[WIP][REQ] Kind of Blue

[gigantibyte]

If this is your first mod, it may be a bit ambitious. You have these modding areas to think about:

 

- new location cells

- new items

- new NPCs, and one with dialog

- a quest script that ties it all together

 

What you start with first is up to you. For instance, for testing purposes, you could start with just the NPCs and use existing locations. Or start with designing the cells, and worry about the rest later. I suggest taking a look at the

that were made for the G.E.C.K. Perhaps the controls and tools of Skyrim's CK will be different and improved, but you'll get a sense of the amount of work involved.

[Adolon]

If this is your first mod, it may be a bit ambitious. You have these modding areas to think about:

 

- new location cells

- new items

Easy. I had already built up this stuff in Oblivion but scrapped it when I realized I thought it up way to late in Oblivion's life. I'm very comfortable making my own cells/items as I did it all the time in Morrowind.

 

- new NPCs, and one with dialog

- a quest script that ties it all together

This is the only problem I'm facing. I don't actually know how to make a quest and make NPCs do things in the quest.

[gigantibyte]

This is the only problem I'm facing. I don't actually know how to make a quest and make NPCs do things in the quest.

 

What do you want the NPC to do? Here's a good place to start reading.

 

I will need to do some brushing up myself, but scripting isn't too hard. Just think of it as a bunch of console commands with extended functions and features, like access to variables. And it's all event driven. For instance, you could make an NPC equip something after a certain dialog option was chosen, or after some other trigger like opening a certain door.

 

A quest script will be responsible for adding your NPCs and items into Skyrim when your mod is run for the first time, and can be used to launch other scripts. It can also check for a list of conditions to be met before implementing a set of tasks. For example, you could make an easy quest script that adds 5 salt piles to a certain vendor once a week.

 

Before you worry about scripting, syntax and which block to place a script into (and since we must wait for the Skyrim CK anyhow), you could make a flowchart of possible events, conditions, and the resulting actions that are triggered. Once you have that mapped out, it will be easier for other modders (better than me) to help you implement various stages.

 

Hope this helps.

[Adolon]

I've written a very basic flowchart of how I imagine it moving:

 

1. After getting introduced to the player, the Count wants the player to find a plant (this is the start of the quest).
   
2. The player finds the plant and returns to the Count for a reward.
   
3. As the player leaves/explores the Count's house, the player finds that the Count's previously locked basement door is open, blood leaving it, and one of his guards dead (who would otherwise be alive up until this point).
   
4. After exploring the Count's basement and finding his experiments, the player confronts the Count about it.
   
5. The player and the Count leave to where the monster has hidden itself to kill it.
   
6. Once defeated, the player gains the Scuttling Void Power.
   

[gigantibyte]

I've written a very basic flowchart of how I imagine it moving:

 

1. After getting introduced to the player, the Count wants the player to find a plant (this is the start of the quest).
   
2. The player finds the plant and returns to the Count for a reward.
   
3. As the player leaves/explores the Count's house, the player finds that the Count's previously locked basement door is open, blood leaving it, and one of his guards dead (who would otherwise be alive up until this point).
   
4. After exploring the Count's basement and finding his experiments, the player confronts the Count about it.
   
5. The player and the Count leave to where the monster has hidden itself to kill it.
   
6. Once defeated, the player gains the Scuttling Void Power.
   

 

Not ever having created an interactive NPC that hands out quests myself, I'd probably start with creating the NPC and getting the dialog functioning first, before attaching any quests. This tutorial seems to have everything you need to know for what you wrote above. Keep in mind that the Skyrim CK may be a little different,.

 

 

Hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but as I mentioned before, scripts are run on event triggers. So in your scenario,

 

0. A preliminary run-once hidden quest script is possibly activated when the mod is first installed. This can be used to add your NPCs into the game, getting a courier to bring the player a message, checking if certain conditions have been met, etc. It may not be needed if the NPCs and items you add to Skyrim are completely contained within your custom cells.

 

1. To a certain dialog choice with the Count, a "result" script is attached. This adds the quest (and any other items you want to give the player, like key or something) . The quest has stages and checks for conditions to be met before advancing to the next stage.

 

2. "The player finds the plant" -> next quest stage, a dialog option is added to the Count. "...returns to the Count for a reward" -> the attached result script on the new dialog option is run, that adds reward, unlocks door, and advances the quest to the next stage.

 

3. Quest target is found -> add new dialog option to Count and advance to next stage.

 

4. A dialog result script on the Count adds a Follow Package to the Count. Advance to next quest stage.

 

5. Quest stage condition is met when monster is killed -> add new dialog option to the Count, advance quest to last stage.

 

6. Result script on new dialog adds "Scuttling Void Power" to player, sends the count on his way, ends quest.

 

 

Btw, what does "Scuttling Void Power" do?

Edited December 16, 2011 by gigantibyte

[Adolon]

Btw, what does "Scuttling Void Power" do?

I wanted it to be a Power like the werewolf Power: it replaces the look of the character with something else and gives the player different abilities. Since we don't actually know how the werewolf Power or even Powers work until the Construction Set comes out, everything about the Scuttling Void is up in the air.

 

The Count's experiment is "living armor" so he's been experimenting with plants. The look of the armor should be plant-like or a dark goo. It could also just be replacing the character with a retextured Spriggan.

[t55]

you seem capable of making this mod but i strongly advise you not to interfere with the ui (im talking about the living armor and adding an extra energy bar) because it is a pain in the ass and the ck's capalities arent usually focused on changing the actual game engine. i would suggest that the armor should work like a weapon constantly draining its charge and you must recharge it with soulgems. or an even easier idea would be to make that the living armor would require you to have nirnroot and that every four minutes wearing the armor one nirnroot is depleted.

cool mod i love when the daedra are involved

[Adolon]

you seem capable of making this mod but i strongly advise you not to interfere with the ui (im talking about the living armor and adding an extra energy bar) because it is a pain in the ass and the ck's capalities arent usually focused on changing the actual game engine. i would suggest that the armor should work like a weapon constantly draining its charge and you must recharge it with soulgems. or an even easier idea would be to make that the living armor would require you to have nirnroot and that every four minutes wearing the armor one nirnroot is depleted.

cool mod i love when the daedra are involved

I hadn't considered adding a different bar. In fact, I think that would be infinitely more complicated and so greatly above my level of expertise than I would ever hope. I had thought it would just be an invisible timer. When it's nighttime, the armor goes away. When it's daytime, the armor can be used. I hadn't thought of using soul gems to power the armor. I'm curious if that is even possible. I guess I'll have to see what options I have once the Construction Kit comes out.

[t55]

you seem capable of making this mod but i strongly advise you not to interfere with the ui (im talking about the living armor and adding an extra energy bar) because it is a pain in the ass and the ck's capalities arent usually focused on changing the actual game engine. i would suggest that the armor should work like a weapon constantly draining its charge and you must recharge it with soulgems. or an even easier idea would be to make that the living armor would require you to have nirnroot and that every four minutes wearing the armor one nirnroot is depleted.

cool mod i love when the daedra are involved

I hadn't considered adding a different bar. In fact, I think that would be infinitely more complicated and so greatly above my level of expertise than I would ever hope. I had thought it would just be an invisible timer. When it's nighttime, the armor goes away. When it's daytime, the armor can be used. I hadn't thought of using soul gems to power the armor. I'm curious if that is even possible. I guess I'll have to see what options I have once the Construction Kit comes out.

 

sorry i misunderstood, your night/daytime idea is actually quite simple to implent, not sure any more but i dont think a timer would be neccesary as there is a day/night function built into the scripting. it would still be cool though if you had to maintain the armor using organic material.

[Adolon]

you seem capable of making this mod but i strongly advise you not to interfere with the ui (im talking about the living armor and adding an extra energy bar) because it is a pain in the ass and the ck's capalities arent usually focused on changing the actual game engine. i would suggest that the armor should work like a weapon constantly draining its charge and you must recharge it with soulgems. or an even easier idea would be to make that the living armor would require you to have nirnroot and that every four minutes wearing the armor one nirnroot is depleted.

cool mod i love when the daedra are involved

I hadn't considered adding a different bar. In fact, I think that would be infinitely more complicated and so greatly above my level of expertise than I would ever hope. I had thought it would just be an invisible timer. When it's nighttime, the armor goes away. When it's daytime, the armor can be used. I hadn't thought of using soul gems to power the armor. I'm curious if that is even possible. I guess I'll have to see what options I have once the Construction Kit comes out.

 

sorry i misunderstood, your night/daytime idea is actually quite simple to implent, not sure any more but i dont think a timer would be neccesary as there is a day/night function built into the scripting. it would still be cool though if you had to maintain the armor using organic material.

I'm familiar with the day/night function. What I'd also like to find out is if the game has a weather function as well. If it's raining, stuff happens, et cetera.

 

I hadn't thought about a fuel for the armor either. I don't think Nirnroot would work. Although, Nirnroot seems to be the kind of plant that can do just about anything. I don't know. Picking Nirnroot seems to lack imagination.