cool

Parrot, here is the install instructions:  I suggest it go at the end of the EQM manual.  It is a pain, every time one goes to look something up, and they have to wade thru the install instructions to get to the content they are looking for. 

eWIP > Setting Up Your Install of ElementalQuest Master (EQM)

1 – Download zip file.

2 – Unpack zip file.

3 – Follow prompts.

4 – tell ElementalQuestMaster where your elemental game is installed.

5 – Happy quest designing.

Installing ElementalQuestMaster (hereafter ”EQM”)

Short version:  just follow the prompts.

Longer version:

Download  zip file to folder of your choice.  Suggest you create a folder for all your quest editing, and move the zip to that folder.  Unpacking zip creates three items:   [folder] “Application files,” [button] “Elemental  Quest Master, “  and [application set up button] –“setup”  looks like old vinyl records/disk. 

Procedure:

Click on ‘setup.’  Dialog window opens, click ‘agree’ to terms.  FYI: NET is software needed by many windows based programs, comes ‘free’ from Microsoft, and has been around for years, is OK. When finished installing NET, dialog box opens, hit, ‘install.’ 

Run EQM by clicking [elemental quest master] button.  Dialogue window will open directing you to use the OPTIONS menu [one of three tabs at top left of application window] to edit the location WQM will look for Elemental FE/LH.  You are telling EQM where to look for your specific installation of FE/ EH. If your E:FE/LH is installed on the C: drive, you may have to access administrator level access.

Suggestion:  create a folder named something like “archives first setup” inside the same folder as your quest editor.  Move the setup [button] and the zip package named ‘Elemental Quest Master’ into this folder.  This gets all your set up items into one place, safely away from your workspace, and easily available for a reinstall later, if you need/want to.

Funny caution: If you don’t tell EQM the correct location of your game, quest editor won’t work properly.  Maybe even  spawn ‘the creature that ate Sheboygan' ‘ who will jump out of your screen, commence eating your PC, then your home. j/k

end install instructions

I really appreciate the install instructions, as well as the idea of a manual. I'm hoping to give the editor a try this weekend(if I can stop playing long enough). I know squat about modding beyond some simple file editing, so workshop tools such as this are a godsend to me.

I've been having ideas of a LotR conversion for LH, similar to TA:TW or the ME mods for Civ, making quests based around the main events; thinking this tool will likely be invaluable.

The game always had your custom sovereigns in the database. The editor will update it's file of the internal names in your documents folder for identification purposes and help you track down the internal names of your things that you've made. So, if you use a custom sovereign as a badguy encounter, and you test run your quest, if you didn't update the database for the editor, it wouldn' t know if that was a legitimate internal name and so would flash up a warning in the log.

The newest feature allows you to look up all names within a list database. The UI is rather messy at the moment, but it does it's job.

Major tip: The quest will constantly update the XML file as you type ANYTHING. It will update anything you have selected that was already added.

Other things when you are working through this editor, it does make a mild assumption that you know somewhat how to make a quest... I recommend that you go ahead and open up the coreQuests and look through the structure of the quests in the editor. This will give you an idea on how things are formed up within the XML file and thus within the editor. Once you learn those ropes you can go through making quests in quick order.

Added a better testrun log appearance. Also, allows one to check the errors in the entire collection of quests. It only tells you the quest Internal Names, but it did detect 4 errors in the core quests that can be fixed easily.

Added a Entirity log - this will display ever feature in the quest, and check to see if the battle identifiers and other internal nemes as well as goodie huts are showing up correctly, (or a todo list for creation, as I currently use it for)

For those that are curious, I've been tweaking this editor for awhile now and I think that it is ready for anybody to test... I haven't found too many bugs with it, but if you do find bugs or things you would prefer to see happen let me know. I am currently going to take a few weeks off from modding this game to finish some much needed work I've been ignoring for far too long.

As it currently stands I've made 8 different quests, all unique in style (namely I don't see them in game anywhere) All within the editor with few minor tweaks outside. What is left is unit design, goodie hut icon making and other minor (time consuming necessary) things as such. Each of these quests were made from the editor and I've tested them in the game and via the editor and they work fine at the moment.

Would like advice or input on what aspects they feel needs to be improved. I know it's not perfect at the moment (as the version numbers state), but just would like some input. Been programming this in a vacuum. The manual is no where near complete, and I do have plans of doing an overhaul of the entire thing. It was a quick, here's how to do stuff tutorial, and make a quest for people to try out and enjoy. (Quest is not included with the files, you have to MAKE it. Yes I've tested it and as long as I made the changes to the original, the quest should run like it should.

Getting a lot of "Unhandled exception error popups". It does let me click "Continue" though.

The UI has many fields that are blocked by the fields or buttons above them. Makes it a bit difficult to follow your tutorial, but I am creeping my way through.

Leaving the EQM to scroll your tutorial PDF down another page on my other screen also causes the EQM to change many of the dropdown selections to revert to a default state. I'm guessing this is where I'm gonna end up with problems. I'll print out the PDF and not click any other program if this first attempt fails.

I'll provide more info after I finish testing. Gave up on Tutorial and loaded coreQuests and going to start from there.

And I probably have increased font. <--- old man here

For those that want a simplified version of the tutorial, I've gone through and grabbed screens and produced a rather rough version of the first part of the tutorial

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/75549875/Fallen%20Enchantress/Elemental%20Quest%20Master/Tutorial.pdf

Updated the quest editor to be more user friendly when reading the tutorial and using the editor at the same time.

Namely, it will remember your selection for all the treasures and encounters you create with the program. I did extensive UI work on the encounter side of things and corrected some errors that were occurring there, but in the process I might have introduced some errors, that I haven't caught. Looking forward to feedback from people that have tried it out. Let me know where you are catching these errors in the program. I've tried to grab every error in the program that I can find.

Updated to support the new changes for 1.3, the disable quest choice tool tip option.

Thanks. I enjoy supporting this game. If you have suggestions to add or adjust let me know.