Monster Property Questions

[Myster Stranger]

So, I have a few questions regarding HPL3 that I'm currently digging through the helper files to find out, but if someone could give me a straight answer or help me work towards applying those helper scripts towards an outright solution, I'd appreciate it immensely. Basically, I have a few inventive ideas regarding monster modifications, but a large amount of them require both complete control over monster damage as well as a removal of the instant knockdown system. The level editor lists properties that would be helpful, but A: Most monsters are an instant knockdown by default, and changing the knock down property has no effect on this, and B: If the Debug menu is to be believed, the damage of NPC's cannot be modified effectively through the editor, as I have tested various monsters with various values for this number and they all seem to indicate a complete lack of change in attack damage. All my more inventive map ideas are basically caught in this roadblock at the moment, and any help on the issue would be very much appreciated.

[WALP]

if you can't stop the knockdown script maybe you can modify it instead(to under certain conditions not do anything or just do what you want in particular)? not sure but I think it should be accessible.

[Myster Stranger]

if you can't stop the knockdown script maybe you can modify it instead(to under certain conditions not do anything or just do what you want in particular)? not sure but I think it should be accessible.

Well, one example of something I'd want to do is partial damage, creating land based enemies that would swarm the player and nip at their shins without instantly knocking them down, essentially creating a game of "the floor is lava" wherein players must use a series of tables and physics objects to bridge their way through a room. That being said, I can still create such a scenario, I just wish it allowed more room for error. I like your idea of modifying the code, but if I were to create my own alternative script folder with the modified code, how would I go about getting the game to read that script instead of the default? For instance, modifying the behavior/attack power of an infected_maintenance agent?

[GhylTarvoke]

Well, one example of something I'd want to do is partial damage, creating land based enemies that would swarm the player and nip at their shins without instantly knocking them down

Sounds like the Viperfish in the abyss - maybe you can follow that example?

[Myster Stranger]

Sounds like the Viperfish in the abyss - maybe you can follow that example?

I'd love to, but the viperfish isn't capable of killing the player by default. I managed to increase its damage in the script\custom_depthcritter_wau_swarm_agent_fish.hps, but this solution isn't suitable for a mod package. With that being said, any idea how one would go about adding script replacements for AI properties to a custom story? If there was some magical "replace references to this file with this file" function, that'd be fantastic,

[WALP]

um...not sure how to say this but...
yeah this is HPL3

you can replace everything.

[Myster Stranger]

um...not sure how to say this but...
yeah this is HPL3

you can replace everything.

That's great, I figured as such, now what's the process to get a replacement implemented in a custom story? Do I just copy all the scripts to a folder in the mod folder and reference them instead in the #include? is there an easier way? So many questions, such little time,

[WALP]

just have a similar folder setup and name the file the same. Then after that make sure to include the folders in resources.cfg

fx:
in mod:
mymod/script/helpers/helper_ai.hps

in Soma:

SOMA/script/helpers/helper_ai.hps


HPL3 will give priority to the file in your folder first, as long as that folder is included in the mod's resources.cfg.

[Myster Stranger]

just have a similar folder setup and name the file the same. Then after that make sure to include the folders in resources.cfg

fx:
in mod:
mymod/script/helpers/helper_ai.hps

in Soma:

SOMA/script/helpers/helper_ai.hps


HPL3 will give priority to the file in your folder first, as long as that folder is included in the mod's resources.cfg.

The resources.cfg bit was what I was missing, was so close and yet so far... and thanks a lot, I appreciate your speediness,