Creating a Hostage Template

Created: August 2004

This tutorial will explain how to create a custom hostage template.

Note: I have found the editor to be stubborn when it comes to closing templates. You should always close a specific template by selecting the Cancel button. Don't close the browser window by select the "X" (in the top right corner) after you have viewed a template. There is a good chance the editor will freeze up.

Opening the Template Browser

In the editor, click the View menu, then select Show Template Browser. The browser window will appear with the Char. Template tab selected. You will see two sections, one listing the Terrorist Templates and the other listing the Hostage Templates. To create a new terrorist template, select the Edit menu, then select New Hostage Template. A window will appear titled Dialog.

Adjusting the Settings

1. Enter the file name in the Template name: field. You want to create a name for the file with no spaces in it. It would be best to have your map name some where in the file name. Examples could be: mapname_01.tph or mapname_woman.tph. This will make it easier for everyone to know which map this file belongs to.

2. We need to determine the Personality of the hostage. I don't know exactly how these personalities will affect the hostage's behavior in the game. Use your best educated guess. From my experience, the Coward, Normal, and Brave fields will make the hostage run to you when they can. The Bait field will make them stay in one place until you tell them to follow you. All of these values must add up to 100. For example, you can have 20 for Coward, 40 for Normal, and 40 for Brave. If the numbers don't add up and you try to Create your template, the editor will inform you the total combine value.

If you check the box by Start as Civilian, the character will not have their hands behind their heads. They will look worried and frightened though.

3. We need to determine the Staring position. Select the probability of the hostage to be standing or kneeling. The combine value must add up to 100%. If it doesn't, the editor will inform you of the total combine value.

4. We need to determine how the hostage will look to the player under Pawn chance. This will be the skin of the hostage and how they will physically appear in the game. Click here to see what the hostages will look like for a given pawn. From the drop down menu, select which pawn to use. Then enter a value to the right to determine the chance of using that pawn. Then select the Add button to add it to the above field. If you want to remove an entry, select it, then select the Remove button. The combine value must add up to 100%. If it doesn't, the editor will inform you of the total combine value.

From my experience, the R6HNightWatch03 skin is messed up in the game. You will see this if you click the link to see the pictures of the hostages.

5. To create the file press the Create button. A file will be created in the template folder. This file must be included with your map if the map is released. You must also assign this new template to a hostage in your map. Click here to learn how to do this, find the section titled Kits/Templates.

Notes

*You can open an existing template by double-clicking the name. You can also use the three buttons above the list of created templates instead of using the menu.

*Never adjust the values for any stock or pre-existing custom template. This could cause a version mismatch if you played the map with another person.

*View existing templates to get ideas on the Personality settings.

Written by cwv_Odedge