Ok, I dunno what just happened... Been having some connection problems, so apologies for the three posts in a row.

Now, I wanted to ask the following questions:
1) I see there are a lot of posts about adding custom music to a JA level, but I want to know how to add music from JA to a JA level. Sounds pretty stupid, I know, but I simply can't get any dynamic music to play in my level, even after trying several different variations on file locations in the worldspawn entity's music key.

2) How do I go about making the character creation screen come up on loading a level ie make your own Jaden for the mission?

3) How do I get custom briefing text and a screenshot in the loading screen?

1) I see there are a lot of posts about adding custom music to a JA level, but I want to know how to add music from JA to a JA level. Sounds pretty stupid, I know, but I simply can't get any dynamic music to play in my level, even after trying several different variations on file locations in the worldspawn entity's music key.



Theres a dynamic music tutorial at www.map-review.com) (look on the left for tutorials, and.. well.. its there somewhere)

3) How do I get custom briefing text and a screenshot in the loading screen?


Well, the screenshot is just a normal levelshot, the game automatically puts it there.

About the briefing text, I was wondering the same thing, so just now I went searching through the assets pk3 files. In assets0.pk3

I found a file called briefings.str in strings/english/briefings.str

Load it in Notepad. Heres a sample:




VERSION "1"
CONFIG "W:\bin\stringed.cfg"
FILENOTES ""

REFERENCE T1_SOUR
LANG_ENGLISH "We've been receiving a number of reports that the Disciples of Ragnos have been trying to hire mercenaries and smugglers to haul some cargo. If we can contact one of these mercenary groups, maybe we can find out the cult's base of operations. One of the smuggling rings that we know about is based at Mos Eisley. Go there and see what you can find out."


Thats for the first tatooine level. I assume, its like subtitles. I guess just copy that and change it like you want. You should probably call it your_level.str

for example:

strings/english/your_level.str


VERSION "1"
CONFIG "W:\bin\stringed.cfg"
FILENOTES ""

REFERENCE Your_level
LANG_ENGLISH "Your Briefing..."

REFERENCE Your_level2
LANG_ENGLISH "Your Briefing 2......"



Of course, this is just a guess... :-/

I wouldn't change the name of the briefings.str. Although I haven't tried if changing the name renders the file useless, I have a strong suspicion it will do that. Just add your own level name and briefing to the end of the file, and ship the whole thing along with your level.

If you want your level to be loaded as a mod, you will need to use the batch method. The load mod menu option ignores custom string files (the coders at Raven aren't as careful as you might think, after all).

Still having trouble with the dynamic music. I can get a music file to play via the music key in the worldspawn entity, but it's still not dynamic.

Anyone have any ideas on my second question?

Dynamic music is a single player specific feature that cannot be controlled via worldspawn. It's controlled via the dms.dat file in the base/ext_data folder. You have two options if you want to use it:

1) Enter a valid entry in the file. The easiest way is to use the uses method. Just follow the examples aplenty in the file already to do that.

2) The other way, which undoubtly can be argued to give you more freedom (be it true or not) is to use the target_play_music. You can just enter in that entity, instead of a specific mp3 to play, a dms entry. This gives you also the option to change the dms set on the fly. And of course it allows you to stop the music playing altogether, if you just use a little your imagination...

Lassev, you are a lifesaver! (well, maybe not a lifesaver, maybe more of a sanity-saver :)) Got my dynamic music going via the target_play_music entity; got my loading screen levelshot and briefing going nicely; got my NPC's and their cannons blasting me to pieces hehe. Many thanks mate.

Now all I gotta figure out is how to get my map to appear in the mod screen...

To get your mod in the mod screen, just go to the gamedata directory, and make a new directory, like this:

gamedata/your mod (you can have spaces if you want) then inside of your mod directory put the .pk3, it has to have a .pk3 to show up in the mods screen.

Another question:

How do I go about giving my player Force powers and weapons? I've followed a tutorial by Jepman that was made for JO and assumed that the script he mentioned would work in JA. I tried it in JA and can't get it to work. I'm guessing the problem is I'm not affecting the right person. In JO it was obviously 'Kyle', but who is it now? I've tried both 'Jaden' and 'player' and neither work. Anyone have any suggestions? Here's the script:

affect ( "player", /*@AFFECT_TYPE*/ FLUSH )
{
set ( /*@SET_TYPES*/ "SET_FORCE_JUMP_LEVEL", /*@FORCE_LEVELS*/ "3" );
set ( /*@SET_TYPES*/ "SET_FORCE_PUSH_LEVEL", /*@FORCE_LEVELS*/ "3" );
set ( /*@SET_TYPES*/ "SET_FORCE_PULL_LEVEL", /*@FORCE_LEVELS*/ "3" );
set ( /*@SET_TYPES*/ "SET_FORCE_SPEED_LEVEL", /*@FORCE_LEVELS*/ "3" );
set ( /*@SET_TYPES*/ "SET_FORCE_SEEING_LEVEL", /*@FORCE_LEVELS*/ "3" );
set ( /*@SET_TYPES*/ "SET_FORCE_ABSORB_LEVEL", /*@FORCE_LEVELS*/ "2" );
set ( /*@SET_TYPES*/ "SET_FORCE_HEAL_LEVEL", /*@FORCE_LEVELS*/ "3" );
set ( /*@SET_TYPES*/ "SET_FORCE_PROTECT_LEVEL", /*@FORCE_LEVELS*/ "3" );
set ( /*@SET_TYPES*/ "SET_FORCE_MINDTRICK_LEVEL", /*@FORCE_LEVELS*/ "2" );
set ( /*@SET_TYPES*/ "SET_FORCE_GRIP_LEVEL", /*@FORCE_LEVELS*/ "2" );
set ( /*@SET_TYPES*/ "SET_FORCE_DRAIN_LEVEL", /*@FORCE_LEVELS*/ "3" );
set ( /*@SET_TYPES*/ "SET_FORCE_LIGHTNING_LEVEL", /*@FORCE_LEVELS*/ "3" );
set ( /*@SET_TYPES*/ "SET_FORCE_DARK_RAGE_LEVEL", /*@FORCE_LEVELS*/ "0" );
set ( /*@SET_TYPES*/ "SET_SABER_THROW", /*@FORCE_LEVELS*/ "3" );
set ( /*@SET_TYPES*/ "SET_SABER_DEFENSE", /*@FORCE_LEVELS*/ "3" );
set ( /*@SET_TYPES*/ "SET_SABER_OFFENSE", /*@FORCE_LEVELS*/ "3" );
set ( "SET_WEAPON", "WP_BLASTER_PISTOL" );
set ( "SET_WEAPON", "WP_DISRUPTOR" );
}

Hmm... interesting. I always assumed that it was player. Just asking, considering I assume your new to scripting.. (right?) you triggered the script right? ill play around with this stuff for a few mins and ill see if I can get it.

Got it working... i used player as the name:

//Generated by BehavEd

rem ( "comment" );

affect ( "player", /*@AFFECT_TYPE*/ FLUSH )
{
set ( /*@SET_TYPES*/ "SET_FORCE_LIGHTNING_LEVEL", /*@FORCE_LEVELS*/ "3" );
set ( /*@SET_TYPES*/ "SET_WEAPON", /*@WEAPON_NAMES*/ "WP_ROCKET_LAUNCHER" );
}

Well that's really weird, because as you can see my script is exactly the same as yours (except for the weapons, but that's easy to fix) and I tried using 'player' and it still didn't work. I'll double check to make sure the script is definitely being triggered (my poor JA base directory is rather a mess hehe). Let me just tell you what I've got: I'm sitting with my info_player_start surrounded by a trigger_once targeted at a target_play_music (for my dynamic music) and a target_scriptrunner that's supposed to activate the Force powers and weapons script. Really strange.

And yes, I'm very new to scripting :D

might be because you targeted two things. Make sure your script is in base/scripts/your_level/script.IBI (make sure its compiled to!)

The target_scriptrunner should be something like this: usescript your_level/script

And that should do it. If it still doesnt work, delete that target_play_music, make it again, but dont connect it to the trigger, then add a targetname 'whatever_you_want' (without ') then in behaved, just add this to the script:

//(BHVD)
use ( "targetname_of_music" );

I don't get this "surround info_playerstart with trigger_once"... Why don't you just target the info_playerstart straight to the scriptrunner? I see no benefit in using an extra entity where none is needed.

Can you not specify the force powers your character has in the .cfg file?

Obviously you can cheat to get the force powers up, so theoretically you could add the console command to the cfg file to do the same?

How do you set up a .cfg file to run?

good point lassev... :D

The .cfg file is where all your game settings are kept. Just added the lines:

+helpusobiwan 1
+setforceall 3


You could also try and create a windows shortcut to jkasp.exe and add those two lines to the command prompt.

It's old skool, uncomplicated and not particularly technical, but'll do the same job.

Ok, I've got my weapons and Force powers working. Thanks Luke. As for the trigger-around-start-entity, well, I gathered it was necessary after having a look at Luke's little map he sent me demonstrating how to get an NPC to use an emplaced gun. I see now in this case it isn't necessary to go this route :)

Some more problems that have cropped up during today's editing session:

I've been messing around a lot with dynamic music, trying to get custom music to play in my level. It works, except the music doesn't seem to flow and I'm sure it's got to do with all those markers in the dm.dat file. Does anyone know what they mean exactly and how they work? Also, am I right in assuming that the atr_*.mp3 files are fill-ins between the explore and action music while the etr_*.mp3 files are fill-ins between the action and explore music?

I've also been playing with the .menu files in an attempt to have my level start by allowing the player to choose his character as in JA and also whether to use a single saber with all 3 fighting styles, or dual sabers, or the staff. By merging the SP and MP saber.menu files I've had some degree of success and now there are only two minor problems. The first is that I can't seem to be able to use all 3 fighting styles if I choose a single saber. I can't seem to find the command or ui script or whatever it is that allows the player to have all three styles, and I can't seem to find a command for it in BehavEd either. The second problem is that it appears that whever I choose dual sabers and go into my mission, then exit the mission or game and start it again via my new mission button, the saber selection screen comes up as a rather distorted version of selecting dual sabers. Everything else works fine, though, so I'm sure it's just some line somewhere that I haven't been able to find. Any ideas on these questions?

If you're not creating new dynamic music sets and you just want to use the existing ones, there's no need to mess around with the dms.dat.

In the worldspawn or target_play_music add this to the entity window

Key:music
Value:Kor_dark

list of possible value entries

hoth2

Kor_dark
kor_lite

t1_fatal
t1_sour
t1_surprise

t2_dpred
t2_rancor
t2_rogue
t2_wedge

t3_byss

vjun2
vjun3

yavin1
yavin2

If you want to play a specific track it's like this

Key:music
Value:music/t1_fatal/tunnels_explore.mp3

Erm, I do have new dynamic music in my level. That's what I figured 'custom' dynamic music meant :D

I can get LucasArts JA dynamic music working fine, it's getting my own imported music to work smoothly that's the problem, which is why I asked what the markers are all for.

As for the trigger-around-start-entity, well, I gathered it was necessary after having a look at Luke's little map he sent me demonstrating how to get an NPC to use an emplaced gun. I see now in this case it isn't necessary to go this route

Well, I remember Leslie Judge told me about connecting an NPC to a script runner, I tried in MP, didnt work, never tried in SP. My 'trigger around' the player is just.. habbit :) I should start just connecting it straight to the player... :-| Something to keep in mind ;)

Is there no-one who can help me out with my dynamic music and saber stance problems?

The only custom dynamic music done so far, to my knowledge, is the assignment of the explore and action of predefined and marked game tracks. If you really want to use new tracks it'll be up to you to figure out how to define and use the markers. Good luck!

Well I've sorted out my dynamic music but I've still got a problem with my saber stances in that if I select single saber from the saber selection screen I only have access to the medium stance. Anyone know how to enable the fast and heavy stances as well if I select single saber?

Is there no-one who can help little 'ol me? C'mon people, I'm getting desperate here! :D