Dark Souls Style Backstabs in Skyrim (help)

[deathneko11]

It's been a while since I've been around the Lovers community, how are ya'll doing?  Anyway I have been thinking about how to implement backstabs like in the dark souls games into skyrim.  From my experience as a mod user and some light modding work I have done in the past I understand that this is most definitely doable. 

 

Basically find the variable that determines whether you attack the enemy's back, script it with an animation and classify it as a critical hit to simulate the backstab experience in the souls games.

 

I have no idea how to write the script though.

 

I'm reaching out to this community, would someone please be so kind as to help me with this project?  If nothing else just point me in the right direction for the script work.

[Guest]

Using the scripts is really hard to understand if you are actually back-stabbing someone.

This because the script should be started by an event.

 

The event can be sent by a weapon, or a projectile. But of course you need custom ones to be able to do it.

Or the event can be OnHit, but this will require to attach this event to all actors. Just not recommended.

 

Then, if you have the ObjectReference backStabbed (the actor that received the hit)

 

To understand if was a backstab, is just a matter of some trigonometric calculation.

 

For the actors you have X, Y, and Z positions and AngleZ that gives the main orientation in the world space.

 

[deathneko11]

actually I would want this event on all actors wouldn't I?  I want to be able to backstab anyone (including monsters and beasts, because it can be done in souls games too).  Would you be willing to help me create the script for it?  I can locate the variables for detecting when player is attacking the back of someone and find the animations myself.  I just need to know how to put those variables into a script.

[Guest]

Start by downloading my Papyrus guide (in my signature) to have a basic idea of what you can do in scripting.

 

But again. I don't think that adding an event to all actors is a good idea.

Probably you can have a "backstab weapon" that will allow it. It is way more easy and with way better performance.

But you will be able to backstab only by using this weapon.

[deathneko11]

I'll take a look at the papyrus guide.  Would you mind explaining why it would be a bad idea to add an event to all actors? 

 

Also, what about doing something similar to the heartbreaker mod where when you press a button at the right time you rip an enemy's heart out, but script it instead to work without the timed button press?  Would that require to set up the onevent on all actors as you're not recommending?

[Guest]

Explanation of why adding a script to all actors is a problem:

 

You need an event for every possible actor

To do that you need to add the event OnHit on the actors

To do that you need to add the actors to referncealiases that add a script with this event

And you need to find all the actors to add them to refaliases.

 

That is power consuming and not a good idea.

 

 

 

[deathneko11]

yeah you got a point.  I wasn't looking at it the right angle, still working on today's coffee.

 

Hmm.....You say that it would be doable by creating a backstabbing weapon.  What about a method of dynamically adding (would it be a weapon enchantment that would allow the backstab from the weapon) to each weapon in the game, mod added weapons as well as vanilla?  Maybe script it to apply to weapons onequip.

[Guest]

It will have the same problem of adding a script to all actors.

Not recommended. And actually extremely complex to do.

[deathneko11]

So if I just create a weapon that would initiate the backstabs, How would you recommend I go about setting it up?  and would this make it possible to use an animation with it if I just design weapons with the backstab?

[Guest]

You can then limit the script to only the weapon. (Actually a hidden enchantment.)

And in this case then your script can do whatever you need to understand if you are backstabbing or not, and then run the animation you want.

 

This will be scrip light.

[deathneko11]

so I suppose the first step I would need to take is figure out the enchantment and see if it works for the backstab without the animation.  Then figure out the script that would attach the animation to the enchantment?

 

Anyway, would you mind giving me a basic idea of how to set the script up?  I've never written one before but if I had an idea of where to start with it I could use your guide (which I have glanced over, i'll put it to good use) to plug in the variables that I need.  I think I MIGHT be able to figure out the enchantment myself, though it will require some digging around in the CK.

[Guest]

You have a bunch of examples in my guide.

 

For a reference of all possible functions you can refer to: www.creationkit.com

 

[deathneko11]

I'm looking through your guide and I am starting to get a vague idea of how to begin now.  As a final request would you mind listing an example in your guide that I could refer to that you think would poke me in the right direction?

 

Thanks for all the help so far.  Being that I've never tried messing with papyrus before I'm looking forward to learning a thing or two here.

[Guest]

I don't think in my guide I did a similar example.

 

Tomorrow I will write an example script for you.

[deathneko11]

You are a godsend, thank you very much.  I understand I am asking a lot and there is some hand holding, but I AM trying to expand my knowledge here.  Just as with mechanics, I can read all day but only understand 20% (I am sadly struggling to follow a lot of information on the various guides I am reading last couple of days) but if I can get a hands on approach I can pick it up a lot faster.  I am looking forward to testing this project out and thanks a million for helping me along.

[SexDwarf2250]

Ah, memories...

[SirenBrink]

You are a godsend, thank you very much.  I understand I am asking a lot and there is some hand holding, but I AM trying to expand my knowledge here.  Just as with mechanics, I can read all day but only understand 20% (I am sadly struggling to follow a lot of information on the various guides I am reading last couple of days) but if I can get a hands on approach I can pick it up a lot faster.  I am looking forward to testing this project out and thanks a million for helping me along.

 

Everyone has to learn somehow!

 

Besides, I've been playing so much Dark Souls 3 I think a back-stab mod is now mandatory for my current Skyrim play-though.