Difference between revisions of "Bethesda Tutorial Encounters"
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|espInitial=LDnavmeshTutorialComplete.esp | |espInitial=LDnavmeshTutorialComplete.esp | ||
|espCompleted=LDEncountersTutorialComplete.esp | |espCompleted=LDEncountersTutorialComplete.esp | ||
|videoCompanion=http://youtu.be/TAih_jr233I?hd=1 | |||
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''Encounter'' actors (prefixed "Enc") are non-randomized characters and creatures that typically populate Leveled Lists (''EncBandit01Melee1HImperialF01/02/03/etc...''). For example, if you need a Skeever you'd just simply place an ''EncSkeever'' actor. You always know that this placed reference will spawn a Skeever when you enter the level. This is also the way you'd place something like a ''EncFox'', ''EncDeer'', or ''EncSabreCat''. | ''Encounter'' actors (prefixed "Enc") are non-randomized characters and creatures that typically populate Leveled Lists (''EncBandit01Melee1HImperialF01/02/03/etc...''). For example, if you need a Skeever you'd just simply place an ''EncSkeever'' actor. You always know that this placed reference will spawn a Skeever when you enter the level. This is also the way you'd place something like a ''EncFox'', ''EncDeer'', or ''EncSabreCat''. | ||
{{InDepth|Enc Actors with 'Template' in them (ex.EncBandit00Template) and anything that looks like it's part of a long list (ex. EncBandit01Melee1HImperialF) typically shouldn't be placed in your level. These types of Enc actors are used to form Leveled Lists and should instead be placed as such (ex. LvlBanditMelee1H, or LvlBanditMeleeAny).}} | |||
Let's place our first encounter in Lokir's Tomb. Select | Let's place our first encounter in Lokir's Tomb. Select a '''LvlWarlockFire''' and drag it into the second room. With that placed in your level, save your plugin and test it in-game. You'll notice a Warlock that uses Fire Spells. You may also notice (or not) that the Warlock will simply stand around until detecting an enemy. Let's do something about that. | ||
{{WarningBox|Try to avoid placing enemies where they will attack the player as soon as he loads in. Bethesda calls this the "Sandwich Rule." It's best to assume that the player's attention will drift at every load screen - and may set the controller down, daydream, or go to get a sandwich. Observing the sandwich rule means that the player determines when to re-engage.}} | |||
==Linked-Refs and Patrols== | ==Linked-Refs and Patrols== | ||
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# If you don't put a time here the Warlock will simply walk up to the table, interact with it, then back out of it and just stand there. Giving a patrol time here ensures the Warlock will stay at the table in perpetuity since there are no other references in the patrol for now. | # If you don't put a time here the Warlock will simply walk up to the table, interact with it, then back out of it and just stand there. Giving a patrol time here ensures the Warlock will stay at the table in perpetuity since there are no other references in the patrol for now. | ||
{{InDepth|Link-Refs are ways of letting one reference know about another. This is a "dumb" connection, and carries no data beyond a simple association. This lets us assign whatever meaning we need to that association. In the case of this tutorial, they help the actor know what he can patrol to, because the [[Default_Master_Package|Default Master Package]] looks for the association . They're also very powerful when it comes to referring to them in [[:Category:Papyrus|Papyrus]] Scripts.}} | |||
<gallery widths="220px" heights="120px" perrow="3"> | <gallery widths="220px" heights="120px" perrow="3"> | ||
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You may not always want characters to stay in one spot, however. NPC movement through space creates a sense of life and adds variety to how the encounter can initiate. The [[Default Master Package]] makes this simple to do with simple "ping-pong" patrols, which direct AI to move between two or more points. Let's do that now. | You may not always want characters to stay in one spot, however. NPC movement through space creates a sense of life and adds variety to how the encounter can initiate. The [[Default Master Package]] makes this simple to do with simple "ping-pong" patrols, which direct AI to move between two or more points. Let's do that now. | ||
# Turn your attention to room with the round grating. | # Turn your attention to the room with the round grating. | ||
# Place a '''LvlWarlockFrost''' Actor somewhere in the room. | # Place a '''LvlWarlockFrost''' Actor somewhere in the room. | ||
# Also place a '''patrolIdleMarker''' (Under ''Miscellaneous > IdleMarker'' in the [[Object Window]]) | # Also place a '''patrolIdleMarker''' (Under ''Miscellaneous > IdleMarker'' in the [[Object Window]]) | ||
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Launch Skyrim and enter the '''[[ToggleDetection]]''' [[:Category:Console_Commands|console command]]. The actor will walk to each [[IdleMarker|Idle Marker]] and idles at each of them for the time specified. Notice that when the actor reaches the end of the linkedRef chain, it paths through the chain backwards. This is why we call it a '''"ping-pong patrol"''': the actor is bounced back and forth between the ends. | Launch Skyrim and enter the '''[[ToggleDetection]]''' [[:Category:Console_Commands|console command]]. The actor will walk to each [[IdleMarker|Idle Marker]] and idles at each of them for the time specified. Notice that when the actor reaches the end of the linkedRef chain, it paths through the chain backwards. This is why we call it a '''"ping-pong patrol"''': the actor is bounced back and forth between the ends. | ||
<gallery widths="220px" heights="180px" perrow="3"> | |||
Image:PatrolIdleTime.jpg|<b>Fig. 5.8</b>: <br>Type the time here, in seconds, that you want an actor to idle for. | |||
image:LinkedRefIdletoIdle.jpg|<b>Fig. 5.9: </b> An Actor "Linked-Ref Chained" to three Patrol Points in the 2nd room. | |||
</gallery> | |||
===Looping Patrols=== | ===Looping Patrols=== | ||
[[image:LinkedRefThreeIdleLoop.jpg|right|thumb|220px|<b>Fig. 5.10:</b> A Necromancer on a 3-Point Looping Patrol with a Skeleton following him.]] | |||
A '''Looping Patrol''' is set up exactly like a ping-pong patrol, with one meaningful extra step: you'll "close the loop" of the patrol chain, meaning the actor will follow that route in order, never reversing direction. | A '''Looping Patrol''' is set up exactly like a ping-pong patrol, with one meaningful extra step: you'll "close the loop" of the patrol chain, meaning the actor will follow that route in order, never reversing direction. | ||
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# Ctrl+D again for a total of three markers in this chamber. | # Ctrl+D again for a total of three markers in this chamber. | ||
# Link the Necromancer and these points, just as before. | # Link the Necromancer and these points, just as before. | ||
# | # Link the final patrolIdleMarker in the chain to the first. This is "closing the loop". | ||
# Just for fun: link the Skeleton to the Necromancer; it will try to follow behind. | # Just for fun: link the Skeleton to the Necromancer; it will try to follow behind. | ||
# Your final | # Your final arrangement will resemble ''Fig 5.10''. Note the green lines forming a complete loop. | ||
Try running this in-game. Observe the difference: instead of re-tracing steps, the Necromancer should continue in a loop, with the skeleton staying a small distance behind. | Try running this in-game. Observe the difference: instead of re-tracing steps, the Necromancer should continue in a loop, with the skeleton staying a small distance behind. | ||
{{ProTip|PatrolIdleMarker is an '''[[IdleMarker|Idle Marker]]''' which already has a range of subtle animations associated with it. This makes it preferable to other objects, such as an XmarkerHeading, when setting up patrols. There are also other [[IdleMarker|Idle Markers]] available, such as '''SearchingTableIdleMarker ''' and '''WarmHandsStandIdleMarker ''', which can be used to trigger specific animations which are more deliberate and grounded with the environment. Try swapping some of your patrolIdleMarker objects with these and experiment to get results you're happy with.}} | |||
==Setting Actor Difficulty== | ==Setting Actor Difficulty== | ||
You | You may have noticed that all the Leveled Lists you have placed so far are green. This indicates the default '''Easy''' difficulty. Using difficulty variation is a good way to provide some variety and pacing to your dungeon. Try setting some now. | ||
# Double-clicking any of your leveled actors and open the '''Leveled Actor''' tab. | # Double-clicking any of your leveled actors and open the '''Leveled Actor''' tab. | ||
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It's a good rule of thumb to set about 50% of your leveled actors to "easy", and not throw too many non-easy actors into any single encounter. It's also generally advised to place only one "very hard" list per dungeon. These, of course, are only guidelines, and may not always be the best course. Test your content mercilessly, get feedback from players, and tune according to that. | It's a good rule of thumb to set about 50% of your leveled actors to "easy", and not throw too many non-easy actors into any single encounter. It's also generally advised to place only one "very hard" list per dungeon. These, of course, are only guidelines, and may not always be the best course. Test your content mercilessly, get feedback from players, and tune according to that. | ||
{{InDepth|The relative difficulty of an encounter is based upon the [[Encounter Zone]], player level and the leveled list itself. So, for example, a level one player who enters a dungeon with an encounter zone of twenty may encounter very difficult draugr, even from the easy leveled lists. Try testing your dungeon by [[IncrementPCSkill|setting yourself to different levels]] before entering.}} | |||
<gallery> | <gallery> | ||
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</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
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