Grimrock

Hi all, I'm new to LoG modding and just started playing with the editor since buying LoG2. I'm an experienced old-school dungeon builder, having built stuff for Dungeon Master (using tools like DMute, RTC and DSB), and maps for games like Doom and Duke3D. You might already know me from the Dungeon Master forums

Anyway, one thing I'm puzzled about in LoG modding is how to test a dungeon using an equipped party of the right experience level? Is there some way of creating a debug party that has different levels of experience and are carrying all the objects you want to test? And is there a way of disabling monster interactions during debugging? Using the basic visual editor, if I test with monsters in place, they just attack the party who have no experience and are wandering about naked and unarmed, so it's a bit unfair...

I can tell you how I did it in Log1 for my mod, which is quite longish (~10hrs play time). I suppose with the new features in Log2 (where resuming the preview does not reset the champions) it can get a little easier, but I wouldn't rely on it 100% as you lose state anyway if you restart afaik.

Also, don't take it as a guide.. it's just a documentation of what I did

1) script a cheat function which sets the attributes to impossibly high, but without raising the champion level. Add any quest item to the inventory. Beware of using them, but they might be useful.
2) using the cheat at 1, test every single puzzle for completion and fix them in the run. test every single secret. test every single level, every nook.
3) using the cheat at 1, do a complete playthrough outside the editor - since you are using the cheat, you aren't wasting time in combat, but you can test the plot, the puzzles, etc. Take note every dungeon level at which level and which items your champions have. Do not count items in secrets for this. Play pretending you actually need those item and switch among them.. do not rely on the fact that with 9999 strength you don't need them.
4) time to drop the cheat. remove it or disable it.
5) build a number of hidden areas in some specific zones of the dungeon. A good idea is to use a specific class of teleports so that you can destroy them in one shot when going into release. These hidden areas will contain pressure plates which will raise your champions to the specified level and which will give you the appropriate items as per notes taken at step 3.
6) in the editor, play every combat from start to finish, using those hidden areas for every time you have to stop and restart. You can skip/cheat your way out of puzzles at this stage, as long as you know that it's not a "combat puzzle". Add/move weapons and armors to balance combats etc.
7) reached the end of your dungeon alive ? time to do a complete playthrough, without those cheaty hidden areas. At this point you should have nailed most of the issues. You need a complete playthrough outside the editor. The most important things to balance at this point are food, reagents and potions. Be wise. Use roughly 2/5 of the secrets at this stage.
8) recruit some playtesters and have them play the thing


To help distributing potions, reagents, weapons, etc. the main game distribution is a fairly good reference.. in this aspect Log1 was easier, as it was linear.

Last point: play the main game. Replay it. Then again. It's an awesome reference for balance.. if you can't survive two squids at level 5, your players won't magically be able to survive squid ambush at level 1 in your mod.

I'm currently rewriting this entire set of functions to do just what you're looking for [as one of its options]. For now it'll just give a basic weapon though.

Wow, thanks for the tips @Xanathar, that's really useful. And @HutJob, your script looks great, I'll try it out. Thanks