Null Item Mod (1.1 released)

[Alneyan]

Well, I was thinking of setting up a game limiting the use of magic items, so I decided to make a full mod with all items listed (instead of simply putting the ones I needed). The use of this mod is exactly the same as SC's own Null Spell Mod: making the life of modders easier.

The following features are still missing from the mod:

- The item stats (attack, defence, protection...) haven't been put in the file.
- Item numbers have only been added where they are needed.

[Saber Cherry]

Thanks, Alneyan!

[Johan K]

With version 2.16 #selectitem accepts numbers as well. So it should be possible to remove those with similar names as well.

[Alneyan]

I managed to remove all items under 2.15, simply by using the double name; I am not sure why, but it worked at least once). As for the item numbers, I think I made a mistake in my syntax, so that would explain why it doesn't work (at least for Sword of Sharpness/Bane Blade, as the Staff of Elemental Mastery is another matter altogether).

It doesn't seem to work using #selectweapon <Number> either, or by using #selectitem <Number>, even for items not sharing a same name.

[Alneyan]

The mod has been updated; it looks like I haven't been paying enough attention when squashing those bugs.

[Ighalli]

Thanks Alneyan! I was hoping someone would pout this together!

[Endoperez]

Alneyan, would you care to describe what you noticed about those bugs? And what are the item numbers you talk about?

I thought magic items linked to an item, so that the elemental bonus and cost of Staff of Elemental Mastery was in the item, and it linked to an item that was the actual weapon. The same weapon would then be linked to by both Staves of Elemental Mastery, and possibly other Staves (like the one of Dying Treelord).

[Alneyan]

Well, when using the actual item name (say, Sword of Sharpness), only the one-handed sword is altered. For the Staffs, only the first one (Water/Fire) is altered. It looks like they share the same construction level however, so making one unavailable removes the other.

The number I am referring to is the weapon/armor number, as per the modding manual: "Magical items can only be selected by name, not by their corresponding Weapon or Armor values". This part should have changed with version 2.16, but I cannot select items with their numbers. Both #selectitem 238 or #selectweapon 238 do not appear to be working. I do not know how selecting items by using those numbers is supposed to work however, and I may have got the syntax wrong.

The Swords of Sharpness and the Bane Blades are two different weapons (and two different items), each with its own weapon number, so they are wholly separate for the game. What is odd, however, is how the two Staffs are handled: they share the same number, even though they have different caracteristics (the resistances). I guess it is because the stats of the weapon remain the same, and only a miscellaneous ability is altered.

It makes it impossible to alter the second Staff of Elemental Mastery however, unless I am missing something; removing it should work, though I haven't checked it since my "remove all items from the game to check for misspellings" test. A last oddity about those weapons: the actual name of the weapon is "Magic Staff", and not Staff of Elemental Mastery. #selectitem "Magic Staff" doesn't allow to alter the second Staff though, either when it is used alone or in conjunction with a #selectitem "Staff of Elemental Mastery".

[Endoperez]

I see.

I had similar problem with the Nation Replacement, or Null Nations (which would suit it better now that there is Null Items and Null Spells) mod. Few magic sites of the base and special theme share same names. As an example, Caelum base and Caelum RoR have sites of the same name, but I cannot choose the RoR sites as starting sites.

[quantum_mechani]

Another little moddng issue I discovered, while we are on the subject, it is that it is impossible to edit the recruitable units for Rl'yeh costal forts. Well, you can edit the units (which also edits the units for underwater forts), but you cannot have more or less units than the original number.

[Endoperez]

I think you could mod some of them to be free but aquatic, so that they wouldn't be of any use. That might screw up the computer (=AI), though...

[quantum_mechani]

Endoperez said:
I think you could mod some of them to be free but aquatic, so that they wouldn't be of any use. That might screw up the computer (=AI), though...

And look rather un-elegant.

[Alneyan]

No significant change about selecting items by their weapon/armor number appeared in the updated modding manual. There is also no information on how to handle the Magic Staffs (aka Staff of Elemental Mastery), which share the same weapon number and the same name.

[Johan K]

Alneyan, #selectweapon 6 works for me. The number you use here is not a weapon number but a magic item number. 6 is for two handed sword of sharpness. I guess some way to see magic item number in Dominions II would be useful, but there is none. But if you have the manual you can count yourself, fire sword is number 1, ice sword number 2 and so on.

[Alneyan]

I see; I had expected this number to be the regular armor/weapon number, as it is the only one we have direct access to. Of course, it didn't make much sense.

Thanks for the information; I will probably add that information to the Null Item mod, though selecting by the number should only be useful in the case of those Three weapons. I gather the item number is equal to the place of the objet in the list of items? So, one-handed weapons, then two-handed weapons, and so on?

[Johan K]

Hmmm, I think I was wrong in assuming they would be in the same order in the manual. One and two handed weapons should be mixed randomly http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Alneyan]

You will not deter me from getting those item numbers. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif I will run some tests with the "trial and error" solution, a day when I feel insomniac: put a couple of commands changing the paths of items 1 to 6, and see what items are changed. Wash, rinse, and repeat.

[Alneyan]

We deliver on our promises! Version 1.0 is now available, with the matter of those three items resolved (thanks Johan for the information), and the addition of one item I had forgotten (the Champion's Trident). The attachment to my first post has been updated with the newer file.

Two features are still missing: full stats for weapons and armor, and the item numbers of all the items. I am not sure if those two features are really needed however (especially the latter one); if two items do not share the same name, what is the use of item numbers?

[Kristoffer O]

I don't believe the items are sorted correctly in the manual. They are not sorted by 1h/2h in the game IIRC.

[Agrajag]

I suppose you can just create an item mod that will change magic item #1 so it is named "1" and #2 so it is named "2" etc and find the real order.

[Alneyan]

I have done so to figure out what numbers were the Sword/Bane/Staff; I do not believe the other numbers are needed though. Can you think of any situation where using the item number would be preferable to using the item name, except for those Three items?

If memory serves, the order of the weapons was pretty much the same as in the manual, except that item numbers seem to be ordered by class (weapons...), while the manual sorts items by research level.

[Molog]

I think you forgot the vial of frozen tears.

[Alneyan]

Cute, another hidden item. I gather it is one of those items that heroes love to give away? (So Construction 12) Thanks for the information, I hadn't heard of this item until now.

[Molog]

Precious is also missing.

[Alneyan]

Are there many such items? I have used Zen's reference file to get those artefacts, but those two you mentioned aren't in his file. Thanks for the information.

[Molog]

I think you have everything now. I just looked at the artifacts to see if everything was there.

[Alneyan]

Version 1.1 is now available, with all the level 12 artifacts, and the paths they would require.