Episode 60: The Deepest Darkest Places

Of the three modules I hope to complete for the Althéa Campaign, I believe the second module that I am currently working on, Predestinated Days, will end up being the biggest. At least, that is how it looks to me at the moment. Looking at my original notes, I thought it was going to be no larger than module one, possibly even smaller, but as I start bringing all the various storylines together, it's actually turning out to be quite a size. I'm not just talking about file sizes, but actual gameplay. New ideas and system improvements compared to module one are starting to flesh out this second module more than I realised they would ... and it's all having an impact. Read on ...

Background Conversations

One of the largest changes, especially from a role-play aspect is the way I now arrange some conversations. Previously, I used to rely on just the bluff, intimidate and diplomacy skill checks as a means of offering various approaches from which the player may like to choose. However, these three categories are broad in how they might be interpreted in a given situation with respect to role-play, and so can leave some players not having an option they may be fully satisfied with. 

This is where I have now introduced conversation nodes that may start a line of conversation from one of five personality groups, based on the background feat a player may choose for their PCs. I have covered this in more detail in a previous blog post, but, in brief, rather than be limited to one of three broader skills to flavour the conversation, the new checks I now make against a PCs background feat will, hopefully, begin to offer some more conversation options in line with the way players believe their PC behaves, or speaks. It offers some new node options along more personalised paths before perhaps reaching a skill check like those mentioned above. The idea being that the focus on earlier conversation nodes based upon character background responses helps to flavour the overall tone of the conversation.

The introduction of this style of personality trait system, where backgrounds flavour a conversation, does require more writing, but I am hoping the extra nodes I include will now help players be able to flavour the conversation more to their liking. No system is perfect in a CRPG, of course, but it does help flesh out the options available ... and the overall depth of the role-play.

From Paper To Computer

As I have mentioned before, this campaign was originally designed as a D&D pen and paper (PnP) campaign ... and one of those aspects which has come to light as I transfer ideas and dungeons from pen and paper to a computer environment, is that a translation to cater for various paths a player may take all adds extra conversations and area design that was not required in the paper original. All such alterations to cater for a computer environment add up quickly, but at the same time, offer new areas of gameplay that was not part of the original design. 

Basically, the translation of a PnP scenario increases in size for a computer environment, and so what once appeared a small side quest on the surface of it , can escalate into something bigger than first realised. In PnP, a DM can prepare brief notes for different NPCs and speak as them when required. In NWN you need to have all conversations ready, and all work together if the player decides to explore every detail of your design. This soon escalates into preparing more material than the paper counterpart may have originally required. On a plus side, it is exciting for me to develop these other areas of the campaign, as they allow for both new and old players to experience an area of the campaign previously never explored.

Area Designing

Now that I have sorted a couple of new puzzles over the last few weeks (rotating placeable objects and the new trap disarm GUI), I have gone back to finishing off some area designs. Areas have included a sewer in which the PCs will find themselves and more areas for the mega-dungeon I am hoping to include. 

Let me also just take this opportunity to thank rjshae for pointing me in the right direction to help fix some aspects of the sewer tileset I am using, which I have now learned suffered from broken or missing Projected Textures. With his help I was able to fix over 200 tiles, which now correctly show target UI. (Eg: The circle that appears when you click somewhere to walk.) For while the tileset still worked without this, I did feel the missing UI may hinder some gameplay, so it was good to have fixed.

Going back to the mega-dungeon, I can report that I have started work on the final areas that are involved with it, and been able to incorporate some of the new gaming elements that I have been working on in previous weeks and months, including the new puzzle objects mentions above. 

This week's screenshot is also from an area I have been working on of late ... a shot from a deep dark place ... and demonstrating some neat walk path I managed to pull off. As a heads up, yes, the PCs do take heat damage while standing in that platform.

A Deep Dark Place