Bay 12 Games Forum

Dwarf Fortress => DF Modding => Topic started by: Inquisitor Saturn on April 08, 2008, 06:59:00 pm

Title: My first custom creature
Post by: Inquisitor Saturn on April 08, 2008, 06:59:00 pm
So, I made a custom creature. It's based on Deep Crows from Penny Arcade.
Some code was taken from Giant Eagles.
code:

[CREATURE:BIRD_DEEPCROW]
   [NAME:deep crow:deep crows:deep crow]
   [TILE:'C'][COLOR:1:0:1]
   [MODVALUE:5]
   [LARGE_CHASM][DIFFICULTY:4]
   [FLIER]
   [LARGE_PREDATOR][NATURAL][PET_EXOTIC][MOUNT_EXOTIC][EVIL]
   [BODY:HUMANOID_FLIER:2WINGS:4LEGS:4FEET:7EYES:2LUNGS:HEART:GUTS:ORGANS:HUMANOID_JOINTS:THROAT:NECK:SPINE:BRAIN:TAIL:16TOES:BEAK]
   [BODYGLOSS:TALON_toe:toe:talon][BODYGLOSS:MAW:mouth:maw]
   [SIZE:11]
   [MAXAGE:50:100]
   [ANY_TEMPERATE]
   [FAT:3]
   [ATTACK:MAIN:BYTOKEN:BEAK:bite:bites:1:6:GORE][ATTACKFLAG_CANLATCH]
   [ATTACK:MAIN:BYTOKEN:TOES:slash:slashes:1:6:SLASH][ATTACKFLAG_CANLATCH]
   [CHILD:10][CHILDNAME:deep crow hatchling:deep crow hatchlings]
   [NOCTURNAL]
   [STANDARD_FLESH]
   [HOMEOTHERM:10067]
   [LAYERING:120]
   [SWIMS_INNATE][SWIM_SPEED:2500]
   [SPEED:720]
   [WEBIMMUNE]
   [FANCIFUL]
   [EXTRAVISION]
   [BUTCHERABLE_NONSTANDARD]
   [CARNIVORE]
   [CURIOUSBEAST_ITEM]
   [POPULATION_NUMBER:0:1]


Sure, I'm making some assumptions on its behavior, but if they're anything like real-world crows, then they like to steal things.


So, is there anything I did wrong, things I should look out for, changes to be made?

Title: Re: My first custom creature
Post by: Greiger on April 08, 2008, 07:32:00 pm
Looks to me that it's missing a biome tag.  If my memory of penny arcade comics serves, it would be a chasm dweller right?  For that you would want to add [BIOME:SUBTERRANEAN_CHASM]  Also [ANY_TEMPERATE] isn't a tag. But [BIOME:ANY_TEMPERATE] is.  You can stack multiple biome tags without problems.

Also I never saw the [LARGE_CHASM] tag before.  Closest thing I can think of is [LARGE_PREDATOR]  But it's possible I just missed it.

Theres also not a default 7eyes body token if you haven't already you will probably need to make a custom one.

And I'm not quite sure Deep Crows would count as [NATURAL] it will work just fine with it but it might have some odd behavior effects.

Seems cool though.  I can't remember exactly what they look like in my head right now though.

Title: Re: My first custom creature
Post by: Inquisitor Saturn on April 08, 2008, 07:36:00 pm
Well, can I have 8 eyes?
Also, LARGE_CHASM is a token, according to the wiki. The difference is that the SUBTERRANIAN_CHASM token means that it will only appear AFTER the chasm is discovered.

[ April 08, 2008: Message edited by: Inquisitor Saturn ]

Title: Re: My first custom creature
Post by: Greiger on April 08, 2008, 07:44:00 pm
Copy and paste this to the bottom of your Body_default.txt file and yer seven eyes should work just fine.
code:

[BODY:7EYES]
[BP:EYE1:first eye][CONTYPE:HEAD][SIGHT][EMBEDDED][SMALL]
[BP:EYE2:second eye][CONTYPE:HEAD][SIGHT][EMBEDDED][SMALL]
[BP:EYE3:third eye][CONTYPE:HEAD][SIGHT][EMBEDDED][SMALL]
[BP:EYE4:fourth eye][CONTYPE:HEAD][SIGHT][EMBEDDED][SMALL]
[BP:EYE5:fifth eye][CONTYPE:HEAD][SIGHT][EMBEDDED][SMALL]
[BP:EYE6:sixth eye][CONTYPE:HEAD][SIGHT][EMBEDDED][SMALL]
[BP:EYE7:seventh eye][CONTYPE:HEAD][SIGHT][EMBEDDED][SMALL]

What this basically does is add a new bodypart and give it all the info the game needs to use it.  You can create almost any bodypart you would ever need through this file.

EDIT:Sorry bout the [LARGE_CHASM] I don't do chasm creatures too often so it dosn't suprise me that I missed it.

[ April 08, 2008: Message edited by: Greiger ]

Title: Re: My first custom creature
Post by: Greiger on April 08, 2008, 07:56:00 pm
(doublepost)
after looking again You probably want to replace 4legs:4feet with BASIC_FRONTLEGS:BASIC_REARLEGS too both 4LEGS and 4Feet also don't exist but the replacements do the same thing.  You may also want to just replace HUMANOID_FLIER with BASIC_2PARTBODY:HEAD.  Everything that humanoid flier is adding is being handled by the specific part tags.

Basically if it isn't in the body_default file it dosn't work.

Title: Re: My first custom creature
Post by: Inquisitor Saturn on April 08, 2008, 08:01:00 pm
Gotcha. Thanks for the info.
So I know now that 16toes won't work, so now it looks like this:
code:

[CREATURE:BIRD_DEEPCROW]
   [NAME:deep crow:deep crows:deep crow]
   [TILE:'C'][COLOR:1:0:1]
   [MODVALUE:5]
   [LARGE_CHASM][DIFFICULTY:4]
   [FLIER]
   [LARGE_PREDATOR][NATURAL][PET_EXOTIC][MOUNT_EXOTIC][EVIL]
   [BODY:BASIC_2PARTBODY:HEAD:2WINGS:BASIC_FRONTLEGS:BASIC_REARLEGS:7EYES:2LUNGS:HEART:GUTS:ORGANS:HUMANOID_JOINTS:THROAT:NECK:SPINE:BRAIN:TAIL:BEAK]
   [BODYGLOSS:TALON_FOOT:foot:talon][BODYGLOSS:MAW:mouth:maw]
   [SIZE:11]
   [MAXAGE:50:100]
   [BIOME:ANY_TEMPERATE]
   [FAT:3]
   [ATTACK:MAIN:BYTOKEN:BEAK:bite:bites:1:6:GORE][ATTACKFLAG_CANLATCH]
   [ATTACK:MAIN:BYTOKEN:FOOT:slash:slashes:1:6:SLASH][ATTACKFLAG_CANLATCH]
   [CHILD:10][CHILDNAME:deep crow hatchling:deep crow hatchlings]
   [NOCTURNAL]
   [STANDARD_FLESH]
   [HOMEOTHERM:10067]
   [LAYERING:120]
   [SWIMS_INNATE][SWIM_SPEED:2500]
   [SPEED:720]
   [WEBIMMUNE]
   [FANCIFUL]
   [EXTRAVISION]
   [BUTCHERABLE_NONSTANDARD]
   [CARNIVORE]
   [CURIOUSBEAST_ITEM]
   [POPULATION_NUMBER:0:1]


[ April 08, 2008: Message edited by: Inquisitor Saturn ]

Title: Re: My first custom creature
Post by: Greiger on April 08, 2008, 08:30:00 pm
That looks like it should work.  Now all ya need to do is make a new world, start up a fort in adventure mode or Dwarf mode and go hunting for it to see if everything works right.  Also after loading up a mode you should check errorlog.txt in the DF base directory.  If you made any typos or something doesn't work that file will usually tell you.

If you have the dwarf companion you can test it using that, so you don't have to go hunting for it. But it's pretty complicated to do, and easy to mess up. So unless yer a wiz with the companion it would probably be easier to go hunting for it anyway.

Title: Re: My first custom creature
Post by: GRead on April 08, 2008, 08:31:00 pm
Cool looking stuff, but one thought:
Elephants are size 16. Judging from the PA, that deep crow is probably more of a size 20. It's definitely not an 11.
This is, of course, assuming you are attempting to recreate it as accurately as possible.
Title: Re: My first custom creature
Post by: Inquisitor Saturn on April 08, 2008, 09:19:00 pm
Sure, why not?
Killing it probably justifies all the meat you'd get, reward-wise.
Title: Re: My first custom creature
Post by: Inquisitor Saturn on April 13, 2008, 04:11:00 pm
A nightmare appears!
code:

[CREATURE:NIGHTMARE]
   [NAME:nightmare:nightmares:nightmare]
   [TILE:'N'][COLOR:3:0:1]
   [MEGABEAST]
   [GENPOWER:5]
   [BUTCHERABLE_NONSTANDARD]
   [FANCIFUL]
   [CANOPENDOORS]
   [PREFSTRING:fury]
   [BODY:HUMANOID:4EYES:HUMANOID_JOINTS:5FINGERS:5TOES:2WINGS]
   [NOT_BUTCHERABLE]
   [NOPAIN][EXTRAVISION][NOBREATHE][NOBLEED][NOSTUN][NONAUSEA][NOEMOTION][RECKLESS]
      [NOSTUCKINS][NOSKULL][NOSKIN][NOBONES][NOMEAT][NOTHOUGHT][NOEXERT]
   [BODYGLOSS:MAW:mouth:maw][BODYGLOSS:CLAW_HAND:hand:claw][BODYGLOSS:CLAW_FOOT:foot:claw]
   [BUILDINGDESTROYER:2]
   [DAMBLOCK:16]
   [NOFEAR]
   [SIZE:20]
   [ATTACK:MAIN:BYTOKEN  :DIGIT:slashes:slashes:1:4:SLASH][ATTACKFLAG_WITH]
   [EQUIPS]
   [DIURNAL]
   [BIOME_ANY_LAND]
   [ITEMCORPSE:STATUE:NO_SUBTYPE:METAL:ADAMANTINE]
   [ITEMCORPSE_QUALITY:5]
   [NO_DRINK][NO_EAT][NO_SLEEP]
   [NO_GENDER]
   [MATERIAL:METAL:ADAMANTINE]
   [SWIMS_LEARNED][SWIM_SPEED:2500]
   [DRAGONFIREBREATH][FLIER][WEBBER][THICKWEB][WEBIMMUNE][LARGE_PREDATOR]


[ April 13, 2008: Message edited by: Inquisitor Saturn ]

Title: Re: My first custom creature
Post by: eisenfaust on April 21, 2008, 06:10:00 pm
Damnit, I had a similar idea.

I think it needs to be a megabeast. Just something truly evil.

So, who wants to make some stalagmen?

Title: Re: My first custom creature
Post by: Booken the Blue on April 29, 2008, 06:59:00 am
Definitely Megabeast. I'm so adding this one to my raw
Title: Re: My first custom creature
Post by: Inquisitor Saturn on April 30, 2008, 10:41:00 am
quote:
Originally posted by Booken the Blue:
<STRONG>Definitely Megabeast. I'm so adding this one to my raw</STRONG>

Awesome. Post screens when you encounter one

Title: Re: My first custom creature
Post by: Kagus on April 30, 2008, 01:22:00 pm
Deep crows are dark blue?
Title: Re: My first custom creature
Post by: Wiles on April 30, 2008, 02:37:00 pm
quote:
Originally posted by Kagus:
<STRONG>Deep crows are dark blue?</STRONG>

Making things black doesn't work well, items made out of black creatures are not distinguishable from their black background, so making them an alternate dark colour is a good idea.

Title: Re: My first custom creature
Post by: Kagus on April 30, 2008, 03:47:00 pm
Then why not dark grey?  That's what's being used for most of the black(-ish) items in DF at the moment.  Or perhaps rose madder.
Title: Re: My first custom creature
Post by: Wiles on April 30, 2008, 05:46:00 pm
I've used dark grey for black myself, but dark blue doesn't seem like a bad choice either. Dark blue is a colour associated with darkness, think "Midnight Blue".
Title: Re: My first custom creature
Post by: Inquisitor Saturn on April 30, 2008, 09:32:00 pm
In addition, crows have a blue iridescence to their feathers.