Project Q v2.0 - Future Development and Criteria

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               

Now that I've had a few weeks to sit back and relax, I've developed somewhat of a future development plan and criteria for the Project Q.

 

Creatures - We'll be continuing to rework/replace older Bioware models and adding new creatures. Open for requests here.

 

Placeables - We'll be continuing to rework/replace older Bioware models and adding new placeables. Open for requests here.

 

Clothing and PC Parts - I consider this area to be closed for future additions. We've got plenty of options available currently and will continue to expand these options so that they are available to ALL races, sexes, and phenotypes. 

 

Items - We've got a lot of variety here as well BUT there is still room for additions. One area we will continue to develop is in models for the various misc. item categories, replacing the default sack with a model that looks like the actual item. If anyone out there wants to take this on and submit models, GO FOR IT - this is a huge undertaking and probably more than three guys can handle.

 

Tilesets - Development will continue on working to pull in certain tilesets (e.g. Mountainous Forest) with an emphasis on expanding TNO and making the tileset also available on its own (e.g. what we did with Wild Woods 0.. 

 

Splitting Off Overrides - This is Henesua's project and WILL be included as part of Project Q when its ready. Like me, his time for NWN has been largely consumed by real life. When complete, this move will NOT break compatibility with previous builds using Project Q because it will be implemented through patch.ini and will include the necessary files to make it work out of the box. The only setup required of end-users will be to place one file in the /patch folder and overwrite their patch.ini file. Alternatively, new builds will be able to add the new hak directly to their modules. The hak will consist only of models and textures and will NOT contain any 2da files.

 

PRC - Each future release of Q will include the patches necessary to make Project Q compatible with the PRC v3.5. These files will also be available for download via the Q Updater.

 

Lastly, this plan is NOT set in stone...so now is the time to discuss it.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Gruftlord]

               

re 2da entries in patch.ini splitt off: don't some of the models for creature overrides require a change to the environment mapping to change from metallic reflectivity to transparency? or has care been taken that this is not needed on any of project q's creature replacers?

the bone golem comes to my mind for example

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_meaglyn]

               

I'd like to be able to use the override hak as a hak still. WIll that still be possible? I don't want to force people to install it as a patch.

 

Re tilesets - so you are planning to pull in mountain forest and use some of it's tiles in further TNO expansion?  If there is value in having that in TNO then I suppose that makes sense.  I'm not sure of that value myself, seems like a lot of work too. As it is now it's already an optional hak builders can use.  And there's only one version of it to keep in sync. But I've said most of this before... '>

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Mecheon]

               

Creatures adding new creatures

Well, with those other classic critters that came in the last few, clearly there's one option here!

Flumph

(I'm sorry)
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Iskadrow]

               

Clothing and PC Parts - I consider this area to be closed for future additions. We've got plenty of options available currently and will continue to expand these options so that they are available to ALL races, sexes, and phenotypes. 

 

 

 

One further robe I'd love to see included is #200 in the CEP. Don't know where it comes from, but it makes for a great arch-mage's robe (or dress, in case of the female version). And speaking of phenotypes: The Crawling Animation(s) and [Edit: Took away nonsense] would be great additions, as well. 

 

 

 

Creatures - We'll be continuing to rework/replace older Bioware models and adding new creatures. Open for requests here.

 

Yuan-Ti Abombinations, of course!  (Not sure about the origin of that model, but it behaves relatively well in-game)

 

 

Tilesets - Development will continue on working to pull in certain tilesets (e.g. Mountainous Forest) with an emphasis on expanding TNO and making the tileset also available on its own (e.g. what we did with Wild Woods 0.. 

 

As I said elsewhere, I'm all in favor of expanding the TNO. '> One neat addition I am thinking of would be walkable water.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_cervantes35]

               

I am at the moment working on 3 tilesets at a slow pace as time permits.

 

Elven Dale/City  w/Mountains w/Walkable archways between mountains

Bioware CityExterior Remake

Cathedral Interior  w/Burial Catacombs, Crematorium and Tower Levels

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Jedijax]

               

Welp... you know my take: Replace all existing everything. Even perhaps some of the 1.69 stuff. Sure, everyone is hot about it, but to me some of it looks already outdated. I think the visual standard is what Six, Zwerk, Baba and you have set. All of this can be plainly seen in the Q Project. I do think, however, before further additions are made, many of the already included stuff needs to be fixed/revised, as you have stated in the opening post. My personal pet pevee is shadows. Most custom creatures and placeables have broken shadows. What's the point of having both high quality models and top of the line graphical settings if the shadows are artifacting everywhere? Anyway, just my opinion. What else can be said aside of it? We all know Q is the greatest custom content project around! (^ ,^)

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Surek]

               

Here is small list of monsters i'd like to see.

 

Owl Bears, Rust Monster, and Dark Creepers.

 

also an upgrade to the gnolls they look a bit dated to me.

 

great work I love everything in project Q.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               

@ Gruftlord

 

The only models that will be in the override hak are models that do NOT require the 2da changes you noted. Henesua is only pulling in replacing models (and their corresponding textures) that are direct replacements for the BioWare models (i.e. they share the same name and 2da settings).

 

@ Meaglyn

 

Yes, the override hak will be available for direct insertion into a module. The only reason Henesua is exploring the patch.ini delivery method is so that any modules that don't use the new hak and are no longer supported by the author will still include the overriding content. Furthermore, this new hak also allows Project Q to be used by players in their own personal games (e.g. the OC, SoU, HotU, etc.) without having to download all of all Q.

 

I haven't really looked too closely at Mountainous Forest in regards to what might get pulled into TNO. Its still really in the concept stage at this point. I know one thing TNO is sorely lacking is some kind of mountain terrain similar to what Zwerkules made for Medieval Rural.

 

TNO could also benefit from some new buildings that aren't aligned with tile edges. I've been exploring this NEED in my personal module, converting some of the buildings into placeable versions and dispersing them among tiles. 

 

Creatures

 

We've already got rust monsters and owl bears in Q and Cervantes was working on the Yuan-ti Abominations. The gnolls could use an overhaul - at least texture wise. Fluffy - nope he's propriety content belonging to Monty Python.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Mecheon]

               

Creatures
 
Fluffy - nope he's propriety content belonging to Monty Python.

Flumph, not Fluffy. They're those infamous floating jellyfish

(Basically I want jellyfish)
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               

OIC - I had no clue what a flumph was - learn something new everyday.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Tarot Redhand]

               

Click on the image for a full page about the infamous Flumph

 

 

TR

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               

Some changes to reserved ranges to accommodate PRC 3.5 compatibility:

• visualeffect.2DA - RESERVED UP TO LINE 1599 (includes PRC reserved range - lines 751-1499)


• Lines 20400 - 21000 in the Project Q custom TLF file have been reserved for further expansion of content (this includes the ACP phenotypes as named in the PRC).

Sorry for any inconvenience this causes, but it was necessary to restore out of the box compatibility with the PRC.

 

The following is a listing of changes within 2DA files to ensure PRC compatibility:

• phenotype.2DA - Changed TLK references for the ACP phenotypes to correspond to the names used in the PRC (no effect in game).


• traps.2DA - Moved line 101 to line 122.


• visualeffects.2DA - Moved lines 751-786 to lines 1551-1586.

The following miscellaneous files have been updated:

• Qv2_crafting.ERF - new file (does not yet include crafting of new robe appearances)


• Qv2_scripts.ERF - updated q_inc_music.NSS


• Qv2_trigger.ERF - updated the falling bricks trap trigger to point to the updated 2DA reference


• Q_Horses.MOD - updated with script and template changes


• Q_No_Horses.MOD - updated with script and template changes

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_meaglyn]

               

The following is a listing of changes within 2DA files to ensure PRC compatibility:

• phenotype.2DA - Changed TLK references for the ACP phenotypes to correspond to the names used in the PRC (no effect in game).


• traps.2DA - Moned line 101 to line 122.


• visualeffects.2DA - Moved lines 751-786 to lines 1551-1586.

 

Hhhmph, really?  You realize of course that this means Q2.1 is not going to be compatible with Q2.0. I was hoping to be able to tell people to use Q2,0 or later, now it will have to be use Q2.0 only, which will get complicated for players. 

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_henesua]

               

Hey all, I apologize for my long absence. I still am unable to get much (if any) NWN time together. Its nothing to worry about, just a combination of work and raising kids and having no time left over. Unfortunately this means that all my NWN projects have had to live on without me.

 

As far as the optional Patch HAK override thing goes: I made the thing back in early July (its basically a 30 minute operation once you figure out how to do it), but have had a problem with setting up a tool for the Project Q team to be able to do this without me. Essentially all I do is move some files, and copy some others. I was never able however to automate this for someone other than myself to do it.

 

What I did is not likely interesting to anyone so you can ignore the following parenthetical.

(I was basically just assembling lists of files using some command line tools and some hand work. Then when the lists were ready I executed a move command which used the "move" lists followed by a copy command which used the "copy" lists. Making the lists is a little complex, and unfortunately still requires me to look at the lists and dig into some files here and there. I was never able to completely automate this. And one of the reasons is that some models are compiled and on linux I don't have a scriptable tool which can decompile the model to text. I need to read the texture references in the MDL, and this needs to be in basic text for a script to read it. Another reason is that I am a newb BASH scripter, and so failed to take into account differences in capitalization between files.)

 

So anyway if I ever find the time to write a script which enables any member of Q to update the optional Patch HAK in future releases, then I'll hand it to Pstemarie and all this will be groovy, but I have not had any significant blocks of time to dedicate to NWN stuff over the past two months. So I would not wait up for this change, and I don't want to make any more promises that hold up Pstemarie's work on Q. It took me much too long to come to terms with this and let Pstemarie know that I just can't find the time. For that I apologize. It still bothers me that I was holding things up here.

 

I wish you all well. And I'll try to check in like I've done here from time to time. I do still tinker a bit when I can, but since I don't have the time i need to think coherently I've been looking at tilesets. I actually looked at extending Zwerkules medieval city the other day and made a couple tiles (added some rock crossers). At this pace it will take me a few months to make the 22 tiles, but slow steady eh?  Anyway, take care y'all. I drop by again when I can. *waves*