Post by kalbaern on Oct 17, 2013 15:15:18 GMT -5
Before you start building a PW, or at least before it begins to get too large, -Factions-, specifically -Custom Factions- should be considered. If you're just building a small Single Player Module or adding some customizations to one of the Original Campaigns, you can likely skip this section. I suggest reading on though, just incase.
Setting up Custom Factions will allow for unique reactions and events that are already covered by the core scripts and mechanics of the game.
Step 1: Create a New Module from scratch. Don't worry about haks or importing areas from other works at this point, simply create a new base module to begin your work in.
Step 2: Under the Tools Tab in your toolset, select the Faction Editor.
- Maximize the Faction Window.
- Check Mark the Full Detail Box (lower right).
- Click a default faction other than PC to Highlight it. Then Uncheck the Global Effect Box (below the Full Detail Box) for it. Repeat for all default factions (Hostile, Commoner, Merchant and Defender).
- Exit the Faction Editor by selecting OK (bottom right).
- Save your module.
Step 3: Make a list of all of the possible factions you might need with notes about how they'll react to each other. Here's an example list:
GOOD - Hates monstrous and evil factions and is neutral to most others. Neutral to PCs.
EVIL - Hates monstrous and good factions and is neutral to most others. Hostile to PCs.
NEUTRAL - Is neutral to most factions outside its own. Hostile to PCs.
NPC - Is neutral to all factions, even PCs and itself. Used for DM controlled NPCs.
Town A - Hates Town B and Town C along with most evil and monstrous factions. Neutral to good and PCs.
Town B - Hates Town A and most evil and monstrous factions. Neutral to Town C and PCs.
Hopefully this gives you an idea on how to set up factions. Trolls (in source books) generally hate anything but each other, but are bright enough to not waste time "hunting" something they know is inedible. I.e., on my own PW, trolls are hostile to all of my factions except undead and oozes which they are neutral towards.
Step 4: Under the Tools Tab in your toolset, select the Faction Editor.
- Maximize the Faction Window.
- Check Mark the Full Detail Box (lower right).
- Click the Add Faction box to open up a new faction entry.
- Uncheck the Global Effect box first. Unchecking this box will set the faction as "local" instead of "global". This mainly affects how "silent shouts" by NPCs in combat are processed. Local factions only check creatures in the immediate area (the same map), while Globa factions check the entire module. If you truly desire or need to have a faction have a "global-like" response, then using custom scripting to change reputations based on a variable stored on the PC and checked in a creatures OnPerception event are better work arounds.
- Enter your Factions Name in the Name Field.
- Make certain the Hostile Faction is highlighted as your Parent Faction then click OK.
- Next, left click the name of your new faction in the list (upper right). This will display how that faction views itself and all others.
- Make sure your new faction is set as 100% towards itself (both bars fully raised) unless its a special faction you want no alliances used. I.e., a custom faction for DM controlled NPCs should be set as neutral to all but the Hostile faction, including to itself.
- Adjust the reputations of other factions to your new one next. You can left click and hold down your mouse button to raise and lower each sliding bar as needed.
- Always set each custom faction as 100% allied to the default Hostile faction.
- All other reputations should be set as either 50% (neutral/indifferent) or 0% (hates/hostile to).
- After a couple of factions are added/editted, you should exit the editor and save your module. Reopen and continue your edits, repeating the above steps until complete.
As you continue to add custom factions, you'll notice that only those who's boxes are checked will display their statuses. Depending on your window resolution, you can generally only review and set these a dozen or so at a time. eventually, you'll need to toggle On/Off various check marked factions to enable viewing the rest.
Whichever faction is highlighted in the list (right hand side) is the one who's reputation you are adjusting.
PC is not an editable faction, but rather just how each faction sees PCs IG.
Its not uncommon to have two or more factions similarly named and used by NPCs inorder to sub-divide a group of reactions. An example of this would by in my own module where I use two seperate factions for my various Zhentarim NPCs. My Zhentarim NPCs that are found in certain cities as Merchants, Guards or Random Commoners are neutral to PCs and most non-good factions. My Zhentarim NPCs that are found in Dungeons or "restricted" areas are the same other than they are hostile to PCs. I.e., the Zhentarim Guard outside their Barracks is neutral to PCs, but if you fail to heed warnings and enter the actual Barracks, you'll find the Zhentarim inside it in quite the foul moods.
In a nearly empty module, editting factions is fairly quick and you might not even catch a glimpse of the rebuild window when you exit the Faction Editor. It is rebuilding each time you exit though. In larger modules, the proccess is far, far slower as every Area, Creature, Placeable, Trigger, etc...(anything that has a faction field) is updated, both on the pallettes and area by area. A module with several hundred areas and thousands of placeables and creatures can literally take half a day rebuilding at times.
Once again, make certain you save after exitting the Faction Editor each time.
Setting up Custom Factions will allow for unique reactions and events that are already covered by the core scripts and mechanics of the game.
Step 1: Create a New Module from scratch. Don't worry about haks or importing areas from other works at this point, simply create a new base module to begin your work in.
Step 2: Under the Tools Tab in your toolset, select the Faction Editor.
- Maximize the Faction Window.
- Check Mark the Full Detail Box (lower right).
- Click a default faction other than PC to Highlight it. Then Uncheck the Global Effect Box (below the Full Detail Box) for it. Repeat for all default factions (Hostile, Commoner, Merchant and Defender).
- Exit the Faction Editor by selecting OK (bottom right).
- Save your module.
Step 3: Make a list of all of the possible factions you might need with notes about how they'll react to each other. Here's an example list:
GOOD - Hates monstrous and evil factions and is neutral to most others. Neutral to PCs.
EVIL - Hates monstrous and good factions and is neutral to most others. Hostile to PCs.
NEUTRAL - Is neutral to most factions outside its own. Hostile to PCs.
NPC - Is neutral to all factions, even PCs and itself. Used for DM controlled NPCs.
Town A - Hates Town B and Town C along with most evil and monstrous factions. Neutral to good and PCs.
Town B - Hates Town A and most evil and monstrous factions. Neutral to Town C and PCs.
Hopefully this gives you an idea on how to set up factions. Trolls (in source books) generally hate anything but each other, but are bright enough to not waste time "hunting" something they know is inedible. I.e., on my own PW, trolls are hostile to all of my factions except undead and oozes which they are neutral towards.
Step 4: Under the Tools Tab in your toolset, select the Faction Editor.
- Maximize the Faction Window.
- Check Mark the Full Detail Box (lower right).
- Click the Add Faction box to open up a new faction entry.
- Uncheck the Global Effect box first. Unchecking this box will set the faction as "local" instead of "global". This mainly affects how "silent shouts" by NPCs in combat are processed. Local factions only check creatures in the immediate area (the same map), while Globa factions check the entire module. If you truly desire or need to have a faction have a "global-like" response, then using custom scripting to change reputations based on a variable stored on the PC and checked in a creatures OnPerception event are better work arounds.
- Enter your Factions Name in the Name Field.
- Make certain the Hostile Faction is highlighted as your Parent Faction then click OK.
- Next, left click the name of your new faction in the list (upper right). This will display how that faction views itself and all others.
- Make sure your new faction is set as 100% towards itself (both bars fully raised) unless its a special faction you want no alliances used. I.e., a custom faction for DM controlled NPCs should be set as neutral to all but the Hostile faction, including to itself.
- Adjust the reputations of other factions to your new one next. You can left click and hold down your mouse button to raise and lower each sliding bar as needed.
- Always set each custom faction as 100% allied to the default Hostile faction.
- All other reputations should be set as either 50% (neutral/indifferent) or 0% (hates/hostile to).
- After a couple of factions are added/editted, you should exit the editor and save your module. Reopen and continue your edits, repeating the above steps until complete.
As you continue to add custom factions, you'll notice that only those who's boxes are checked will display their statuses. Depending on your window resolution, you can generally only review and set these a dozen or so at a time. eventually, you'll need to toggle On/Off various check marked factions to enable viewing the rest.
Whichever faction is highlighted in the list (right hand side) is the one who's reputation you are adjusting.
PC is not an editable faction, but rather just how each faction sees PCs IG.
Its not uncommon to have two or more factions similarly named and used by NPCs inorder to sub-divide a group of reactions. An example of this would by in my own module where I use two seperate factions for my various Zhentarim NPCs. My Zhentarim NPCs that are found in certain cities as Merchants, Guards or Random Commoners are neutral to PCs and most non-good factions. My Zhentarim NPCs that are found in Dungeons or "restricted" areas are the same other than they are hostile to PCs. I.e., the Zhentarim Guard outside their Barracks is neutral to PCs, but if you fail to heed warnings and enter the actual Barracks, you'll find the Zhentarim inside it in quite the foul moods.
In a nearly empty module, editting factions is fairly quick and you might not even catch a glimpse of the rebuild window when you exit the Faction Editor. It is rebuilding each time you exit though. In larger modules, the proccess is far, far slower as every Area, Creature, Placeable, Trigger, etc...(anything that has a faction field) is updated, both on the pallettes and area by area. A module with several hundred areas and thousands of placeables and creatures can literally take half a day rebuilding at times.
Once again, make certain you save after exitting the Faction Editor each time.