Would you play a many worlds module?

[Legacy_Dragooneer]

               

Some of you might be thinking, what does many worlds mean?  

 

Imagine, if you will, that a single module can be split into 6 separate "worlds" bound together by a central OOC area.  

You can choose which module(world) you want to play from this central area.  From each world you will be able to return to this central area and choose again if you decide the world you entered was too complicated or above your level of experience.  

 

This module could be single-player/multi-player or running this module as a persistent world.  I am designing it as a persistently saved single-player module, ran as anything else would be at your own risk! '>  However, a DM area will be included and DMFI tools installed.  I will also include a detailed builder's manual which assists me as I build and should help any DM to run their own quests.  

 

I am purposely avoiding the use of any haks or over-riding data.  While the use of such would allow for greater details and many inspire ideas, I think everything in v1.69 is all this project needs.  

 

There would be about a dozen areas per world and also about a dozen quests per world.  These quests would likely follow one of the basic four types of quests(to keep things simple) and would be designed to be unique to each world environments. Questing will be persistent.  Your journals will be refilled and any integers set are to be persistently saved and retrieved upon your return to play this module.  

 

Treasure will be plentiful as the many worlds concept will require you to have access to equipment of great powers.  Whether you run this as a multiplayer or single player, I'd highly recommend turning off Item Level Restrictions(ILR).  ILR will just get in the way of this module.  Turning this off will enable you to use any treasures you can discover in this game as well as bringing your own items that may not be ILR compliant.  I do not like an ILR system based upon item value.   You could be a billionaire PC and if I have a merchant selling a 250 million dollar Longsword , you should be able to buy and use it.  Same goes for treasure.  If I placed treasures somewhere and you made it there, you should be able to use and/or sell it. Identifying requirements as well as class/race restrictions may apply to some treasure.  ID scrolls will be available in every module as well as in the central area.     

 

Death would be handled in three different ways.  In each way, the player would be returned to the central area where the Death Cleric runs up to you and asks how you'd like to handle your untimely demise.  You could stay in the central area with no penalty giving you the option to choose a different world.  You could be returned to your death spot and pay something similar to NWN standard death penalty.  But you could also use a Respawn Stone to return you to your death spot with no penalties.  Your choice.  Respawn stones would be for sale in the central area and would be found as treasure in the many worlds. 

 

Basically, I am building the type of module I'd like to play and just wondering if this is something you might consider playing?

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Tarot Redhand]

               

Do you plan to release this as separate modules as and when they are built? Otherwise you will have a lot of work with no feedback until you at least get to alpha stage. Personally for the few modules I've built, they are not even playtested until I think they are done (i.e. beta).

 

TR

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Empyre65]

               

Maybe you could make the hub not OOC (Out Of Character, I assume), perhaps a small section of Sigil.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Dragooneer]

               

Do you plan to release this as separate modules as and when they are built? Otherwise you will have a lot of work with no feedback until you at least get to alpha stage. Personally for the few modules I've built, they are not even playtested until I think they are done (i.e. beta).

 

TR

I haven't planned a release schedule but I am nearing completion of the second world's quests and didn't know if there might be players for a module designed in this manner.  I suppose I plan to work on this a bit more and then post it to the vault for more player trial runs. I further plan to post .erf files of some of the stuff I've done in this module for other players to use.  I have also utilized a few projects available at the vault and will be giving full credit for those projects in the design document  I have a friend right now who is play testing it with me but I figured it best to get some additional feedback before I go too much further on this one.  If it's one thing I've learned playing already created modules at the vault is that just because it worked for the designer and maybe a few players, there will be a player out there who does things a "certain way" and a bug is found where none was visible before.  

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Dragooneer]

               

Maybe you could make the hub not OOC (Out Of Character, I assume), perhaps a small section of Sigil.

I suppose anything is possible at this point. '>

 

Basically, this area has six different transitions to six different worlds and six different way points to return to this central area.  

 

In each world, there is an NPC that offers explanations of the world you've entered and also offers a chance to go back to this central area. In the central area there is the Death Cleric who handles death.  There is a merchant NPC that supplies weapons and other valuables.  There is the Respawn Stone seller and an NPC that explains the module and answers some questions a player might have.  That is all there is at this point.  I say its OOC only because it's outside the different module worlds and has items for sale that are unavailable in any of the worlds.  

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Dragooneer]

               

The six different module names are:

 

Buried in Sand

Elements of the North

Isle of Syth

Dangers of the Underdark

Bungle in the Jungle

Sunken Seas

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_icywind1980]

               

Sounds like fun! I'd love to help beta test. What level ranges are you planning on allowing to play the mod? Oh and if possible, can you make the quests give xp/gold to all players so we don't have to do them multiple times?

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_werelynx]

               

sounds nice!

If it will be single player capable I would love to try it.

If you decide to release the hub and worlds separately then it might be difficult to keep track of variables - you would have to use database for that.

Alternatively you could make the worlds such that their level range restrict that players complete them in order or make a copy of hub area in each chapter (in case of death it would simplify things.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Dragooneer]

               

sounds nice!

If it will be single player capable I would love to try it.

If you decide to release the hub and worlds separately then it might be difficult to keep track of variables - you would have to use database for that.

Alternatively you could make the worlds such that their level range restrict that players complete them in order or make a copy of hub area in each chapter (in case of death it would simplify things.

The only way I am restricting level is through the use of keyed transitions.  If you were seasoned enough to get the key and survived, you are ready for the next section the key opens up or you should be.  There are also places where you may run into an area only to be immediately defeated because you were unprepared and ignored the NPC I had at the start of that area that told you that you weren't ready.  Nothing quite like a good death to let you know you aren't ready. 

 

#include "nw_i0_plot"

void main()

{

object oPC = GetPCSpeaker();

string sCamp = GetLocalString(OBJECT_SELF, "Campaign");

string sInt = GetLocalString(OBJECT_SELF, "Integer");

string sQuest = GetLocalString(OBJECT_SELF, "Quest");

string sTag = GetLocalString(OBJECT_SELF, "Item");

int iXP = GetLocalInt(OBJECT_SELF, "XP");

int iGP = GetLocalInt(OBJECT_SELF, "GP");

if(HasItem(oPC, sTag) == TRUE)

      {

      object oItem = GetObjectByTag(sTag);

       DestroyObject(oItem);

       GiveXPToCreature(oPC, iXP);

       GiveGoldToCreature(oPC, iGP);

       SetCampaignInt(sCamp, sInt, 2, oPC);

       AddJournalQuestEntry(sQuest, 2, oPC, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE);

       }

}

 

This script is used when the PC returns the item the NPC requested.  One script for them all.  Persistent data is stored in a database designated by the variables stored locally on a quest object.  In this case, that object with database variables is the quest giver. 

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Dragooneer]

               

Sounds like fun! I'd love to help beta test. What level ranges are you planning on allowing to play the mod? Oh and if possible, can you make the quests give xp/gold to all players so we don't have to do them multiple times?

There won't be any level restriction.   It didn't seem right to restrict any PC from joining no matter the level.   With ILR turned off, you won't need to be bringing in some uber character that can defeat most enemies.  It's my job to supply you with enough fancy treasure and an abundance of shiny gold pieces so you can create your own uber character right here and I hope I succeed.  I thought of putting in a Level restriction for new PCs, but then I figured I'm bringing in PCs to test this module  shouldn't others too?  Just my thoughts on level restriction.  There will always be an NPC warning you of the dangers where low level characters might die instantly.  I put these warnings in because when I've played multi-level modules, at some point, I was defeated quickly with no warning.  I appreciate the modules that at least put some warning or restricted access until you acquire a key. This is one of those modules.

 

Quests are multi-player but most require every PC to again speak to the quest giver in order to get their reward.  If you have the item, then you were at least in the area where everyone got the item.