2013 February, Adventure Building Challenge

[Legacy_MagicalMaster]

               Point taken - will PM you.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Tarot Redhand]

               Before you guys go, how about condensing the "war & peace" () version of your discussion down to the pocket book one and letting us know your conclusions.

TR
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_simomate2]

               Not really sure if this is relevant to your debate, but the debate was intriguing and I just felt like barging in on it. On the topic of consumables, in particular healing potions: If you wanted to incorporate a system into the game where you wanted your player to preserve their resources and convey a sense of risk, survival game style could could either make them heavier or, as I would prefer, simply limit the number of potions the PC is allowed to carry with them.

This is something I'm considering doing in a module I am developing, The PC can only carry a limited number of potions. This isn't a problem outside of dungeons, but when you enter a dungeon the PC cannot leave until they complete it. Therefore, they are forced to recongise the need to preserve their potions or they will ultimately fail.

How it relates to that debate is kind of this. An issue rogueknight bought up was that low levels are usually given too little consumables when they actually need more and a high-level is given too many potions when they actually need less. As a solution to both issues, limiting the number of potions the PC can carry could prove useful but only if its implanted correctly. I mean, there's absolutely no point if the PC can go back in forth to the potion store and get more potions because then they'll see that as a tedious game play mechanic.

However, if the PC was not allowed to return for more potions in some situations, this implantation may, in fact, prove useful. It would not prove useful in all modules though as again, the tedious side of it, that players will exploit, in going back and forth to get more.

Edit: Oh, and I agree with Tarot. 
               
               

               

                     Modifié par simomate2, 31 mars 2013 - 10:58 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_MagicalMaster]

               

simomate2 wrote...

Not really sure if this is relevant to your debate, but the debate was intriguing and I just felt like barging in on it.

Quick note: this wasn't a debate.  Neither of us had a position we were trying to prove and felt like we "lost" if something suggested our original idea was off the mark (as far as I know, at least).  Just a discussion and exchange of ideas (I realize you probably didn't mean it in a negative light, but a lot of people view "debates" as having a "winner" and "loser" with two sides vying against each other, which wasn't the case here).

simomate2 wrote...

<other stuff>

Since it looks like other people are interested in the discussion, a new thread seems more appropriate than PMs, I'll start one later tonight (prepping for WoW raid atm).  But we are kind of hijacking this thread at this point.

Tarot Redhand wrote...

Before you guys go, how about condensing the "war & peace" ()
version of your discussion down to the pocket book one and letting us
know your conclusions.

• Respawn systems need to be carefully considered - most people will reload by default, either because they don't want to take a penalty for respawning or because they feel they completely failed by dying.
• Damage at low levels needs to be carefully considered - if you give all of the enemies in your level 1 module greatswords, they'll be able to one-shot basically any PC, meaning survival becomes dependent on luck rather than skill/tactics/build
• (Consumable) resources need to be carefully considered - simply giving everything lots of healing potions doesn't really add depth and usually just adds tediousness.  Knowing what resources the player has is also important - some PCs will not carry around more than a handful of potions and others will have 50 potions of every type with half a dozen stacks of different scrolls plus several backup wands

I think those were the main three things off the top of my head.  Note the lack of real "conclusions" there because there are a number of workable ways to handle those issues - but there are also definitely several "wrong" ways which are identifiable.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par MagicalMaster, 31 mars 2013 - 11:52 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_henesua]

               I have appreciated the discussion,a nd hope to see many more in these threads. Thanks to you both.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_werelynx]

               OK, my submission is now considered playable, with custom polymorphs finally implemented. Hopefully there are no game-breaking bugs left.
ABC: Bordering Genius - Poor Flock Module

Feel free to play(test) it if you have time

What I'm still looking to implement are:
1. Ability to use items while polymorphed either by custom feat or spell. (poiton with unique power does not work - it can't target items only PC)
2. Make the weapons appaer in PC hands, while having bodak appearence(closest I could get to 'outworldly' doppelganger appearence)
3. Change Death screen to say something like "Again I have thought about scenario(?) in which I have died" - to make explanation why respawn is free. Maybe change the respawn button to "Awake from daydreaming"

I'm clueless about how to do the above things. If you have any idea how to implement those I would really appreciate you to share it.

Cheers!
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Tarot Redhand]

               While I don't, I think that just maybe somebody on the scripting forums might. I have a very minor problem that I am going to ask on there myself, so it couldn't hurt.

TR
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_werelynx]

               Heh, I finally managed to find some time to play NWN since 2 months and I played..

Rolo's "Get Ducky" - 1st installment in "The Pride of Cestus Dei", a prequel to his ABC Hordes showcasing CCC Rogue hak contents.

"This means WAR!" - and I thought Cestus raised a pride of lions(lynxes?)

I have to say I have enjoyed it. It does its job of showing CCC well.

I also found quite a few bugs/typos as well both Rolo's building and hak-related alike. I will PM those to Rolo.

It deserves mention that each participant of that CCC was somehow included(active avatar some easter eggs etc.) into the module. An idea I shamelessly copied into my own ABC submission along with his custom models for TAD and Rubies. I'm so evil, just like my ABC's pregen PC.

I have also found that his module mentions "sanity check", checked the script and unfortunately it looks like you can't fail this check. Why I mention it? 2 months ago I wrote a short dialogue in my ABC submission involving PC saying "I failed my last sanity check long time ago, thank you." Great minds think alike, I guess. Then again what is bordering genius? Answer(in reverse): ytinasni !!

Rolo's module can be downloaded here: Custom Content Challenge 2012 Jan - Rogues

So next will be the Hordes - I guess in another 2 months time 
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Tarot Redhand]

               @werelynx - Sanity Checks, you want Sanity Checks!!!!! '> OK try here.

TR
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_werelynx]

               @Tarot Redhand: both mine and Rolo's modules does not feature real sanity checks. They're fake. Mine says(automatically) about a failed sanity check in the past and Rolo's features sanity check with only one outcome(successful) no matter what you do.
Now Bordering Genius series feature a life of an insane PC. So maybe the insanity checks would be in order...
I really like the idea of sanity checks, though '>


Hordes(aka. The Pride of Cestus Dei) by Rolo:

Interesting, but unfinished. The ending cutscene is written(roughly) but not scripted, for example. Also the reward is not scripted.
There was also no readme or indication of what haks it had used - it would be helpful if Rolo linked those haks(Tarot's Bloodbank and CCC Dec 2012) in his entry.

Little game design quirk: I was never sure how much longer I need to stand against the hordes by my hoardes. Sure conversation mentioned "one night", but it would be nice to give messages like "2 Hours remains!"
I was also not sure if getting the gems back from thieves results in anything.

The thieves only "attacked" 2 of the 4 chests(those in the middle).
When I activated my fear aura it was very easy.

Again I have send bug report to Rolo.

   Spoiler
   

After playing the module I will never trust Rolo again!  Especially with drinks.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_werelynx]

               Black Book by PHoD

"Hitting with bricks" method seems to work well for you:D I would like to hit with such precision and art(especially eye-candy-wise) myself.

Notes/Bugs/Assorted/Blancmanges
- boots of speed would be nice or any other speed/haste effect. There is lots of running and PC is alread 40 lvl warrior why not give haste?
- PC sword is both in her eq and on the ground near the starting point
- Captain Glaube dies before I could get to him, though he does not have a conversation only name
- When Laithys joins the party the trigger convos stop working(at least 2 of them in corruption are are there after her addition to the party). Only her is teleported and not the scholar I'Seem'To'Have'Forgotten'Her'Name'Sorry. The Scholar has the conversations and not the Laithys and thus the PC is stopped in place and nothing else happens.
- Outer Pages area: can't go thropugh skull - have to try it for about a minute to get through and I still don't know how it happened
- Crystal Fields: is this the end? The Scholar has no more conversations nor does the dog or Laithys and resting does not accomplish anything and the are transition on the ground does not work. Edit: by the look at your previous comments I see it is.
- Journal: for this much amount of text, there was no journal
- Descriptions on placeables and NPCs - same as journal entries
- Combats: well, I wasn't here for the combats which were easy(but then I do play on normal difficulty)
- Took me a while to understand why there are transition behind colored glyphs and there are none behind the other: a message while approaching inactive one like "this one is off-limits/closed" would be helpful
- Eye candy.. AH! Maybe I will include it in mah module. So nice and shiny...
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_PLUSH HYENA of DOOM]

               The BLACK BOOK was made in about six seconds - I had absolutely no time at all, and was being distracted by my mother's ongoing war with her comprehensive collection of health problems, so I'm quite surprised it happened AT ALL.

Many thanks for your list. I haven't yet actually played through the darn thing properly myself so I can't answer all your points but rest assured they'll be thoroughly investigated before the completely remade version is released WITH all the missing stuff that was cut out (not made) for time.

I can confirm that Captain Glaube was never intended to be spoken to at the Battle of Mudplot - he just gets eaten by Undead Animals. However, he does have stuff to do earlier in the Module in one of the many sequences that got cut out because of the lack of time. That's why he's got a name and so forth. Those scenes along with a number of others will be reinstated for the proper release.

I hadn't really thought about adding Journal entries (not JUST because I didn't have time) but because I felt it maybe a bit excessive adding yet more text referring to events Scholar Aurelia has already spent six thousand years talking about at great length and madly having theories about everything. But maybe I'll add some short, simple entries that build up into a form of "synopsis" so as to provide a concise report rather than Aurelia's rambling and Starbright's denials of everything in sight being her fault.

The "Outer Pages" Door Transition should work fine. Did you try it too soon after ending combat? I'll have to look at it.

Starbright's sword should NOT be lying on the ground at the start. I must have left it there after testing some value on it or other. Silly oversight.

Laithys probably needs a complete overhaul!

Yes, the Crystal Fields are the end and yes, it was a bit pants because I forgot a "Game Over" script which left it more than slightly ambiguous to say the least...

Recommend you try the second PHoD ABC offering "The SILVER SPHERE" which continues Starbright and Aurelia's daft investigations. I had almost TWELVE seconds for that one so it must therefore be twice as good. And there's a homicidal Hyena lunatic in it so it must be three times as good. Four even. Five times! (Well, no, seriously, SILVER SPHERE is far, far more structured and polished than poor little BLACK BOOK which got trampled by events and therefore SILVER SPHERE is thus much better. I hope... It's just as outrageously insane, anyway, and that's what's important!
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_werelynx]

               In Outer Pages it was more caused by the obstruction than the door not working properly - it's just hard to outmanueaver PC into getting into the skull, the transition works fine.

Will try Silver Sphere as soon as I got time - I started BB a week ago:p or maybe two?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_PLUSH HYENA of DOOM]

               Hm, the rubbish skull thing SHOULD be high enough above the door not to interfere - maybe I bumped into it in the Toolset and accidentally adjusted its height or something. Needs checking. Thanks.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_meaglyn]

               For those interested I just posted version 1.0 of A Rare Vintage to both the old vault and the new.

Special thanks to MagicalMaster for a very detailed beta test!

Edit: so I didn't quite make the one month to fix it up date... at least it's the start of _a_ month.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par meaglyn, 01 mai 2013 - 03:27 .