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- Request a sample file of a house (.erf) from a DM.
- Locate your NWN toolset, The following samples were created, using a NWN EE from Beamdog Store and not via Steam. Here it was found in the BeamdogLibrary\00785\bin\win32 folder. This may be different for you if you have the Steam version of NWN. The following BeamdogLibrary is on the D: drive but the default is probably C:. The file you are looking for is nwtoolset.exe.
- The toolset should greet you with a welcome window where you can pick the option to create a new module. Create a new module with one area. It does not matter what you select here.
- Then, with your new module created, go to Edit -> Module Properties. In the Module Properties window go to custom content tab and add the Soul Forge haks. If you do not have the haks because you used the new automatic download with nwsync, you can download them here: https://soulforge.nwn1.net/SoulForge_Haks.zip
- The haks need to be placed in Documents\Neverwinter Nights\hak for the toolset to find them. The Folder should exist already (created during NWN EE install).
- (Just for info: You add the haks to this module because the Soul Forge module uses them as well and they change some placeables apperance and availability. So if you changed placeables (Chairs and plants and all kinds of decoration are placeables) without the haks and then I import your area to Soul Forge module later, some things might be lost completly or look differently. There ocured some surprises with this ;) )
- When this is done go to File -> Import and pick the .erf from where you saved it. It should let you pick it from anywhere, it's in your download folder probably.
- There will be a warning about overwriting resources. This is because some scripts are included in this .erf that are also default nwn base resources. It should not matters too much in this case but just to be on the safe side select all for overwrite, so that the versions from the .erf are used, the ones used in Soul Forge.
- With this done there should be a new area (which was contained in the .erf you just imported) called _House of >enter your house name here< available on the left. You can right click on it and chose to view area. It should look similar to this (not a full screenshot)
- Now you may edit everything to your liking.
- Just a few examples that may help:
- You probably want to set the selection to Objects instead of terrain. Terrain is to change the map, the tiles, add rooms or passagesin this case. Object is to select all the placeables.
- At the top row hover over the icons to see what they do. I like to disable sounds if I don't intend to modify them anyway. Then the blue spheres or circles are hidden.
- At the right side you have your palette of things to place. For placeables its the table icon. Standard is what is in the base game, Custom are things that come from the haks Soul Forge uses you added earlier. It's fine to use things from both, Standard and Custom. For placeables there is more in Standard for you to use most likely. If you click on a placeable you see a kind of preview and you can just place it somewhere in the area with another click. You can turn it and modify height and so on, but I'm not really great at that. I usually ask TheBurner to make area modifications for me ;). I'm sure he has tips for you if you ask him. But you will figure it out.
- Then there is Terrain mode. The Green and yellow symbol at the top right.
- It allows you to change the terrain as it says. I know even less about this, I only used it a few times but again you should see how it works quickly.
- If you need more space check out Edit -> Resize Area.
- It's your house, make it as big or as small as you like and put in what you like (with exceptions listed below). You can also make a second (or more) floors if you like. Just add a new area and connect them via a door or transition somewhere. Place any placeables you like, too. I know people were told a size and placeable limit before but I don't see why we need to follow that now.
- You can put a custom NPC in there if you like, a pet or buttler or roommate but it should be not hostile. Feel free to add custom scripts. You can also add tradeskill stations in your house, for crafting. There was a limit of one or two and I think that is sensible still. So it does not give you a big/unfair advantage. That is really the exception I was going to mention. Nothing (too ;)) unfair to other players. Don't put a chest with 100k gold in it there that you can just empty again every reset. Don't have monsters that give XP in your basement or a magic lever that levels you up, that kind of stuff. Other than that go crazy
.
- If you have an idea of something you would like to have but are unsure how to implement it feel free to ask. My area is more scripts and TB does the areas but together we can usually get something working.
- If you'd like something like a secret tunnel to the Sudak undercaves or similar we can also arrange that. You would build the tunnel as you imagine it and then we pick an exit/entrance in Sudak (which could also be newly added, doesn't have to be an existing door or whatever).
- When you are done or even just when you made a small modification and want to see it in game and if this all works, right click the area on the left and export it.
- There should be an option there to add other ressources, like a possible 2nd area. Send the resulting .erf to an admin and they will add it to Soul Forge.
- Please let the admin know about any more "interesting" changes please. NPCs, custom scripts and such.
- Have fun!