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[Ubai]

After reading the excellent journals by Tchos and Lance Botelle (among others) I've decided that a journal of my own might help me stay on track, and I'm sure that any input I receive will also greatly improve my work.

 

I'll start by stating my goals for the campaign. I know a lot of people love the full party experience that NWN2 can provide, but I really prefer to just control one character, so I am designing this module for a single character rather than a group.

 

I also want to tell a story without using cutscenes or other intrusive methods, so I'll be adopting a Morrowind-style strategy of putting lore in books and scrolls and works of art, along with conversations whenever appropriate. This way I hope to avoid the whole "movie with occasional button whacking" thing. I may have a short cut scene at the beginning of the module, but that will probably be the only one.

 

 

I love action RPGs like Diablo and Torchlight and I intend to use the same combat style, but with fewer monster waves and a little more tactical substance ( I had a friend once who wrote his name in corpses in D2, that is a bit more slaughter than I'm looking for ). I like fights where I don't feel the need to pause or micromanage, even if I'm playing a caster, so that's the tempo I am looking for.

 

On the other hand, I enjoy the flexibility of NOT fighting that NWN2 brings, so sneaking, speech skills, and other non-stabby methods of conflict resolution will be rewarded and encouraged whenever possible. I dislike puzzles (unless you can cheat, Alexander and the Gordian knot is one of my favorite stories) so there won't be many of those.

 

Ideally, I feel that a player should be able to go through the whole campaign without dying if they play well. I've never liked using reloads and save scumming (I'm also a big Nethack fan) to get through a game. That being said, I have already designed a simple death and respawn system, because everyone makes a mistake now and then.

 

So that is it for design goals. I'm not a super programmer or anything so my technical goals are pretty modest:

 

* The player starts at level one, and any class should be able to complete the campaign. I intend to put some optional "training wheel" stuff in that a player can use to get through the early levels.

 

* Use as much "off the shelf" content as possible. The community has brilliant scripters and content creators, so I will avoid re-inventing the wheel whenever possible. I don't intend to change a lot of the base systems, but I do like Tchos' one-click door idea...

 

* I am going to use a mix of scaled and fixed content, and I am going to use a spawn system like NESS to add some semi-random content. I'm wanting to play this myself so I want some surprises too!

 

* The campaign uses the SoZ loot system, but there will be hand placed loot and Easter eggs as well.

 

* I'm going to have an overland map and a relatively small number of towns. Baridek is sparsely settled due to that whole demon war thing.

 

* custom deities, load screens and tips

 

* Black powder weapons. Balancing these will be tricky, but I'm too big a fan of "The Three Musketeers" to leave them out, plus I'm shooting (hur hur) for a kind of 16th-17th century vibe here. If you saw "The Brotherhood of the Wolf" that's sort of the ambience I want.

 

Phew! I didn't mean to write so much, but it's helping already! Right now I'm working on ways to help players out at lower levels where one bad roll can undo the best laid plans so I will probably write about that once I'm farther along.

 

Thanks!
Matt

 

 

 

[rjshae]

 

* Black powder weapons. Balancing these will be tricky, but I'm too big a fan of "The Three Musketeers" to leave them out, plus I'm shooting (hur hur) for a kind of 16th-17th century vibe here. If you saw "The Brotherhood of the Wolf" that's sort of the ambience I want.

 

Implementing black powder weapons might be a challenge, Possibly you could try setting it up with custom visual effects and scripted spells. At least there are a few weapon models available on the vault.

[Tchos]

Definitely check out Adam Miller's Dark Waters campaign, which implements black powder weapons starting in chapter 2.

[PJ156]

Good luck, I look forward to seeing your progress in blogs in the future.

 

PJ

[andysks]

So nice to see a new project around . I wish you luck and hope to see more of your progress.

[GCoyote]

Sounds pretty good, best of luck with your new project.

[Ubai]

Entry Two: Training Wheels, Transport, Crafting and Consequences

 

I decided the simplest way to help players get through their first few levels was to give them an item that summons a creature. The creature will stick around until it's killed or you rest and it has one use per day. The summoned creature only has 1HD so it's not likely it will even be used much after level 3 or 4. The nice thing about this method is that it's completely voluntary; they can use it or not as they choose. So far it seems to be a good fix, the only problem being that it does seem to have a slight effect on the random encounters.

 

Speaking of encounters I'm still toying with the idea of using something like the NESS2 spawn system (unless someone knows a better option) since it allows a lot of randomization and scaling as well as granular control over spawns, but I'm not 100% convinced that I need it.

 

I realized today that one thing I didn't like about SoZ is that there were few options for fast travel. In Morrowind I loved being able to wander about the countryside, but there were times when I appreciated being able to take a boat or silt strider from point A to point B without any hassle. To that end I'm going to have boats and carriages that the player can use for a small fee. Since I want a rather open world sort of feel to my campaign I want to give the player as many reasonable travel choices as I can.

 

Speaking of choices, I am trying to decide what kind of crafting system I want to use. I'm thinking of using Kaldor Silverwand's SOZ Crafting Plus, but I realized that the SoZ system works best with a full party unless you play a caster with all the item creation feats and crafting skills. I may still use that system but introduce a secondary system of magic items that can enhance the player's gear, something a bit like the rune and gem system in Diablo 2, but I'm not sure yet.

 

Finally, the other side of choice is consequences. I want the player to be able to freely explore a world that appears to function independently of the player, but I also want the player's choices to affect the world around him. For instance, say the player ignores the main quest, shouldn't something happen to the game world because whatever bad thing is happening grows unchecked?

 

That's all I've got for now except a question. I've seen hints that one can update a module without forcing a player to start a new game, but I haven't seen much technical information on how to do it. If anyone could point me in the right direction I'd appreciate it! Tonight I hope to get some more kinks worked out of the starting dungeon and its quests, then maybe get a start on the crafting system.

 

Thanks,

Matt

[Dann-J]

A 1HD summoned creature can be useful at any level:

 

The Trap Springer

 

Don't have a rogue to deal with the deadly trap blocking the corridor? Summon something by targeting the ground on the other side of the trap, then walk away from the trap and lead it over the trigger as it tries to follow you.

 

The Monster Lure

 

Want to get the most out of your AoE spells? Buff your 1HD summons (Improved Invisibility, Stone Skin, etc), command it to attack the nearest enemy, and when they all gather around it in a nice tight group, you blast them all at once.

 

 

 

One way you might stop the 1HD summons from affecting encounters is to set the CR on its blueprint to zero, or to something between 0 and 1 (like 0.1).

[Tchos]

That's all I've got for now except a question. I've seen hints that one can update a module without forcing a player to start a new game, but I haven't seen much technical information on how to do it. If anyone could point me in the right direction I'd appreciate it!

 

I'd gladly point you to one, but as far as I know, there isn't any actual tutorial for it.  I do know of several others besides myself who have done it.  At its most basic, it amounts to "use the campaign folder, and make your additions with scripting."  There are only a few things that you can't add, change, or update in a live game with scripts, like walkmeshes, environmental objects, and terrain.  And many of those things that can't be changed can be worked around by adding a new module to the campaign, which can also be done in a live game.

[Ubai]

Thanks for the info! As for the summoned creature, he gets summoned at the player's location, so you can't move him around, and I'm going to reward xp for disarming traps, so that may dissuade players from using the creature as a trap sponge. 

 

He might be a monster lure, but by the time the player has access to better AoE spells they will have far better summons available that would replace him. True, they could use him to clump the monsters up then summon a better monster when he dies, but they could do that anyway so I don't think it will be a huge deal. I suppose I could check the player's level when they use it and disable it after level 4 to be safe. 

 

I will have to give some thought as to how to design my campaign so I can update it as needed, but I'm glad it's possible!

 

Thanks,

Matt

[Dann-J]

Thanks for the info! As for the summoned creature, he gets summoned at the player's location, so you can't move him around, and I'm going to reward xp for disarming traps, so that may dissuade players from using the creature as a trap sponge. 

 

 

If there'll be no companions available, then not every character will have the ability to disable traps. Even if you can't control where he gets summoned, you might still get him to run over trap triggers if he tries to attack a hostile on the other side. I've used a Wand of Lesser Summoning in that way in modules where my character hasn't had any rogue levels, and there was no rogue companion available. Animal companions are even better at the task, since you can control them directly.

 

 

 

He might be a monster lure, but by the time the player has access to better AoE spells they will have far better summons available that would replace him. True, they could use him to clump the monsters up then summon a better monster when he dies, but they could do that anyway so I don't think it will be a huge deal. I suppose I could check the player's level when they use it and disable it after level 4 to be safe. 

 

 

In difficulty modes other than 'normal', AoE spells will hurt your own party (including summons). I'd rather sacrifice a 1HD pawn as a lure (buffed with some low-level spells to last a few seconds more than usual) than risk seriously injuring a decent summoned creature who could be fighting alongside you.

 

Why disable a once-per-day 1HD summoning item? If players can find creative ways of continuing to make it useful then they should be able to do so. Clever use of items or spells is often encouraged D&D. If players aren't that imaginative then they'll likely just sell it for a few GP.

[andysks]

 

Finally, the other side of choice is consequences. I want the player to be able to freely explore a world that appears to function independently of the player, but I also want the player's choices to affect the world around him. For instance, say the player ignores the main quest, shouldn't something happen to the game world because whatever bad thing is happening grows unchecked?

 

 

This might not be so easy to achieve. One time the devs tried it was in MotB and it came with split critics. I don't know how exactly they did it, but one would think that keeping some kind of track of time is a way to go in a game, but in NWN2 this might be tricky to achieve. I don't know.

 

I had a quest which needed to keep track of game time, but there were many things I had to think. I'm guessing you could create a library with many ifs and elses which would run every time you enter an area? Or a common ground like the player stronghold/camp/house whatever. Usually devs use such places to progress the story and check for such things. I guess it's so that the player won't feel rushed, while having a kind of nice experience in a world that's alive.

 

Like, if I've done this (main quest), apply this to the world as consequence. Else, return of apply this. If I've not done this, and this much time passed, then apply that.

[Ubai]

Hmm, I guess frying a lesser ally instead of a stronger one is good tactics, but it might not be good roleplaying. Still, it's meant to be a single player module so if someone wants to do a bit of power gaming who am I to forbid it?

 

As far as my plan for consequences go, I wasn't thinking of timers so much as events. For instance, I may randomly destroy a village, or kill a useful NPC, or maybejust increase travel costs and shop prices due to the increased danger. Obviously I would start small and work my way up, but it just doesn't seem very immersive for the bad guy to sit on his hands waiting for Dirk Blackpool to show up and lop off his head.

[andysks]

Well, the timers were for keeping track of when to actually do the bad thing . Otherwise how can you know that the player doesn't progress his main quest? For example, you go to the main NPC, he tells you bring me this sword. After that there is no way telling when the PC will bring it. Only if you keep track of what he does in the meanwhile. And time could be the best shot.

 

But as I said before, tread carefully . I personally don't care if the world I'm playing in gets bad things. In fact, I liked the spirit meter in MotB. But I know many who don't like to be rushed. So I guess you'll have to find a middle ground or just do what you want because it's your campaign . If you like it, it's all that matters.

[Ubai]

My plan is just to use journal entries, as the player completes the various stages of the main quest the reactions of the bad guy will change. That should be a bit less overt than the spirit meter, but still make it seem as if the bad guys are reacting to the player's actions (or lack thereof). 

[Lance Botelle]

Entry Two: Training Wheels, Transport, Crafting and Consequences 
That's all I've got for now except a question. I've seen hints that one can update a module without forcing a player to start a new game, but I haven't seen much technical information on how to do it. If anyone could point me in the right direction I'd appreciate it! Tonight I hope to get some more kinks worked out of the starting dungeon and its quests, then maybe get a start on the crafting system.

Hi Matt,

That was an idea I came up with in 2007. It was mainly for NWN1, as that does not have a campaign folder. However, it is still very useful to use for some situations. Check out my latest forum post #16 ....

TITLE: #16 Installing User Mods & Custom Content: READ THIS FIRST!
http://forum.bioware...sting-2/page-12

... and here is an early Blog Post (2009) with further details ....

http://worldofalthea...ing-module.html

Cheers,
Lance.

[Ubai]

@Lance: Thanks very much, that helps a lot!

 

I came up with a new plot twist today that I'll keep to myself, and I also realized I will need to fix animal companions and spells on the overland map. I know there are spell fixes for buffs already on the vault, but I will need to find a way for people to retain their animal companion state when they go from module to module within the campaign (I played a druid, and it was annoying to keep losing my pet every time I went to Neverwinter city).

 

I actually have the day of today, so I hope to get a lot done on the overland map and maybe take a look at Engines of Ascension, a PW that I saw on these forums.

 

-M

[kamal_]

So that is it for design goals. I'm not a super programmer or anything so my technical goals are pretty modest:

 

Don't worry about not being a super programmer or anything. A lot of us couldn't write a script when we started and had to use Lilac Soul's Script Generator for everything (I know I couldn't, and did). The most important thing about making something is you enjoy making it.

 

/Second most important thing is don't be afraid to ask questions and learn as you go. We may tell you to figure it out for yourself, but that will be because we think it will help you in the long term. We were all beginners once.

 

//Also, I suggest my speed building tips to save on building/testing time, as it was lessons I learned the hard way from making my first campaign : http://forum.bioware...up-and-running/

[Ubai]

Thanks very much! I saw your speed building post the other day and put it on my reading list.

[Tchos]

Indeed, if you look through the scripts in my campaign, you'll find that some of the earliest ones were made with Lilac Soul's script generator.  Making that campaign was an enormous growth experience.

 

One thing I should clarify on the topic of changes in a live game -- once you've been to an area in the game, the area is saved into the save game, which means that any change you want to make inside an area can't be done just by opening the area, making your changes, and saving it, because those changes won't appear in a live game.  Those are the things you'd need to do by scripting.  I can give an example whenever you need one.

[Ubai]

Argh! First I had a family visit, then I had a ton of work, then I got a horrendous summer cold. Needless to say I haven't accomplished as much as I had hoped, but I am pleased with the work I've done on the overland map so far.

 

I stole an axiom from graphic design that says that if something looks good in black and white then it can look good in color, so I like to make my terrains look good with just the default texture before I do anything else. Now I'm trying to decide if I shouldn't make it a bit smaller. Other than that I haven't made much progress but I hope that I'll be feeling up to some coding in the next couple days once the sneezing stops.

 

-Matt