Monster Modding Help

I've thrown together a few modded monsters, but I can't seem to get them to appear in game. Any tips?

 

no clue. havent touched them one bit, though i might want to because the mod i'm working on benefits from fighting a specific type of monster that doesn't always appear on every level.

 

have you tried going into the rooms database and putting <monster x="4" y="4" name=Monster"/> in the starting room to make sure your monster is scripted correctly?

 

Would that be in the mod, or just alter the base?

 

I am not exactly sure what mods can and can't do, so I would edit the base.

 

Okay, did that, and the game crashes. :\

 

Actually, here's the text of my monster mod thus far:

Code:

<!--
 
Fax Celestis' Monstrous Menagerie
 
BE WARNED: HERE THERE BE DRAGONS
 
...and maybe some diggles.
 
-->
 
<!-- NOTE ON BRANCHES
 
Branches... are now dead. We just start at level 0 and we go down to level 20. Bring on the gurneys.
 
NEW BRANCH CODE:
 
0,1,2 Dungeon
1 3,4 Mines
2 5,6,7 Crypts
3 8,9 Wood
4 10,11 Frozen
5 12,13,14 Lava Pits
6 15,16 Marble Baths
7 17,18,19 Pandemonium
EVIL BOSS FIGHT!
 
-->
 
  <!-- MOD MONSTERS -->
 
<monster type="1" subtype="3" name="Devil's Haircut" level="9" tiny="1"  taxa="Demon">
    <idleSprite left="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_run_l.spr"
    right="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_run_r.spr"
    up="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_run_u.spr"
    down="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_run_d.spr"/>
    <attackSprite left="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_atk_l.spr"
    right="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_atk_r.spr"
    up="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_atk_u.spr"
    down="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_atk_d.spr"/>
    <hitSprite left="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_hit_l.spr"
    right="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_hit_r.spr"
    up="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_hit_u.spr"
    down="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_hit_d.spr"/>
    <dieSprite name="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_die.spr"/>
 
    <stats numFig="8" numRog="12" xpValue="150"/>
    <palette tint="180" />
    <sfx attack="small_attack" hit="small_hit" die="small_die" spell="small_spell"/>
 
    <info latin="(mustas tonsus)" text="It's on  your mind."/>
    <secondarybuff id="10" amount="10"/> <!-- armour -->
    <secondarybuff id="8" amount="10"/> <!-- counter -->
    <secondarybuff id="6" amount="40"/> <!-- dodge -->
    <secondarybuff id="7" amount="10"/> <!-- block -->
    <damage existential="15" />   
   
    <resistances existential="20" slashing="5" transmutative="10" />
 
    <ai aggressiveness="8" span="15" />
 
    <onhit spell="Fleshbore" onechancein="15"/>
  </monster>
 
<monster type="1" subtype="5" name="Diggle Mage" level="6" tiny="1" splat="blood" taxa="Animal">
    <idleSprite left="sprites/monster/diggle/diggle_run_l.spr"
    right="sprites/monster/diggle/diggle_run_r.spr"
    up="sprites/monster/diggle/diggle_run_u.spr"
    down="sprites/monster/diggle/diggle_run_d.spr"/>
    <attackSprite left="sprites/monster/diggle/diggle_atk_l.spr"
    right="sprites/monster/diggle/diggle_atk_r.spr"
    up="sprites/monster/diggle/diggle_atk_u.spr"
    down="sprites/monster/diggle/diggle_atk_d.spr"/>
    <hitSprite left="sprites/monster/diggle/diggle_hit_l.spr"
    right="sprites/monster/diggle/diggle_hit_r.spr"
    up="sprites/monster/diggle/diggle_hit_u.spr"
    down="sprites/monster/diggle/diggle_hit_d.spr"/>
    <dieSprite name="sprites/monster/diggle/diggle_die_r.spr"/>
   
    <sfx attack="diggle_attack" hit="diggle_damage" die="diggle_die" spell="diggle_cast"/>
   
    <ai aggressiveness="4" span="10" />
   
    <stats numFig="1" numWiz="8" xpValue="30" />
   
        <palette tint="180" />
    <damage slashing="1" piercing="2"/>
    <secondarybuff id="4" amount="-10"/> <!-- crit -->
    <secondarybuff id="6" amount="10"/> <!-- dodge -->
    <secondarybuff id="0" amount="-2"/> <!-- hp -->
        <ai aggressiveness="5" span="24" chicken="1" spellPercentage="100"/>
        <spell name="Aethereal Missile"/>
        <spell name="Icebolt"/>
        <spell name="Electrobolt"/>
        <spell name="Monster Blink"/>
        <resistances existential="5" aethereal="3" transmutative="5" voltaic="3" hyperborean="3" />
   
    <info latin="(Poingus Magus)" text="Having forsaken its nasal heritage, this diggle has instead focused on arcane
 
pursuits...to better dig with."/>
 
</monDB>

 

...you know, it might help if I start the file with a <monDB>...

 

Nope, still crashes.

 

Okay, new monDB.xml, moved the relevant diggle sprites on a recommendation. Here's the new file. No crash, no monster, even when assigned to the starting room.

Code:

<monDB>
<!--
 
Fax Celestis' Monstrous Menagerie
 
BE WARNED: HERE THERE BE DRAGONS
 
...and maybe some diggles.
 
-->
 
<!-- NOTE ON BRANCHES
 
Branches... are now dead. We just start at level 0 and we go down to level 20. Bring on the gurneys.
 
NEW BRANCH CODE:
 
0,1,2 Dungeon
1 3,4 Mines
2 5,6,7 Crypts
3 8,9 Wood
4 10,11 Frozen
5 12,13,14 Lava Pits
6 15,16 Marble Baths
7 17,18,19 Pandemonium
EVIL BOSS FIGHT!
 
-->
 
  <!-- MOD MONSTERS -->
 
<monster type="1" subtype="3" name="Devil's Haircut" level="9" tiny="1"  taxa="Demon">
    <idleSprite left="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_run_l.spr"
    right="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_run_r.spr"
    up="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_run_u.spr"
    down="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_run_d.spr"/>
    <attackSprite left="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_atk_l.spr"
    right="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_atk_r.spr"
    up="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_atk_u.spr"
    down="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_atk_d.spr"/>
    <hitSprite left="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_hit_l.spr"
    right="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_hit_r.spr"
    up="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_hit_u.spr"
    down="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_hit_d.spr"/>
    <dieSprite name="sprites/monster/greeny/greeny_die.spr"/>
 
    <stats numFig="8" numRog="12" xpValue="150"/>
    <palette tint="180" />
    <sfx attack="small_attack" hit="small_hit" die="small_die" spell="small_spell"/>
 
    <info latin="(mustas tonsus)" text="It's on  your mind."/>
    <secondarybuff id="10" amount="10"/> <!-- armour -->
    <secondarybuff id="8" amount="10"/> <!-- counter -->
    <secondarybuff id="6" amount="40"/> <!-- dodge -->
    <secondarybuff id="7" amount="10"/> <!-- block -->
    <damage existential="15" />   
   
    <resistances existential="20" slashing="5" transmutative="10" />
 
    <ai aggressiveness="8" span="15" />
 
    <onhit spell="Fleshbore" onechancein="15"/>
  </monster>
 
<monster type="1" subtype="5" name="Diggle Mage" level="6" tiny="1" splat="blood" taxa="Animal">
    <idleSprite left="sprites/monster/diggle_mage/diggle_mage_run_l.spr"
    right="sprites/monster/diggle_mage/diggle_mage_run_r.spr"
    up="sprites/monster/diggle_mage/diggle_mage_run_u.spr"
    down="sprites/monster/diggle_mage/diggle_mage_run_d.spr"/>
    <attackSprite left="sprites/monster/diggle_mage/diggle_mage_atk_l.spr"
    right="sprites/monster/diggle_mage/diggle_mage_atk_r.spr"
    up="sprites/monster/diggle_mage/diggle_mage_atk_u.spr"
    down="sprites/monster/diggle_mage/diggle_mage_atk_d.spr"/>
    <hitSprite left="sprites/monster/diggle_mage/diggle_mage_hit_l.spr"
    right="sprites/monster/diggle_mage/diggle_mage_hit_r.spr"
    up="sprites/monster/diggle_mage/diggle_mage_hit_u.spr"
    down="sprites/monster/diggle_mage/diggle_mage_hit_d.spr"/>
    <dieSprite name="sprites/monster/diggle_mage/diggle_mage_die_r.spr"/>
   
    <sfx attack="diggle_attack" hit="diggle_damage" die="diggle_die" spell="diggle_cast"/>
   
    <ai aggressiveness="4" span="10" />
   
    <stats numFig="1" numWiz="8" xpValue="30" />
   
        <palette tint="180" />
    <damage slashing="1" piercing="2"/>
    <secondarybuff id="4" amount="-10"/> <!-- crit -->
    <secondarybuff id="6" amount="10"/> <!-- dodge -->
    <secondarybuff id="0" amount="-2"/> <!-- hp -->
        <ai aggressiveness="5" span="24" chicken="1" spellPercentage="100"/>
        <spell name="Aethereal Missile"/>
        <spell name="Icebolt"/>
        <spell name="Electrobolt"/>
        <spell name="Monster Blink"/>
        <resistances existential="5" aethereal="3" transmutative="5" voltaic="3" hyperborean="3" />
   
    <info latin="(Poingus Magus)" text="Having forsaken its nasal heritage, this diggle has instead focused on arcane
 
pursuits...to better dig with."/>
  </monster>
 
</monDB>

 

I got it to work but I have no idea how the game spawns monster. Imma keep searching though

Also, assign it to the Tutorial: Combat room, replacing the diggle

 

You also originally forgot the </monster> tag for Diggle Mage
Modding this game can bring out the derp in even the most seasoned programmers

 

Okay, I got it to work.

...now to see if I can do a custom sprite...

 

Did you figure out how to spawn them in the dungeon?

 

raaa plenty of things to make .spr into .png, but not the other way. Anyone have suggestions?

And yeah, I forced one to spawn in the entryway. It promptly killed me before blinking away. I've since turned that off, but have reenabled their 'level of appearance' to something more reasonable.

 

You've piqued my interest, if you ever need a tester....

 

Let me make a couple, then I'll release a starting mod.