Module - Revision history

Sunjammer: /* Properties */ Reformatting Presentation

2013-02-21T13:20:15Z

‎Properties: Reformatting Presentation

Kelamor: Add languages bar

2011-02-10T02:04:44Z

Add languages bar

Proleric1 at 07:30, 16 March 2010

2010-03-16T07:30:33Z

Imkilo: /* Modular File structure */

2010-03-16T02:28:55Z

‎Modular File structure

Proleric1: /* Properties */

2010-03-12T00:17:14Z

‎Properties

Proleric1: /* Properties */

2010-03-11T23:28:28Z

‎Properties

Eshme: /* Properties */

2010-02-01T23:28:29Z

‎Properties

Eshme: /* Working with a Module */

2010-02-01T22:10:23Z

‎Working with a Module

Eshme: /* PRCSCR - Post Release Content Script */

2010-02-01T18:06:45Z

‎PRCSCR - Post Release Content Script

Eshme: /* PRCSCR - Pre Release Content Script */

2010-01-31T14:09:40Z

‎PRCSCR - Pre Release Content Script

@@ Line 79: / Line 79: @@
 {{inspector row|Game Version|}}
 {{inspector row|Image| An icon that's displayed in the installed content page }}
-{{inspector row|Presentation| If the module is an offer this bitmask indicates the various ways that the "hook" for the addin will be presented to the player in-game. 1: [[Chanter's board]], 2: [[journal entry]], 4: [[merchant]], 8: [[world map]], 16: [[NPC]], 32: loot. You can logically OR multiple types together.}}
+{{inspector row|Presentation| If the module is an offer this bitmask indicates the various ways that the "hook" for the addin will be presented to the player in-game.
 {{inspector row|Price|The price of the module in points. This is only meaningful for modules offered by BioWare.}}
 {{inspector row|Priority|}}

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:04, 10 February 2011
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	{{variable table end}}		{{variable table end}}

		+	{{languages}}
	[[category:modules]]		[[category:modules]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Infobox module}}
 __TOC__
 == Overview ==
-A Module is a single collection of Resources, that can be the building block for another Module (Addin) or function on its own (Standalone). A set of Properties tell the game how to integrate the Resources it inherits. A Resource tells the game how it finally behaves.
+A module is a playable set of [[Overview_of_the_toolset#Toolset_resources | resources]], which can be
-The Single Player Campaign and Core Game Resources are each one of such modules. Modules can be setup hierarchical, for example the Singleplayer Module is connected to the Core Game Resources and thus can use its resources. Custom Modules can be connected to any other Module.
+* A campaign that players can embark on
-Core Game Resources is however special in a way, that it is the foundation of any other Module, and any Module can use its Resources.
+Technically, an "add-in" is the same thing as a module at present.
-== Working with a Module ==
+A campaign is a standalone adventure. The term can refer to the official campaign (OC) or community-made adventures which appear in game under Other Campaigns. The OC is also called the Single Player campaign (though in fact all DAO campaigns are single player).
-What are the possible options you have when creating the basis for your Content? Generally one can say a Module can either be standalone, or addon to the existing Campaign. Standalone is a Module which from hitting "custom campaign" in the main menu starts completely fresh into a custom campaign (like the Demo module for example). A Module is an addon, if content is added or perhaps changed to the existing campaign so that it influences the existing campaign but doesnt remove it (like Shale for example).
+A module can inherit resources from other modules, as specified in the module properties.
-*Standalone is pretty straightforward, in that you need at least a starting Area and a Waypoint in which the Player spawns. You can use any Core Game Resource while making this Module, basically the premade Houses, the Monsters, mostly anything. But the Area still has to be created ,NPCs placed, Dialogues written etc..
+Every module can use resources from the Core Game Resources module.
-*Addon is something initially tricky to do and perhaps unknown to most, even when doing something simple. You need at least one entry point that hooks into the main campaign, and from there it can be a simple added weapon, or unfold into big things. And that entry point is called "PRCSCR". See below.
-A slightly dirty method is changing a Resource of the Main Campaign. This is plainly achieved by editing a Designer Resource from the Toolset and export it under the same name, which is then a override Mod, and undesired effects can potentially reflect back at the Main campaign and other Modules. This should be left for when you know really well what the consequences are.
+The Single Player campaign inherits the Core Game Resources, and has other resources of its own. In game, Single Player resources are available to community extensions of the Single Player campaign, but not available to community campaigns.
-=== PRCSCR - Post Release Content Script ===
+Extensions can be as simple as (say) a magic ring that's available to all campaigns, or as complex as a new chapter of a community campaign (with any number of additional areas, stories etc).
-'''(Also known as "Adding content into an existing Area")'''
+Bioware's official DLC is an example of an extension.
-Bioware with their Addin Modules uses a functionality called PRCSCR, which enables them to insert any content u heard about into the Main Campaign. This as well is the prefered Method for Modders to add Content. PRCSCR stands for "Post Release Content Script", but isnt all that complicated as "Script" may sound.
+== Working with a Module ==
-−
-:''See Main Article: [[PRCSCR]]''
+*A standalone campaign is pretty straightforward, in that you need at least a starting Area and a Waypoint in which the Player spawns. You can use any Core Game Resource while making this Module, basically the premade Houses, the Monsters, mostly anything. But the Area still has to be created, NPCs placed, Dialogues written etc..
 === Modular File structure ===
-Modules are organized in the Filestructure as such the Game can read the correct files, and to allow a modular environment. The Singleplayer Campaign and Core Game Resources use a fixed set of Filefolders.
+The toolset manages folders, so the builder doesn't often need to know where resources reside, but it's occasionally useful.
 The Singleplayer Module and the Game Core Resources respecivtly (this is the actual installed content) are located in:
 <pre>*DragonAgeInstallDir*\modules\single player\
 *DragonAgeInstallDir*\packages\core\</pre>
-These base Folders accompany all Resourcetypes specific to that Module. However this is a fixed set, and should be of value to modders only when extracting Resources.
+These base Folders accompany all resource types specific to that Module. However this is a fixed set, and should be of value to modders only when extracting Resources.
-Modularity is made in your users folder, where the Toolset exporter distributes Resources into the respective Modules override Folder, as well as creates or stores "builder to player" packages from those Folders. A 3rd Moduletype called Addin is created there which similarily has a "module" Folder for any Resources for that Module alone, and a "core" Folder for any Resource to be accessible by other modules. It looks like this:
+New modules and their resources are exported to your Documents\Addins folder. This has a Module sub-folder for that module alone, and a Core sub-folder for any Resource to be accessible by all modules. It looks like this:
 <pre>*My Documents*\BioWare\Dragon Age\AddIns\*Modulename*\module\
 *My Documents*\BioWare\Dragon Age\AddIns\*Modulename*\core\
-alongside a double of
+If you change any Single Player or Core resources, they end up in these folders:
 *My Documents*\BioWare\Dragon Age\modules\Single Player\
 *My Documents*\BioWare\Dragon Age\packages\core\</pre>
-The Toolset exports any Resource into each of these Folders, or specifically the override Folder beneath it, depending on which Module the Resource belongs to. When packing the Resources into an installable [[DAZIP]] file, you have to specify any of those folders to include. Thus it is to great part important where Resources are located, and especially where files shouldnt be located.
+Once exported, the module can be tested in game. The [[Builder to player]] tool can be used to zip the files in a format which other players can install.
-Resources will be read from any Override folder, but organizing files to adhere to this structure will help when working with the Toolset.
+The game will usually read resources from any Override folder, using the [[Source directory priorities]] to resolve conflict if two resources have the same name.
 == Properties ==

@@ Line 50: / Line 50: @@
 The Toolset exports any Resource into each of these Folders, or specifically the override Folder beneath it, depending on which Module the Resource belongs to. When packing the Resources into an installable [[DAZIP]] file, you have to specify any of those folders to include. Thus it is to great part important where Resources are located, and especially where files shouldnt be located.
-When you have not worked with the Toolset before you may not have adhered to that structure before, as Resources will get read from any Override anyway. However, this is to a great part organizational for the Toolset.
+Resources will be read from any Override folder, but organizing files to adhere to this structure will help when working with the Toolset.
 == Properties ==

@@ Line 62: / Line 62: @@
 {{inspector row|Starting Area | The area that the player starts in when the campaign begins. }}
 {{inspector row|Starting Waypoint | The waypoint within the starting area that the player appears at when the campaign begins. This property is not used if the module is an add-on to an existing module. }}
-{{inspector row|StringID Begin | The line number in the [[String editor | talk table]] at which this module's text strings begins. Set to a very large random number to reduce the risk of conflict between modules.}}
+{{inspector row|StringID Begin | The line number in the [[String editor | talk table]] at which this module's text strings begins. Set to a very large random number to reduce the risk of conflict between modules. When building as a team, each builder needs to work with a different range and be aware of a potential [[Bug:_Builder_to_Builder_Load_may_not_reproduce_resource_detail_correctly | bug]].}}
 {{inspector row|StringID End | The end of the talk table line number range allowed for this module.}}
 {{inspector row|StringID Last Used | The last line number used by this module in the talk table. Determines the line number of the next text string created.}}

@@ Line 62: / Line 62: @@
 {{inspector row|Starting Area | The area that the player starts in when the campaign begins. }}
 {{inspector row|Starting Waypoint | The waypoint within the starting area that the player appears at when the campaign begins. This property is not used if the module is an add-on to an existing module. }}
 {{inspector row|Type | Only the "Addin" type is supported by the end user toolset. The name "Addin" can be misleading, it's possible to create a stand-alone addin that appears as a new campaign. }}
 {{inspector row|UID| "Unique ID", this is not seen by the player. It is used in various configuration files and as the name of the directory that the module is stored in when exported.}}
@@ Line 88: / Line 91: @@
 {{inspector row|URLStringID|}}
 {{inspector row|Version|The version number you've assigned to the module's current state.}}
 {{inspector section|Modification History }}

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:10, 1 February 2010
Line 20:		Line 20:

	A slightly dirty method is changing a Resource of the Main Campaign. This is plainly achieved by editing a Designer Resource from the Toolset and export it under the same name, which is then a override Mod, and undesired effects can potentially reflect back at the Main campaign and other Modules. This should be left for when you know really well what the consequences are.		A slightly dirty method is changing a Resource of the Main Campaign. This is plainly achieved by editing a Designer Resource from the Toolset and export it under the same name, which is then a override Mod, and undesired effects can potentially reflect back at the Main campaign and other Modules. This should be left for when you know really well what the consequences are.
−
−
−	~~----~~
−	~~Outlining a few general steps involved during developement. The first an foremost is logically to create a Module.~~
−
−	~~:''See Article: [[Creating a module]]''~~
−
−	~~This is where further work should be done. Testing a Module, on a single by single Resource basis ,things must be exported first. Since Designer Resources are normally inherited by the Database.~~
−
−	~~:''See Article: [[Exporting a module]]''~~
−
−	~~Since exported Resource only work on your PC, the Toolset has functionality to allow these to be packaged into a installable Filetype [[DAZIP]]~~
−
−	~~:''See Article: [[Builder to player]]~~

	=== PRCSCR - Post Release Content Script ===		=== PRCSCR - Post Release Content Script ===

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:06, 1 February 2010
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	=== PRCSCR - Post Release Content Script ===		=== PRCSCR - Post Release Content Script ===
		+
		+	'''(Also known as "Adding content into an existing Area")'''

	Bioware with their Addin Modules uses a functionality called PRCSCR, which enables them to insert any content u heard about into the Main Campaign. This as well is the prefered Method for Modders to add Content. PRCSCR stands for "Post Release Content Script", but isnt all that complicated as "Script" may sound.		Bioware with their Addin Modules uses a functionality called PRCSCR, which enables them to insert any content u heard about into the Main Campaign. This as well is the prefered Method for Modders to add Content. PRCSCR stands for "Post Release Content Script", but isnt all that complicated as "Script" may sound.

@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 :''See Article: [[Builder to player]]
-=== PRCSCR - Pre Release Content Script ===
+=== PRCSCR - Post Release Content Script ===
-Bioware with their Addin Modules uses a functionality called PRCSCR, which enables them to insert any content u heard about into the Main Campaign. This as well is the prefered Method for Modders to add Content. PRCSCR stands for "Pre Release Content Script", but isnt all that complicated as "Script" may sound.
+Bioware with their Addin Modules uses a functionality called PRCSCR, which enables them to insert any content u heard about into the Main Campaign. This as well is the prefered Method for Modders to add Content. PRCSCR stands for "Post Release Content Script", but isnt all that complicated as "Script" may sound.
 :''See Main Article: [[PRCSCR]]''