I'm trying to figure out a way to generate random encounters, but while chars are at sea. I haven't seen this done, and want to add it to a world that i have recently been asked to dm in. How do you do random encounters, as i still am no good at scripting, great at ideas, and things i'd like to see, but...Any clues would be appreciated. Thanks.

What do you mean by 'at sea'?

For the encounter you could use a switch case, like this:

int nD6 = d6(1);

switch (nD6)
{
case 1: (create monster command(s) here); break;
case 2: ,, ,,
case 3: ,, ,,
case 4: ,, ,,
case 5: ,, ,,
case 6: ,, ,,
}

This makes you able to create 6 different encounters, you can have more than one monster per case.

It might be easier to have random encounter triggers instead of doin it by scripting but it depends on the situation. If the encounter has to be at the same place everytime it's better to use the trigger, if you want to check with e.g. variables the scripting is easier.

We want to do a random occurence attack while the chars are on a ship, going some where. But since ships don't move, triggers won't help, much, unless...thanks philip, got my head working in the right direction, i think. How do you do cutscenes?

I believe there's a guide to cutscenes in the NWN Lexicon. I haven't done anything like cutscenes myself

Cutscenes are giving me a headache. Argh! Work, you cursed things...

Regarding the random encounters, you can use the switch to make an encounter script (where how many of what kind of monster would spawn when the script is triggered) and use a second script for the area, OnEnter would be a good place to put it, that triggers the encounter script after a random amount of time.

The latter would look something like


DelayCommand((D6(3)+20), ExecuteScript("Encounter"), GetFirstPC());
DelayCommand((D6(5)+80), ExecuteScript("Encounter"), GetFirstPC());
DelayCommand((D20(1)+132), ExecuteScript("Encounter2"), GetFirstPC());
DelayCommand((D6(5)+317), ExecuteScript("Encounter"), GetFirstPC());


Or something along those lines.

You might want to look at this

http://nwvault.ign.com/Files/scripts...21103324.shtml

Here is the info about it.

This is essentially an in-game interpreter that allows scenes to be written in a much easier-to-understand stageplay script format, and played out. It provides for a shared interruptable and continuable action queue for the actors in the scene. It allows the writer of the scene to embed entire scenes inside objects, or fetched from a database. Also it allows the novice non-scripter playwright to be able to easily craft scenes. (version 1.01.2) There is a help forum at: http://nwn.bioware.com/guilds_regist....html?gid=5740


I hope this helps,
Granamere

Legolas, cool dude, thanks, that looks easier than what we came up with. Right now it's not open on the mod, but we use a course plotting book, and a door to trigger the encounters, based on a d6. It wouldn't be so bad, if they weren't so far apart, and below deck.
Granamere, thanks, I saw that after I had posted here, but couldn't find it again. This is what makes modding hard, when you can't be looking at the same thing at the same time. Half the country between me and the guy i'm working with on this, and I can't just point at the monitor and say *see that, it may do what we want*. Well, I can, but it doesn't do any good.
All, thanks for the help, I'll post here when it's up and ready to be seen. What we are trying we have never seen before, so maybe it will be something new.