Pen and Paper Editor

Patrick · Post by **Patrick** » Tue Aug 19, 2003 5:53 pm

Hey I was wondering, I would like to try and D.M. IceWind Dale in a dice and paper format to some friends, is there anyway to get info, like scripts and all text, locations, items printed in a comprehending format? Any info or thoughts are welcome.......

I'll make mine Targos

Virgil57 · Post by **Virgil57** » Tue Aug 19, 2003 6:17 pm

I don't know how familiar you are with the infinity engine, but I doubt that anyone has produced such a list. If you don't mind doing a little work, you can find all the info you want. The IE engine has been figured out in great detail and is pretty easy to work with (look at modify etc.). There is a site that specializes in making mods called teamBG (just run a google search you'll find it) they also host a download site for all of the tools that you would need to examine the game. The first program you will want to get is called near infinity or infintiy exlporer. Near infinity is a java based view/editor for the game that is very powerful once you are familiar with the mechanics of the engine. If you just want to look at stuff infinity explorer is your best bet.

Patrick · Post by **Patrick** » Thu Aug 21, 2003 1:59 am

Thanks for that info but if anybody has any more specific info for running a campaigne based on the IceWind Dale Series please post your comments

Leonardo · Post by **Leonardo** » Thu Aug 21, 2003 5:39 am

I am about to do the same with Baldur`s Gate 1. What I did was reading several detailed walkthroughs to summarize the main plot points and to get each area encounters written down. I got also a file with all items descriptions (useful to get the content of the several letters found). I got key dialogues from the game using Near Infinity.

Patrick · Post by **Patrick** » Thu Aug 21, 2003 6:49 pm

Sounds good, I want to hear more.
More about near infinity
more

Patrick · Post by **Patrick** » Fri Aug 22, 2003 9:24 am

Ok, I got NearInfinity, can any one fill me in on how to best utilize it? I tried to download Infinity Explorer, but I think I needed to be a member, Is this free or am I lost completely? I am not to computer literate so I hope its fairly a click at a time. i don't know wich files to click on for what.

Virgil57 · Post by **Virgil57** » Fri Aug 22, 2003 12:10 pm

since you have near infinity (NI) I am assuming that you also got the java stuff and got NI up and running. I this is so than I would not bother with infinity explorer as you will be able to find everything that you need using NI. The stuff that you will propably be looking for one NI opens up are the ARE (area files), ITM (item files), CRE (creature/NPC files), and the various scripts associated with each. The dialogue in IE games is kept in a dialoge talk file (its named something slightly different, but I cannot remember the name offhand). That should give you an idea of where to get started. If you want more info about the file types and structure of the IE engine (very good stuff to know) try a search for the IESDP. TeamBG also has a link to IESDP on their site.

Patrick · Post by **Patrick** » Sat Aug 23, 2003 8:28 pm

?

Thanks for that info Virgil57. But as I stated I do not know a whole lot about computers and could use some simple click-commands from you. I have the Near Infinity file on my desktop but do not know how to access any of it. You said something about 'Java Stuff", I don't know if I have it or not.
Can you tell me where I can find the ARE and CRE files?
And how do I access them?
Do I need to Unzip anything? I did Unzip NearInfinity to a desktop folder.
Thanks for your help, I hope I can make this work.

I'll make mine Targos!

Virgil57 · Post by **Virgil57** » Mon Aug 25, 2003 11:46 am

I am assuming that you got Near Infinity from the creator's website (I forget his name). In order to run it you must download the java runtime stuff. There are specific direction on what java stuff to download on the NI website. Once you get NI running you will need to open the chain key to the game you wish to edit, in your case IWD2. This file is wherever the game files are usually C

rogram files/balck ise/IWD2 or some such. Once the game has been opened you will have access to everything that you are looking for. The places that you will be most interested in are the ARE (area files), ITM (item files), and CRE (creature/NPC files). These can be opened in NI (once you get NI running you will easily find them as it appears as a standard file structure in NI).

Patrick · Post by **Patrick** » Mon Aug 25, 2003 9:32 pm

Alright Virgil57, thanks for keeping me posted, Sorry but I still am somewhat ignorant on the whole scoop. I went to Team Baldur's Gate site to download the NearInfinity. Do you think I'm missing something. I do see the ARE files and such but do not know how to access any of them. Thus I don't know if I have that Java thing you are talking about, Is there any way to check my version for it?

I am not to familuar with winace but does this have anything to do with opening the chain?

Patrick · Post by **Patrick** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 8:53 pm

REFRESH LINK
Thanks
Patrick
Targos

Virgil57 · Post by **Virgil57** » Thu Aug 28, 2003 2:03 am

if you got NI up and running it should look like the attached pic. From then on you just open whatever files you want to access. The are files I mentioned include the basic info of the area suck as current NPC, encounter rates, scri[ts etc. The area images are stored somewhere else (can't remember where I can try a look if you want) and are a bit more complex than just a jpeg or something as the they have animations and stuff.

Accessing the various files in NI is as simple as opening them on you comp, just double click the file. The info is hard to decipher at first, but you can get the hang of it. If its running like shown in the pic than your java stuff id ok.

Patrick · Post by **Patrick** » Thu Aug 28, 2003 7:11 pm

Ok, I'm still in trouble when I try and open a file it wants me to use a program to open it with. Does this mean my Java is not up? I think it wants me to use winace, Am I lost yet or what?

Patrick · Post by **Patrick** » Sat Aug 30, 2003 8:42 pm

Ok, Virgil, I double click on any of the icons and it ask me what program I would like to use to open this application. Does this mean my java stuff is not up? What should I do at this prompt?

Virgil57 · Post by **Virgil57** » Sat Aug 30, 2003 9:29 pm

OK. I have a couple questions:

1.) Did you go to the java website and install the java runtime stuff?

2.) Did you download the NI program or the source code?

Patrick · Post by **Patrick** » Mon Sep 01, 2003 11:35 pm

Ok,
Sorry for the comunication errors. No I guess I did not go to the java website and install the runtime stuff.
As far as what I downloaded I think it was the NI program but I am not sure about the source code. I know it was a very small file when downloaded.
Do you have any suggestions for me at this point?
What site should I go to, because I want to get the right file?
Do you have a link?
Thanks, patiently,
Patrick

Virgil57 · Post by **Virgil57** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 4:09 pm

Okay, you prolly got the program, not the source code. The program should be 707k. If this is not the file size, delete what you have and get the near infinty program from the NI site.

The link to get NI

http://www.idi.ntnu.no/~joh/ni/NearInfinity.jar

Now, to get the java stuff you need go to the link below:

http://www.java.com/en/index.jsp

Click get it now (it in the upper right hand corner and yellow). Run through the java set up instructions, install java. Then just run NI by double clicking on it. Then you will need to find the key file for the game, this will be in the folder for the game. Usually

c:/program files/black isle/IWD2/

Hope this helps.

Patrick · Post by **Patrick** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 8:56 pm

Ok, Great I finally got the right Near Infinity from your link, but I am having a very tough time installing it. It tells me I need a certain component and before I can download it the install process freezes. Any feed back or info you need let me know, (Virgil), Thanks
One step further

Patrick · Post by **Patrick** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 10:30 pm

Virgil, Man your the Man. Thanks, I finally got all the stuff in order, thus I have Near Infinity and the Java Stuff. Can you give me a pointer so as for me to know what direction to go in next? I open Near Infinity and its asking me for a file name to open?????
Well I am off to a good start so thanks for all your help, but please bear with me.
Patrick

Virgil57 · Post by **Virgil57** » Thu Sep 04, 2003 3:55 pm

The file that NI wants is the key file for the game. It is located in you IWD2 game folder. Just browse in NI to the file path (assuming you installed IWD2 in the default location):

c:/program files/black isle/IWD2/

If you still need some more info I can post some pics so you can see what needs to be done.