Tips for Bards: How to Avoid Typing Your Song

[RollinsCat]

Having been asked about how I get my songs up so fast I thought I'd share what I do.

first - set NWN to windowed mode by doing the following.

Edit nwn.ini  (found in the NWN directory) to read thus:

[Display Options]
FullScreen=0
AllowWindowedMode=1

The desktop resolution should be greater than NWN's resolution (for example, desktop at 1024x768 and NWN at 800x600). Otherwise, NWN will ignore its resolution setting and run at 800x600 instead.

It is also possible to switch between full screen and windowed mode while the game is running, by using the Alt-Enter key combination.

second - type out all your songs, emotes, etc. into a word doc.  if you have a bunch (I have about sixty now) then follow these instructions for making a searchable table of contents:

Microsoft Word Help FAQ. How to create a table of contents in Microsoft Word

This will give you a table of contents that uses your song title as the subject line and you can control-click to the song.

Then, with NWN in windowed mode and your song document open and in your task bar, copy/paste to your heart's content.

TIPS:

-lock your document between edits so you don't accidentally type over your song and are then stuck desperately retyping from memory while your Layo audience grows bored waiting for the next line.  Voice of Experience, here.

-something I learned from the Willie the Bard concert; give a little time if you stack your stanzas as I do (line / line / line / line).  The temptation when you are free from typing is to go faster but allow at least five seconds between; people are going to be reading your unfamiliar material as well as everything else in the chat window. (thanks to those who gave me that feedback)

Hope this helps, my fellow Bards!

[gilshem ironstone]

The one live performance Gel'larian gave was a brutally slow typed out affair. So slow that people thought it was more of a folksy song rather than the Country/Western Johnny Cash tribute it was
written to be.

[Nehetsrev]

I may have to give this a try with Lyle, should I bring him out of retirement.  In any case, thanks for the tips.  

[RollinsCat]

now I remember the tip I forgot (thanks Cinnabar):

When pasting into a Layo chat window from any source, use control-v.  Using the mouse paste will not work.

[RollinsCat]

bumping for Serissa

[gilshem ironstone]

I wish this worked on the Mac version I am using.

[Black Cat]

Another idea... but which might be VERY time consuming and not exempt of risks, and it might also impact your inventory in a big way (though you might use a parchment folder - might have strange effect on your scrolls if I remember correctly and if this is still the case).
 
 Write your songs on a parchment using the quill systems.
 
 Then read them using the "read" command on your quill... I think you need to use the quill on the parchment, then type ~read (look at the quill description)
 
 Cheers
 
 
 PS: also your audience will have to be listening , cause the text might not appear in party chat.

[RollinsCat]

the setup involved makes me flop sweat, but I didn't know about the "read" command, so I can see how that could get interesting in rp...cool!

[Carillon]

Actually, there is no ~read command. We do, however, have two commands that will read from the parchments.

~~speak will speak it in a normal voice

~~whisper will speak it in a whisper

Both are very spammy with long texts and tend to read it out in a big lump, so they might not be the best choice for a well paced bardic song. They do exist, though, and have their functions!

[darkstorme]

For Windows users, there's also Autohotkey, which, since it's stateful, can be set to recite bits of a story/poem each time you press its key combination.

For those unfortunate enough to be using a Mac instead of an actual computer ( *grins* ), there is IronAHK, a .NET port that should run in Mono.  I can't confirm it works, of course, but the people in the AHK forums seem pleased with it.

[Script Wrecked]

Sorry, Mac is to PC as elves are to... [POST=1703828]everyone[/POST] else.

[Gulnyr]

The gnome (and the Scotty) in me says having something I have to tinker with, puzzle out, and potentially tap into compliance is a lot more enjoyable.  Whatever works for you, though.

Besides, elves are ridiculous.

[RollinsCat]

Derailing my own thread:  if my computer isn't high maintenance, it isn't worth having.

*firm nod to Gulnyr*