Episode 97: Stage Two First Alpha Feedback (α1)

I am delighted to report that I now bring you the first alpha testing feedback for the second stage of the second module. Yes, bugs were found (and fixed), but the overall experience went smoothly, mostly. Read on to discover the details and further news on the campaign development as a whole.

Stage Two Alpha

To date, the second stage has only had its very first alpha testing by one tester, which means a number of plot paths remain untested. As far as I am concerned, the first alpha testing is about discovering any critical problems such as path-finding movement issues and plot item bugs more than anything else. Logical flow of quest updates are certainly still checked, but are something that can only be considered as fully tested after several play sessions where the path is changed.

Tester Comments

PARTY MAKEUP: For this first stage two alpha test, the tester played a good-aligned party of six PCs and one henchman. They started at around tenth level, and were using stats and equipment from PCs that  had previously played through the first module.

Many of the tester's feedback from the first stage of the second module still apply, but here are a few new comments that were made:

"I was surprised and impressed at how involved the second stage was. It added depth to the overall story, and connected well with events I had in the first stage."  

One of the reasons I divided this second module into three stages is because of the way I try to pace the main story for the player. My aim is to allow the player to have as much freedom as possible to play the game their own way, but not at the cost of the story pace if I can help it. Therefore, while this second stage can potentially be unlocked within a few hours of play of the first stage, the player is now left with a choice as to which stage they may wish to progress. This setup is also helpful for the testing, as it meant the tester could play the quickest path they knew to jump straight into testing stage two.

Irrespective of the time the player takes their party to stage two, however, the story continues at its own pace from stage two. It is important to note that the main story is not only governed by the actions taken by the player in stage one, but that stage two also has actions that must be met before stage three can begin. However, the order of these plot events can vary between stage one and two and completed in any order the player desires. The end result is that the player recognises how their choices affect the story as they play it, as much when they play through the second stage as the first.

"The style of play has progressed and complemented (but also differs from) the first stage and the first module in the campaign, with exciting new puzzles and monsters, and fresh characters that deepened the plot."

One of my main aims with module two as a whole, was to not let what I know of NWN2 stop me from designing a campaign from what I had in mind to deliver. I thought of my Pen and Paper D&D days and the scenarios I had written back then (1980's) and went about to redesign them to work in the NWN2 environment. This was no easy task, but I thought if I could come anywhere close to achieving it, the fresh gameplay experience may be welcomed by most players.

I wanted to develop a greater involvement of "scenario mysteries", which requires several events to take place to make progress. It involved "puzzles", but I mean in a broader sense of a "quest-based" puzzle (or events) rather than a single "object-based" puzzle. I first tested this approach in the first stage of the second module, but as I have continued working on the module, I have tried to include these across as many scenarios as possible.

To be clear, sometimes I would prefer to replace "a puzzle" with "a challenge" as a better way of describing what it is that I have designed into a scenario. It's more of an "event" based approach to a scenario rather than calling it a scenario with "puzzles". Either way, playing a scenario may involve one or two more events than a player has experienced previously, which I hope is what adds to the overall fun.

"The side-quests linked in well and had plenty of depth to them."

Regular readers will know how much I am trying to give even side-quests a "greater" story line than what players may be used to. This ties in to some of those points I raise above. However, I also try to ensure any NPC characters involved are more than the usual stereo-typical 2d characters we tend to come across, which I believe also helps to bring an additional sense of depth to quests related to them.

"There were many aspects of stage two that provided a new variety of tasks that offered me significant choice of what action to take. I did not feel pressured into taking any specific path, but could take my time of what I would do next."

Offering "choices" to the player is what I believe any good D&D game does. This is even more important to my campaign design, bearing in mind its title, "Predestinated Days". It is part of the game design to help illuminate the dichotomy of life. How far are we actually "free" to act? Anyway, I won't speak further on this point, but playing the module may speak some more if you ask the "right" questions.

"Overall exciting, challenging and made logical sense."

Excitement and fun is my main aim for all players! If the scenarios and main story are also fully understood and make logical sense, then I have done what I set out to do. Importantly, I believe well written journal entries (for quest or notes), as well as clearly defined tasks go a long way to ensure the player is kept fully informed of their objectives. In recent months, I have developed a new TOKEN based system alongside journal entries, which also helps to accommodate the more dynamic story design of my campaign. The NWN2 toolset is truly great at what it gives us builders the power to do!

Any constructive feedback you guys can give me in any matter of design is always welcomed. What kind of game do you like to play? More or less combat? More or less "puzzles"? (Bear in mind what I mention above regarding this usage of the word.) 

I have often been surprised at what other players call "exciting" in an otherwise same format of game. For example, I have played some RPG games that, from my perspective, eventually become tedious. They begin to suffer from lack of interaction, repetitive or unbalanced combat, unclear objectives, wandering aimlessly around, with bland NPC characterisation and even little plot to keep me motivated, to name just a few problems. Obviously, time available to us often dictates our choice of game: grab a game to have a quick blast and then move on. I am, however, hoping that there are still enough game players around who have the time to spend a few hours in a story that is challenging and thought-provoking... or perhaps this style of game finally had its day?

Other Information 

WALK MESH: As it turned out, there was one particular area that required a redesign due to some passages that looked good in my own viewing, but ended up being either too narrow or too awkward to manage around combat. This was one of the first alterations I made, and thankfully, the custom tile-set I am using had enough alternative options to allow a similar design (apart from one section), which helped the overall movement for the player.

However, this change also forced upon me another gameplay fix, which involved a puzzle that was based upon the area design! Of all the areas that I least wanted to have to change, this was the one. Thankfully, all the appropriate redesigns have now been put in place, and are ready for the next alpha test.

GAMEPLAY DURATION: I asked the tester to play the first stage of the module in the quickest way they knew to be able to reach and test the second stage. As some parts of the second stage required different aspects of stage one to be completed, this meant the testing of stage two also had various timings. However, after considering time spent in the first stage of the second module, the tester took around 30 hours to complete what is currently available for the second stage. There are effectively around four areas that I am currently finishing off for the second stage, which, in my estimation should add a few more hours. So, my guess is that this second stage should come in at around approximately 35 hours for anyone playing it for the first time and not skipping any conversations.

The overall time to play both stages one and two (bearing in mind that much of the first stage was "skipped" through where possible), was 45 hours for the tester. However, when we consider the time it took in the tester's first play through time of stage one, which was 35 hours, then we are currently looking at a total playing time of 70 hours for stages one and two combined.

With respect to the time played, the tester does like to craft, which takes some time, and they did complete every quest possible. Therefore, at this point in its testing, I would say that the second module currently has between 50-70 hours gameplay, but that is excluding its third and final stage, which I hope to complete work on in the coming weeks or months. It is hard to estimate the gameplay time of the third stage, but I think it is possible that the final overall gameplay duration could possibly hit 80-100 hours, subject to how much you like to do in a game.

After recognising the time scale, I did consider breaking the second module into two to three separate modules instead. However, due to the way the story can unfold, I did not want to railroad the player into one direction only, and secondly, the story would not reach a satisfying "stop point" if I did. Therefore, I will stick to the original goal and aim to finish the third and final stage as soon as possible. As a result, finishing the second module as I have it planned will leave the player in a relatively "good" place, with the clear knowledge of what they need to do next.

FINAL COMMENT:  All in all, this second stage ran more smoothly than the first stage on first alpha testing. There were still a number of module to module startup scripts to sanitise, but gameplay and stability were relatively good from the start. All scenarios played well, and the tester recognised the goal of new tasks presented to them. There was one exception, when there was a slight confusion over one goal, but I have adjusted the journal comment, which I hope will help guide the player more accurately.

I still have some concerns with area load times for a co-op game, but have done a lot of adjustments to improve area stability by removing associates between area loads. Co-op testing is still pending. However, I also recognise that many of the larger areas are designed to not be jumped to and back that often anyway. There are a couple of exceptions, but hopefully, players will be patient for any longer load times due to a co-op game requirement.

Typos are being corrected the moment they are discovered, and further searches made when one is found, just in case. Some lip-synch may still need updating, as well as some animations, which again, are being updated as they are noticed.

Campaign Update 

Rather than delay the latest v1.32 until Monday (which was my original intention), I decided to upload this latest version alongside this blog release today so that I can have a fresh start on the remaining portions of stage two next Monday instead. There are enough updates in the latest v1.32 for me to recommend its usage, even to have a more enjoyable gaming experience. The most important fix was to ensure monsters do not spawn at a PC location, which was broken for a few encounters. E.g. Bats in the sanctuary.

The latest module update was just to move a WP to allow better movement of some NPCs, and is NOT required unless starting afresh. Just update the v1.32 campaign folder to allow a saved game to continue.

Other than that, here are a couple of screenshots from the first alpha test of the second stage:-  

Heroes Explore The Docks!

Episode 96: A Story To Tell!

On 3rd May, it will be six years (May 2019) since I started concentrating fully on building the second module. As I report in that opening post, a lot of the content had already been done, but little did I realise then just how much more content was still to come. Thankfully, today, I can announce that the second stage (of three) of the second module has now moved to its first alpha testing. I still have a couple of sections of this second stage to finish off, but the vast majority is now being tested for the first time. Alongside this news, I wanted to take a look at what we all try to do in our modules: to tell a story!

Stage Two Alpha!

To put this into perspective, my wife, who is currently doing this latest stage two alpha testing, started the stage one alpha testing back in December 2023, which was around four and a half years since the beginning of these episodic posts. So, this second stage has only taken around one and a half years to reach. As for the third and final stage of module two, this has had a lot of work already done too, and so I am hoping that that will not take much longer to complete... and is something I hope to start after finishing the final couple of areas required to bring stage two to be fully completed. Realistically, I suppose I am talking around six months to a year to complete this second module. My goal is to aim for the end of the year, but I am not denying the possibility of it taking to the end of next year. Personally, I want this module done and dusted by the end of the year, but these things often take on a life of their own, and demand time and resources that changes any deadline I try to stick to.

Predestinated Days

In the last month I completed (for stage two) all the outstanding conversations that required finishing, including one that I had not originally been expecting, which was required to fill a potential logical flow issue. I also finished placing all essential plot items, random finds and the encounters. These were the final steps that required completing before I was able to pass it over to be tested. As it currently stands, I am reasonably confident the exploration to encounters is about right. However, until the alpha testing stage is completed, I won't know for sure, or even if something like an extra puzzle is required. Once the pace of the module has been tested, that will determine any changes to what is currently in place.

Now that alpha testing of the second stage is underway, I am keen to finish the final few sections that need to be added to complete the segue between the second and final third stage. Arguably, these are a kind of stage 2.5, which allow for a scenario or two that sit between stages two and three. They should be fun to include, but I need to work on them some more before passing this section to alpha testing.

As an aside, I need to point out that unlocking the second stage requires testers to replay from the beginning of the first stage of module two, because of the way modules work, and some variables that require setting as played. I have asked my wife to take the quickest way she knows to be able to reach the required testing areas, and I hope to bring some feedback for you in the next blog.

Let The Story Begin

My article this month is to discuss the art of story telling. After all, for RPGs (pen and paper or computer), the main driving factor for playing such a style of game is often about the story. Personally, I believe this is what distinguishes an action RPG (ARPG) from a story driven one. Don't misunderstand me, I have played some ARPGs that do have a story of a kind, but even by definition, it is fair to say that the ARPG concentrates more on the "action" than the "story" element of the game.

In my own personal experience, when playing Pen and Paper (PnP)  Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), it was the story that kept us coming back for more. Yes, there was combat "action", intriguing puzzles, map exploration and NPC conversations... even player banter, but all of these elements were held together within the framework of the story being played out. The reason I wrote this article is because I wanted to encourage builders of a similar interest to focus on their story writing, and to keep it in mind as they build their game. Not to the exclusion of the other elements I mention above, but because I believe a well written story is what provides the most memorable gameplay, and certainly has been the case in my experience... and we all want to provide a good gaming experience.

I have touched on this before, but when I recall my PnP days of playing D&D, every player in the group had a good grasp of events from the previous weeks. Occasionally, players may have had to refer to some hand-outs or notes they had kept for some background details, but the main theme (or story) and what they were trying to achieve was always remembered... even if their current objective in such should change due to their gameplay choices. The lure of the game was to find out more about the world in which they explored and how they could affect the story that was unfolding before them.

We can all recognise that freestyle play is more limited on a computer, but a well written story can still allow a player (or group of players) to consider their choice of play in a way that unfolds the same story, but in a way they like to play. In other words, someone who enjoys combat should still be catered for with combat situations, but a good story hopes to instil some kind of purpose or reason for the combat beyond "they simply turned up and got in the way". Yes, random encounters do, and should happen, but if they appear every few feet without any good reason for such, or appear to be a duplication of the last encounter you just had, then the whole combat starts to lose its appeal... and an unnecessary distraction from the main story or current scenario. It's no easy task getting the balance right, and I suffer from this as much as the next builder. I just recognise the error in this and aim to try to do better.

Many Quests, But Only One Story! 

I touched on this last month, but I would like to expand on the various scenarios a player plays in a game in the light of an over-arcing campaign story. Again, I like to compare to PnP D&D, because that is the style of RPG I am trying to encourage here. Too often, in a cRPG, I have seen quests that appear in one area, encouraging the player/PC to do one thing, and then simply return with item "X" for the quest to be completed. Furthermore, these "quests", (let me refer to them as "sub-quests"), often have little to no bearing on the story at all. They are not much more than distractions or space-fillers, which, I believe, can damage the pace of the current scenario or main campaign story.

Note, I am not averse to "task-like" distractions now and then... sometimes we just want a change of pace... except the type of distractions I am talking about here are often totally out of character for the setting or go against the flow of the story as a whole. Instead, I would encourage to add a sub-quest that fits within the current scenario or story itself, which the player may or may not prioritise (conscious that it may just be a side-quest). If accepted, make it more than just the collection of an unrelated item for an obscure character, which will never be seen again, or lack interaction with thereafter. 

Even a side-quest should require more than a simple one step reward, and involve a "mini-adventure" that helps emphasise the "quest" in "sub-quest". As a guide to the kind of thing I mean, ask yourself if the quest you are considering for your cRPG would work in a PnP adventure? For myself, the simple one-step "quest" of which I mention above would not have held the attention of my players and so I never included such. If a character I designed had no depth or purpose to move the current scenario (or main story) forward in some way, then the NPC would not have been created or used in the first place.

Something I like to do nowadays, is to check the Journal Entries in my campaign as I write the story, making sure that any entries I add require a degree of gameplay before signing them off as a valid completed "quest". Furthermore, I like to have as many of these quests share a relationship with one another in some way, if possible, unless they can act as a stand-alone sub-quest with its own plot and substance. The point being, I hope that a player can recall a "story" with each entry they have completed... and I mean more than a simple one time task.

In conclusion, a good story is often comprised of other stories within the main. Think of "Lord of The Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien. The "main story" is often stated as the destruction of the one ring... but we remember so much more than that from it. Among other aspects, we remember the characters, the places, the combats and the puzzles, all in a full context of the over-arcing story, which different people may well interpret in different ways. Even some of the more "minor" characters we can recall, because they were part of that story and often had an impact or part to play in some way. So, when we have a story to tell, we must try to tell it in a way that people will remember. Don't add any unnecessary distractions or "quests" with little to no substance and add nothing to the story. Yes, allow some basic tasks, but try to consider them in a way that plays alongside the scenario the players currently find themselves embroiled with anyway.

Final Thoughts

Computers have been a fantastic tool to bring our creations and stories to "life". However, because they enable us to be able to "easily" add material to fill the blank spaces in our worlds, they also, unfortunately, mean we can make such additions without paying care and attention to the kind of impact they may have on our story. To have a huge "quantity" of quests appears to have dominated the medium rather than to concentrate on the "quality" of the quests that the well-written story should legitimately have. Any story, good or bad, can be stretched too thinly making it lack pace or any direction it may have had.

Over the years, the size of the RPG worlds have grown considerably, with every hour of gameplay of them demanding new quests for the ever-thirsty adventurous players. But, I am starting to question (or perhaps realise) that what players really lack (or want) is (maybe) just one good story to play through rather than more of the same type of sub-quests we may be currently playing. Note, this does not mean we have to compromise on the scale of the adventure, but I would suggest we would do better by remaining focused on the story it is trying to tell, filling the gaps with only materials that do not go too far off the beaten track... unless, of course, that is your story, and that it leads to somewhere of interest.

Latest Campaign 

The latest upload (done today) is v1.31. I also took this opportunity to re-upload the "Others" zipped folder, which contains all the other files and folders needed to play the campaign. Note, however, that the latest version now also includes another hak in preparation for the second module when it becomes available. It does mean that this download has almost doubled in size, but as it is rarely updated, then people will only have to download it the once and have all they need for both module one and for the later modules when they become available. The only reason I will ever need to update the "Others" file again is if the third module requires any new files, or if I find a fault in the latest upload.

The update was mostly cosmetic fixes only, but if you want the very latest, then do grab them to use. I think that this may now be very close to the final update I will need to upload for a while. If, however, I do have anything to update, it will appear in a future update.

Finally, just a couple of screenshots of something I worked on last month...

A Sign of Activity!

 

A Lit Passage!

Episode 95: Scenarios, Quests & Tasks!

Back in the days when I played pen and paper D&D (prior NWN on the computer), the players adventure took place within a campaign and you played various scenarios designed by the DM (Dungeon Master) in which you defeated monsters and won treasures to pay for your PCs advancement. The campaign was the world or universe in which the different scenarios were set. At the advent of the computer RPG, we soon became familiar with the common term quest, representing all those adventures we love to play, be they representing the main quest or a secondary (or sub) quest. In this month's blog, I am going to take a look back at the way we have defined our game from this perspective... and how I like to use the terms in The Scroll! Yes, it's just semantics, I guess, but it's still exciting to talk about if you like your D&D! However, if my thoughts and musings about such do not interest you, then scroll to the end of the blog entry where I will bring you up to date of where we are at with Predestinated Days, my second module for The Scroll.

The Scenario

One of the words I like to use when writing or describing quests for The Scroll is scenario. Why, you may ask? Well, I believe it conjures a broader sense of the potential goals for the adventure that lays ahead for the players rather than when using the term quest alone. In other words, I like to refer to a scenario as something that contains a collection of "main" quests (and potential sub-quests), rather than something that just has a single goal in mind. For myself, and possibly old school players of D&D, the reference to a scenario also satisfies the idea of an adventure that is going to be of a reasonable depth, while not necessarily being the main goal/story of the campaign.

Alright, I know the distinction may be a subtle one, but let me try to give an example of the kind of thing I mean from my first module. (I don't want to give away any scenario details of the second module.)  So, in the first module, one such scenario is that the PCs find themselves trapped within the village by a barrier of unknown origin. (Such scenarios may or may not be given an actual "quest" name status, subject to the specific design.) It is important to note, however, that this is not the Main Quest for the campaign, but "escaping the village" might be considered one of a few "main" quests for the module (*). Therefore, it may be possible to argue that scenarios simply translates as journal Main Quests within a computer RPG. However, I have to stress that this is not The Main Quest of the campaign, and that distinction will become important as I try to describe what I mean in more detail. I would also like to clarify that as a Main Quest for the campaign does exist (even if not fully realised by the player from the start), it means the module is not (as some may conclude) an open-world design. The story to be found and played is determined by the scenario paths the player decides to take.

(*) Note, when referring to "module" here, I am speaking of the completed game and not the individual "modules" that may make up a complete game.

Layered Quests

The important distinction when considering a scenario versus a quest is that, objectively, the "main" quest in a scenario event ends up being the most important story arc that the player wishes to explore at the time of their playing. It is important to note that any quest can effectively become the "main" quest in the player's eyes. When this happens, it allows the builder to play one quest off against another (within a given scenario) with respect to its importance or dominance. At this point, a journal quest leading in one direction may "pass through" or "interact" with another journal quest, and the player may decide to change tact or quest direction because of events they have played up to that point. Actual "quests" (as recorded in the journal) now become more closely described as "objectives", and if done well, may change a quest direction subject to which "quest objectives" the player prioritises. At that point, the game begins to feel more dynamic and like a D&D scenario, rather than a computer "tick box" exercise of completing "quests".

Multiple Scenarios

Hopefully, from the example above, it can also be recognised that scenarios are not always clearly stated, although strongly implied. However, every scenario the player perceives, or becomes involved in within the game, now becomes their choice of their current "main" quest. So, continuing the example above, the player may take their party about the village asking about the barrier, or, alternatively, simply go off exploring. Let's say they decide to go exploring their local area rather that start asking about the barrier. As they do so, they find a cave in the next Shoreline Road area and decide to explore this instead. Before they know it, they find some bloody rags of someone who has obviously been here recently. Continuing on, they suddenly discover the cavern system has been infiltrated by more than just the wolves they had recently killed... but also by a foreign human cult who attacked the heroes on sight! What is going on here?

The game is now on! By now, the journal will have updated regarding the encounter and the player must decide what they intend to do about it, as a new scenario they find themselves in. If they survived the encounter, do they report back to the authorities, or try to find out what is going on by themselves? Is this related to the barrier problem or not? The new journal entries suggest paths to follow, and include "objectives", but ultimately, the quest they take will be based upon the scenario the player wishes to play out. They can either pursue a current objective that their current path has taken them to, or turn about and try going somewhere else. Now, the player is playing D&D and not simply following a determined path. Couple that with their choice of play affecting future scenarios (or journal quests) and the game becomes interesting to know how it will all end.

The drawback to working to a multiple scenario design, is that it takes a lot of time to consider the many permutations that a player may like to consider playing from any given point. This is why most computer RPGs do follow a simpler "Quest" (main or sub) design, as it compartmentalises events that are self-contained and do not rely on one another for interaction. Don't misunderstand me, however, as these can be very well designed to have an impact later in a game, as many computer RPGs already do, but the difference is the timing of when such choices make a difference. We are not just talking about how decisions impact the game later, but possibly within the next scenario the heroes find themselves in, which may happen just around the corner. 

Sadly, my time is limited to just how many permutations I can account for and I have to be firm with myself and draw a line as to when a path cannot be taken. Normally, these are the more obscure paths that players are less likely to find anyway, but I do sometimes regret not being able to accommodate a certain path, especially when I have a handful of other repercussions bubbling away in my mind should the path have been made available. In the end, I just hope the number of permutations that I do manage to include will keep players interested for at least a second play through. The good news is that, in my opinion, the second module, Predestinated Days, benefits from the multiple scenario support better than the first module even, as I have learned new ways of how to handle such things as the years have passed.

Considering Tasks

Now, scenarios (or quests), subject to how you want to perceive them, come with clear objectives to keep the player moving forward in the current scenario or main story. However, there are some objectives that can, and should, as I understand the gameplay, be considered "tasks" rather than "quests". In this situation, the term "sub-quests" (or secondary quests) has, in the past, been used to describe what I would consider calling "tasks". Note, I am aware that some games do separate these smaller gameplay steps into their own descriptors, but with respect to the NWN game, they mostly get amalgamated into a single "quest" step or are demoted to a sub-quest when using the journal, or possibly not mentioned in the journal at all. The problem is that "tasks", when implemented fully, can be either "essential" or "non-essential" and so being able to separate them out according to any journal entry they work alongside with can be helpful to the player, so that a "task" (if added as a quest) is not lost among the quest list already available to the player.

So, as an example, a task may be to collect a number of items for someone. As I said previously, such collected items may or may not be essential for the main quest or scenario currently being played. However, if the task for a scenario (or quest) is clearly recorded, then once again, it can make it easier for the player to decide what they wish to prioritise as their current objective. To this end, I have been able to help separate and distinguish the various tasks available when playing The Scroll, which I hope adds a new and useful aid for the player.

Predestinated Days

Although it has been a long month, I did not quite hit my target. Don't misunderstand me, I managed to get a lot done, but I also had to put some time aside to fix one or two logical flow issues that came to light related to conversations that had been written way back earlier in the year. So, when taking these additional alterations into account, I am probably just three to four days behind where I wanted to be by now.

The Bloodstone College scenario is nearing completion with only a handful of conversations outstanding. I do still need to add the encounters and finish placing a few final items required throughout the areas, but most of the essential items have now been created and placed. During this time, I also managed to add some puzzle elements, a couple being new, one of which is scenario specific. That is, the puzzle is not used as a generic interface, like combination chests, but is a single purpose puzzle just for the task at hand.

I am optimistic about being able to finalise this scenario in the coming days to the point of being able to allow my wife to alpha test this section of the code. Once she has played through and I have fixed any bugs found, I will then offer it to my other alpha tester if they have the time to test it too. I am very keen to see how this second stage plays out, and while I still have some sections of the second stage to complete after the Bloodstone College scenario, I am hoping these will be completed in the next month or so, and at which point the second stage will be fully completed. Then I will move to the third and final stage of the second module!

Latest Campaign

I released the latest v1.29 of the campaign folder today, alongside the April release of the module. The module updates are minor and affect the storage chest and some oil flasks. The campaign update, however, is worth grabbing, especially if you enjoy crafting, as I have fixed the broken official section of code that was preventing an upgrade when improving the enhancement of a weapon. Other than that, there were a few other updates and minor fixes (check out the download page), but all in all, the code is pretty stable since v1.28 anyway. Its stability and lack of needing to make further fixes or alterations is why I have been able to make better progress on the second module. On that note, I will leave you with a couple of screenshots, that I hope will whet the appetite to want to play the second module when it becomes available.

 

A Beautiful Garden!

Did I hear Something Up Ahead?

Episode 94: A Bunch of Carrots!

My furry rabbit friends are not the only ones who like carrots, but players will also like these ones, especially as I am talking about the metaphorical types opposing the otherwise proverbial stick! But there's a full dish to consider this month, if you don't mind me continuing the metaphor, and all because the "stick" finally broke my patience, as well as the game. Read on to find out more about this and other news, especially with respect to the development of the second module, Predestinated Days.

The Stick Is Dead, Long Live The carrots!

In this instance, I am talking about the NWN2 database system as the dead "stick". After many years of trying to fix an area transition crash after a database entry is written for the first time, I finally took the plunge to remove the NWN2 database system from my campaign completely. As the years have passed, I have also learned and recognised that at least half of what I use the database for can be handled without it. For the remainder, however, I decided I needed to redesign the way some of the systems worked.

But, why was the database there in the first place? Put simply, it was primarily setup to maintain game balance, by preventing reloads where puzzle solutions could be learned and exploited. Well, it was for that and a means to ensure continuity between modules when the time came. However, there is a fundamental problem when using the NWN2 database system, and, as I describe above, it ends up with the game crashing to desktop during (or just after) a transition shortly after a new database entry has been written for the first time. Only a single entry will cause this problem. 

Over the years I tried many ways to circumvent the problem, from starting from a different module, to trying to setup the database from a game exit, but I have been unable to find a solution to date. In the end, all I could do was warn a player that their game would likely crash if they had just started a new PC within the campaign. This issue, effectively forcing a player to reload almost straight-away, did not sit well with me since day one.

In the last week, I finally made the decision to remove all NWN2 database code from my campaign... and the game no longer crashes at any transition! The exercise was cathartic... and the end result is that I have now also added a collection of "carrots" to the campaign to help accommodate its removal!

Carrots To Whet The Appetite!

After reworking at least half the database reliant objects to be either setup at the start of the game, or random with each reload (subject to their requirement), I was eventually left with only a handful of other objects that still required some kind of resolution to help maintain game balance and to help avoid meta-gaming(*), especially those objects surrounding the use of Life Essences and respecting Boon/Bane item acquisition. To this end, I designed some systems that I hope will encourage the player to consider continuing along the path they had reached respecting the knowledge that their PCs would have had at the time rather than use a reload exploit that had the potential to unbalance the game. The "carrots" to encourage this are the Life Essence Residue and the Life Experience systems.

(*) Meta-Gaming: Making use of knowledge that a player has learned out of character, and which their party would not know at the time.

CARROT #1: Life Essence Residue

This system is designed to hopefully encourage players to spend Life Essences without any sense of "unnecessary loss" and to be content when using them. To this end, in cases where such a system is required, using a Life Essence will now result in the collection of a new item called Life Essence Residue.

Once the PC has acquired five of these residue items, they will magikally amalgamate into one of two possible items: A Sleeper's Stone, or, on a rare occasion, a set of Enchanter Stones. See the image below for more details about these two new magik items:

UPDATE: The image below shows a pre-release GUI. The information has been updated to include other benefits for using a Sleeper's Stone now.

The New Life Essence Residue System

Having a Sleeper's Stone may actually be a life saver if a party does not have a cleric who can Create Food and Water when adventuring in an area where food may be hard to come by. Alternatively, adding a permanent magikal benefit to a weapon is also something that would be worth working towards.

CARROT #2: Life Experience

This is more of a generic "catch all" benefit, as it now rewards players for playing along with a result that may not have immediately gone in their favour. The idea, again, is to encourage a player to stick with a result of a choice they make in the game, by rewarding any brave decision they may make. Indeed, I would go so far to say that the new benefit now on offer could even send players actively seeking it, such is the way it now plays.

Basically, I am talking about receiving a significant XP reward for playing along with a PC Life Changing event of one kind or another, subject to what the PC may have to endure. Indeed, the best result for the player's PC would probably be to play along to win the XP reward, in the hope that any downside to the event may eventually be recovered from. The idea is to reinforce that any decision the player can make is a legitimate one for their game, and to trust that the future will work out one way or another for them. This is particularly the point in case if a PC acquires an item that is baneful (a curse) to them. Take a look at the new information GUI that is presented now on a first encounter of such an item:

UPDATE: The image below shows a pre-release GUI. The information has been updated to include other benefits for using either of these methods now. 

An Example of The New Life Experience System

I would like to point out that this is the general XP principle in practice for these items, but similar XP awards will be on offer for other situations that may, at first, appear to be nothing but trouble for the PC. Therefore, each time a player comes up against a difficult situation, they will now be rewarded for their PC's Life Experience that led them to that point.

As the player plays The Scroll Campaign, these systems and others will present themselves, which I hope will encourage the player to continue, even if it feels like their PC tripped over at one point. As the XP tag line goes, "There's No Gain, Without Pain!"

As I have worked on these system updates, I have also been altering the end of module code that supports module to module transfer of the henchman, for which I thought I was going to need the database. It turns out that my previous work with henchmen and the MP area transitions helped me to realise that using global variables was sufficient for their transfers, and so the database was not required here. All in all, the latest campaign code changes have gone a long way to improving the overall efficiency of the code, and I do feel much better about the game no longer crashing a the start.

Predestinated Days

The last two weeks database changes also go a long way to improving the campaign for the second module, Predestinated days, too. However, in the two weeks before last, I was able to make some solid progress on  Bloodstone College, one of the main scenarios that I wanted to finish before opening the second stage of the second module to alpha testers.

I am excited to say that the area designs for the scenario are now 80% complete, having spent a lot of the first couple of weeks recreating the areas. I am hoping the whole scenario to be ready by the end of this month, in time for the next blog post. If I do manage to do that, it will be another big landmark reached in the development of the module, leaving only one or two smaller areas to complete the second stage. However, I may release the second stage to testers prior finishing these last areas, just so testing can begin as soon as possible.

While designing the areas, I also managed to overcome a logical flow issue in the design of the PnP (pen and paper) module, which I had not considered back in the day I originally wrote it. It caught me off-guard when I spotted it, and it took me some time to work out a plausible plot path for the quest. Suffice to say, it involved having to design another item and rearrange some of the original area design, but like all things like this, I actually prefer the new design.

Post Database Patch System

It has been almost a year since the latest patching system came into use (30th March 2024), and it seems an appropriate time to announce the latest v1.28 release (with the database code removed), and to now also "remove" the release notes from the post, first added since the release in March last year. Therefore, when I upload v1.28 later today (UPDATE: Delayed until 3rd March), I will be removing all the previous fixes and updates information from the post, allowing them to start afresh from this version, which, like I always say, I hope will be the last "biggish" update required until I release Predestinated Days.

Testing of the campaign will continue via Predestinated Days alpha testers, which means anything found could still have an impact on the first module, and if it is significant, I will, of course, provide another update. Furthermore, I will continue to listen to any requests players may have.

Before I sign off from this larger than normal post, I wanted to show you the latest overland map area design, showing off the time travelled system displayed at the top of the area design. It has undergone various changes over the years, as I have had need. The latest and final (alpha tested) design is the one that should come with the release. Just for the information, this had a minor update in the last month too, when I realised the time was not starting correctly, It turned out to be a memory leak on the overland map, which I always like to catch.

I suppose I can't let this month pass without also adding that it would be rather exciting if the rumours of an Enhanced version of NWN2 on Steam turn out to be true. I just hope any changes don't make for too much (if any) requirements to rework our own modules to any great amount. We'll just have to wait and see, I suppose.

The Overland Map For Predestinated Days!

 

Episode 93: Going Back In Time!

Let me quickly start by saying this latest blog is not about any "time travel" quest or mod, but you will read the reason for the title shortly. That said, I cannot deny that time travel is something that has affected my module from a story perspective, and so it does fit with that too... I am just not going to speak of that to avoid any potential spoilers. So, read on to find out how the title fits this months blog...

Windows 24H2 Go Back To 23H2

Let's get this point out of the way, immediately. This will come as no surprise to regular followers of my work that a Windows 11 bug is the first reason for the reference to "going back in time". In brief, when I updated to the latest version of Windows 11 (24H2) a few weeks back, it broke the facility to Alt-tab between the NWN2 toolset and the NWN2 game. This may appear a minor thing on the surface of it, but I use it a lot when testing the game and latest files, and updating conversations and scripts "live".

The problem is that the moment one used Alt-tab to switch from the game back to the toolset, the computer would grind to a halt, making it extremely difficulty to close either program to unlock access to the computer again. Furthermore, while I was able to change some Windows settings to help mitigate the issue, the difference would be short-lived (too short) to allow any proper productivity. Thankfully, reverting to 23H2 (which I am currently on) resolved the problem and I was able to continue working without any further "crashes". Frustratingly, however, I lost about three days work trying to resolve the problem to no success. On a positive note, this Alt-tab issue has also been raised by others with Microsoft and not just myself, and so, hopefully, Microsoft are now addressing the problem. I can also add that since updating to Microsoft's latest files, the notification to download version 24H2 has ceased to show, which I take to mean that Microsoft have now owned the problem and are currently working on it.

UPDATE: I have started to receive the update to 24H2 notification again. I am ignoring it until I can confirm 24H2 has not compromised the Alt-tab functionality.

From PnP To NWN2

The more exciting reference to this month's title, however, is that I am now back working on my old Pen and Paper (PnP) module, "Bloodstone College". Originally a scenario from my PnP days of the late 1990's, this was one of my favourite scenarios I had written and played with my group of players. Looking back at the original work now, however, I can see a number of aspects that I think were not required or did not play as I would like today... and so I am enjoying the NWN2 conversion immensely.

I had started area work for this scenario back in July 2024, but put it on hold by November 2024, as I realised I had to focus on other quests associated with the college itself. Now I have completed those other related aspects, I can now return to finishing this quest with all peripheral connections in place to refer to as I continue towards its completion. What this means is that I have completed the conversations and events related to other areas that now have freed me to continue with this larger project.

Furthermore, I have now also completed adding a number of items and their involvement in the Bloodstone College scenario, meaning the actual areas are starting to fill out. Another "complex" room design has also been finished, slightly aggravated by a dodgy walk mesh every time I went to bake it. I finally managed to resolve that issue, and now the scenario event that takes place there, does so as it should, and plays out well. Basically, this piece of "back in time" work is now accelerating towards completion, and once completed, will allow me to (potentially), allow alpha testers to have a first run through this second stage of module two. The stage would still require at least 3-4 areas (and associated quest events) to be completed for a full finish of stage two, but I can work on them as alpha testers play through what will already be completed. It will be another exciting step forward.

Campaign Update

The latest release, v1.26, has just been released today. I am excited to say that it has had the least number of "important" fixes since the start of the new patching system back in March last year. I like to think that this is a good sign that the whole campaign code is starting to stabilise. The biggest issue this time around was the auto-packing of some items that should go into certain containers. Some items of a large loot would not pack away, especially in a MP game. The main cause was due to a timing issue, but a second was due to the containers not being updated often enough. Suffice to say, I believe I have fixed this issue now. Apart from that, most other fixes or updates were cosmetic or information only. Again, this is another important milestone in the history of the campaign, for the fewer issues I have to address, the more time I have to work on newer material.

Moving Into The Future

Having looked at aspects of "past", I will now consider the future". No-one likes to second guess what will come to pass, but my plan is to complete the Bloodstone College scenario in the coming month, and, if done to a reasonable completion point, I will start alpha testing on the second stage of the module. As I say above though, at least 3-4 areas remain to be finished before the full design of stage two is complete. Once I have finished Bloodstone College, I will begin finishing these two last scenarios, which, thankfully, are probably less involved than the current one.

Let me leave you with a few screenshots this month. The first two have been sent to me by Dustin_Offal, combating a Sentinel foe from Stage One (using the Turn-Based combat system), while the last one is a screenshot from Stage Two of the module that I am currently working on.

The Heroes Take On A Sentinel!

Tactical Combat Is Deployed!

The Heroes Find Themselves In Another Pickle!

Episode 92: Watching The Numbers!

Another year begins and I am still working on my second module. I cannot believe how fast time appears to pass as I endeavour to reach the end of building the second module. So, for this New Year post, I thought I would take a look at what I have managed to achieve last year and what I still have to do.

Multiplayer Mayhem

However, let me start by reporting with December events, where my time was mostly taken up looking more closely at handling a MP (multiplayer) game within the campaign. As regular readers will know, the first module was recently tested in MP again, so that an end-game party could be taken through to the second module to be tested there too. During the first module test, a few issues came to light that were recently updated. However, since moving the MP party to the second module, a fair number of other issues came to light, especially with respect to the player party size again.

Last month I reported how a party size of ten or more could prevent a MP game from loading. Well, it turned out that the problem was more pervasive than I realised, and that the party size issue also affected in game play with certain area designs. In some circumstances, a few areas would also fail to work properly if the party consisted of only four or five members. Objects would fail to become “useable”, even if the code thought they were, and monster drops would fail to manifest. However, when the party size was lowered, by dismissing associates, these problems disappeared: objects suddenly became useable and monster drops would appear around the area.

In brief, it boiled down to the fact that a MP game requires better area designs and management of resources to ensure the game plays as expected. So, whereas a SP (single player) game party size can run into the twenties plus with no adverse effects, a MP game needs to have both its party size to be nine or less and ensure some areas (*) are designed without other creatures already within it. To this end, I changed some of the scripts to do the following for a MP game only:

1. Out of Combat: Ensure the maximum party size is nine or less. (Excess prevented.)
2. During Combat: Summons is unlimited, but AI is disabled to ensure player controlled.
3. After Combat: All associates (apart from henchmen) are un-summoned.
4. Ensure areas work as expected for a party size of nine or less. (*)
5. Removed some systems from a MP game. (E.g. spell scroll remaining times.)

(*) With testing to date, it appears that interior areas (using tile sets) are the most significantly affected. Exterior areas appear to handle larger sized parties more readily, but I have not fully tested these. Furthermore, I have found that some custom tile sets require more careful handling than the OC (official campaign) versions; requiring all creatures to be removed from an area design to ensure a party size of nine can be had without causing any further issues.

Alpha Testing (MP)

Besides the party size limit issue mentioned above, there were a few other MP issues that came to light, which have also now been addressed (and may have been present in the first module too):-

1. The Death GUI potentially not showing on a party wipe-out.
2. Gold not sharing on a gold reward. (All gold for the reward was lost!)
3. A party potentially becoming stuck in Fast Travel mode.
4. Combat control broke if host and party leader differed.
5. Broken Map Pins if Main PC not used at a transition.

I also spent some time addressing MP efficiency after encountering the above issues, and made some improvements there too. In particular, I disabled the Spell Scroll timings for a MP game, which helped free some HB resources to help a MP environment.

Campaign Update

Heart beat scripts have been improved as a whole for the campaign, which means both SP and MP benefits. I also ensured killing an evil creature did not have such a large impact on the “lawful” axis with respect to alignment changes as a balance to the game play. As a final point, I also updated the code that handled inventory items for a PC raised from the dead (in hard-core death mode), so that it was less likely this PC would have their inventory appear “missing items”, even when they were not. The latest v1.23 is being “recommended” for SP game and “strongly recommended” (potentially essential) for a MP game.

The Last Year At A Glance

You can access the full blog entry of these monthly highlights from the links to the left of this webpage.

• JANUARY: Hiatus.
• FEBRUARY: Continued module development, including adding a potential new henchman.
• MARCH: (Enhanced version ended.) New patching setup. Risk of Database crash reduced. (v1)
• APRIL: Full Alpha testing of Stage One begins. Continued module development. (v2-3)
• MAY: First Alpha feedback. AI and conversation updates. (v4-5)
• JUNE: More Alpha testing. Campaign balancing and fixing based on feedback. (v6-9)
• JULY: Continued module development. (Conversion of a PnP scenario begins.) (v10)
• AUGUST: Continued module development (PnP module). Further Alpha testing. (v11-12)
• SEPTEMBER: Continued module development (PnP module). Further Alpha testing. (v13-17)
• OCTOBER: Continued module development (PnP module). Further Alpha testing. (v18-20)
• NOVEMBER: PnP conversion on hold to allow other development. Added two companions. (v21)
• DECEMBER: MP Alpha testing began. Alignment fixes. Continued module development. (v22)

The Remaining For Stage Two

So while the last year was as much about Stage One and delivering fixes and updates surrounding Alpha feedback, I had still been working on Stage Two. Stage One is pretty much “closed” as far as needing any more work done, but the following list remains for Stage Two, and for the New Year:-

1. Completion of the PnP scenario (quest), called “Bloodstone College”. (Two to three areas.)
2. Completion of Southstrong surrounding areas involving 2-3 areas.
3. Completion of quests in areas above, involving 3-4 quests.
4. Completion of 1-2 unique areas with their own quests. (One area may be held to Stage Three.)

Or, to put it another way, this is what has now been done over the last year:-

1. Added and completed three quests. (With some minor conversations to complete.)
2. Added and completed a new area. (Required careful/complicated MP handling.)
3. Work completed on six areas, bar a few quest objects to finish.
4. Many fixes, updates and improvements, to both the SP and Mp game.

Moving Forward

With the MP issue now behind me, I find myself able to concentrate on Stage Two development more easily once again. My aim is to first finish off the few areas that have some final quest objects to complete. Next, return to the PnP conversion and finish off the “Bloodstone College” scenario. Thirdly, finish the unique area and their associated quests. When done, Stage Two will be ready for Alpha testing, and I can begin finishing the third and final stage for this second module.

That’s the plan anyway.

Uninvited Guests!