NPC Script Header Guide

This guide explains how to format the header for NPC script files in LandSandBoat, and how to locate the required information.

Header Format

Every NPC script should begin with a standardized header. This header provides the zone name, zone ID, NPC name, and the NPC's spawn position (as a !pos command).

-----------------------------------
-- Area: Windurst Walls (239)
--  NPC: Ambrosius
-- !pos 65.175 -2.499 -63.231 239
-----------------------------------

Components

  1. Area: The name of the zone followed by its Zone ID in parentheses.
  2. NPC: The name of the NPC.
  3. !pos: The X, Y, Z coordinates, followed by the Zone ID. This matches the format used by the in-game !pos command.

Finding the Information

1. Zone Name and ID

  • Zone Name: Usually matches the name of the folder containing the script (e.g., scripts/zones/Windurst_Walls/).
  • Zone ID: Can be found in scripts/enum/zone.lua. Search for the zone's constant name (e.g., WINDURST_WALLS) to find its numeric ID.

2. NPC Name

  • NPC Name: Use the display name (the second name) as it appears in the sql/npc_list.sql file. This is usually the name players see in-game.

    Example SQL:

    INSERT INTO `npc_list` VALUES (17752605,'AMAN_Liaison','A.M.A.N. Liaison', ...);

    In this case, you would use A.M.A.N. Liaison in the header.

3. Finding Position (X, Y, Z) in sql/npc_list.sql

If you don't have the coordinates from an in-game capture or a retail dump, you can find them in the database:

  1. Open sql/npc_list.sql.
  2. Search for the NPC's name within the section for the specific zone. Note that names in SQL might be in varbinary or char formats.
  3. The coordinates are stored in the pos_x, pos_y, and pos_z columns.

Example SQL entry:

INSERT INTO `npc_list` VALUES (16781427,'Ambrosius','Ambrosius',0,65.175,-2.499,-63.231,0,40,40,0,0,0,0,0,'\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0',0,NULL,1);

In this example:

  • pos_x = 65.175
  • pos_y = -2.499
  • pos_z = -63.231
  • Zone ID = 239 (derived from the NPC ID or the zone header in the SQL file).

Maintaining the Notes Section

If a script requires additional context or documentation, a "Notes" section can be included within the header block.

Existing Notes

If a script already has a notes section, do not remove it. Maintain the notes and update them if your changes alter the NPC's behavior or purpose.

Formatting Notes

Notes should be placed within the header block, usually before the !pos command.

-----------------------------------
-- Area: Windurst Walls (239)
--  NPC: Ambrosius
-- Notes: This NPC is part of the "Crying Over Onions" quest.
-- !pos 65.175 -2.499 -63.231 239
-----------------------------------