Download Quest Wizard Wincustomize
Download Quest Wizard NexusMods
Sample Quests made with the Wizard: http://murteas.wix.com/quest-wizard#!quests/cmyf
Test Map - Single quest on a tiny map: http://fallenenchantress.nexusmods.com/download/24 (just replace QuestWizard_AshrillCry with your own quest name).
Credits:
What you've done so far looks impressive!! Kudos to you! Here's my feedback on the your tool. First I'll start out by saying though I have done a lot of modding, I've never before done any modding on quests so I don't know anything about them. I think the Quest Editor should be easy enough for a "Quest Idiot" like me to use it.
1> Because I know nothing about quests, I had a hard time understanding how to build them. The tool didn't help enough. The first quest I built didn't work in game anywhere close as I intended. The quest I wanted to build was very similar in structure to the Quest_RatsInTheRuins2 quest.
2> I think it would be helpful if the default view of the quest is something similar to the Order view that shows the overall layout of the quest. In conjunction with #3 below, some indicator (i.e. green check mark vs red X) to show which parts of the quest need more input and which are complete.
3> I'd like to see a wizard that allows you to create an empty quest structure based on the user selecting options from a dropdown. The options should be things like:
> Party Fights Mobs at Start Location
> Party Goes to Random Generated Location and Returns Item.
> Party Goes to Random Generated Lair and Fights Mobs.
> Party Goes To Random Generated Lair, Fights Mobs and Returns Item.
4> Then from the Quest Layout Window mentioned in #2 above, the user can select each step and fill in the details.
5> The same Wizard (or a different Wizard) might also load all existing quests and allow the user to edit existing quests and save them as modded quests.
I hear you. I've debated over this for a long while. My first thought was to create a very basic quest wizard that would do as you said, however, the very first comments I got were I want to add this or how can I change that, which led me to making it more customizable and therefore more complicated. I think we could make a quest wizard that is very basic, but I wonder if that will have lasting power. I mean, honestly, it is not that hard to go into the xml and change the name of a quest and the monsters you fight to make a new quest exactly like the one you are modifying. I could automate that and maybe that is what people want. My thought was I needed to make a tutorial and then once people made a quest they would have enough experience to overcome the learning curve, and then they would appreciate all the options. Maybe not though.
The problem with me telling you what is required, is that I simply don't know in every circumstance. some quests require certain fields and some can be remarkably empty. It is very tough to tell what needs to be in the quest. I've sent out questions for the team, but I haven't heard back recently (something about being busy with the release I think ). So, what I would ask are what things would you want to change for a quest. Give me a list, like:
1 - title
2 - Picture of the quest
3 - Responses for the quest
4 - Description of the quest
5 - quest location (i.e. ruins, hut, etc.)
6 - reward for the quest
7 - monsters to fight for the quest
8 - requirements for certain options to show up
9 - rewards at intermediate stages of the quest
10 - pictures of the rewards
11 - item requirements for success
etc...
As you can see it starts getting big real quick, if we could really limit the list to 10 things you wanted to change. I think I could make a basic quest wizard, but anymore than that and you get back into the "advanced" editor you have now. And if you want to edit a quest you've already made, it becomes complicated again.
I'm open to making a basic quest wizard, but I guarantee that the first requests I'll get are to add more things you can change with it.
Edit: I assume you know that you can already load existing quests and modify them, right? For example you can load the rats in the ruin quest and modify it all you want, and then save it to a new file (make sure you give it a new internal name too - just edit it in the save window before you save it).
I do think this is a worthwhile tool and I'm glad you took it on. I'd offer to help you with it but you indicated you feel you have enough help already so I've held back. However, if you change your mind, let me know and I'll be glad to pitch in.
I think the advantage of having the Wizard I described is that it gives the ability for noobs like me to create basic quests then start to add to them as my imagination and confidence grows. While at the same time, it preserves the workflow you've already done that I guess will more easily handle more complex or different types of quests. I've tried editing the XML directly and even that takes time to figure out so this tool is not wasted on relatively simple quests.
I'm not suggesting the empty quest behind the scenes needs to have EVERY field. Only the high-level structure enough to create the tree-view of the quest that resembles the current "Order" dialog.
Lastly, I hope you're not offended by my suggestions. I thought you would value a noob's thoughts and perspective. And if you don't mind me saying so, I think the right course would be to start of with a tool that an idiot like me can use first, then grow it to handle more complex quests. But do take future growth into account so you don't have to redesign the entire tool to make it handle the more complex. And I think the current layout and workflow of the tool will handle more complex quests. I'm just suggesting one new "Quest View" and a jumpstart Wizard to provide the basics.
Edit: I did not know you could open an existing game quest. I'll give that a try after work! Thanks!
Edit 2: You and others here know a lot more about creating quests than I do so if my suggestions are not practical then feel free to disregard them with zero hard feelings on my part!!
I think its cool Murteas, while it requires some getting used to, atleast its more open-ended than a simpler program, and to me will last longer, I only doesn't touch it since I have experienced some bugs in the game and are waiting for new releases for the game to work properly (While I opened up a few other games)
When not playing the game I don't use tools as much and cant report bugs, but when my interest spikes again I will most certainly use the Quest editor, it seems simple enough that I can figure out how it works by myself (I do have extensive experience with the game from playing the beta though)
Sincerely~ Kongdej
Not offended at all. It's hard to get emotion across in a forum post. I am mostly frustrated because I feel exactly like you do, and I started out simple, but then it evolved into something more complex. In any case, I am going to post the code to github at some point, so that we can have a community owned project.
If anyone could make a tutorial that would be the most helpful, but I am afraid that I probably will be the one to do that.
@Kongdej - Thanks for the encouragement. Definitely submit feedback as you use the quest Editor.
I'm having trouble with the program crashing the instant I click "create quest". I don't think I've done anything wrong but I'm not sure what to do differently.
I am still having issues with this I have got .net 4.0 and I have tried to reinstall it but I still have not been able to get it working
Do you have the game installed on the same computer you are running the quest wizard? Does it give you a popup at all when it crashes? If so can you post what it says?
What exactly is the problem you are having? Is it crashing or giving an error message?
Well it just crashes and it says "QuestWizard has stopped working"
Murteas,
This is what I had in mind for a Tree View. Basically, you're displaying the entire quest in a clear, easy to understand set of steps that can be drilled down into to see where everything is. (Note the Plus (+) and Minus (-) signs in the far left column that allows you to expand each section. How granular you allow the drill down to go is up to you and can be done in stages. I would start by just getting the basic quest info <QuestDef>, each objective <QuestObjectiveDef> and the <QuestChoiceDef> and <QuestConditionDef> tags beneath them in the treeview and others later. Put a button in the treeview that allows the user to go directly to the Objective dialog to edit it and have the treeview refresh each time a "Done" button is clicked.
Though I have not used one in a while, I'm pretty sure a TreeView is a component in VS.Net and you should be able to get one to work the way I described.
Anyway, that's the basic idea. I'm sure you understand constructing quests much better than I do and can flesh out the details better than I can.
I like this idea and actually had started with a tree view initially but abandoned it as I think the .Net tree view object is very unfriendly, I'll look at it again and see if I can't get it working. Unfortunately, I am still in a big crunch time at work, so my modding time is very limited right now. I am hoping to have more time in a week or so.
Yes, it's on the same computer. When I click create quest the only popup that shows is one that says "Quest wizard has stopped working. Windows is searching for a solution to the problem" and " a problem has caused the program to stop working correctly. Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available."
Those with problems crashing. You may try to download and install .NET manually to see if it fixes the problems (either do a reinstall or a repair install). Here is the link to .NET 4.0 http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=17851
Working on a basic quest wizard today. I'll have something to try out soon.
If anyone is in the mood to help out. Could you try this quest and let me know if it works for you. I keep getting the Alchemist's offer quest (even though this should be a random event after turn 3). I'd appreciate any help. I think my install might be messed up.
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12727985/QuestWizard_TheTravellingCircus.xml
Hi! A lurker here... Murteas, I've been playing with your Quest Editor for a couple days and I'm having the same problem. I can get quests associated with a physical location to show up and work properly, but anything built on a timer is not producing one of my quests, it's pulling one of the events from the core game instead. I almost wondered if there was some quest/event index it was pulling from.
Weird. That must be a new thing since version 1.0. It never used to do that. Quests that used to work are now doing "wonky" things like starting pre-existing quests. OK, I'll start a bug thread with the problem. Thank you for the confirmation. I thought I was going crazy as I couldn't see what was wrong with the quest (it's not that complicated).
As for the index, it's not something that I'm aware of, unless it was introduced in the latest version.
edit: The bug is posted here: https://forums.elementalgame.com/436023 - post more info if you have any.
Nope, not crazy... And I forgot to thank you for making this tool, you did a great job!
I only started playing with it saturday, so I had thought maybe turn-based events weren't working yet... Very interesting that they used to in beta!
I look forward to it working again!
(and the quest index was pure, uneducated speculation on my part, so please disregard!)
Apparently the Population count will work, but turn based events won't (I could have sworn they worked in the beta). In any case, Derek responded in the post, so hopefully they'll fix it eventually.
Those turn based events can be put in the game directory where the other quests are located. (No need to change any files just copy your files there) and they will work in game. Until they sort out getting the game to correctly read the other directory, this is at least a temporary fix. (Not recommending it, but if you are desparate it works).
Good work on this stuff Murteas.
Agreed. Good point. This is a good way to test your quests if nothing else.
Ok, posted first version of the simplified Quest Creator (see OP). It isn't prettified yet, but it will make quests of a couple types. Feel free to try it out. I am going to watch the downloads/feedback to see if this is something that people really want or if I should just work on a tutorial for the more advanced version.
Hm, the link for the Basic Creator doesn't seem to be working. Is it just me?
It should just take you to the wincustomize page. You probably can just go to the quest wizard page and then search for the basic creator.
I just checked and both work for me. If you still can't get it, let me know and I'll post it on a secondary link.
murteas, it is probably the issue of stardock having to authorise the download availability, after the authorization the link should work, but untill the authourization no way for other than the uploader & stardock to see the file. I hit this issue way back in time with my map updater for sins.
harpo
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