Quest Tutorial

A Simple Quest Tutorial

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Tutorial Outline:

1. Make an NPC
2. Make a Quest
3. Get an Item
4. Talk to an NPC
5. End Quest

Make an NPC

File:QT1npc.JPG

NPC properties window

You will need an NPC to talk to. Go to the Actors -> NPC tab, right click in the large white section and click New. I called mine "Diemos Veland". Click OK to close.

Open up the BrumaExterior cell and open (double click) on Exterior5. This will take you near the front gates. Click and drag your NPC there and press F to make him fall to the ground. Place him where you want.

Make a Quest

File:QT2questdata.JPG

Quest data window

'Menu Bar -> Character -> Quests'

Right Click and click "New"

Things to consider here are:

• Quest Name = What will be shown in the journal.
• Priority = I set it 100, got it from another tutorial. I have tried lower numbers (1 to 5 dont work) but eh. 100.
• Quest Conditions = (This is finickey, and needs to be set right)
  • GetIsID = NPC:DiemosVeland = 1

if you plan to start your own unrelated quest, you should likely use this condition

• • GetIsPlayableRace = None = 1)

Its basic and it works.

Talk to an NPC

Now click on "Topics" tab. Right click under "Editor ID" and scroll down till you find "GREETING", add that.

Now with it selected on the right hand side "Info" section right click and click "new". In the new window that just popped up type "Greetings, I have heard of you" and click OK. The response you place in "GREETINGS" is what the NPC will say when you first start a conversation with them.

Down below in the "Conditions" area click "new" and change it to the GetIsID NPC:DiemosVeland 1 we had earlier. For speed sake, right click on it and "Copy Condition" and we will paste it from now on.

To add a second screen of text, right click and add "new" under the "Response Text" in the middle of the "Topics" page. That goes for all text.

Now we have an NPC that will say "Greetings, I have heard of you" when you speak to him.

Get an Item

Right click under "Editor ID" and click new. Make three this time before you select one.

Make the following, or name them your own. I went with "FA*" as the FA stands for "Fallen Alliance" which is the quest name, it's good to group them with a prefix like this, or else you will get lost.

• FAWho
• FAYes
• FANo

Go ahead and paste the GetIsID NPC:DiemosVeland 1 condition in each of them before we forget.

Now, with GREETING selected right click under "Add Topics" and add FAWho. This means once the greeting is finished with, it will add that topic, later that topic will spawn Yes or No.

Now, to edit: Select FAWho (or equivalent) and change the "Topic Text" to "Who are you?" This is what shows up in your conversation tab in-game.

DONT CHANGE GREETINGS TOPIC TEXT

Right click just like we did in the GREETING and add what the NPC will say:

"I am Diemos Veland, the Ministers of the Fallen Alliance wish to speak with you."

Then click OK.

File:QT3questtopics.JPG

Conversations Topic Window

Now in the "Response Text" area add another line that says "Are you interested?". Spreading out the information over two pages makes it flow nicer, plus I am yet to find out how to lengthen the time a page displays for, I figure its the time it takes the mp3 to play. But audio and lipsynch are not covered yet.

Now, since this is a question we don't want the player to be able to select anything other than a Yes or No answer. Would be kinda rude if you asked a question and someone asked for the latest gossip. In the Choices section right click and add FAYes, and FANo.

Now, edit FAYes with the Topic Text of "Yes" and the Info of "Then you are in for a ride". And edit FANo with the Topic Text of "No" and the info of "Then bugger off." And tick the "Goodbye" button so it ends the conversation there.

We now have a conversation. Nothing will happen, but it's there.

Time to add the extra bits such as a key, door for the key, Interior and scripting some stuff. It's all fairly simple.

Making the Key, Making the Door, Making the Cell

File:QT4queststages.JPG

Outline of the Quest Data Tab

Go now to the "Quest stages" tab in the Quest window. This will add journal entries.

For the following I used multiples of 5: 5,10,15,20. This is so I wouldn't get mixed up with Stage 34 or 43 kinda thing.

Add a new Index and make it 5.

On the right is the Log Entry, should say Empty.

In the empty box below it write something in. I put "I have been told the Ministers of the Fallen Alliance wish to see me."

This is what shows up in your active quest menu. Keep it short, concise and informative, add towns and locations if needed.

6) First we need a key to open the door to the interior section.
In the far left window, open up the "Items" -> "Key" section. Now chances are that you haven't extracted the NIF files, but thats fine.
Open up any old key, I choose "OdriilFarmKey" coz thats where my mouse was. Change the "ID" to FallenAllianceKey, the name to "Fallen Alliance Key" and tick the "quest item" box.
It will ask if you want to create a new form. Click yes.
Cool, we now have a key that will in the end open up the unpickable door.
[1]

7) Now with the key made and the Quest Stage existing, we can add them into the mix. Open the Topics section of the Quest window again, and click on FAYes.
The result script activates when the text finishs. This time we will add a quest to your list, and add the key to the door. The door we haven't made yet.

Setstage QUEST_NAME INDEX_NUMBER_IN_QUEST_STAGE_WINDOW
Player.additem THE_NAME_OF_THE_KEY 1(The amount you want to give to the player)

setstage FallenAlliance 5
Player.AddItem FallenAllianceKey 1

Seems simple enough.
That adds the quest to your journal and the key to the door.

8) Now to add the door the key will open.
Go to BrumaExterior 5 and find a place for a door. It will just be a door in the middle of nowhere, nothing fancy at this stage.
Again, the same with the key, we dont have Door Meshes, to lets edit another one. WorldObjects -> Door -> Architecture -> Bruma -> BrumaLoadDoorBaenlin1 -> Right Click "Edit"
I changed the "ID" to BrumaFallenAllianceDoor (I added the Bruma section, as I plan a number of doors in my final mod).
Name = Sturdy Wooden Door.
That's all for the door at the moment.
Click OK (Yes on the new form), and then click and drag it into the RenderWindow, place it using "F" to fall to the ground and move it with the mouse.
There is now a new door which will take us places.
[2]

9) Double click on it when it's in the editor. Now click the "Lock Tab", change it to "Needs a key" and change the Key to the "FallenAllianceKey" we duped a few minutes ago. Also click the Visible when distance box.
[3]

Recap:
We have a new NPC.
He talks to us and offers a question.
No ends the convo.
Yes gives us a quest in our log and a key to a door.
We have made a key that only opens a certain door.

10) Time to make the interior that the door will link to.
In the cell view on bottom right, go to the "Interior" section and right click in the white and click "Edit'
This will bring up a new window. Now right click and click "new".
I set the EditorId to "FallenAllianceHQ".
Then in the "Interior Data" tab change it to your liking.
Mine is, Name = Fallen Alliance HQ (This is what appears after the Door's name, this will make "Sturdy Wooden Door to Fallen Alliance HQ").
[4]

11) That's it, you now have an empty Interior cell. Click OK and get back to the main windows.
Time to edit that Interior cell and make it look cool.
It takes time and effort to make a cool looking one, so attached is a pic of mine, a brief description and list of what I used.
[5] It's the Cathedral Crypt walls, some Chandeliers for light. Each end is blocked off with 2x "CathedralCryptEntrance01"'s. Or as they are called Door Plugs. They plug the gap off so you can fit a door in.
To each of them I added a door. For three of them I made them Locked, Requires Key, and gave no key.
To the last door I made these changes:
[6] I used the Select Reference in Renderwindow and double clicked the door in Bruma.
I did the same back to the other door as well. Dont forget to align the newly made door markers to align 180 degrees to the door. Facing outwards. And be on ground level.

And that should be it!

What we can do:
Go to Bruma.
Talk to Diemos Veland.
Answer "Yes".
That adds a quest to our list, and a key to a door.
That key opens an otherwise impossible door.
Which takes us to an interior cell.

Special Thanks to Mr Cheese on the Offical Elder Scrolls Forum for his help.
Also to dysesothymteric of the same forum.
Also little bits from other people I am sure.

That's what I wanted to show, and I think that's what I have done.