Packaging a Mod for TSL ?Questions

[kdsphantom]

Hello

I am working on a Module to be released I hope soon, well before halloween with a nice helloween story type. The mod is for TSL KOTOR 2.

 

I have a few questions on packing, and well general questions on that.

This is my first mod and such my first release, so im not sure on a few things. I use(am using) Fred's great KT tools for module building, the mod has 3 zones, to help alot of my proplems in scripting and events I made a seperate directory for each seperate zone.

 

I dont add any new items, and have avoided 2da files like the plague but to get one conditional to work I used a global for a quest(I have alot of problems getting conditionals to work at all). Im not sure exactly the effect of using that global and have prepared a work around in case it needs/should be changed for general release.

 

I think I can use, should use, have to use KT tools to pack the 3 seperate zones into 1 mod file, I go to open ERF/MOD builder and yes I have no idea what a "erf" is. With that screen, I name output file and select where it is saved at. Select MOD as my output file type and then start adding directories. Basically the 3 seperate folders I created for each seperate zone and all subfolders. Lastly click build MOD and that gives me one file a MOD file.

 

That one file contains all my scripts, events, triggers, and characters? That one file then needs to go to the mod folder on another person's game after they download it right? So since I didnt use but that one global nothing need go override folder? (perhaps except something for that one global of course but i dont have that figured out yet.)

 

And is that it ? My questions more am i doing this right, if so WOOT, if not please what am I doing wrong so far. And final question would be about that global, cause I dont understand then how to pack that except using Stoffe's great merger program. I used globalcat.2da to add an entry for a quest, well really to get a conditional to work. But would that be the only 2 files i need to pack into Stoffe's installer? and then set up to have downloaded?

 

thank you again, sorry for the longerish post Im still green on alot these things

kdsphantom

[Fred Tetra]

Not having seen your files, I am not sure if packing all three into one .mod file is what you want to do or not.

 

If each "zone" has a .git and .are (and the rest of the files an original module has), you should probably pack them in separate .mod files as well. You'd have to adjust any "transition" doors to "point" to them as well. This is largely opinion, as opposed to fact, as I haven't created an multi-module mods myself.

 

If you feel like zipping up the three folders and sending it to me, I'd be happy to take a look at it for you. Email address is in the readme.txt file.

[kdsphantom]

Hiya Fred )

heh not only do I feel like, but wow, )

Yes each seperate zone has a git and are file i dunno if that is good or not.

 

But yes I have a "zoner" or a way to transition to each seperate place, its a small learning (for me to learn how to make these) mod, so its all forward placed, like one would have to use warp code to move back, But im trying to build it so that there is nothing to go back to or for.

But aye they are soon to be on the way

thank you

kdsphantom

[deathdisco]

If your having trouble with conditional scripts you should post exactly what you're trying to do. Someone will more than likely be willing to help you out.

[kdsphantom]

hiya deathdisco,

ya I have 2 threads going on the problems I am having with conditionals, and maybe that is not the right word when, I say conditionals, I mean The Condition that will allow a dialog to open up. But please if you like take a peak at those 2 threads,

http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=153890

and dealing with the talk fight talk issue I have is

http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=153822

[Fred Tetra]

Each of your modules needs to be packaged in its own .mod file.

 

A module consists of xxx.git, xxx.are, xxx.pth and module.ifo files, where xxx is the name of the module your creation is based upon. If you have at least these files in your module, you can go to (warp or transition via trigger, door, or dialogue) it. Any other .ut* files serve to "populate" your module; this is what the Kotor Tool module editor does for you.

 

When the game engine loads your .mod file, it opens it and looks for the four files mentioned above. This is why you should not try to put more than one module in a .mod file.

 

As for packaging your module, you can use the ERF Manager (Encapsulated Resource File; .mod, .hak, .sav and .erf files are all of this type), but it is much easier and more reliable to use the Build Mod file... menu in the Module editor. That's because the Module editor keeps track of which .ut* files in your module's project folder are actually referenced by the .git file, and only those will be added to the resulting .mod file for your project. Notice that I didn't mention scripts or textures? That's because they aren't directly referenced in the module, so we need a way to tell the Module editor that we want these packaged, too. This is where the extras folder inside of your module's project folder comes in. Any .ncs, .tga or .ut* file placed in the extras folder will be included in the .mod file.

 

You might be wondering why you would want to place a .ut* file in the extras folder when you could just put them in your module's project folder. That's because sometimes a creature or placeable is spawned via a script and is not directly referenced by the .git file, so the Module editor would not otherwise know about it; placing a file in the extras folder is how we ensure that it gets included in the .mod file. This my alternative to simply including all of the files in the module project folder; it ensures that only files referenced by the .git or explicitly set for inclusion by the user actually become part of the resultiing .mod file. If you have ever had a trigger that runs a spawn script "fail" or an encounter that doesn't spawn all (or any!) of the NPCs, first check to see if the .ut* file(s) are in the extras folder.

 

So, back to the Build Mod file... menu in the Module editor. The first time you use it, you'll be prompted for the path and name for your .mod file. Once you set it, it will be stored in your module project's settings. I like to have the file written directly to the game's Modules folder, so I can just load up a saved game with an appropriate PC or NPC to test with, then warp directly to my new module.

 

Also, while it is still being improved, the User palette holds items that you want to be able to reference in your module. They are specific to one module project, and you need only copy the .ut* files you want to appear on it to the userpalette folder inside of your module's project folder. The next version of Kotor Tool will support the concept of Global Templates, which will be available in all module projects. They also include generic .ut* files for you to create instances of, some of which are preconfigured to make using them easier. An example of this might be Waypoints; instead of having to edit an existing waypoint from the game to work the way you want, you get one that is already preconfigured as a Map Note or Simple waypoint, with hint text telling you what to do to customize it.

 

Finally, there's a new link to a page on the Kotor Tool site that shows what the next version will contain here

 

This should make it easier to see if a problem you're having will be addressed in a future version and also to let you see what new or improved features are going to be available.

[kdsphantom]

@Fred Tetra

Hiya, and thank you, Fred your a genius. I really enjoy the program.

But you have no idea how that explaination makes sense to me on soo many levels, That also might be why that condition dialog problem I have isnt working. So again i thank you for your time and patience

kdsphantom