Guild of Writers

With the current client would it be possible to add something to the 'inventory bar' at the bottom? (the Relto/Ki buttons overlay area)
The specific need I have in mind is to be able to add (and remove) items to the Avatar that you could access here, and that you could keep through the Ages. (flash light, books etc)
Does anyone have any idea whether part of that GUI is hard-coded or is it fully controled via Python and PRPs?
And just as important: if it can be modified, can it be done without requiring an 'heavy' patch like the flymode or the offline ki? (ie simple PRPs/PAK files that can be added like any Age)
Alternatively, if this actual GUI can't be changed, would it be possible to 'fake' it? (Have a GUI in this area that would look the same and would stay displayed at all times, even cross-Ages.)
That would open whole new gameplay perspectives.

The GUI is completely controlled by prp and Python, but I doubt you can add to it without patching an existing file, so it would be a "heavy" patch (conflicting with the Offline KI, because IIRC it has to patch that file, too).

The BlackBar is what you want.

Diafero is correct in that it would be a heavy patch. There are signs that Cyan was working on an inventory (there are some plInventory* class stubs, but nothing functional), but nothing seems to have come of that.

Crap. Since this was a type of gameplay they had both in Myst & Riven, I hoped they would have included something similar here.

Would it be possible to somehow circumvent those lacks and fake a similar system? I'm thinking of a 'regular' GUI that would appear in the blackbar area and would remain displayed at all times in the Age once it is acquired. Then, since cross-Ages interactions are possible (bahro poles/Caves/Pellet), could we have the same GUI included in all the Ages where it is needed (in this specific instance it would only be needed in the Ages I'm working on) and activate it on linking?
Then that would limit distribution to those Ages' PAKs and PRPs.

I remember seeing some sort of InventoryMod in the PlasmaMax component manager... possibly a remnant from Myst V development, as it was marked deprecated.
As Hoikas says, there is (at least the groundwork for an) Inventory system in Plasma.

Aloys wrote:Crap. Since this was a type of gameplay they had both in Myst & Riven, I hoped they would have included something similar here.

They didn't have inventory in Myst. Remember that "you can only carry one page at a time" mechanic?

I vaguely recall that Cyan wanted to have inventory in its games as minimal as possible. They thought that sifting through lots of items was too much of a distraction, or something like that.

I know realMyst had some inventory stuff. That was probably a left-over from the old HeadSpin days though.

Aloys wrote:Would it be possible to somehow circumvent those lacks and fake a similar system? I'm thinking of a 'regular' GUI that would appear in the blackbar area and would remain displayed at all times in the Age once it is acquired. Then, since cross-Ages interactions are possible (bahro poles/Caves/Pellet), could we have the same GUI included in all the Ages where it is needed (in this specific instance it would only be needed in the Ages I'm working on) and activate it on linking?
Then that would limit distribution to those Ages' PAKs and PRPs.

I can't answer that question myself, can anyone help?

It sounds possible to me, as long as the game doesn't have issue with a small gui on part of the screen while you're doing normal interactions.

That great news, thanks for the info!
That means the scenario I have in mind is possible and I can start with that Age project as soon as I've made progress on Ahra Pahts.