Help for another simple MOD

[Xavier2]

I'm trying to post this since yesterday, but some problems with the foruns clocks prevented me to do so. By now i may have figure it out whats the problem. I think its the upcrystals.2da file, but i'll post the thing anyway so you could point me to the most fast solution:

 

I'm making a second MOD experience. I'm trying to create a new Lightsaber, Obi-Wan Lightsaber, with no special attributes just a blue colored upgradeable Lightsaber, placed in a specific place within the game. I followed Achiles instructions in his tutorial, though it seems to be towards a especific type of MOD, where you want to create a specific crystal for your weapon. So in order to avoid all the steps in the aforementioned tutorial, i assumed i just needed to edit the same kind of files Jedikenobi used for his Jolee Double-bladed Lightsaber, since it was upgradeable and placed in a specific place within the game.

 

To create the MOD i did as follows:

1-Found, edited the g_w_lghtsbr01.uti with KOTOR Tool and saved it as g_w_lghtsbr98.uti, just like JediKenobi must have done with his g_w_dblsbr054.uti;

2-Found, edited the iw_lghtsbr_001.tga with KOTOR Tool and saved it as iw_lghtsbr_098.tga, just like JediKenobi must have done with his iw_dblsbr_054.tga;

3-Found, edited the w_lghtsbr_001.mdl with KOTOR Tool and saved it as w_lghtsbr_098.mdl, just like JediKenobi must have done with his w_dblsbr_054.mdl;

4-Found, edited the w_lghtsbr_001.mdx with KOTOR Tool and saved it as iw_lghtsbr_098.mdx, just like JediKenobi must have done with his w_lghtsbr_054.mdx;

5-Found, edited the w_Lghtsbr_001.tga with KOTOR Tool and saved it as w_Lghtsbr_098.tga, just like JediKenobi must have done with his w_Lghtsbr_054.tga;

6-Found, edited the tar_troop_pack.utp with KOTOR Tool and saved it as tar_troop_pack.utp, to find the Lightsaber in Taris outside the apartment, plus the rubat and yellow crystals, just like JediKenobi must have done with his kas25_mandcomm.utc, to find his MOD in a mandalorian body in Kashyyyk;

7-Placed all the files above in the same folder with the MOD name;

8-Add the folder MOD to the list of files managed by Kotor Mod Manager;

9-Activated the MOD with Kotor Mod Manager.

 

To test the MOD i did as follows:

1-Started the game with I am a jedi MOD on;

2-Defeated the trooper outside Taris hideout;

3-Accessed the backpack that spawns after the fight end;

4-Picked up my custom item, Obi-Wan Lightsaber, rubat and yellow crystals;

5-Florished the Lightsaber so i knew the animations where right;

6-Attempted to upgrade it;

7-the game didn't opened the upgrade screen for this particular item, and...

 

The Obi-Wan Lightsaber desappears. What did i do wrong, for god's sake?

[Mono_Giganto]

You likely messed up with Hex Editing the model. Either that, or...

 

It's not good to make custom lightsabers upgradeable anyway, unless you also make a color crystal to accompany it.

[Xavier2]

Originally posted by Mono_Giganto

You likely messed up with Hex Editing the model. Either that, or...

 

It's not good to make custom lightsabers upgradeable anyway, unless you also make a color crystal to accompany it.

 

I assumed all i had to do was watch someone else's work. But it seems that JediKenobi is not an upgradeable Lightsaber after all. The weird thing is that Bastila Lightsaber has a .uti file for it but don't have any reference to a particular crystal, the animations also are not specific for her weapon, even her modelvariation, makes reference for the a normal doublebladed lightsaber. Why it works with hers and not with oyhers, if it would be a simple matter of finding the already existing files?

[Mono_Giganto]

Well if I remember right, that particular saber was NOT upgradeable, but I may be wrong, in which case, I'm now confused.

[Xavier2]

Originally posted by Mono_Giganto

Well if I remember right, that particular saber was NOT upgradeable, but I may be wrong, in which case, I'm now confused.

 

You're absoluttely right!!! I never realized that whenever i manage to upgrade Bastila lightsaber it turns into a common lghtsaber, it also requires battle meditation, what means nobody could use it, even with Jedi MOD on. Thats exactly what happened to mine when i tried to change his color. So unless someone knows a way how, it settles the question. You can't make a custom Lightsaber without a custom crystal, and if you remove that crystal it won't be that same lightsaber, but rather a standard one.

[Achilles]

Originally posted by Xavier2

You're absoluttely right!!! I never realized that whenever i manage to upgrade Bastila lightsaber it turns into a common lghtsaber, it also requires battle meditation, what means nobody could use it, even with Jedi MOD on. Thats exactly what happened to mine when i tried to change his color. So unless someone knows a way how, it settles the question. You can't make a custom Lightsaber without a custom crystal, and if you remove that crystal it won't be that same lightsaber, but rather a standard one.

If I may, making new weapons is much simpler if you're using KotOR Tool. Many of the steps that are necessary using GFF Editor are no longer necessary if using this tool instead.

 

If you are interested in trying this method instead, please see this tutorial.

 

I hope that helps.

[Xavier2]

Originally posted by Achilles

If I may, making new weapons is much simpler if you're using KotOR Tool. Many of the steps that are necessary using GFF Editor are no longer necessary if using this tool instead.

 

If you are interested in trying this method instead, please see this tutorial.

 

I hope that helps.

Pretty useful since it has a great tip. I didn't know about that Property editor thing and i was almost going crazy with that amount of columms in the property chart. By the way, i find that the codefaq for the game pretty useful, but for editing .2da files and other GFF a game field function dictionary would be helpful so we could understand better those unworking MOD. Is there any around?

[Achilles]

Originally posted by Xavier2

but for editing .2da files and other GFF a game field function dictionary would be helpful so we could understand better those unworking MOD. Is there any around?

I don't understand what that means.

 

Glad I was able to help on the other

[Xavier2]

Originally posted by Achilles

I don't understand what that means.

Glad I was able to help on the other

What i mean for a "game field function dictionary" is something that clarifies what is the function for each field in the many types of KOTOR files.

You did it yourself in your tutorial when you explain to us what is templateresref and tag and how the game uses the data placed in those fields.

Also a glossary for the files in KOTOR. For instance if i want to find the texture for Bastila body, instead of looking in appearence.2da, if i knew the code i could go directly to the texture tree in KT.

It may be ask too much, but just in case its out there i thought i'd ask.

 

Thanks for the tips.

[Darth333]

For the GFF format, you can have a look at the following documents: http://nwn.bioware.com/developers/ - they explain basically what each field does. Note that some fields are not used in Kotor however. (btw, the link was in the Guide for the Newbie )