Dark Stone: Quest Editor Tutorial - Chapter 2: Creation of the characters

The Darkstone world is full of monsters and characters who cross the paths of adventurers. This chapter will explain how to create them.

1: The monsters

There are two types of monsters:
- The basic monsters.
- The unique monsters (programmable) considered as 'bosses' or some character who is important in the quest.

A: Create a basic monster

- Go into the 3D edition view of Room1.
- Click on the Add monster icon to show the Monsters selection window.
- Choose the monster type you want to put in your room (ex: orc) then validate.
- Now you just have to put them in your room. Simply click with the left mouse button in the places where you want to have them.
- To select another type of monster click again on Add monster .
- Click on Move then hold down the left mouse button on the monster you want to move.
- Move the mouse to another place and release the mouse button.
- Use to rotate the monsters.
- The icon is used to delete the monsters.

NOTE: Amoung the monsters are the Non Player Characters of Darkstone (Gunther, Irma, etc), if you choose them as basic monsters, they will have the same function as in town, they will offer you the same service and have the same name. To use one of these NPC's and to rename him, see the section Create a NPC dealer of this chapter.

B: Create a unique monster

The aim of creating a unique monster will allow you to use it in your scenario. We can give it a specific name, make it give particular objects, and modify its features.
- Go to the hierarchy edition window view.
- Right click in the edition window and select Add Monster or in the module window, activate the tab monster, right click and select Add.
- Fill the properties window of the monster with the following parameters.

Origin: select the monster. (ex: AMAZD3)
Key: Identification key of the monster. (ex: Monster1)
Name: Name of the character. (ex: Gargul)
Text: The displayed text when the monster is killed (optional). (ex: I will come back to haunt your nights...)
Life: Life points of the character (current values of the game for this type of monster will be applied if you don't modify them). (ex: 500)
Dam min-max: Minimum and maximum damages caused by the monster. (ex: 20 to 50)
Give: Object droped by the monster when it dies (if you don't select any object, the game you a random item). (ex: ITEM_CRYSTAL1)

- Click Ok to validate.
- 2 objects appear in the hierarchy view, a frame containing the created monster and the object it gives. The properties of the monsters are modifiable as you want by selecing Properties (right click inside the frame).
- The objects ITEM_CRYSTAL1 can be modified by a double click.
- Now that you have created a unique monster, you have to put it inside one of your rooms.
- For this, we have to change the dimensions of the roomzone.
- Increase the size of the the roomzone of Room1 with the small square on the lower right corner of the zone (hold the left mouse button down while you move the mouse).

This is the Edit functions available in hierarchy view. Try to use them to familiarize yourself with them

Move the elements: Left click on the element and move the mouse while holding down the left mouse button.
Multiple Elements Selection: Hold down the left mouse button and move to create a selection rectangle.
Move the selection with , then left click inside the rectangle and move it with your mouse.
General Move: Moves the whole thing.

Now Move the frame of Monster1 and drag it in the roomzone of Room1.
Edit the site Room1 (Right click in this roomzone then choose Edit) then Move Monster1 in the second room.

2: The NPC

The NPCs are the characters that are the framework of the quest. They relate to the story, create the enigmas, give objects, etc.

A: Create a NPC dealer

With the editor you can create a dealer outside of town.
- Activate the hierarchy view .
- Right click in the edition window then select Add Monster.
- Fill the properties window with the following parameters.

Origin: Select the trade persons (Blacksmith, Usurer, Innkeeper, etc). (ex: ARMURIER)
Key: Identificaiton key of the character. (ex: Salesman1)
Name: The name of the character (replace the one in the game). (ex: Deymorin)
The other properties are not necessary, so validate.

Move the frame of your NPC in the House1 roomzone.

NOTE: The NPC dealer will have the exact same merchandise as the town trader.

B: Create a NPC

The NPC creation method depends on the action they have to do. For this we need to use the state machines.
- Activate the hierarchy mode .
- Click in the editor window with the right click and select Add Machine.
A selection window with the different state machines will appear.
The state machine we need will have a prefix pnj.
Look at the comments in the upper window when you select it. They describe the possible actions of the NPC.
For example, select pnj3 (NPC (Arnold) that gives an object (crystal2) when we give him another object (mana potion) then disappears.
- Choose pnj3 in the list and type Person1 in the caption Enter new key.
- Click on Next to display the properties window.
- Click on each parameter and complete them with the following text.

Name of the character: Arnold
Object to be given to him: ITEM_POTION_MANA
Received object: ITEM_CRYSTAL2
Text explains the object requirements: Give me some mana or I'm going to run amok!
Text display when he gives us the object: Keep this crystal for me and look what I can do with a mana potion...
Name of the skeleton file: (Automatic when we select this model).
Name of the model: Paysan
Click Ok to validate.

- Move the frame Person1 inside the roomzone House1.
Arrange the other elements in the hierarchy view to make it more legible. Only the elements with frames must be inside the roomzones.
Edit in 3D House1 and move your NPC where you want to put him.
Now we have seen the different types of characters, let's see how to create an object.

Chapter 3: Creation of the objects