Mod:Create a character

This tutorial explains how to create and modify a character in The Sum.

This tutorial uses mainly the Entity Editor.

Required tools

• Entity Editor
• Level Editor
• Notepad++

Before you start

Take some time to learn how the Entity Editor works by checking out the "readme" file of the Fallout Tactics Editor.

  Characters are referred to as "Actors" in the document. 

Create a new character

  Characters including several characteristics necessary for the game to function properly in general (along with a number of basic items in their bag), it is recommended that you create a character from an existing character taken at random from the characters in the Game/core/entities/Actors/ folder  

Existing character as a base

1. Open the Game/ folder then FT Improver.EXE
   
     Using FT Tools.exe instead will result in an error 
   
   
   .
2. Pass the videos by clicking on them.
3. Click on
   ⦿  MORE 
   .
4. Click
   ⦿  ENTITY EDITOR 
   .
5. Navigate to the
    File 
   menu then
    Open 
   .
6. Open the desired file which must end with .ent (stored in Game/core/entities/Actors/).
7. Go to the menu
    File 
   then
    Save As 
   .
8. Save this character under a different name in the same folder.
   
     The character should be stored in a folder corresponding to the location where it appears. If the filename of this location does not appear in "___HABITANTS", create this folder first with "Windows Explorer" and then save your character in it. 
   
   
   

Editing a character

Open the file (Entity editor)

1. Open the Game/ folder then FT Improver.EXE
   
     Use FT Tools.exe instead will result in an error 
   
   
   .
2. Pass the videos by clicking on them.
3. Click on
   ⦿  MORE 
   .
4. Click
   ⦿  ENTITY EDITOR 
   .
5. Navigate to the
    File 
   menu then
    Open 
   .
6. Open the file of your character previously created which must end with .ent.

Name character

Every character has a name, stored in Game/NousAurons/locale/Game/characters.txt (French version) and Game/core/locale/Game/characters.txt (English version).

1. Open the two files characters.txt and for each of them:
   1. Press
       ctrl 
      +
       f 
      and search for "//PRÉNOMS DES HABITANTS"
   2. Directly below, copy/paste the following code:

      name__character_code_name = {character name}

2. Open the character file
3. Expand the
    Name 
   tab.
4. To the right of
    Display Name 
   , add your character's code name.
   
     This name should not include the word "name_", but rather look like this: "_character_code_name". The "_" bar indicates that this is a unique character 
   
   
   
5. Go to the
    File 
   menu and then
    Save 
   .

Add a bio (for companions)

If the character you create does not join the player's group as a companion, skip this step. As for the name, the bio of a character is stored in Game/NousAurons/locale/Game/characters.txt (French version) and Game/core/locale/Game/characters.txt (English version).

1. Open the two files characters.txt and for each of them:
   1. Press
       ctrl 
      +
       f 
      and search for "//RECRUES"
   2. Directly below, copy/paste the following code:

      name__code_name_of_character = {Name of character}
      desc__character_code_name = {<Ck>LOCATION\nPROFESSION\nBiography appearing in the language appropriate to the version of '''characters.txt''}

• LOCATION: Name of the location where the companion is recruited.
• PROFESSION: Primary or official profession of the companion. There may be more than one.
  
    If the character_code_name has been correctly assigned in the entity editor, the character's name and bio should appear correctly. 
  
  
  

1. Save the document.

Create a portrait

To create a portrait from an image, see Mod:Create a portrait.

Assign a portrait

Using the code name of your character, it is easy to assign them a portrait.

1. Open the folder Game/core/gui/char/ then choose a portrait in the list.{{Idea|If you can not see the portraits by double-clicking on them, [[Mod:Programs_recommended#Red.21Viewer|install Red!Viewer]}}
2. Copy/paste this .zar file in the same folder renaming it "_character_code_name.zar".
   
     Don't forget to add a "_" bar before the character code name. 
   
   
   

Change characteristics

There are an infinite number of possible variations for the characteristics of the character you create, and they can have a Level of autonomy varying from beginner to very high...

1. Open the character file
2. Click on the
    Make 
   button to the right of the top menu.
3. Customize the character by clicking on the
    Name 
    Age 
    Appearance 
   buttons on top.
4. Using the
    + 
   and
    - 
   buttons as well as the ☻ and ☻ buttons, assign any characteristics of your choice to the character and press
   ⦿  OK 
   • Once this step is completed, expand the
      customName: 
     tab and delete the name you entered earlier (to the right of
      customName 
     ). To assign a name to the character, follow these steps instead.
5. To add Levels to the character:
   1. Click the
       Level 
      button to the right of the menu at the top.
   2. Press the
       + 
      button to the right of "Autonomy" the number of times you want.
   3. Select a Perk when prompted.
   4. Assign all points earned from the Skills on the right using the
       + 
      and
       - 
      buttons.
      
        Holding down the

       shift 

      key by clicking on these buttons adds or subtracts 10 points for each click 
      
      
      
   5. Press
      ⦿  OK 
      .
6. Navigate to the
    File 
   menu and then
    Save 
   .

Change the colors

1. Open the character file
2. Expand the
    Image 
   tab.
3. 4 menus allow you to change the character's colors, with two dimmers, the first controlling the saturation and the second the color level.
   
     Changing the first color (

    Base 

   ) will affect the character blood color... 
   
   
   

Equipment (level editor)

1. Add a character in a location
   
     Their .ent file should be stored beforehand in Actors/___Inhabitants/location_code_name/' 
   
   
   
2. Click on the tab
    Entity Edit 
   then click on the character.
3. To add items worn by the character:
   1. Scroll left to the
       Hand1_ 
      field.
      • The
         Hand1_ 
        and
         Hand2_ 
        fields indicate the objects in the character's two hands.
      • The
         Armour_ 
        field indicates the clothing or armor worn by the character that may change their appearance.
   2. Click on the
       ... 
      button to select an item to add to one of these fields (weapons are in the weapons/ folder, clothes are in the items/Armor folder).
   3. Check the box under the fields
       *_override 
      that you have filled with an item to indicate that this item will be used.
4. To add items in the bag of the character:
   1. Scroll down to the large black rectangle with the
       add 
      and
       del 
      buttons on top of it.
   2. Click on the
       add 
      button to select an item to add (items are located in the items/ folder.
5. Go to the
    File 
   menu then
    Save 
   .

Equipment (Entity editor)

  It is not recommended to equip a character in the entity editor, as bugs may occur. Using the Level editor is recommanded 

1. Open the character file
2. To add items worn by the character:
   1. Expand the
       Equipped 
      tab.
      • The
         Hand1: 
        and
         Hand2: 
        fields indicate the objects in the character's two hands.
      • The
         Armour: 
        field indicates the clothing or armor worn by the character that may change their appearance.
   2. Click on the
       ... 
      button to select an item to add to one of these fields (weapons are in the weapons/ folder, clothes are in the items/Armor folder).
3. To add items in the bag of the character:
   1. Expand the
       Inventory 
      tab.
   2. Click on the
       add 
      button to select an item to add (items are located in the items/ folder).
      
        Don't overload the character with items for no good reason because they won't be able to move around 
      
      
      
4. Go to the
    File 
   menu then
    Save 
   .

Life points

If you added Autonomy Levels to your character, it is important to adjust their Life points to ensure that they are not injured (and therefore potentially hostile) as soon as the player encounters them.

1. Calculate the number of Life Points the character needs using the following form.
   
     Get the character's Strength, Endurance and Autonomy Level by clicking the

    Level 

   button at the top of the page in the Entity Editor. 
   
   
   
2. In the Entity Editor, expand the very last tab
    ActorStatus 
   .
3. To the right of
    hitPoints: 
   , replace the current number with the calculated number of Life Points.
4. Go to the
    File 
   menu then
    Save 
   .

Placing a character in a location

Check out the tutorial at there (and follow the steps)