler. Except Dog. For some reason, it can't use beguiler
I will recommend tho...not to use the + love option, too early in the game. I've royally screwed up some of the relationship dialogs and getting personal quests too soon, by using that function too early in the game. Its not a bug with the mod, it's a bug in the approval/dialog system. Especially with Leliana.

hahahaha the toolset is going to be a BIG learning experience, I'll tell ya that right now

PT's doesnt play well with 1.03. There's a couple of her tints/tones that the patch will block. So once you get it working, you may notice a couple of spots where certain ones dont show up. Its the patch.

Afaid I'm not familiar with that mod by jack fuzz. I go over to social bioware only when I HAVE to. I like it over here MUCH better. Sorry on that one tho I also dont know how well it would play together with NBaiO.

hahaha no worries. I knew almost NOTHING about this game, when I first started coming here. I just read other people's posts, and learned from that
And you are more than welcome of any and all help. And thanks for the comment that you left on my profile, I really appreciate that!

[grannywils]

Darkewolf: I typed you a long reply yesterday, and then managed to delete it just as I was going to send it. I am going to try to reproduce it on Word and then "copy and paste" it on a post. I hope it works. I read your post to the Administration on this site about your problems copying and pasting your article to this site. I'm hoping that I do not run into any of the same pitfalls. We'll see. "I'll be back"

[grannywils]

Darkewolf: Thanks so much for your response and for all the links you sent. It is so much easier when I have the links. I had found a couple of them, but it took me awhile. It's great when someone just sends the links.

I have already installed Beguiler, Metagame and Mutator as well as a couple of other mods that I found.

I also finally got the chargen compiler installed, with the help of my husband (after just a little begging on my part). I don't know why I have such a hard time with that one.

I have installed the Winter Forge, but I'm not sure if it is working properly or not. I cannot hear the dialogue when the elf speaks in the beginning. I just see the script. Also I still have not quite figured out how to use everything. But it was quite late by the time I installed that one, so I did not spend a lot of time on it.

I know what you mean about the Toolset. I scares me to death. I have not even opened it yet. I think I have enough to keep me busy for awhile. Considering that I only started all of this about 10 or 11 days ago, I don't think I should rush into anything. Do you agree?

It's so funny about the tints/tones tones mod. That's the one that got me started with all of this, and I still don't think it is working for me. But I know what you mean about the 1.03 patch. It never did much good for me either. It totally messed up my communication with the Bioware site.

Speaking of the Bioware site, I agree with you on that one too. I don't have a lot of use for it. I got onto it when I signed up with the game. But it was through that site that I found Nexus, so I'm really glad. I very rarely visit it anymore. Just once in a great while to check in. The Jack Fuzz mod is supposed to play really well with the NBaio mod. All of the beta users have been raving about it, and can't wait for him to release it. I signed up a while ago to beta test it, but by then I was too late. Apparently he has not been banned from the Bioware site, but it is just taking him longer to finish the mod then he had expected. The more recent posts by some of the other users seem to indicate that he may be close to finishing it. Anyway, it's called Custom Bodies, and if you do hear anything about before I do, please let me know, and I will do the same.

As you suggest, I (who know almost nothing about this game) just keep reading other people's posts, and commenting when I feel I have something constructive to offer. I'm gradually learning a little bit at a time, and I will say again thank you, thank you thank you to you and all of the other knowledgeable folks out there who are willing to share and help those of us who are just starting out.

[DarkeWolf]

Gran- You can call me DW is you want to. Or just Darke, or just Wolf. I answer to just about anything, that doesnt involve me sending somebody money, lol.
I have to give you a short answer, I'm on the verge of having to leave for classes, but I will get back to this once I'm at able.

On winter forge. Even tho the elf "speaks", she's mute. There's no voice-overs for her, so there's nothing to hear
That, combined with the interesting head and hand movements have gained her the nickname "The mute marionette" with me
Yeah, there is a bit of a learning curve involved with that mod. Tho once you get the hang of it, its all pretty easy. Especially if you have turned off the material check on the barrel, so that you dont have to go hunting all over for recipes and reagents.

You're very welcome for the links. No problem.

Yes and no. I myself am a big procrastinator sometimes, when it comes to learning new complex things. However, unless necessary, I think that you should enjoy the game more now, and focus on toolset when you're ready to.
With this particular game... and the toolset being as aggrivating as it is..... You end up getting a lot of ideas of things that you would like to do, or change. And then spend several hours of generating grey hairs in the toolset, that you could have spent, gaming, or whatnot.
In other games, my recommendation may have been different, but with this one, enjoy the play for a while

Sorry to hear that you had problems getting the compiler to install.

"Custom Bodies". Got it, I'll keep an eye out for it if it shows up over here. Sounds good!

Again, no problem, am glad to help out when I can. LOL you should see my list of "dragon age" bookmarks. Its 1 1/4 screens long, of posts and tutes that I keep in case of problems that I forget the answers to.

[grannywils]

DW: Thanks, and calling me Gran is fine too.

I've used the Winter Forge a little more, but still have not gotten it completely figured out, but I'm getting there. Ha ha, I like the name "the mute marionette". It works well for her. I'm a little confused when the barrels asks me to enter my "cheat code" . What is it looking for?

I'm really proud about this next one!! Last night (again with a little help from my husband -- well, actually with a lot of help from my husband) I used the Tool Set. It was just for a very small deal that allowed me to increase my backpack slots. I was so pleased that we were able to get it to work. Yahoo!!! I was in the middle of the Mages tower and couldn't leave, and I kept picking up all these new items, now that I have the Winter Forge open, and I had no room in my back pack. It was driving me crazy, and the only way I knew about to increase my backpack size was with this mod that needed the Tool Set. So, I decided to give it a try. Voila! It worked. Are your proud of me, or what?

Anyway, I have to leave now for a doctor's appointment, but just wanted to give you this quick update. If you have time and can let me know about that cheat code for the barrel I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks as always for your help.

[DarkeWolf]

Not a problem and thanks as well. I was finding it a tad uncomfortable calling anybody "Granny" lol. Appreciate it

Thats great! Congrats on you first successful experiment with the toolset! And its cool that you got the hubby in on one of your interests! Way to go

The cheat codes- Ok, the cheat codes are nonessential. If you go to the barrel and configure the forge to Not do the materials check (IE not make you have to use the recipes and colored metals, and whatnot).
Basically, all of those bonuses and stuff that you can put on your custom items require "Recipes" in order to add those properties to the item. The cheat codes will supply you with the materials and reagents necessary For those recipes. But, like I said, if you turn the materials check Off, its all completely unnecessary, and saves you a lot of trouble, and space in your newly expanded inventory

Phaenan has a list of the cheatcodes on her website. http://dragonage.phaenan.net/ And granted, it's been a while since I looked thru her site, but the last time that I was there, I had a hard time finding the full list. Tho, like I said, its a lot better to just tell the forge to skip the materials check.

HAHAHA the mages tower is a nightmare for a packrat like me. Even with my inventory at 125, I still find myself having to sometimes sit here and decide "Ok, do I really want this, or should I save the room for something else later?"
Hmmm. Ya know.... I've got a list of things that I need to experience in the toolset. Making a vendor, and experimenting with levels, being on that list. Perhaps when I get around to doing so, I'll throw a vendor in one of the levels of the tower. I think a mod like that would go over well.

Hope that your doc's appointement goes well, and happy gaming. Never a problem, always glad to help out when I can

[grannywils]

Thanks again, DW. I'm going to try what you've given me so far, and just play the game for a little while. Let us know if you do add any of those mods you mentioned. They sound like they would be "keepers". Doc visit was fine by the way. Happy gaming to you too.