Help

I am a complete newbie to developing for EV. I've downloaded the EVN bible, NovaTools and ResEdit. All I really want to do is make a simple plug-in with some missions. I read through the bible and sort of gave me an idea or two about how to write a plug-in but it's still a bit confusing. It probably has something to do with the fact that it's almost 4 in the morning. Anyway, I'd really appreciate it if someone could give me some pointers. Thanks.

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Originally posted by kulong:
**It probably has something to do with the fact that it's almost 4 in the morning. Anyway, I'd really appreciate it if someone could give me some pointers. Thanks.
**

1. Go to sleep.
2. Wake up, hopefully refreshed.
3. Look at it again.

(This message has been edited by Blackdog (edited 05-04-2002).)

The best way to do things is by experimentation. Guess and check, guess and check, guess and check. Pretty soon, the hardest part of the process will be writing the dëscs.

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"What goes up must come down, unless it reaches Escape Velocity and flies off to Palshife to join the Rebellion."
(url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/vftp/dl-redirect.pl/TheChallenge101.sea.bin?path=evn/plugins&file;=TheChallenge101.sea.bin")The Challenge(/url): A deadly test of skill and power (new version 1.0.2 coming soon)
(url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/mrxak/Haikus/haikus.html")The Haiku Archive(/url): Collected Works of the Rabid Haiku Generator

Experimentation is a good start, and reading over the Misn section of the EVN Bible helps too. Actually, writing descs are almost easy. It's findng the speling mystakes that's anoying.

Matrix

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"Nothing is fool-proof to a sufficiently talented fool."

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Originally posted by what_is_the_matrix:
**Actually, writing descs are almost easy.
**

That's what I mean. The more you practice, the easier it gets.

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"What goes up must come down, unless it reaches Escape Velocity and flies off to Palshife to join the Rebellion."
(url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/vftp/dl-redirect.pl/TheChallenge101.sea.bin?path=evn/plugins&file;=TheChallenge101.sea.bin")The Challenge(/url): A deadly test of skill and power (new version 1.0.2 coming soon)
(url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/mrxak/Haikus/haikus.html")The Haiku Archive(/url): Collected Works of the Rabid Haiku Generator

OK, actually I think I can ask more specific questions now.

1.) When I enter the value for misn, I enter it at the "type" field, correct?

2.) Whenever there's a text, it refers to desc so I would've had to create a desc with a specific ID # and link to it from the misn right?

3.) Where do I find the coordinates for the systems?

Thanks

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Quote

Originally posted by kulong:
**OK, actually I think I can ask more specific questions now.

1.) When I enter the value for misn, I enter it at the "type" field, correct?

2.) Whenever there's a text, it refers to desc so I would've had to create a desc with a specific ID # and link to it from the misn right?

3.) Where do I find the coordinates for the systems?

Thanks

**

Actually, forget question 1 & 2, I was trying to mess with the Blank Nova Plug rather than creating my own so it got a bit confusing. NovaTools does make it a bit less complicated.

I still need to know where to find the ID#s for systems though. And also, if I were just to make a simple plug-in with missions gong back and forth from systesm to systems, do I need anything other than MISN & DESC?

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Uhm... one more thing... this "bits" stuff is confusing the heck out of me as well... <sigh>

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Quote

Originally posted by kulong:
**Actually, forget question 1 & 2, I was trying to mess with the Blank Nova Plug rather than creating my own so it got a bit confusing. NovaTools does make it a bit less complicated.

I still need to know where to find the ID#s for systems though. And also, if I were just to make a simple plug-in with missions gong back and forth from systesm to systems, do I need anything other than MISN & DESC?
**

Quote

Originally posted by kulong:
**Uhm... one more thing... this "bits" stuff is confusing the heck out of me as well... <sigh>

**

The IDs for the systems are in... Nova Data 2, in the Nova Files folder. Haven't done any missions yet, but I don't think you'd need anything other than that for simple ones- But later on you might want other things to make them more complex and such, suchas cröns. Someone had a very good bits explanation, right... (url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/webboard/Forum9/HTML/002642.html")http://www.AmbrosiaS...TML/002642.html(/url) there. Scroll down a bit to Firebird's post, regarding Mcdonald's menu. And, finnaly, in case you don't know, to make the ö and ďs and such simply type option-u, then the letter you want the ¨s over. Hope this helps!

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----(ClosetPacifist)----
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If any parts of the above message did not make sense, please ignore them. Thank you, and have a nice day.
"Mr. Napkin flies like a plane. Mr. Napkin eats cellophane. Mr. Napkin... Mr. Napkin..."

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Originally posted by mrxak:
**The best way to do things is by experimentation. Guess and check, guess and check, guess and check. Pretty soon, the hardest part of the process will be writing the dëscs.

**

Amen to that! I'm at the point where I have literally hundreds, probably thousands of descs staring me in the face. Finding the creative juices to write up hundreds of planet and bar descs is quite an effort. "This planet was founded by a group of developers at 4am..."

Thank God I can escape occasionally by making graphics.

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Gage Stryker,
Purveyor of missing links.
This post is subject to all the protections and benifits of the posting code
It's coming - (url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/gage_stryker/Visible_Menace/index.html")Visible Menace for EVO!(/url) Current as of 05/04/02 | | v 0.3.3 | | 22.3 MB | | 46% to Beta

That's why I make dëscs as I go:P
Seriously, though, I have the exact opposite problem. More graphics to make? Argh, I'll just go write some more and do that later.

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"Insert witty quote here." - Thomas Castiglione