Need help modding DA abilities

If skills are greyed out, it means there's a syntax error in your file somewhere that's preventing the entire ability system from initializing.  First read this post about enabling and using the error log - it's much more (and unnecessarily) difficult to debug a mod without it: http://forums.demigodthegame.com/399524/page/1/#2812350

Then make sure you're familiar with Lua syntax and are using an editor (like Notepad++) that has syntax highlighting, so you can more easily find errors, and use a non-destructive approach to changing ability parameters when possible, to keep the possible errors to a minimum.

For example, to change the energy cost of Spine Attack I, you only need to reference that one variable within its ability blueprint table, within the global Ability table.  So start with a blank HDemon_Abilities.lua file in your hook path, and add a single line like this:

Use one line like that for each ability blueprint to change their energy costs, making sure to change the name of each ability blueprint (HDemonSpineAttack01 in this case) referenced so the correct ability is changed.  How/why you do this is described in much greater detail in several posts following this one: http://forums.demigodthegame.com/376116/page/1/#2635933

 

As for adding buffs, I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to accomplish there?  First of all, that buff isn't being added to the ability in any way.  There are two ways to do that, one 'automatic' and one manual, and usually the manual way (via actual ability function code) is the only way that really works for most abilities.

What do you want the buffs to be applied to?  When do you want them to run out?  You're creating infinite-duration buffs that, if added to the ability's Buffs table, would be applied to the TARGET of the ability, PERMANENTLY.  I'm guessing you don't want either of those things, so you might want to do a bit more research on buff creation and usage by looking at some other abilities.

 

And remember to always start with one change at a time.  Do simple things first, get those working in-game, and then add each further change one at a time (in chunks that seem reasonable to debug should an error pop up), so you know exactly where the problem is whenever you run into an error.

Ty for replying.

As for the skills grayed out, I got that fixed.

I'm not too familiar, but I think I can make do for what I'm trying to do for now.

I'll make it less destructive once I get some more time, maybe tomorrow.

The adding buffs part, I was trying to add the buffs to the DA using the ability.  I did test it and get it to work, so that the DA gets the buff (permanently) right after the first use of the skill (uses warp strike and gets the buff applied), but I'm not sure if my target got affected by it, like you said.  I'll update the post with the new code so you can look at it (maybe offer more advice for destructiveness, or I'll look at the link).

It turns out I was missing some lines

Thanks for the advice!

If you're manually adding the buff using ApplyBuff, then it will only affect the unit you're passing to the ApplyBuff call (in this case, 'unit' represents the casting unit).

If you added the buff blueprint or buff name to a Buffs table in the ability blueprint, then it would applied automatically to only the target because it's a targeted ability.  If it were an instant-cast ability, like Warp Area, any buffs in the ability's Buffs table would be applied to the casting unit.  Buffs on a 'Quiet' type ability (e.g. Forceful Blows) get added to the unit immediately upon receiving the ability.
This is why it's usually preferable to add it via an ApplyBuff call in the ability function, so you can control when and to what it's applied.

 

I'm not quite sure why you'd want a permanent buff to be applied on ability use, though - why not just have the buff apply when DA receives the ability?  Add an OnAbilityAdded function within the ability blueprint that applies it:

or, non-destructively, outside any blueprints or tables:That additionally saves a copy of the ability's existing OnAbilityAdded function (in case another mod adds one) and runs it if it exists.

If you were adding something like this to an item ability, you'd also need a corresponding OnRemoveAbility function with a RemoveBuff call for when the item is sold or dropped, but character abilities can't be un-chosen, so it's not needed in this case.

Ok, so I've made the code like you said in your first post (Wall of text)

So for the buff, yes I wanted it to apply the buff when you chose the ability but I didn't know how. 

Now, I've tested this code in game.  The abilities work themselves (EnergyCost, etc.) but the buffs for WarpStrike and Spine Attack replace each other on gaining the skill.  So if I get Warp Strike 1, I get the +10% weapon damage, but when I get Spine Attack 1, the new buff replaces the Warp Strike buff, so I now have +10% attack speed.  What do I do to fix this?

EDIT-I corrected the code in this reply.

That's determined by two elements of the BuffBlueprints themselves - Stacks and BuffType.  If Stacks is set to 'REPLACE', which you normally want for a permanent buff that increases in power with level (so the newer versions replace the older ones automatically), any existing buffs with the same BuffType will be replaced by the incoming buff.  So, your Spine Attack buffs need their own BuffType.

Oops, now I realize that the Spine Attack buffs have " 'HDEMONWARPSTRIKEBUFF' " on them, once I fix that I think it'll work.

EDIT-yes it works, if there's anything else I should do I'll do it, otherwise I don't have anymore questions for now.