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 requires 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:
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| The City of Southstrong! |
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| The Toothrot Tavern! |
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| The Stink (Beneath Southstrong) |
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