How to make a new ability

[nitaybenshahar]

Hello,

i want to make a new ability that interacts with a units xp.
I looked at the file abilities.cfg but i figured it is no help. i need to get to where the abilities are actually programmed, as far as i know.
could anyone please tell me where i could find the code or give another suggestion?

any help will be appreciated.

[CherryDelight]

AFAIK, this would have to be done with an [event] inside [unit_type]. You could then just make a dummy ability to display the name in the unit's information.

[SkyOne]

I looked at the file abilities.cfg but i figured it is no help.

Those abilities are defined in scenario, unit, and any other files. So those are exactly what abilities are.

i need to get to where the abilities are actually programmed

Anywhere on your CFG file in your campaign folder.


For example, on the default abilities.cfg, there is:

Code: Select all

#define ABILITY_HEALS
    # Canned definition of the heal+4 ability to be included in an [abilities] clause.
    [heals]
        value=4
        id=healing
        affect_allies=yes
        name= _ "heals +4"
        female_name= _ "female^heals +4"
        description=  _ "Heals +4:
Allows the unit to heal adjacent allied units at the beginning of our turn.

A unit cared for by this healer may heal up to 4 HP per turn, or stop poison from taking effect for that turn.
A poisoned unit cannot be cured of its poison by a healer, and must seek the care of a village or a unit that can cure."
        affect_self=no
        poison=slowed
        [affect_adjacent]
            adjacent=n,ne,se,s,sw,nw
        [/affect_adjacent]
    [/heals]
#enddef

this ability is defined as {ABILITY_HEALS} either in scenario files and unit files usually.

As an example (the case of unit files)
Elvish Shaman:

Spoiler:

Code: Select all

#textdomain wesnoth-units
[unit_type]
    id=Elvish Shaman
    name= _ "female^Elvish Shaman"
    race=elf
    gender=female
    image="units/elves-wood/shaman.png"
    ellipse="misc/ellipse"
    #    profile=portraits/Alex_Jarocha-Ernst/elvish-shaman.png
    profile="portraits/elves/shaman.png~RIGHT()"
    {MAGENTA_IS_THE_TEAM_COLOR}
    hitpoints=26
    movement_type=woodland
    movement=5
    experience=32
    level=1
    alignment=neutral
    advances_to=Elvish Druid,Elvish Sorceress
    cost=15
    usage=healer
    description= _ "Being partly faerie in nature, elves have an inherent capability for magic. This is realized in their affinity with the natural world, which they can call upon as an ally in combat. Enemies wandering in their forests may soon find themselves entangled by roots and hindered by the very ground they stand on.

The healing abilities of the elves are also remarkable, and of capital use in battle."+{SPECIAL_NOTES}+{SPECIAL_NOTES_SLOW}+{SPECIAL_NOTES_HEALS}
    die_sound={SOUND_LIST:ELF_FEMALE_HIT}
    [portrait]
        size=400
        side="left"
        mirror="false"
        image="portraits/elves/transparent/shaman.png"
    [/portrait]
    [portrait]
        size=400
        side="right"
        mirror="true"
        image="portraits/elves/transparent/shaman.png"
    [/portrait]
    [abilities]
        {ABILITY_HEALS}  #<---- RIGHT HERE!!
    [/abilities]
    [attack]
        name=staff
        description=_"staff"
        type=impact
        damage=3
        number=2
        range=melee
        icon=attacks/druidstaff.png
    [/attack]
    [attack]
        name=entangle
        description=_"entangle"
        type=impact
        [specials]
            {WEAPON_SPECIAL_SLOW}
        [/specials]
        damage=3
        number=2
        range=ranged
    [/attack]
    {DEFENSE_ANIM "units/elves-wood/shaman-defend.png" "units/elves-wood/shaman.png" {SOUND_LIST:ELF_FEMALE_HIT} }
    [healing_anim]
        start_time=-200
        [frame]
            duration=55
            image="units/elves-wood/shaman-heal1.png"
        [/frame]
        [frame]
            duration=55
            image="units/elves-wood/shaman-heal2.png"
        [/frame]
        [frame]
            duration=55
            image="units/elves-wood/shaman-heal3.png"
            halo=halo/elven/shaman-heal-halo-1.png
        [/frame]
        [frame]
            duration=55
            image="units/elves-wood/shaman-heal4.png"
            halo=halo/elven/shaman-heal-halo-2.png
        [/frame]
        [frame]
            duration=55
            image="units/elves-wood/shaman-heal5.png"
            halo=halo/elven/shaman-heal-halo-3.png
        [/frame]
        [frame]
            duration=55
            image="units/elves-wood/shaman-heal6.png"
            halo=halo/elven/shaman-heal-halo-4.png
        [/frame]
        [frame]
            duration=55
            image="units/elves-wood/shaman-heal7.png"
            halo=halo/elven/shaman-heal-halo-5.png
        [/frame]
        [frame]
            duration=55
            image="units/elves-wood/shaman-heal8.png"
            halo=halo/elven/shaman-heal-halo-6.png
        [/frame]
        [frame]
            duration=55
            image="units/elves-wood/shaman-heal9.png"
            halo=halo/elven/shaman-heal-halo-7.png
        [/frame]
        [frame]
            duration=30
            image="units/elves-wood/shaman-heal9.png"
        [/frame]
    [/healing_anim]
    [attack_anim]
        [filter_attack]
            name=entangle
        [/filter_attack]
        [missile_frame]
            offset=1.0
            begin=-200
            end=50
            image="projectiles/entangle.png"
            image_diagonal="projectiles/entangle.png"
        [/missile_frame]
        [frame]
            begin=-450
            end=-375
            image="units/elves-wood/shaman.png"
            halo=halo/elven/nature-halo1.png
            halo_x,halo_y=0,-12
        [/frame]
        [frame]
            begin=-375
            end=-300
            image="units/elves-wood/shaman.png"
            halo=halo/elven/nature-halo2.png
            halo_x,halo_y=0,-12
        [/frame]
        [frame]
            begin=-300
            end=-225
            image="units/elves-wood/shaman.png"
            halo=halo/elven/nature-halo3.png
            halo_x,halo_y=0,-12
        [/frame]
        [frame]
            begin=-225
            end=-150
            image="units/elves-wood/shaman-attack2.png"
            halo=halo/elven/nature-halo4.png
            halo_x,halo_y=0,-12
        [/frame]
        [frame]
            begin=-150
            end=-75
            image="units/elves-wood/shaman-attack2.png"
            halo=halo/elven/nature-halo5.png
            halo_x,halo_y=0,-12
        [/frame]
        {SOUND:SLOW}
        [frame]
            begin=-75
            end=0
            image="units/elves-wood/shaman-attack2.png"
            halo=halo/elven/nature-halo6.png
            sound=entangle.wav
            halo_x,halo_y=0,-12
        [/frame]
        [frame]
            begin=-0
            end=50
            image="units/elves-wood/shaman.png"
            halo=halo/elven/nature-halo7.png
            halo_x,halo_y=0,-12
        [/frame]
        [frame]
            begin=50
            end=100
            image="units/elves-wood/shaman.png"
            halo=halo/elven/nature-halo8.png
            halo_x,halo_y=0,-12
        [/frame]
        [frame]
            begin=100
            end=150
            image="units/elves-wood/shaman.png"
        [/frame]
    [/attack_anim]
    [attack_anim]
        [filter_attack]
            name=staff
        [/filter_attack]
        [frame]
            begin=-175
            end=-100
            image="units/elves-wood/shaman.png"
        [/frame]
        [if]
            hits=yes
            [frame]
                begin=-100
                end=100
                image="units/elves-wood/shaman-attack.png"
                sound=staff.wav
            [/frame]
        [/if]
        [else]
            hits=no
            [frame]
                begin=-100
                end=100
                image="units/elves-wood/shaman-attack.png"
                sound={SOUND_LIST:MISS}
            [/frame]
        [/else]
        [frame]
            begin=100
            end=175
            image="units/elves-wood/shaman.png"
        [/frame]
    [/attack_anim]
[/unit_type]

In the case of a scenario file (sorry, from mine):

Spoiler:

Code: Select all

    [side]
        save_id="Eagi_Nyess"
        persistent=1
        side=1
        controller=human
        team_name=drakes
        user_team_name=_"Drakes"
        type=Drake Lord
        id=Eagi_Nyess
        name= _ "Eagi-Nyess"
        profile=portraits/lord.png
        village_gold=1
        {GOLD 230 210 200}
        {INCOME 4 2 1}
        canrecruit=yes
        recruit=Drake Glider Bw,Drake Fighter Bw,Drake Burner Bw,Drake Clasher
        unrenamable=yes
        facing="sw"
        [unit]
            side=1
            type=Elder Wose
            id=Orofarnie
            name= _ "Orofarnië"
            x,y=20,17
            {IS_HERO}
            profile="portraits/rithrandil.png"
            [modifications]
                {TRAIT_LOYAL}
                {TRAIT_QUICK}
            [/modifications]
            [abilities]
                {ABILITY_AMBUSH}
                {ABILITY_HEALS}   #<----- RIGHT HERE!!
                [regenerate]
                    value=4
                    id=recovery
                    name= _ "recovery"
                    female_name= _ "female^recovery"
                    description= _ "Recovery:
                    The unit will heal itself 4 HP per turn. If it is poisoned, it will remove the poison instead of healing."
                    affect_self=yes
                    poison=cured
                [/regenerate]
            [/abilities]
        [/unit]
        [village]
            x,y=31,18
        [/village]
        [village]
            x,y=22,20
        [/village]
        [village]
            x,y=15,19
        [/village]
        [village]
            x,y=18,14
        [/village]
        [village]
            x,y=23,12
        [/village]
        [village]
            x,y=17,9
        [/village]
        [village]
            x,y=15,5
        [/village]
        [village]
            x,y=8,8
        [/village]
        [village]
            x,y=11,12
        [/village]
        [village]
            x,y=3,13
        [/village]
        [village]
            x,y=6,19
        [/village]
    [/side]

You can also add any abilities in any [event]s by using an [object] tag.

[nitaybenshahar]

I wanted to create an ability of my own: kind of like healing but instead it is 'teaching' units around (adding to their xp)

thanks for the help

[CherryDelight]

[heals] can only affect units' hit points. Like I said earlier, you'll probably need to script a side turn event for this, probably with a {FOREACH} to find each relevant healer and apply the experience bonus to its adjacent allies.

If you want this to display in unit descriptions, you'll also need to create a dummy ability in each relevant [unit_type] or [unit]:

Code: Select all

[unit_type]
  # Blah, blah, blah.
    [abilities]
        [custom]
            id=teacher
            name= _"teacher"
            description= _"Teacher: this unit increases its allies' experience points at the beginning of its turn."
        [/custom]
    [/abilities]
  # Etc. etc. ad nauseum
[/unit_type]

This will also make it easier for you to filter your event (ability=teacher) to find all the "teacher" units on a given side at the beginning of each side turn.

I don't have enough time to debug an event right now, so I'll see if I can write something functional for this tomorrow, if you still need help and nobody comes along with a better idea.

[Exasperation]

An ability that does this, named Battle Tutor, was implemented for the Free Saurian faction in the Era of Strife; you could start by looking to see how they did it.