Item
An item is a game object that can be picked up or equipped by a creature. Dragon Age will have many items. As the player gains levels he or she will encounter progressively more powerful items. Through the use of material types (unique models and/or color variation) we will scale our items so that we have a greater range of item diversity than in our previous games.
Items are grouped into types called "Base Item Types". The item's base type determines how it can be used and what its basic properties are.
Some examples of base item types are:
- Sword
- Bow
- Arrows
- Helmet
- Potion
Weapon and armour items get their basic ratings from their base item type. This is further modified by the material type of the item (i.e., high steel sword vs. low steel sword) and other item properties on them.
Unlike in Neverwinter Nights, items can't be placed on the floor. They can only be stored in an inventory of some kind.
Contents
- 1 Item Attributes
- 2 Appearance
- 3 Icons
- 4 Stacks
- 5 Cost
- 6 Plot Items
- 7 Indestructible items
- 8 Item Scripts
- 9 Item Equipping
- 10 Dropping Items
- 11 Item Scaling
- 12 Activated Items
- 13 Descriptions
- 14 Further Details
- 15 Tools
- 16 Inventory slots
- 17 Item Properties
- 18 Item Abilities
- 19 Variables
- 20 Properties
Item Attributes
Item's attributes are determined in part by their base type and can be customized further in the toolset. They can be further modified in the game by applying item properties.
Appearance
An item's appearance will be determined by their base type and an appearance field. A base item 2da and an item appearances 2da controls the different appearances for each base type. The number of appearance variations for each base type will vary. Visual effect item properties can be applied later to further modify the appearance of the item (flame effects, etc…)
Icons
Each item's icon has a width and height. This size corresponds roughly to the size of the item in the world, so small potions will have a small icon and large suits of armour will take up more space.
We don't track the weight of items because of the shared party inventory. Some items will have properties on them that will require the creature to have certain minimum attributes to equip them though. This will simulate particularly heavy armour or weapons.
Stacks
Each item can have a stack size on them. This means that the item actually represents a pile of identical items. Stacks can be split into new items or merged to destroy old ones. Only items that have identical types and properties can be merged into stacks.
Cost
An item's cost will be set in a field by either the toolset or the scripting language. There won't be any automatic cost calculation done.
Plot Items
Some items will be flagged as "plot" items. This means the item is important to some plot in the game and should be treated differently. When the player picks up one of these items they will appear on a special plot page in their inventory. Plot items can’t be sold in stores or destroyed through normal game-play.
Indestructible items
These are items that are needed for the plot, but can still be used or equipped by the player. The use of this flag is very restricted and it should be used only when no other solution will work. Items with this flag can not be destroyed, sold or given to another character to equip.
Item Scripts
Items will have AI scripts associated with them like any other game object (the script is attached to the item). They will receive and process events in much the same way (acquire, lose, equip, unequip, etc…)
Item Equipping
All base item types are limited by attribute Strength (except wands which are Magic limited). An item cannot be equipped unless its base item attribute requirements are met. The reasons why an item cannot be equipped will be clearly indicated by the GUI. Almost all items can be equipped and unequipped by a player during combat. The only exception is armor. Armor cannot be equipped or unequipped if the character is within sight of an enemy creature.
Dropping Items
- Players will not be allowed to drop items into the world or into containers by default. Specific containers can be set to accept items.
- If a creature dies the items are dropped into a bodybag
Item Scaling
The item system needs to be very robust, allowing for a wide diversity of item types, item appearances within a type, and rules scaling. Material types are the primary mechanism for item scaling... i.e., we won't randomize the type of item in many cases (flaming sword) but we will randomize its material type (low steel flaming sword vs. high steel flaming sword)
Activated Items
Each item can have a single default action. This is entered by picking an ability of type "Item Ability" from the abilities table which defines its icon, script, description and targetting behaviour. Items that can be used go into a special equip slot. All other item types (weapons, armor, et cetera) cannot have a custom item use. The number of uses for this ability will be decided by the script which will destroy the item when appropriate.
- there are no uses per day type items. All items only have "number of uses".
Descriptions
Item descriptions will be primarily autogenerated with stat information. There will also be a text description but few items will have descriptions written for them. A subset list of all the items (the really powerful ones, crafting items, and plot items) will be the only ones with descriptions.
Further Details
- Equippable Items
- Melee Weapons
- Some weapons are one handed, can be used with a shield
- Some weapons are two handed
- Daggers and Longswords can be dual wielded
- Ranged Weapons
- Can use special ammunition, if you have it. Otherwise they can fire a "default" ammo type.
- Shields
- Paperdoll items (i.e., helmets, gloves, et cetera)
- Melee Weapons
- Unequipped items
- There are a large variety of items that cannot be equipped on the ingame avatar. Some of these can be placed on the quickbar (i.e., potions) if they have activated item abilities
- Items can be upgraded (i.e., adding fire damage to a sword).
- Items can be crafted from other item parts
- Items can have Item properties
Tools
Items are created in the Designer Toolset using the Object Inspector Editor. Once created, item can be given as inventory to creatures and placeables. Once placed, both the creature/placeable and the item must be exported in order to be viewed in the game. Exporting happens automatically or can be done manually by the designer during testing.
Inventory slots
Slot | Item type | Visible on avatar? |
---|---|---|
Right Hand | Weapons | Yes |
Left Hand | Weapons, Shields | Yes |
Head | Helmet | Yes |
Chest | Armor, Clothing | Yes |
Waist | Belt, Girdle | No |
Quick Items | Useable Items | No |
Right Fingers | Ring | No |
Left Fingers | Ring | No |
Feet | Boots | Yes |
Neck | Amulets | No |
Hands | Gloves | Yes |
Inventory - Normal | Backpack Items | No |
Inventory - Plot | Plot Items | No |
Item Properties
See Item properties for more information.
Item Abilities
Item Abilities are activated abilities on items (for example, a potion with the activated ability Healing is a Potion of Healing). An item can only have one item ability. This item ability is assigned in the toolset. They are not item properties.
Detailed Description
Item abilities cannot be placed on equippable items.
Item abilities are activated by right-clicking or double-clicking the item or from using the item from the quickbar
Variables
Variable name | Type | Default | Description |
---|---|---|---|
APP_ITEM_MOTIVATION | int | 0 | |
ITEM_CODEX_FLAG | int | -1 | |
ITEM_COUNTER_1 to 2 | int | 0 | |
ITEM_CRUST | int | 0 | |
ITEM_DO_ONCE_A and B | int | 0 | |
ITEM_SEND_ACQUIRED_EVENT | int | 0 | when true, EVENT_TYPE_CAMPAIGN_ITEM_ACQUIRED is sent to the module's event script when the item is aquired. |
ITEM_SET | int | -1 | Certain items will give a bonus when equipped with other members of the same set (as identified by this integer). |
ITEM_SPECIALIZATION_FLAG | int | 0 | |
ITEM_SEND_LOST_EVENT | int | 0 | |
PROJECTILE_OVERRIDE | int | 0 | |
ITEM_RUNE_ENABLED | int | 0 | when true, item has rune slots generated, false has no rune slots generated. |
Properties
⊟ | General | |
Activated Ability | Action happening on a specific event related to the item (hit with weapon, being hit on armor, etc.) | |
Base Item Type | The inventory type of the item. Also gives the base appearance type for the item. | |
Comments | General information about the item | |
Crafting Recipe Type | The type of recipe this is. From recipes 2da. | |
Description | ||
DescriptionRequiresReTranslation | ||
Heraldry | ||
Icon | ||
Item Variation | An appearance variation based on the base item type. | |
MaterialProgression | ||
MaterialType | ||
Name | ||
NameRequiresReTranslation | ||
Resource Name | A unique string identifier the toolset and the game both use to refer to this resource | |
Tag | A non-unique string identifier used mostly by scripts and other resources to refer to this resource. | |
Tint Override | ||
⊟ | Attributes | |
Body Tint | Affects the appearance of item wearer. Typically used to customize the Dog's warpaint. | |
Body Tint Mask | Affects the appearance of item wearer. Typically used to customize the Dog's warpaint. | |
Cost | Base money value of the item. | |
Damaged | ||
Item Properties | Allows selecting one or more item properties for the item. Item Properties are any special power, effects, or stat variations beyond the basic item attributes. Properties also includes restrictions by class, race, etc. | |
OnHit Effect | ||
OnHit Power | ||
Plot Item | A plot item can not be destroyed or removed from inventory by the player once the player has acquired it. Plot items can only be removed via scripts written by the designer. | |
Script | Event script assigned to the resource | |
Unique | ||
Variable 2da | 2da file containing a variable table. Only the values in the table can be set and retrieved by scripting. | |
Variables | Opens the variable table for editing, allows the initial values of the variables to be defined. | |
⊟ | Model Appearance (R/O) | |
Model Appearance | ||
Model Gender |