Custom Content Challenge: September 2013: Arcane Space Stuff

[Legacy_The Amethyst Dragon]

               This month's challenge is "Arcane Space Stuff":

'cos there's next to nothing on the vault. For example look at all the user designed ships (http://www.spelljammer.org/ships/). Then there are all the creatures/monsters/NPCs that have not yet been modeled.

This theme was suggested by Tarot Redhand.

Guidelines:

• It must be fully working in game.
• Use of vanilla NWN or publicly available texture is fine, though state-of-the-art amateur's work would require 100% original work, but that's up to you.
• Teamwork is welcome.
• Beginners most welcome, don't be afraid, just try, you'll be surprised!
• All submissions must be finished, working, and emailed to NWNCCCMakers@gmail.com (or a non-Vault link provided) by October 1st, 2013 at 10 AM EST. Sooner than that is perfectly fine too. ;-)

Somethings you could include in the download/email that would make packaging everything up easier and faster:

• 2da lines needed.
• Screenshot *from in game* for use on the vault page (this also gives me hints on how to display the new goodie).
• Portraits (if needed) of your new goodie. ** Placeables and monsters should include a portrait. **
• Inventory icons (if needed) of your new goodie.
• Any credits you would like listed.
• If this is your first entry, please tell me what name you would like your work listed under and provide a link to your other NWN content if you want that displayed as well (the link bit is totally optional).
• Also if you would like an invite to the CC Makers group, send Rolo Kipp a friend invite. The group is nothing spectacular, mostly just documentation on 2da lines.
• If you are doing tileset content, *please* let me know ahead of time so I can get you the set and itp files to work with. I’m horrible at merging those so this bit you will need to provide.

Remember, the Challenge is all about fun, sharing, creativity and surprise!

If you have concerns/questions about this month’s Challenge please post in this thread.

If you want to discuss the Monthly Custom Content Challenge idea as a whole or wish to submit ideas/themes for future monthly Challenges, please post in its thread here.
***When submitting a new theme, please provide a title and short summary of the theme.***

If you have a technical question about some custom content creation, please create a separate thread so that the answers can be found later by anyone, not just people interested in this Challenge. We'll try to help!

Have no fear and join the fun!

And finally, you can:

Submit theme suggestions.
Vote for October's theme.
Email content to: NWNCCCMakers@gmail.com
               
               

               

                     Modifié par The Amethyst Dragon, 01 septembre 2013 - 07:58 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_The Amethyst Dragon]

               Here's a handy thread for posting/getting images for inspiration:
Arcane Space: CCC Ideas/Images/Inspiration

And another:
Spelljammer CCC Pictures

Announced/Started Projects:

Turn-Based Space Combat by ShadoOow

Downloaded/Emailed/Recieved Projects:

Autognomes by Shemsu-Heru
Spelljammer Helm by The Amethyst Dragon
Scavvers by The Amethyst Dragon
Creatures & Placeables by Hellfire_RWS & Rolo Kipp
Loadscreens by Tarot Redhand
Neogi by Vibrant Penumbra
               
               

               

                     Modifié par The Amethyst Dragon, 17 octobre 2013 - 08:49 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Tarot Redhand]

               I realise that spelljammer is not everybodies cup of tea (as we say in the UK) but that is no reason to dismiss this months challenge out of hand as there are a couple of things that could be made that while filling the criteria of the challenge, have a wider possible usage.

1. How about a tileset made of dusty, dark rocky material. To which we add some craters. There are uses for such a thing beyond any spelljammer module.
2. How about some walkable modular placeables that are for ships decks. This way you can create a ships upper decks no matter what shape the ship without having to make each ship individually.

Just a couple of thoughts.

TR
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Shemsu-Heru]

               I think that I'm not going to participate in this challenge; Because I don't Know well the "Spelljammer" campaign, and as long as I Know about, it seems too bizarre for my taste.

Howeaver I would like to provide a link of a website with some "free" models of spelljammer ships, that I had found some time ago. Perhaps some of you coul use those, to make placeables, tileset parts or even "creatures" in the style of moderm D20 vehicles.....

3D models of Spelljammer Ships



               
               

               

                     Modifié par Shemsu-Heru, 01 septembre 2013 - 11:51 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Fester Pot]

               I didn't vote for Spelljammer, due to most of what Spelljammer is, are floating ships. That means, tileset additions of ships that can be walked upon and actually used.

Tough one, from my perspective, especially in a month's time. The CC makers would certainly have to be awesomesauceness to do that!

Perhaps a skybox collection of deep space and other worldly planets could be created as a collection.

FP!
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Rolo Kipp]

               <waiting for someone...>

I *will* (be getting Cestus to) make something. But what it is depends on what someone else is making :-P

<...to wake up from a dead faint>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_henesua]

               Skyboxes! Someone should set up a kit for Tarot to get into skyboxes.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_The Amethyst Dragon]

               I was thinking of a way tonight to "fake" ship tiles.  It'll take some experimentation to see if it looks ok, then a lot of work, but the basics would be:

a) an "empty/invisible" tileset
- - - no visible ground
- - - no visible features
- - - perhaps the ability to do a single raise/lower?
- - - all "wood" ground type by default (for foorstep sounds)?
- - - all walkable by default
ship placeable(s)
- - - set so that deck level is even with ground level. (PCs would appear to walk on the deck(s)
- - - raised 3D wok meshes for railings/masts/etc.
c) "blocking" placeables
- - - non-rendering placeables
- - - movement-blocking wok meshes for between ships
- - - multiple sizes (so that both large and small areas can be covered with fewer placeables
- - - placeables would be static for faster/lasting movement calculations

Some Pros:
- easier to make than tile features for each ship
- could line up raised ship decks with raised terrain
- ship positions not necessarily locked into N/S or E/W orientation
- would open possibility of scripted ship movement with PCs visible
- would make for easier non-PC-visible cutscenes

Some Cons:
- more work needed to arrange areas for walkable space purposes
- wouldn't work as well with random placement of creatures/items/etc.
- would basically require spherical skyboxes and no area fog (I'd use distance of 300 meters)
- - exception: you'd want some fog for the phlogiston
- multiple elevations ship decks would have to be based on layering placeables and raised terrain
- would require Spelljammer ship models, all scaled correctly
- - - Spelljammer deck plans used 5 foot square grids (5 ft = 1.524 meters).
- - - there is a nice looking hammership tile group, but the screenshots show it's way oversized
- - - could get away with almost doubling the scales, but 10 m grid is just too large
- ship models any distance from PCs would have to either be set as static (so they'll render) or have their bases within ~4 tiles of every PC in the area


Also, now I need to go pull my Spelljammer collection off my "D&D stuff" shelf.  If anyone needs a published ship or item description or image to work from (if it's not already online somewhere), I've likely got it.  I've got all 4 box sets and multiple sourcebooks stowed away.  Yeah, I liked the campaign setting...not so much for connecting various gameworlds (meh), but for more of a "hells yeah! space pirates without lasers!" setting.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par The Amethyst Dragon, 02 septembre 2013 - 03:56 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Rolo Kipp]

               <cursing...>

Damnation! That's *almost* exactly what I've been doodling in my workbook!
I was originally thinking of it for sea voyages ( walkmesh 1.5m above animesh waves), and I want no non-walk at all. I think it would be better to create an invis placeable with each ship/asteroid placeable.

I was also thinking multi-level walkmesh would allow multiple heights to simulate floating islands similar to what Mokah TGS is making in nwn2 (gorgeous!). Hadn't thought of multi-height decks, though.

Didn't want to use the engine fog for phlogiston. Was thinking multiple level animloops.

<...forgetting to put on his foil hat>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Tarot Redhand]

               Errrm, AD and RK that is basically number 2 in my suggestions above 

Personnally I was hoping for more creatures as the ships are only a part of a spelljammer campaign, especially decent versions of a Giff, an Arcane, most definitely a Neogi and possibly a Giant Space Hamster. Don't get me wrong, anything that comes out of this month's challenge is a bonus.

TR
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_henesua]

               A slight improvement to the placeable ship / tileset thing.

The ships should have aabb meshes and be of the tile type. Release them as 10x10 placeables. Spawn them via tilemagic.

You'll also need some invisible wall blocker placeables to stop PCs and other creatures at the edges of the tiles. The advantage of this is that you can have ups and downs on your ship. It doesn't need to be a flat deck.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Tarot Redhand]

               @Shemsu-Heru I was aware of that site. The only problem is that a lot of the models are too detailed (ie too many polygons) for nwn to cope.

TR
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Tarot Redhand, 02 septembre 2013 - 03:12 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Rolo Kipp]

               <bidding...>

@ Tarot: yes & no. Basically we are talking about a free-form, blank tileset that could be used almost anywhere, including cloud cities or ocean travel (hmmm, with a builder's hak of visible textures to help alignment). Any feature would be placeables ( or tilemagic. Good call, H. I always forget tilemagic).

Don't despair, though.
1) there are two good tileset ideas up for bidding (Arcane Space & Cratered Landscape).
2) several of those ships appeal to me (and the Dwarven Citadel to Cestus!).
3) that neogi :-)
4) I'd really like to figure out a good "phlogiston"

I'll be doing one or more of the above. Still waiting to see what others mention.

<...for place>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Vibrant Penumbra]

                Back off, Magic Man 

That cute little Neogi is mine! 

I'm sure you and Grumpy have enough toys to play with '>

Kisses! 
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Shemsu-Heru]

               Negoi and Giff soldier are included in The Community Creature Project (CCP), also in the latest versions of CEP......