Bt Builder

[dulsi]

I haven't had the time to do much work on btbuilder but I've put a new release out anyway. This is primarily to fis the trap/cast spell crash bug that caars encountered.

Fixed a crash bug when finding traps and trying to cast spells with a non-caster. Shield icon is only displayed for party effects. It still displays for armor class penalty spells that affect everyone.

[Methuselas]

Dulsi,

Does the new release use the new city tileset, or is it still using the old one?

[dulsi]

Does the new release use the new city tileset, or is it still using the old one?

Oops. Didn't grab that. Sorry. I'll grab that now.

I've been looking over the code. I'm think I'm going to tackle multiple effects for a spell next.

EDIT: There is no new wall.xml file yet. Correct?

[Methuselas]

Does the new release use the new city tileset, or is it still using the old one?

Oops. Didn't grab that. Sorry. I'll grab that now.

I've been looking over the code. I'm think I'm going to tackle multiple effects for a spell next.

EDIT: There is no new wall.xml file yet. Correct?

Doesn't really need it. I swapped the ordering around on some of the walls and planned to set each building to have 6 doors and walls in the xml. If you use the old xml, it still works, cos the names are still the same.

[dulsi]

Doesn't really need it. I swapped the ordering around on some of the walls and planned to set each building to have 6 doors and walls in the xml. If you use the old xml, it still works, cos the names are still the same.

The old xml will work but you have files in the citi1/4 which are currently not used.

While I don't think anyone is building from github, just in case I thought I'd let people know some features are broken in there right now. I've been converting the code to support multiple effects for a spell. Just a few moments ago, I cast my first spell which did light and compass. Right now the spell editor is broken and printing spells will not include everything it used to.

[Methuselas]

The old xml will work but you have files in the citi1/4 which are currently not used.

While I don't think anyone is building from github, just in case I thought I'd let people know some features are broken in therei right now. I've been converting the code to support multiple effects for a spell. Just a few moments ago, I cast my first spell which did light and compass. Right now the spell editor is broken and printing spells will not include everything it used to.

Yeah, that was done, so I wouldn't get confused when writing the new xml file to support 6 walls and doors per cottage. tis why they are labelled 4, not 3. The restaurant is closed next week, prepping for the grand opening the week after next monday. I should have time to do it next week, assuming I can get the hot spot working on my phone. it will be nice to not have to work 60 hour weeks.

looking forward to the multiple spell ability.

[dulsi]

looking forward to the multiple spell ability.

It's getting there. You can now add multiple effects through the spell editor. You can't set the settings for those effects yet (or even see the settings except for bonus spells). You will be getting access to all features the engine supports for spell casting. Bonus spells like armor class bonus has a level adjustment and maximum. So you can make a spell that does +2 AC bonus per 2 levels with a maximum level adjustment of 4. The maximum applies to the level multiplier not the final value. With this spell you could have up to a +8 if you were level 8 or higher (+2 * (level/2) with a max of +2 * 4).

[caars]

It's getting there. You can now add multiple effects through the spell editor. You can't set the settings for those effects yet (or even see the settings except for bonus spells). You will be getting access to all features the engine supports for spell casting. Bonus spells like armor class bonus has a level adjustment and maximum. So you can make a spell that does +2 AC bonus per 2 levels with a maximum level adjustment of 4. The maximum applies to the level multiplier not the final value. With this spell you could have up to a +8 if you were level 8 or higher (+2 * (level/2) with a max of +2 * 4).

This is sounding very promising! I'll definitely be making use of this to update my spell lists to make many of the 'classic' spells (like LERE and FLRE) behave more like they do in the original BT games. Also very useful for my D&D mod - sounds like I'll be able to use blindness spells that actually affect both to hit and AC, for example!

Been on vacation for a while, but I'm back and the Summer II class session is ramping up, so I'll be doing a lot more designing and testing than over the past few weeks!

[dulsi]

Okay, the last remaining problem has been resolved. It should now be usable. I just need to update the documentation about the spell editor and then I'd make a new release. One of the nice features of mimicing the BTCS UI for the most part was that I could refer people to those instructions. Having to document something because bt builder has grown beyond BTCS is a good problem to have I think.

[Methuselas]

Okay, the last remaining problem has been resolved. It should now be usable. I just need to update the documentation about the spell editor and then I'd make a new release. One of the nice features of mimicing the BTCS UI for the most part was that I could refer people to those instructions. Having to document something because bt builder has grown beyond BTCS is a good problem to have I think.

Looking forward to it. It's going to be fun playing with multiple spell effects.

I do agree we need better documentation, but it is nice to be able to refer to the old documentation, cos it is rather robust.

[Methuselas]

Dulsi,

On the subject of shops, I know that there is support for multiple shops, but since we can't use them yet, I have been expanding Garth's items for sale. I went into the shops.xml and added additional goods with id tags increasing per good, but in game, it ends with the bard instruments instead of the new items I made. Is there another place where you set the number of items for sale in an xml file or is it hard coded?


EDIT.- Disregard. .... I found a shops.xml in the doc directory that was overriding the one in the module directory.

[dulsi]

New build is up on the website. You can now create the Batch Spell from BT2. A lot of the hidden capabilities of the btbuilder spell system are now exposed.

@caars: I still haven't been able to reproduce the crashing problems you've had in the past. If you are still getting them, would you be able to send me your module. I think it might be caused by your chaining of specials but I haven't been able to reproduce it.

[caars]

Dulsi,

I've created a shared google drive folder with the module in it. Here's the link:

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id= ... sp=sharing

Incidentally, the folder is just a backup copy of the "module" folder under BT Builder on my computer (which is why it also has the sample modules in it, along with a bare-bones 'no frills' module started just for fun). I just set it to "share with a link" so you all could actually see it. For some reason it doesn't have my D&D mod (I'll need to check that).

I *think* I need to actually update what's in there (i.e. I think there are more recent copies of the module's files in that folder that BT Builder saves everything in after you've opened a module for editing the first time). I'll copy those over in a few hours when I get home.

Unless you're really eager to look at them, I'd suggest giving me a few days to take another look at them myself. I've been much busier than expected, but I know I'll have some time Friday to really take a careful look at the "complex" trap specials to see if there's anything there that would crash the program. There's no need for you to waste your valuable time looking at something that I should be checking myself. If I just can't find anything, I'll let you know so you can see if you can't find something I didn't.

EDIT: The actual module is 'bt'...

EDIT: Okay, the files in the shared folder for the module *should* be the most up to date ones now. I'm planning on doing a careful check of the "trap" specials on Friday. If somebody finds something before I get to it, let me know (but hopefully nobody will waste their time looking at my potential mistakes until I've verified that I can't figure out what those mistakes were...)

[Methuselas]

Dulsi,

With the spell editor:

1. I realized you can cure statuses, but you can't cause them anymore.

2. There is no way to buff/debuff at the same time. For example, I have a vampiric drain spell. It causes damage to a single target and heals the caster for the same amount, as though it were draining a mob and using that to heal the caster. You can't do that.

3. Can we get a Turn/Level +/- modifier Duration added to the spell editor. I want to have spells that run a specific number of turns per level in combat. I don't think we should limit the Turn/Level Duration to combat only, however.

4. A damage bonus spell effect that is also a skill. Basically, I want a damage bonus spell and then a skill that does damage bonus, a la the martial arts skill. It would be a skill a job can have that adds a damage bonus per hit, but is setup exactly like the martial arts skill.

Concerning the actual editors. "C" will copy an item, monster or spell. Can you make the Delete Key delete them, as well? It's easier to have that, than to accidentally copy or create a new item, monster or spell, then have to hand delete it editing the xml file.

Lastly, concerning the monster editor, is there any chance we could get the ability to create additional physical, ranged and spell attacks? I basically want to have the ability to create a mob that can claw, bite or tail lash for physical attacks, then it could cast 3 different type of spells, but the engine still determines the attack randomly, based on the parameters defined in the mob. It would still follow the number of attacks determined, but randomly pick one of the physical attacks, ranged, group or magic attacks, based off the combat actions.

Other than that, the new spell editor is the bomb! I am enjoying playing with it.

[EDIT] - Oh, Dulsi, one more thing about jobs. It's easy to change classes, using spell skills, but is there a way to change classes, based on the job, itself? I want to have warriors, be able to turn into berserkers, but without a job parameter, I have to create a spell skill specifically for warriors, just to allow them to change class.

@Caars,

Is there any way you can zip up your google drive folder? I am tethering my laptop to my phone and don't want to download individual files. It's easier and faster to just download one file, regardless of the size.

[dulsi]

1. I realized you can cure statuses, but you can't cause them anymore.

Sure you can. See the chart on the editor page of the web site. For example Poison is the equivalent of a Damage effect with "Damage: 0d2, Extra Damage: Poison".

2. There is no way to buff/debuff at the same time. For example, I have a vampiric drain spell. It causes damage to a single target and heals the caster for the same amount, as though it were draining a mob and using that to heal the caster. You can't do that.

This is true. There are some technical issues with implementing this but I'll see if there is some way this can be supported.

3. Can we get a Turn/Level +/- modifier Duration added to the spell editor. I want to have spells that run a specific number of turns per level in combat. I don't think we should limit the Turn/Level Duration to combat only, however.

That shouldn't be too hard to implement. I'll see what I can do.

4. A damage bonus spell effect that is also a skill. Basically, I want a damage bonus spell and then a skill that does damage bonus, a la the martial arts skill. It would be a skill a job can have that adds a damage bonus per hit, but is setup exactly like the martial arts skill.

I want to add a damage bonus spell effect. A skill doing the same probably wouldn't be that hard once the spell effect is implemented.

Concerning the actual editors. "C" will copy an item, monster or spell. Can you make the Delete Key delete them, as well?

My concern with adding Delete is that deleting a newly copied item is fine but deleting something older requires you to either keep that slot used but hidden or fix all the item references in the specials. I do want to add support for that but I don't want to add it without handling those cases.

Lastly, concerning the monster editor, is there any chance we could get the ability to create additional physical, ranged and spell attacks?

I know you want it. It is on my list of things to do.

[EDIT] - Oh, Dulsi, one more thing about jobs. It's easy to change classes, using spell skills, but is there a way to change classes, based on the job, itself?

It probably wouldn't be that bad. For now you could create a dummy skill that doesn't do anything.

If someone has free time and wants to help, I'd love to have a list of spells from BT 1, 2, & 3 that can't currently be implemented in bt builder. When I get a chance I'll do it myself but figured I'd ask if anyone wants to help.