Episode 100: The Last Stage Is Underway!

For the 100th episode, I am pleased to report that the planned Stage 2 of the second module is now fully complete, and I am now turning to finishing the third and final stage of this second module. It has been a long and hard process, due to various reasons, but also fun to bring this module to life. Read on for further news.

The End In Sight?

With the second stage completed, it means I can focus on the remaining third stage, which already has much of its content done. This means that the completion of the entire second module may well be close at hand. However, I choose to not be too hasty in fully announcing this, as I have experienced times when I have thought to be closer to completing an area than I actually was. So, with that in mind, let me suggest to you where I think I am at.

Now, rather than give away any specifics, I will talk in percentages to give an indication of where I am at (with the current areas involved) without giving away too many spoilers. Therefore, if we consider the second module as a whole 100%, the three stages divide out in roughly the following percentages:

• STAGE ONE (BORAN REGION): 47% OF THE MODULE (COMPLETED!)
• STAGE TWO (SOUTHSTRONG REGION): 32% OF THE MODULE (COMPLETED!)
• STAGE THREE (TARN-KIRI REGION): 21% OF THE MODULE (50% COMPLETE!)

In total, this module is now around 90% complete!

As I started work on this module back in May 2019 (Episode 1), that means it has taken me just over six years 3 months (75 Months) to reach this point. If I can continue at a similar pace, and I assume the remaining content is proportional, that means I might be able to fully complete by 75 x 10%, or seven and a half months! I need to add some time for holiday breaks and time when I don't have access to the computer, and so eight and a half months brings us to around the middle of May 2026.

However, until I start to work out what is actually left to do for the third stage, this estimate is a rough calculation. As I have said previously, I would like to get the module finished by the end of the year, but it all depends how my health and current real life events unfold. I like to think that the second module completion is in sight now, but recognise how this can change at any time.

Alpha Testing

On the back of the estimated finish date, I can add that alpha testers are continuing to test the new content, and my wife is also testing module one again for any last minute alterations required for v1.36, which is due as the next update. So far, all updates required to v1.36 are minor ones, and mostly cosmetic in nature, except for one that determines XP awarded for unlocking a door, and a very minor (likely unnoticeable) logical flow fix. Suffice to say, I am waiting for her to complete her latest run though of the first module before releasing v1.36, especially as v1.35 is the most stable to date.

As soon as any of the alpha testers reach and give feedback on the latest finishing touches of the second stage, I will let you know. It's now built, and testers are now heading there! 

The Althéa Campaign

For those that have not experienced my D&D campaign, The Scroll, or like to keep up with the latest information, I recently produced another quick video demonstrating the latest rendition of the campaign's unique Turn-Based Combat System. There is a link to the video below.

 

Note, if preferred, The Scroll Campaign can be played with the original default setup, using "pause at any time" (rather than the auto-pause system), while still gaining the benefits of the AI improvements I have made to the combat system for PC control. That is, AI can still be switched on or off (puppet mode) on any individual PC rather than on or off for the whole party, and orders can be given to follow, attack or stand ground irrespective of the current AI setting, as a party or individually.

This basically means, the combat system works more intuitively for those that like to manage tactical combat, especially when using "puppet mode". So when orders are given, the PC continues to carry out those orders until a new order is given, or until the player switches them back to AI, where the PC then chooses its own tactics. This is an improvement on the official system that can sometimes keep asking for orders, when and where it may appear an unnecessary step for the player to have to make.

An easier and more intuitive combat system is not the only improvement that has been made to the NWN2 game mechanics. Indeed, there have been a number of improvements that make the whole gaming experience feel fresh from the start. Couple that with a new and engaging story set within its own world, and you effectively have a completely new game to play that has been primarily designed with D&D pen and paper (PnP) players from the start. This is also why the campaign can be played both solo or with a friend or two (up to four players) co-op.

To help explain the co-op side some more, players that play together also control their own companions independently from the group leader. So, for example, if three players wanted to play together, they could each also control one other companion each (as the maximum party PC size is six), which only reacts to their control and not to any other player, unless the option to do so is unlocked from the campaign's unique Main Menu. It's akin to sitting at a table of a PnP game where each player controls two PCs each. Every player controls their own group of PCs! There is still one party, but The Althéa Campaign has updated the game mechanics so that it plays like a PnP experience. This, as far as I am aware, is the only campaign that does this.

Furthermore, where possible, I have improved and made easier every interactable GUI and gaming mechanic, making it more accessible and informative to the player wherever possible. Be it an improved inventory interface that allows descriptive comparisons at an improved store interface, or make clearer the crafting system available and fixing the economy related to it, all improvements made have been done so to help maximise the players ability to play the way they want to. Even the way the story is designed is done in such a way to play on each PCs abilities and skill strengths or weaknesses.

This is the core design ethos behind The Althéa Campaign, and I have only touched the surface of what you can expect. The first module, The First Day, allows the player to become familiar with many of these differences from the start of the campaign; and the second module, Predestinated Days, takes that system a stage further with other improved mechanics and gameplay that will allow another fresh gaming experience as the player forges their own path. I can assure you that your decisions will make a difference on how the story path unfolds and I hope you will have fun on your journey!

Finally, I need to say that I also hope to have a third and final module called, The Last Day, in which I bring the campaign to its conclusion. This has already been started, but I have not looked at it in years as I have focussed on the second module.

Latest Campaign

As I touch upon above, the latest v1.36 is ready in the sidelines to replace v1.35 as soon as my testers have finished their current testing. It addresses mostly cosmetic issues, but will also have any other fixes required that are reported between now and its release, based upon when my wife finishes a replay of the first module.

I leave you with a screenshot from one of my alpha testers from the second module:- 

Preparing For The Path Ahead!

 

Episode 83: Alpha Testing (Stage One)

I have, at last, reached a position where proper alpha testing of stage one of the second module, Predestinated Days, can begin! This is a huge milestone for the development cycle, and one I feel great relief in reaching. This first stage (of three stages) for the second module is the largest in many aspects. As the module currently stands, it has the "lion share" of the number of overall areas that can be explored and the quests that can be done. It is comparable to an estimated 70% of the size of the first module. Read on for more information.

Alpha Testing

As this is only the first part of the module, as well as being the very first time that it is going to put to a proper gaming test, the testing is going to happen in-house only. This means at the hands of my wife, who probably knows my first module and what to expect in campaign play more than anyone else anyway. However, that is not where I want to end testing, as fresh eyes and unfamiliarity are also always a good thing to have to give feedback too. Therefore, once all three stages of this module have been alpha-tested, I hope to be able to find beta-testers who can brave the testing period for me when the time comes.

Hopefully, in the next blog, I will be able to give some feedback on how well (or not) the overall alpha testing is going. I will obviously try not to give away any spoilers, but, at the same time, give you some honest feedback on how my wife's experience of the testing is going, and if there were any major issues discovered during her experience. I can safely say now, she will not be able to test every path that is available, simply because there are too many potential ways for her to cover in the time. Furthermore, as this is only the first stage, any testing she does do, effectively ends and would require a restart by the time stage two becomes available for testing.

Cutscenes

One of the delays of the last month was taking time to cover a few cutscenes I wanted to put together for a section of the first stage. However, I believe the time spent on them has been worthwhile, as the outcome of the last one I tested was exciting for me to see the end result. I believe I have covered the majority of the cutscenes for this stage now, apart from maybe one or two minor party conversations.

One aspect I have been working on, and is part of the initial testing, are cutscenes around various party builds, and need to work subject to various party conditions and states. Accounting for the many options that the party can be in by the time the cutscene starts can require some thinking out to ensure logical flow works in every situation, especially for journal entries. As an example, I am dealing with variables that could have been set many gaming sessions earlier, and even then subject to backgrounds selected and race of PC played. I can often sit making notes and pathway diagrams to ensure I have all the logic correct. Again, I hope much of this will be part of the initial testing.

Puzzles

In the latest quest I was working on to have stage one ready, I found there was an ideal situation for a cutscene I had in mind, which, as mentioned above, played out well. However, due to the nature of this cutscene, I felt that as it was quite a dramatic moment, that it also required some build up before the player was rewarded with the scene. To this end, I designed a multi-stage puzzle with new GUIs, and items. The end result, I believe, will be a fun and rewarding exercise for all who play it. In this case, there is a possibility that a player could miss out on this section altogether if they make a different choice and end up on a different path. Hopefully, however, the adventurous spirit will win out and most, if not all, players will discover this section of the adventure and enjoy the fun of the puzzles and the end cutscene for it.

Campaign Update

As I continue working on the second module, I cannot help but discover occasional areas of code that require a minor alteration or fix due to new situations that coding module two brings. In the latest building, these issues have been relatively minor, and will be available for v1.2 of the campaign in the near future.

As most of these issues can be avoided by mindful play, or can simply be ignored for the time being, then I am holding back any newer patch until after I receive any further feedback from current play testers. In this case, I would rather only add a new patch after I believe the new code is stable. I am trying to reduce the number of patches with this newer system. Priority fixes, if required, will continue to be responded to with an immediate fix and updated as soon as possible.

At this time of writing, there are currently no further module build updates for the first module. The 30th March 2024 is still the latest module build. Neither, currently, do the TLK or UI need any newer files. If these are altered, the latest versions are always included in the latest campaign file download anyway.

Anyway, that's all the latest for now, and so I leave you with a couple of screenshots from the latest Stage One of Predestinated Days. If you have any questions, or would like to hear more about anything specific with the campaign, just add a comment and ask.

The heroes investigate a cavern...

...And discover a strange machine!

Episode 43: Permits Permitting!

I know it's been a while, but I am finally back in a position where I can now safely start producing more material for the module, Predestinated Days, the second part of the campaign. The once ever-present brick dust in our house has finally been eradicated, and both myself and the computer can now breathe more easily, allowing me to get back to production without any fear of a breakdown. Note, however, I have not been completely absent from the task, but simply hampered. This blog is to announce a return to a more structured pace and a little info on what has transpired since I last posted ...

MORE QUESTS!

Since my last post, I decided to change the area(s) I was working on ... which actually involved around half a dozen or so areas in the end. Since these are areas that will be found towards the end of the module, and are quite involved, I decided to start working on some of the earlier areas instead. Here I was able to introduce some new quests, which I hope will have an impact on the later areas anyway. In the latest area(s) I am working with, I was able to introduce three new quests, and add a lot of new conversations and characters that I hope will add flavour to the story as a whole.

MORE CONVERSATIONS!

From there, I was also able to manage a number of new conversations that will play according to the various PC backgrounds. As I continue to develop these areas, I have found that I have been able to make more and more usage of the new conversation options, which should add for some interesting outcomes, subject to which PC the player decides to allow to comment and according to the different background personalities they have.

MORE MONSTERS!

This latest area I am working on is also the area where I will be adding a new creature type. I won't say anything about it, except this link could be considered a small spoiler. However, true to my own style and tradition in such situations, there is more material I need to add regarding such, including bestiary information and even potential readable texts. i.e. I try to give more background to certain monsters where possible, to give greater immersion and potential gameplay options. With this, however, comes potential complexity that may clash with some other ideas I have in mind, and so I will need to work through this particular creature type with care.

AND ANOTHER SCREENSHOT!

I don't know if I have shown a screenshot from this area before, but as it is from the current area I am working on, I decided this was the one for now. Please note, like all my screenshots, the main PC speaker (and other potential party members) are NOT properly dressed, as they are test PCs only. Therefore, please do not let the lack of dress put you off ... I leave that for the player to apply when the time comes.

Things Are Never Straightforward!

Episode 41: Moving Forward?

As I write this, a hammer drill echoes through the house as workmen sort an issue for my wife and I. Furthermore, this noise and distraction may last some time, meaning all production of the module will be compromised. Don't worry, once the house work is complete, I hope to regain my pace, but for now, progress may be slower, and this will also be reflected in fewer blogs until things are back to normal. Read on for latest ...

Latest Area

Recently, I have been writing conversations which handle a number of key quests surrounding a location, which the players will encounter nearer the end of the module. I have now sorted much of the initial stages of these quests, but am now working on one of the areas where the action takes place. Progress is slow, simply because I find area design difficult. Also, I have the added consideration of balancing some new game mechanics that take place in this area. It's hard to explain exactly what I mean, but this part of the module plays with some added game mechanics, which require careful application while designing the areas that use them. It all takes time.

The Journal Notes

Another gaming aspect I have been making good use of of late is my Journal Note System, which I first wrote about around this time last year. It has become a very useful tool, not only to help give players a gentle reminder of certain gaming points, but is also useful when keeping track of what players should know at any given time. It acts as a dynamic notebook, with updated notes that players may or may not act upon, but also allows me to observe different variable states that these journal notes may represent. As an example, a player may have a conversation with an NPC and learn of a clue about something the NPC mentions. This will update the journal note system, allowing the player to refer to it, to remind them of some useful piece of information, without incrementing a quest stage. It is also useful for me to observe in testing various variables.

There is not much else to report at this stage, and so leave you with another screenshot from the area I am working on. It may be a little while before I write Episode 42, but hopefully, by the time I do, I will have more to report.

 

Unusual Objects!

Episode 36: Camera Now Goes To 11!

The last few weeks since my last post have been relatively productive for me, and since that time we have also had the news that Arem (from the NWN2 Forums) has successfully managed to locate the hexadecimal locations of the nwn2main.exe to allow us to increase the zoom potential of the camera for the game. Technically, it goes much further than 11, but I hope my Spinal Tap reference has not gone unnoticed. (I have a clip to the hilarious link in my post below.) Read on for further information.

Overcoming A Hurdle

I am pleased to say that I managed to finish a difficult set of conversations that formed an important section of the main plot for moving the player forward in the game. The conversations included where the player learns of a situation, seeks what must be done and then decides what to do about it. The point is, however, this series of conversations was already being dictated by how the player had previously explored the area and what they already knew. Therefore, it involved quite a bit of logic flow checking, and even ended up needing a final potential event added to the area that had a small chance of requirement if the player had done something completely off the wall. For those interested, I even had to brush off my skills of calculating probabilities of a certain event occurring, to help ascertain requirements. My thanks goes out to Thierry (a.k.a. 4760), who re-educated me in this.

Leaving The Options In

With respect to what I say above, I know there is an argument that, as a builder, I can make the options simpler for myself with what I allow the player to do. However, as a DM from days of pen and paper (PnP), I like to place myself in the position of the player and try to accommodate as much flexibility and out of the box thinking by the player as possible. There are of course still limits compared to PnP, but if I can minimise these, I will. This last section of conversation writing was one such situation, and now that it is finished, it offers around four possible paths just for this one area of the game. Then the fun for me is watching (or hearing) how a player managed it in their game. Thankfully, I have a small group of players who I will see at first hand what they will do; and my wife, I am fairly sure, will try a number of them through various plays.

Conversation Animations

During the time of writing conversations, I also discovered some animations that failed to work reliably. After some testing, I eventually managed to narrow down those that (for me at least) appeared to work as described. However, again, having had info back from Thierry, my results differed from some of his own experiences, although he concurred there were some that gave him problems too. One that stood out to me, which I had liked to use, was the Scratch Head animation: sometimes it worked, other times it did not. The main point to note, however, is that NOT all animations work. I post my results at the very bottom of this post for information.

Overcoming A Bug!

I give as a warning to others who may do something similar ...  

If you have scripted your code to recognise a certain TAG reference, do NOT forget it! 

We all know about being careful with UNIQUE tags, but there may be others like me who may also use a common aspect of a tag to help distinguish between similar tags when applying a common aspect of code. The problem is, if you forget you have done this, it can come back and haunt you as a bug!

After my hiatus, I returned to continue building an area and added a number of "guards" that were required to fill it. At the time, I was using a standard "alb_npc_xxx" to help distinguish the various guard types. However, I had forgotten that I use the "alb_npc_" section of a tag to distinguish between specific and unique proper NPCs. So, when my code spotted one of these generic "guards" with the prefix, I ended up with some very strange results that were tricky to track down. E.g. One guard of a group of sleeping guards refused to sleep. (Insomnia I guess. 😏) Tracing the fault back, I discovered the guard had lost the variable that told it to sleep due to its tag making it have other code fire beforehand. What made this more difficult to track was that after this particular piece of code fired and prevented the guard from sleeping, it no longer fired for any other guard. i.e. The problem appeared specific to the particular guard, but turned out to affect any and all guards that had the wrong tag, but only the first ever one the code found.

The end result: I had to go over a number of areas re-tagging the erroneous guards and then also correcting all way points, triggers, conversations and scripts that referenced these tags. The good news is, while a pain (because each change also forced me to have to restart the toolset because it does not like such in area changes), I have now fixed that and can continue. And so finally ...

A Camera That Goes To 11 (At Last)

OK, for those that don't know the Spinal Tap clip, here it is ... Where have you been?

The real news, however, is that we can now go just that little bit further out with our camera zoom angles within NWN2. It has been a long time coming, but thanks to Arem (of the NWN2 forums), we have been blessed with the hexadecimal information we needed to apply this hak to the nwn2main.exe file.

For those that would like to do the same, here is a brief tutorial.

The Hex Editor I used was: HxD Downloaded From Here.

INSTRUCTIONS

Preparation:

1. Always check any downloads for viruses before usage.
2. Understand where you install a utility and access files. Install the HxD if you do not have it.
3. Always backup any files you are working with. In this case nwn2main.exe.

Working with a copy of nwn2main.exe using HxD:

1. Copy nwn2main.exe to your desktop to work with.
2. Open HxD and open the nwn2main.exe copy on your desktop
3. You will be presented with a lot of numbers and data in a window.

The hardest part when working with a editor is finding the part among the data you need to edit. The two sections we need to edit have been presented to us by @Arem as hexadecimal numbers:

• For the height of the STRATEGY (default 25) the area to edit is located at: 572818
• For the height of the EXPLORATION (default 22) the area to edit is located at: 580D64

I have personally set mine to both 35 as a test for the time being.

The simplest way to find it is as KevL points out (if you use HxD) as we both appear to do.

Search | Goto -> 580D64 (select hex) (select begin)

Long Explanation: The column presented on the left of the editor only shows you where different sections of these blocks of data begin. If it was in decimal, it is akin to showing 10’s, as in 10, 20, 30, 40, etc. Therefore, to continue the example and to look for say, 45, we would need to look for the 40 in the first column and then move along the row five places to reach the 45 position. In this case, however, the numbers are made slightly more difficult to read intuitively because we are using hexadecimal rather than decimal.

The easiest number to find is the 572818, because we can look for the column 572810 and then along until we reach the ninth location (including the zero offset), the one we want. (Note: These are called “offsets” and begin at “0”) NB: HxD shows the actual point you are at in the bottom left hand corner, so you know when you are the exact spot you need to be.

Here is the screenshot of where you should be for each place. Note the values on the right hand side of the images. These are the ones you need to edit to the value you want.

  

Once you have changed them, save the file and use the modified nwn2main.exe instead of the original.

KEEP THE ORIGINAL IN A SAFE PLACE!

And Finally!

Finally, and for an added bonus this week, I have three screenshots to leave with you, although all of the same image. The shots are from a new area I have started to work on. It is not "new" as in an additional one, but "new", as in I have finally reached the stage to work with it properly.

The three images, however, have been taken using the new camera angle settings I have with my game now ... one from each of the camera angles, with all now set at 35.

The differences to the normal setting may not be obvious or hard to tell from these shots, but I hope the view they give helps you to see how flexible the depth is even at the level of 35 in each case.

Camera: Character Mode

Camera: Exploration Mode (35)

Camera: Strategy Mode (35)

BODY ANIMATIONS TESTED ON MALE ELF:

NB: By “WORKS”, I mean it provided an animation of some sort, but may not be of much use. Some marked “FAILED” occasionally worked, but maybe only once and then not again. Most did nothing at all, BUT may work with other creature models.

ACTIVATE - FAILED
ANNOYED - FAILED
ATTENTION - Appeared to keep raising shoulders. (WORKS)
BARDSONG - FAILED
BORED - FAILED
BOW - WORKS
CHUCKLE - WORKS
CLAPPING - WORKS
CONVERSATION_ANIMTYPE_TALK_FORCE03 - WORKS
COOK01 - WORKS
COOK02 - WORKS
CRAFT01 - WORKS
CURTSEY - FAILED (May work on a female NPC.)
DANCE01 - WORKS
DANCE02 - WORKS
DANCE03 - WORKS
DEJECTED - WORKS
DRINK - WORKS
DRUNK - WORKS
EQUIP_WEAPON01 - WORKS
FLIRT - WORKS
FORGE01 - WORKS
IDLE_MELEE - FAILED
IDLE_MELEE_RAGE - FAILED
IDLECOWER - WORKS
IDLEFIDGETDRUM - WORKS
IDLEFIDGETFLUTE - WORKS
IDLEFIDGETGUITAR - WORKS
IDLEFLUTE - WORKS
IDLEGUITAR - WORKS
IDLEINJURED - FAILED
INTIMIDATE - Appeared to put back shoulders. (WORKS)
KNEELDAMAGE - FAILED
KNEELDEATH - FAILED
KNEELDOWN - FAILED
KNEELFIDGET - FAILED
KNEELIDLE - FAILED
KNEELTALK - FAILED
KNEELUP - FAILED
LISTEN - WORKS
LISTEN_INJURED - WORKS
MEDITATE - WORKS
NOD_NO - WORKS
NOD_YES - WORKS
PLAYDRUM - WORKS
PLAYFLUTE - WORKS
PLAYGUITAR - WORKS
POINT - WORKS
READ - WORKS
SALUTE - WORKS
SCRATCH_HEAD - FAILED (INITIAL SOMETIMES)
SEARCH - FAILED
SHRUG - WORKS
SIGH - FAILED
SIT_DOWN - FAILED (SOMETIMES WORKED)
SIT_DRINK - WORKS
SIT_EAT - WORKS
SIT_FIDGET - FAILED
SIT_IDLE - FAILED
SIT_READ - WORKS
SIT_TALK - WORKS (Looks good for seated talkers.)
SLEIGHT - WORKS
STEALTH_IDLE - FAILED
TALK_CHEER - WORKS
TALK_FORCE - WORKS
TALK_FORCE02 - WORKS
TALK_INJURED - WORKS
TALK_LAUGH - WORKS
TALK_NERVOUS - FAILED
TALK_NORMAL - FAILED (Nothing to show anyway?)
TALK_PLEAD - WORKS
TALK_SAD - WORKS
TALK_SHOUT - WORKS
TAUNT - WORKS
TIRED - WORKS
TOUCH_HEART - WORKS
UNEQUIP_WEAPON01 - WORKS
USEITEM - FAILED
VICTORY - WORKS
WAVE - WORKS
WAVE_SHORT - WORKS
WILDSHAPE - WORKS
WORSHIP - WORKS
YAWN - WORKS

Episode 33: A Confession and A Promotion!

Confession: I have not done any update on The Scroll (module 2) for two weeks now. I gave my wife time to finish play-testing the latest version (v1.33E) of module one (which uses the same core code as module two), so that I know I am in a stable position to continue moving forward. She has now finished playing the module for a tenth time with yet another mixture of PC types, and finally I can say, the first module is released as fully tested and complete. Ten times! you may exclaim, but I hope that also helps demonstrate some of the flexibility the module has as she still had one or two differences from her previous times playing. So, maybe it's time for a new group of adventurers to consider stepping in to help save the village of New Edgeton from their plight ... Is it you? If so, download The Scroll (module 1) now, safe in the knowledge that this version should be the final. In the meanwhile, what have I been doing instead .... ?

Promoting: The NWN Scripting Tutorial

I decided to spend some time trying to put together a basic NWN scripting tutorial for beginners. A number of people visit the forums asking for help with scripting (as to be expected), and I often hear the same questions asked. When I think back to when I first started writing scripts, I can empathise with those that ask the same questions as I did back then. So, with that in mind, I decided to put together a PDF that I hope helps explain some of the more basic steps required when it comes to writing scripts in NWN2 (helpful for NWN1 too).

This tutorial is now finished (at least for the time being), and is now available for download. I tried to keep it in a similar style as I did my XML tutorial, hopefully with what people may consider a more exciting layout than simple text, helping to highlight certain aspects when needed and make it easier to read. As I say in the manual, if it helps someone to achieve a result, then it has done its job.

Soul Shaker Revamp

I have also been SP play testing my newly revamped NWN1 Soul Shaker module, (with my wife doing the same now she has finished The Scroll). This has been progressing fine with me needing only to fix one or two points that got "disturbed" in the code changes. So far I have managed to complete around 75% of the module, and hope to finish it next week, with my wife finishing her play through shortly after. After this, I hope to send the files to a beta-tester, but am not expecting any further issues from their testing. Once they have completed, I will then upload Soul Shaker v2.00 for general release. At this time, SP will have been fully tested, but MP testing will come a bit later when I have the time and opportunity to play it that way later. However, I am not expecting any issues there either. Lastly, although I have managed to fix one or two points of code where a DM support can be used, this will probably have to remain untested, as (a) I will not be in a position to be able to test it with enough players and (b) I don't think there is much call for it nowadays. However, if the module is picked up by a group of players who do want to use it with a DM, then I will give as much support as they need and prioritise help for them.

The Scroll Module Two

Now that the first module of The Scroll is finalised, and once Soul Shaker v2.00 is released, I hope to return to module two of The Scroll. I am hoping the change of topic for the last few weeks and "fresh" start upon my return will help give me a push to move forward in some of the areas that had been holding me back. In particular, I have one or two areas that I need to finish furnishing, and some important conversations to write. In total, there are about four to five plot paths that need bringing together, and I want to be able to give it the attention it needs to do correctly. My concentration suffers at the best of times, and so I need to give it my fullest attention, which I hope to be able to do so knowing everything else is working as it should be. That's the plan anyway.

Can You help The Village of New Edgeton?

Episode 32: Shaken To The Core Files!

Today's blog is a bit different this week, as my attention has been taken by a revamp project regarding my NWN module, Soul Shaker. This came about for two reasons: 1) A player showed some interest in the Soul Shaker module and 2) I wanted to give the code in The Scroll a break from any changes I am making as I write module two. However, all this still helps towards the second module for The Scroll, as I hope to explain ...

Soul Shaker Revamped

Anyone familiar with my projects will know that I have also released a NWN module called Soul Shaker, which received some acclaim back in its day for its innovative ideas. (Podcast.) However, I have now come to believe that there were some coding differences I implemented at the time, which hampered its accessibility and ease of play for players. The current revamp addresses these issues. The gameplay itself, which could raise another argument about its accessibility, is not being changed. The gameplay differences are deliberate plot and mechanic ideas that were implemented to reflect a gaming style similar to System Shock 2 (to which the module pays homage), but within a D&D mythos.

Hak Patch v Databases

Way back when I first started to write Soul Shaker, there was no reliable system in place to patch a custom module so that a player who had already started the module could fix their game if a problem occurred without having to restart the module. Sometimes one could make use of the override folder, but this could become awkward and could not be relied upon. So, at the time, as not having to force my players to start again was a priority for me (as my own group of players would not welcome such), I ended up using databases to track data, which could then be used to replace data and return a player back to the correct point in the game should the module ever need to be updated and replaced. Indeed, the system worked well, and is the only means I know of to date, which would still (to this day), allow a builder to release a module where a player could replace an entire module (not just scripts) and not have to restart their game.

When I first wrote, my coding skills were not as good as they are today, and there were one or two cumbersome operations required of a player to ensure the game updated correctly. At the time, they seemed fine to me, but latest experiences with player feedback have shown me that what may appear straightforward to one person may not be for the next. Therefore, recognising these issues from the past, I decided to look at making the whole process more streamlined for the player by revamping the module and making the whole process more straightforward and intuitive.

As I started this latest revamp, however, it occurred to me that the module components (area designs and objects within them) were now pretty much as stable as they could ever be. Therefore, module updates were not really an issue any more, and that the only real points that needed consideration were potential buggy scripts or dialogues. For these types of issues, I could address them using my own devised "Hak Patch" system, which I had figured out how to implement towards the end of writing Soul Shaker, around early 2007. Indeed, if I had discovered this idea earlier, then I may never have relied so heavily on databases, or even used them at all. However, by the time I discovered the idea, the core database files were integral to the module design and not so easily removed. Rather than do this, I released it and the rest is history, as they say.

Fast forward to today, and after a new interest from players, and my own improved knowledge of scripting, I cannot bring myself to leave the module in its current state. Yes, it works, but the code is still weighed down with inefficient scripting and (now) pointless reliance on databases that require extra unwarranted attention of the player. Therefore, with renewed skills, I decided to remove all the database storage code (that relied upon extra implementation of the player) and, instead, rely solely on the "Hak Patch" system for any future updates that may be required for this re-release of the classic.

Soul Shaker (v2.00)

So what do these changes do for the player? Basically, the revamped version of Soul Shaker will now load and save like any other NWN module. Should the module require any patching (due to a bug), it will be handled by a one hak file download, which replaces the current one being used. The player would then simply reload their current game and continue to play from where they left off with any previous problems resolved. i.e. The Hak Patch system works in a similar fashion as changing the entire campaign folder in The Scroll. (That is how The Scroll is patched.)

The new version will no longer have any "unintuitive" reloading for players, and there will no longer be any databases to deal with at all. Not one! Furthermore, I have now amalgamated all supporting third party haks (of which there were about 13) into one larger hak, making it easier to install in the first place.

All these changes also mean I have to rewrite the Soul Shaker gaming manual that explains how to install or save games as these no longer apply. As an aside, this has been complicated by the fact that I cannot find the original source file for the manual, and so am having to make changes using what I can salvage from the release manual. It is coming along slowly though.

As I have made gradual progress, I have also discovered remnants of older code from a previous system I was using with my own group of players that is simply not used, and requires removing. There is also poor usage of some official functions and a lack of custom functions, which I am now addressing as part of the revamp. I am also trying to add comments to every file that I find to help with any future patching or queries. Currently, as I look at one script, I find it points towards a dozen others, each in turn requiring attention to check the code. I often find inexperienced coding, which requires a rewrite, which in turn requires testing of its own. All this means that it is taking me some time, but I do aim to release it as soon as possible, in the hope that the revamp may encourage new players who may be looking for something a bit different.

The Scroll

Meanwhile, this means I have been able to leave The Scroll alone as play testers test some final changes to its core files that needed to be updated after discovering one or two rare issues to do with Animal Companions, stackable items, auto-storage containers and gold. Note, some of these latest issues have come about after feedback from players who may try to use "console" commands (or "cheats") to aid in their gameplay. I discovered using such can break some aspects of play. Unfortunately, adding code to help circumvent these issues in the event of players who use them without recognising the dangers added one or two teething problems in the new code. These have been the reason for the latest flurry of updates. These and also the discovery that local objects cannot always be relied upon when stored on other objects, especially when recalled at a later time. Such stored objects can become "invalid" due to the way they are tracked by the engine, and so code reliant upon such can break if the objects are no longer valid.

Yet all this is beneficial and to the improvement of the second module of The Scroll. i.e. Problems discovered now will not be present in module two. And as I have currently stopped adding new material for module two (as I revamp Soul shaker), the latest problems I am fixing with The Scroll will now be the final updates required. The v1.32E should be the last version I need to fix anything with for module one.

Soul Shaker: How It All Began!

Episode 18: The Scroll, Fixed, Enhanced & Polished!

DOWNLOAD The Scroll (LATEST ENHANCED)

I have to start with an apology for not bringing you anything "new" with respect to the second module ... although strictly speaking that would not be true, as there is plenty "new" that applies, but it's not so obvious to the player at first reading. It's all to do with improvements that affect the campaign as a whole, and so by default, also impact the second module. So what are these "enhancements" am I speaking about? Well, read on ...

ESSENTIAL FIXES

Let me get this out of the way for module one first: There was at least one game-breaking bug accidentally introduced in an earlier version, and a couple of others that would also break the game if the player took a certain path where the bug would raise its ugly head. The last two had gone under the radar of testing, as they were less likely to manifest. However, it would only take a slight change in direction for a player and they would be unable to continue their game too. So, most importantly, this latest release, called v1.00 ENHANCED, fixes those bugs.

ENHANCED VERSION

But what has been enhanced? This is less obvious to the player, but is certainly one of the biggest changes since earlier versions of The Scroll that the player will experience. It includes such things as:-

1) Repositioning of transitions to prevent "party squeeze" upon arriving at a destination. (Module.)
2) Removal of old scripts and some heartbeat scripts to improve performance.
3) Removed many "minor bugs", which although not game-breaking, did frustrate a player.
4) Updated core files in preparation of additional modules & improved MP support.
5) Update to the way Rules & Lore are first given.
6) Improved monster detection system & AI for more effective combat.
7) Many cosmetic improvements, such as adjusting box sizes to allow text to display correctly.

All in all, I addressed over 100 points with the earlier release of The Scroll to improve it, and as requested by players in some cases.

POLISHED!

Well, I guess builders are forever polishing their work. However, I do think that there will be less polishing of the first module from this ENHANCED version moving forward. I have gone over many scripts where I thought they needed it; my wife has been replaying for about a sixth time testing it, and all in all, I believe between us, we have now covered almost every aspect that needed addressing ... famous last words, I know. The point is, I have now done those things I always considered needed looking at and doing since initial release, and were highligted as issues as I began to work on module two.

MODULE TWO

I have started looking at module two again, as there was some crossover fixes that affected the second module more than the first. So, while new content has been short coming, although I did even add some recently, the important thing is that the campaign files are looking more robust since this latest update to the ENHANCED version.

ENHANCED RELEASE DATE

I am just running over some final transition testing and may allow my wife to reach the end of her latest play through, and then v1.00 of the ENHANCED version of The Scroll should be made available for you to download and enjoy ... I hope.UPDATE: The Scroll v1.00 E (Enhanced) was release on 19.11.19 and there is a link to its download at the top of this post.

New Rule Added To Players Information

Here We Go Again! (Module Two!)

INTRODUCTION

I am not sure if I will ever get to the end of what I am about to undertake, but I have finally found myself tinkering with module 2 of The Scroll, with a fresh hope of being able to finish it at some point in the future. In all fairness, the second module has a considerable amount of work done to it already, thanks to those who have contributed with area designs, and the fact that the campaign code is mostly already written. However, putting it all together with a plot that works well enough to keep the player playing and intrigued is that much more difficult to do, in my opinion. And that takes time and energy: the former I am currently blessed with, but the latter, not so much. If I don't pace this correctly, then it will never happen, no matter how much I would like it to. Therefore, I will keep this blog as a record and (hopefully) an encouragement to keep going. And any feedback that you (the reader) give me along the way, may well be the make or break of it.

First Things First

1) PLOT: Thankfully, the hard part, the plot, is already taken care of ... but only in part! The point being, if I did not have a story to tell, then no matter how many area designs I have available to me, a lack of conversations or plot would quickly bring this latest project to an end. However, there is still the problem that even though I have the plot in mind, the same problems of forming a good-flowing, fully cohesive story that a player can have pleasure interacting with, remain. i.e. There are critical plot points, but I need to fill the blanks with enjoyable and meaningful content. I will need to put flesh on the bones of the plot - and that will take time to create. This also means writing all those conversations!

2) AREAS: Again, I want to thank those people who have contributed area designs for module 2, which help a great deal towards this section of the work. I can honestly say that I have been most impressed with other people's artistic talent, which have gone a long way to help inspire me with ideas to flesh out the story. If it were not for their work already, then I think this second module would never have left the ground. That said, I still need to alter some parts of some of the area designs, simply because they need some aspects changed to work with the story I have in mind, which is based upon my pen and paper campaign (PnP) from the early 80's. There are also still a few areas missing, which I need to build.

3) CONVERSATIONS: This is the part where the story starts to come to life, with the "spoken" word! Actually, I also like to move a plot line along with the written word in the likes of readable books and scrolls too, but conversations with NPCs are what give a module "breath" in my opinion. However, these also take a lot of time and care, not just for the conversation itself, but to tie in all the events and options that become available to a player as they progress.

Facing The Blank Page

Having the main framework in place is one thing, but I still needed to open the toolset and start somewhere ... and opening the toolset can be much like facing the blank page when writing. In the last few weeks, I have been fixing any problems my wife has found in her SP testing, and updating the campaign to make module to module transfer work more smoothly. That "obvious" stuff now done, I am now turning to the creative element of coding, and hence, the start of this blog record.

Thankfully, I was able to find all my old PnP notes from the past, so that I could refresh my mind with the main plot ... there was a lot to consider. To begin with, the campaign is written for both players new to the campaign and those who have played from the PnP days. Therefore, especially with the first module, I had to consider what the player's PC would know and how they would react when in the world. However, this continues in the second module, especially when the player meets with NPCs that they may have met before if they played in the PnP days ... or not.

With this in mind, and having ensured the core module to module code functioned correctly with the v2.65 release, I decided to concentrate my efforts (for now) on the "first" adventure that the players could potentially come across, either by their own exploration (or guided by the story).

Now, true to form, I will try not to spoil anything by what I write in these blogs, but now follows my latest specifics ...

EPISODE 1: RECALLING THE PAST

As I begin this series on the latest module build, I decided to do it in an episodic format, just because it helps me ... and maybe makes it feel less dry for the reader. ;)

Because the player is still joining the module in one of two backgrounds, I decided that the best course of action is to allow the player to continue with their quest, according to the remaining quests from module 1. This, ultimately, will mean travelling to Boran. However, there are a number of places they could veer off to along the way, as the opening area will be an overland map.

Irrespective of this for now, I have decided to work on some interior area layouts to do with an outdoor area that was created for me by HOSA. The outdoor area represents an area my original PnP players PCs will have visited in the past, and so I need to try to be as faithful to its original PnP design as possible, but with some poetic licence thrown in for using the NWN2 toolset.

I find that writing for such an area (like I did for New Edgeton in module one) comes with its own set of challenges, mainly because the buildings provided do not always match what I may have originally drawn. Thankfully, this PnP scenario was played over 30 years ago, and so even my most loyal player would have trouble remembering the original design. The benefits of using previously employed PnP material, however, is that it helps drive me along, much like the other player created areas do.

The other advantage of using material from so long ago is that anything I do rebuild within NWN2 gives my old time players a chance to revisit the places and even redo the original scenario (with some minor plot alterations to reflect the changes since they were last here), and be designed in such a way that the quest works for old and new players to bring them both up to speed with the main plot. After all, the old time players will have most likely forgotten much of the plot themselves in the years that have passed since we played, and so the remade scenario works all round bringing all players backgrounds to the same point.

So, that will do as an intro for now ... Basically, I am currently working on some interior areas that support the existing area by HOSA, which I have modified slightly. I will write more about this progress, and mention some of those aspects I am changing with respect to design in Episode Two, the next blog post. For now, here is a screenshot from HOSA's area to whet the appetite.

What Place Is This That The Heroes Have Discovered?

The Scroll: New Version 2.65 Release Imminent (Big Update) - PENDING!

First, I would like to thank my wife for giving the time to play test The Scroll in its single-player (SP) mode, enabling me to be able to iron out any new bugs that may have been introduced since our testing/updating of the multi-player (MP) sessions a the few months previously. She is finally coming to the end of the story (for a second time) after playing for another 70 hours (according to the in-game timer).

I would also like to thank all of you who have been waiting patiently for the latest version after the many updates I had been doing to overcome MP issues (and some updates), which may have introduced their own problems in the course of the latest changes. In some tests, I had even had to reverse/adjust some updates, as they did cause some issues of their own. Thankfully now, however, I believe the work has now paid off to allow me to present the latest v2.65, which should be relatively sound, even with the latest adjustments.

THE UPDATE INFO

Of all the changes, the main thing is that the latest code has been finalised with respect to module swap-overs. While this will not have any immediate obvious effect on playing The Scroll, it does now enable the player to keep either, in order of preference (a) A final save game, or (b) An exported PC, with which to start play with any of my modules released in the future. e.g. The Scroll (Part 2). And while this may appear to be a long way off, I am still trying to write this latest module when my health and time allows. It is my hope to release both modules 2 and 3, but time will tell.

The good news with respect to later modules is that the core campaign code is in place and means adding new material is somewhat more easy simply because I am not having to rewrite the core code, allowing me to concentrate on plot and any dedicated story scripts instead.

NB: I need to point out that due to a core change in one of the module's areas, this latest version is definitely NOT compatible with any previous editions of the game. I apologise for that, and can only recommend you start afresh - and hopefully are able to enjoy the game in its more completed state.

IMPORTANT REPAIRS

During the course of many updates since withdrawing the module for repairs, it has undergone probably a further 100 or more updates, ranging from simple typos, to some significant code changes. And while I know it is unlikely that I will have squashed every bug (even now), I do hope the critical ones have finally been put to bed. Some of these have included:-

1) JOURNAL ENTRIES: In some unusual circumstances, in the course of testing, a journal entry sometimes failed to update. Most of the times it was non-critical, but was still misleading. The ones that may have not fired that were critical often related to other areas of code problems, such as critical item drops (need to be acquired to update the journal). Such areas of the code have now undergone some rigorous testing to ensure the journal entries stay up to date. I also had to reinstate some "double" update code to accommodate TOKENS usage in journal entries, so varying journal entry info updated correctly.

2) ITEM COLLECTION: Various aspects of the code surrounding the acquisition of plot items was the most critical area of updating this patch addresses, as it could potentially be the biggest cause of broken quests. From item drops on the death of creatures, to items passed from NPC/PC to others, the code has been looked at very closely. As always, most of the issues were caused by timing of the code, which I have now streamlined.

3) FORCED CONVERSATIONS: Addressed some rare issues of some important conversations failing to fire if the player was either "compromised" or the player was not playing their Main PC. While these conversations could often be recovered (by manual player interaction), this could, nevertheless, not be relied upon.

4) TRANSITIONS: The last of the critical aspects addressed were transitions, which one would have thought to be the most straightforward from the very start. However, due to the number of checks the module makes when a player exits an area, a timing issue caused some failures if the transition was from a conversation. It was a simple enough fix when found, but still required testing to ensure I had caught all places it was required. There was even one last requirement in the last session my wife play-tested, which was pretty much well after she had been everywhere. Thankfully, this is one of those issues that once fixed, will stay fixed.

Going forward, I hope now that all my critical hook scripts, On(UN)Acquire, On(UN)Equip, etc, are now fully settled and tested sufficiently for both PCs and NPCs/Monsters to such a degree that any "additions" are now only made to those linked executable scripts, which do not interfere with the general functionality of the main ones. E.g. The On Area Enter  now calls its own dedicated executable script for events that happen on entering the areas, including any new ones I have to cater for. Therefore, in theory, the existing code (including those parts already in the additional executable) will not be affected as I continue to update with newer modules/areas.

IMPORTANT UPDATES

Many of the last updates I was uploading previously was to do with changes related to the MP side of the game, and the alterations I was having to make for both MP and SP support. This is why (in the end) I made the decision to stop the many updates and concentrate on a SP testing to allow me to re-release the module after further updating/testing.

1) TB SYSTEM: I believe those issues that MP testing highlighted gave me some important pointers on where I needed to improve the SP code too. In particular (and I know not all will be using this aspect of the game), was the Althéa Turn-Based Combat System. I provided a video to show how the newer update allowed better switching between AI and PUPPET MODES for all or individual PC control. As my wife used this system with every battle, I was able to overcome all the issues that she encountered, including such things as "compromised" PCs. I believe I have ironed out all major issues with this system now, and hopefully even the minor issue we had of "ghosted" ammo appearing in an ammo slot when it clearly is not actually available. (Let me know if you experience it.)

2) RIGHT-CLICK INVENTORY: After recognising that the right-click was missing the option to open an inventory, I decided to add it. The default is the Main PC, or the PC you right-click on.

3) RECIPE BOOK INFO: The information for a recipe book now falls inline with other inventory items, in that you now have to left-click on the book to have the feedback in the chat window, rather than simply hover as before.

MINOR ISSUES OVERCOME

As I implied above, there has also been a large number of minor "annoying" bugs fixed, from (a) intermittent problems with the automated inventory item collection system and stacking; (b) the  Summon Clockroach horn failing; (c) placeable damage feedback; (d) Cutscene encounters not firing; (e) Sound files not firing, and even (f) Encumbrance values, among some others I do not mention here.

THE CHALLENGE

Now the challenge remains for both me and you! For me, it is to try to persevere with the next module, especially now that my wife and friend are awaiting the next instalment. And for you, if you feel encouraged to do so (and when it is finally uploaded), is to try out The Scroll for yourself!

Be warned, however, that among other things, I have addressed creature balancing, which my wife found more challenging on her SP game, second time around. I believe it can still be possible to run through the game without taking a "defeat", but the path you take will affect the odds.

Furthermore, The Scroll is as much a thinking man's dungeon as well as a dungeon-crawlers, who usually like to simply hack their way through. You will come across puzzles that require player input, even if there are often short-cuts too.

However, the game CANNOT be beaten unless the player takes note of what is provided by the story, and is involved with what is going on. It is the closest "PnP feeling" game to D&D on computer that I know of, and I have played my fair share of computer games. It was designed as a D&D campaign from the start; and as a DM of pen and paper for many years, I used to design puzzles for my players to overcome within the game as a matter of course. This aspect remains within The Scroll, and would require your attention!

As the advert says in the first Ripped Puzzle: "Illiterates need not apply!"

The Scroll: Version 2.63 Now Available (Inc Consolidation Fix)

This latest version 2.63 is an IMPORTANT update, as it fixes some “consolidation” code, which can cause some inventory mayhem when you collect more items of a type that would go beyond their stacking limit!

E.g. 1: If you bought some iron rations (that stack in bundles of ten), all would be well until you bought the 11th item, at which point it would fail.

E.g. 2: You have some arrows divided into two stacks of 25 each, and buy a new stack. The stacks would try to consolidate, and then cause mayhem!

As I say though, this latest patch fixes that problem. It also addresses the following:- 

1) ITEM DROPS: Some items “placeable” counterparts were incorrect. I have fixed those I have come across and found. E.g. Books, and a ring found in a shrub.

2) ALTAR BONUS UPDATE: Temp HPs provided by an altar now are NOT removed by resting, so they have a longer life span for the sacrifice made.

3) DATABASE BACKUP: More database fixes for module transfers, including the ability to now recover (more accurately) a lost or broken database.

4) PLOT ITEM RELEASE: Plot items that are no longer used are now made non-plot so they can be sold or dropped after completing the main task of the game.

This marks the end of our DM controlled MP gaming test. However, my wife is currently running her own SP test, and we plan to play another MP run through (no DM this time) in the coming weeks. Therefore, there will be some more intensive testing, which should help rid the final problems that may remain.

The Scroll: Version 2.62 Now Available (Bardic Instruments)

There have been a couple of minor updates since v2.59, plus an overhaul to the bardic songs. My wife intends to play through The Scroll again, and wanted to play the bard class. Upon creating and testing a PC, we soon became aware that the instruments do not appear to add any benefit when equipping said instrument, and so I determined to look into it. After all, what would be the point to buying an instrument and taking up an equipment slot, if the instrument adds no benefit compared to a shield or second weapon. To thi s end, I did a search online to see if anybody else had come to the same conclusion and found that Clubok (who also inspired me to go more into Readable Books) had done this:

https://neverwintervault.org/project/nwn2/script/bard-song-buffs-instruments#comment-48111

I decided to pick up the mantle (again) and came up with my own bardic instrument system, which now offers players some minor benefits for using instruments with their bard PC as opposed to shields or a second weapon.

I have recoded the bard songs to work as follows when “wielding” instruments, with the following understanding:-

1. An instrument’s value determines a base bonus figure, which the bonuses are calculated from. All bonuses use this figure, and I have removed any reliance on “level” as (a) this is already used in some of the songs and (b) I felt the difference was too great and imbalanced the song effect.
2. Different songs require ownership of one of the three instruments currently available: drum, flute or lute (or any variant name thereof). Here follows a list of the instruments and how they affect the various songs. Currently, only the Haven Song can use any instrument, and all others require a specific instrument to gain the associated bonuses.
3. The player PC need only have an instrument equipped and the code then automatically searches for the best appropriate valued instrument to allocate the bonus. If no instrument is equipped, then no bonuses are applied, and a reminder is given about the benefits of wielding an instrument. i.e. A player does not need to switch instruments if they have one equipped already and carry the one they need. It’s equipping is assumed.
4. There are currently three values of instrument available per instrument:- 0-2500 will give a + 1 bonus variable, 2501-4500 will give a + 2 bonus variable, and > 4500 will give a + 3 bonus variable. (i.e. In the values below change a 1 value to 2 or 3 for the more expensive instruments where appropriate … or double/triple the value.):

THE DRUM DESCRIPTION (BASIC MODEL)

1. Song of Courage : + 1 ATT + 1 DAM
2. Inspire Defence : + 1 AC
3. Inspire Jarring : Penalties + 2 Disc + 1 Conc
4. Inspire Toughness : + 1 Saves
5. Inspire Legion : + 1 DAM + 2 RNDs Duration
6. Inspire Heroics : + 1 AC + 1 Saves HP Boost
7. Haven Song: + 2 Sanc Boost + 2 RNDs Duration (*)

(*) Any instrument does this.

THE FLUTE DESCRIPTION (BASIC MODEL)

1. Inspire Competence: + 1 Skills
2. Inspire Slowing : + 1 Will DC + 5% Slow
3. Cloud Mind Song : + 2 DC + 2 RNDs Duration
4. Fascinate Song: + 2 DC + 2 RNDs Duration
5. Haven Song: + 2 Sanc Boost + 2 RNDs Duration (*)

(*) Any instrument does this.

THE LUTE DESCRIPTION (BASIC MODEL)

1. Inspire Regeneration: + 1 HP Regeneration
2. Ironskin Chant: + 1 Damage Reduction + 2 RNDs
3. Countersong: + 2 Spell Resist + 2 RNDs
4. Song of Freedom: + 2 Level Boost. Large Radius.
5. Haven Song: + 2 Sanc Boost + 2 RNDs Duration (*)

(*) Any instrument does this.

NB: The CAMPAIGN code allows the instruments to be used to give a bonus after updating the folder. However, the instruments descriptions (as above) will only show on newly purchased instruments from a fresh MODULE start. The important point is that the bonuses apply whether you get the instrument description or not.

Other updates for the campaign in the latest versions include:-

1. AREA TRANSITION CODE: Tidying of some conversations and transition code.
2. RAVEL CAMERA: Ravel’s conversation has had some camera angle changes.
3. PATCH INFO: A default “Aargh! Forgot!” type message just in case.
4. REST INFO CORRECTION: Rule update that rest limitations can be worse than 50%.
5. ALTARS: Altars now stop interaction until Life Role set as Channeler or Harvester.
6. FIXMAINPC FIX: Removes an invisible creature that should be removed after use.

The Scroll: Version 2.59 Now Available

I have continued to fix some errors I have come across during testing, including:-

1) ON ACQUIRE FIX (CONSOLIDATION): Basically, the OnAcquire script fires a “consolidation” function that prior to the latest fix caused the OnAcquire to FAIL to fire for items acquired at the same time as a gem or other stackable item. The function now has a slight delay to allow the OnAcquire script to finish prior its calling. This will now fix issues like “Bound” Life Essences being collected instead of "Unbound" ones, and allow gems to collect into their appropriate containers (if carried). The “Bound” Life Essence problem was reported in v2.54, but was thought of as a “glitch” only. It has now been confirmed as a bug caused by this issue, now fixed (hopefully). The workaround would be to transfer the “bound” life essences between PCs, which would make them “unbound”. And, gems would have to be placed manually sometimes. This fix resolves those issues from occurring in the first place.

2) GRAVE HIGHLIGHT (MODULE UPDATE REQUIRED): Module versions prior to this latest did not highlight Josiah’s Grave in the graveyard. Originally, I left it more difficult to find, making it only for those players that stumbled across it with closer inspection. However, I think this falls into the realm of “pixel hunting” (especially as the z key highlight facility would also NOT highlight it) and so I decided to update the particular grave with a gold sparkle so players now know it can be interacted with. The sparkle disappears after an initial inspection. If you do not update to this latest version, note that the grave can still be interacted with, but you have to locate it with your mouse pointer first.

3) AWARD TESTS (IF DATABASE DELETED): A few versions back, I added the facility to allow a player to restart the campaign using the PC with the *same * name. (i.e. Effectively, the same PC.) It meant that previous saved games with the PC of this name would (possibly) no longer work as expected (and so were warned NOT to be used), but it also meant the player could easily start again with the same PC if they wished by choosing to delete the associated database with the PC. There was a minor error, in that the optional “Award Tests” game would not reset properly. This has now been fixed in the latest version.

4) VILLAGERS RISK REPORT: Removed erroneous info being reported on villagers and patrons if examined. NOTE: If you are already in the village (or Bloated Buckle), then you would need to leave the area and enter it again before the description updates correctly.

5) TLK FILE UPDATE: I also discovered another TLK description that had some wrong info. Therefore, I have now updated the Others file/folder again with the updated TLK file. (It’s to remove the reference in the feat description of Party Survivor, which says “The Main PC with this feat also has the benefit of not suffering any damage due to hunger. Companions can still die from hunger though.” This is NOT correct information and can be ignored.)

The Scroll: Version 2.57 Now Available

Another update for today: The latest v2.57 addresses those issues listed below … Please note that the Vol Gift fixes simply fix the way the gifts were supposed to work, with the exception of the No Fear of Death feat, which has been changed to the player (as opposed to the party), so it works in the same way as other Vol Gifts that are also only based on the player.

1) VOL GIFTS (UPDATED): In a MP game, the Companion Protector gift will now become available for all players who wish to select it, and not just to the first chooser.

2) VOL GIFTS (UPDATED): In a MP game, the No Fear of Death will now only work for the player that selects it. i.e. No longer can one player select it for all players to benefit from the gift. Only the PCs controlled by the player with the gift will have their PCs benefit.

3) VOL GIFTS (CLARIFIED): The No Fear of Death description will be corrected to read when any character falls in combat, rather than just the main PC (or leader).

4) DWARF SMITH: Open and available if encountered outdoors, even if after close time.

5) COMPANIONS GOLD: Removed gold coin item from companionable creatures. (Fresh start only.)

NB: In our own campaign, Jen does not currently have the Companion Protector feat because it was disabled to her because of the way the options had been setup. This was an error, and led us to believe that her companions were also protected by this feat, when they were not. i.e. If Threska had "died", then a tombstone would have been created because she was not protected by the Companion Protector feat. We never witnessed this to date because Threska was the only companion never to fall in battle! This can be seen by loading a TEST save and reading the Companion Protector feat description (before updating to the latest version), which states the Gift only works for the player that had selected it, and NOT for the companions of other players.

Going forward in our own campaign, (and in the light of this new information), I will allow players to choose their gift again, if they so wish. Jen has already stated that she may now opt for the Companion Protector feat. Bear in mind that this update means that XP penalties will apply on any "death" for characters of a player that does not have the No Fear of Death Vol Gift. i.e. Just like PnP days, a PC will suffer an XP penalty for "dying", even if they "recover" if a player also has the Companion Protector feat.

The Scroll: Version 2.56 Now Available

A player reported they had a situation where the Scroll given by Vol appeared in their inventory multiple times. The following fixes were applied, which the same player reported had fixed the problem. I also addressed a couple of other issues that could occur, especially if a player started the campaign with only a single PC.

The latest version, v2.56, addresses the following issues:-

1) MAINPC HEARTBEAT: If a player started with only one PC (did not create any others), then their Main PC heartbeat would not start. The same issue would occur if the player did not possess another PC at least once. Therefore, the latest fix ensures a pseudo PC is added/possessed/removed to ensure the heartbeat gets started. (This evaded me in the past as I always played with a party from the start.)

2) VOL GIFTS: On the back of the above issue, a player could miss out on a Vol Gift entirely, as it relied upon a heartbeat call from the MainPC. So if a player either had no other PCs or had not possessed one before meeting Vol, then this script would not fire. Now, it is also set to fire the moment the conversation with Vol ends.

3) MOD VARIABLES: As somebody had reported issues with receiving multiple copies of The Scroll item, I have reworked the “between module variable controller” to use an item that the Main PC already carries, thereby avoiding creating another item and thereafter having to rely on destroying said item. In testing, the old method could sometimes fail, leaving the player sometimes with no Scroll item, or even with multiple Scroll items. In testing the new system, this appears fixed … and also no longer prevents a player from leaving an area, as it relies on an integer rather than an object check now.

4) INVENTORY (NEW PC): A minor update. I added a line of code that would ensure the player could read “A New PC Has Been Selected” in the inventory window if they had previously scrolled the window description and then selected a new PC.

The Adventure Continues ... 1. Welcome Home! (The Scroll Undergoes Some Multi-Player Fixes)

Any kind of significant updates to The Scroll have been short coming over the last year since the last major update in v2.02, which came out on 19 December 2017. However, I have finally been able to begin a multi-player trial with my wife and friend, from which I hope to address any new issues we may discover during our time playing.

Since v2.02, there has been some minor preparations in updates for MP gaming and for any potential new modules to the campaign. To date, the latest version available is v2.09, which is the most stable SP experience, but does still contain some issues for MP gaming that will be addressed with later version updates.

Full MP Testing Finally Underway

My wife, Jennifer, and a friend of ours, called Graham, formed a small party of PCs to play “The Scroll” with me using the DM Client (acting as the HOST). They connected via LAN and WAN respectively. This method of play through allowed me (as the DM), to monitor actions taken by the players and take notes for any fixes required.

Even this initial testing has revealed that there are need of some fixes when playing “The Scroll” in multi-player, especially when using the DM Client as the host. As I have said before, v2.09 is (as far as I am aware), a solid single-player experience now. However, some of these later fixes will have some benefit to a single-player experience too. E.g. Typo corrections.

Below is a list of fixes that have already been addressed and will be available in the next game files updates. (I will keep readers updated when latest file revisions become available.): -

NB: Remember that these fixes mainly affect multi-player gaming experience: -

1. TYPO correction in “Real Life” Rule Info section - “Equivalent”.
2. Calendar Rule Info now updates at the correct game trigger when selecting Option 1 Background.
3. Multi-player CHAT window toggle (via Rod tool option) now keeps correct toggle between areas/loads.
4. In the event of a player leaving a game, any plot Items are now temporarily stored on the HOST rather than a potential leader of party. This is in case it was the leader who dropped out from the game that a DM was hosting. (i.e. The leader is not necessarily the HOST in a MP game, which had been the previous assumption. Especially when there is a DM at the helm.)
5. Area Entry code had some other fixes, especially relating to the DM Client as HOST, including: ensuring the SAVE GAME request stopped repeating between sessions; preventing combat GUI from falsely starting on first entry of DM.
6. Campaign Welcome “sound” message fixed for SP game.

I am also currently looking into changing the default colour of the “greyed” text that a player (not directly involved in the conversation) sees when another player is in a conversation. It is “greyed” because the indirectly involved player is not able to make any selections. However, I think it would be better for these players to be able to read the options in a COOP game more easily than the grey version, to help discuss with player making the selection. I need to find a colour that will still represent their inability to directly participate, but be clearer to read that the grey currently does - and assuming I can “fix” this. UPDATE: This has now been fixed via quickchat.xml file.

The Adventure Continues ... 1. Welcome Home!

So, how did the gaming session play out ... with warts and all?

NB: Contains spoilers for Option 1 background.

The three of us started the session with an understanding that this was the first time The Scroll had undergone a proper MP session since our last attempt in the previous June, when some fixes and preparations had to be later implemented due to some "serious" DM Client issues that prevented us from going any further at that time .. and so we were prepared for a potentially bumpy ride.

Thankfully, although it took a couple of minutes for the server to have the players ready to play (loads take longer in MP games), everything started as it should do, and those problems of last June were not present. Graham (on WAN) created a fighter PC called Helden to act as the party leader, with two other supporting PCs, a wizard called Karasten and a cleric, called Elana, for a total of three PCs. My wife, Jennifer (on LAN), played a single PC, a rogue called Myara. So, the session started with three players, with me as the DM and HOST of the session, and two other players controlling a party of four PCs among them.

PLOT ITEMS ISSUE: The first "major" issue we encountered was when Graham on a WAN connection needed to drop out of the session and rejoin (due to an innocuous sound issue, which was resolved on restarting). This revealed the issue that any PLOT items (item 4 above) MUST needs transfer to the HOST. This was an issue because in this case, Graham, although playing the leader of the party was NOT the host, and so when the game tried to preserve plot items within the session by transferring them to the "leader" of the party (which is usually the HOST in a MP session without a DM), it was not possible as they were the same player that was dropping out in this instance. This led to a plot item that Helden was carrying (from the start of the game) to be "lost" by the time he had rejoined the session.

RETURNING TO A GAME IN SESSION: There was also a related issue in that when Graham returned to the game, the code had "lost" where to jump the player to to join the other player(s), as it was trying to jump to the leader's position, which he already was! Therefore, I updated the code to ensure the returning player is jumped to the HOST, which if it is the DM, then the DM can ensure the player thereafter reaches the correct area and position (if need be).

RELOADING A GAME: Because the party leader, Helden, had "lost" a plot item upon returning to the session, we decided to reload the game. This is when I noticed the DM was asked to SAVE the game again (item 5 above), which was not required. Furthermore, nearby creatures could cause an invalid combat alert (which did self-terminate correctly anyway), when a DM entered, but this has now also been corrected, as it was a nuisance. Lastly, the MP chat window (which we had closed before saving) had not remembered our settings (item 3 above). This was also fixed.

After reloading and ensuring all items were present and correct (and giving the players time to become familiar with the new interfaces and campaign rules), the party set forth on their adventure. They recognized that Vol had returned them to Althéa close to their home village, New Edgeton, and so knew Taloy, the village Reeve, should be able to help them out. (Graham selected the "Companion Protector" Vol Gift for his PCs, and Jennifer chose the "No Fear of Death" Vol Gift for the party as a whole.)

With journal and DM guidance, the players headed east/south towards where they knew the village was located. Travel was smooth and without incident, although time had moved on and by the time they reached the village, it was already dark and around 9.00 pm. Only the Blood Guard patrolled the village area. (The earlier first cut-scene had worked fine.) Other villagers were either already in bed or at the local inn, The Bloated Buckle. This did not stop Myara from casually looking over a nearby building that intrigued her (Merkes Place), and discover a secret door to the building. The party checked out the secret door and followed it inside, but decided not to go in any further under advisement of Karasten, and especially as they lacked any equipment, including weapons or armour that may be required for entering where they were unwanted. For the time being, the heroes simply made a mental note of the secret entrance and continued into the village.

MINOR JOURNAL GLITCH: While traveling about the village, the "CALENDAR" information journal entry updated sooner than it should have done. (Item 2 above.) This has now been fixed to only update for background option 1 after speaking with Taloy, which is when it was supposed to update. (On a positive note, the optional campaign quiz event started without problems, and the players are already starting to fill in the answers.)

Shortly after wondering further into the village, Myara was pulled over for a random search by one of the Blood Guard. Thankfully she was "clean" of any stolen goods and the guard allowed her to move on. This was a new experience for Myara though. Since when did guards start patrolling basic village streets and do random searches? After all, New Edgeton was only a village, not a town! As it was late and the party had missed the local traders opening times, the heroes decided that a visit to the local inn was probably a good idea to find company, food and a place to stay.  

Upon visiting The Bloated Buckle, the heroes found Taloy, and managed to catch up with events with him. A lot had changed since they had last spoken: Events such as The Darkening had taken place, and there had been the coming of the Empire! A lot of changes in what they had perceived as so little time, but then again, more time had passed while they had been away in the Outer Planes than they had realized: eighteen months had passed!

Taloy not only brought the party up to date with events, but also generously gave each of them 10 gp towards food and lodging, as the party had returned from the Outer Planes with nothing more than worn under garments. (ECONOMY: The campaign has had the economy settings redefined to equate 1 gp being equivalent to one day's work for somebody well paid. Therefore, when Taloy handed out a total of 40 gp, that would equate to around one months wages for somebody in his position. For many on low wages, this would equate to 2-3 months wages. As another guideline, ten days food rations costs 1 gp. Although, a meal at an inn could cost 1 gp, or as much as you could drink for the same money.)

Knowing that even the generous 10gp that Taloy gave to each of them would not last long, the party also made inquiries how they might be able to earn more gold. Taloy directed them to help out the guards along the west road (as long as they acquired a work permit first), and towards the Mercy Board at the local sanctuary that advertised tasks for a reward of gold. And if they wanted to know more about the Empire, they needed to check out the Notice Board outside the inn, which also sometimes advertised work required doing for gold.

And that is where we are at for the time being .... the party making contact with the local village, acquiring 40 gp for the four of them, and in need of some rest and new equipment, as well as needing to start finding some tasks to earn more gold!

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 44 Minutes. (This was shorter than normal due to the need to restart.)