Swords&More  Version  5

Mod for Severance: Blade Of Darkness

a.k.a. Blade: The Edge of Darkness

 

All native English speakers, please excuse, I did not want to spend so much time writing very correct English.

 

Version 5: to be used with BODLoader only

 

Idea and Programming:

Version 5: Spring 2003

IronLord

iron.lord@t-online.de

http://iron.lord.bei.t-online.de

 

Thanks to Masklin and Prospero !

 

Contents

1. Description

2. Installation

3. Configuration

4. Usage in Game

5. Hints

 

 

1. Description

 

[1.] Weapons

* beam a freely selectable weapon and the Holy Sword with keys 9 and 0 to the character

* these weapons grow in strength from level 1 onwards and have 90000 durability

* character can perform ALL combos of ALL his weapons on EVERY level with this one weapon

* Barbarian and Amazon can keep up the block

* switch off the annying combo trails and hit auras

* maximize the stamina and accuracy

 

[2.] Create Creatures

* create life in game enemies and allies (all existing hero and monster types)

 

[3.] Other

* call other items with keys 1 - 8

* each character can switch through all single and multiplayer skins

* throw electric flashes onto creatures (explode bloodily)

* freeze and unfreeze creatures

* change camera and influence time

 

Hints:

 "Blade" is the Blade root directory

"weapon" is the with key 9 callable weapon

"Holy Sword" is the with key 0 callable Holy Sword

 

2. Installation

 

[1.]

* It is important to remove any previous versions of Swords&More. Especially the original InputInit.py in ...\ Scripts \ must be restored !

 

[2.]

* Masklin's BODLoader must be installed and working

* can be downloaded from

* (my site) http://iron.lord.bei.t-online.de

* (Josh Dahlby) http://www.dahlby.net/games/blade

* (Masklin) http://alianza.meristation.com/blade

 

* BODLoader installation:

            * copy all files of the BODLoader into the folder Blade \ BODLoader

            * execute the install.bat

            * Launch game. The main menu "MODS" has been added

 

[3.]

* after BODLoader installation:

* copy my folder "Swords&More" into Blade \ BODLoader \ Mods (do not mix up with "Maps")

* select in the menu: MODS -> SETUP -> Swords&More -> INSTALL

* to config S&M, select: MODS -> INSTALLED MODS -> Swords&More

* There is no menu option "save". This is done automatically when leaving the menu point.

 

 

3. Configuration

 

* from Swords&More OPTIONS menu you get to the five S&M main menus:

* in the main menus [1] to [3] you can adjust, if the keys are enabled in the game

* in main menu [4] BACKGROUND FUNCTIONS you can adjust those functions that have no key (are executed automatically in the background)

* in main menu [5] you can chose your weapon and shield

 

* those S&M keys you want to be activated, must not be in the keyboard setup and must be removed BEFORE you activate the S&M key

* when you call the keyboard setup during a game, all S&M keys may get lost temporarily (until game or map new started or savegame loaded)

 

* nothing can be damaged for ever

* you can leave those S&M keys you don't want to activate in the keyboard setup

 

 

[1] ACTIVATE KEYS F3-F12

 

[] HELP

* if the ingame help key F3 is enabled

* help is shown as long as you are pressing F3

* only the activated keys are shown

 

[] CAMERA TOOLS

* F4: toggle free camera

* F5, F6: cycles camera

* F12 toggles scorer on / off. Switching off also removes all text being currently on screen and the names are not shown on objects.

 

[] TIME TOOLS

* F11: holds time, second press always continues with 100% speed

* F7: decrease speed by 10% steps (down to 10%)

* F8: increase speed by 10% steps (up to 200%)

* speed is shown very shortly at lower screen edge

 

 

[2] ACTIVATE KEYS 1-0

 

[] TORCH

* if the eternally burning torch can be called

 

[] POWER AND LIFE POTION

* key 2 calles power potion, key 3 calls full life potion

 

[] CROWN, AMULET, BRACELET

* key 4 calls crown, amulet, bracelet at once

 

[] QUIVER

* key 5 calls normal quiver

 

[] VENOM QUIVER

* key 6 calls venom quiver

 

[] BOW

* key 7 calls bow

 

[] SHIELD

* key 8 calls shield being selected in the menu (see below)

 

[] WEAPON

* key 9

* matches the weapon's strength with the character's level (if "WEAPON STRENGTH ACCORING TO LEVEL" activated - see below)

* the weapon will be beamed to the player, if it is not in his hands or visible on back

* If it is invisible in the inventory, it also appears by the player, but it cannot be taken. Then you can only draw it from the inventory and the "clone" outside disapperas automatically.

* Has 900000 durability. When it's broken you can call a new one.

* If it is a "Chaos Sword" it has 115 % of its original size.

 

 

[] HOLY SWORD

* key 0

* the same like key 9, just for the Holy Sword

* Holy Sword for Barbarian has 120 % of its original size

 

 

Hinweise:

* All items but torch, bow, weapon, Holy Sword are created as new items, when pressing the according key.

* Keys 9 and 0 must be pressed, too, when the character has levelled up and you want to match the weapons' strength -> DO NOT FORGET THIS !

* after loading a savegame or starting a map, the strength values aer matched automatically (if "WEAPON STRENGTH ACCORDING TO LEVEL" and/or "HOLY SWORD STRENGTH ACCORDING TO LEVEL" are activated - see below)

* to be able to beam the already existing torch, weapon and holy to the player, they must be without movement (not flying or gliding on oblique ground)

 

 

[3] ACTIVATE OTHER KEYS

 

[] SKIN

* Backspace switches through all 18 single and multiplayer skins

* Pressing it the first time, then the basic skin of the current character appears, afterwards all other skins are cycled.

* the skins are only optical and do not cause any change a char's attribute value

* Not every skin suits every character (try yourself). But the Barbarian e.g. looks good in a dwarf skin

 

[] ELECTRIC FLASH

* key F throws a flash onto the currently visible enemy

* you do not need the combat lock

* Requirements:

            * the S&M-weapon or S&M-HolySword must be held in hands

            * the creature's icon must be visible (even if only very transparent)

* every flash halves the life of the target

* only the target will be hurt, even when the flash passes other creatures on its way to the target

* the death of a creature caused by flash is equal to its death caused by combat

* the very best: a creature killed by flash explodes quite bloodiliy

* the explosion is improved in comparison to previous S&M versions (explodes heavier and the creature's weaponry is hurled away)

* the creature always explodes, even if in the game's menu the "mutilations" are "off"

* These do not explode (on purpose, game would crash): ChaosKnight, DalGurak, DarkLord, GreatDemon (=Meskalamdug)

May it be, they ARE these or they only have these skins.

 

 

[] FREEZE AND UNFREEZE

* key Q freezes selected creature completely (you can walk through it and it remains in this position after death)

* key W freezes selected creature (gets blind and death and reacts towards nothing, anything else stays normal)

* key E unfreezes selected creature totally (no matter from which freeze degree)

* key R totally unfreezes all those frozen by player at once

* Totally frozen ones can only be unfrozen with "R" after their death, since you need the selection for the single unfreeze with "E".

 

[] TRANSPARENCY

* key U toggles player's transparency (normal / 25%)

* Can be used for the 1st person perspective, where the movement of the limbs disturbs the sight.

 

[] CLEAR INVENTORY

* key I (capital i)

* only made for removing these with S&M made items: bow, weapon, holy

* but to remove these things, it must be sure that they are not in the inventory

* therefore the character drops all weapons from hands and inventory

 

* Sometimes some weapons disappear totally. If you carry a weapon needed to complete the map, then you should drop this manually before.

Hint:

When you carry ONE weapon only and this is a S&M weapon and it is visible on the back and then press I, the game might crash, when you make the character draw this not longer existing weapon.

 

* after the dropping bow, weapon and holy will be removed from the current world

* but can be called back at once

 

What is it good for ?

* When you have taken a S&M weapon into a savegame, meanwhile changed the weapon in the menu and the load the savegame with the old weapon in it and then press key 9, the old one is recognized as existing, but the combo abilities are assigned to the new weapon kind. So at the end you would the old, but now useless weapon.

* By the remove function you can make place for a new weapon type.

* It is neccessary to have only ONE S&M weapon the same time (and not a new one, like the potions) for some functions.

* By the way, you'll only use your favourite weapon type, which indeed can perform all combos at every level.

* By default, the key I is activated. You should deactivate it ( = set the option CLEAR INVENTORY to "no"), so taht you don't hit this key unwantingly.

 

 

[] CREATE CREATURES

* keys "Divide" and "Multiplay" on the NumPad scroll through a list

* the list has two pages (enemies and allies)

* These are the game-intern used names. No invention from me.

 

Create:

* key NumPad + creates the creature being selected in the list

* the list will disappear, but the currend type remains selected

* creature appears totally frozen mit level, position and angle of the player

* Attention: Unfreeze it, when you have "gone out" of the creature, otherwise you must freeze it again, to be able to walk out.

* The weaponry is chosen randomly by the creation, but it always typical for the race (e.g. Golems: no weaponry, Orcs: no straight shining knight blades etc.)

 

Remove:

* NumPad - (minus) removes the selected creature with all its weaponry, no matter if frozen or not

* you can remove own created ones only

*Attention: When you have the combat lock on the creature and remove the creature, the game will crash !!!

 

 

[4] BACKGROUND FUNCTIONS

 

[] KEEP BLOCK UP

* if Barbarian and Amazon keep block up

* pressing your block-key, makes the char hold this position (key can be released then)

* the attacker will hit the weapon, even if you might estimate he will hit the char's body (if the attacker isn't right behind you or so)

* the block is released by initiating a movement, attack of an enemy or by "put weapon into inventory"

 

[] PREVENT AURAS

* if the auras around hit enemies shall be prevented (unrealistic stuff - what is it good for ?)

 

[] PREVENT TRAILS

* if the coloured and white trails of the weapons shall be prevented

* If "yes", also the message of the new combo and the annoying whizzing sound will be prevented, when you perform a combo the first time.

 

[] SPECIAL COMBOS

* if the weapon and the holy can perform the combos of the fire/venom/ice weapons

 

[] DEACTIVATE COMBO LEVEL LIMITS

* if you want all combos to be available from level 1 onwards

* When the LIMITS are deactivated, the only reason why you can not perform a combo yet, is to low energy.

* The menu point ENERGY (see below) provides enough energy/stamina for every situation.

 

[] WEAPON STRENGTH ACCORDING TO LEVEL

* if the strength of the key-9-weapon increases by character level

* if "yes", each time pressing key 9, the weapon's values will be set according to current char level (see table below)

* if "no", the weapon always has its default attack and defense values

* When you have chose a fire/ice/venom weapon, it will remain its special fire/ice/venom bonus, which is (by default) not added to the power icon on screen lower right.

 

[] HOLY SWORD STRENGTH  ACCORDING TO LEVEL

* if the strength of the key-0-weapon (holy sword) increases by character level

* if "yes", each time pressing key 0, the holy's values will be set according to current char level (see table below)

* if "no", the holy always has its default attack and defense values (+300 +300 light)

* if "yes", the values are those from the table below and the +300 light are NOT added (otherwise you would kill each low levelled enemy with one hit)

 

 

table for the attack and defense values for special weapon and special Holy Sword

valus according to the F1-weapon-table, white = changed values (being not in F1-table)

Level

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19+

BarbAttack

5

5

5

10

10

10

20

40

60

80

100

140

160

180

220

300

400

500

800

BarbDefense

0

0

-1

-2

-3

-4

-5

-8

-15

-20

-30

-35

-37

-40

-45

-50

-53

-55

-60

AmazAttack

3

3

3

8

8

8

16

35

50

75

95

130

145

160

215

300

390

490

760

AmazDefense

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

-2

-6

-8

-10

-12

-14

-16

-19

-20

-28

-36

DwarfAttack

2

2

2

8

8

8

18

45

55

75

95

135

155

175

200

290

385

480

790

DwarfDefense

0

-1

-2

-3

-4

-5

-6

-8

-10

-12

-16

-18

-19

-20

-22

-24

-26

-28

-36

KnightAttack

3

3

3

8

8

8

15

30

50

70

90

120

135

150

210

290

380

470

780

KnightDefense

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

-4

-8

-10

-14

-16

-16

-18

-20

-23

-26

-30

 

 

[] ENERGY

* if the character has 100000 stamina/energy at every level

 

[] ACCURACY

* if character has hit-accuracy of 100% (otherwise it increases from 10 to 90 during game)

* even when "yes", character does not always hit

 

[] TORCH SHADOWS

* if the key-1-torch casts shadows (concerning fps rate)

 

[] REMOVE CREATURES WEAPONRY

* if weapons and shields of self created creatures disappear after their death

* If "yes", you should not try to take the disappearing object (takes 10 seconds) 

* useful, if you don't want so much stuff be lying around

 

 

 

[5] WEAPON SETUP

 

* here you can enter the names of the weapon that the according character gets when pressing key 9

* SHIELD is for all

* look in my file NAMES.txt, which weapon names can be used for which character

* you might want to print the file NAMES.txt for quick reference

* when you enter a wrong name, then Swords&More resets them to the default names when entering a map/laoding a savegame (otherwise a wrong name would make the game crash)

* when you have orientated in the table, you must write the name from the left side (under "INGAME") into the option

* In a Blade-menu you can enter numbers and CAPITAL letters only. The letters are CAPITAL, wheather you press shift or not (no invention from me !!!)

 

 

VERY IMPORTANT:

* Enter only names from the left side (under "INGAME") !

* The names must be written very exactly. No spaces BEFORE, IN or AFTER the name ! And no ther signs but letters and numbers !

 

EXAMPLE:

* for the Barbarian you want the "Death Sword"

* by BARBARIAN WEAPON you enter: DEATHSWORD

* at the left side in the table in NAMES.txt there is "DeathSword", but you can enter capital letters only

 

* be careful that you don't enter things like HACHA& when you want HACHA6

* When you enter this menu later again, it may be that the spelling of the names there have been changed automatically (if changed automatically, then always into the spelling seen under INGAME in NAMES.txt. Our EXAMPLE DEATHSWORD

would then be DeathSword.

* When you want to change this name once more, be careful, that you don't have things like DeathSWORD at the end.

* Entering a new name you must be sure to delete the existing one COMPLETELY (leave no invisible spaces before name's beginning).

* Look exactly at the spelling in NAMES.txt: for a "Sword of Chaos" do not enter "CHAOSSWORD", but "CHAOSWORD"

 

 

Who can use which weapons properly ?

[] BARBARIAN WEAPON:  possible: only barbarian and amazon weapons (Barb looks great with STEELFEATHER!)

[] AMAZON WEAPON:        possible: only amazon weapons

[] DWARF WEAPON:           possible: only dwarf-, knight- and "OTHER" weapons

[] KNIGHT WEAPON:          possible: only knight weapons

[] SHIELD:                             possible: only shield names

 

* When you enter an invalid (or wrong spelling) name for the weapon for the character you are about to play with, then you'll see an error message at the beginning of the map or after loading a savegame and the weapon- and/or shield name is set to the default (this message disappears pressing F3 or F12). The default names are:

 

Barbarian:       Chaosword ( = CHAOSWORD)

Amazon:          Bo ( = BO)

Dwarf:            Hacha ( = HACHA)

Knight:            Gladius ( = GLADIUS)

Shield:            Escudo3 ( = ESCUDO3)

 

* This nitpicking fuss about the names is important, otherwise the game would crash. But the automatic correction (is done invisibly while playing the map) prevents a crash.

* It COULD be, that a certain auto correction does not work properly since I had to define many combinable cases manually.

 

Attention:

* ALL weapons in a map of the kind you've entered in the menu (and you are also playing with this character) also get its updated strength. And thereby all creatures, who are carrying this weapon. But doesn't matter, does it?

* When the Barbarian carries an Amazon weapon, the game COULD crash with the message CRITICAL ERROR in StartDirection......". This happens, when in the map there appears an Amazon who carries the weapon you've entered as Barbarian weapon and you are playing as Barbarian (e.g. in Gladiator maps). Example: You play as Barb and have entered "LANZAANCHA" as BARBARIAN WEAPON. When there's now an Amazon with this weapon, this error occurs. In the normal single player campaign this is not the case!

* When the own Barb carries one of his "home" weapons, nothing can go wrong.

 

* Look above: Who can use which weapons properly ?

* The dwarf can use all single hand weapons ( = dwarven + knight + "OTHER") properly, but the knight can only use his own and the "OTHER" weapons.

* With a barb-axe the barb can only perform barb-axe-combos, with barb-swords only barb-sword-combos.

* These combo extensions and limitations are NOT made by me.

 

 

4. Usage in Game

 

* Chapter 3 sounds much and complicated, but it is not! The menu is clearly arranged and self-explaining.

* In game just press F3 to see which keys are available.

* The F3-help only shows key-functions and no "BACKGROUND FUNCTIONS".

 

 

5. Hints

 

* The combos of the "Chaos Sword" and the L15-Weapon have the same keys. The difference is the timing. Performing the L15-combo you must press the down-key earlier. You can study this (just like every combo) slowing down the time.

 

* the keys are arranged logically:

            * F-row: help, camera, time

            * 1-0 row and Backspace: call things, change skin

            * upper letter row: from Q to R: max freeze to max unfreeze

            * others: F like Flash, I like Inventory, U like transparent (in German this works)

* the four creature keys in the NumPad corner: / and * for the list, "plus" creates, "minus" removes

 

* Avoid double key assignment. First remove such from the keyboard setup.

 

* In "BACKGROUND FUNCTIONS" you should deactivate "CLEAR INVENTORY" so that you don't touch key "I" unwillingly.

 

* When you call the menu during a game and change any settings, this should have no effect. The most (or all ?) changes are active the next time you start or load.

 

* In certain maps the flash does not appear visibly (haven't got the faintest idea, why !!!). But you hear the sound and the target gets damaged.

 

* Remember, to update the weapon and the holy with keys 1 and 0 (= to match their attributes the current char level), when the character levels up (after starting or loading this is done automatically,  but not DURING a map).

 

* No combat lock on the creature you want to remove with "minus". Crash !

* You can remove self created ones only.

* When you have called the list, but decide not to create, you can switch off the list with F3 or F12.

 

* Good and evils fight each other. But sometimes the good ones do not recognize evil ones as enemies.

* You can have ONE "DarkLord" only at once (more would disturb each other beaming away). When he has died or been removed, you can create a new one. When S&M detects an existing DarkLord in the map, the message "only ONE DarkLord possible" (in Spanish game version the message is: "sólo  está  permitido  un  DarkLord")

* These with S&M created ones have special effects: LavaGolem, IceGolem, DarkLord

* When an self created DarkLord dies, he dissolves in a great firestorm (made by me, since he has no death animation)

* Too many creatures at once (and visible at once) can cause a crash.

 

* With the create- freeze- and time funcs you can prepare nice situations for screenshots.

* You can fill a battlefield with two armies and unleash the whole bunch with key "R" at once.

 

 

PS. I would have added configurationable keys to the Swords&More menu. But this is a very tricky matter. One solution rises two other problems. So I finally left it.

 

 

Remind the guy who has been eleborating on this weeks over weeks: IronLord.

Any critics, suggestions, questions, eulogies, donations of money or kind to: iron.lord@t-online.de