How do you set monsters to equip weapons?

Hi foody, I am but a newbie here, but I am the only one around at this time for now. :) So I hope I understood ur question well:

1. u want the monster to attack with a specific weapon-->in the monster editor (menu-database-edit monster) u will have to change the damage amount the monster does with that weapon (e.g. an orc equipped with shortsword will do 1d6 and so on). That changes the damage amount for all the specified monsters in the design, but u can add another orc (for example), doin 1d8 (longsword) if u wish and name him 'Orc-Raider' or soemething. Remember that any new monster in the design must have an individual name.

2. u want the monster to drop a specific weapon when dying, --> add new combat event --> add ur monster --> specify the item via the 'extra item' button.

I hope that has answered ur question...

What about letting the monster shoot from far? Meaning I want the monster to equip a sling or something, how do I go about doing that?

In the Monster Editor (database menue), u can equip the monster with 'default items'. Just give em a sling or dart, then they will use it. It worx with bow or crossbow if u also equip Bolts or arrows to the edited monster...

[ 04-16-2002, 05:31 AM: Message edited by: Gundorac ]

I did...but it doesn't work. The monster refuses to equip the weapon and use it.

Please make sure u added the missile weapon in the Monster Editor (database) for the whole monster type and NOT in the Combat event itself. I assure u: it does work! :) Did it many times before. The change has to be made for all the specific monsters in the design.

That is the funny thing, I did that and still refuses to work.

For the simple AI we have right now,

A monster will try to pick the most damaging weapon it can equip that is usable at the current range to target. Once a target is picked it tends to stay with it until the target dies. Some ranged weapons need a launcher and ammo that are matched (that is, usable together). The class restrictions for the items must allow fighters before a monster can use it. The monster will use a ranged weapon even if by doing so it uses up it's only weapon (such as throwing an axe, which can be thrown or used close up). If a weapon has a damage value of zero, it probably won't get used.

All what you said is there, so really the only thing left is AI. Can you work on the AI and um...no offence but I don't like the spell editor at all. It is not and I repeat not user friendly.

The spell editor isn't finished, but it's final form should be close to what you see now. I'm always open to suggestions. I make this stuff up as I go along, and certainly don't mind changing things based on user input.

Which parts do you find unfriendly, and how would you arrange things?

Will, this program kicks ass and thank you so much for everything you have done for us [img]smile.gif[/img] . What I like about the program is the easy GUI that it offers us as well as it's superior power. The spell editor on the other hand is like opening a Visual C++ programming language to create your spells. It requires programming skills, I like it if it was like the weapon editor, event editor and so on where it is click and play but offers power and flexibility. You can keep this feature as an advance button, for advanced users who wishes more out of the spells that they want to create by coding lines and lines of code. But keep it as an advance button not as a requirement to create spells.

You see in the weapon editor there is a field for name, how much damage it makes and so on. Will it would be nice for a spell editor there is a combo box with spell properties like: poison, cure, summon, clone, damage and so on. If I wish to create spells that do more then that I would use the advance feature.

If it is not going to change for any reason I am not going to be creating spells in my game, because it is not user friendly. I need to know how to program in C++ or C before I even touch the spell editor.

Hey guys,

Just hang in there, I am sure Richard would find a way to make the code more user friendly, maybe by creating some standard routines that could be used by most spells thus negating the need to do programming much.

It would also be possible to make the spell editor more user friendly but this requires time and troubleshooting when bugs come up. So in a few version updates things could chage quite a bit. Like Richard said, there are lots of things to be ironed out in the next few versions before going to version 1.0

Cheers

Warlock

One of the things I'm working on now is to enable the Special Abilities that FRUA has. In essence, they are being turned into default spell effects. So you will be able to enable one or more special abilities and they will automatically be treated as a spell effect. The monsters and items should also benefit from this since they share the special abilities too.

I can see your point Foody. There are a certain number of basic things that a spell will do, such as remove/add hitpoints, and you want those things to be easier to accomplish.