Episode 104: The Path Less Travelled

First, a heads up: There will not be a February blog post, as I am taking a month's hiatus. However, before I take the break, I am leaving you with the very latest v1.40 module and campaign files ready to use, after my wife did another test run of the first module using the latest build. A couple of minor issues came to light, but the updated Examine and Hardness systems, which I have now finished, are working well. Read on for more information...

Unconventional?

Regular readers (or players of my campaign) will note that my approach to design for both mechanics and quests does not sit within "normal" expectations for NWN. Instead, I believe my own design sits more closely to the table-top D&D game experience. Or, if we were to place the range of NWN modules available on its own spectrum, The Scroll Campaign (a.k.a. The Althéa Campaign), would probably be considered an extreme "conservative" style, or one that I would suggest plays more akin to a "Traditional" D&D table-top game. Your choice of how you play the module can alter this experience, but the underlying design principal is based upon trying to replicate the table-top experience, whether you choose to play the campaign solo or with a friend or two.

Whether this approach wins the approval of the majority of NWN players or not, I cannot say. However, for those players who like to dive deeply into a traditional style D&D game, with unique lore, quests and gameplay, alongside convenient traditional gameplay mechanics, then I hope the campaign will hit a sweet spot for them. Imagine a table-top session, and then translate that experience to a computer environment, along with all those elements that come with the former: combats, puzzles, crafting, varying NPC conversations and scenarios... and even creating bonds with fellow players as you travel your chosen path within Althéa!

The Trend Continues

This may surprise some, but when I first started writing the campaign using the NWN toolset, I had not planned to release it to the general public. This was because the campaign I was writing with the toolset was already a few years underway from a pen and paper (PnP) table-top campaign. Initially, I did not see any way to introduce years of material to new players when I was trying to continue the existing story for my PnP players. However, because I wanted to bring the campaign to new players, I found a way, by taking the first unconventional step to introduce a "background selection" that allowed new players to start the campaign afresh as if having never experienced the campaign before. As you can imagine, this introduced a lot of additional work, as I had to cater for both items and knowledge that the entering payer had of the campaign world, and how their experience differed from someone who had never experienced the campaign before.

This difference of gameplay experience only finally becomes resolved within the second module, which is now nearing completion itself. What I am trying to say is, while it has taken me a long time to ensure a new audience is accommodated for, this first single unconventional approach I took, while prolonging the build, has, I hope, been worth the effort to bring the campaign to more players. Effectively, by the time both old and new players have played the second module, both groups will now be in the same position of background knowledge serving them to complete the campaign within the third module.

The choice of campaign background was, however, just the first of many design decisions I would end up making to help bring the table-top experience to the player. My main focus from the start was then also to support PnP home-brew rules that were familiar to my own group of players, but also incorporate them in such a way that I hoped would not alienate new players not familiar with them. So, over the years that followed, new systems were added and altered until a balance between the more traditional and modern could be accommodated, including: a proper time system with attrition, fog of war, crafting, and various death systems alongside the Life Essence system, to name just a few.

To say this was a big undertaking would be an understatement, but ignorance of this fact at the time helped me to bring you the campaign that you have available to play today. The second module is now only a few months off completion (I believe) with only the third stage (of three) to complete. However, even with this last stage, I am "bucking the trend" in an attempt to bring the player new experiences when playing this D&D adventure. Like all new ideas and additions, however, they take time to implement, but I hope the time spent will be worth it, especially if the player does have a new enjoyable gaming experience.

Stage Three Development!

I have spent the last month going through more optimisation of the new areas of stage three, improving lighting, atmosphere, and general interaction, including the walk path. I have also been going through NPC interaction and conversations, improving lip-synch and animations where required. It was during these general improvements when I decided to also improve the Examine and Hardness interactions of which I speak above, as the new areas required it. I have also gone through the various NPC interactions to remind myself of the course of actions available to the player and been updating/correcting those that need it.

My tester, Dustin Offal (who has my greatest respect and thanks for all his work and feedback over the last couple of years or so), has also finished another play test of the second module (stages one and two), coming in at around 70 hours of gameplay. (This suggests completion of all three stages of the second module will take around 100 hours to complete, subject to gaming style.)  Also, from his feedback, I spent some time focussing on ensuring plot items could be dropped by the PCs when they were no longer required. I began work on this last month, but managed to finish it for both modules in the latest release.

The third stage of the second module is now in a good position for me to continue with it come February.

Latest Campaign & Module

This new year brings both new v1.40 campaign files and new module files. Alongside some minor quest and animation fixes, I also took the plunge to deal with two areas of the campaign files where the code was over 15 years old and required updating to work more smoothly. This new code has also been tested with the first module again to ensure it works as expected. The two areas that have been updated were the Examine GUI code and the Hardness of objects with respect to bashing them.

Prior this latest v1.40, the Examine GUI employed a "mask" to ensure unused official code (OC) was not displayed when not required. However, this mask had a tendency to go out of synch (especially when related to creatures) and could sometimes cover text when not required to do so. It was frustrating me and so I got rid of the official XML entry altogether and updated module creatures with any examine text they required. I suspect many players do not use the Examine GUI anyway, (although I have made it a more useful tool now), and so only those who do use this GUI frequently are likely to notice the changes. The Examine GUI is now "clipped" to show only the information my campaign requires, so that erroneous OC information (faction or incorrect challenge rating) is no longer displayed at all. NB: If you are playing with an older module prior the one released 1st January, this new year, then some creatures will fail to have any description at all if examined.

The latest v1.40 campaign also updates some of my own very old code that handled the broken official hardness code. My old code was convoluted and much was not required. In the worse case, it could misreport when an object was fully bashed and not "clear" the way head. (Another bash would fix this, but it could look "odd" if not done so.) The new replacement code is much more streamlined and works well. NB: If you are updating an existing game (as opposed to starting afresh), then any areas already previously entered having any objects that could still be bashed, will have their hardness changed and will break on the first bash. (A minimal consequence for these levels only for a game that was patched as opposed to a new game where all work as expected.)

Lastly, there were a few very rare bugs that I squashed for this release, related to additional PC creations and/or a player not using the "Companion Protector" feat. They are so rare, I will just point to a description on the download page for more information.

There was one other final "game crash" bug, which is only likely to occur at higher levels, and so was discovered while testing the second module: If a summoned creature was killed (or dispelled) within 1.2 seconds of being summoned, it could crash the game. I believe this bug has also been squashed now.

Next Blog Coming In March!

As I said at the start of this month's blog. There will be no February blog, as I take a month's hiatus. The module and campaign files are in a place to continue with them in February, at the end of which, I will write the March blog to bring you up to date.

In the meantime, I leave you with a few screenshots I took as I was testing some points of the second module:

Discovery of A Secret Chamber!

 

Something Approaches from Behind!

Surprised By Skeletons!

Episode 103: Along The Coastland!

For the record, I am currently under a lot of real life pressure to help in a family situation, and so I am not as far into stage three as I hoped to be at this time. That said, I am still chipping away at the final stage as time permits. Furthermore, testers have been continuing their feedback to help make the experience with this second module as pleasurable as I can make it for you all. Let's now talk about what has been done.

Along The Coastland!

The second module has turned out bigger than I first expected it to be. As regular readers will be aware, I had considered removing this third stage of the module, and use it as the opening part of the third and final module instead. However, when put to the vote, there was a slight leaning towards having this third stage included in the second module, and so I concluded to stick to the original plan of including it. If it had not been decided to be included, then this second module would be released already!

So, the design decision made, I continued to bring the module forward with consideration on how this third and final stage was to play out. As you can see from this month's screenshots, we find our hero at a new coastal location, the beginning of an important area that has the hero nearing their end goal at last. Except, the adventure is not yet over, far from it, and a whole new gaming experience awaits both the hero and player alike. For this new stage is where I have shaken things up a bit, and the player will find themselves in a new and challenging situation... which I am NOT going to say anything more about, because it would spoil the experience.

Suffice to say, I have tried to employ a whole new mechanic that will have the player reconsider some of those things that they had previously taken for granted. The main code for this is already up and running, as are any new GUIs I have in mind to use. The point is, stage three of this module moves up a gear with respect to gameplay, and may require new tactics having come this far. Some balancing of the system remains, but I am pleased with the results so far.

Retreading The Path

Much of my current module building involves me having to replay various paths through the current material to remind myself whereabouts I was with regards to material already completed. It was a good year ago since I concentrated on this section, and the paths available are as complex as those I have already finished in the first two stages. I have to have a complete recall of how events can unfold before I can continue from where I last left off.

The added complexity of balancing the new system with respect to a few areas, as well as finishing a number of conversations related to such, all require careful consideration. To date, I have tried taking a look at (a) the first of these areas, from which the screenshots come, and (b) some of the later areas that have more NPCs involvement and PC interaction. Unfortunately, these later areas require my full attention, which, sadly, I have not been able to give to of late. So, instead, I have been doing the simpler things, such as add lip-syncing and animations to conversations that have already been added.

Therefore, while I have not been able to make as much progress towards finishing the final steps involved, I have instead, been doing those basic things that are needed prior release anyway. I can continue with these basic "monotonous" steps until real life has settled down a bit, and then I can get back to the nitty-gritty of finishing off final conversations and plot events that require more of my concentration.

Latest Campaign

I have just released v1.39, which mainly addresses some Dominate and Charm spells that could add creatures to the party, which I did not want. The new adjustments now prevent this, and apply the paralyse effect now instead, if successful. I.e. The PC dominated creature cannot do what they want to do due to the effect.

As far as another release, not much more has been added or fixed, as the latest versions have been pretty solid of late. Therefore, unless you use charm or dominate spells, or have the Expert Mapper Feat, then you may only notice a basic leg animation fix. So, I don't foresee any other campaign updates for the foreseeable future with respect to the first module.

Enjoying The Coastal Breeze ...

... Of A Quiet Coastal Retreat!

 

Episode 102: Everything You Want From A D&D Campaign?

Have you ever built or run a pen and paper (PnP) Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) campaign? Both building and running your own campaign can be great fun, especially if you know the style of gameplay your players enjoy playing. That's the thing with D&D though, you have so many variations of styles of play, let alone different rule editions that alter the flavour of the game, that saying someone enjoys playing the D&D role-playing game (RPG) conjures a different memory of such enjoyment to different people. With that in mind, let's see what The Althéa Campaign, The Scroll, has to offer players and what they may expect to play. I will also be bringing you up to date with the latest campaign news.

Campaign Style

1) GAME FORMAT: Let me start by mentioning the biggest difference (or challenge) we face: That of bringing a PnP D&D game world to the computer environment. We notice straight away the differences from being able to play in an ad-hoc reactive way between players within a PnP environment, to a much more restricted response on a computer setup, simply because of real environmental limits. I will discuss player interaction next, but for now, I will speak about the technical differences only.

On a computer, there are both: a) Physical boundaries that limit the player to the areas designed by the builder, and b) Conversation boundaries that are governed by the options the builder has presented to the player at the time of build. These limits can be mitigated by designing a more open world approach and by offering more conversation options, but ultimately, we recognise that such boundaries always exist. However, I don't think this is such a bad thing. For what first appears as a limitation, I believe actually helps focus the player's attention on what matters for the campaign's gameplay. If done well, it's akin to a Dungeon Master (DM) gently guiding a group of PnP players in the right direction for their planned scenario for the session. The only real difference, I believe, is the DM in a PnP environment is able to pick up on player chatter and react to certain comments that help them direct the narration in the way they need it to go, rather than this same guidance coming via pre-written conversations or events within the computer designed module.

With respect to these apparent limitations, I believe the real goal for both module builders and the PnP DM is that they provide a sense of freedom that allows players to make the gaming decisions they want to make to unfold the story designed before them in a way they would like. Of course, in either case, the player will still need to observe the rules of the gaming environment while trying to do this, but if the player can approach a campaign world in various ways, both in character design and world path taken, then I believe the same sense of freedom with the same level of satisfaction can be achieved in both formats. 

The key points to consider for a module design to emulate PnP, if possible, and are a core design to the Althéa Campaign are:

• The campaign should be non-linear as possible, and offer various paths of approach for scenarios.
• Respect character class and backgrounds by offering supporting conversation options.
• Design in such a way that allows as much flexibility of play, to help avoid linear gameplay.

For example, if a PnP scenario has various leads and approaches by design, then a module design should also try to accommodate as many of the same as possible. This is much harder to do when building a module for a computer environment, but the more options and paths we can include that differ in some way, the greater the same D&D gaming experience of a PnP session can be replicated within the computer environment.

2) PLAYER NUMBERS: Another important aspect of D&D gameplay is the camaraderie had when playing as a group of players. Sure, playing an adventure alone can be fun, but the fun can be so much more amplified when you share the same adventure with a friend or two. This is part of the attraction of a PnP D&D session, in that you could share goals and ideas with fellow gamers, and the sense of "party" in the game being played would reflect as a bonding exercise in the players themselves. Overcoming a challenge was not just a lonesome achievement, but a group one! If you were unable to solve a problem in one challenge, you knew you could normally rely on another player to help your own thinking to overcome any problems the party faced. Another time, you would be the one to figure something out, and so the relationships between players grew as their own respective characters did.

Thankfully, Neverwinter Nights 2 (NWN2) supports this camaraderie spirit by accommodating co-operative play (co-op). As long as the module has also been designed to support multiple players, then a group of players can join together within the campaign world and take on the challenge together. If you have access to your own computer, then this can take place in the same room (as LAN is supported), or you can be on the other side of the world and do a direct connection via the internet. In such cases, you can also meet together in a group chat program (e.g. Teams) at the same time and keep the lively real-time chat going in the same way as if sitting at the same table in a PnP session. In this sense, the spirit of the PnP multiple player attendance is very well replicated for the co-op module. I quickly note that we are NOT talking about a Persistent World (PW) approach here, as I do not believe the PW approach can capture the same spirit and personal experience as a group of friends playing a co-op module.

The key points to consider for a module design to emulate PnP, if possible, and are a core design to the Althéa Campaign are:

• Design a module to support co-op play. (*)
• Accommodate a conversation system that respects multiple player interaction.
• Be sure to have a reliable chat program to enable clear communication between players. 

(*) I would recommend a maximum of four players when joining a module designed for a co-op session, as the more players involved, the more the game area load times and overall stability are affected. Other modules may offer support for a higher number of players, but your stability mileage may vary.

3) GAMEPLAY: Assuming we have an open world design, with various paths, and multiple nodes of interaction when speaking with the various NPCs in our world, the next biggest challenge we face is being able to offer the kind of gaming experience that players enjoy when playing their favourite RPG. This is one of the hardest challenges, because, as module builders (as opposed to a closed PnP group with a DM), we often do not know of our players likes and dislikes when it comes to their style of campaign adventure.

This is the main reason I chose to write this article today, as it helps illustrate what a player can expect from The Althéa Campaign, as well as demonstrate how our own PnP scenarios can still work well within a computer design. To emphasise this point, I have taken my own PnP D&D campaign, and rebuilt it within the NWN2 toolset, in such a way that I hope evokes the same gaming fun among new players, as my own group and I had many years ago within PnP. Indeed, I still have two players from the original group, who eagerly await the opportunity for us to all play the translated versions of the campaign from its original PnP setup to a NWN2 campaign.

As regular readers will already know, my wife, who joined my D&D group later than my other remaining player, has had the opportunity to play test some of these translated D&D scenarios, and her feedback has been most positive in that she has found them great fun to play. I quickly add that these same scenarios have multiple approaches, and so even though she has tested these and enjoyed some aspects of them, other approaches remain, which I hope will also work well and come to light when we all have the opportunity to play them as a group upon completion.

The main question still remains, however, and that is what can new players expect in gameplay when playing this particular campaign, within the world of Althéa? After all, as regular readers will already know, this campaign has been heavily modified. Even before Baldur's Gate 3 claim to be very much like PnP on the computer, my own campaign is as close in design to my original PnP campaign as I could build it within NWN2. i.e. Systems and gameplay interactions have been designed to accommodate all those PnP practices we used to enjoy playing within our own PnP campaign. I will list some of them now:-

• Added an optional pseudo Turn-Based Combat system with auto-pause. (1)
• Allowed multiple Player/PC creation support and/or companions, and/or henchmen. (2) 
• Added Fog of War to ensure maps did not give immediate player meta knowledge. (3)
• Added many puzzle games and events that encourage players cooperation. (4) 
• Improved and included all three crafting systems that work within a developed economy.
• Improved inventory and store systems to reflect skills and items equipped.
• Improved Journal interaction to ensure the player knows exactly what to do.
• Improved AI (and real life) responses that can affect alignments.
• Updated and multiple approach death system to accommodate personal styles.

All the above alterations or additions are designed to be fully integrated and work with one another and most importantly, work alongside the story that is being played. For, ultimately, it is the story that is the most important aspect of this campaign. The above are just some of the "seasoning" added to support the player's interaction within the World of Althéa as they play their role in the story that they are playing out.

Note, that some of the above are optional in some way, and can be changed according to the player's own preferred style of approach when playing D&D. Here is a little additional information about some of the  above:

1) There is an option to switch on an auto-pause during combat to pause the game every round of six seconds. While paused, a player can queue combat events ahead of time, or change them at the beginning of a new round. There are even some additional options to move the combat in smaller time intervals for those who like very specific control. I decided to include this system as an option, because of my PnP background and the players I have who prefer this level of control during combat. My wife loves to use it, and her combats are very well controlled, even when she has some very large party sizes at times.

2) The alterations I made here make a fundamental change to the way players can play PCs under their control. For example, in a co-op game with three players, but in a party of six (with three additional companions), normally only the leader can control the additional companions and give them orders. However, in the changes I have made, each player can control their own companions. This allows players to share any additional companions among themselves to control as they prefer. It is more akin to players of a PnP game, sitting at the table with more than one character. Again, this suits the way we used to play within our own PnP group and I imagine other groups probably do too.

3) As my players and I come from a PnP background, none of us wanted to have any maps revealed (or sometimes available) the moment an area was entered. Too much information from the start spoiled the sense of adventure, and so I added this as the default nature of the area map, and also made the mini-map only available in certain situations. There is an option to change this setting with certain feats or options in the game, but again, I imagine PnP players would prefer this on by default, as it is.

4) As players from a PnP background, we enjoyed those times when I would introduce a puzzle to my players in one form or another. That is, there were moments when the pace of the game would change from the tactics of an engaging combat to resolving a puzzle of some kind. However, I also recognise that some players (not of my own group) may not like these kind of challenges, and so I also included different ways of solving these puzzles automatically instead. It may require taking on a certain feat, but sometimes just having the right item will help solve it for the PC.

The key thing to take away from this section is that these systems are often flexible and are designed to complement the story and offer a change of pace at certain stages of the game. Their inclusion comes due to the fun times we recall having with puzzles from our own PnP days. I hope other players from a similar background appreciate their inclusion in the same way.

4) THE STORY: Like most PnP campaigns, the Althéa Campaign has a story that drives it along. Importantly, however, the pace of the game is left within the hands of the player and they can approach their immediate goals available in any order they think best. Changing the order, or trying a different path altogether is often allowed, but does not detract from the player's understanding of the game. Indeed, it is the choices of the path taken within the world and the story that the player unfolds for themselves that is "altered" subject to the choices the player has made along the way.

Sometimes, certain paths will become accessible earlier than other times (or change), subject to other paths the player or players have already agreed to take. Each decision can affect outcomes, but ultimately, the story remains in place, always reminding the player that there is a greater mission to complete and to drive them forward.

There is much more I could add to this campaign overview, but wanted to write this article to show that if you like or have enjoyed playing PnP D&D before, recognise that this campaign has been written to emulate that gaming experience as close as I know possible, and have access to. Note, I have not yet played Baldur's Gate 3, but as that uses 5th Edition, I like to think that The Althéa Campaign is a first to do something as close to the same, while using the 3.5th Edition rules. So, if there is anything you wish to ask, or know more about, just ping me a message and I will try to respond as soon as possible.

Latest Campaign

The latest release is v1.38, but has not had any updates since v1.37 that was released on 24th October, which was a critical update. The only reason for this latest release was to bring the module and campaign release to the same date. The module itself has had some minor optimisations for a couple of areas, but, otherwise, no other major changes. This should be, unless anything critical comes to light, the last update for the first module. 

Meanwhile, I am continuing to work on the second module. Due to personal circumstances, however, I was unable to do as much work as I had hoped to have done, but have managed to replay an important area and made some changes/updates where required. The next few weeks may be difficult for me to do as much as I would like to do, but I will be continuing to work on the module as and when I can. Hopefully, by next month, I will be in a better position to give the module my full attention. For now, here is a screenshot from the area I did work on:-

An Expected Visitor!

 

Episode 101: The Beginning of the End!

If you have been following the latest blog posts, you will know that I have started the third and final stage of Predestinated Days, the second module in The Scroll Campaign. Over the last month, I have been able to concentrate on the "final" area that the players will be playing in the module, which I hope leaves the player in a satisfied position with respect to a potential third and final module some time in the future. Note, however, that I still have a few areas to complete before the player reaches this end point. Anyway, I go into more details below...

Filling In The Gaps

As it happens, the "final" conversation, the one after which the game notifies the player that the module is over, was slightly more involved than I first anticipated. This is because I had a need to address the player's Main PC by name, and in a co-op multiplayer game, there is obviously more than one player! So, as the conversation is designed as a cutscene type, I had to play with the game mechanics somewhat to ensure all players had their own personalised ending, alongside their own conversation options. I think I managed to pull it off, but will double check the final run with further testing prior release.

That conversation finished, I then began the larger task of filling in all the adventuring gaps that remained to be finished from the end of stage two up to this end point. As I have reported previously, at least half of this third stage is already completed, but some of the more "important" plot lines still need to be ironed out to ensure the plot flows logically irrespective of the player choices, and according to the campaign storyline.

As an example, I have two original pen and paper (PnP) handouts that still require working into the story, which help prepare the player for what lies ahead. They require a degree of rework because of some of the subtle changes I made to ensure the campaign played for both newcomers and original players, and to ensure the gameplay worked better with respect to a computer environment rather than a tabletop one. Thankfully, the third stage design for this second module is reasonably flexible to work with and I already have a couple of ideas on how they will be included.

I also have a major plot line that requires some rethinking due to an "impractical" design of the original tabletop version of the scenario in question. In the original PnP design, there is an area that is inaccessible to certain alignment types, which had a useful practical design when I originally only played with parties of "good" alignments from my PnP days. However, as The Scroll Campaign is now open to both "good" and "evil" alignment types, I need to reassess the premise of the design. Strictly speaking, this scenario and its requirements do not come into play until the third module. However, the lead up to this scenario affects the design of events of the storyline in this second module, especially this third stage, and so I need to consider this and the surrounding events now.

Special New Mechanics

The final third stage of the second module is also where I have designed a new gaming mechanic, which I hope adds an interesting dimension to the scenario sections that include it. Its inclusion does, however, still require some careful handling for game balancing. Importantly, all the necessary user interfaces have already been designed and included and are working. The "system" mechanics all work as they should do, and now I just need to balance the cycle of acquisition of items involved and how the system affects the PCs environment. I know that sounds vague, but I don't want to give away spoilers for this interesting setup for the third and final stage. Suffice to say, the player has a new gaming element to consider when they reach this point in the module, which allows for various gameplay approaches. It should add a very interesting diversion for players to consider. Maybe, if people ask more about this, I may be tempted to reveal more information ahead of release.

Alpha Testing

Alpha testing continues. In the process of which, my wife did a replay of the first module (so as to test moving directly into the second module after completion), and found a couple of last minute bugs affected by some altered conversation code. This has now been addressed, alongside a couple of other minor issues and released in the latest v1.36, out today. (See below for more details.)

The main test, however, was ensuring a player could move from the first module directly into the second, since some of the module transfer code had been updated again, and that all appeared to work fine. Furthermore, a second tester, who started directly from the lobby (skipping module one), also started again, and highlighted a couple of minor item issues, which have now been fixed too.

Basically, both testers have been replaying the second module heading towards the new content that completes the second stage, and I hope to have some extra feedback on that in the next blog. Both testers are making good progress and the now fully completed second stage should be having its first test results back soon.

Latest Campaign 

Apart from a potential conversation drop out (with Dringle in the Ancient Crypt) and a couple of combats that fired too soon (in the Halls of the Goblin Kings), only a few remaining cosmetic issues were fixed for the first module. Importantly, much of the second module has now been alpha tested, and any changes there have been retested within the first module, meaning this latest v1.36 may be the last update for module one for some time. Even the latest module build (today) has had some final checks made with respect to any potential environmental objects that should not be destructible. A few were found, and fixed, but were unlikely to have been broken anyway, unless the player had been deliberately trying to do so. The steps now taken to ensure they cannot break is just extra precaution.

I leave you with some screenshots from the second stage of module two:

The City of Southstrong!

 

The Toothrot Tavern!

The Stink (Beneath Southstrong)

Episode 100: The Last Stage Is Underway!

For the 100th episode, I am pleased to report that the planned Stage 2 of the second module is now fully complete, and I am now turning to finishing the third and final stage of this second module. It has been a long and hard process, due to various reasons, but also fun to bring this module to life. Read on for further news.

The End In Sight?

With the second stage completed, it means I can focus on the remaining third stage, which already has much of its content done. This means that the completion of the entire second module may well be close at hand. However, I choose to not be too hasty in fully announcing this, as I have experienced times when I have thought to be closer to completing an area than I actually was. So, with that in mind, let me suggest to you where I think I am at.

Now, rather than give away any specifics, I will talk in percentages to give an indication of where I am at (with the current areas involved) without giving away too many spoilers. Therefore, if we consider the second module as a whole 100%, the three stages divide out in roughly the following percentages:

• STAGE ONE (BORAN REGION): 47% OF THE MODULE (COMPLETED!)
• STAGE TWO (SOUTHSTRONG REGION): 32% OF THE MODULE (COMPLETED!)
• STAGE THREE (TARN-KIRI REGION): 21% OF THE MODULE (50% COMPLETE!)

In total, this module is now around 90% complete!

As I started work on this module back in May 2019 (Episode 1), that means it has taken me just over six years 3 months (75 Months) to reach this point. If I can continue at a similar pace, and I assume the remaining content is proportional, that means I might be able to fully complete by 75 x 10%, or seven and a half months! I need to add some time for holiday breaks and time when I don't have access to the computer, and so eight and a half months brings us to around the middle of May 2026.

However, until I start to work out what is actually left to do for the third stage, this estimate is a rough calculation. As I have said previously, I would like to get the module finished by the end of the year, but it all depends how my health and current real life events unfold. I like to think that the second module completion is in sight now, but recognise how this can change at any time.

Alpha Testing

On the back of the estimated finish date, I can add that alpha testers are continuing to test the new content, and my wife is also testing module one again for any last minute alterations required for v1.36, which is due as the next update. So far, all updates required to v1.36 are minor ones, and mostly cosmetic in nature, except for one that determines XP awarded for unlocking a door, and a very minor (likely unnoticeable) logical flow fix. Suffice to say, I am waiting for her to complete her latest run though of the first module before releasing v1.36, especially as v1.35 is the most stable to date.

As soon as any of the alpha testers reach and give feedback on the latest finishing touches of the second stage, I will let you know. It's now built, and testers are now heading there! 

The Althéa Campaign

For those that have not experienced my D&D campaign, The Scroll, or like to keep up with the latest information, I recently produced another quick video demonstrating the latest rendition of the campaign's unique Turn-Based Combat System. There is a link to the video below.

Note, if preferred, The Scroll Campaign can be played with the original default setup, using "pause at any time" (rather than the auto-pause system), while still gaining the benefits of the AI improvements I have made to the combat system for PC control. That is, AI can still be switched on or off (puppet mode) on any individual PC rather than on or off for the whole party, and orders can be given to follow, attack or stand ground irrespective of the current AI setting, as a party or individually.

This basically means, the combat system works more intuitively for those that like to manage tactical combat, especially when using "puppet mode". So when orders are given, the PC continues to carry out those orders until a new order is given, or until the player switches them back to AI, where the PC then chooses its own tactics. This is an improvement on the official system that can sometimes keep asking for orders, when and where it may appear an unnecessary step for the player to have to make.

An easier and more intuitive combat system is not the only improvement that has been made to the NWN2 game mechanics. Indeed, there have been a number of improvements that make the whole gaming experience feel fresh from the start. Couple that with a new and engaging story set within its own world, and you effectively have a completely new game to play that has been primarily designed with D&D pen and paper (PnP) players from the start. This is also why the campaign can be played both solo or with a friend or two (up to four players) co-op.

To help explain the co-op side some more, players that play together also control their own companions independently from the group leader. So, for example, if three players wanted to play together, they could each also control one other companion each (as the maximum party PC size is six), which only reacts to their control and not to any other player, unless the option to do so is unlocked from the campaign's unique Main Menu. It's akin to sitting at a table of a PnP game where each player controls two PCs each. Every player controls their own group of PCs! There is still one party, but The Althéa Campaign has updated the game mechanics so that it plays like a PnP experience. This, as far as I am aware, is the only campaign that does this.

Furthermore, where possible, I have improved and made easier every interactable GUI and gaming mechanic, making it more accessible and informative to the player wherever possible. Be it an improved inventory interface that allows descriptive comparisons at an improved store interface, or make clearer the crafting system available and fixing the economy related to it, all improvements made have been done so to help maximise the players ability to play the way they want to. Even the way the story is designed is done in such a way to play on each PCs abilities and skill strengths or weaknesses.

This is the core design ethos behind The Althéa Campaign, and I have only touched the surface of what you can expect. The first module, The First Day, allows the player to become familiar with many of these differences from the start of the campaign; and the second module, Predestinated Days, takes that system a stage further with other improved mechanics and gameplay that will allow another fresh gaming experience as the player forges their own path. I can assure you that your decisions will make a difference on how the story path unfolds and I hope you will have fun on your journey!

Finally, I need to say that I also hope to have a third and final module called, The Last Day, in which I bring the campaign to its conclusion. This has already been started, but I have not looked at it in years as I have focussed on the second module.

Latest Campaign

As I touch upon above, the latest v1.36 is ready in the sidelines to replace v1.35 as soon as my testers have finished their current testing. It addresses mostly cosmetic issues, but will also have any other fixes required that are reported between now and its release, based upon when my wife finishes a replay of the first module.

I leave you with a screenshot from one of my alpha testers from the second module:- 

Preparing For The Path Ahead!

 

Episode 99: Co-op Care Catch Up!

It has been a little while since I looked closely at the co-op multiplayer code, especially for players starting the Background 1 option (and who have played my NWN1 Soul Shaker module). So when a friend of mine and I were setting up our recently bought GoG (Good Old games) version of NWN2 Complete, we decided to test our group MP co-op game selecting the first background. I'll go into more details about this and other events for the month below.

NWN2 Moving Forward

For those interested in NWN2, it will not have escaped their notice that we finally have access to the NWN2 Enhanced version released last month on July 15 by Aspyr. Personally, I was not in any rush to buy it, but after hearing a number of issues from fellow NWN2 modders, I took the plunge and bought a copy from Steam to see for myself. After all, if I could update my module to work with the Enhanced version, then I may also be able to reach a new target audience. Within twenty minutes, I had refunded it.

The problem is that my own campaign will not even start on the new Enhanced version. The reason for this is because the new version changed the way the UI folder and others (with custom modded content) is accessed for the new Enhanced GUIs. Furthermore, core files, especially the likes of the fontfamily.xml, no longer work as before, causing incompatibilities for modded campaigns, like mine and others. I was hoping Aspyr might have managed these file accesses more carefully, to allow existing custom content to still work with the new enhanced engine at least, even if it meant existing customised modules remained incompatible with non-PC platforms due to these very specific changes made to make the game cross-platform compatible. 

I had imagined that it was going to be managed in such a way that allowed backward compatibility with older modules customised with their own UI and campaign alterations, but without compromising anything Aspyr have changed in the official campaigns or anything built in the Enhanced version moving forward. However, this does not appear to be the case and any changes to make a custom campaign or module compatible would require a lot of time to implement, unless the custom content had made minimal alterations in the way of general modifications. In such cases, a basic custom module setup would likely still work. However, these have not been the only issues that have come to light, as problems with the conversation editor were also raised in my latest reading, which means further changes (or patching by Aspyr) would need to be made.

Therefore, in the meantime, my friend and I, who had been holding off buying the GoG Complete version while considering this Enhanced version, decided to buy the GoG version instead, and have had no difficulties in setting up the game at all. My current recommendation is to buy the GoG version, as this is still the most compatible and stable version around. I even have my own setup running 3440 x 1440, and I can play co-op with my friend just fine. Furthermore, there are mods around for the GoG version that improve the UI (user interface) to look better than the Enhanced version anyway! Even the overall graphics of the Enhanced edition are not too greatly different from the original from what others have said, and so the only reason to go Enhanced (at this current time) is if you don't own a PC or really want to use a Controller... and if you don't mind missing out on many great custom built modules!

Going GoG & MP Co-op Updates!

The above reason is why I ended up buying the GoG version earlier than I was going to. I did not want to miss out on this version, which allowed me to do a complete fresh install from one download, and have it kept up to date for Windows. As my friend also bought a copy, we decided to check my campaign in co-op mode, and this is when a few MP issues (for background 1 especially), came to light. However, only the loss of the "party diary" for background 1 in some character setups would cause a game-breaking bug, but other issues were related to quality of gameplay rather than anything critical. E.g. Clients would not have the Fog of War activated correctly. Clients potentially causing the game to end for all players instead of just for themselves.

All of these MP co-op issues have now been addressed and are among the fixes that will be released in v1.35 when it becomes available. (Now available!) I also took this opportunity to remove the MP Rod of Locating, now placing its most useful functions within the Althéa Main Menu instead. Its original purpose was designed to allow players to highlight creatures or add drawn lines on the ground to help tactical combat. However, these tools are no longer required since the many updates I have made to the campaign, thereby making its original purpose redundant, and so it has been removed from the game. The image below shows the new Althéa Main Menu for a MP game. Lastly, the "Player Follow" facility of the tool has now been added to the Context Menu when right clicking on a PC.

MP Rod of Locating Commands Added To The Main Menu

There were one or two other minor fixes affecting both SP and MP, but I am currently holding back v1.35 for a little more testing before uploading it for release. Updated code is being tested by alpha testers, and I am hoping to have a release in the coming days, subject to their feedback.

You may also notice in the image above that I have made it so the CALENDAR GUI can no longer be dragged about the screen. This is to reduce the possibility of it sometimes being lost behind another GUI when traversing the overland map in the second module, where it aids in informing the player of the passing of time.

Predestinated Days

I have also been able to spend some time working on one of the two final areas for the second stage of module two, Predestinated Days. I confess that I had been stuck on an idea that did not play well for some time before I finally managed to see a fun way to implement it. I cannot go into details to avoid giving away spoilers, but it boiled down to a series of puzzles that lacked cohesion for my preferred style of design. I.E. If a puzzle does not have some kind of background or seem right for the design, I would not include it. In this case, however, puzzles were definitely required, but I could not fathom the best way to implement them... until just recently. Now, these puzzles are completed and I just need to finish off the conversations that support the area and the overall design that the players discover.

Therefore, while I had hoped to have this area (and another) finished by now, I am still a little behind this target. I confess that some real life events threw my imagination off track in the last couple of weeks, but hopefully, I am back in the right frame of mind to move forward in the new month.

Alpha testing is still underway with the second module (with what is available already), and I am still hoping to have the second stage available (with the new sections done) for the testers in the very near future. I am very excited from the positive feedback I have received so far, and I am very much looking forward to having this second module released as soon as possible.

For those that follow me on the forums as well, you will recall that I posted a POLL regarding how players may want me to continue with my campaign design in the light of the new Enhanced version being released. I had been contemplating making a slight alteration that would accommodate a minor variation in the way the second module could have ended. The choice was two-fold: either release what had been done now, earlier than anticipated, with a view to a new ending (and release remaining second module content with the third module later), or stick with the original plan and ending, leaving the third module with its original content. The poll came back an even 50-50 split! Therefore, in the light of my experience of the NWN2 Enhanced version not amounting to much anyway, I decided to stick with my original design plan and not worry about any potential enhanced adaptation until after (if) Aspyr resolve the backward modding compatibility issues they have with their version.

Latest Campaign

As I mention above, v1.35 is now available! It contains mostly MP co-op fixes, but there are still one or two SP quality of play fixes in it too. The main testing at the moment is to do with a change in the conversation scripts that handle inter-party conversations. Coding for a SP is complicated enough, when trying to avoid possessed PCs if possible, but throw a MP game into the mix and then I have to consider all players PCs, including any they may be possessing. I had a version of this in place before, but recognised a potential bug that I have recently addressed in the code. It is this alteration that I am having tested before any release.

There have been one or two other code changes to do with how the game starts, due to some of the co-op changes made mentioned above, but I am hoping these changes will also help SP startup too. As soon as this version has been tested more and passes without any problems, I will upload it for players.

I will leave you with a handful of screenshots that have come from the second module...

An Unavoidable Conflict!

A Moment To Reflect!

Somewhere To Shop!

A Place To Relax!

Episode 98: A Group Project

Sometimes, when a project is released, some of the people who have made great contributions have gone unnoticed. I wanted to take this opportunity to publicly thank those who have helped bring this campaign to life. For while I have done most of the writing and scripting, I could not have done this alone. Read on for for my acknowledgements and latest news.

Area Designers

Area design is not my strong point, and many years ago I reached out to the community to ask for help with some area designs. A few people came back to me and gave me their work from which some of the campaign areas have been built. Below, I list the artists that have provided you with some of the landscapes for the World of Althéa in which you travel and quest! Most of these contributors have had to wait many years for their work to be seen within this campaign, but I hope their work will be fully appreciated by the time of release.Without their hard work, the campaign may never have seen the light of day. 

MODULE ONE 

• Matthew Rieder: Guildhall and jail.
• Hoegbo: Dimension Vortex and Chaos Vortex. 

MODULE TWO 

• HOSA: Abandoned Village. Rocky area.
• Hoegbo: City squares (x2). Fortress approach and rooftop.
• Eguintir: Creepy Forest and Mansion.

MODULE THREE

• SGK73: Prefabs (x6)

NB: The areas mentioned above have currently been allocated or used already, but some other areas remain from Hoegbo, which I hope to still use if I find the time to include them.

Scriptwriters

While I have always done my own scripting, I have not always done so without seeking help and advice from the community. Sometimes a function or procedure was unknown to me, or I did not always understand the best means to approach something. This is where turning to the community has been a great asset. So many have helped me, but if I was to force myself to pick just a few, my thanks would go to those such as Kev_L, Clangeddin, Travus and Kaldor_Silverwand. However, as I say, there are many others who have been able to nudge me in the right direction, and you also have my thanks.

Testers

There is one stage that requires a great deal of patience and dedication when it comes to squashing the bugs and this is where the testers come in. I also owe a great deal of gratitude to these people, who have managed to find bugs ahead of release and made the game better with each find. In particular, I again would like to thank rjsahe and 4760 (Module 1), as well as Dustin_Offal who is currently alpha testing Module 2 stages. I cannot also fail to mention my wife, Jen, who has also been able to replay the module(s) after the many major updates I have made over the years, which help to alleviate more issues before release where possible.

As a side note, I must point out that updates and fixes are an ongoing exercise much of the time, as players will know how many times a game will require patching. Therefore, any and all players who have found and reported bugs over the years also have my thanks... there always appears to be just one more to find and squash!

Encouragers

Often overlooked are those that help to encourage along the way. It's not easy writing a campaign, which can take years to design, write and deliver. I first started writing this campaign within NWN2 back in 2007, released the first module in 2016, and am only now coming closer to releasing the second module in 2025/2026. That's 9 years for the first module, and (taking into account work done to the second module already), about another 7-8 years developing the second module. During that time, not only have I had the help provided by those mentioned above, but also the comments and "likes" throughout the years. These go a long way to help encourage me when the work remaining can still seem like a long way from completion. If I was to add just a few names to those that fit into this category, I would give thanks to Kev_L, GCoyote, raymondsebas, andgalf, and Greenman6220, to name just a few. However, anyone that has commented or given me a "like" along the way has contributed towards this project and I thank you too.

I would also like to include Travus here, whose excellent work on covering a video play of The Scroll: The First Day, went a long way to boost my enthusiasm and helped to encourage me to release my second module as soon as possible. I recommend his site for all those interested in watching D&D gameplay in action.

A Welcome Community

A special thanks goes out to all those of the NWN community. I appreciate your longevity and patience to remain committed to such projects, which I hope will prove worthwhile in the end. On a personal note, after my health failed me, causing me to have to withdraw from work, I was grateful that I was able to find a group of talented and polite people who shared the same hobby as myself. Indeed, it was after finding this NWN community, that I was encouraged to switch from writing the campaign for just my own players to include this wider group. This is why the campaign has a "Background" selection added at the start of the module, to allow new players to be introduced to characters already known by my own group of players.

So, long story short, my thanks goes out to all those that have contributed actively or passively over the years to help this campaign come to life. You guys really have helped contribute towards its making. I hope, in the coming months, I will finally be able to deliver a second module worthy of your time. In the meantime, I thank you for bearing with me and following my posts and blog.

Predestinated Days

I am currently still working on Stage 2.5, as I am now calling it: the stage between the end of Stage 2 and the beginning of Stage 3. It's actually the final two scenarios of the second stage, but I currently separated it for testing purposes. I had hoped to have these two stages finished by now, but ill health struck the household, and a virus kept me out of action for two weeks. Thankfully, I am now recovered sufficiently to continue from where I left off. 

In the time prior ill health, I did manage to do a number of scripts and conversations that have gone a long way to completing this stage, but I am currently in the process of deciding how to proceed with both of these events. As both of these scenarios have the potential to affect the game later down the line, they require some careful thought to get right, which means I have to stop and consider what the conversations need to offer to ensure good logical flow. I have to be clear in my mind how I want the potential outcomes to vary or play out, and until this is the case, I have to sit on it and work on other areas... such as the beginnings of Stage 3, which is where today's screenshots come from.

Latest Campaign

The latest v1.34 is being released today, which (dare I say it) is looking the most stable to date. There are no further quest or logical flow fixes, and this latest update simply includes only a couple of FOLLOW routine fixes since the previous update.

Or, to put it another way, this latest release simply fixes a couple of issues to do with following PCs. The first fix corrects who the companions follow when issued a follow command. (They would sometimes jump to following the Main PC rather that the one shouting the command to follow them.) The second fix, also to do with following, attempts to fix the "jump back" bug caused when a player switches from a PC that is currently moving to another location. This issue has been known to occur in many modules, including the official campaign, but I hope I have now prevented this from happening within my own campaign.

My wife is currently replaying the first module just to be sure there are no more lingering issues for that, but otherwise, fixes are mainly constrained to the second module scripts now, as and when reported by the current alpha tester. This latest update to do with following was as a result of me noticing the companions jump to the wrong location when testing the second module. I was able to reproduce the issue in the first module, hence this latest release.

The module has also been released with the July date, but is no different from the May release, apart from ensuring the player has updated to the latest campaign folder as well. 

A Surprise Attack!

Arrival At An Ancient Fortress!