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!