Weapon skins and modding work

I have played TOEE from the start, and have noticed that since the modding work the 2 most famous swords in TOEE, Scather and Fragarach, no longer look special. Fragarach use to look like a lightning bolt (sort of) and Scather was a beautiful blue shimmering sword. Now, they are boring yellow and blue bastard swords. Nothing special. I am saddened in that the fact the looks were beyond normal stated the weapons were not normal. Look at the Frostband. It looks awesome and I always have a character equipped with a greatsword for its use.

I am curious why the looks of the swords was made more bland. Obviously, this is perspective, but I am just as impressed by the look as I am by the ability, and I only ask if there are files available to reinstate the original looks.

I know Scather was made out to be a greatsword but that does not bother me. I would rather have it that way if reinstatement was the case.

 

Yes.

The slow, complicated but safest way is

-Go to "downloads" section
-Take a look at "Modding Tools"
-Download "Phalzyr's proto editor"
-Learn to use it. It's REALLY simple, and each thing has an explanation. You'll get the basics in just one night, and don't need to be a tech guy. And you could start your own moddings. REALLY simple.

Or the fast, simplest but risky way is

-Go to data/rules. There, look for protos.tab
-Make a copy or backup of protos.tab in another folder (one that doesn't have nothing to do with ToEE)
-Open the original protos.tab with the notepad
-Look on the left for the number 4017, that's Fragarach stats. Look between their stats for the number 10016 and change it for 10158 and don't add a space or touch anything else. The new number should be in the exact same point that the older one.
-Now look for a new number on the left, 4016, that's Scather stats. Search again between their stats and look for number 10017 and change it for 10161.
-Save changes, and close.
-Launch ToEEFE, and clean the game cachè (check the box in the options)
-If you have some problem, then you'll have the backup just in case.

I suggest to take the protos editor. It's much safer, cos there you have everything explained, and you could look exactly what you want to change.
And also you could make Fragarach a greatsword again, or change anything else.

 

Thank you in advance. I admit that making Scather a bastard sword is better, but I like the look of Scather as an original better.

BTW, if you make a Half Orc proficient with bastard swords, and give him dual wielding with BOTH Scather and Fragarach, guess what happens? (I know already. It was interesting)...........

 

I just wanted to chime in and say I prefer the way Fragarach looks now.

 

I just installed the patch and back to what was before. I like it.

I admit that some will prefer one look over another, and I can have it my way and you yours. Fair enough. I find the look adds a little favour above the "boring straight blade". One thing that does bother me though: many masterwork weapons have no difference in appearance than a normal one. For example, a masterwork greataxe is MUCH different than a normal one, and I especially take the greataxe knowing the masterwork version is cool. I cannot say the same for the greatsword, which you would think would look different in SOME way, given the base cost of the weapon.

I know, I know. It takes time to write it in for EVERY variation but with the more common weapons you would think that if the effort was made for some, then the effort would be made for all.

Just me. I cannot tell a masterwork spiked chain from a normal one on looks (and I always equip it) but in the game there are 2 separate added looks for a warhammer that is magic. One is the warhammer of Alreem and the other of the Dwarf fighter you encounter in the wild as a party.

To me the greatsword looks boring, and perhaps this is why I like the look of Fragarach, Scather and Frostband so much.

 

but why would one greatsword look much different from another even if one is better quality than the other? If it looks to different then it would be a different weapon.

 

A sword can look as boring as it wants to, as long as it kicks all the @$$ it's supposed to.

 

A car is a car.

There is a difference between an Aston Martin and a Ford.

You would expect a masterwork weapon to look like it is special, rare and expensive. I understand this is small detail, but given the fact the actual look of certain weapons can let you know it is masterwork or not only bugs me in that the effort, initially, was made for some and not all.

And you would think a greatsword is a popular weapon that many would equip too, so you think the effort would be made to point out the difference between a masterwork one and a regular one.

 

I find the emotional attachment I get to characters makes me enjoy the game more. IF the look, and feel is there then the emotion to get into the game is also. I was peticular in my PnP days to ensure this was allowed at all costs. Looks, even if it bent the rules a little, was made important to get players attached to characters. Why? Because they played them better. Cared for them more, took the time to maximize their abilities more......

Detail is what separates the passionate for the passive.

 

Okay, I'll grant that. But I'll also grant that if you are run over by an Aston Martin or a Ford, you are Still run over. And therefore if not dead, then otherwise Not Happy.

The same goes for a sword. If it goes into your gut or through your neck, the last thing you are going to be worrying about is whether it Looks cool.

 

It's a matter of taste.
Even the book says, a magical sword could look as impressive as Fragarach, or dull and boring like a simple short sword.
In fact, many magical objects appear to be a common and sometimes even in bad shape, till they are used or weared.

As an example, take the wizard's robe. I would like them to look more like Senshock's robes, or something like that, but for book's rules, they are common looking, plain robes.

The sword of Earth might look slike a crude longsword, made from one piece of rock, and barely sharp...it's a +5 keen longsword, that lets you cast three different spells with the earth descriptor, summon various (and Huge) types of earth elementals, once in a month you could raise dead, and shapeshift in a elder Erath eelemental, and once a year you could alter a geographic feature!


On the other side, in the table of treasure, you've got a ornated beatiful sword, with a gold handle, and a onix in the pommel...but it's only masterwork.

But masterwork weapons are BETTER than normal swords, yes, they are better balanced, or crafted or wathever, so usually a small minimal detail is ovbious.
Have in mind, that minimal details (like a better sheen on the blade) or a balanced weight it's impossible to make in ToEE visually; you could add a little description, but graphically speaking not (you've got 3 or 4 pixels wide for work on them), it's too much work.

I agree with blackfly tho, i like my masterwork or magical weapons ornated.
In fact, my items (like robes, clothes, armor and weapons) are strongly changed to my personal tastes, so much that the inventory icon doesn't matches the actual in-game model (i'm too lazy to make the inventory icon too )

And yes, i prefer the older versions of Frag and Scath ( but i use a bigger version of the new Scather for the Frostbrand , i don't like that scimitar-like model for a greatsword, and use that one for the +1 scimitar that later i craft to frost)

As i've said, a proto editor would let you change the model for any weapon you like.

 

Sellout!!

Okay, I'm just kiddin' Half Knight.

For me, as long as I get the bonus and kick lots of @$$, I don't care what the weapon looks like, though I do like looking cool while kicking said @$$.

If only I knew how to adjust thnigs like that and/or felt comfortable doing the adjusting. But apparently I'm too busy or lazy to learn. :shame:

 

stupid comparison - its like saying a sword is a sword but there is a difference between a rapier and a scimitar. a better one wouldv'e been the difference between an Aston Martin V8 Vantage and an Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS. A greatsword, as with most swords, follows a set of rules which defines what it is. A sword with a single edged curved blade and an open hilt designed for one handed use would be a scimitar. A sword with a large straight double edged blade with a hilt consisting of straight, down-sloping arms and a long handle designed for two handed use would be a claymore.

 

And actually, greatswords with the tiny guard in front of the main guard are for fighting other armored enemies. One hand holds the hilt and the other hand holds tha blade between the main guard and the tiny guard (the area usually wrapped in leather). This allows quicker strikes to the openings in the helmet. Eyeholes, etc.

It is a very fast style of swordplay that one wouldn't normally think of when thinking of "greatswords."

 

well, you could start experimenting with the protos.tab...it could be done with the notepad.(be sure to have a backup file, just in case)
It really easy, for example, a +2 longsword would read something like:

xxxx longsword damage 1d8 19 x2 slashing weapon bonus 0 2

where xxxx is the weapon's code, and there you could change for example the amount or type damage, the critical, or the bonus, (or add abilities) etc...really simple.

If you have the proto editor (search in the download section for "modding tools") it's even easier, cause everything it's in columns, and you have a search/help function, which lets you understand what's for exactly each code, how to change it, which changes you could do and where to put the changes.
In the end, you would find more fun changing things that actually playing

This told by a guy who barely knows how to turn on the PC. If i could learn it, anyone can. :yes:

Of course, have ALWAYS a back up.