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!

Patching A Module

After reading that Amraphael is close to releasing his Zork module for testing and enquiring about haks, I thought I would share this information again about my "Empty Hak" idea. It is a simple idea that allows builders to release haks of any size, and then continue to support their module with a much smaller manageable hak if need be. Not only that, but there is the added bonus that the hak allows the player to patch the module and continue playing within the same game without having to start again. Here is an edited copy of my original post that I made on the Bioware forums 13th July 2007.

THE PURPOSE: To allow players to simply update the module they are playing with latest fixes without having to start the module again.

THE CONCEPT: Use the hak facility to update code in a module that may require fixing.Using a hak to update code is possible because anything in a hak takes priority over the code that is within a module.

PREPARATION: The only real preparation for the builder is to have an "empty" hak (containing nothing apart from a readme.txt explaining what the hak is there for) that is separate from any other hak, which is associated with the module at build time, and that can easily be updated as patches are required. This hak MUST contain this readme file as the hak must contain a file to work.

PATCHING PROCEDURE: Should the builder have the need to change a script or a conversation, or even add items, then all they need to do, is have access to the "temp" folder within the modules directory while they make the alterations. Inside this temp directory are all the files that *can* be added to the hak to make alterations to original mod. For example, if you alter a script (and compile it), *before* saving the module, you can go to the temp directory (alter view by latest files updated) and notice the NCS and NSS files have been updated when last compiled. In this case, it is the NCS (compiled script) that we need to add to the hak that will take priority over the current one in the module. This could just have easily been a DLG (conversation) that had just been altered in some way.

CONSIDERATIONS: Sometimes, resolving the exact problem may not always be obvious, and the builder may have to use other scripts to help resolve the problem in the module. Here is an example of a problem I had with Soul Shaker that helps demonstrate the patching facility at work:

MODULE PROBLEM EXAMPLE

A situation was reported where someone could get themselves locked inside a room without the key to get out.

PATCHING PLAN OF ACTION: I had to find a way of doing the following:a) Check if the player was in this situation.b) Work out a way of adding the key to somewhere in the room if this was the case.

THE PATCH: This problem also required the need for a new item (the key), so in the toolset I built a new key blueprint (that would fit the door) and grabbed that from the temp folder (it was a UTI file). Then I did the following: There was a trigger in the room and so I altered its Onenter script to check if the player fell in the “patch required” category (did they need the key!). If they did, then the new script now created the new key on a nearby humanoid corpse placeable, which I located in the script with GetNearestObjectByTag, which was in the room.

THE PATCH AT WORK: So, I added the new UTI (key item) and NCS (trigger Onenter) files to the “unique” hak that I reserved for this purpose and uploaded it for people to use instead of the previously empty one. Now, when the module plays, it will refer to the scripts in the hak as priority over the “older” ones in the module and play out as explained above. NB: I imagine there may be *some* situations where there is no easy way to "disguise" a patch at work. In other words, if this room in the example above had no access to any nearby objects with scripts, then there may be no other solution than to add the "patch" as an alteration to the players OnEnter script if they meet the "patching" requirements and simply give them the item as they enter the game. Of course, if it is just a variable or other simple scripting process that needs fixing, then this should be very simple to do.

LATER PATCHES: Later patches simply continue to add to this hak as changes are made. I recommend you keep altered scripts in the newer module (even if you resolve the problem by simply changing the module - like placing a key in the room in the example above) because your altered scripts will then still be available for those who are playing an older version of the module and still *require* the altered code.

NWN Podcast: Golden Dragon Award

Trey and Tyler interviewed me for my Golden Dragon Award at the NWN Podcast. We all had a great time and you can hear the most skilled and edited version by following the link above. I enjoyed the interview and found both Trey and Tyler did a great job of making me feel most welcome. Thanks guys! It was great fun!

For those who listened to the podcast and want to download my story, "Deep Within", you can download it here.

On another note, I am in the process of adding a new computer to my network that is capable of playing NWN2. I need this so that I can test multi-player gaming as I write the module. I have found on occasion that there are certain functions that I am not sure how they will work in a multi-player environment, and so I hope that once the new computer in place, their testing and use will become much clearer.

Unfortunately, at the moment, the ASUS P5Q motherboard I bought appears that it may have a fault, as neither the LAN (speed) nor the sound card (microphone) work properly. I thought it was simply due to bad drivers, but the assistant at ASUS has asked me to get the board changed. I will have to see how that pans out. I don't like doing this though, as it means I have to remove the CPU, memory and other hardware and leave it waiting around until the new motherboard comes along. When I build a PC, the less fitting and removing of hardware the better in my opinion.

The building and subsequent problems with the new computer does mean I have not had the chance to do much module building lately. I look forward to getting settled back into this again.

The End of the Beginning (ADV)

Yesterday's 20th gaming session marked the end of Soul Shaker for my group of players after nearly 40 hours of play, possibly longer if allowing for WAN traffic lag. I believe it went well, apart from one really annoying last minute bug that prevented the heroes from being able to use the portal that led them to the final area. It was easily fixed with me at the helm as DM, but it frustrated me and concerned me that other players may have encountered the same bug, and I wanted to make sure I had the fix up as soon as possible. To this end, patch v1.10 is already up along with the v1.10 module. I also updated the module version number in the module to read correctly, as I had not updated the number through versions 1.06-1.09, even though the module was updated correctly. Finally, I also ensured all players in a MP game would enter cutscene in the final encounter.
The end of Soul Shaker will also mark the end of me writing synopses in this way, as they are quite time consuming, and I am not sure if their use warrants the time spent on them. In future, and when we actually get back to playing, I will probably reserve my time to writing much briefer synopses (with far less detail) that will be no more than a single paragraph or two that is written directly on the blog rather than be directed to my web pages.
With Soul Shaker finished, there is little reason left for me to keep NWN1 installed on my computer now, except that I will leave it there so I can continue bug-fixing it if anybody should still find a bug I have missed. That is probably the only reason I will leave it installed though, unless a new module does grab my attention and I find I want to play it. This is unlikely though, as writing for the new module will take priority now, and if I was going to look at a new module, it would more than likely be one written for NWN2.

I thought now might be a good time to announce the working title of my next module (written in NWN2) for the new era of the Althéa Campaign: "Better The Demon You Know". As readers of this blog will know, I have been writing material for the new era since around Summer 2007, and that while it has been a slow start, I may be able to concentrate more on the new module now that Soul Shaker is officially completed for our group.

This afternoon (4.00 p.m. B.S.T.), I have an interview with the podcast crew, and so I hope to be able to give a link to that in the near future. For now though, here is the snippet and link to the last synopsis for quite some time ....

SYNOPSIS SNIPPET: (REALM LEVEL: 9th) REALM TIME: 37 Hours Approx.

"Slowly, the heroes approached the seated figures, the screams from the soul prison getting louder as they approached. Yet, the humanoids did not move. Were they dead? Karasten approached one of them even closer and tried to speak with it. Immediately, as if disturbed from its own wretched nightmare, the emaciated being rose and attacked the Influencer."  

Download the full synopsis here.

The Deep Lair (ADV)

My group's gaming session was postponed from last Wednesday to Friday due to the problem introduced to my computer system after patching NWN2. However, when we did get to play on Friday, all went well. We managed to get in over two hours of play, and apart from one network dead link for the WAN player, all went well.

In the process of writing up this week's synopsis, I did realise there was a typo in the journal, but more importantly, I also realised there was a possible exploit with Lord Reginold's combination code. I won't go into details of this exploit, but suffice to say, I have now uploaded v1.09 of the module to correct this and the typos I have found over the last few weeks.

I have been working on my NWN2 module today, but I will save any updates about that for a later post. One thing I will say now, however, is that Factions appear to work in the opposite way to how I thought when you look at them in the faction editor. I thought that if group A were friendly to group B, then A would defend group B. However, in practice, it turns out it works the other way around, in that group B defends group A, even if group B are "less friendly" to group A, than A were to group B.

SYNOPSIS SNIPPET: (REALM LEVEL: 9th) REALM TIME: 34 Hours 50 Mins

"The group walked up to the man to speak with him, and soon learned that he was none other than Lord Reginold himself. Unfortunately, the force field that held the leader of the refugees captive was made secure by a combination lock that not even Myara could work. It appeared the heroes would need to find the exact combination before the lord would be freed." 

Download the full synopsis here.

The Diaries of a Madman? (ADV)

Eighteen weeks later and the group is still playing after nearly 33 hours in total! Game play went smoothly again, considering I have recently had hardware problems with one of my computers (the one my wife's character is stored on). After being switched on, it now wants to reboot a couple of times before settling down, which suggests to me that I have a heat-related problem and may turn out to be the same as it was before when the memory needed reseating. Anyway, that aside, the game went smoothly apart from one small hiccough when Myara's hitpoints suddenly appeared to drop a significant chunk for no apparent reason. I was unable to give any explanation for this, but a simple reload of a slightly earlier position restored her to the correct amount.

Reloading like this is not something I usually recommend with Soul Shaker, due to its use of campaign variables, but if you know what you are doing and needs must, then it can be done. Doing so, did mean I had to live edit the database so that we could all use the latest Soul Orb Prison again, but it was easily done.

Fellow NWN Bloggers

As an aside, I decided to look for fellow NWN bloggers yesterday, and in particular, NWN2 bloggers to see how other are getting along with their projects. After a couple of hours surfing, I found a great bunch of sites that appear to have regular correspondence between each other and have added all of them to my own blog selections. It was good to see many names that I already recognised there as well, and hopefully, I might be able to start getting a little more interactive with them all myself. After all, I know what it's like trying to build a module ... it's always nice to get feedback and encouragement from fellow builders.

SYNOPSIS SNIPPET: (REALM LEVEL: 8th) REALM TIME: 32 Hours 40 Mins

"The group found at least six tomes: One read as a Project Diary, another as a book on Denizens, and the final four made a set of volumes that spoke about the planes of existence, entitled, Myria Planus. Each of these larger tomes gave a great deal of insight about the Realm in which they now found themselves, and the Project Diary even revealed one or two plans of the lich and how it hoped to accomplish them. Whether it spoke in truth or madness, it was hard to tell. "  Download the full synopsis here.

AME Interview Now Available

The AME group interviewed me about my work and Soul Shaker. The interview has now been posted at the AME forums and is available for viewing from here: AME Interview.

Feel free to leave comments or other questions at the forum if you want to and I will answer where I can.

Deep In The Dungeons (ADV)

Play once again went smoothly with no errors or problems to report. Myara was dispersed once, but that was down to some solo adventuring in a dangerous environment. ;) As followers of the adventure wwill know, the heroes managed to gain entrance to the lich's dungeons last week, and this week saw them enter some deeper chambers. They also learned of the lich's phylacteries and to keep an eye open to destroy any they should find.

As a side bit of news, my boxed set of 4th edition D&D books turned up today. I have had a quick look at them and noticed some changes in particular, like the ways spells and powers are now allocated. I am not sure if I like everything that has been done, but as I only ordered them as a source of inspiration for some ideas for myslef, I won't worry about that. And for those interested, D&D Insider looks interesting and while currently unavailable, does offer some things free for the time being. Let's hope it all goes that way.

I have also managed to get my scrolls working (artwork by Quillmaster) and may add an extra post about them at a later date. Now that they are ready, I can start to add some more details to the next chapter of the campaign. Books and scrolls will play a fair part in the future, and is why I wanted a good GUI interface to play them with fun. I have a few ideas already, but at the moment, they remain simply as ideas until I have the time and energy to put them into something more solid. Hopefully soon.

SYNOPSIS SNIPPET: (REALM LEVEL: 8th) REALM TIME: 30 Hours 40 Mins

"Upon entering the eastern chambers, the heroes were confronted with a rune circle etched into the tiles on the floor. It immediately raised all their suspicions, especially Karasten who warned everybody that they may be in for an imminent attack. And sure enough, the moment Myara first entered the circle, imps were summoned to attack the intruding heroes."  

Download the full synopsis here.

The Tower's Secret (ADV)

Week sixteen and all is well! Tonight went smoothly again with no real bugs to report. A typo was noticed in one of the journal entries, which I have now corrected in my own current build, but it was not enough to warrant a public update yet. There was one other issue, which could be more of a problem, but I suspect it unlikely to happen for most people and even then, only likely in a multi-player game: Having the refugee gate guard accidentally lock himself out! I could write some code to ensure this does not happen, but I suspect that it was a one-off and I will wait to hear if anybody else encounters the problem before I do anything more about it. In theory, there is still a work around, but again, I won't divulge that unless I really have to, as it is a bit involved.

I have also decided that I will no longer be doing detailed synopses after Soul Shaker has finished. It takes me quite some time to do, which could be better spent either writing new material or elsewhere in general. Instead, for the new era, I will write brief synopses, but include instead, more information that the PC's might find during the gaming session that can be read online instead of during the gaming session. E.g. If the heroes find a book, I will upload the book information as part of a session write up. This way, a player can still be reminded of what happened, but also have more hot points as reminders of what they are trying to achieve.

I am pleased to report that I have been more constructive this week than I have for a long time. I have also had one or two more ideas that I want to script regarding new era Combination Chests. I liked the way these worked in Soul Shaker, along with the various skills and spells, and I have come up with some similar ideas for the new era, but in a way that fits better with the new mechanics. I have not even started to script this yet, but I am hoping to use some of the scripts I have already written (with some minor adjustments), and that it all works out as planned. I will go into more details about these in a future post.

SYNOPSIS SNIPPET: (REALM LEVEL: 8th) REALM TIME: 28 Hours 50 Mins

"It did not take long for Transafin to concoct the potion the heroes required to use against the giant gelatinous creature. After giving thanks to the old wizard, the heroes immediately made their way to the cavern that marked the secret way. Grimbold volunteered to take the potion and use it against the creature. He found that he had to get quite close before he could risk throwing the potion at it. Once he did, however, the creature noticeably weakened and everyone in the group started to attack with either melee or magik. In its weakened state, it did not take long for the creature to fall against the heroes, leaving the way clear to continue."  Download the full synopsis here.

Debut Author AME 2007 NWN Award Winner!

I could not be more proud than to announce that I won the AME Golden Dragon Award for Debut Author for Soul Shaker! I was extremely pleased simply to be nominated from among all the great work that had been produced in 2007, but to then win this category is truly a great honour and probably the most satisfying award I have ever won. There is also a podcast that speaks about the finalists to be found here: podcast.

D&D has been a near life-long hobby of mine, and for many years I have written material for the same group of players. They have always said they enjoyed my work, but I have never known how it compared with other authors. Soul Shaker was my first tentative step for a larger audience and I did not know how well it would be received. The award has made everything I have done worthwhile, as it comes from a group of people who share the same love of a hobby as I do, and to be recognised by ones peers in this way is truly a delight.

Thanks to everybody who supported my work over the years, from the oldest players to the newest. I hope I am able to bring new works to more players in the years to come.

It's All In The Art (ADV)

There was a last minute panic before we started play this week, as I realised that I had not yet updated two of my computers with NWN to v1.69. Thankfully, I had already downloaded the critical patch and so abandoned the "update" method I was using (because the time to start play was approaching fast) so that I could update the two machines in time. The updates went fine and were ready just in time.

I had tested my own computer with v1.69 and everything played OK with Soul Shaker, but the real test would come tonight when we played another session with all computers. Thankfully, again, everything went smoothly, update or otherwise. The only thing I noticed was that if a player joined a multi-player game and was missing a plot item, then they would be given it. This is fine as a safety net against plot items being lost accidentally, but the problem arises when another player may join later who does have the plot item. You end up with two plot items in the game. However, I have decided this is not a major issue as the code does correct for the extra plot items after a quest requiring the plot has been finished. I could add extra code to sort all this out, but I don't think its really necessary. I have, however, made a note about this for future multi-player modules and plot items.

SYNOPSIS SNIPPET: (REALM LEVEL: 8th) REALM TIME: 26 Hours 50 Mins

"Inside the small tower, the group discovered a strange device. Myara, the most proficient when dealing with Realm devices took a closer look: It seemed to be some sort of communication device. Myara then decided to touch the device to see if she could discover something more. Within seconds she heard the voice of the Dark King communicating with her by telepathy through the device." 

Download the full synopsis here.

Citadel Survivors! (ADV)

Tonight saw the heroes escape the citadel and find the refugees hiding away in some nearby caves. The timer showed nearly a healthy 25 hours of play as well, and if we take into account the slight error due to WAN traffic, then the module has lasted quite well according to my own original estimates. It will be interesting to see what the final time records for a MP game, especially as most single-player games are normally coming to a finish around now.

Tonight played without any problems at all. There were no errors found and all conversations with the refugees to date have gone well and the logical flow was as good as it could be for a complex setting like this. I just hope the flow continues to hold true and reliable as the game play continues. This is always the hardest bit to test and assume OK, as people approach NPC's and conversations in a different order to what you may expect, and so opens up the largest window for errors to creep in.

Neverwinter Nights IRC (AME)

Today, I was contacted by Tybae of the AME website about my nomination with Soul Shaker and he asked me to be part of an IRC (chat) on Saturday 12th July at 1700 Hrs GMT with other nominees. I said I would be delighted to take part, and so I hope I am able to answer any questions they may ask of me. I will let you know when and where the transcript will appear.

UPDATE: 13th July: IRC chat log can be found here.

SYNOPSIS SNIPPET: (REALM LEVEL: 7th) REALM TIME: 24 Hours 50 Mins

"For now, all the group wished to avoid the tower and followed the citadel wall around to the west, along its outer wall. The heroes could see that the citadel stood atop a cliff that overlooked a raging water. And yet, somehow, the citadel appeared too close for comfort in places and they were reminded that this was not the original location where the citadel once stood."  

Download the full synopsis here.

The Tower Beckons (ADV)

We managed to get back to playing Soul Shaker again this week. And while we have not played, Soul Shaker has continued to rise through the charts and was last seen holding at a healthy position of 6th place. Furthermore, this is also the week that AME will be announcing their Debut Author for the 2007 Golden Dragon awards for which I have been nominated alongside a couple of others. As I said previously, even to be nominated is an honour, and I can only hope for anything more against such excellent competition.

This week I released SSPatchedScripts v1.08 to allow the Spiritualise spell to give the correct number of spirit fragments when used against damaged items. I had done this for the Spirit Disruptor last time, but neglected to alter this script as well. It is not a major fix, but one that I feel needed to be done.

At one point during play, I did think my Realm Soul Sword was not working as it was meant to. i.e. I thought that using its abilities was supposed to drain a charge like the magik versions, but realised after checking the code that Realm Weapons are only supposed to lose integrity if a miss-hit is made. In other words, it is supposed to be one of their major advantages over the other weapon types by not losing integrity so often. Anyway, I was glad that I did not have to do anything there after all.

Finally, I think I may be having problems with my computer, as it appears to be getting slower over the last few days. At the moment, I am suspecting overheating of some kind, possibly the graphics card, as I even had some display corruption at one time. I guess I will have to open it up and check it out at some point. That new computer is definitely looming closer ... ;)

SYNOPSIS SNIPPET: (REALM LEVEL: 7th) REALM TIME: 23 Hours 20 Mins

"Stepping onto the balcony, the heroes were sheltered from the rain by the walls of the citadel. Through the pouring rain ahead of them they could see an ominous looking tower beyond the reaches of the citadel itself. Was this the lich's tower? Was Terrell being held captive here? The heroes current search of the citadel had proved futile up to now, and unless Terrell was being held somewhere on the top floor, then they would have to extend their search to the outer areas, and very likely the tower as well. Whatever the situation, the tower was not a welcoming sight and somehow appeared out of place here."  

Download the full synopsis here.

Soul Shaker Enters Top Module Listings

I am pleased to announce that Soul Shaker received its 10th vote today and enabled its current average score of 9.47 to help it become listed in the Top Modules for NWN. It is currently listed as #11, and considering how different it is to the standard game that people might be expecting, I am very pleased with how well it has been received. It is a really great feeling to now have two projects recognised in this way. As I may have mentioned before, my Readable Books is listed as the #1 NWN2 UI interface. However, considering the amount of work I placed into Soul Shaker, I am glad that it is receiving recognition.

The success of these projects does help to encourage me to do more work with the current module. I suppose I will have to take the plunge and buy a new computer soon, or simply try to continue with what I have.

Countering Evil Magik (ADV)

It was a battle intensive session this week as the heroes continued in their current task of countering corrupt magik rune circles throughout the ground floor of the citadel, which, in turn, were being defended by automatons called Alatrons. The game ran smoothly enough, and I noticed only a couple of minor issues:

1. The Spirit Disruptor was not returning the correct number of fragments for damaged items.
2. Corpses would not always turn hostile after being disturbed.

I have brought out patch v1.07 to deal with the first problem, but am uncertain what is causing the second. It could be down to a slower network connection on the offending computer and for the time being I have changed my LAN connection for the computer with the problem from 10 to 100. (I have put the netmeeting on the slower connection as the network card only supports 10 anyway.) I have only been able to do this since removing another computer from the network that had been on the only other 100 connection. I am hoping this action will also deal with my slight delay I experience when playing. Furthermore, this may also deal with the timer difference we have been experiencing. Time will tell.

SYNOPSIS SNIPPET: (REALM LEVEL: 7th) REALM TIME: 21 Hours 05 Mins

"The group went up the stairs and found they led to a large library area. The area was dark, but the group could see mushrooms and spider webs were scattered about the area. Grimbold set about clearing the region of mushrooms with his bow, while the others kept watch for spiders. They did not have to wait long, as suddenly, out of the shadows, groups of spiders came to see what had disturbed their nests."  

Download the full synopsis here.

Academy For Modding Excellence (AME): Debut Author Nomination

I am honoured to say that I have been nominated for the Debut Author category of the NWN1 2007 AME awards. After all the years of writing D&D adventures, this is a real honour to have a recognition outside of my own immediate group of players (which is still very much appreciated) and a great encouragement to continue writing for a larger audience. There is even a YouTube Video with some of the gameplay from the Soul Shaker module. (You may have to switch to high quality viewing to make the video playback work.)

I have always been interested in writing. As well as writing adventures for D&D, I also wrote a novel about my campaign, entitled "Deep Within". Therefore, recognition of this kind is greatly appreciated. Hopefully, I might be able to continue giving more work back to the community as time goes by. I am already working on the new era of my campaign (NWN2), which is aimed at a wider audience than previous works.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those supporters of my work over the years, of designing and making material for NWN1 and NWN2 and still have great respect for the testers who have helped me iron out problems to make the modules play as smoothly as possible: Herrjeff, Mike9215 and Phantasma. Thank-you.

Perversions (ADV)

This was another session free of any problems, which lasted for a good two hours with much happening in the way of combat and puzzle solving. As before, while the timer showed two hours play, I think we probably played just over that. I had an idea to make the timer more accurate, but as it was a guide to Realm time only, it does not matter.

I have been struggling to concentrate over the last few weeks, and so this session was quite a refreshing change to be able to enjoy the game without too much effort. Hopefully, as time goes by, I will feel more in the mood to get back into designing the next set of adventures. For now though, I intend to try to relax and enjoy a few games and playing about with my new Canon 4ood camera. You may even see some pictures uploaded from it soon ... we have taken in a new rabbit: Daisy!

SYNOPSIS SNIPPET: (REALM LEVEL: Sixth) REALM TIME: 19 Hours 30 Mins

"Apart from the strange circle, the chapel appeared empty. There were some heavily barred windows along the west wall that could not be breached, although the heroes could hear the sound of heavy rainfall outside." Read the full synopsis here.

The Mushrooms Are Served (ADV)

Week ten of playing Soul Shaker saw the group of heroes finally escape the lower levels of the citadel and reach the ground floor. And while the in-game clock reports 17 hours 30 minutes of play, I suspect it has been nearer 19 or 20 hours after the slight delay in the counter for networked play has been taken into account.

There were no further issues due to any coding (as such) this week. However, I think the area sizes of the module are placing a strain on the computers when it comes to heartbeat checks, as I noticed some of the "growths" did not always disappear as they were meant to. They, like some other aspects of the module, have heartbeat scripts to help govern their behaviour, and while the visual effect is not critical, I noticed the lack of response all the same.

Heartbeat scripts have often been the cause of minor issues in past modules and I have decided that while single player modules appear to handle these scripts OK, it seems multi-player games (where computers are trying to work in synchronisation across a WAN) are less forgiving and throw up these kind of minor issues. Because of this, I have decided to reconsider module area sizes in future designs to help alleviate strains on heartbeat scripts in a multi-player game. This may mean either reducing area size designs, or simply reducing the number of scripts that use the heartbeat hook.

SYNOPSIS SNIPPET: (REALM LEVEL: Sixth) REALM TIME: 17 Hours 30 Mins

"It was not until Karasten drew close to the water plants that he realized that these too were part of the hostile environment. Suddenly, tendrils from the plants reached out and grabbed him, sticking their sharp barbs into him. Finding a target with normal weapons was not easy in this situation, but Grimbold found that a well placed fire or acid grenade helped release the plants grip on those trapped within their binds."  

Download the full synopsis here.

The Heart Of The Problem (ADV)

This evening went well again, even though I did encounter a handful of minor bugs. There was one that had been introduced with an earlier fix that was supposed to drop a hint to those who may have become locked behind the force-field with no way out. However, the code made the numbers appear on all bookcases and cabinets on other levels, which was not the desired effect. This, along with the following fixes have been addressed in patch v1.06, which has already been uploaded for other players of the module:

1. Bless Water can now be cast on stacked water bottles without destroying them all.
2. A water fountain will no longer run dry.
3. A mushroom explosion has had its radius reduced.
4. More code has been added to try to make a creatures target more random. (MP)
5. Bookcase/cabinet numbers removed. (As detailed above.)

We managed to play a good two hours in this session and the game was otherwise quite stable throughout. We may have even played slightly longer than this, but once again, the in-built timer had about a 15 minute discrepancy. That said, I did pause the game occasionally and so that may have had an impact on the final count.
I did also notice one other minor issue regarding the backup deployment of "plot items". I had coded some fail safes into the module to ensure a player could not leave themselves in a position without vital plot items. However, in hindsight, some of the code checks only really work well for a single player game. It's not that the plot item is not checked in a multi-player, but more that the item may be given in error due to the check being made when not all players are in the game. Therefore, the code assumes the item is missing and recreates it accordingly. This has happened for one plot item I have witnessed already - and to be fair, the circumstances of this happening may not have always come about. If, however, I find this sort of thing too damaging for the multi-player game (due to giving even more plot items), then I will have to address the issue.
SYNOPSIS SNIPPET: (REALM LEVEL: Fifth) REALM TIME: 15 Hours 15 Mins
"Beyond the illusory wall was a small alcove, which in turn had another illusory wall that hid the way to a long passageway filled with bunk-beds. After a few moments, the group realized where they were: They had found a secret way to the north wing."  Download the full synopsis here.