I am so lost in this new CK. I really hope that some better documentation of some of the more obvious modding tasks is forthcoming.

Right now I am trying to create a spell with a script on it, that when cast will register the reference it is cast on, and add another separate constant effect spell (like an ability or something) to that actor.

For the life of me, I can’t even figure that much out, and I’ve been through all the tutorials. I’m pretty clever, and have coded massive database manipulation and report generation applications in perl with various pattern recognition scripts.

This is why I blame the lack of documentation for my frustrating stupor. Either that or the nanomachines have finally liquefied my brains.

I honestly have to wonder if all the sparsely documented guesswork with the CK scripting language is part of some sinister conspiracy related to job security, or specialized task elitism perhaps? Honestly, I get enough of that in my day job. Having to wade through it for a hobby just doesn't seem like fun to me anymore.

I just don't see why it is so hard to document effectively. Sign of the times I guess. It seems it must be intentional for SOME reason.

Is there anything in particular you're complaining about? For the most part I've found the wiki's documentation of Papyrus to be quite sufficient.

If you have a problem with a particular article or category on the wiki, it's open to public editing - you're more than welcome to raise your issues on its talk page or try to fix them yourself.

Cipscis

While I don't feel there is some elitism at work, I do get confused with the documentation, and always feel there is something important left out. (and I would put it there if I knew what that was). I kinda wish this was like CSS which I'm a partially good at XD.

CK dcos are largely copypasted from the GECK wiki

Terrible laziness all over, the additions they made for the GECK to accompany for the Fallout engine are just grayed out or stubbed, even the functions that pertained to the GECK was also copied over and overlooked, like the one article that mentions something about using a gun as an example...

I am at least to say very underhwelmed by the kit. People are having to do ludicrous things to get simple behvaior that the CK should already provide. Someone on here had to write an extensive script so you can get a projectiles location. I mean come on, this is just silly. I gave up on modding for now in hopes the SKSE will add some much needed functions. Having to script all this only leads to laggy performance due to running these solutions at the scripting layer vs the lower layers.

Huh? The scripting language used in Skyrim shares basically nothing with the scripting language used by Fallout 3 and New Vegas. It's not a new variation of the same language - it has nothing to do with the old language. As far as I've been able to tell, there is no documentation of Papyrus whatsoever that has been "copypasted from the GECK wiki".

Cipscis

As I have stated elsewhere, it is not so much I have trouble with any of the examples that actually do exist. Those I find were fairly well written actually. It is just that they cover such a narrow scope of the obvious things a mod script writer might be interested in doing.

To me, this has nothing to do with a test of intelligence or comprehension trying to decipher the new language. I know several languages, and have experience with the object oriented format.

This is more anologous to attempting to decipher a foreign language without a reference, with no “Rosetta Stone.”

I know I am free to edit the wiki for them, but I am just not up to the tedium of countless hours testing "OK, does this slight syntax tweak work? No? OK, how about this..." That kind of blind trial and error only leads to needless frustration and inevitable burnout, when it would take the coding guys all of five minutes to disseminate their magic words.

Guess I'm just not worthy. Somehow, all things considered, I can live with that.

Fair enough. I realise that it's easy to get frustrated, but the whole "the wiki is a conspiracy to confuse people" thing didn't make me inclined to want to help you, even though I know you weren't being entirely serious.

For what you want to do, you'll want to use a script that extends http://www.creationkit.com/ActiveMagicEffect_Script, so that it can be used in an effect on your spell. In that script, you can use the http://www.creationkit.com/OnEffectStart_-_ActiveMagicEffect event's "akTarget" parameter to get a handle on the reference you want, and apply your ability to it.

I think you'll want to use http://www.creationkit.com/Cast_-_Spell to apply your ability on the http://www.creationkit.com/Actor_Script, and http://www.creationkit.com/DispelSpell_-_Actor to remove it.

Cipscis

I've been feeling both for a few days now..and just..finally got my first script working...although as enthusiasm would have it, the next thing I wanted to do, wouldn't allow it. Taking notes though.

Cipscis,

This is exactly the type of stuff (examples) we need documentation on. For someone like myself who is just learning how to script for the first time, I feel that the documentation on the wiki provides just barely enough information on the paticular example that's being used and that's all I have to try to learn from. I feel like I'm trying to learn a language and all someone has done is teach me how to count to five in that language. Now I need to figure out the rest for myself. Please don't take this as a complaint because I realize Bethesda has many other important things to do, I just want to express how I feel (struggle) with what's been provided.

What we need are many different documented examples of unique scripts to learn from. What would have been great is while Bethesda developed the game and created scripts for things they needed in the game they had broken them down and documentated what they do. Then we could have a reference to look through to find something similar to what we are trying to achieve and learn from. If that's possible by looking at the existing scripts, then a detailed procedure of how to open scripts and understand what you are looking at (good documentation within the script) would be really nice to have.

Hopefully people will start posting (documented) script examples on the wiki in a "How to" format such as "How to script a paticular spell" or how to script a "You must pay an NPC 500 gold by Friday or they will come to kill you" example. I think something like this would go a long way in helping people understand Papyrus scripting.

Indeed, I agree the Wiki is well written, but the scope is very narrow, to someone who is pretty good with scripting, it is more than enough info to be manipulated and ustilised in different and creative ways, but for people who are new/ learning it is doing the equivelant of showing somebody how to fire a gun, and then sending them into a warzone with a platoon!

(but perhaps we should'nt derail this thread, and make a seperate topic that is constructive and informative so that people with the knowhow can see precisely what us new people need, and update the wiki accordingly?)

I agree with this. I did the "beginner script tutorials" expecting them to allow me to jump right in and do all kinds of cool stuff. The Hello, world! tutorial was a good start, but some further tutorials using different functions/script types would have gone a long way.


I disagree with this, as I don't feel its the case here. If you've played the game at all, you have the perfect papyrus Rosetta Stone. All the working-in-game-scripts the guys at Bethesda wrote are at your finger tips in the ck. Though you may not always find an example of exactly what you want to do, chances are good that you can find an example thats at least close.

As to your original post, I have primarily been messing around with scripted spells so far and can help you out if you still need it. I've got this thread "followed" and I will try to respond to any pertinent posts in the future.



If your spell is adding an ability you'll want to use AddSpell and RemoveSpell instead.
http://www.creationkit.com/AddSpell_-_Actor , http://www.creationkit.com/RemoveSpell_-_Actor

At the moment, I'm working on my own set of Papyrus tutorials to teach the basics of the language. Once I'm done with them (I'll be hosting them on http://www.cipscis.com/) my plan is to go through the wiki's Papyrus tutorials and do my best to improve them, either by making them easier to follow for laypeople or by adding missing or hard to find information.

It's often hard for me to see through the eyes of a beginner, so when it comes to example scripts I'm never quite sure if my examples are particularly helpful and useful. Do you suppose it would be a good idea to, say, pick a few scripts that shipped with the Creation Kit (perhaps improving their self documentation as well) and go through them line by line to explain what they're doing? Does any one have any candidates? This is something that I'd be happy to do.

Cipscis

I for one would greatly appreciate that.