Home For Builders Plot Wizard Tutorial Plot Wizard Tutorial - Part 15

Plot Wizard Tutorial - Part 15

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Tutorial 5: Extending a Plot (continued)

Change the Plot Conversation Inside the Conversation Editor

This section will require that the user have a working knowledge of the conversation editor. A tutorial for this editor can be found online at http://nwn.bioware.com/builders/modtutorial.html

NOTE: In this part of the tutorial the conversation of the blueprint will be modified. This is dangerous because there are conditional and action scripts created and added to the conversation file that allows the plot to run as intended. Any modification to these scripts will risk the integrity of the entire plot.

In the lower right of the main window is a checkbox titled Show Plots. Make sure this box is checked and view the list of plot instances. The window can be resized vertically if more viewing area is needed.

Find the plot called Custom Assassination and fully expand it. This will list all the cast members and props used in the plot.

The following steps will insert some text into the conversation tree to add to the story

1. Find the actor Homer listed under Plot Giver
2. Right click it and press Select. This will select Homer's blueprint in the creature palette above the plot manager.
3. In the creature palette above the plot manager window, right click the selected creature blueprint and select Edit. This opens the blueprint in the creature editor
4. To open the blueprint's conversation in the conversation editor, look in the lower right of editor is the blueprint's conversation and select Edit.
5. Press the Expand All button in the conversation editor to see the entire structure of the dialogue tree.

At this point it is important to know which conversation nodes should only be modified by advanced users. The nodes directly attached to the Root of the conversation all have conditional scripts attached. These are very important and will break the plot if improperly changed.

There are other conversation nodes that have action scripts attached. These are the NPC nodes after the player agrees or accepts the NPC's original question. One will have the text "When you have the orc's head, return it to me for a reward." Again, these scripts are very important for the plot to run successfully so modifying them is not advised.

Other than these two types of nodes, any node may be added or modified with the understanding that the plot will not advance unless the player selects the nodes with the action scripts.

6. Locate the conversation node that begins with "Hello <sir/madam>…", right-click it and select Add
7. Make the text of the new node "Why do you want the orc dead?"
8. Right-click that new node and select Add
9. Make the text of the new node "It killed my dog. Now will you help or do I need to find someone else?"

The next steps are to move the player's responses after the NPC asks for help the second time.

10. Locate the node with the text "Sure, I can kill an orc for you." and drag it onto the newest node just created.
11. Locate the node with the text "Maybe later, when I have more time." and drag it onto the "It killed my dog" node.

The actual text in the nodes is freely changeable without the risk of breaking the plot.

12. Select the node with the text "Sure, I can kill an orc for you."
13. Modify that text to read "That is horrible! Sure, I can kill an orc for you."

Press done and save the conversation. Now the player will have a much richer experience in the quest.

Place Instances

Place this plot giver near the player's starting point and place the villain in the bottom left.

Extra Credit

Add some animations from the Other Actions tab in the conversation.

Add a new node off the Root and move it to the top of the tree. Add a condition to the script so it will happen when the PC is of the race half-orc. Make the text of this node "I have nothing to say to you. Get away from me". This way, any half-orc player will not get the quest at all, and will be treated rudely by Homer.

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