How to Create Special Effects in Any Zone

Richardo · #1 03-01-2005, 03:52 PM

[Requirements]
1.> You must have patched to live, and then back patched (with your own files, do NOT ask for them here)
2.>Notepad or Wordpad
3.>Omens of War Expansion

Ok first I will explain how this works. Basically ever since the new expansion Omens of War, Everquest uses a new system of effects called EnvironmentEmitters as you may have noticed some new files for example, wallofslaughter_EnvironmentEmitters.txt. Well basically this text file gives off the exact X,Y,Z Coordinates of certain effects from raging fire to falling snow in certain areas. (NOTE: If you play winter's roar or scorpious2k, this should still work for zones as long as everyone has downloaded the Omens Of War Expansion.)

First, what I want you to do is to open Notepad or Wordpad and make a new document in your everquest directory called, Nexus_EnvironmentEmitters.txt .

Ok next, what I need you to do is to copy and paste this as the first line...

Code:

Name^EmitterDefIdx^X^Y^Z^Lifespan

Once you have done this, right after the first line, paste the following...

Code:

redlite^9^0^0^0^9999999

Ok after you have done this, your document should look like this....

Code:

Name^EmitterDefIdx^X^Y^Z^Lifespan
redlite^9^0^0^0^9999999

Alright, now we are done with our first effect for Nexus... now save this file and make sure it goes into your everquest directory. Open Everquest, go into a server and zone into nexus, make sure your Opacity and all spell effects/zone effects are turned on in your options because if they are not, you will not see anything if these are not turned on.

Nexus should look a little like this...

Note, if you want to make the effect more dense and visible like mine is, add more effect lines, but if you add too many it can get quite laggy. Here is a good non-laggy dense setup for nexus.

Code:

Name^EmitterDefIdx^X^Y^Z^Lifespan
redlite^9^0^0^0^9999999
redlite^9^0^0^0^9999999
redlite^9^0^0^0^9999999
redlite^9^0^0^0^9999999

Anyhow, that is how to create it, now to explain it...

If you notice in the first line it says...

Code:

 Name^EmitterDefIdx^X^Y^Z^Lifespan

and this is how you read the list that your putting, here is an example of what I mean..

redlite(name)^9(id)^0(X Position)^0(Y Position)^0(Z Position)^9999999(how long before it dies)

Lifespan of 9999999 means about 1157 Days untill the effect will stop, and I doubt anyone can leave their comp on for this long on your server :p

If you do not know how to get the X Position Y Position and Z Position, just type /loc where you are standing and it will give you 3 numbers, for example 0 0 0 in nexus is a little bit in the air, if you want the effect to appear where you stand, you will have to read your /loc and paste it in the order that it gives you. Example

I zone into Sebilis, I type
/loc
Your location is -225.23 52.01 3.07
to read this, its the same as the environmental emitter locations

Your location is -225.23(X Position) 52.01(Y Position) 3.07(Z Position)

(NOTE: #loc is NOT what you type to get your location, that command inverts X and Y for those who create zonelines and doors, ect...)

Ok, now how to get different effects. In your everquest directory, gather all of the txt files that have the name "EnvironmentEmitters" in them and save them to a new directory. Once you have done this, open them up and you will see the names/coords/lifespans of the new effects, for example anguish_EnvironmentEmitters.txt has the following...

Code:

Name^EmitterDefIdx^X^Y^Z^Lifespan
lightning255^31^3793.829590^29.672331^166.000000^9999999
lightning254^31^3795.218994^10.931935^166.000000^9999999
lightning253^31^3812.092285^1.209356^166.000000^9999999
lightning252^31^3829.750977^10.822573^166.000000^9999999

If you want this lightning effect on nexus, open Nexus_EnvironmentEmitters.txt and add this line to the bottom and make it look like the following...

Code:

Name^EmitterDefIdx^X^Y^Z^Lifespan
redlite^9^0^0^0^9999999
lightning255^31^0^0^0^9999999

Note: A lot of effects do "not" work in some zones and I have not discovered how to forceload them, so give me some time to find this out and ill post and update. Also, I may have figured out how to do slippery/ice sliding for those of you zone creators and ill post a tutorial how to do this in OpenZone.

-Discovered and Written by Richardo

RangerDown · #2 03-01-2005, 04:25 PM

LOL well ain't that a neat little trick. Thanks for what will I'm sure will be dozens of hours of keeping peeps occupied with seeing what all effects they can do :P

Unfortuately with the way EQ client is, only you see those. No way for a server op to say "I want this graphic in Nexus for everybody" :(

Richardo · #3 03-01-2005, 04:26 PM

yea, ofcourse... its client side but luckily, its not considererd warez and you can distribute these files that you create freely, the ones "you" create that is.....

Im going to start adding a list of the effects and pictures to save people time :P