Auto-editing .msg files

vsirin

vsirin

First time out of the vault
So I'm making (have made, really) a mod for the Mauser to make it less of a useless collector's item, and everything's going swimmingly - except for the part where I turned it into a whole other gun, which necessitates editing the description in the pro_item.msg file. I know the easy way to ensure compatibility is to simply make versions that replace the base Fallout 2 pro_item.msg, the RPU one, and the Megamod one, but I'm a masochist and would like to distribute a package that actually goes in, looks for the file, then changes the strings in it. One thing going for me is that msg files appear just to be plain text, but on the other hand I've read stuff about everything in /data having to be set to read-only, so that could be an issue.

So, at long last, here's my question: how the hell do I do this? Or should I just make 3 versions?
 
Ooo. Simple, elegant, completely inaccessible to me. Excuse me while I slink away and learn to script.

(Thank you!)
 
Okaaaaay, so 8ish hours later and some Frankensteining later:

Code: 
procedure start;
#include "sfall.h"
#include "DEFINE.H"
#include "itempid.h"


procedure walkercolt_desc begin
variable
      item := obj_pid(get_sfall_arg),
      description;

   if (item == PID_9MM_MAUSER) then begin
         description := get_string_pointer(message_str(gl_walker, 101));
         set_sfall_return(description);

   if(game_loaded) then begin
     register_hook_proc(HOOK_DESCRIPTIONOBJ, walkercolt_desc);
   end
end
end

- won't compile, throwing up the following errors:
Undefined symbol gl_walker in factor
End of input with no newline, supplemented newline: end
Click to expand...

gl_walker is the name of the script and the name of the .msg (with the strings I need) that lives in data/text/english/dialog

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks in advance!
 
The function expects an int (whole number).
I think it's a vanilla function, which is meant to be used with a msg file with a number corresponding with the script number (index) in script.lst.
 
I'm working off this post, but am also seeing on Google that most results do, indeed, show (number, number). Does this mean that I have to edit the script.lst, then?
 
SCRIPT_FARMPART is almost definitely defined as a number. check out other scripts for #DEFINE.
you can use an ini file (i think) and read information from there. or just manually copy the text from the msg to the script.
 
The message string is taken from SCRIPT_FARMPART which is tied to its own .msg file, yes. You just need to add your own .msg file thing ... or just write plain text with "" .. but then it can't be translated anymore, which would be not so good.
 
I'm a relative noob, as y'all have no doubt noticed...so I'll try the plain text first.
Code: 
procedure start;
#include "sfall.h"
#include "DEFINE.H"
#include "itempid.h"

procedure walkercolt_desc begin
   variable item := obj_pid(get_sfall_arg),
      description;

   if (item == PID_9MM_MAUSER) then begin
         description := get_string_pointer("An 1847 Walker Colt, forged by the Devil from his own sword. Much of the gun's power has been lost since the Almighty was usurped upon His throne, but the small vestige that remains still makes for a terrifying weapon. Min ST: 10.");
         set_sfall_return(description);

   if(game_loaded) then begin
     register_hook_proc(HOOK_DESCRIPTIONOBJ, walkercolt_desc);
      end
   end
end
end

It's still "expecting top-level statement" at line 21, which is the last end. Any ideas?
 
"begin ... end" should be a pair (Pascal syntax), and the last "end" in your script doesn't have a corresponding "begin".
You didn't check some existing scripts for examples in your 8hr research?
 
NovaRain said:
"begin ... end" should be a pair (Pascal syntax), and the last "end" in your script doesn't have a corresponding "begin".
You didn't check some existing scripts for examples in your 8hr research?
Click to expand...

I promise I did, but being a complete noob with experience only in RPGMaker XP doesn't get me very far.

I watched Quantum's setup videos, read most of this page, got the bulk of the above script from here, but also had to work out that PIDs aren't just the number of the proto file (from an old thread of yours, Nova), then looked through Nirran's source code folders from all his mods to realize that the ellipses and this:

Code: 
procedure start begin
   variable who, cur_dmg_thresh, cur_dmg_resist, color, msg, m;

probably weren't necessary. Then spent an hour or two figuring out the message_str part (there's a French site - and my French is not perfect - that also does a file name or string or something instead of a number afterward).

Tried to do my homework is what I mean. I'm just not great at it. Sorry. :-(
 
IT WORKS! I don't know why, but I stuck this back into the middle

Code: 
procedure start begin
   variable who, cur_dmg_thresh, cur_dmg_resist, color, msg, m;
and it compiled and it works!

@Zorchar, @NovaRain, @Lexx - thank you for your time and patience. :drunk:
 
Okay, so I need another clue - the sfall bgforge and Google are giving me nothing. How do I use this hook to change the weapon name as well?
 
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