Non-lootable muscular torso / Making unique items

[Zandman]

I was planning to make a berserker unit for my mini-mod, and they're going to have to look real muscular and badass.

So I was planning to (1) make a duplicate of the default M&B torso, (2) remodel and retexture it to look bigger and more powerful and (3) make the torso into an armor (in most respects - you can't buy it in the shops).

So the question is: How do I make this body/armor non-lootable?

[Winter]

itp_unique

Tersely,
Winter

[Zandman]

Ah... so that's what the "unique" button in Item Editor is for! Silly me, I thought it was actually for making an item unique, like an artifact.
In Item Editor, I duplicated a sword, named it "Shieldbreaker", changed its properties and checked the "unique" and the "merchandise" box, in hope that some day "Shieldbreaker" would show up in a shop and if I bought it, it would be the only one in existence.
Never happened. I've visited 248764276 shops, and no Shieldbreaker.

So what I'm now wondering is: how DO I make an item unique?

[Tuckles]

Not really unique, but have you tried changing the abundance to something low like 1? It's probably not gonna be unique, but it'll be rare enough that you'll only see one or two in the game I believe.

[GetAssista]

So what I'm now wondering is: how DO I make an item unique?

Make it non_lootable and non_merchandise, then get it in the game by some unique way: chest, npc, quest

[Zandman]

Make it non_lootable and non_merchandise, then get it in the game by some unique way: chest, npc, quest

Not really unique, but have you tried changing the abundance to something low like 1? It's probably not gonna be unique, but it'll be rare enough that you'll only see one or two in the game I believe.

Both good suggestions, guys, thanks! I'll take them into consideration.
But I also really want to have the opportunity to go to a shop, see a unique item (that can be purchased for a ridiculous amount of money) and buy it, secure in the knowledge that it's one of a kind.

[Spectacle]

You could make an NPC similar to the book seller, who might appear in a tavern and offer a single unique weapon for sale.

[Zandman]

You could make an NPC similar to the book seller, who might appear in a tavern and offer a single unique weapon for sale.

Good idea.
I could just duplicate the NPC, rename him from "Book Seller" to "Unique Items Seller" or something and replace his book inventory with the unique items...

...but wouldn't that just generate a new problem? You could, say, buy the unique item "Shieldbreaker" off the unique items salesman, and months later you run into another salesman (or the same) in another town, and whaddayaknow - he has the friggin' Shieldbreaker for sale! The item is still not unique.

Damn, this is complex.

[fisheye]

Initially, manually add the item to ONE shopkeeper's inventory; on each shopkeeper refresh, take it away from the previous shopkeeper and give it to another random shopkeeper.

[HokieBT]

But I also really want to have the opportunity to go to a shop, see a unique item (that can be purchased for a ridiculous amount of money) and buy it, secure in the knowledge that it's one of a kind.

its my understanding that unique items are randomly given in the loot after you win a really difficult battle (ie. 50 vs 400) or something.  So I'm not sure the unique flag is quite what you want for the armor, but maybe a zero abundance and non-lootable, etc.

[AK47]

But I also really want to have the opportunity to go to a shop, see a unique item (that can be purchased for a ridiculous amount of money) and buy it, secure in the knowledge that it's one of a kind.

Is it possible to have a script toggle the abundance of an item to zero after purchase?

[Zandman]

Is it possible to have a script toggle the abundance of an item to zero after purchase?

See, that is what I'm after. It doesn't have to be a very RARE item, just unique.

I don't know the scripting language (or whatever you call it), but I'm after a formula that says something like:
Item X abundance = 100.
If Item X is in Player inventory/NPC inventory, then item abundance = 0

Then it could still be unique AND lootable - making it possible to gain and lose unique weapons and other items in battle... right?

[HokieBT]

Then it could still be unique AND lootable - making it possible to gain and lose unique weapons and other items in battle... right?

that's what the 'unique' flag does I believe, except it won't show up in shops, only after winning a tough battle.  and I think it will only appear once in the game and sometimes when a unique item in stolen from me I can chase that party down, fight them, and get it back, etc....

[Zandman]

So... :

*The "unique" label has some weirdo property where it can only be won in a (difficult) battle. Theres ONE instance and only one of this item... hence "unique"?
But Winter said "unique" only meant "non-lootable"... so what is right?

* The "abundance" label is all about how often an item pops up in a shop. 100 is "normal". But does it have anything to do with how often it's found in loot as well? Will a 0 abundance item never show up in loot?

* The "merchandise" label speaks for itself. Can be bought in shops.