DM Q&A: Spell: Summon Elementals

[WishICouldScriptLikeYou]

Doubt anything I tried will help you work it out, but its worth a shot. Sometimes things just need a fresh look. Dunno.
Anyhow here it goes

I recently tried to see what it is that makes the summon creature VII and up spells fail to summon an earth elemental. What I discovered is that the script claiming to control the casting of the spell doesnt actually do anything. When I changed the scripiting of the spell then tested it via a personal module, nothing changed. I even went as far as to delete the script for Summon Creature 7 entirely. When I cast it in the module, it cast normally as though I did nothing to it. So I pretty much take this to mean that the spell, when cast in game, references another script of some sort in the module. Maybe even that the code for this particular spell (if not others) is hardwired as Game Mechanics.. or something like that.

I was wondering what attempts were made by scripters of this Server and if their results were consistent with mine or if I am just missing something entirely.

[Quadhund/Greenhouse]

That's cause Bioware likes to put cute little tricks into their code. This one was especially cute. nw_s0_summon7 ... guess what, doesnt actually control the spell. If you check the spells.2da file it will tell you all the scripts the spells reference.

Apparently at some point, bioware decided to combine all the summon spells into one big file but felt it unnecessary to remove the old scripts. Try altering nw_s0_summon. I just did it and if you change the tag line of "NW_S_WATERHUGE" to "NW_S_EARTHHUGE" it will summon an earth elemental.

However, interesting thing, i couldnt find the elemental on the pallette. I did find NW_EARTHHUGE however. I have a feeling that the _S tells the program it is a summon to alter the faction of the creature.

Let me know if you have any more difficulty. And keep asking questions, and soon you will be able to script like me (im thinking one more question and then you will be on par )

EDIT: And before you ask if we intend to add earth elementals ... well ill have to check the creature stats, compare it to the other elementals, and see if it needs modification before it is added.

[Kain]

Eh, whre could I find this spell.2da file? Or any 2da file for that matter?

[DM Justicar - Creator of FRC]

I think they are all in the source folder, of course.

[Kain]

Actually, on last question, how do I open a 2da file so I can read it?

[Quadhund/Greenhouse]

When you double click on it, it should ask you if you want to open it using another program. I know Microsoft Excel works well in viewing it, but you may also be able to open it in a normal text document.

[Kain]

So hows about an update on the Earth elemental, does it fit in statwise and are there any plans to add it?

[Quadhund/Greenhouse]

Earth elementals have been readded in the next update.