Make/Edit Spells?

I heard its possible. Could someone clarify? How do i do it? what do i need (apps) etc.

Thanks

if so it definately isn't mentioned in the Blizzard documentation (and I've yet to find anything).

Nope, you can't. There's no built in way to do it. The only workaround I know if is to detect a spell that summons something (say water elemental), kill the elemental, and do a different effect. Should happen fast enough to look like new spell.

You can edit spells on the alks but then it wont be a map creation stuff, but instead it would be considered a game modification and you would have to make sure ALL players are running the same mpq.

Yes, you have to open a .slk to make a new ability or edit an old one. The .slk is is AbilityData.slk. Still, you won't have complete freedom; each ability has the code that operates it well, hard-coded. What you have to do is copy the line in .slk of an abilty that does about what you want, and you can edit values (such as damage, range, etc.

I may do a full guide later, or even make a program to automate this and upgrade creation. I just don't think that I've done testing yet (after 1 day of getting the game:D) to do anything authorative yet.

dont worry, ill make a guide soon enough to keep yur guys updated with editing =)

btw, if you have any request for spells , please psot them here. Were planning to create an additional patch that we try to get standart off . Actually , we will try to create our first campaign which implents slk edited stuff, such as new spells =)

What I would really like to edit is the death n' decay spell. I want to change the weird purple stuff to death that was in the earlier beta. I have the slk pack (1.33 pack cookie released a while back) and I would like (nothing to do with spells) to change the shaman's voice back to beta voices. Correct me if i am mistaken: extract the voices from the beta and place them in directories matching the mpq directory...

havent noticed the sound changes of the orc shaman, dont worry, that will be done then but ill make a special unit then which uses this sound.

about death and decay=i think the old beta stuff are not compatible with retail. Besides I tried that already, but you will get a weird thing that it will show up for X times

not recommended but it can be done

Thanks. I guess I will be keeping an eye on this section if anything comes up :)

I think the beta model is still in the mpq in case you were planning to add it, btw.

items with own spell effects would be possible...

the only workaround i found is to use "Item - Temporary Speedup" as effect (which is mostly rather nonsense) and make my own effect afterwards.

it would be cool, if there is a custom ability with no effect but usable...

(e.g.: i make custom item with 5 charges. ability: Speedup.
If you click on the item in the inventory, Speedup is USED, charges go down to 4 and the script which checks if such an item is used can be run with "Hero uses item"
but still, speedup is made!
i tried with other abilities, but most of them are not "usable", so even if they would not do any effect if used, u cant use them, and the script is not runned.)

an ability which is USABLE (so charges go down if you click on an item) but has no effect - this would be perfect. the effect could be scripted after all.

arkanlor: Summoned units. Just remove the summoned unit. Tada, no effect.

doesnt work with items afaik.

how do you do that?

I tried, but e.g.
Felhound summoning
now i want to remove the unit if it is a felhound.

dont work. dammit.