...I've got a new idea...

[Darkhymn]

Im not sure if that would work with COAS. I have yet to come across an item that increases the players stats that does not leave once the item is sold or no longer in the player's inventory.
below is the code for the jaguar image that increases the players heavy weapons skill by 10

    	// itmname_indian12	{Èäîë Ìîðõàõòóëàêà} (+1 ôåõòîâàíèå).
skillN = skillN + SetCharacterSkillByItem(_refCharacter, skillName, SKILL_F_HEAVY, "indian12", 1)

Of course, once the jag is sold, the bonus is lost.

Additionally you'll need to add a check so that you can't do it again with the same book.
This could be done like this:

// -- IN A FUNCTION THAT IS RUN WHEN THE BOOK IS EQUIPPED -- //
if(!CheckAttribute(pchar, "book_fencing") // If the player has NOT read the fencing book yet
{
pchar.skill.fencing = pchar.skill.fencing + 1; // Increase the player's fencing skill
TakeItemFromCharacter(pchar, "book_fencing"); // Remove the book from the player's inventory
pchar.book_fencing = true; // Mark the player as having read the book
}

This of course would be ideal. I am just concerned that the code doesnt translate that easily from one game to the next. I will give it a shot once i get to coding.



(This brings up an interesting point...that 1=10 2=20 3=30. Therefor, the books would increase skill levels by 10 20 or 30. If the player had all the books for a skill, that would mean that the player would have a total of 70 points in that skill. That seems a bit high...I wonder if i could use non whole numbers...something to test later once i get to the coding portion)

Could this learning from books be implemented over a period of game time...not just buy the book & skill up instantly.Maybe a couple of game weeks to learn then pass the book onto an appropriate crew member.....that's more realistic.

This too is an excellent point. I think this would definetly require editing the source code. This may be a bit too much realism for the rest of the players.


In the meantime, I am going for a nap...2 hours from now and i start my nightshift

I will also be going to sleep shortly. Once I'm conscious and functional again I'll start experimenting with this (once I've finished reinstalling everything). I'll see what, if anything, I can make work going on what I know. I'm not expecting any results, but this whole idea has me intrigued.

 

[Thagarr]

I may just have to code the books as regular skill enhancing items.

The best thing about modding at PA is we are not under any time pressure to implement anything! I am not much of a modder myself, but I do understand bits of it here and there. I would suggest to start with, just try and get them in as replacements for the Idols and such when you get the free time to get to it. Once that code is in place, it might be easier for you, or someone else, to see just what would be required to make them transferable while still keeping the bonuses.

Darkhymn, I do like the idea of actually making them readable, that would be awesome! Just two readable pages with a bit of historical info, and some PA humor thrown in, would be plenty. Hmmm... I have some free time this weekend, I'll see if I can throw together a prototype for the Rapier book! :mm

 

[Darkhymn]

I may just have to code the books as regular skill enhancing items.

The best thing about modding at PA is we are not under any time pressure to implement anything! I am not much of a modder myself, but I do understand bits of it here and there. I would suggest to start with, just try and get them in as replacements for the Idols and such when you get the free time to get to it. Once that code is in place, it might be easier for you, or someone else, to see just what would be required to make them transferable while still keeping the bonuses.

Darkhymn, I do like the idea of actually making them readable, that would be awesome! Just two readable pages with a bit of historical info, and some PA humor thrown in, would be plenty. Hmmm... I have some free time this weekend, I'll see if I can throw together a prototype for the Rapier book! :mm

I'll be messing with it tonight/early tomorrow morning after I wake up (going to bed for real after this post) as well. There are some things I'm pretty sure I know how to do. I can probably change the names of the original totems and I can probably replace their thumbnails with something more suitable. I can probably use that template to (maybe) add more of them. I can probably give them descriptions. The part I'm almost sure I won't be able to do is make them behave like maps and idols at the same time, because of the way items appear to be coded at the moment. This is all at first glance, for me, as I only really ever looked at it for about two minutes this morning while looking into the plausibility of readable books. I'm still wildly unsure of the interdependency of the various items files. We'll see what we can come up with, I suppose.

On a very related note, can I just copy my CoAS directory and expect it to run from the second location, or does a second install require... well, a second installation?

 

[Thagarr]

You might just be able to copy the entire directory, it doesn't use the registry for anything I don't believe, but I have never tried it, so I could be completely wrong! :

 

[FireBat]

go ahead and copy the whole directory, and paste it somewhere else. I have a couple of seperate directories on the go, and I think Luke159 has 3 on the go

 

[Darkhymn]

go ahead and copy the whole directory, and paste it somewhere else. I have a couple of seperate directories on the go, and I think Luke159 has 3 on the go

Yeah it works, thank you both for answering me.
Does anybody know which files individually reference items, specifically the idols? I'm more concerned with any that would be less obvious than thing in the "items" folders.

 

[FireBat]

The Books is drivin me a little nuts.

Here are the files that so far that i can see that are needed. Hope these help

I have got the one book that i have added to show up in the list, but the damn picture wont show.
Maybe you can tell me what i am doing wrong in regards to the icon

 

[Darkhymn]

The Books is drivin me a little nuts.

Here are the files that so far that i can see that are needed. Hope these help

I have got the one book that i have added to show up in the list, but the damn picture wont show.
Maybe you can tell me what i am doing wrong in regards to the icon

I'll take a look in a moment. I've just noticed that things like "emerald" are referenced several times in initItems. Do you happen to know why?

 

[FireBat]

I'll take a look in a moment. I've just noticed that things like "emerald" are referenced several times in initItems. Do you happen to know why?

I think its the for the world model (ie if you see it lying on the ground and want to pick it up, it will show as an emerald)

 

[Darkhymn]

I'll take a look in a moment. I've just noticed that things like "emerald" are referenced several times in initItems. Do you happen to know why?

I think its the for the world model (ie if you see it lying on the ground and want to pick it up, it will show as an emerald)

Well ,they all reference the model, which is what I find confusing. They are all distinct, but reference the same models and textures. Perhaps some of them are for quests (such as the I lost "jewel" quest from the moneylenders).
Also, I'm checking into my theory on your problem currently. I'll let you know.

 

[FireBat]

yea, there is also a lot of referances to saphire as well.A new project on the horizon i think to make more world models me thinks

 

[Darkhymn]

yea, there is also a lot of referances to saphire as well.A new project on the horizon i think to make more world models me thinks

I noticed that as well.
Edit for retarded question that I've already answered for myself

 

[FireBat]

open program\_mod_on_off
change to

// Show special message for test game statment
#define MOD_BETTATESTMODE			"On"  // On -DEV version; Test - TST ver; Off - relize

load up a game, press f11 click the 'installations' button at the bottom right of the screen

and enable the last option in that menu...all items will be visible at the stores...

 

[FireBat]

I just figured out what my problem was....i forgot to include pictures.ini in the needed files that need to be edited...I havent tried it yet, but I am sure thats the problem...

 

[Darkhymn]

I just figured out what my problem was....i forgot to include pictures.ini in the needed files that need to be edited...I havent tried it yet, but I am sure thats the problem...

Yeah, I've fixed it. You were right.

 

[FireBat]

sh*t! well, im glad you've fixed it...cause i havent...i think i made it worse...omg...

Lack of sleep is getting to me...Im gonna leave it alone for tonight.....gonna finish my shift here at work

 

[Darkhymn]

sh*t! well, im glad you've fixed it...cause i havent...i think i made it worse...omg...

Lack of sleep is getting to me...Im gonna leave it alone for tonight.....gonna finish my shift here at work

Well, I've almost fixed it. The image is showing, just... not all of it. I'm working on what I've done wrong

 

[FireBat]

getting the co-ordinates just right can be tough. as for why i still cant get a picture to show at all, i have no idea. At least the rest of the code is right
I'm going to taking a break until after my shift....

 

[Thagarr]

Ok mates, before you drive yourself nuts with code, I have a little distraction for you. It's not much, just kind of threw it together using Paint.NET and Gimp. Just to give a rough idea of how the books might appear in game if we can figure out how to load them similar to the way maps are displayed.

The text is kind of tough to read :

A Rapier is a relatively slender, sharply pointed sword, used mainly for thrusting attacks. The word "rapier" generally refers to a relatively long-bladed sword characterized by a complex hilt which is constructed to provide protection for the hand wielding it. While the blade might be broad enough to cut to some degree, the strength of the rapier is its ability as a thrusting weapon. The blade might be sharpened along its entire length, sharpened only from the centre to the tip, or completely without a cutting edge as called “estoc”. A typical example would weigh a little over two pounds, and have a relatively long and slender blade less than inch wide, three feet or more in length and ending in a sharply pointy tip.

The Rapier is quite effective as a toothpick, and can be used in a cullenary emergency as a skewer! It is quite capable of creating a shish kabob large enough to feed three full grown men and a monkey! Certain precautions must be taken when consuming a rapier shish kabob, for instance, it is suggested that one should only nibble from the sides of the blade and never from the pointy end as that has been known to cause sever indegestion that not even a good cup of grog will cure! Also, precautions need to be taken with the monkey, as they tend to get a bit excited at the site of the shish kabob and will howl incecently for hours! It is reccomended to blinfold the monkey, or subsitute a parrot!

 

[Darkhymn]

Ok mates, before you drive yourself nuts with code, I have a little distraction for you. It's not much, just kind of threw it together using Paint.NET and Gimp. Just to give a rough idea of how the books might appear in game if we can figure out how to load them similar to the way maps are displayed.

*Image removed because those stick figures were lame as sh!t*

The text is kind of tough to read :

A Rapier is a relatively slender, sharply pointed sword, used mainly for thrusting attacks. The word "rapier" generally refers to a relatively long-bladed sword characterized by a complex hilt which is constructed to provide protection for the hand wielding it. While the blade might be broad enough to cut to some degree, the strength of the rapier is its ability as a thrusting weapon. The blade might be sharpened along its entire length, sharpened only from the centre to the tip, or completely without a cutting edge as called “estoc”. A typical example would weigh a little over two pounds, and have a relatively long and slender blade less than inch wide, three feet or more in length and ending in a sharply pointy tip.

The Rapier is quite effective as a toothpick, and can be used in a cullenary emergency as a skewer! It is quite capable of creating a shish kabob large enough to feed three full grown men and a monkey! Certain precautions must be taken when consuming a rapier shish kabob, for instance, it is suggested that one should only nibble from the sides of the blade and never from the pointy end as that has been known to cause sever indegestion that not even a good cup of grog will cure! Also, precautions need to be taken with the monkey, as they tend to get a bit excited at the site of the shish kabob and will howl incecently for hours! It is reccomended to blinfold the monkey, or subsitute a parrot!

This is exactly what I had in mind, minus the stick figure illustrations. Liking the text, by the way. I had a chuckle (which I needed right about now).

Edit: I have it working just the way it needs to be. I'll start writing in all of them.