Forgotten Kingdoms - Builder's Lessons

BUILDER'S LESSONS

We have prepared a series of lessons for new and not so new builders to work with to help them get their area to testing point. Please note you must be pre-approved to build or design an area. See the builders page for more detail. Each lesson below is best taken in order. When writing the lessons I assumed that the builder has read the lessons listed before the one they are currently reading.

There are several ways that you can build an area. If the thought of building an area totally by yourself intimidates you and you have a wonderful area idea, then do not worry. You can choose one of the following options when it comes to building:

Hand area builder - This is building your area from scratch by hand. If you ever wish to gain OLC rights, you will need to be able to understand the inner workings of an area file. So we expect first time builders who want to do it all, to build their whole area in a text editor (see the building tools section below). You can build your area from start to finish following the lessons listed on this page. Some builders prefer to remain building by hand even after they have the right to use OLC, because they have limited access to the mud and enjoy the hand building side of building.
OLC builder - This stands for On Line Creation. This is where you build most of your area on the testport. You have an immortal character on the testport that has access to the building commands. There are a few OLC links below to help you in this. OLC rights are only granted to those who have completed an area from scratch (very rarely is an exception made for this). OLC does NOT finish off an area, so once you have your area written out of OLC, you will need to edit and refine it in a text editor.
Area designer - An area designer is someone who has the creativity to build an area, but not the will to code it. They design the area, and one of our OLC builders puts their area into code for them. They submit things like descriptions for the rooms and mobs. What objects they would like to be held by mobs in the area and sold by mobs. They also submit a step by step outline of what any quests will do.
Team Area Builder - This is someone who would like to help with getting areas into the game, but does not want to design a whole area. Sometimes builders like myself do not want to do the descriptions, so they will take on a team builder to help them describe existing rooms or mobiles.
FKZoner Builder - FKZoner is a program that has been specifically made for Forgotten Kingdoms. It has a graphical interface for building areas. It is currently being beta tested by builders. It is hoped that area designers and builders alike will find this a useful tool, and will be one of the choices they can make when it comes to constructing an area.

Building Tools

Textpad - An excellent text editing program for builders.
Area check - Use this to check your area file for bugs.
FKZoner - This graphical interface area builder program has been written for builders of FKMud. It is currently in beta stage of testing.

General Area Lessons and Area Design information

Area Submission Process - How do you submit your area to the game?
The art of building - External Link - Some good building advice.
How to make good quests - External Link - Some good quest design advice.

OLC Sources and lessons

Please note in order to gain the ability to use OLC on the testport a builder has to have completed their first area by hand. If you are checking out the lessons for the first time with the intent to build your first area by hand, then looking at this OLC links may confuse you. It may be best to skip this section if that is the case.

OLC Commands - A guide written by Dalvyn (Area administrator) to the basic OLC commands used in most building on FKMud.
Hernes OLC building Guide - External Link - OLC guides for a SMAUG, some of which is helpful to this mud, even though we have changed the code dramatically.
Zylara's OLC building Guide - External Link - Written for SMAUG muds, but some of it works for FKMud.

Area templates and main headers

Area Template - A listing of all the headers and sections in an area file.
Area Sample - A sample area with sample mobs, objects, rooms and resets.
Header flags - What do each of the header flags do?
Justice System - What do you need to do to make the justice system work in your area?

#MOBILES section

If you are a novice to building for Forgotten Kingdoms, please read the lessons on the mobiles section in the order given. Later on the lessons can be a good reference, especially when you need to look up a flag for a mobile.

#OBJECTS section

#ROOMS section

#SHOPS section and #REPAIRS section

#RESETS section

#SPECIALS section

Mobile special functions

#QUESTS section

Quest Log

Mud Programs

Mob Progs A list of all possible mob progs
If checks A list of all possible if checks.
$targets A list of all possible $targets.
MP Commands A list of commands for use in mud programs.

Mpmset Commands Fields settable by mpmset and mpmadd.
Mposet Commands Fields settable by mposet and mpoadd. Coder needs check some of the syntaxes etc in this lesson.

Quest Bits Listing.
Quest Bits Tutorial Lists final quest bits of quests in the game.
Quest Bits on Objects A tutorial on using quest bits on items.
A sample quest. Using mob programs and quest bits.
Sample programs. Some examples of mud programs in the game are below.

Greet Programs
Death Programs
Give Programs
Speech Programs
Bribe Programs
Intercept Programs
Rand Programs
Fight Programs
Time Programs
Entry Programs Coder needs to look into why these dont work.
Drop Programs
Examine Programs
Wear Programs
Buy Programs
Leave Programs Do leave progs work on objects?
Resizing objects

Program Layout - Spacing of programs, and use of tildas and pipes.
Or function - Using the or function in if checks.
Tavern Programs - Programs for the taverns in Waterdeep and other cities.
Yell for Help Programs - Programs to make mobiles yell for help and recieve it.
Shooting mobs - Programs to make mobiles shoot at a PC from a distance.
Gambling Programs - Samples of gambling programs.
Stabling Programs - Programs to make a stable, stable PC mounts.
Restringing Objects - Vendors that rename generic stock.
In File Programs - Use of in_file_prog's in area files.
Logging Events - Events that should be logged for in game.
Marking Objects - How to mark an object invisibly for ownership, and visably for roleplay.
String and Stringprefix - Using the string and stringprefix functions in a prog.
Loading Quest Mobs - Loading a mob for a quest in a specific room.
Alignment Checks - Different methods for checking alignment.
Greed Progams - Shops that will sell a limited number to PCs.
Charged Objects Progams - Magical objects that have a limited amount of charges.
Imbricated Rand Progams - The art of using if rand in your progs.
Simulating Lag Programs - How to simulate lag in your progs.
Connect Command - Adding and removing room connections in a program.
Resizing objects

Other lessons

Guilds - The use of guilds in areas.
Guild and Temple Storerooms - The use of storerooms in guilds and temples.
Quest Rewards - Suitable rewards for quests.
Dwelling mobile notes
Trades - Including a trades quest in an area.
Colourising an area
Prestige Classes
Hometowns - List of all the hometowns and their vnums.
Non key doors - Doors that open with something other than a key.
Months - Game months.
Sector Restrictions - Sector restrictions What did I intend to cover here?

Helpful general building links

Map Magical - External Link - Contains a village generator.
Mud Connector Discussion Board - External Link - They have a builders discussion area.
Tavern Name Generator - Stumped for a name for your Tavern? Try here.

Note: Our general links pages has links to Forgotten Realms sites on the web that will aid in descriptions and the story line of your area.