Interview with ToddTeamBG

Originally written by: Kuiriel Edited by Deano99 and Kuiriel ToddTeamBG, formerly known as GM aka TL (at the time of this interview), is now a key member of the TeamBG community, playing a vital role in the making of utilities used widely by IE editors. Today, TeamBG.org is giving you the chance to see what is inside the mind of one of the major influences within TeamBG. Please take note that this is quite old, taken in early June and will be updated in the near future. The latest utility version is IEEP is v39. To get more info and download IEES, visit here. This is all you'll need to play MODs or install custom items/kits etc that come out. If you're more into the editing, the latter half of this interview will interest you more.. to find out more on IEEP, visit here but bear in mind that to download this you must pass a test on TeamBG policy. Kuiriel : For those of us who don't know who you are and what you've done for the TeamBG community, tell us a little about yourself and what you've done. Todd: My name is Todd, and I've had various nicks throughout my time working on infinity engine customization. I started out in it as Gustov Montessi as that was my internet nick that I used at the time and what people knew me as. Later on I changed to TL as I was making a change with things that correlated to changes in my real life and I like using this better as it is my initials... so you'll see references probably to either of those three names. I have made the following programs for the editing community: Spell Maker, Item Maker, Store Maker, Infinity Add-On Patcher, Dialog.tlk Editor, Dialog Fixer, Mass TBG Converter, Infinity Engine Decompressor, and NPC TBG Maker. Or at least, that's all I remember off the top of my head. Most of them are now in one package called the Infinity Engine Editor Pro (IEEP for short). Kuiriel: So what recent developments have you seen? Todd: Well with the release of each new game using the Infinity Engine it has been a matter of learning more of what the formats mean and can do as there is more files to examine and pick apart. Also there is always the process of adding in the new information that is involved with each game so that others can benifit from the information that is discovered by others. I also try to update and include requests from people about what's wrong with this program, or why isn't there something to edit this, etc. I have a nice long list of things people have requested that I try to accommodate when I can fit it into my schedule. The newest thing I have done is make the NPC TBG Maker, which helps in adding new NPCs to the games of BG1, BG2, and IWD. Also, updates to some older programs are either done or being worked on... like the BAMC Decompressor was updated and extended to become the Infinity Engine Decompressor (IED) which will decompress BAMC, BIFC, and CBF files. Future updates that are in the works like this that I will mention is the Mass Exporter, which is being updated with new information to export more things as they are known now. Kuiriel: What exactly motivated you to do all this? What path have you walked? Todd: Now as for why I have done all this.. I'll begin at the beginning. Well, I started out just bouncing around the boards seeing about the customizations present and attempting to make some items. Needless to say it wasn't a very good attempt and I always had problems in hex editing as I was new to it and kept getting things mixed up and so modifying the wrong parts. So I thought, "Hey, if I'm having trouble I'm sure alot of others are as well" so I decided to try to make a program to simplify things. The first one I did was really nothing more than merely a glorified hex editor specifically for items as it merely read the file and showed the bytes on the screen with a little label below each section saying what it was. This program was slow and clunky and not user friendly by any means of the word... and before I even had it finished enough that it would work totally right someone came out with an item editor, so I killed my prog. But the experience was a good lesson for me and I used it along with the idea of trying to make it MUCH more user-friendly and began the start of the programs you see out there today by me. My motivation is basically as follows: To help in my learning of programming itself. To make something useful that others will be able to use (after all you could have the secret of life but if you can't present it to people in a way they can use and work with easily it won't have much impact or make much difference) To help others in realizing their creativeness in the IE games themselves (as I would like to do with my own creativeness about things). Kuiriel: Could you give us a little information on each of your utilities? Todd: Infinity Engine Decompressor (IED v0.2.0) - Decompresses BAMC, BIFC, or CBF files to their uncompressed counterparts. It decompresses all the files in a directory at one time so you enter the parameters of the full path to the directory containing the files to decompress, the full path to the directory you want the decompressed files to be put into, and you select which type of file to decompress. Infinity Engine TBG Mass Converter (v0.2.1) - This will convert in mass a directory of item, spells, dialogs, or creatures to the TBGv3 format. This program requires the entering of the parameters of the full path to the directory containing the files to be converted, the full path to the directory to put the converted files into, the full path to the directory containing the dialog.tlk file that these files are from (i.e. full path to the game directory the files are for), the selection of which file type to convert (either which specific one of all of the types), and the choice of which Infinity Engine Game the TBG files made will be for. NOTE: These outputs do not contain all the information really needed for those specific files as more information has been learned since it was made and as such it is being updated right now to accommidate the new information, but a date for release is not yet set. Spell Maker (v1.3.0) - This is a program that allows editing of spell files (extension of .spl) for the Infinity Engine games. All editing is done either through a simple text box where you enter the information you want there (like numbers or letters) or drop down menus where you can select from the possible known values for that field or enter your own value to put there. Also this program will export spell files only to the TBGv4 format, Import TBGv4 spell files only, and make an item to use in the game to make your new spell learnable by players (this is a scroll for wizards, a prayer candle for priests, or a potion for innate abilities). This program also allows copying and pasting of Extension Headers or Effects to make editing easier. Editing of all of the following are in this program for each spell: spell type (wizard, priest, innate, etc.), spell school (invocation, necromancy, etc.), spell level (1, 2, etc.), spell name, spell description, icons shown for the spell (memorization and spellbook), completion sound when spell is cast, target of the spell (one target, area, etc.), casting time, range of the spell, the graphics seen rom the caster to the target, the attributes of the spell (outdoor only), and the actual effects of the spell itself (like fire damage, haste, etc.). This program allows editing of the following Unknown values associated with spell files: Effect Unknown values only. Item Maker (v1.2.0) - This is a program that allows editing of item files (extension of .itm) for the Infinity Engine games. All editing is done either through a simple text box where you enter the information you want there (like numbers or letters) or drop down menus where you can select from the possible known values for that field or enter your own value to put there. Also this program will export item files only to the TBGv4 format and Import TBGv4 item files only. This program also allows copying and pasting of Extension Headers or Effects to make editing easier. Editing of all of the following are in this program for each item: base price, icons for the item in the game (inventory, ground, description picture, and item use), destroyed file to use when item breaks, maximum stack size of item, lore need to identify item, enchanted to hit value (i.e. what magical plus the item is considered for which creatures it can hit), proficiency require for item (this is only needed for weapons in BG2), item type (which is the category the item is like a book, ring, belt, etc.), the paper doll graphic the item uses (this is how it modifies the image representation of the individual using the item like a helmet, armor, sword, etc.), the attributes of the item (made of silver, two-handed, droppable, cursed, magical, bow, made of cold-iron, conversable, and minimum requirements in ability scores to use it), the usability of it (i.e. which class, race, nd alignments can use the item), the item's weight, the name and description shown for the item when identified and unidentified, the attack type of the item (melee, ranged, magical, etc.), the location to use the item (weapon slot, in the item use slot, etc.), the target type of the item (one target, area, etc.), the damage type done by the item (slashing, piercing, etc.), the ammunition used by the item (arrows, bullets, etc.), the speed factor of the item, the attack range of the item, the THAC0 bonus the item gives, the number of charges the item has and whether it can be used that many per day (the per day only applies to IWD and BG2), the damage the item does, if the item allows the Strength bonus with damage, if you have to identify the item to use it, if the item is a specific ranged weapon or ammunition (crossbow, bolt, bow, arrow, or miscellanous missile), the animation used by the item for attacking, the graphics used by the item between the item and the target, and the actual effects the item has (like fire damage, haste, etc.). This program allows editing of the following Unknown values associated with item files: Effect Unknown values only. Store Maker (v0.2.0) - This is a program that allows editing of store files (extension of .sto) for the Infinity Engine games. All editing is done either through a simple text box where you enter the information you want there (like numbers or letters) or drop down menus where you can select from the possible known values for that field or enter your own value to put there. Also this program will export store files only to the TBGv4 format and Import TBGv4 store files only. This program also allows copying and pasting of Extension Headers or Effects to make editing easier. Editing of all of the following are in this program for each store: name, the type of store it is (tavern, temple, etc.), the percent markdown to items the PCs sell there, the percent markup of items sold by the store itself, the file containing the rumors told when buying drinks, the cost and availibility of the four room types, the specific items sold here along with their attributes (number in stock, charges, is it identified, etc.), the item types the store will buy (books, belts, rings, etc.), the drinks sold along with their attributes (name of drink, cost of drink, etc.), the cures sold along with their attributes (spell file of cure, cost of cure), and the stores attributes (PCs can buy items, PCs can sell items, the store identifies items, cures are sold, PCs can steal items, PCs can donate money, drinks are sold, will buy fenced goods). This program allows editing of the following Unknown values associated with store files: Effect Unknown values only.all Unknown values associated with the store files. Infinity Engine NPC TBG Maker (v0.1.0) - This program allows making of a TBGNv1 file which is used to add new NPC information to the default files of an Infinity Engine game needed when a game is began to have the NPC present in the game. The information needed by the program is merely the creature file (extension .cre) of the NPC, the starting area file (extension .are) the NPC is to initially be in, and the X and Y coordinates inside this area where the PC is specifically located at. From this information it will generate the TBGNv1 file which when imported into an Infinity Engine game will allow the NPC to show up properly. Currently this program only supports BG1, IWD, and BG2. NOTE: This program and the file made by it does not actually contain the creature file itself but just the information needed to make that file referenced in the game itself. Without the creature file present in the game override folder or in one of the games biff files, the game will crash when attempting to start a new game. Infinity Add-On Patcher (v1.2.0) - This program allows the importation of all TBG files or IAP files. Simply select the file to import and it will import it into the proper game based on what the TBG/IAP says it should be or in rare cases which game is set before entering this program. TBG files consist of merely a single file and the text references the file uses. When a TBG file is imported it merely writes the appropriate text(s) to the dialog.tlk for the specific game and then updates the file these are for with references to the newly added texts. All TBG files go into the Override folder of the game. IAP files consist of two types of files: TBG files and Other files which can go into any directory of the specific game. The TBG files are import as mentioned above, and the Other files are merely placed into the proper directory as specified by the IAP. Infinity Add-On Patcher Pro (v1.2.0) - This program allows the importation of all TBG files or IAP files. Simply select the file to import and it will import it into the proper game based on what the TBG/IAP says it should be or in rare cases which game is set before entering this program. TBG files consist of merely a single file and the text references the file uses. When a TBG file is imported it merely writes the appropriate text(s) to the dialog.tlk for the specific game and then updates the file these are for with references to the newly added texts. All TBG files go into the Override folder of the game. IAP files consist of two types of files: TBG files and Other files which can go into any directory of the specific game. The TBG files are import as mentioned above, and the Other files are merely placed into the proper directory as specified by the IAP. Also this program allows the creation of IAP files themselves where it can be selected with TBG file(s) are inside the IAP and which Other file(s) are inside it along with their directory to be installed into. Dialog Fixer (v1.1.0) - This program will analyze the dialog.tlk file to see if it has any recognizable problems to it that may cause the game or an editing utility to not work right. This includes the file having a false number of how many references are in it, where the text itself begins in the file, and that the last reference actually refers to the end of the file. Now the last part about the end of the file is only import if you are using some OLDER editing tools which reference this value to figure out where to add the new information at. An improper number of references in the file can cause texts of newly added customizations to not show properly. If the beginning of the text is referenced wrong then ALL the text show in the game itself will be messed up and jumbled around. If there is any of the above problems you can then click a Fix Dialog.tlk button and it will automatically fix these errors for you. Dialog.tlk Editor (v0.1.0) - This program allows reading, writing, and searching of the dialog.tlk file. You can read specific references in the dialog.tlk file, write new references to the dialog.tlk file, or search the dialog.tlk file for the references with specific case sensative words of your choice. This program DOES NOT allow editing a specific reference and rewritting that reference with the changes, but only the addition of NEW references. With each reference all the information is editable (i.e. the sound file associated with the reference, the pitch variance of this file, the volume variance of this file, and whether to parse the text of this reference for BG2 only). Infinity Engine Editor Standard (IEES v1.0.2 Build 12) - This is a compilation of the Dialog Fixer and Infinity Add-On Patcher programs and is designed to be used by people only wanting to simply import things into their game and not edit anything themselves. Infinity Engine Editor Pro (IEEP v1.0.7 Build 26) - this is a compilation of the Spell Maker, Item Maker, Store Maker, Infinity Add-On Patcher Pro, Dialog Fixer, Dialog.tlk Editor, and NPC TBG Maker programs and is designed to be used by those people wanting to edit their games and make new things or edit existing ones to their needs. IEES is essential for custom item installation, so if you don't have it, get it. A new interview with Todd on the latest should be up within a week or two. Kuiriel