Tutorial: Adding Help Files to Skyrim's Main Menu

Object: Add Help files to Skyrim's main menu.

Difficulty: Very Easy

Time Needed: Besides the time needed to write the files, about two minutes.

What You Will Need:

• The Creation Kit. The Creation Kit is the modding tool for Skyrim, and can be downloaded from Steam.
• Some previous understanding of the Creation Kit (preferably).
• The text for the Help file that you want to add.

There are a number of ways to add guides and Help files to your mod. The most common way is to use a book or a Message Box menu system. With the addition of MCM (Mod Configuration Menu) to the SkyUI,  it is now also possible to add them to your mod's MCM. 

This tutorial focuses on adding Help files directly to Skyrim's normal main menu. When you press 'Esc' ingame, you can save, load, read your journal, review your achievements, etc. There are also Help messages for guiding the player in how to use the game. It is possible to add your own messages to this list. To do this, two things need to be done:

1) Create a new message by navigating to Miscellaneous > Messages in the Object Window, right-clicking in the right-hand panel, and clicking 'New'.

• Write or copy the text that you want to be read in the Help menu.
• Make sure that the Messagebox checkbox is checked.
• I suggest that you follow the naming scheme that the other Help Message have: "Help[Topic]Long".
• Ensure that there are no Menu Buttons or Conditions. Click 'Ok' to create the Message.

2) Navigate to "Miscellaneous > FormList" in the Object Window and find the "HelpManualPC" FormList. Double-click to edit it. Now go back to the Messages category, select your Help Message, and then drag it into the FormList.

3) Save your plugin. Start Skyrim.exe and select your plugin from the Data Files. Begin the game, load a save, and press 'Esc' to test your modification. Navigate to the 'Help' menu, and look for your message. The Help messages are categorized alphabetically by the Message's name.

There you go! Your Help files have now been added to Skyrim's Main Menu.

Way of the Monk - Part 1 Updated!

My Way of the Monk Skyrim mod has been updated to version 1b. The 'b' does not mean that it is a beta, but that it is the updated, second version. I'm sorry for the long wait, guys. I've been pretty busy and haven't had as much time as I'd like to mod.

The full list of changes is below:

• Fix Unarmed leveling so that the skill is only raised when you are using Monk Weapons
• Seer Pillar now gives you the Seer power rather than the Dimensions one
• Fixed spelling and grammatical errors in "The Pillars" book
• Add a riddle for the Elemental Pillar
• Changed the Magic Resistance buff for the Elemental Pillar to 10 for balancing
• Added Progress on the Way lesser power that lets you check your stats while adventuring
• Added Choice Upon the Way lesser power that lets you choose new perks while adventuring
• Shadow Pillar now gives you the Shadow bonuses like it should
• Activating the Pillar of the Way now gives you the Progress and Choice lesser powers
• Changed Soft Resistance perks so that the Armor Rating bonus is visible in your inventory
• Changed Evasion robes to use normal brown and yellow monk robes to add color variety
• Changed IDs for areas with Pillars so that they can be coc'd to with the console
• Added a one second delay to the Unarmored leveling script so that you do not level at an insane speed when hit by a concentration spell
• Raised default attack speed for Unarmed weapon to 1.1.
• Leveled the Burning, Freezing, and Electrical robes so that they do not all deal the same amount of damage
• Fixed the Choice Pillar so that it now shows you the Unarmored perks when you meet the proper requirements. 

So far, I have not found a way to restrict Unarmored leveling to when you are not wearing armor. I am going to contact some people on various forums for help. Hopefully that issue should be fixed in an upcoming update or version.

Way of the Monk: Part 1 - List of additions

This list is for the use of those who want to test my Way of the Monk mod, cheat ( :-P ), or just want to read about all of the additions. Each addition is categorized by type and listed with its name and description.

When I say "Monk weapons" I mean both the "Unarmed" weapon the new fist weapons.

For any item, perk, or spell simply type help "item name" 4 into the console but replace "item name" with the name while keeping the quotes. This should give you the code for the it.


Pillars:


Managing Pillars:

Pillar of the Way: Adds perks that run the leveling scripts in case the player does not have them for some reason. Also gives the player the "Unarmed" weapon.
Pillar of Progress: Lets you see a list of your stats that includes levels, leveling progress, and amount of perk points. Also lets you see what perks you already have and read descriptions of them.
Pillar of Choice: Lets you choose new perks if you meet the requirements. Also lets you check how many perk points you have.
Pillar of Rewalking: Allows you to reset your perks. It takes all of your perks away and gives you back all of the perk points that you have gained. Warning: You can only do this once.

Power Pillars:

Pillar of Aptitude: Increases the speed at which your Monk skills level by 20%.
Pillar of the Elements: You gain a spell that lets you choose whether to deal shock, fire, or cold damage. Whichever one you pick will be applied to enemies when you attack them with the Unarmed weapon or with any of the new fist weapons. You also gain a 20 bonus to Magic Resistance when Unarmored. (May decrease this amount for Update 1 for balancing)
Pillar of Dimensions: Adds a lesser power that lets you teleport randomly around the battle to avoid damage. Warning: it's a bit buggy. Every now and then you end up inside a wall. I will fix this for Part 2.
Pillar of the Healer: You automatically heal allies within ten feet by 3 points per second.
Pillar of the Seer: Gives you a lesser power that partially blinds you, but allows you to see both living and undead in the vicinity.
Pillar of the Shadows: Adds perk that multiplies sneak-attack damage by 6 for Monk weapons.
Pillar of the Whirlwind: Adds daily power that temporarily multiplies attack speed of Monk weapons by 3.

Locations:

So far I have only added locations for the Pillars. All of these locations have map markers. Not all of them can be traveled to with the console, though. I will fix that for Update 1 and post the codes.

Pillars of the Way: Can be found slightly up the hill from the Guardian Stones. Includes the Way, Progress, Choice, and Rewalking Pillars.
Guardian Stones (modified): Added the Pillar of Aptitude to the circle of Guardian Stones.
Pillar of the Elements: Atop the hill on the island in Lake Geir.
Pillar of Dimensions: Island in south-east branch of Karth River. Follow the river and you should find it.
Pillar of the Healer: Hill-crest north-east of Sleeping Tree Camp.
Pillar of the Seer: Lake Yorgrim.
Pillar of the Shadows: Near the Shadow Stone. I may find a more inventive place for it later.
Pillar of the Whirlwind: Reachwind Eyrie

Perks:

Some of these perks have multiple levels. In such cases I will give the amount of levels. I will also provide the ID. In the IDs, x stands for the level of the perk.

Attack perks: (uses Unarmed skill)
Quick Blows: 3 levels. Your Monk weapon damage increases by 10%, 20%, 30%. ID: WoMPerkAx
Bleeding Hands: 3 levels. Your Monk weapons cause bleeding damage. ID: WoMPerkGx
Vitals Shot: 3 levels. Your Monk weapons have a 10%, 20%, 30% chance of dealing critical damage. ID: WoMPerkCx
Weak Points: 1 level. Your unarmed attacks ignore 10% of armor. ID: WoMPerkAA

Unarmored perks: (uses Unarmored skill, will add more perks in future for balancing)
Soft Resistance: 3 levels. Your Armor Rating increases by 20, 40, 60  when unarmored. (Bonus does not appear in your inventory, but it does exist. Will try to fix this.) ID: WoMPerkUx
Unencumbered: 3 levels. Your speed increases by 10%, 20%, 30% when unarmored. ID: WoMPerkUSx
Softened Blows: 3 levels. Damage from enemies using Monk Weapons is reduced by 10%, 20%, 30% when unarmored. (May replace in future version to add more interesting/helpful effects). ID: WoMPerkUEx
Unarmored Stance: 1 level.  Power attacks use 10% less stamina when you are unarmored. ID: WoMPerkPA

Damage perks: (uses Unarmed skill)
Deadly Blows: 3 levels. Your Monk weapon damage increases by 25, 50, 75%. ID: WoMPerkDx
Tiring Blows: 3 levels. Your Monk attacks drain your enemy's stamina by 10, 20, 30 points. ID: WoMPerkDSx
Critical Blows: 3 levels. When power-attacking your Monk weapons deal double, triple, four-times critical damage. ID: WoMPerkDFx
Fist Stabber: 1 level. Fist weapons (not normal unarmed attacks) do 20% more damage. ID: WoMPerkDH


Items:


All of the weapons can be found in the QAS testing room. Type coc QASmoke to get there. You will see a table in front of you with wooden ladles. On the other side are the containers that hold the Way of the Monk items.


Weapons:
See tom 349's mod. All of them are added. See BloodySunday's mod to see how the weapons will look with his retexture.

Clothing:
I've added a number of monk robes that were in the CK but not in the actual game. They were created by Bethesda but never added them to the world. You can see the colors in the screenshot tab of the mod's Nexus page.

Enchantments:


Some of these are adjustments or new variants of normal enchantments. The Robe enchantments will be scaled in the future for balancing.

Effects:
Bleed: Weapons with this enchantment deal bleeding damage.
Burning Robes: Flame cloak for 5 damage with 10% weakness to fire.
Electric Robes: Shock cloak for 5 damage with 10% weakness to shock.
Freezing Robes: Cold cloak for 5 damage with 10% weakness to cold.
Disarm: Weapons with this enchantment have a 20% chance to disarm. (will balance)
Escape: All incoming damage is reduced by 20%. (for robes)
Evade: All incoming damage is reduced by 10% (for robes)
Robes of the Way: Fortify Armor Rating by 20, fortifies unarmed damage by 10.
Stagger (Weapon): Weapons with this enchantment have a 20% chance to stagger.
Stagger (Clothing): 15% chance that weapons will stagger.

Item variants:
Bleeding Weapons: Deadric claws, Dwarven Ulak, Ebony Ulak, Elven Glaive, Elven talons, Iron Claws, Katar, Orcish Claws, Steel Punch Dagger
Stagger (weapon): Dwarven Ulak, Ebony Ulak, Glass perferators, Nord Ulak
Disarm: Dwarven Ulak, Ebony Ulak, Glass Perferator, Nordic Ulak
Absorb Health: Elven Glaive, Steel Punch Dagger
Absorb Stamina: Elven Glaive, Steel Punch Dagger
Soul Trap: Elven Glaive, Katar
Paralysis: Elven Talons, Iron Claws, Orcish Claws, Steel Punch Dagger
Burning Robes: Hood brown robes, brown robes
Electric Robes: Hooded red robes, red robes
Freezing Robes: Hooded grey robes, grey robes
Escape: Hooded green robes, green robes
Evasion: Hooded grey robes, grey robes (will change to default monk robes to add color variety)
Fortify Unarmed: Ring of Punching, Spiked Gauntlets (uses stormcloak officer model and stats)
Stagger (clothing): Ring of Staggering

NPCs:
Apostate: Melee version: Nord and Imperial; Magic version: Nord and Imperial
Apostate Apprentice: Melee version: Nord and Imperial; Magic version: Nord and Imperial
Apostate Master: Melee version: Nord and Imperial; Magic version: Nord and Imperial
Apostate Elder: Fire version: Nord and Imperial. (Will add shock and cold versions)

Way Of The Monk Release Details & Plans

Details:

Skills:

Way of the Monk includes many new features. The most important is the addition of two new skills: Unarmed and Unarmored. Unlike other mods, these skills do not replace existing skills, and do not even use the same system. Thus, these new skills will also not conflict with other Unarmed mods. 

These new skills will also level as you use them. As you fight with your bare fists or the new weapons, then your Unarmed will be raised. When you are hit while not wearing armor, your Unarmored will be raised. 

Along with these skills come three perk trees: Damage, Attacks, and Unarmored. The Damage perk tree contains perks related to increasing your damage and offensive abilities, the Attacks tree contains perks that affect how you fight, and the Unarmored tree lets you choose perks that (obviously) enhance your Unarmored usage. There are 9 perks for the Damage and Attacks perk trees, and 10 for the Unarmored perk tree, respectively. The Damage and Attacks perk trees use your Unarmed skill, while the Unarmored perk tree uses your Unarmored skill.

Yes, the Unarmored skill could use some more perks. I know. More will be added in later versions. The perks from both skills compliment each other, though, so it shouldn't feel too neglected. 

Right now, the first bit of gameplay forces you to choose the first perk from each tree before you can choose the second one. Not because there are actual restrictions, but because you get perk points before you get the chance to choose a new perk. This is because I have not yet created a perk to go between the first one and the second one. Doing so will help eliminate the stall in progress. Expect such an addition in a later patch or version.

The Skills are all managed at the Pillars of the Way, which are just up the road from the Guardian Stones. The Pillar of the Way introduces you to the mod. The Pillar of Choice allows you to choose new perks. The Pillar of Progress allows you to check your current stats. The Pillar of Rewalking allows you to reset your perks and choose new ones (can only be done once). In a future edition, these Pillars will be replaced with an NPC that lets you do all of this through dialog. For now, though, you have to manage your stats by using these Pillars.

Every five levels of either of the new Monk skills, you are given a perk point. These perk points can be used at the Pillar of Choice to gain new perks. The same perk points are used for both skills, so you can choose an Unarmored perk even if you got the point by advancing your Unarmed skill.

Unfortunately these are not the same perk points that are used in the normal leveling system. The scripting language for the Construction Kit does not have any way for me to use them. I have pinned hopes on the SKSE team, though, and hope that they will add that functionality. If they do, then I may be able to add more advanced leveling options.

Weapons and Clothing:

There is a plethora of new weapons and clothing. They all fit the customary monk-character, and can be crafted like normal items. There are new enchantments, as well, to enhance the Monk combat system. 

The new weapons are all from tom349's mod, with BloodySunday's enhanced textures. I gained their permission before using their creations. They can all be crafted, improved, and enchanted like normal weapons. While traveling throughout the world you may find them as loot, see enemies wielding them, or buy them from stores. 

The new clothing is a set of monk clothes that were actually created by Bethesda and can be found in the Creation Kit. Despite making them, however, they did not add them to the game. Luck for me! So, you get to see some new robes, while also being able to find specially-enchanted versions of them with my new effects. They have also been added to stores and leveled lists. They are craftable at the forge with linen wrap.

A note on the weapon animations: Unfortunately, the new weapons do not use the hand-to-hand animations and killcams. Why? Because the animation that Bethesda created was not designed to be used by actual weapons. Thus, when I try to add a model to weapon that uses it, the model either does not appear or appears obnoxiously between the player's feet. So, not my fault. :-( If anyone can find a way to fix this, however, I would be glad to do so.

Perks and Enchantments:

ALL of the new perks have been created by me. A number of them have entirely new effects that were scripted and design by myself, as well. The enchantments are the same way, though some of the weapons that you find will be enchanted with default enchantments. In total, there are 45-50 new perks, and around ten new enchantments that have been created entirely by me. That number of perks includes all of the different levels of perks, as well as those that are added for Pillars and items. Some of these perks give you powers and abilities that are entirely new to the game, built from scratch to enhance this mod. Others are unique twists of already-existing perks. Either way, they will all add unique aspects to your playing experience.

NPCs:

(Part 1)

To compliment the addition of all these new features, an enemy faction called the Apostates has been created. The Apostates are a group of Monks that use their power for personal gain. They are usually not organized into groups, but instead mix with the bandits and lowlifes of Skyrim. There are melee versions and magic versions. The melee versions focus on using the new weapons and close-combat perks that are added to the game, while the magic versions mix magic with unarmed. Both versions wear the new clothing and use the new items, providing an excellent way of finding the new weapons and clothing. 

They are also leveled so that you will not encounter ones that are two easy or difficult. There are the basic "Apostates" that are level 1, the "Apostate Apprentices" that are level 10, the "Apostate Masters that are level 20, and the "Apostate Elders" that are level 40. The Apostate Elders are the most powerful and will only be encountered at high high levels. Bring all that you've got, though, because they are powerful!

In addition to using the new items, they also take advantage of the Monk perks. Don't be surprised if they use some of the same tactics that you do! 

(Part 2 and 3)

Read the Plans for information on new NPCs and factions that I hope to add.

Plans:

My plans are somewhat tenuous, but are outlined below. Some of the features that I want to add may prove either impossible or too difficult. For now, though, they are what I desire to give you. 

Also, new enchantments, perks, and items will be added as I think of them or am supplied with new material, so they are not included in the list. Assume that I will add them whenever I get the chance.

Part 1: (current)

• New Unarmed and Unarmored skills
• New melee weapons
• New monk robes
• New perks
• New enchantments
• New enemies

Part 2:

• Monk follower(s)
• Joinable Apostate and Cult of the Way factions
• Radiant quests for both factions
• A mentor that lets you manage your stats, tells you the backstory, and can train you
• New scaling options to balance my leveling system with Bethesda's default system (may be impossible)
• New combat animations (I will contact the owner of the Marital Arts mod)

Part 3:

• Bases for the new factions
• Faction questlines (possibly hundreds of hours of work)
• More backstory in books
• Unique NPCs with quests

I can not specify exact dates, unfortunately. They will simply be released as they are completed. Part 3 will likely take the most amount of time, if I am even able to complete it. Hopefully, since summer is coming up, I will have a ton of time to mod. Real life gets in the way, though, so I can not know for sure what will happen.

Way of the Monk beta-testing begins now!

Beta-testing has begun!

The beta version of  Way of the Monk has been completed and is ready for testing. Please read the rules and advice below to learn how you may become a beta-tester, how to report bugs, and what is new in the mod. Please read the whole post before applying to become a beta-tester. It is fairly long, I know, but you need to know this information before testing the game for me.

Since this is a beta version, there will most likely be bugs. Please be patient with me as I work to fix them. 

Applying:

To apply to become a beta-tester, simply contact Woverdude and request beta-testing privileges. I will e-mail you the .zip folder that contains the .esp plugin file and the .bsa archive. Export those into your Data folder and you should be able to load the mod. I had some trouble getting the .bsa created, so if you have trouble with the models and scripts, then e-mail me and I will recreate the .bsa.

How to report bugs/make suggestions:

I have created the two forms for reporting bugs or making suggestions. I will send them to you in my e-mail. Fill them out when you find a bug or want to make a suggestion and your input will be added to a database.

Please keep your suggestions related to the content that I have already added, rather than suggestion a new kind of content. For instance, instead of suggestion several new perks, you can suggest a way to improve current perks. If you want to suggest new ideas, please post on the WIP thread.

What to test for:

Primarily what I need to know is whether the new items, enchantments, leveling system, and perks work.

You can either choose to test each item and perk individually, or you can run a playthrough as a Monk and see how it all fits together. Either way works and helps me out. :-)

What is in the Mod:

First, there are a ton of new items, all of which are craftable. These new items can be found in stores, crafted, looted from enemies, or found in dungeons.

There are around 10-15 new fist-weapons, and many enchanted variations of each of those. A few of the new weapons are not found in the game as loot, but will be used in later versions to create unique items for quests or bosses. The weapons can be crafted and improved normally. The animations are a bit wonky, but that is not my fault. Bethesda designed their handtohand animation strangely, so when weapons use it they do become invisible on the right hand. Their issue, not mine...

There are also new enchantments with new effects. These enchantments can be found on the new weapons and clothing.

There are also a new set of robes. These are monk robes that I found in the Creation Kit, but were not used in the vanilla game. Which was quite lucky for me. You can find them or craft them. They use 1 linen wrap to craft and are in the Misc. category.

New enemies. There is a new enemy faction called "The Apostates". They are a breakoff of the Cult of the Way that will be expanded on in later versions. They can be found in encounters and use the new fist weapons. They have a unique combat style, as well, that mixes magic and unarmed combat. They are very lightly armored (if at all), but are very quick. There are different types and levels of these new enemies.

New Unarmed and Unarmored skills. The Unarmed skill is raised by using any of the new weapons or by fighting without a weapon equipped. The Unarmored skill is raised by taking hits while not wearing armor. These skills do NOT replace existing skills, but are instead entirely new and operate through a series of scripts that run in the background. They also include new perks.

Perks. The perks can be gained as you level your Monk skills. You choose and manage your perks at the new Pillars.

Pillars. The Pillars are like the Standing Stones, in the way that they give you new abilities. There are two types of Pillars. There are the Pillars of the Way that allow you to manage your stats, and there are the Pillars found around Skyrim that give you unique powers. The Pillars of the Way are where you manage your stats and are probably the first place that you want to go. Here is a screenshot of their location:

They are just up the hill from the Guardian Stones, marked by a stone archway. Between the Pillars will be three books that explain some of the lore and provide you beta testers with the locations of all of the Pillars.

All of the new items can all be found in the QASmoke testing room. To get there type coc QASmoke into the console and press enter. When the game is finished loading, you will see a table in front of you. The containers with them are on the other side of the table and all have the prefix "WoM".

Legality/Use-restrictions:

Skyrim and all of its component are owned by Bethesda. All of the Way of the Monk work is reserved be used by me and those that I give permission to. Do not send the beta version to anyone without my permission. Do not upload the files to any website. Do not claim the files to be your own. Doing any such things will result in the loss of your beta-testing privileges and you will be reported for piracy to any website that you have illegally uploaded the files to.

Have fun!

Though my post seems pretty serious, I want you to have as much fun as you can with my mod. Go thou therefore, and have fun! :-) Though you may not pirate the files, feel free to make videos, or write posts/reviews about my mod as long as you mention that the mod is still in beta and give a link to this blog. Have fun!

Feel free to e-mail me with any questions!

Way of the Monk: Mod Diary #3

Work has been a bit slow recently because of end-of-semester school, but I have been able to put in a fair amount of modding hours on the weekends. Last weekend I added a whole ton of new craftable weapons, as well as some enchantments.

You can take a look at the Screenshots page for pics of my progress.

Weapons:


The new weapons are from tom349's mod Fist Weapons. I was given permission from him to use his models, as well as from BloodySunday's to use his retexture of tom249's mod.

They are all lore-friendly, craftable, and enchantable. The animations and killcams on them are a bit weird, but that is not my fault. For some reason, any weapon that uses the default Hand-To-Hand attack animation neither appears on the right hand when it is equipped, or is on the body when sheathed. This is not my fault, but the Creation Kit's. The way they designed the animation, it's not built to have models that use it. I am going to try my best to find a way to get the weapons to use the default animation, but I may not be successful. If you think you can help, feel free to contact me.

Robes:


As you can probably tell from the screenshot, there will also be some new robes. There was actually an entire set of hooded and non-hooded monk robes in the Creation Kit that were never used in the game. Fortunately for me, this means that they wont conflict with current items and will be new to players. Since they were all monk robes, they will also fit well with my mod.

Perks:


There were two perks which were not working properly. One of them suddenly decided to start working, though. I could not find any reason why it was not working in the first place, and since it is working now, I won't complain. The other one is still not working, but it should be fixable with some more coding.

Nearly done!


I'm mostly done! I just need to finish adding enchantments, fix that one perk, add some new characters, and write some backstory before sending the first version off to beta testers. Compared to the total amount of work that I have done, what is left is not very much. I have yet to decide whether I will add a follower for the first version. I'm not entirely sure how to do that, so I don't want to begin working on something that will extend the release too far. It may still be a few weeks because of beta testing and my own busy life, but it the first version should be complete soon.

By the way, if you want to beta test Way of the Monk for me, contact Woverdude and you will be added to the list. I ask only that you not distribute the files before I release the mod, and that you promote the release when you get the chance.

I will post more information on the release soon, including a detailed brief of all the new features and a plan for the release and second version.

Way of the Monk: Unarmed Overhaul, Mod Diary #2

Mod Diary #2

Pillars:

So, after tens of hours of studying Papyrus, posting questions on forums, and writing nearly one thousand lines of codes with around one hundred properties, I have finally completed the scripts for all of the Pillars that manage your stats in the mod. Not only that, but they all work! One of them is a tiny bit glitchy, but I aim to fix that soon. These Pillars of the Way will be used to manage and check your perks, stats, and skill inside the mod. For ease, you will also be able to use Balls of the Way (misc. items with the model of an Attunement Sphere) that have the same functions. These Pillars were vital for the work on the other mod to allow for proper testing and smooth use. They have also been added to the world and given a map marker for fast-traveling. Along with the completion of the Pillars, I have also completed every perk that the player can gain from leveling. 

There are some other Pillars that the player can find around the map (similar to the Standing Stones) that have not been completed, but they are next on my list. 

Enchantments and Focus Crystals:

They have not all been added yet, but I have decided upon them all and know for the most part how I am going to add them to the game. There is still some uncertainty on how to make Gauntlets that are both a piece of Armor and a Weapon, but I think I may have found a way to create them by mimicing the way shields work in the game.

Tutorials:

Along with all of this tedious scripting, I have learned a great deal about Papyrus and the CK. In the next few days I will post tutorials on making message box sequences, new skills, and (once I figure it out) weapons that are also categorized as armor.

Screenshots:

Pillar of Rewalking (allows you to reset your perks):

Archway to lead the player to the Pillars of the Way:

Pillars of the Way:

Way of the Monk: Unarmed Overhaul, Mod Diary #1

Mod Diary #1

If you haven't heard about my new mod project Way of the Monk: Unarmed Overhaul, check it out, because that's what I'm going to be talking about. :-)

So, one thing I decided about making this mod was that I was going to use the opportunity to help other modders improve their mod. As I make the mod I am going to be writing a Mod Diary of what, how, and why I add or take away features from my mod. I hope that you enjoy my diary and learn from it as much as I had to learn to write it. :-D

Please keep in mind that this all takes a lot more time than it seems from reading it. For those of you trying to decide whether to get into modding, realize that it will take up a huge amount of your time. While it only takes a few minutes to write a paragraph about a step in the process, that step could have taken hours or even days to complete. Consider this both a warning to new modders, and a request to please understand why I take days to do what may it may appear should take minutes or hours. :-)

Note: This is going to be a pretty long and detailed post. Just giving you fair warning...

First steps:

The first step in any process is always the inception of the project, and the planning. I started having an idea that I wanted to make a new Unarmed mod over several weeks. During those weeks I saw that, while my Unarmed Warfare mod did improve the Unarmed gameplay, it was extremely buggy and felt too much like a workaround. So, I decided to build a new mod from scratch, following a different concept and process from the first one. 

Scripts:

One of the main desires I had was to have a scaling system for Unarmed damage, as well as having a "skill" and perks for Unarmed combat. Now, the CK does not allow the creation of new Actor Values, which is the class of object that skills are. So, that meant I was going to write a script that ran in the background as the user plays the game. Here is the basic concept of the script:

There are three main variables that the leveling-system/skill runs off of:

1. Use

2. Mod

3. Level

Use is the progress towards the next skill. Mod is the amount of XP that is gained each time the player makes a successful Unarmed attack. Level is the level of the skill. These three variables are stored as global variables.

(The entire script can be found here. The font might not be acceptable to the CK, though.) The equation :

when the player makes a hit

then Use = Use + Mod

if Use >= 100

then Use = Use -100

        Level = Level + 1

        Mod = Mod - .01

endif

So, every time you hit an enemy, your Use (level progress) increases by Mod. When this has occured enough times so that Use equal to or greater than 100, then your level increases by one. When your level increases, Mod goes down by .01 so that the speed of leveling decreases over time.

Practical application:

At Unarmed level one: It will take 100 hits to advance to level 2

At Unarmed level ten: it will take approximately 110 hits to advance to level 11

At Unarmed level 50: It will take approximately 200 hits to advance to level 51

And so on...

Now, the number of hits would get unmanageably high at higher levels, but only if you did not have any perks or items that sped up the process. If you are playing an Unarmed character, though, I expect that you would, since they are available.

The Unarmed Damage scaling is rather simple. It is multiplied by (1 + Level/20). Thus: At level 20, you would do twice Unarmed Damage, at level 40 you would do 3 times, etc. To get the script, click here.

Now this all might sound relatively simple. But it took me a lot of time to plan, balance, and translate into Papyrus syntax. I started out knowing very little about Papyrus. I still do not know a lot, but I have certainly improved my knowledge.

Perks:

Overall, I want to have 20+ new perks/enchantments. That may sound kind of bold, and maybe a bit imbalanced, but the whole goal is to build an entirely new combat style within the game. To do that, I'm going to have to add a lot of new options. As far as perks go, you will be able to choose a new perk every 5 levels. There will be both an "Unarmed" and an "Unarmored" branch that crossover on occasion. 

There will also be a number of more significant perks that you get from special Pillars. Across the landscape of Skyrim there will be a number of Pillars that are similar to the Standing Stones. You will only be able to have one active at a time, but each one can significantly change your gameplay. So far, I have ideas for several pillars, which you can read about here. Each pillar will have a perk that modifies Unarmed gameplay and a perk that modifies Unarmored gameplay.

So far I've only copied the perks from my Unarmed Warfare mod, but I will work on adding new ones as soon as I have them planned out.

Managing your stats:


Now, you might be wondering how you will be able to manage your stats. Across the road from the Guardian Stones will be a set of Pillars that perform that function. One pillar will add the perks start the scaling scripts, and will allow you to view your level, level progress, and amount of perk points.

Another Pillar will allow you to choose new Perks, and a third will let you reset your perks. If you're worried about managing your stats on the go, don't fret! You'll also get several Balls that let you do the same thing as the Pillars. Between the Pillars will be a table with a book on it that shows a tree of perks and explains the mod and its concept.

Making this and the perks functional is what I am currently working on.

Enchantments:

I will create a series of new enchantments that can be used for Unarmed combat. They can be added to any piece of armor, jewelry, or clothing. Now, I know the objection that the player will be losing an Equip Slot by doing that. Since you won't be using any weapons, you won't be able to enchant them. I am going to work around that by making new items called Focus Crystals. They will be equipable and enchantable. In the world they will look like crystals, but when you equip them they will not appear on your body.

The work on Enchantments will begin once I have finished all of the perks, scripts, and managing work.

Items:


Along with the new perks and enchantments will come Items to implement them. There will be a number of new gloves, clothing, and Focus crystals that you can find or purchase. They will not use new textures or models, but will have unique enchantments.

Items will be added once I have created the Enchantments for them.

Enemies:

Don't be surprised if you encounter enemies with the same abilities as you! I am going to create a new Combat Style for enemies that focuses entirely on Unarmed combat. I will also create varieties of the standard enemies that are Unarmored and fight with their hands. These enemies will provide a way of finding new items, as well as providing an interesting challenge and aspect to the game. Around the

The enemies will be added once all other work is completed.

Feedback is appreciated!


What I need the most is feedback. I can only come up with so many ideas for perks and enchantments. Please share with me your ideas!

Keep in mind that I won't be adding new animations (at least for the first version). So, please don't ask me to create an entirely new, awesome ninja attack. :-)

If you have any questions about the technicalities of how I am adding certain features, feel free to ask. I will answer them to the best of my abilities.

For the next Diary I am only going to share what is new since the last update. This one is only really long because I wanted to let people know my plans for the mod.

Way of the Monk: Unarmed Overhaul

Way of the Monk: Unarmed Overhaul

I am currently working on a new Unarmed mod. My Unarmed Warfare mod was mostly a workaround and was pretty buggy, as you probably found out if you played it. The one I'm creating will add a skill. It won't be visible in the levelup screen, but will scale your unarmed damage and add many new perks that you can get. It will run in the background, but will notify you when you level up. As you level up you can gain perks by visiting various 'pillars' (kind of like the Standing Stones), reading books, or gaining items. I will also add a number of new gloves that add unique effects for your unarmed. In addition to Unarmed-related perks, I am also going to add a series of Unarmored (not wearing armor) perks.

As it relates to differences with my Unarmed Warfare mod, there will be no 'Unarmed Weapon' that you have to use to raise your OneHanded; you will merely use your fists. If you want an 'enchantemt', there will be a number of new unarmed-related affects that you can add to your gloves or other armor.

The mod will be called Way of the Monk (in reference to the classic Monk-class in standard rpg's), and will be built entirely from scratch to avoid bugs. Unlike in my Unarmed Warfare mod, I am also going to take care to make sure that it has as little conflicts as possible, by not changing a great deal of content, only adding new content.

If you can think of any enchantments or perks related to Unarmed or Unarmored, please share them. I can only think of so many by myself, but the more input I get, the more that I can add to the mod. :-)

Details:

The Skill: The skill will consist of a series of scripts that scale the damage and keep track of a "level". The scaling and leveling will work approximately the same way that the normal skills do, but will work in the background. You will be notified whenever you levelup, and you will be able to choose a new perk immediately, or delay choosing a new perk until later. 

Perks: You will be given a spell that lets you choose new perks (it will use the same perk points that the other skill use), check your level and leveling progress, and reset your perks if want to (I will limit the amount of times that you can reset them). These perks will be basic perks that give you bonuses and neat features as you level up. To get the best perks, however, you are going to have to travel around Skyrim and find a series of Pillars. Each pillar will have a unique, powerful perk, and will work like Standing Stones in the way that you can only have one active at a time. There will be perks related both to Unarmed and Unarmored that you can choose from.

Enchantments: I will add a number of new enchantments to the game. These enchantments will have effects that change the way your Unarmed combat works, the amount of damage you do, add magical damage when you hit an enemy, etc. You won't be able to enchant your fists, but you can enchant gloves, other armor, rings, circlets, and other wearable items. And that brings me to items:

Items: Along with these enchantments will come items that have have them. Because I don't want to add conflicts with other mods, I will simply add these items to leveled lists to be found as loot. I may leave one or two of them around particularly hard-to-get-to Pillars, as well. For the most part, these items will use vanilla models and textures, but will have new enchantments. I am not a 3d artwork guy, so I don't have the ability to make new models. If someone wants to volunteer some, I'd be happy to add them to the mod. 

Enemies: Just as you are going to start using Unarmed attacks, so might your enemies. So don't be surprised if you run into a character with some of the same abilities and items as you!

Animations? I am not an animator, so I won't be able to add new animations. I may try to find some way to  make the right and left hand attacks somewhat different (to let you have your own playing style), but other than that I cannot add new anims. If anyone wants to make some for me, I would GREATLY appreciate it! :-D

Schedule:

Since the work on Skyrim Books is not totally complete, it may be a while before the first version of Way of the Monk is complete. I've got Spring Break this week, though, so I'm going to be doing a lot of work on my mods. Hopefully I can get a fair amount of work done on WoM (Way of the Monk).

Tutorials:

As I work on WoM, I will write tutorials on various aspects of what I do in the mod. I may even write a sort of Modding Diary that details the whole process that I took to make the mod. If I do, then I hope you will enjoy them and learn from them. :-)