need help on improving modding skills

[Colma Adawin]

hey ppl, i was just wondering if anyone with enough time and Patience would care to help me improve on some of my modding skills:

 

so far i can:

1) Re-texture (minor)

2) Custom Item (average nearing major)

3) Dialog editing (Expanding knowlegde)

4) edit original items (Major)

 

i hope to:

1) get better at re-texturing

2) get even better at creating new items

3) (again) get better at dialog editing

4) (just thinking) im tempted to try modeling, i know a few ppl, and hopefully they'll help, but for now, i'll work on the others.

 

Dialog Editing:

 

at the moment, im thinking of a new padawan mod, i know wat your thinking, oh god someone else whos going to do another padawan mod. yes i might be, im going to 'tinker' with my modding skills expand them, and maybe, just maybe, i'll be useful to the forums:p

 

so, if anyone could put me on the right track, i'd be REALLY REALLY Grateful. i used the search option, and i could only find Achillies and Telchias mods, and no tutorial or guide to make own padawan mod. (or im just blind)

 

Re-Texturing:

 

basicly, i just want to make kotor LOOK better, i want to mold it into how I want to see it, but i can only REALLY do clothing( very minor though ) needs attenion

 

thanx for taking the time to read, and hopefully assist me in expanding my modding skills. If anyone has any bits of information on these subjects for a lightly experienced modder, i'd apprieate it. i've looked at some tutorials, and to be honest, i'm thick as a brick, so short and sweet i've also got brother helping so, he'll translate to dunce

 

MattCole

 

PS: i've ticked multiple selection, so,you can choose more than one, but PLZ PLZ PLZ dont be silly with it

[Renegade Angel]

i would go with Re-Texturing.

[Colma Adawin]

got any tips to boot chains?

 

also wat made you choose Re-texturing?

 

MattCole

[T7nowhere]

IF you want to focus only on one skill then I would say Dialog editing, But that also entales scripting.

 

Reskinning is good place to start to learn how to use some type of paint program and this leads into item creation.

 

However a focus on Modeling will push a greater need for skinning not just reskinning. Once you have a new fully textured model you will need to make it an item, then you have to get in game somehow(without cheats ) Which can lead into dialog editing and npc creation along with some scripting.

 

So yes you could focus on just one thing and just do that or you can go for the skill that will encompass all the skills you want to learn.

[Mono_Giganto]

Hey my vote put modelling in the lead.

[Colma Adawin]

Originally posted by T7nowhere

IF you want to focus only on one skill then I would say Dialog editing, But that also entales scripting.

 

Reskinning is good place to start to learn how to use some type of paint program and this leads into item creation.

 

However a focus on Modeling will push a greater need for skinning not just reskinning. Once you have a new fully textured model you will need to make it an item, then you have to get in game somehow(without cheats ) Which can lead into dialog editing and npc creation along with some scripting.

 

So yes you could focus on just one thing and just do that or you can go for the skill that will encompass all the skills you want to learn.

 

wise words, and no i wasnt going to go for one singular skill, i was planning on doing a mod for each skill, which ever one grabs my interest the most, i will do more of.

 

and for an idiot such as my self which skill did you want me to try T7nowhere?

 

MattCole

 

PS thanx for the feedback, need more though, even tips

[Doom_Dealer]

Maybe learn modules???

 

we need more people who can

[Darth333]

Learning is often paired with motivation. Ask yourself what you would like the most and then decide

[ChAiNz.2da]

Originally posted by Darth333

Learning is often paired with motivation. Ask yourself what you would like the most and then decide

 

I'd agree, and to add to it...what skillsets do you think are your strongest?

 

I went with re-texturing (for myself) simply because I was born with Photoshop in my hand (should've seen my mother's expression .. hehe).

 

But it eventually led to custom items (to accomodate my re-textures), then that led to dialogue editing (to get my re-textured, custom item in game), which led to .2da editing, which led to blahblah...etc. etc.

 

To quote RedHawke "it's a vicious cycle"

 

Eventually I think all of these skillsets are going to tie into one another, no matter what path you choose to try first. So I would go with

 

A) What Darth333 said...what motivates you, &

 

B) Your strong skillsets that will slowly take you into other paths to experiment in. At least with your strong points, that's one less step you'll need to 'worry about' until you have something you would want to release to the public.

 

Just remember that you have 1000's of Holowan users that's "got your back" if you need help no matter what path you choose

 

::EDIT::

So, I voted "Custom Items" which ties into your strong skillset of "editing original items"....

[Darkkender]

I would have to agree with everybodies feedback. Me I'm a programmer at heart and as such data files of any sort become a cake walk after a little bit. Because I haven't really programmed since 95' scripting has become my greatest joy in trying to master my scripting skills. As much as I would love to build a model and texture myself my skills don't lie there they lack the straight forward logic of data and instead have a logic unto themselves similiar to chaos mathmatics which defies my "Spock" Logic nature.

[RedHawke]

Originally posted by ChAiNz.2da

To quote RedHawke "it's a vicious cycle"

Yup... it sure is!

 

Matt,

 

My suggestion (Similar to Darth333's post above) would be to do mods that you would like to see in the game, this gives you the motivation to make it, and make the level of difficulty for each mod appropriate to what you can do, whilst pushing yourself a little. What I mean by that is this;

 

You start small and make mods progressively harder as you go on... that is just what I did, and the same likely applies with most of the others here as well.

 

If you want to try something new (skill-wise) then you do a mod that uses what you want to learn. And just remember to take small modding-steps and you should be just fine.

 

Like I did, I started with a simple reskin of the Scoundrel Undies, then made some items... OK... a ton of items. And then I just progressed a little in each mods complexity until I went and made a new planet... I'm finding this one very hard to top too!

 

Basically if you want to build up your modding skills and skillsets, you need to do mods that use those skills. I think this is what the others were saying as well.

 

I hope this helps!

Originally posted by Doom_Dealer

Maybe learn modules???

 

we need more people who can

Yeah we sure do, but that does take a TON of time to do, and most people are hard pressed for it... especially during this time of year.

[Colma Adawin]

right, im taking in all the feedback you've graciously given, thank you!

 

sadly, i still dont know what to do, i'll think it over at work

 

thanx again

 

MattCole

[PoM]

costum items leads to retexturing, wich leads to the dark side,wich leads to modeling...wich at the end leads to dialog editing...And red lightsabers, sith masters etc, etc.

Wich has allready been said here, but anyway!

And i gotta learn some of this stuff myself..

All i can is minor dlg editing and reskinning...

(Check my sig-pic)

[Colma Adawin]

Okay, back from work, had a LONG think, and im going to go for Custom Item, it seems to go through all the Skills i've listed, and a bit more, this will challenge me, but im prepared...i hope

 

right, now thats decided,

 

1) What Tools do i need?

2) Is there a Tutorial for a slow modder?

3) and finally will i complete it before KotOR 2:TSL comes out for PC???

 

Thanx again ppl

 

MattCole

[Darth333]

Originally posted by MattColejk

1) What Tools do i need?

2) Is there a Tutorial for a slow modder?

:eyeraise: Matt, do I have to tell you to look at the "Guide for the Newbie" and the "Do you Want to mod sw-kotor stickies" ?

3) and finally will i complete it before KotOR 2:TSL comes out for PC???

That depends on you - you have a month to finish...depending on what you want to do, making an item can take 5 minutes or several hours.

[Colma Adawin]

Originally posted by Darth333

:eyeraise: Matt, do I have to tell you to look at the "Guide for the Newbie" and the "Do you Want to mod sw-kotor stickies" ?

 

That depends on you - you have a month to finish...depending on what you want to do, making an item can take 5 minutes or several hours.

 

:eek: :eek:

 

i should be ashamed how could've i forgotten??

 

<voice in background>

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AT HOLOWAN?!?!?!?!?! tsk useless

 

 

my bad, sorry

 

<shamefully clicks stickies>

 

MattCole

[Colma Adawin]

hey ppl, im in the middle of making my own PADAWAN MOD!!! (not another one) yes, i know, im sad, but it throws me into Dlg editing and scripting, so its time for the question round:

 

1) how do i change Trask to another SW charater? at the moment, im seeing which race suits my supposed Jedi Master, and im sick of human jedi masters, and, also......

 

.....2) i wish to add an alien sound to my Jedi Master as it adds more of a feeling to the mod.

 

3) how do give the appropiate Jedi Class to my PC?

3a) oh, is it possible for me to put:

 

1) Single Bladed Sabre

2) Short Bladed Sabre

3) Dual Bladed Sabre

4) 2 single bladed sabre

5) 2 Short bladed sabre

6) 2 Dual bladed sabres

 

then

 

if i choose 1 to 3, then it would go into the blade's colour eg

Blue

Red

Green

Yellow

Purple

 

and for 4 to 6, it would go

what colour do you want your first sabre to be?

<you choose>

what do you want your second sabre colour to be?

<you choose>

 

im goin to try and make the Ultimate Holowan Padawan Mod (UHPM) for short

 

ANY help on ANY of my questions, is much apprieated,

 

Thanx for the help ppl

 

MattCole

[Darth333]

OK, Matt, I am sorry but I am closing this thread. I don't mind you asking questions, on the contrary I encourage you to post them on the boards but this thread is getting quite a bit cluttered.

 

Try to make 1 topic = 1 thread in order to keep the boards clean and USEFUL so that the answers may serve other modders too

 

Repost your questions in seprate threads with corresponding titles and you'll get the answers you are seeking