Adding a new spell tutorial - Revision history

Sunjammer: Adding "see also" section

2013-12-07T14:35:33Z

Adding "see also" section

Ladyofpayne: /* Advanced Topics */

2013-12-06T05:58:29Z

‎Advanced Topics

Sunjammer: moved Adding a New Spell Tutorial to Adding a new spell tutorial

2012-02-23T13:16:08Z

moved Adding a New Spell Tutorial to Adding a new spell tutorial

Sunjammer: Adding heading

2012-02-23T13:15:48Z

Adding heading

TrueKeaton: /* Creating a custom spell script */

2010-03-30T18:30:36Z

‎Creating a custom spell script

BryanDerksen: /* Creating a new ability entry */ another link

2010-01-28T23:18:26Z

‎Creating a new ability entry: another link

BryanDerksen: /* Creating a new Spell Type */ link

2010-01-28T23:18:00Z

‎Creating a new Spell Type: link

Damiancds at 16:44, 20 January 2010

2010-01-20T16:44:31Z

Damiancds at 16:42, 20 January 2010

2010-01-20T16:42:25Z

Apolyon6k at 22:33, 23 December 2009

2009-12-23T22:33:04Z

@@ Line 260: / Line 260: @@
 * Set the ability field of the guitypes.xls to ensure your new ability type is only available to certain classes. This is how the specialization classes limit their abilities.
-=== Useful links ===
+== See Also ==
 [[Creating custom classes with minimal impact on the game]]
 [[Category:Tutorials]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:58, 6 December 2013
Line 260:		Line 260:
	* Set the ability field of the guitypes.xls to ensure your new ability type is only available to certain classes. This is how the specialization classes limit their abilities.		* Set the ability field of the guitypes.xls to ensure your new ability type is only available to certain classes. This is how the specialization classes limit their abilities.

		+	=== Useful links ===
		+	[[Creating custom classes with minimal impact on the game]]
	[[Category:Tutorials]]		[[Category:Tutorials]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 This tutorial steps you through making a new spell called Full Heal. This will be a simple copy of the heal spell with a modification to the amount healed. The focus here is on creating a new spell, but the basic steps are the same for talents and other abilities.
-[[category:tutorials]]
 The process of adding a spell to the game is as follows:
 * Create a new module that extends the single player game
-*Create a new module that extends the single player game
+* Create a new guitype that your spell exists under
-*Create a new guitype that your spell exists under
+* Create a new ability entry for your spell
-*Create a new ability entry for your spell
+* Create a custom script to handle your spell
-*Create a custom script to handle your spell
+* Create strings to describe your spell in the talent page and tool tips
-*Create strings to describe your spell in the talent page and tool tips
+* Testing it in the game
 *Testing it in the game
-−
 Before beginning ensure you read the article on editing [[2DA]] files and how to convert them to GDA files for use in the game.
 == Creating your module ==
 These are just some basic settings required so that your module extends the Single Player campaign.
 # Load the toolset and select '''File''' > '''Manage Modules'''
@@ Line 29: / Line 26: @@
 # Click '''Open''' to load your new module (it should be selected by default)
 # Select '''Tools''' > '''Export''' > '''Generate Module XML'''
 You now have a new module that will be loaded whenever you play the Single Player campaign.
 == Creating a new Spell Type ==
@@ Line 59: / Line 54: @@
 This is where you can specify the properties of your new spell. However for this example I'm just keeping it simple. I recommend reading this page to see what can be done: [[ABI_base.xls]]
 # Open up the rules folder in your 2DA folder, it should be at \Dragon Age\tools\Source\2DA\rules
@@ Line 79: / Line 73: @@
 At this stage we want to ensure that the above steps worked, and that the new spell appears in-game. Simply run the game and check the talents page for a mage character. Your spell should appear in its own category down the bottom. If it doesn't try the following:
 * Check that the guitype for your ability in the ABI_base 2DA is the same as the id you set for your guitype in the guitypes 2DA
 * Check that your GDA files are copied to the correct override folder
 * Generate your module XML file again
 == Creating a custom spell script ==
 The easiest way to do this is generally open the script that the spell you are copying references, copy it to a new file and modify the contents to suit your purposes. Spell scripting is a little beyond the scope of this tutorial so I've prepared a simple script already. What it does is calculate the maximum health of the target of the spell and then heal them for that amount.
 # Select '''File''' > '''New''' > '''Script'''
@@ Line 97: / Line 88: @@
 # Click '''OK''' to create the script
 # Copy the contents of the script below into the script and click '''Save'''
 The script should compile correctly if you check the log.
 <dascript>
@@ Line 111: / Line 100: @@
 #include "sys_traps_h"
 #include "spell_constants_h"
 const int FULL_HEAL = 777777;
 void _HandleImpact(struct EventSpellScriptImpactStruct stEvent)
@@ Line 230: / Line 217: @@
 <description/>
 </pre>
 Once these strings are all created select '''Tools''' > '''Export''' > '''Export Talk Table'''. This will compile your strings into a talk table which can be used with the game.
 == Updating your ability ==
 This step involves tweaking our new spell to use the strings we created as well as the custom script. We will also adjust the cost and cooldown to make it a bit more balanced.
 For the following steps I recommend using '''GDApp''' to modify your GDA files rather than editing the excel files and recreating them. It can be found on the [[3rd_party_extensions]] page.
 # Open your '''ABI_base_fh.GDA''' file with '''GDApp'''
@@ Line 252: / Line 234: @@
 # Set the '''cooldown''' to 20
 # Save the file
 Next we modify the guitype:
 # Open your '''guitypes_fh.GDA''' file with '''GDApp'''
 # Set the '''stringid''' field to the string ID for your Spell Type
 # Save the file
 Now we have updated GDA files which reference our spell script and new strings. It should now function correctly in the game and look like any other spell.
@@ Line 271: / Line 250: @@
 <pre>` runscript addtalent 777777</pre>
 == Advanced Topics ==
 I will try and expand this section a bit later, but for now once you are confident with these steps, try the following:
 * Change the icon for the spell to make it stand out more. You can use one from another spell or make your own
@@ Line 283: / Line 259: @@
 * Create a new talent using the same procedure but copy and modify a talent instead of a spell
 * Set the ability field of the guitypes.xls to ensure your new ability type is only available to certain classes. This is how the specialization classes limit their abilities.

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:30, 30 March 2010
Line 88:		Line 88:
	== Creating a custom spell script ==		== Creating a custom spell script ==

−	The easiest way to do this is generally open the script that the spell you are copying references, copy it to a ~~few~~ file and modify the contents to suit your purposes. Spell scripting is a little beyond the scope of this tutorial so I've prepared a simple script already. What it does is calculate the maximum health of the target of the spell and then heal them for that amount.	+	The easiest way to do this is generally open the script that the spell you are copying references, copy it to a new file and modify the contents to suit your purposes. Spell scripting is a little beyond the scope of this tutorial so I've prepared a simple script already. What it does is calculate the maximum health of the target of the spell and then heal them for that amount.

@@ Line 72: / Line 72: @@
 ## '''guitype''': 777
 # Save and close the file
-# Convert it to a '''GDA''' file (For instructions see above conversion)
+# Convert it to a '''GDA''' file (For instructions see [[Compiling 2DAs]])
 # Copy the '''ABI_Base.GDA''' file to your module override folder (My Documents\Bioware\Dragon Age\AddIns\full_heal\module\override)
 # Rename the file '''ABI_Base_fh.GDA'''
 == Preliminary Testing ==

← Older revision	Revision as of 13:16, 23 February 2012
(No difference)

@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 This step is not strictly necessary to get a new spell into the game, but is recommended. By doing this, your new spell will have its own category on the talents page. This is also how you can restrict which classes have access to the spell.
 For more information on the columns we are modifying refer to the article on [[Guitypes.xls]].
 # Open up your 2DA folder, it should be at \Dragon Age\tools\Source\2DA
@@ Line 54: / Line 52: @@
 # Save and close the file.
 # Convert it to a '''GDA''' file
-# To convert from XLS to GDA, there is an application called ExcelProcessor, which can be found in your installed Dragon Age directory - Dragon Age\tools\ResourceBuild\Processors. Just drag the XLS file onto the ExcelProcessor and it automatically converts it.
+## To convert from XLS to GDA, there is an application called ExcelProcessor, which can be found in your installed Dragon Age directory - Dragon Age\tools\ResourceBuild\Processors. Just drag the XLS file onto the ExcelProcessor and it automatically converts it. See [[Compiling 2DAs]] for more detail.
 # Copy the GDA to your module override folder (My Documents\Bioware\Dragon Age\AddIns\full_heal\module\override)
 # Rename the file '''guitypes_fh.GDA'''

@@ Line 53: / Line 53: @@
 ## Any remaining columns in between set to 0
 # Save and close the file.
-# Convert it to a '''GDA''' file.
+# Convert it to a '''GDA''' file (To convert from XLS to GDA, there is an application called ExcelProcessor, which can be found in your installed Dragon Age directory - Dragon Age\tools\ResourceBuild\Processors).
 # Copy the GDA to your module override folder (My Documents\Bioware\Dragon Age\AddIns\full_heal\module\override)
 # Rename the file '''guitypes_fh.GDA'''