Pretender Troubles *RESOLVED*

[UninspiredName]

At the time, I'm trying to place my own pretender into the game. However, whenever I test, the pretender just doesn't appear on the list. The game doesn't crash, it just doesn't appear. I've, at times, tried removing the quotation marks on the 'spr' commands, in which case it crashes and gives me a complaint about the sprite command. It's also got on my case (Crash) for giving the pretender's second form a first form that hadn't technically been created yet, (Which I got around by using a selectmonster below the would-be first form.) which I guess shows the computer is paying attention. I've also tried wishing for my pretender, in which case the Wish casts fine, but the unit doesn't appear in any way, shape or form.

Technical Jargon:

The pretender has all his 'standard' stats, hp, startage, itemslots, etc typed in.

I put the pretender's sprites (16x32 TGA) in a folder in the mods folder, and access it with #spr1 ".\foldername\spritename.tga".

The pretender has a domcost, a pathcost, and a goldcost. Also, at one point for testing, a restrictedgod command.

I put one space in-between my commands, and use enters (Not changing the amount of spaces in any way) to improve readability.

The pretender doesn't have an outstanding number of special abilities. Only the pathcost and domcost, a secondform, and two magicskills, assuming goodleader/maxage etc don't count. At least, only that little during one particular test.

The dm file doesn't contain anything aside from the monster mods (And the mod name/description/version, of course) of the pretender and his second form. I end up using three '#end' commands. One for the second form, one for the standard pretender, and one for the second form again when I gave it the standard pretender as the first form.

The first form and second form monster numbers are 2460 and 2450, respectively.


Soo... Can anyone help me?

[DrPraetorious]

Well, I'm stumped.

Make a zip file of the mod containing your custom pretender so that we can examine it?

[UninspiredName]

Alright, here's the 'full' file, unscathed by my recent tests. The Pretender in question is Mario of Super Mario Brothers fame. What can I say, I enjoy making goof-off mods.

EDIT: And thanks for helping. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[UninspiredName]

Update: After giving him a 'Jump' weapon, I succeeded in summoning him with a Wish spell. I don't recall changing anything aside from creating the 'Jump' weapon and adding the attack (Removing one of his two 'Kick' attacks) to Mario. and am not sure why it worked. He still doesn't appear on the pretender physical form list, despite having a pathcost and domstrength.

[PvK]

When I load it, it looks like there are multiple mod commands on the same line. Did you try putting only one mod command per line?

[PvK]

Also there is one line where it looks like you missed a space and got "1#magicskill", which probably needs at least a space before the #.

[UninspiredName]

Well, logically speaking, since the 'jump' weapon works okay, and Mario can be wished for, chances are it doesn't really care about lines. Thanks for catching the syntax error, though. Unfortunately, the problem persists.

[PvK]

He shows up as a god if I use him in a mod without the line
#secondshape "Mini Italian Plumber"

Putting in:
#secondshape "Phoenix"
or
#secondshape 5

also has him not appearing.

I think maybe it's a side effect of that command to make the unit unavailable as a pretender.

[UninspiredName]

Update: For the time being, I've managed to give Mario Pretender status by selecting the Sacred Statue instead of making him from scratch. I like the Sacred Statue, so I'll probably swap him out for one of the humans. I'm thinking Frost Father. To those that have tried making Pretenders in the past, is there another way of allowing a new unit to become a pretender?

[zepath]

I've never had a problem integrating new pretenders.

Things I notice from the .dm file you posted:

-You have no #restrictedgod commands so far as I can see. You will need to enter one to have the monster selectable as a pretender. Only one per new monster seems to work so you may have to make additional new monsters to use him with multiple nations.

-I don't know what's up with your forward-slash and back-slash usage in your #spr1 and #spr2 calls. Should be "/" only.

-You don't need to "re-open" the monster to give it a #firstshape or #secondshape after coding the alternate form. You can put those commands in the original code for the creature (between #newmonster <#> and #end) even if the other creature's code comes afterward.

*edit, forgot that...
-#firstshape and #secondshape commands should call to a monster number, not a name.

[UninspiredName]

1: That's odd, I tried it with a restrictedgod command as well.

2: I don't know what was up with that either, but it's been since fixed.

3: That's strange, I got a gamecrash when I tried that.

4: My current build has no problem with the monster's name.

[PvK]

As I wrote, it looks like the #secondshape command is messing it up somehow.

Another way to get a pretender form is to copy an existing pretender rather than modifying it, and then modify the new form. I think #secondshape will still mess it up though.

For testing purposes, you could design the pretender with the #secondshape commented out, and then use it with the #secondshape in, though if you can wish for him, that probably works. Maybe #secondshape has problems without a specific order for the commands to be used, or something.

[UninspiredName]

Sorry about that PvK, I skipped over your last post. Now that I think about it, all the 'shapechange when in trouble' pretenders use shapechanges instead of secondforms. At any rate, he works fine when he's overwriting the Frost Father, which nobody over here uses anyways. I'll mess with secondshape a bit and see if it changes anything.

[Endoperez]

Make both his forms pretenders. You could also check out my Anansi mod; it has a properly working shape-changing pretender.

[UninspiredName]

Success! With Mini Italian Plumber as a pretender as well, (Restricted to a 'reserved' nation http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif ) none shall be safe from Mario's divine headstomping wrath!

Thanks for your help, all. It couldn't have been done without you.

[PvK]

So was it that both forms needed to be prentenders (#pathcost/#pathstartdom)?

[UninspiredName]

I think so, but... It's busted again. I don't even know how it happened. At any rate, I'm just getting rid of the secondform altogether, for the time being. It causes more trouble than it's worth.