Creature additions without haks.

[Legacy_Savagefool]

               

Is there any way to add new creatures to the module without requiring the players to download hacks?

Thanks in advance!

               
               

               
            

[Baaleos]

               

If you mean creature models

Then the choices are:

 

Adding the models to the BIF files

Adding the models to the override directory

Adding the models to a hak

 

If you are talking about actual creatures, but not models  : then you just need to create them in toolset.

They do not need to be in haks for players to see or fight them.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Savagefool]

               

Your correct I meant the models! Ahh override, how would I say... grab loads of creatures models and blueprints contained in a hak pack and output that to something in the override-serverside. What does this mean for builders if I was to do this, would they be able to add this to module via an erf or similar type thing instead of loading via 'custom content'?

I assume the bif files are main files that nwn uses, i was advised not to mess with those.. and infact once all i did was add a line and it broke my entire nwn heh.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_kalbaern]

               

The problem with overrides is, when adding new creatures, players (and builders) will need them in order to see them IG. Hence, they are essentially required content and there's no good reason not to just add them via a hak. Haks are much, much simpler to handle than a large set of overrides which may or may not cause issues if the players also play on other PWs.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Savagefool]

               

Oh that's disconcerting, so I can't just add them to the server override and have them work for everyone?

So that's that option out.. what about bif?

Yer i know haks would be much better (using them for our PW) but it's not an option at all for me whereas this other server is concerned, the owner WILL NOT listen to me regarding haks in the slightest.

I was hoping there was some sort of nwnx plugin that could do this, since they add so much other functionalities that normally require all sort of hakage.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Zwerkules]

               

Basically everything visual has to be client side, be it models or texture overrides or portraits...

So if you add models server side your players will need them too, or it won't work.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Savagefool]

               

Ah okay, thank you dude.

               
               

               
            

[Baaleos]

               Yeah: hak's are useful for keeping models and associated files neat and tidy, however that then limits the players u can host/ cater to.

What I do is keep my server CEP2.4 compliant, then stream additional content to the players via a downloader app.

The content gets installed via override, making it 'optional' content.

Means they can enter the server without the content, but I just have to make sure they don't try to go into any areas that use that content, otherwise it can crash them.


If your hosting on linux, nwnx haks can do this optional content even more efficiently,

Either way- if you wish for the players to see it, they need to have it on their PC in some form.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_ehye_khandee]

               

I think that since we've all had a couple decades of conditioning / training, the hak pack is your best option. Overall, most users are competent enough to download a compressed file and decompress the contents into those two essential folders with CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS. It is not really difficult, still, some users will not bother about a download; there is nothing one can do about personal preferences of that nature.

 

Using a standardized hak - in our case CEP 2.1, gives our server content beyond stock NWN and best of all,  most users are already compatible with what we use.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Frith5]

               

Just to make sure of what you're asking here... if all you want is a way to see newer models of existing things in a PW you and friends are playing on, you can override. You say "the owner" wants nothing to do with adding .hak files, so I'm just a tiny bit curious if you're asking how to override the old models in that PW for yourself and your friends who are playing there. You wouldn't add anything to the server, but anyone who wanted to see the new models INSTEAD of the current models would have to add the override stuff to their own override folder (or make a new override folder, changing folder names when playing on the server if they want).

You probably already know all this, and aren't asking for that. But just in case...