Scripting

**Auralous** · 01-04-2012, 02:45 AM

Hi all, I'm new to this community but have always loved Amnesia, and played through White Night as well. I love customizing, and making my own things, but have never made my own mod for a game before. I am confident that I can learn how to map in due time with the Level Editor and many tutorials. My only question is, since I have never coded or scripted something like... ever before, I am completely new to it, is modding actually possible still for people like me? I actually don't know how difficult scripting events can be, especially on White Night level. I know I can't learn it all overnight, I just wanted an idea and some hope that I can make my own well made game without years of coding knowledge.

Thanks!

**Statyk** · 01-04-2012, 02:51 AM

Honestly, what I did was study and mimic other modders' scripts. Used a FEW tutorials (mainly self-taught) and once I got the feel for it, I began to test my own scripts. As simple as screen effects, timers, collide areas... Now I've been getting into "if" functions (worry about those after you get the hang of the basics) and other "moderate" functions. But I'm not the best. Another thing that helped me was to use the Frictional Games wiki tutorials as well as the function list.

Download a simple campaign and study how it's functions work towards the game and also keep an eye on the script function list as well! It's your guide, your blueprint to getting the hang of scripting. HPL scripting isn't too hard for the basics. Save the hard stuff for MUCH later =]

**Makoton** · 01-04-2012, 02:53 AM

Let me just take the time to say "welcome to the community!," before telling you that the script FG uses is clean and extremely easy to learn. Now, White Night level is a way's away probably, but you don't need prior coding experience to pick up scripting for HPL2. It should take a day or two to get the basics down; just search the forums for examples of script or, like I did, look at the script files for the Amnesia campaign. Study it enough and you won't even need any fancy tutorials to learn. Don't be afraid to ask more questions on the forums either!

Best of luck in you scripting endeavors and again, welcome to the community! :3

**FreshKorruption** · 01-04-2012, 02:53 AM

Yes it is very easy to mod and script once you get the hang of it. We have a website for people like you where you can learn the basics and eventually turn it into mods like White Night or La Caza.

http://wiki.frictionalgames.com/

BTW, I have only been doing this for about a couple of months and I know a lot. If there is something you don't know how to script and you can't find it on the website, post a thread in the Custom Story development category, and at least 1 person has the answer.
Happy Modding Big Grin

**Auralous** · 01-04-2012, 03:05 AM

Wow 3 replies in 20 minutes, thank you guys. I will definitely get involved in this community, I think once I get the hang of mapping (just started the program yesterday, so to speak) then I'll begin to delve into scripting. Thank you guys, a lot of hope.

**Statyk** · 01-04-2012, 03:07 AM

Always nice to see a new interest =] Best of luck to ya! And number one rule:

Have patience!

**kartanonperuna** · 01-04-2012, 09:56 AM

Yes scripting is my problem.I learned to use level editor well in few hours but scripting is damn hard for me.

**strattoni** · 01-05-2012, 07:36 AM

Hello, and welcome to the community. I am new, myself, and know exactly what you mean. I find that my issue is that the basic storyline in my custom stories often greatly out-shine my coding. I have also recently lost all ability to even get my computer to understand the coding I am force feeding it. The best cure is practace, or, if you are for any reason as incompetent as I, find a computergeek that is close to home. Mine is in Bath, England. The only probablem being that I live in the United States of America. There is no moral to this story. If you need help with a great storyline, let me know. Amateur to amateur.

**Auralous** · 01-05-2012, 09:57 PM

Patience is certainly something I do have in pursuit of a great accomplishment of creations such as these.

strattoni, I know exactly what you mean. Coding is my only real limitation, but with enough patience I'm sure it can be learned in due time. I currently don't have anything yet on my "story", not even a story. I would like to hear what type of ideas you have though. Personally, even though it's typical, I thought of something maybe to do with satanic rituals and religious-related (I'm of course not satanic in any way, christian in fact, but I loooove twisted horror stories). The creator of White Night did a great job with the story of a mental patient, so I don't want to do anything related to that.

Also, thank you guys for the welcome, I'm happy to be here!

**strattoni** · 01-06-2012, 01:11 AM

I thought about something simple like that, at first, but I had to remind myself that I am a storyteller, and would not allow my pure lack of effort to ruin the good storyteller name. (Basically, I write stories for fun, it is a passion and not a chore.) I have many good ideas, and have worked with litteraly nothing in the past. Perhaps if you wish to get a feel for creating, then you should probably do something simple. I have yet to get a feel for coding, or really leveledit, for that matter, but if you want a good story, let me know.

P.S. I would be overjoyed if you would be willing to use one of my storiesin the future. As a fan of Edgar Allan Poe, I can do dark and twisted with the best of them, if need be.