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[Lugaid of the Red Stripes]

"The Dana'an Unvanquished" has just posted to the vault at nwvault.ign.com/View.php

Picking up almost a year after the events of "The Last of the Dana'an", this module continues the story of the Dana'an into new lands and new dangers.  I'm calling this an open beta because I feel the module still needs another dozen or so sidequests, 'bushier' conversations, and a couple of new systems to keep the sandbox side going strong.  The main plot is fully playable, though, if maybe too linear for some folk's taste.

More information can also be found at the project page:social.bioware.com/project/4133/

In terms of design, the module perfects many of the systems I started with in LotD, including the tactical AI for large-scale battles, ambient NPCs, and the terrain system.  New to "The Dana'an Unvanquished" is a PC squad system, which gives the player a squad of up to a dozen NPCs to lead around in combat (using the tactical AI), and a new, horrible mash of spaghetti-code I call 'chatbots'. 
The chatbots are conversations with an attached script that uses custom tokens to create interactive conversations on the fly.  So far, I've developed three applications, a throw-away poker game, an interrogation script, and a barter script.  The interrogation setup is used for gaining information from an NPC by moving through a web of questions and answers, all while using conversation skills to increase your 'rapport' with the NPC.  The barter script allows you to haggle with a merchant NPC, again while using your conversation skills to increase your rapport.
The barter script works quite well, though the prices probably need further balancing.  The interrogation script is really difficult to write without seeming clunky, and the one's I've written could stand to be expanded and polished.
I think both the barter script and interrogation script have huge potential, and builders might want to take a look at them.

Anyway, this is what I've been doing for the past two years.  Enjoy.

Modifié par Lugaid of the Red Stripes, 31 mars 2011 - 02:05 .

[The Fred]

I saw this on the Vault. Looks cool!

[Arkalezth]

You linked your other module. This is the correct link.

Not much time to play lately, so I don't think I'll be able to beta test, but I'll play this module eventually, thanks!

[M. Rieder]

Lugaid, this sounds great! Really enjoyed LotD and look forward to playing this one.

[Lugaid of the Red Stripes]

Thanks for the catch, Arkalezth, it's now fixed in the topic post.

[The Fred]

This looks pretty neat. Can I ask a little about these "chatbots", though? Are they just ("just") intelligent, custom-token-using conversations, or something else entirely?

[Lugaid of the Red Stripes]

The chatbots aren't 'intelligent' like real chatbots, they mostly use a lot of math to throw a bunch of custom tokens together, it's like filling out a mad-lib with a d20. I wrote this for a walkthrough trying to explain the mechanics to players:

"The Interrogation:
The goal here is to elicit a particular response from the NPC, like a piece of information or Pope Elijah's permission to enter the Bagnio. Two conversation options are particularly important, the [ask a question] node and the [other actions] node. When you click the [ask a question] node, you'll be presented with a list of prompts to give the NPC. Some of these will be questions, others will be responses to previous NPC remarks. When you ask a question, the NPC will either answer or refuse to answer your question. A successful answer will open up new prompts in the [ask a question] node. An NPC refusal will look like an evasive answer, usually prefixed by ellipses (...). NPCs will refuse to answer a question if your rapport is too low for that particular question. Your rapport rating usually rises a few points with each question, though certain impertinant questions may lower your rapport. You can try to raise your rapport by using the [other actions] node, but be careful, a critical failure on a charm, bluff, or intimidate attempt will lower your rapport rating. If your action raises your rapport rating high enough, you will be presented with a new answer from the NPC. Sometimes even a successfull action will not raise your rapport rating enough, in which case you will still receive an evasive response from the NPC.

The Barter:
Here the NPC presents you with a transactional offering, usually one item for another, though certain favors may also be exchanged (i.e. giving a Xiaojie a drink for her 'thanks'). Once presented with an offer, you may accept the offer or reject it, either asking the NPC for something else, or asking them to come down on their prices. Accepting the offer will usually raise your rapport rating, while rejecting it will lower your rapport rating. NPCs will only offer special items or favors to those with a high rapport rating. The [other actions] node can be used to try to raise your rapport rating, as well as coaxing the NPC into offering you better prices. If and NPC offers you X, and you ask them 'what else you got?', they will assume you are not interested in X, and will not offer it to you again within that same conversation. If you end the conversation and start a new one, they may offer X to you again."

So the Interrogation script is basically a network of prompts and responses. So far, my conversations are limited to about a dozen pairs of prompt & response, just because its a lot of work writing more.
The barter script is much more involved, as the script keeps track of what you buy and don't buy, adjusting prices to match. So as you buy an item, the price will rise, and as you sell an item, the price will fall. Each NPC also has their own price list, so it's easy to set up profitable trade routes between NPCs.

Modifié par Lugaid of the Red Stripes, 01 avril 2011 - 11:51 .

[Lugaid of the Red Stripes]

I've just uploaded a hotfix to the vault page (linked below) to fix a show-stopping bug with the Trompement quest. It will work with your saved games, and if you didn't save, you still have an Autosave from before the Esquive quest to use.

[The Fred]

Those sound pretty cool. I've been thinking about using custom tokens in conversations a bit more, I think they're pretty powerful but relatively underused.

[Lugaid of the Red Stripes]

An updated version is now available on the vault, v0.91. See my sig for the link.

Changes for v0.91
-Fixed Trompement disguise bug.
-Fix to make wildlife wander again after routing.
-Added grocers in Wassau and Ranzhuang.
-Added Jeweler in Wassau.
-Added pickpocketable items to most civilian NPCs.
-Fixed issue with premature acquistion of Pao Shifu's body.
-Added Trompement client-enter scripts to FM and FMI, plus Journal and item help text.
-Added Muckrats and Foxbats as ambient wildlife.
-Added more ambient NPCs to Wassau, and fixed bug with NPCs not retiring at night.
-Added Mushrooms, Gwalior Scat, and Kele Pods as forage.
-Added descriptions to several items.
-Added Apothecary and Pawnbroker to Beaufort.
-Added Ambient conversations for the Bayaka, Civilian Gnomes, and Imperials.
-Adjustment to rout script to improve battle flow.
-Fixed Meddyglyn bug.
-Modified Katrina store to act as a general loot dump.
-Added second floor with rented rooms to Stuck Boar Tavern.
-Added a bit more set dressing to Beaufort, Wassau, Underground and Arsenal.
-Added extra squad to "Bright" arsenal assault, to ease quest completion.
-Fixed issue with "Bright" arsenal assault not ending properly.
-Fixed issue with Vendee quest structure.
-Delayed Gwalior respawn after Trouble quest, to prevent players getting jumped as they exit Gwalior Rock Spring.
-Added Barrow quest.
-Added Snips and Snails quest.

[PJ156]

Gwalior Scat?
Can you eat that

[Lugaid of the Red Stripes]

It's a topical application

[Lugaid of the Red Stripes]

I've added two pics to the project gallery to show off what I'm adding in right now.  I'll have a new version uploaded by the end of the month, with new dungeons to explore and a 'pseudo-companion' to help you carry your stuff, along with more loot, more polish, and full compatability with Kaedrin's PrC pack.

[PJ156]

Very nice pictures, nice decayed looking building in the first one.

PJ

[Arkalezth]

Nice pictures, and glad to see it will be compatible with K's Pack.