sombunall wrote:Hey Methus nice mod! How did you figure that out?
It's just simple xml editing. The xmil file, itself, contains all the pages, I just added a few. On my Module, there are actually 14 different Spell Colleges, so the Spell Page is taken up by 2 columns of 7 each. I really wish there was a way to only show skills based on your class only. :/
Okay, so I've been hacking away at the xml files, trying to set everything up the way I wanted the engine to work, before I started trying to put together the Dungeon Levels I made. I've noticed a few things I need, noted below.
Skill.xml
In the skill xml file, is there any way we can move the default difficulties from the Skill xml to the Job xml, placed under a specific job's skill or add one to the Skill in the Job xml to over-ride the on in the Skill xml? In my current Build, I have Rogues and Tinkers. Tinkers are a dwarf class that will eventually be able to forge and craft items. Tinkers can also disarm traps, but at a higher difficulty that Rogues. So, I want to increase the default difficulty by 20, but the only way to do that is to create a new skill that does the exact, same thing as one already done.
In the skill xml, can we have a Spell skill. All this does is fires off the spell, as a skill, without an SP cost. Now, combat would have to be edited, so you can "cast" these skills in combat, but I wanted to use these sort of like Feats from WoTC's D&D. It would use points, based on Level, like Bard song, but I want to be able to change the point increase, based on level. So, you would start with 1 Action Point but gain 1 point per 3 levels.
<skill>
</name> - Name of Skill
</use> - Use of Skill
</effect> - 4 Letter Spell Code/Number of Spell in List
</roll> - Percent Chance
</defaultDifficulty> - Default Difficulty
</limited> - If the Skill has charges based on Level
</cost> - Cost in charges
</Level> - Minimum Level to use Skill
</skill>
Jobs.xml
I've noticed again that the Jobs are hard-coded. I had to remember how to fix that, when Caars figured it out. Since we can't change those, without the risk of breaking the Engine, is it best to just leave the default Jobs alone and put new jobs after the last, default one removing racial requirements, as needed? I would much rather have the Monster and Illusion at the TOP of the list, so all the "Player" Jobs could be added/removed after and not interfere with the Engine.
Jobs need a changeRuleLevel Element. That way I can require a specific class attain a certain level, before being able to change to another class. I originally cheated, using Class Spells to do this for Fighting Classes, but it was messy and left me with Skills that showed up in the Engine, under Spells, that weren't being used.
Spells.xml
Found the TAG element for spells. Monsters and Spells can have multiple tags, no?
I really need a (x)Round/Level + (n) Duration. Combat is longer and more deadly in my campaign, but I want spells that can be cast in combat, yet not last the entire combat.
Did BTCS not come with Locate Traps and Detect Specials? I thought it did, but apparently it just came with Trap Zap and Scry Site.
Items.xml
I need the ability for an item to GRANT a skill. I have 14 Schools of Magic and I want to have Books you can find that will grant you a level in that specific School, instead of having to purchase it from the Guild. So, if you find a Book of Div 1 and use the Book, the book will disappear but give the Character Level 1 in Divination. The effects are permanent.
Shops.xml
The Shops xml is ready for multiple shops, but the Shop.xml is not. Can this be fixed? From what I've looked at, xml-wise, the Shop.xml just needs a <Shop> Element and you could copy Garth's, edit the Shop to your heart's content, change the Shop Element and bam, you have a new shop, ready to go. The only thing that would need to be modified is Exit to Garth's. Change it to Exit to Shop and the Special just has a Shop Element to point to the correct Shop, the default being Garths.
I have armor done (gloves, boots (fgnr), pants (instruments) and armor), but I want different shops to go to, to find different things. I also want to be able to limit shops to race and class, which can be accomplished already through Specials. I just need multiple shops.
If we could also get a cost modifier for different shops, via the Exit to Shop Special, it would be even better.
I honestly hope we can get as much as possible in Config xmls and as little as possible, hard-coded. I will HAPPILY edit xml files to get the desired results I need.
Map Editor
Dulsi, can you add a function in the Map Editor that allows each Dungeon to have a treasure list or to save out a treasure list based on Dungeon Level. When you use it, it loads up the items list and you pick items to drop. It either saves it to the Dungeon Map.xml or it saves out a Treasure List that saves the each list per Dungeon Level. Number of drops would work GREAT if setup just like how Wandering Monsters are. 5% for 1, 4% for 2, 3% for 3, etc.