Hey guys,

I have been making a sword with the same functionality as Sting from LOTR. The idea its that it glows when orcs/goblins are nearby.

So far I have the sword working by using effectshaders which works really well in first person but obviously is strange in third person as it makes the entire character glow. Is there any way around this?

Also I have made the sword work on goblins but only the ones that have factions (ie. GoblinTribeA etc). Is there any way to identify all goblins?


Script so far...

Scn StingScriptref curActorshort cantWait; set to 1 if we find a hostile actorshort doOncebegin gameMode    set cantWait to 0    set curActor to GetFirstRef 69 ; find the first actor within the player's area    Label 10; use a loop to iterate over all actors in the area      if (curActor); did we get a valid actor?        if (curActor.GetDead == 0)          if (curActor.GetDistance player <= 2500 && ((curActor.GetInFaction GoblinTribeA == 1) || (curActor.GetInFaction GoblinTribeB == 1) || (curActor.GetInFaction GoblinTribeC == 1) || (curActor.GetInFaction GoblinTribeD == 1) || (curActor.GetInFaction GoblinTribeE == 1) || (curActor.GetInFaction GoblinTribeF == 1) || (curActor.GetInFaction GoblinTribeG == 1))); is true if actor goblin within 2500            set cantWait to 1          endif       endif              if (cantWait == 0); if we didn't find any hostile actors yet...          set curActor to GetNextRef; then get next actor...          Goto 10; and go to top of loop        endif      endif   ; end of loop    if cantWait == 1	if doOnce == 0		if ((player.getequipped sting == 1) && (player.isweaponout == 1) && ((getcurrenttime < 5) || (getcurrenttime > 19)) || (player.IsInInterior == 1) || (IsRaining == 1))			Player.PlayMagicShaderVisuals effectSting2, 300			set doOnce to 1     	endif     endif    else      	Player.StopMagicShaderVisuals effectSting2		set doOnce to 0    endifEnd

Thanks a lot.

This bit will help determine if its a goblin or not. It looks at the name and sees it if contains the word 'goblin' in it. This will work for all but two goblins in the game. GoblinCookA and GoblinCookB dont have goblin in their names.

ref tempref ;;The reference you are looking at to see if its a goblinstring_var refnameString...if (tempref.IsCreature == 1) && (tempref.GetCreatureType == 1)	let refnameString := tempref.GetName	if (sv_Find "Goblin" refnameString > -1) 		messageBox $refnameString ;;Displays Tree model path for testing 		[Do Stuff]	endifendif

Great thanks a lot!

So would this work?..

Scn StingScriptref curActorref tempref ;;The reference you are looking at to see if its a goblinstring_var refnameStringshort cantWait; set to 1 if we find a hostile actorshort doOncebegin gameMode    set cantWait to 0    set curActor to GetFirstRef 69 ; find the first actor within the player's area    Label 10; use a loop to iterate over all actors in the area      if (curActor); did we get a valid actor?        if (curActor.GetDead == 0)          if (curActor.GetDistance player <= 2500); is true if actor goblin within 2500           if (curActor.IsCreature == 1) && (curActor.GetCreatureType == 1)	      let refnameString := curActor.GetName	      if (sv_Find "Goblin" refnameString > -1) 		set cantWait to 1	     endif           endif          endif       endif              if (cantWait == 0); if we didn't find any hostile actors yet...          set curActor to GetNextRef; then get next actor...          Goto 10; and go to top of loop        endif      endif   ; end of loop    if cantWait == 1	if doOnce == 0		if ((player.getequipped sting == 1) && (player.isweaponout == 1) && ((getcurrenttime < 5) || (getcurrenttime > 19)) || (player.IsInInterior == 1) || (IsRaining == 1))			Player.PlayMagicShaderVisuals effectSting2, 300			set doOnce to 1     	endif     endif    else      	Player.StopMagicShaderVisuals effectSting2		set doOnce to 0    endifEnd

Had a look at your Centaur Project, amazing stuff. Would be a great addition

cheers (I'm from Tamworth btw!)

yes, that should work.

Im pretty sure there is a way to restrict the shader effect ot just the weapon, I remember hearing that someone did it somehow a while back......but i cant remember how.


PS: Brisbane here.

Really? I've been looking for a shader workaround for ages but haven't found squat I'll investigate a little more.

cheers

I don't know if http://tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2365 uses shaders, but maybe looking at it scripts might help you.

Generally if you want a Shader to only target a weapon you have to give the weapon an effect that uses the shader -> and just when your near a goblin force equip the glowing knife and force equip the old knife when not.

Its impossible to Target an equipable item through animation as it causes the game to crash for all items except Bows -> so you are left with pretty much no other option then having 2 different weapons, I have personally never bothered trying to through script attaching an effect shader to a weapon only so I can not help out there.

Thanks guys.

Yea it does seem that having two weapons is the only way to achieve the effect. However, if I went down this path would the sword equip noises etc occur and also would the weapon actually disappear for a split second from the players hand?

I did have a fiddle with using an enchantment type script whereby the sword would have a custom enchantment with a shader akin to frost effect. When the script was triggered it would then charge the sword causing it to glow in the players hand but it seems the glow only occurs when you exit the menu system