Retexturing a normal NPC

To replace a spritesheet of an NPC:

1. Convert a new image into a packed XNB file.
2. Name it as the NPC you want to retexture.
3. Place the file in props/textures/old_man and replace the file.
4. If you modified the sprite sheet, you will need to modify the sprite sheets and the animation settings inside your NPC’s configuration file.

While the textures for both needs to be inside props/textures/old_man, the quotes and settings of each NPC is stored based of their type:

• old man, is stored inside props/textures/old_man/lines
• merchant, is stored inside props/textures/old_man/merchant

General settings

An NPC contains the following settings:

• name of the NPC (leave as is),
• sprite sheet,
• position,
• home screen,
• font,
• text layer,
• npc layer,
• random count

Sprite sheet

The sprite sheet (or sprite cells) is the combination of the rows and columns count.

Setting the sprite sheet

1. Search for the sprite_cells tag.
2. Modify the X value with the column count in your packed XNB file.
3. Modify the Y value with the row count in your packed XNB file.

Position and home screen

The following settings are related to the position of your NPC. The home screen will set the NPC to a specific screen, meanwhile the position will set the position inside the screen of your choice with X and Y coordinates.

Setting the position

1. Search for the position tag.
2. Modify the X and Y values with the relative values of your choice.

Setting the home screen

1. Search for the home_screen tag.
2. Modify its value to the screen of your choice.

Other settings (optional)

Other settings can be:

Setting one of the settings above

1. Check if the tag you are looking exists.
2. If the tag doesnt exist, create it like this example below:

    <text_layer>VALUE_HERE</text_layer>
   

3. Replace VALUE_HERE with the possible values following the table above.

Speech bubble and trigger box, talk-related settings

All settings that will about triggering the NPC, its talk speed, talk delay and speech bubble size.

Speech bubble format

The bubble format can help you format text the way you want it; by aligning it differently, setting the anchor for your text and deciding the maximum width of the NPC’s speech.

Setting the speech bubble format

1. Search for the bubble_format tag.
2. Replace the direction value with either Left or Right, depending where you want the text to align.
3. Replace the X and Y values with their respective values.
4. Replace the width value with your speech maximum width.

Trigger box

The trigger_box tag is needed to trigger the NPC to speak.

Setting the trigger box

1. Search for the trigger_box tag.
2. Modify the X and Y values with relative values of your screen.

   You can easily see the values in the build mode by changing it from Absolute to Relative from the Pause Menu. Also thanks to the “Hitbox first” toggle in the build mode, you can easily see where the hitbox is, and fix it with ease.

3. Modify the Width and Height values with the size wanted.

By default, your item will start from the X and Y values given and expand right and down. If you want your item to be centered, change both hitbox_center’s X and Y to 0.5, or if you want it to start from the right, change it to 0. If this sounds confusing, test it in-game!

Talk delay and talking speed

You can also change:

• the talk delay, which is the delay from when you enter the NPC’s hitbox and when the NPC start talking;
• the talking speed, which is the speed of which every letter spawns on-screen

Setting the talk delay

1. Search for the talk_delay tag.
2. Modify the talk_delay to whatever value you want.

   The value equals in seconds.

Setting the talking speed

1. Search for the talking_speed tag.
2. Modify the talking_speed to whatever value you want.

   Higher is faster.

Animation settings

With the following settings you can set the main two animation cycles: talking and busy (time-out/pause) animations. In order to set this, it is recommended that you have your sprite image opened on the side so you can check while adding them.

Talk animation

Setting the talk frames

To add new talk frames:

1. Search for the talk_animation tag.
2. Remove the all existing AnimationFrame.
3. Copy the following snippet:

    <AnimationFrame>
      <sprite_index>YOUR_SPRITE_INDEX</sprite_index>
      <duration>YOUR_SPRITE_DURATION</duration>
    </AnimationFrame>
   

4. If it’s the first frame, paste it one line below the opening tag on frames otherwise add it after the ending tag of the previous AnimationFrame.
5. Replace YOUR_SPRITE_INDEX with the index of the frame.
6. Replace YOUR_SPRITE_DURATION with the duration (in seconds) of the frame.
7. Repeat step 3 for each talking frames.

The talk frame will be looped from the first to the last AnimationFrame.

To remove a talk frame:

1. Find the index of the frame you don’t want to be part of the animation.
2. Search for the talk_animation tag.
3. Remove the whole AnimationFrame that contains the sprite_index that equals to your frame index.

Busy animation

Setting the busy frames

The process is the same as the talk animation but you need to search for the busy_animation instead.

Speeches

The speeches are the text that will show on screen (what will the NPC say).

There are 6 different types of speeches which can be used and their use can vary:

Make sure you understand the difference between quotes and strings before you start. Strings are usually made of a phrase or portions or a phrase (depending on the size of the speech bubble); a group of strings will play one string after another without big pauses. A quote is a group of strings that the NPC will read through before being quiet for some seconds.

Intro quote

Setting an intro quote

1. Search for the intro_quote tag.

   If you are missing intro_quote paste the following snippet below talking_speed.

        <intro_quote>
          <lines>
            <string>My first speech!</string>
            <string>What what? Did I say that?</string>
          </lines>
        </intro_quote>
   

2. Get rid of all the string tags that could be present.
3. Copy the following snippet:

    <string>YOUR_STRING_HERE</string>
   

4. Replace YOUR_STRING_HERE with your intro string.

   You can add as many string as you want, just copy the snippet in a line after your closing string tag and replace YOUR_STRING_HERE with your second, third… string.

Flag quotes

Setting flag quotes

1. Search for the flag_quotes tag.

   If you are missing flag_quotes paste the following snippet below talking_speed.

        <flag_quotes>
          <OldManFlagQuote>
            <flag>CompletedNormalGame</flag>
            <quotes>
              <lines>
                <string>So tell me...</string>
                <string>is the Babe any good?</string>
              </lines>
            </quotes>
          </OldManFlagQuote>
        </flag_quotes>
   

2. Replace the flag value with a possible flag value.
3. Get rid of all the string tags that could be present.
4. Copy the following snippet:

    <string>YOUR_STRING_HERE</string>
   

5. Replace YOUR_STRING_HERE with your flag string.

   You can add as many strings as you want, just copy the snippet in a line after your closing string tag and replace YOUR_STRING_HERE with your second, third… string.

   You can even add as many group of strings as you want by copying the lines tag and pasting it below the closing tag of the previous lines.

You can even add more flags!

By copying the existing entire OldManFlagQuote (or copying it from above) and pasting it right after the closing tag (in a new line) of the OldManFlagQuote you’ve just done, you can add another flag and a bunch of new speeches!

Looping quotes

Setting looping quotes

1. Search for the looping_lines tag.

   If you are missing looping_lines paste the following snippet below talking_speed.

        <looping_lines>
          <OldManQuote>
            <lines>
              <string>This is looped.</string>
              <string>Did I say that already?</string>
            </lines>
          </OldManQuote>
        </looping_lines>
   

2. Get rid of all the string tags that could be present.
3. Copy the following snippet:

    <string>YOUR_STRING_HERE</string>
   

4. Replace YOUR_STRING_HERE with your flag string.

   You can add as many strings as you want, just copy the snippet in a line after your closing string tag and replace YOUR_STRING_HERE with your second, third… string.

   You can even add as many quotes as you want by copying the OldManQuote tag and pasting it below the closing tag of the previous OldManQuote.

Screen quotes

Setting screen quotes

1. Search for the screens tag.

   If you are missing screens paste the following snippet below talking_speed.

        <screens>
          <OldManScreen>
            <screen>YOUR_SCREEN_NUMBER</screen>
            <quotes>
              <OldManQuote>
                <lines>
                  <string>Finally you got there!</string>
                  <string>It took you some time, huh...</string>
                </lines>
              </OldManQuote>
            </quotes>
          </OldManScreen>
        </screens>
   

2. Replace YOUR_SCREEN_NUMBER with the screen number where you want the quote(s) to unlock.
3. Get rid of all the string tags that could be present.
4. Copy the following snippet:

    <string>YOUR_STRING_HERE</string>
   

5. Replace YOUR_STRING_HERE with your string.

   You can add as many strings as you want, just copy the snippet in a line after your closing string tag and replace YOUR_STRING_HERE with your second, third… string.

   You can even add as many group of strings as you want by copying the OldManQuote tag and pasting it below the closing tag of the previous OldManQuote.

You can even add more screen checks!

By copying the existing entire OldManScreen (or copying it from above) and pasting it right after the closing tag (in a new line) of the OldManScreen you’ve just done, you can add another screen check and a bunch of new speeches!

Item quotes

Setting item quotes

1. Search for the items tag.

   If you are missing items paste the following snippet below talking_speed.

        <items>
          <OldManItem>
            <item>YOUR_ITEM_TRIGGER</item>
            <quotes>
              <OldManQuote>
                <lines>
                  <string>What have you got there?</string>
                  <string>Can I also have those shiny boots?</string>
                </lines>
              </OldManQuote>
            </quotes>
          </OldManItem>
        </items>
   

2. Replace YOUR_ITEM_TRIGGER with the wearable item you want the quote(s) to unlock with.
3. Get rid of all the string tags that could be present.
4. Copy the following snippet:

    <string>YOUR_STRING_HERE</string>
   

5. Replace YOUR_STRING_HERE with your string.

   You can add as many strings as you want, just copy the snippet in a line after your closing string tag and replace YOUR_STRING_HERE with your second, third… string.

   You can even add as many group of strings as you want by copying the OldManQuote tag and pasting it below the closing tag of the previous OldManQuote.

You can even add more screen checks!

By copying the existing entire OldManItem (or copying it from above) and pasting it right after the closing tag (in a new line) of the OldManItem you’ve just done, you can add another item check and a bunch of new speeches!

Fall quotes

Setting fall quotes

1. Search for the falls tag.

   If you are missing falls paste the following snippet below talking_speed.

        <falls>
          <OldManItem>
            <fallStart>YOUR_FALL_NUMBER_START</fallStart>
            <fallEnd>YOUR_FALL_NUMBER_END</fallEnd>
            <quotes>
              <OldManQuote>
                <lines>
                  <string>Oh hey you again! Haha!</string>
                  <string>I've seen you fall here at least five times already!</string>
                </lines>
              </OldManQuote>
            </quotes>
          </OldManItem>
        </falls>
   

2. Replace YOUR_FALL_NUMBER_START with the starting number of falls you want the quote(s) to unlock with.
3. Replace YOUR_FALL_NUMBER_END with the ending number of falls you want the quote(s) to unlock with.
4. Get rid of all the string tags that could be present.
5. Copy the following snippet:

    <string>YOUR_STRING_HERE</string>
   

6. Replace YOUR_STRING_HERE with your string.

   You can add as many strings as you want, just copy the snippet in a line after your closing string tag and replace YOUR_STRING_HERE with your second, third… string.

   You can even add as many group of strings as you want by copying the OldManQuote tag and pasting it below the closing tag of the previous OldManQuote.

You can even add more screen checks!

By copying the existing entire OldManFall (or copying it from above) and pasting it right after the closing tag (in a new line) of the OldManFall you’ve just done, you can add another fall check and a bunch of new speeches!