A newbie's question: adding a simple dialogue option

[MagdalenaDwojniak]

Hello,

 

firstly, sorry for being green when it comes to modding DAO. Bear with me please and you are bound to get a massive willpower boost ;)!

 

I came up with a simple idea for an additional dialogue option after the duel with Loghain. It looks like I am not alone thinking neither of the vanilla options are good enough. I saw so many talented people making new dialogue options (like "Bad Morrigan!": http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=awvGUsEbIWQ). I would like to give my idea a try. But for this, I need to either find someone kind who knows the tech stuff of modding DAO and eager to collaborate with me as a writer or add the option on my own. Both require assistance of this wonderful community :).

 

Basically, I created this topic for two purposes. Modders interested in the concept are more than welcome to step up and talk to me about their ideas to pull the project off (a modder would get all due recognition, post the mod under their nick, I would only like to work as a writer on it and have my involvement mentioned in a way). I believe you are busy with your own ideas though.

 

That is why I would also like to ask for guidance on editing the Landsmeet dialogue to add a third option for punishing Loghain (information here: http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/2772329-loghain-vs-thedas-case-the-third-option/). I can only speak from my point of view of a regular translator and thus editor of Thief readables. I believe the change is not drastic, because no fancy cutscenes are needed, Alistair's and Anora's reactions can be reused. Even the outcome is ready: Anora is thankful as if he had been spared and Alistair remains in the party as if Loghain's crimes had not be forgotten. The only possible problem could be acommodating the text. Could it be done by making letters smaller or splitting the frame into three?

 

As you can see, I have ideas, but no clue on how to turn them into reality. Any help is greatly appreciated. Just speak to me as you would to a blonde I am :). Thanks!

Edited April 22, 2015 by MagdalenaDwojniak

[mcgoy]

If you are making a request, this should go under the "mod request' section.

 

To do this yourself http://social.bioware.com/wiki/datoolset/index.php/Conversation_tutorial is the link for the conversation editor. You will need to learn more about using the toolset than just what is on that page, but it is a start.

[MagdalenaDwojniak]

If you are making a request, this should go under the "mod request' section.

 

To do this yourself http://social.bioware.com/wiki/datoolset/index.php/Conversation_tutorial is the link for the conversation editor. You will need to learn more about using the toolset than just what is on that page, but it is a start.

 

I don't want just a request, after all, it's my idea, people may not be interested in tackling other people's concepts. That's why I asked for either collaboration OR tips on modding on my own (I wouldn't have posted it here otherwise, I did because it is related to modding, not simply asking for getting a ready thing). Thank you for the link, it seems like a good place to start.

[Risibisi]

I'm not a "scripting" modder. I have only experience with meshes and a little knowledge about textures but have you looked over at the Bioware Social Network site too? .. because I think there are still some "scripting" modders around who maybe can help you or have some tips for you. Just in case you don't get all infos/ support here on the Nexus you might need. :smile:

There is also the possibility to make an own project group so, others can join your project.

[MagdalenaDwojniak]

I'm not a "scripting" modder. I have only experience with meshes and a little knowledge about textures but have you looked over at the Bioware Social Network site too? .. because I think there are still some "scripting" modders around who maybe can help you or have some tips for you. Just in case you don't get all infos/ support here on the Nexus you might need. :smile:

There is also the possibility to make an own project group so, others can join your project.

 

Thank you for the tip, it's a good idea! I will attend to it then :).

 

I read the tutorial mcgoy linked to and I'm grateful for it. Sadly, I could find no information on editing existing dialogues, say, importing a file into the toolset and then adding the third tree branch as in the tutorial. I don't even know the formats I should be looking for... Well, everybody has to start somewhere :).

[mcgoy]

You don't have to import the dlg file into the toolset; it is already there.

 

I learned how to add more 'branches' to a conversation by using that tutorial and doing a bit of experimenting.

 

I suggest starting here: http://social.bioware.com/wiki/datoolset/index.php/Main_Page

and exploring the toolset and its capabilities. I always suggest starting with a small/easy mod to start with.

 

You should also look through several files to find out what the possible ramifications of making this change are.

[MagdalenaDwojniak]

Thank you, mcgoy, your help is appreciated. I will try to download the toolset as time allows and see how the vanilla conversations look inside it. It should already be a great aid for writing as well.

[mcgoy]

Thank you, mcgoy, your help is appreciated.

You are quite welcome.

 

I will try to download the toolset as time allows and see how the vanilla conversations look inside it.

:wallbash: You HAVE to have to toolset installed to learn how to create mods. Reading the toolset wiki will not be enough. Even looking at the conversations in the toolset can be challenging since they are not set up in a way that is easy for a newbie to read.

It should already be a great aid for writing as well.

If what you truly enjoy is writing, I suggest making that your focus. It is far far easier to write as if the dialogue option exists in the game than to make the change in the game itself.

 

 

I don't want just a request, after all, it's my idea, people may not be interested in tackling other people's concepts. That's why I asked for either collaboration OR tips on modding on my own (I wouldn't have posted it here otherwise, I did because it is related to modding, not simply asking for getting a ready thing). Thank you for the link, it seems like a good place to start.

You may want to go back to my suggestion to put this in mod requests or Risibisi's to ask for a team to help you. I'm not trying to be mean, but this is NOT a little change that you are considering. Adding another option to the dialogue file? No problem. Getting it to WORK for the rest of the game - a LOT of work. If you want both Loghain and Alistair to be recognized by anyone other than the GW for the rest of the game you will have to write scripts, change the partypicker, change positions in Camps, change multiple dialogues, change the epilogue slides..... Otherwise, it would be easier to just put the Loghain head morph on an existing human male Companion (added by a mod) and then not talk to him so that he won't say anything that conflicts with the fact that Alistair is still in the party.

 

I'm glad that you don't want to treat other modders as flunkies who exist to do your bidding :laugh: but at the same time this is a complex change that will require a lot of work and testing to confirm that the changes didn't break anything. I always suggest this and few listen, but this is REALLY a case where you should start with a much much more simple mod and build up to a complex change like this.

[MagdalenaDwojniak]

Seriously, you're opening my eyes, thank you.

 

Before your last post, mcgoy, I was looking at the idea based on my experiences with editing Thief (I am a translator). There, it mainly requires a knowledge of in-text coding. Apart from that, you "just" need a good translation, including tailoring the text to fit the page (if it is an epitaph on a tombstone or something with similar confines).

 

I did not realise the level of complexity of my concept for DAO. You are certainly not being mean and I appreciate you making me truly understand what I was considering.

 

I guess the thread may be closed.