Changing Sounds for Aliens During Dialogue in K2

[narshaddaarocks 67]

In the Refugee Quad, I've changed the appearance of several Exchange thugs and now I'm trying to get them to sound like their new species (Rodian, Aqualish etc) when I click on them to hear their dialogues instead of  Gamorreans like  that were there before I changed them.

What would be the best way go about changing the Gamorrean sounds to match the changed aliens?

 

 

[Ashton Scorpius 111]

You're going to need to edit the .dlg files. I'm not too familiar with how alien VOs work in KOTOR II .dlg files, but it would be easiest to replace them with the nearest match based on the species you changed to (i.e. Gamorrean Angry Long -> Rodian Angry Long)

Also, I'd check to make sure any alien VO you plan on using has a corresponding .lip file since K2's missing a bunch. 

[narshaddaarocks 67]

Alright. Thanks.

What's the best way to replace them in your opinion?

I found the.dlg files I want to edit, I'm just not sure how do edit them though.

[JCarter426 1,214]

On the main node of the dialogue, there is a flag called AlienRacOwner. This configures the default VO set to use for that file, and corresponds to the line numbers in alienvo.2da. Some aliens have more VO than others, so depending on what you're changing, you may also have to change the Emotion of each node to something they have.

You'll probably also want to change the soundset, which is configured on the UTC file. That determines what sounds are used outside of dialogue, like in combat.

[narshaddaarocks 67]

I've been looking for "AlienRacOwner" but can't seem to find it. 

Am I on the right thing? And where can I find to change the emotions at?

 

 

And I've been able to change the sound sets with no issue.

[Ashton Scorpius 111]

You need to use DLG Editor to edit dialogue instead. Not only is Kotor Tool's editor buggy, it's not fully compatible with TSL dialogue, so that's why you're not seeing those options.

When using DLG Editor, make sure to toggle mode to TSL. The bottom panel should look like this:

Spoiler

I put a star next to the 2 things @JCarter426 mentioned.

[narshaddaarocks 67]

Alright I downloaded the DLG Editor and followed the steps, but it's not let me open "302NAR_dlg.erf" which is what I need to edit.

Should I rename the file to "302NAR.dlg" to get it to work?

[DarthParametric 3,777]

An ERF is an archive (the same as RIMs and MODs). The DLG files are inside it. Extract the DLG you need via KOTOR Tool.

[narshaddaarocks 67]

Thanks that worked.

Now I have just two more questions and that should be everything I need.

1. How do I get lips on the aliens to work?

2. Seeing how I have changed several of the Exchange thugs to new species (Rodians, Duros etc) where do I go to edit the dialogue to match each group of aliens in the Refugee Quad?

[Ashton Scorpius 111]

On 2/4/2019 at 8:00 PM, narshaddaarocks said:

1. How do I get lips on the aliens to work?

It should automatically work. If you test out your dialogue in-game & aliens' mouths don't move for certain lines, that means that VO is missing a .lip. It's a bit of a hassle, but you can check which lip files exist by copying the .mod files from the game's lips folder to Modules & open them with Kotor Tool under ERFs. Alien VO files are named like AVO_(Species)(Emotion)##

On 2/4/2019 at 8:00 PM, narshaddaarocks said:

2. Seeing how I have changed several of the Exchange thugs to new species (Rodians, Duros etc) where do I go to edit the dialogue to match each group of aliens in the Refugee Quad?

I'm not 100% sure what you mean by this, but if you're talking about editing the dialogue itself, you can put -1 in the StrRef for every line & type in the replacement. 

[narshaddaarocks 67]

Thanks my first question is solved now.

As for my second question, kind of, but here you can see I've changed some of the Gamoreans to Rodians and Aqualish.

How would I go about editing to where when I click on the Rodian it sounds like a Rodian and then when I click on the Aqualish it sounds like a Aqualish?

When I edit the file I need in DLGEditor by changing the AlienRaceNod, to a Rodian for example, then all of the Exchange thugs sound like Rodians even if some are a different species like the Aqualish. Is there a way for me to fix this so each sound matches up to their corresponding alien? 

[Kexikus 994]

You need to make copies of the dlg file, one for each alien species and then change the dialog file for each thug in their utc so that they use the correct one for their species.

[narshaddaarocks 67]

Okay I'm able to make copies of the dlg file, but I can't seem to find  where to change the dialogue file at in each utc. Is it in scripts? 

[Ashton Scorpius 111]

On 2/7/2019 at 8:06 AM, narshaddaarocks said:

Okay I'm able to make copies of the dlg file, but I can't seem to find  where to change the dialogue file at in each utc. Is it in scripts? 

It's the Conversation field

[narshaddaarocks 67]

Okay ,so I see that so I should rename each of the copies I made of the DLG files for each alien then?

[Kexikus 994]

Yeah. Otherwise you can't even put them in the Override at the same time.

[narshaddaarocks 67]

So for my first copy for "excthg3.dlg" I would rename it to "excthg4.dlg" and then go into "g_blkvulkgang004.utc" and change to Conversation from "excthg3" to "excthg4" correct?

[Kexikus 994]

I would choose something a little more unique or make sure that excthug4 does not exist anywhere in the game files or you would be overwriting a vanilla file. 

But apart from that, yes that's what you do. 

[narshaddaarocks 67]

It worked! Thanks!

I'm gonna try to change up the weapons on the thugs next, then I should be about done.

Does anyone have you suggestions on the best way to write the "ReadMe" especially the disclaimer?

[Guest Qui-Gon Glenn]

Filenames have a 16 character limit.

I like to do this -

qg_derp.ncs

qg_sithtalk.wav

qg_dumbledore.lol

 

Basically, you know that 1) I made it, and 2) it is unique

 

Edit:

Regarding readme, to add to what ashton said...

Include the installation instructions, how to uninstall, any modders you feel deserve credit for helping you (like Fred Tetra for example) and the obligatory legal disclaimer that we all just copy paste from some other mod. I always copied @InSidious 

[Ashton Scorpius 111]

1 hour ago, narshaddaarocks said:

Does anyone have you suggestions on the best way to write the "ReadMe" especially the disclaimer?

Before uploading my first mod, I looked at a lot of other modders' readme formats to get a feel for how they should be written. My tips are to make each section clear (i.e. putting a row of dashes under headers) & keep it just simple enough to be effective. Same thing for the disclaimer.

[narshaddaarocks 67]

Thanks @Ashton Scorpius and @Qui-Gon Glenn for your help on the readme!

I'm just about done with this, but I can't get the thugs to change weapons.

They're all stuck with the wooden staffs or whatever and I want to change that to like swords and blasters.

I go into inventory and added these things but they're still stuck with the wooden staffs.

Does anyone know how to fix this? 

[Kexikus 994]

You need to actually assign the weapon to their main hand slot and not just put it into their inventory. Also, IIRC KotOR Tools utc editor has issues with inventory editing. But I don't remember what those issues were exactly.

[narshaddaarocks 67]

Is the main hold slot in the utc files?

[JCarter426 1,214]

3 hours ago, Kexikus said:

Also, IIRC KotOR Tools utc editor has issues with inventory editing. But I don't remember what those issues were exactly.

Whenever it opens the inventory editor, it sets all items to be droppable.