How to apply scripts and dialogues to more than one mission at once?

nadeauhugo

nadeauhugo

Author of FOT mod THE SUM
Modder
Hi there!

I have a trigger app here which is called BOSTrigger.exe and it allow me to combine two .TRG files. Usefull, but not so much.

I would really LOVE TERRIBLY to be able to apply (ADD or REPLACE option) a list of triggers and dialogue (.TRG and DIALOGUE files) to a folder containing a list of .MIS files. Imagine the possibilities... You can setup a trigger for your whole mod, not just a mission, apply it with a few click and update it later if you have some new awesome ideas. At this time, I must open all my files, one by one, to apply the triggers, and this is killing me. I want that so much, I think I can even pay some hundred dollars for it! I have more than 200/300 mission files including random and special maps, and I went through the whole batch 2 times already to apply my triggers... When there is just a single hidden bug, I must of course start over! IF YOU HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE TO DO THIS, I WANT YOU! That could be VERY POPULAR app for all future FOT modders, I am sure!
 
Just make a trigger 'idea' map with all your ideas for triggers and save the .trg file. then over time add all your ideas to this 'idea' map/trg file, then when you first start a new map, just load the 'idea' .trg file into the new map. If you want add your ideas to the existing maps you can use the trigger combining app. But keep in mind you will always have to set up the zones and entities for each map no matter what...
 
Also you will always have to set up the speech nodes for each map.

A way to get around all this is to import the new map tiles as a .clp file into an existing map with existing triggers and speech nodes, then you would delete the old map tiles and be left with the new map, then you won't have to redo the speech nodes, but will still have to remake the zones, but the entities and speech will still function in the triggers.

Another Idea is to make 2 or 3 maps as 1 bigger map file all using the same triggers and speech file and then when you have completed them you can cut the big file into three separate map files that all had the same triggers and save three files. think of making three or four maps side by side in the same map file using all your 'idea' triggers.

No matter how you look at it, it is going to be a lot of work.

I like a lot of your ideas, but some of things want to do are going to be a big commitment from you, I hope you have success.
 
Yeah, I guess untill a smart button exist somewhere that says "apply .trg to folder", I will still have a long way to go at each new version! But I am confident, Zones, Speech and entities are already in place (2 full days of work) just need to implement my triggers again to all missions, the only real things that can change from time to time, and wish not too much bugs are appearing (or new ideas!). I recommend everyone to do that for more freedom and fun, but with less mission maps. I am not a big fan of big maps containing more than one map, as it is more difficult to put fading black edged, and worse to remember where and what you placed in your mission file. Zones are convenient to circulate, but less thant Ctrl+O In my idea :)
 
"I am not a big fan of big maps containing more than one map, as it is more difficult to put fading black edged, and worse to remember where and what you placed in your mission file. Zones are convenient to circulate, but less thant Ctrl+O In my idea"

No no, I don't think you understand what I mean... You Develop three maps in one map (.mis file) then when you feel the three maps are complete, you would save three separate files, and from each file you delete 2 of the other map tiles leaving you only one map with the triggers, then you could reset the fading black edges for each map. You would end up with three different map files so each will have a different filename, so it no problem to remember which map is which...

Here I give example...


Start new map file called 'work.mis'

in this map (work.mis) we will develop three different maps called 'Raider Hideout' , 'Trader Town', and 'Desert battle'. We will make the tiles for these three map sections side by side. now we enter all the triggers and entities and zones and speech nodes, etc. We test our triggers and everything works fine, now we are done. So now we save the file (work.mis). Ok fine done!

Now open work.mis and delete all the tiles and entities of the sections of Trader Town and Desert Battle. Now adjust your Fading Black and save this remaining tiles as "RaiderHideout.mis'

Now open work.mis and delete all the tiles and entities of the sections of Raider Hideout and Desert Battle. Now adjust your Fading Black and save this remaining tiles as "TraderTown.mis'

and then open work.mis again and do the same for the last map Desert Battle, saving as 'DesertBattle.mis'

Now you have three different maps all but you only did the speech and triggers and zones once... Can save you much time!

It's easy to delete the tiles just drag the cursor and hold 'alt' this will select all tiles on any level . Once you selected the tile sections you just hit ctrl-x to delete.


Of course this plan only works for new maps you are developing... all the existing Random encounter still have to be edited manually one at a time.
 
Hum.... I am not so convinced it can save a lot of time to someone after giving a thought to it, cause all theses three things to be implemented, trigger, dialog and zones seems to offer ways to load them with 2-3 clicks from a file. That's just a minute per mission file maybe less, compared to possibly a long time playing with a lot of tiles and entities (doors, chars and objects...). I saved my "final" triggers and dialogs files directly in c: and simply press load in the level section to add them to a mission file. You can do it too with zones it seems from the above menu but I never tried it. I think it is also easier for testing..
 
You'll have to play with all those tiles ,entities,chars,objects anyway you look at it. You can't load entities. Anyways It's just a different way of looking at a the problem. If it doesn't work for you that's fine.


I don't know what menu shows to load zones can you show me ?


Not import sound zone, I can't seem to figure it out. when you export it doesn't give you a save file, so how do you import it?
 
Yess, I was thinking of Import sound zones.... Never tried it. It happed for me to try to export other files (trigger and dialogues) without success because I tried to export them directly in the path that was opened by the dialog box, which means I think My Computer... There, no file can be exported. That is why I always choose c:/ and no subfolder for faster access to the files. If this is not the problem, then maybe its another not working option of the editors.... Or else. I'll try to check that as soons as I get back my computer (presently used in an art exhibition) and I'll get back to you.

As for your method, that may be the best with creating new maps from scratch, specially a large group of small maps (lot more than three I thing), as you can also use copy and paste of any other map element in the mission file to speed the work! And test all the maps at the same time. Kind of great.
 
It may be a good method for some situations, but not all. Also useful is importing a whole map tiles as a clip into an existing map and then dragging the entities onto the new clip section and redo zones then delete the old map tiles. These are just different ideas that could help you in different situations. Sometimes if you have many entities it's easier to just replace the whole tiles instead of start fresh with redoing all the entities. Anyway, just want you to know a few more tricks.
 
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