Custom hero's gain no exp? Advice needed

[totgeboren]

Hello all, first post.

Anyway, I have a problem I hope someone could help me with? I have made some custom campaign heroes with FFEdit, and I'm trying out to include them in the built-in FFvTTR campaign. I have gotten them to appear as purchasable heroes on the recruit screen, and everything works fine in game too. Skins, effects and AI work fine.

I have used the Tier and start level function in FFEdit, so my heroes can unlock their more potent ability's as the game progresses, but here is my problem.

After a mission, is says for example that "Timmy" has gained one level and earned 600 exp, but when I go to the training window, "Timmy" has 0 exp. Therefor I cant advance the heroes abilities.

If I just buy a standard custom hero that does not use the Tier function it works fine.

How do I get the exp points to 'stick' to my heroes?

[stumpy]

Hi. Welcome aboard. 

First, just as an issue of terminology that will come back to haunt you later, a "custom character" is one that you make using the in-game character editor (or a Hero Editor like Alex's EZ Hero). They store the initial character information in HERO files (located in a Windows path) and are typically less-structured (have no power tiers, let you buy any power as the character gets CP in a campaign, etc.).

A "built-in character" is one made in FFEdit. The initial character data are stored in DAT files in the mod's folder. Those characters have power tiers, require that powers in a tier be bought in a certain order, have custom string descriptions, etc.

That said, it sounds like you are talking about a built-in character you have added to the campaign. The problem is that information about a character's advancement in the campaign (including his experience points) is generated when you start the campaign and then stored in the saved game files. So, basically, the character has to be there when you start the campaign, or he won't accumulate experience properly. If you are deep into the campaign and you want to add a new built-in character, it can be sort of a pain because you need to restart the campaign to have the character advance properly.

If you are running a mod with FFX 3.2+, there are some ways to speed up the process. You can use the console to "skip" through the mission quickly without playing them all again using the Mission_Win() command. Of course, that won't necessarily leave your characters with the right amount of experience (because of experience canisters, etc.). If you are particular about that, you can save the game at wherever you have gotten to actually playing through the missions and then use the ShowXP() command at the console. That will let you know what XP the characters had when you last saved. Then, when you add your new built-in character and skip through the missions, you can bring the characters back up to where they were before by using the Campaign_AddCP() command to add the difference in XP.

I hope that helps.

[totgeboren]

Thanks alot! I added my built-in characters in the first base.dat file that uses the "Campaign_AddHero ('name')" line, and now everything works fine.
(Though after some consideration, I assume that the only thing I needed to do was restart the campaign?)

I had some more questions, but you acually answered them all before I even got around to ask them.

[stumpy]

Thanks alot! I added my built-in characters in the first base.dat file that uses the "Campaign_AddHero ('name')" line, and now everything works fine.

Glad to help

(Though after some consideration, I assume that the only thing I needed to do was restart the campaign?)

And, you are right on that second point. You can add the heroes or recruit them at any point in the campaign, they just have to be in the DAT files when the campaign is started.

I had some more questions, but you acually answered them all before I even got around to ask them.

It's that doggone precognition kicking in! 


(Which reminds me of a scene I'd like to see in a SciFi movie some day:

DUDE #1: You don't take the present seriously. It's like you're living in your own past, man!
DUDE #2: I'm not living in the past, it's just that I can see the future.
DUDE #1: If you can see the future, then what's the difference?

)