Difference between revisions of "A beginner's guide, lesson 7 - Using Scripts in Quests"

Okay, let’s add some bits to help move our story forward. First let’s add an Xmarkerheading close to the interior door. We can then use the marker as a reference in an addition to our growing quest script.

  If (GetStage BGM001 == 70)

     If (player.GetDistance BGRRCaveMarkerRef <= 300)

      SetStage BGM001 80

  EndIf

We can also update the Journal

''I've Arrived at the Red Rose Brigades Hideout. I will need to move cautiously. I need that house key.''

Although this first chamber is quite large, I have decided to limit the threat to a single small random creature, a rat or a crab (LL0NuissanceBeast100). Why? Two reasons I want to be able to escalate my threat and I want to build suspense.

One of the design choices you will have to make is how to balance threat against reward. You should also try to escalate the threat as the story progresses. For instance it would be very easy to throw five or six deadra into the first chamber of our dungeon. However, the question is then where do we go from there. If you start with too big a threat then, you have little room to escalate that threat later. Also try to give a little thought to the user who has minimum specifications. I’ve seen a few works in progress where they have designed a really cool crypt with 30 or so monsters in it. But I know that on my poor little PC, I’ll get a frame rate of about 3 frames a week. Consequently this is not a mod I’ll be playing. Bigger doesn’t mean better, more is sometimes less.  

The player is also expecting to meet bad guys, hopefully he will edge his character down into the first chamber fully expecting an army of trolls. I want to disappoint him. I want him to start to think this is easy before we hit him/her with the big stuff.

I also want to set the scene a little. For this I created another corpse, and placed near it a letter which informs them about the special treasure chest and Brown's imprisonment.

Make a corpse and the letter. Don’t give the corpse too much inventory, after all this is a freebee. I also added a leveled nuisance creature at the far end of the chamber; this should allow the PC to get to the corpse and then have to deal with the annoyance of a one hit kill creature.

The text for the letter is

<pre><br>

<font face=5><br>

I beg of you, please help me. Blair has gone mad. I have been imprisoned<br>

It was supposed to be a simple robbery. But when Blair found that the only treasure

was a key to a house and a deed which had to be registered in the Imperial City he went beserk.  

member of our rivals, the Torch Gang. Now he's had me locked up because I know how

to open his treasure chest. He wants to kill me but he fears the other gang members

might turn on him.

Please Smith, send help.I have asked one of gang member loyal to me to take this

letter to you. I hope he makes it. Blair is watching my every move.

Your old friend,

<br>

<pre>Scriptname BGM001BrownScript

   If (GetStage BGm001>= 80)

     SetStage BGm001 90

Again we can bump the stage and enter another journal entry for stage 90

''I have found a letter from Brown. It appears the Red Rose leader has imprisoned him. Brown has knowledge of a secret treasure. I should try to talk to him.''

Finally I messed about with the lighting, to try to create a little more atmosphere. Clearly caves should be darker than the normal world. Try to use spot lights to pick out the bit you want the PC to see and to hide threats you want to be a surprise.

The second chamber will contain a single NPC. We want all the Red Rose Brigade NPC’s to act as a team. How? Factions are the answer.