Hello. I've got a couple of questions. First off, I've been trying to figure out how to work the descriptions for the specific body parts. (Like the ears can be described as narrow, flattened, fused earlobes and such) I've got a scaled creature, and I'd like to make a description for the scales, such as noting if they have a mottled/striped/spotted/diamond pattern on them or such. How would I go about doing this?
Right now the only color patterns are the rainbow stripes of beak dogs and some big cat patterns; you'd probably want to add some more. I know the Incubus mod added descriptive non-color 'colors' like firm, supple, etc. I think the various ways things are described are hard-coded, you'd want to find a body part described in the terms you want and copy the tokens. If it's a body part you want to describe, I use something like this:
[SET_BP_GROUP:BY_CATEGORY:HEAD]
[BP_APPEARANCE_MODIFIER:BROADNESS:90:95:98:100:102:105:110]
[APP_MOD_IMPORTANCE:700]
[BP_APPEARANCE_MODIFIER:LENGTH:90:95:98:100:102:105:110]
[APP_MOD_IMPORTANCE:700]
which results in a head with length instead of tallness; I use it for my lizard people. If it's a tissue layer you want to describe, it goes something like this:
[SET_TL_GROUP:BY_CATEGORY:FRILL:SCALE]
[TISSUE_LAYER_APPEARANCE_MODIFIER:LENGTH:50:80:90:100:110:120:150]
[APP_MOD_NOUN:frill:SINGULAR]
[TISSUE_LAYER_APPEARANCE_MODIFIER:DENSE:50:80:90:100:110:120:150]
[APP_MOD_NOUN:frill:SINGULAR]
....
[SET_TL_GROUP:BY_CATEGORY:FRILL:SCALE]
[TL_COLOR_MODIFIER:STRIPES_RAINBOW:1]
[TLCM_NOUN:frill:SINGULAR]
Note that the frill is not vanilla. You could probably merge the color mod and the appearance mod together, maybe?
Also, I think I've asked this before, but I can't find the answer. How would I add a layer of scale tissue over the skin of a specific body part?
I've had a lot of trouble with this. Using the format used for adding nails( [TISSUE_LAYER:BY_CATEGORY:FINGER:NAIL:FRONT] )might work. 'AROUND' or 'TOP' would probably be the best for adding scale over a body part, but I've had annoying issues with 'AROUND'. I wound up just making a whole new body detail plan for that creature.
Lastly, if I define a body type for a species, but then make a new body for a specific caste, would it work just to put a new body under the caste heading, or would it be overridden by the one made for the whole species?
You can define a body for the species, and then add additional parts as a caste. Something like
[CREATURE:WHATEVER]
[BODY:HUMANOID_SIMPLE]
...
[CASTE:A]
[BODY:1EYE]
[CASTE:B]
[BODY:2EYES]
would work in my experience. If you wanted completely different bodies, you'd have to do something like
[CREATURE:WHATEVER]
...
[CASTE:A]
[BODY:HUMANOID_SIMPLE:1EYE]
[CASTE:B]
[BODY:INSECT:2EYES]
Repeating body parts from the creature definition in a caste definition will give you bizarre fractal anatomy.
Thank you, but what do you mean by tweaking?
Right now the attack has the same contact area/penetration depth as a warhammer strike with the velocity cranked up. Size 200 is rather too large; that's only half the size of a war hammer. I haven't really tested them enough to see if this is too effective, not effective enough, or what. I've also considered changing the skill to 'MACE' so that they might actually get used.