Episode 21: Encountering Toolset Problems!

Building a module is not always a plain sailing affair. In fact, ask any builder, and I can guarantee they will have a bunch of "issue" stories as long as their module quests list relating to the building of their behemoth! For any module can become a monster to wrestle with when the NWN toolset is involved, irrespective of module size. I too, have not been without issues in the making of my modules, and over the last week or so, I can, at last, say that I have put two such particularly nasty encounters behind me. Read on ...

SOUND CRASH ISSUES

The older of the two issues I encountered goes back a few months, and was when I noticed that trying to play a VFX (with a sound attached) within the toolset VFX Editor crashed the toolset. I soon learned that the only way I could work around this problem was to "remove" the sound file prior to playing the VFX. However, this was not satisfactory and I was always concerned that this may be having an impact on the module for players too, as I also occasionally crashed in game in a sound intensive environment.

I tried the usual approach: reinstall sound drivers, reinstall NWN2; neither of which were fruitful, and even required me having to do a restore of Windows 10 to recover from further issues I managed to introduce while trying to fix this one. In the end I decided to just let it go, resigned to the idea that probably only a Windows "reset" would fix the issue; something I was not prepared to do at this stage.

Move forward to this week, and a post on the forums about another player experiencing Game Crashes (where VFX were noted) made me look into the problem again. I continued down the path I had started and looked further into any potential CODEC issues by using the KLite Codec Tweak Tool.

Using this utility I was able to ascertain that the DirectShow filters appeared to be deregistering when using the toolset's VFX Editor. With further searching, I eventually found this page that discussed similar issues and this page that recommended removing some of the DirectShow filters. So now it was just a case of experimenting with my own filters to see if I could find a combination that fixed my own sound problems ... and I did. (See the image to see which filters needed disabling to fix the sound crash in the toolset.) In fact, after discovering which filters were the culprit, I decided simply to uninstall the programs that had installed these filters (Nero Essentials and Cyberlink PowerDVD), especially  as I no longer used these programs anyway. The toolset problem is now gone, and I hope such changes will make for a more stable gaming environment too.

Disable These Filters If You Are Having Sound Problems!

HAK SIZE MATTERS

Along with building a second module comes new content. No problem, I thought, I can simply add to my campaign hak, and have it ready for the next module .... wrong! Having added nearly 2 GB of data to an already 500 MB file, making a total of 2.5 GB (or there about), came with its own inherent problem that was not immediately noticeable.

The problem was that while all the new content looked good within the toolset, by the time I went to view it in the game, one placeable would have been replaced by another! i.e. The placeable in game was nothing like the one I had positioned in the toolset. At first discovery I had no idea what had caused this, as I was ignorant of any kind of hak size limit, which I am now led to believe may be around 2GB.

What made this latest discovery worse, however, was the fact that I just uploaded v1.05E, with every folder based upon this new large hak build. In quick testing of module one prior to release, all appeared to be OK, but I had not checked every placeable object. As quick as I could, I repacked the hak into a smaller size (with less content than before) and re-released it as v1.06E. Sadly, there had been at least three downloads of the larger files, and so I just hope their game is not compromised by the error.

Furthermore, I released a second version of the v1.06E Campaign folder, which removed the "replacement" WAV files I had been using during build time that were helping me to avoid the SOUND CRASH ISSUE I mention above. Unfortunately, I also discovered that these replacement WAV files did not always work well within NWN2, and so I hope the one person who had managed to download v1.06E in the time before I re-uploaded it, manages to get its second release minus the temperamental WAV files.

TREASURES

So, while I don't have much to say about module two this week, (preferring to use this post as a cathartic exercise for the last two issues), I will, however, leave you with one image that I hope will make it all worthwhile ... Here's an image of some valuable treasures you should keep your eyes open for in module two... Hopefully, I will have more to report in my next post now that these issues have been dealt with.

Treasure: Some Priceless Paintings!

Episode 20: Adventuring Proper!

This last fortnight has seen me delving back into the second module of The Scroll ... and for proper adventuring stuff too! And while module one v1.04E was also released during this time, that was simply as a result of improvements in module two that sorted out some module one AI at the same time. That aside, everything has been about adding new content to the next module, and there were three areas I looked at in particular. Read on ...

CONVERSATIONS

First off, I continued to develop conversations for NPCs to complement both sub-quest and main quest lines. One NPC had quite a number of lines added that works with my newly developed SP/MP handling. i.e. When the conversation required MP (multi-player) handling, it does so, but the minute the content is angled more towards SP (single player), such as purchasing items, then the conversation seamlessly switches to a SP environment, allowing other players to continue with their own actions. Where this system is still quite new (even to me who developed the idea), I am still quite slow while making sure all the variables are being set as I need them to subject to which section of the conversation is taking place. Suffice to say, the ones I have updated so far work well, and include potential companion added comments if the payer has such in their party.

JOURNAL ENTRIES (QUESTS)

Tied closely to the conversations I have written are the (sub) quests that I have also added since last posted. I have managed to start three new quest lines as well as continue to add entries for existing quests. As it currently stands, I have now started around 25% - 33% of the total number of quests I hope to include by the time of release for module two. My goal regarding sub-quests is that they serve to either add more backstory or some form of greater reward for doing them. In this way, I hope such sub quests do not detract from the main story line, but help to give the player something extra to consider as they progress through the main story.

AREA DESIGN

This last week also had me back at area designing ... or rather continuing with an area that I had already started a few months ago, before I was sidetracked with both other material and seeing the Enhanced version of module one released. It's one of four interior designs that are required for the current quest I am writing. (This week's screenshot is from the area.)

For me, area designing is both a "love" and a "hate" thing. The "hate" is due to having to fill an otherwise large empty space with interesting stuff that will keep the player interested in spending time there ... and I do not have a lot of patience when it comes to filling in details like you find in some of the better designed games that can be bought and played. That said, however, I do find that when I start to fill an area with placeables, it can sometimes inspire me for a quest idea, and that is something that happened in the latest area design. This as a definite boon for any would-be player, as these design diversions are what bring an area to life in my experience.

i.e. It's not so much about what an area looks like or the content it has, but what a player can expect their PCs to do while there. A blandly designed area may be a "minus" point, but if the player is too involved with the action/plot/gameplay to notice, then that negative point can, hopefully, be swallowed up in the experience. That is how I find games work for me, and I hope the same applies to others that end up playing my modules. The only downside is I then get side-tracked to work on this new gameplay aspect before finally getting around to finishing off the area design itself. This is what happened this time too. Basically, the area is required for a main quest, but I like to add ideas that make the area interesting in and of itself.

CREATURE VISUALISER

I have also had the opportunity to try out KevL's Creature Visualiser plugin in the last few uses of the toolset, and am please to say that it works well as an alternative viewer to the "Armor Set" tab that a builder may have problems using in the official toolset. KevL says the plugin is still in alpha stage, but if it continues to improve at the rate it has been, then I guess it won't be long before it's good for many others to consider using too. I found it useful even at this stage!

And here on your right is the kitchen!