Muffle the Elemental

Trolling the forums I came across someone crying about the water elemental idle "glug glug" sound. A blue responded with steps on creating an empty override file:

Here's a way I just tested and it seems to work fine. I found it on an addon site but it doesn't require you to download anything. I have to warn you though to use it at your own risk of course. Here's what you do:

1. Open your World of Warcraft folder
2. Open the Data folder
3. Create a new folder inside called Sound
4. Open the Sound folder now
5. Create a new folder inside called Creature
6. Open the Creature folder
7. Create a new folder called Waterelemental
8. Open the Waterelemental folder
9. Create a new file called WaterElementalLoop.ogg and save it. It needs to be empty, 0 bytes
10. Play the game and test

Thought it was interesting that an official agent would pass on something from "an addon site" but I suppose this is pretty innocuous. If there's a way of mapping out contents of MPQ files this would work for a lot of things.

MapTools Still Not Smiling

The group I play with recently upgraded to MapTools 1.3.b89. Naturally the GM didn't mention this beforehand so when I tried to connect I got a version error. I quickly downloaded the binaries and replaced the entire folder. Everything seemed fine until I used some of my macros. Everytime a variable was used it would repeat all text found inside a DIV before that variable. Using a TWF Rogue means a ton of variables so each attack spammed a wall of text.

It was like the client was being launched in a diag mode or something. Remembered there was a fix for this yet couldn't remember what it was. Couldn't find the right words in Google so ended up browsing the RPTools forums manually. Thankfully I found the answer in the Macros section: disable the Insert Smilies option in the MapTool Preferences (Interactions tab, Chat box). *sigh* Would be nice it they'd fix that. I miss the emoticons. If I knew Java I'd fix it myself.

While I'm making note of that fix I might as well include the custom launch command I use too:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre7\bin\javaw" -Dsun.java2d.noddraw=true -Xmx1024M -Xss3m -jar maptool-1.3.b89.jar run

CK: GetReference()

With Skyrim's move into object-oriented scripting there many questions like this one from Emhyr:

I have a quest alias created by an event, which is a non-unique NPC and is different every time the event occurs. I use this quest alias in scenes without any issues, but if I want to run scripts on that NPC that requires the object reference, i.e. GetDistance, I am unable to do this. How can I return the distance between the player and an alias?

Thankfully there are those like JustinOther who made the transition effortlessly and answer with precision:

ReferenceAliasProperty.GetReference().GetDistance(Game.GetPlayer())

CK: Teleport Trap

Interesting post about getting a teleport trap to work. Naturally Amethyst Deceiver immediately answered. Then someone else had another check to add when out in the world:

Scriptname Pitfall extends ObjectReference  

ObjectReference Property TeleportMarker auto

Event OnTriggerEnter(ObjectReference akActionRef)
 int isRider = Game.GetPlayer().GetSitState ()
 If ((akActionRef == Game.GetPlayer()) && (isRider == 0))
  akActionRef.MoveTo(TeleportMarker)
        EndIf
EndEvent

This will actually be very useful to me shortly. I'm going to make a large arena-type space. Thought about having obelisks to click on to teleport to different areas. Instead I could have arrows on the ground that can be walked on.

CK: Mark and Recall Spell

RandomNoob: I made and tested this script for someone's Mark and Recall spell. The markers I used were XmarkerHeading objects. I was able to move them to and from whatever cell they were in, whether or not they were loaded, with no problems.

Scriptname Example extends ActiveMagicEffect

GlobalVariable Property MyGlobal Auto
ObjectReference Property Marker01 Auto
ObjectReference Property Marker02 Auto
Activator Property Portal Auto

Event OnEffectStart(Actor akTarget, Actor akCaster)
    if (akTarget.IsInInterior())
            Debug.MessageBox("You cannot use this spell inside an interior cell.")
            Return
    endif
    ObjectReference PortalRef = akTarget.PlaceAtMe(Portal)
    Utility.Wait(2)
    if (MyGlobal.Value)
            MyGlobal.SetValue(0.0)
            Marker01.MoveTo(akTarget)
            akTarget.MoveTo(Marker02)
    else
            MyGlobal.SetValue(1.0)
            Marker02.MoveTo(akTarget)
            akTarget.MoveTo(Marker01)
    endif
    PortalRef.MoveTo(akTarget)
    Utility.Wait(3.5)
    PortalRef.Disable()
    PortalRef.Delete()
EndEvent

This script was posted to make a point yet it's handy in it's own respect. Source: Anyone know how to move objects from non-parented cells?

CK: Controlling Actor Casting Frequency

Two methods of getting an actor not to spam their most powerful spell: Il Ducey: Just put [this] as one of your effect scripts, and blammo you're done.

Scriptname SpellCoolDown extends ActiveMagicEffect

Int Property time Auto

SPELL Property Move Auto

event OnEffectStart(Actor akTarget, Actor akCaster)
     akCaster.removespell(Move)
     Utility.Wait(time)
     akCaster.addspell(Move)
endEvent

Redwood Elf: You could Only give them the low power abilities, and use states to "build up" to the high power attacks

Int BuildUpLevel = 0

Function AdToBuildup(int Powerlevel)
EndFunction

Auto State OutOfCombat
    event OnStateBegin()
        BuildUpLevel = 0
        ; Code to disable all but "Starter" abilities here.
    EndEvent

    Function AddToBuildUp(int PowerLevel) ; Needs to be defined in all states.
    EndFunction

    Event OnCombatStateChanged(Actor Who, Int What)
       BuildUpLevel = 3 - What ; Gets +2 if entering combat, but only +1 if "searching"
       GoToState("CombatStart")
    EndEvent
EndState

State CombatStart

    Function AddToBuildUp(int PowerLevel) ; Call this from each of the High (3) low (1) and mid(2) level effects.
       BuildUpState += PowerLevel
       If BuildUpState >= 5
           GoToState("CombatLevel5")
       EndIf
    EndFunction

EndState

State CombatLevel5
    event OnStateBegin()
       ; Code to enable mid level abilities here.
    EndEvent

    Function AddToBuildUp(int PowerLevel)
       BuildUpState += PowerLevel
       If BuildUpState >= 15
           GoToState("CombatLevel15")
       EndIf
    EndFunction
EndState

State CombatLevel15
    event OnStateBegin()
       ; Code to enable High level abilities here.
    EndEvent

    Function AddToBuildUp(int PowerLevel)
       BuildUpState += PowerLevel
       If BuildUpState >= 20
           GoToState("CombatStart")
       EndIf
    EndFunction

EndState

The first method does seem pretty easy. Yet as stated it would affect the use of that spell game-wide. I like the second method's attachment directly to an actor that you want to influence. Source: How to get NPCs to not spam one spell

CK: Creating Plants and Building a Worldspace

A few people on the forums mentioned the Hoddminir Mod Development blog… wow! Some great tutorials and lots of interesting reading. The mod I'm working on now could really use a new worldspace to play in so this will be quite helpful.

Forum: Need Help with a Scripting Issue

Someone on the forums was asking for help making a dialog box. They were familiar with Oblivion but still learning Skyrim's CK, so they posted Oblivion code and asked for the Skyrim equivalent.

ScriptName SpecialSackScript

Short button

Begin OnActivate
        MessageBox "What you want to do?", "Take", "Open"
End

Begin on gamemode
        Set button to GetButtonPressed
        If ( button == 0 )
                Activate
        ElseIf ( button == 1)
                Specialsack.Activate player 1
        EndIf
End

JustinOther provided the new script:

ScriptName SpecialSackScript extends ObjectReference

Message Property YourMESG Auto

Event OnActivate(ObjectReference akActionRef)

        Int iButton = YourMESG.Show()
        If iButton == 0
                ; Take
        ElseIf iButton == 1
                ; Open
        EndIf

EndEvent

I went the extra mile and pointed out that a Message object needed to be created, as follows:

Making the Cells in Grid More Usable

Had a few questions after my initial post about making it easier to read the names of people listed in Grid. With any new configuration one of the first things I do is change the cell width since it's difficult to use with the names cut so short:

As before, get started by typing /grid or right-click on the Grid handle if it's being displayed. Click the Frame tab. At the top, set Frame Width to 60. Under "Orientation of Frame" select Horizontal, as follows:

Then scroll down to the bottom. Set Center Text Length to 7, as shown here:

Names should be much easier to see now and the health bars work like the built-in raid frames where a filled box shrinks to the left as the person represented loses health.

The other layout options are all easy to set. Play around with them until they work a way that feels "right" for you.

Showing Custom Buffs and Debuffs in Grid

Seems like every guild I'm in I always post about Grid basics. It's so flexible that every class can make use of it, though I currently only use it for healing. Rest of the time the built-in raid frames get me by. The default frames with "Keep Groups Together" is now pretty close:

Unfortunately, when you choose that option, you can no longer sort by Role, Group, or Alphabetical. Alphabetical, by Group, is the default for grid:

Our officers will keep melee and ranged group, then use the Grid Order when assignments are necessary.

The built-in frames also don't have the ability to add desired debuffs to watch for. This is a prime ability of grid. The latest case was wanting to monitor whom has the Tormented debuff in the Heroic Baleroc encounter. There are three steps to making Grid display it.

Step One: Add Aura. Clicking on the Status tab there will be a box on the right to "Add new Debuff". Start typing in the box and Grid will show you matching suggestions. Type out or select "Tormented".

Step Two: Set Priority. There are a number of buffs and debuffs Grid will display. To be sure Tormented is shown instead of them, set a high priority for it. The Grid defaults are never above 90, so click on the new entry on the left "Debuff: Tormented" then move to Priority slider on the right to a value higher than 90. Such as 95...

Step Three: Specify Indicator. Grid can display buffs and debuffs in a number of different places. The most noticeable is an icon in the center of a toon's box. Click on the Indicators tab. In the left list click on "Center Icon" then in the right list, scroll down until you find "Debuff: Tormented" then click the box next to it.

Done! During the encounter, Grid will now show whomever has Tormented like so...

There's lots more that can be done but this is usually enough to get people going.