↜ Create new scrolls! by WNG ↝
Introduction
Hello! This guide will show you how to make bind skills to your own customized scrolls.
I may assume you have some basic knowledge and overlook some manipulations. Feel free to tell me if anything is unclear.
Without further ado, let's get started.
I. Creating the pictures
This step will require:
- Software for image-editing
A custom scroll isn't truly "custom" without your own picture. To make one, you will need a software that edit images, such as Photoshop. If you don't own it, GIMP is a free software that will suffice for this task. MS Paint just won't cut it. - Scroll canvas
For this step, you will be required to make your own scroll drawings. You can use my canvas if you wish to:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5t8kgxmu40s4dur/scrolls_canvas.zip?dl=0[/i]
I. Load your canvas and draw a picture:
If you haven't used such software in the past, you should try out a few tools and experiment. Also, you may use some images as models to get the shape of an item just right. Anyways, we're not here to make work of art.
Save your files when you are done. Very important to save your pictures in .tga/.psd format! Those are the only formats the Art Manager can read.
II. Import your picture in your mod:
Open the Art Manager and select your mod. It will now be time to import your texture into your mod. Before importing it, I'd recommend creating a folder specifically for your custom textures. To do so, right-click on "name_of_your_mod/source > Create New Directory".
Now, select the matching folder, right-click, and select "Import...". Find your texture and select it. It should appear in the menu. Right-click it and choose Auto-Create Asset. You will be prompted to choose between Texture or Bitmap. Choose Bitmap, and proceed by pressing OK.
(https://i.imgur.com/nG0qJO1.png)
III. Build your texture:
Your texture isn't quite in your mod yet. You will need to visit the "Assets" tab, and seek your texture in the folder structure, wich should be the same as in your "Source" tab. Right-click on it and choose "Build". When that is done, build your mod by pressing F7. Your texture will now become usable in your mod.
(https://i.imgur.com/0rag8k8.png)
II. Create the scroll
Procedure:
I. Create the scroll entry:
In the Art Manager, go to the Database tab. Determine wich folder will contain your scroll entries. At this place, create a new record with the template 'oneshot_scroll.tpl' if you wish to start from scratch or copy an existing scroll. Open your scroll file and modify the parameters as you see fit. Look at the spoiler below for a description regarding each field.
General Parameters
Header
File Description : For your eyes only! Leaves a description or a note for the developper. No effect in-game.
Scroll Config
Skill Name : The .dbr file of the skill you wish to be used when the scroll is consumed. We will get to that later...
OneShot Parameters
Use Delay Time : The duration of the cooldown after using your scroll.
Bitmap : Texture file of your scroll when appearing in the inventory.
Bitmap Button Up : Texture file of your scroll when appearing in the skill bar (outset).
Bitmap Button Down : Texture file of your scroll when appearing in the skill bar (inset).
Item Parameters
Item Text : This is the description for your scroll. We will get to that later...
Item Cost : The value in gold of your scroll. If sold at merchants, it will be sold for this price.
Item Requirements
Self-explanatory.
Actor Variables
Description : The name of your scroll.
The other parameters are irrelevant for us.
Edit the parameters until you are satisfied. When you are, save and build your file.
II. Add a custom description:
Let's include a description for a scroll. For this step, we will need to open our Modstrings.txt. This file contains all the texts from your mod. You can find it in the Source Tab of the Art Manager, by default located inside the Text folder. Double-click it to edit it.
To first add text to your item, you will need to use a tag (for example, "scroll_1_Desc".) You will use this tag as a reference for your scroll description. It is quite useful if you need to edit for whatever reason a piece of text you used in several places.
Following your tag, put a "=" and then the text you wish to be displayed in the player's inventory.
Once your text is done, save your Modstrings.txt, and build its asset. Then, open your scroll file and insert your tag in Item Parameters > Item Text. Following my example, I would put "scroll_1_Desc". Save your file, build it.
III. Create and bind the skill
Determine wich skill you will be using for your scroll. Since there's so many kind of skills to create and it would need a tutorial of its own, I will skip this part and leave it for a future tutorial (maybe?).
Once you have a skill in mind, you may bind it to your scroll. To do so, go to the .dbr file of your scroll, then visit the Scroll Config tab. Insert the .dbr file of the skill you want to associate, then save and build to apply the modifications.
IV. Make the skill usable
It may seem like it's all set for your scroll to work, right? If you attempt to use it in a game, you will notice that there will be no skill attached to it! That is because you also need to set it into another file wich contains all the skills that may be used on scrolls. There are two of them that have room for you to insert the skills you want.
records\xpack\skills\scroll skills\scrollskilltree2.dbr
records\xpack2\skills\scroll skills\scrollskilltree3.dbr
Import any of those two files above and open it. Go to the Skill List tab, you will notice many different skills. Those are indeed all the skills that are "authorized" to be attached to a scroll. Find an empty spot to put in the skill of your choice from earlier. Save your work and build this file.
V. Create Epic/Legendary versions
Your first scroll being completed, you might want to make an Epic or Legendary version. To do so, duplicate your scroll and rename them. Do not forget to edit their parameters, too.
General Parameters
Scroll Config
Skill Name : Duplicate your skill's .dbr file and make stronger versions of the spell. Apply the new version here AND do not forget to reference it inside one of the two files from the previous step.
OneShot Parameters
Bitmap : Replace with the fitting texture.
Bitmap Button Up : Replace with the fitting texture.
Bitmap Button Down : Replace with the fitting texture.
Item Parameters
Item Cost : Increase the gold value of your superior versions.
Item Requirements
You may want to increase the level requirement for the superior versions.
Actor Variables
Description : The name of your scroll.
The other parameters are irrelevant for us.
Save your new scrolls and build them. You now will have access to a new set of scrolls to play with.