Making NPCs dance and sing

I've been posting NWN2 scripts in various places on the web for several years now. Unfortunately as time has passed some of those places have vanished. While I could and probably will post them at the NWN2 Vault site, I think it makes sense to start posting them here as well. Chances are Google isn't going away anytime soon, and even if I abandon this account it will likely live on for some time.

So here is a script that makes NPC's dance and sing. It is a heartbeat script that you put on the NPC. While it is based on an OC script, it is enhanced to allow singing, dancing, and playing instruments (flute, drum, and lute) with one script. I make use of this script in the Harvest of Chaos: King's Festival+Queen's Harvest campaign.

// bb_entertainer_hb // by Brendan Bellina // November, 2008 // Updated March, 2009 to add sing type and ability for musicians and dancers to sing // Generic entertainer heartbeat script. // Inspired by entertainer heartbeat scripts from OC 2100_Crossroad_Keep_A2 // 21_flutewoman_hb // 21_guitarman_hb // 31_joy_dance_hb // Set entertainer heartbeat script to this script. // Set local variable BB_ENTERTAINMENT_TYPE on entertainer to indicate type of entertainment: // flute // lute // dance // drum // sing // Set local int variable BB_ENTERTAINMENT_OFF to 1 to prevent the entertainer from using animations // Requires waypoint wp_entertainers_face near entertainer // For flute requires sound object snd_flute_1 near entertainer (play sound Flute) // For lute requires sound object snd_lute_1 near entertainer (play sound Lute) // For drum requires sound object snd_drum_1 near entertainer (play sound bb_drum) // For vocalist requires conversation (see DoCall function comments) (must be barkstrings) // To have a musician or dancer also sing, just create a conversation 00_bark_tag or // assign a conversation variable bb_barkConv (see DoCall function comments) // To stop all entertainers in the module from using animations set the module int variable BB_NO_ENTERTAINMENT to 1 void DoCall(object oSpeaker) { // if bb_barkConv is specified then use that // else if ConversationPrefix is specified use ConversationPrefix + SpeakerTag // else use "00_bark_" + SpeakerTag // The reason the NPC's conversation is not used is because it is reserved for // non-barking. string sConversation = GetLocalString(oSpeaker, "bb_barkConv"); if (sConversation == "") { string sConversationPrefix = GetLocalString(oSpeaker, "ConversationPrefix"); if (sConversationPrefix == "") sConversationPrefix = "00_bark_"; sConversation = sConversationPrefix + GetTag(oSpeaker); } AssignCommand(oSpeaker, SpeakOneLinerConversation(sConversation)); } void PlayRandomSingingAnimation() { ClearAllActions(); int nAnimationType, nAnimation; float fSpeed = 0.75; nAnimationType = Random (5) + 1; switch (nAnimationType) { case 1: nAnimation = ANIMATION_FIREFORGET_HEAD_TURN_LEFT; break; case 2: nAnimation = ANIMATION_FIREFORGET_HEAD_TURN_RIGHT; break; // * combo, head to the Left, then Head to the Right case 3: nAnimation = ANIMATION_FIREFORGET_HEAD_TURN_LEFT; ActionPlayAnimation(nAnimation, 0.75); nAnimation = ANIMATION_FIREFORGET_HEAD_TURN_RIGHT; break; case 4: nAnimation = ANIMATION_LOOPING_LOOKUP; break; case 5: nAnimation = ANIMATION_LOOPING_LOOKDOWN; break; } ActionPlayAnimation(nAnimation, fSpeed); } void main() { if ( (GetAILevel() < AI_LEVEL_LOW) || (GetArea(OBJECT_SELF) != GetArea(GetFactionLeader(GetFirstPC()))) ) return; // exit if no one around if (GetLocalInt(GetModule(),"BB_NO_ENTERTAINMENT")) // No entertainment allowed { SetFacingPoint(GetPosition(GetNearestObjectByTag("wp_entertainers_face"))); } else // Entertainment allowed { SetFacingPoint(GetPosition(GetNearestObjectByTag("wp_entertainers_face"))); string sEntType = GetLocalString(OBJECT_SELF,"BB_ENTERTAINMENT_TYPE"); int nEntOff = GetLocalInt(OBJECT_SELF,"BB_ENTERTAINMENT_OFF"); if (sEntType != "" && sEntType != "NONE" && !nEntOff) // Do animation unless none specified or temporarily off { DoCall(OBJECT_SELF); // sing a song // Do Entertainment animation if (sEntType == "flute" || sEntType == "lute" || sEntType == "drum") { int nRandom=Random(10); if (nRandom==0) { if (sEntType == "flute") { PlayCustomAnimation(OBJECT_SELF,"idlefidgetflute", 1); SoundObjectStop(GetNearestObjectByTag("snd_flute_1")); } else if (sEntType == "lute") { PlayCustomAnimation(OBJECT_SELF,"idlefidgetguitar", 1); SoundObjectStop(GetNearestObjectByTag("snd_lute_1")); } else // if (sEntType == "drum") { PlayCustomAnimation(OBJECT_SELF,"idlefidgetdrum", 1); SoundObjectStop(GetNearestObjectByTag("snd_drum_1")); } } else { if (sEntType == "flute") { if (nRandom==1) { PlayCustomAnimation(OBJECT_SELF,"idleflute", 1); SoundObjectStop(GetNearestObjectByTag("snd_flute_1")); } else { PlayCustomAnimation(OBJECT_SELF,"playflute", 1); SoundObjectPlay(GetNearestObjectByTag("snd_flute_1")); } } else if (sEntType == "lute") { if (nRandom==1) { PlayCustomAnimation(OBJECT_SELF,"idleguitar", 1); SoundObjectStop(GetNearestObjectByTag("snd_lute_1")); } else { PlayCustomAnimation(OBJECT_SELF,"playguitar", 1); SoundObjectPlay(GetNearestObjectByTag("snd_lute_1")); } } else // if (sEntType == "drum") { if (nRandom==1) { PlayCustomAnimation(OBJECT_SELF,"idledrum", 1); SoundObjectStop(GetNearestObjectByTag("snd_drum_1")); } else { PlayCustomAnimation(OBJECT_SELF,"playdrum", 1); SoundObjectPlay(GetNearestObjectByTag("snd_drum_1")); } } } } // end if (sEntType == "flute" || sEntType == "lute" || sEntType == "drum") else if (sEntType == "dance") { SetFacingPoint(GetPosition(GetNearestObjectByTag("wp_entertainers_face"))); int nRandom=Random(3); if (nRandom == 0) { PlayCustomAnimation(OBJECT_SELF,"dance01", 1); } else if (nRandom == 1) { PlayCustomAnimation(OBJECT_SELF,"dance02", 1); } else { PlayCustomAnimation(OBJECT_SELF,"dance03", 1); } } // end if (sEntType == "dance") else if (sEntType == "sing") { if (Random(5) == 1) PlayRandomSingingAnimation(); } // end if (sEntType == "sing") } } return; }