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 71: The Warts and All!

It was Oliver Cromwell, the devout puritan, who first coined the phrase that we still use today, when he said that his portrait must be painted showing his "warts and all". I carefully use the term now to say that my own module, The Scroll, can now be seen being played in its latest form to date. This public viewing of the module is being played by Travus, who, in my opinion, is an expert player. He is doing a great job of putting the module through its paces and revealing both the module's strengths, and, of course, the occasional "warts" that may still need addressing. Let's take a look at the latest ...

WARNING: Potential Spoilers!

Now, if you hope to play my module at any time, then you may wish to avoid taking a look at these videos beyond the first two, as the path you take may be very different to that which Travus has taken. In fact, arguably, even the first video has Travus taking a potential different path to that I have known other player's to take. However, Travus prepares his videos so well, that they are a delight to watch. His voice acting brings both the PCs and NPCs to life, and he gives great consideration to all the actions he takes. Put succinctly, he is the exact type of player I appreciate, and one I hope is enjoying playing my module as much as my wife and I are enjoying watching his play through of it.

Warning aside, if you want to see how Travus is doing, and don't mind seeing potential plot lines that would differ from your own choices, then do take a look at his videos and be sure to "like" his work. Maybe it will encourage you to take a closer look at the module yourself? After all, I have confessed in the past that The Scroll is not for the casual player, and requires a player's time investment to fully appreciate. Travus demonstrates exactly how to approach the module, and hopefully, seeing some of the gameplay in action by someone who knows what is required will be helpful and encouraging to watch.

So, if you are interested, here is the link to the list of videos at the excellent AhTravesty YouTube site, which have been released and are available to date. I believe Travus is aiming to release a new episode every other day; so be sure to come back and keep up to date if watching.

Warts Being Removed!

If you take a look at the videos, just bear in mind that any "warts" (that is "bugs"), that you may witness in any of them will have been removed already, or will be removed as soon as I can do so. A few minor typos and grammatical errors will likely still remain, but with the help of another tester, Dustin, I am aiming to address as many of these as I can over the weeks or months ahead too. The most important gaming bugs, however, reported by any testers, will be addressed as soon as I can, and an update released for all players and testers alike. So far, all the latest updates have only needed to address a few minor glitches, and have actually better served to add new content rather than address any severe bug. For example, the latest update (v1.94E) adds improvements to the familiar GUI. (See screenshot below.)

Module Two News!

Again, I want to assure everyone that the second module for the campaign is still in development. Importantly, please remember that any bug fixes for the first module, and any new content that gets added to it is also an update and progress for the second module. Therefore, if you are a player who ends up playing and enjoying my first module, and have something you would like to see in module two, then do let me know. As an example, the improved inventory and familiar GUIs were as a result of watching Travus's style of play in his videos.

TWO NEW AREAS: I am currently working on a plot that involves vampires, which regular readers of this blog will already know to expect in the next module. It was while working on this quest that I realised I was going to need a couple more areas, again! These have now been created, and I am writing new conversation lines based upon the plot that involves these two new areas.

Again, I am very excited to report that I believe I have come up with an interesting plot line that will have the player wondering what may be transpiring, before solving the mystery involved. Of late, I have been quite determined to add an extra step of wonder (that I hope won't confuse the player at the time), which may help to make the quest a memorable one. Sorry that I cannot go into more detail.

Moving forward, I hope to have this quest finished by the next blog release, and, hopefully, I will be able to update you on what I move onto by then. Apart from addressing any "warts" of module one that any of the testers or players bring me, it will most likely involve writing more conversations. 

Until next time, maybe watch a video or two, or leave some comments. Feedback is what helps move a project forward.

Aeriol Choosing A Familiar!

Episode 64: Ye Olde Shoppe!

For the last month or so, I have been chipping away at module two, adding NPCs, journal entries, conversations and events. During this time, I also discovered something about stores I had not realised until now. On another note of introduction, I must confess that a fair amount of my development time was taken up with designing a card game for another builder. However, now done, the mini-game will also feature in my next module as well, and you can see a video of it in action below. So, ye olde shoppe is now open for you to enter and take a browse ...

The Hunt of Life Card Game

Basically, I have built a small card game that plays similar to "Pontoon" (aka "Blackjack" or "21"). If you want to read more about the rules, watch this video below and pause it when the "Rules" are displayed. I already have an idea how this card game will be used in a quest, and hopefully, players will enjoy the minor distraction from the norm for its duration. I even intend to have a deck available as an item for players who may just like to play it now and then.

This video shows a slightly earlier build, but everything working fine. The latest build has an additional setting button that allows the player to select a faster or slower deal speed.

Store Blueprints Info

During my time sorting out some new stores for module two, I discovered that if you made a "campaign copy" of a "STORE" object, which you hope to use as a template in other places, it fails to allocate any custom items based on altered item blueprints when you try to add them.

For example, I have altered the standard cure healing potions and have new versions of these potions, which if I then try to add them to this campaign Store blueprint, the added items immediately revert back to the original item template. The only way I could add my own altered items was to ensure the store object was already placed within an area and then add my modified items to that Store object.

I was surprised that I had not noticed this before, but it may be because I have only recently been altering items prior to adding them to the campaign store blueprint. However, this is not the first time I have experienced "difficulties" with store items. Frustratingly, if you add an item to a store, and then later decide to alter that item template in some way, the store item needs to be removed and then replaced with the updated version, or else the older version has been retained. Module placed Store objects appear to maintain individual references of items placed in them, even if the original template is changed in some way. EG: If you add a potion that says, "A Blue Potion" and you later alter that potion template to read just "Blue Potion" in its campaign template, then the store will not update the item, but will have kept a copy of its original wording. It's kind of doing the opposite issue of what I describe above.

This was a reason for the latest module update to The Scroll v1.63E. Some Stores objects had items placed in them, whose templates had been changed since the items had been added. So even though the items had never been referenced before (aside from the builder adding them to the Store object), when they came to be "bought" by the player, the store handed over "old" items based upon an old template reference that no longer existed! Something to keep an eye open for moving forward, and a chore to "fix" if one does ever alter an item template.

Reactive Offers

Thankfully, after all these latest discoveries, I have now been able to address all potential store issues with such items for module two, even before its release. Also, as a heads up for followers of this blog, (and while talking about stores), some store owners in Predestinated Days will now respond and offer other goods or alter prices subject to how the player interacts with them, which in turn is governed by how they have setup their PC background and role-play their PC with them. This is on top of the existing PC appraise skill deals!

The idea is to introduce a bit more character to store vendors again. I did this somewhat in The First Day, but I hope to take this to another level in the next module. It will be up to players to consider how best to speak with vendors to help improve their deals. Note: This is just a small piece of game mechanics that allows more player agency ... Hopefully, I have designed it to be reasonably natural and not overly intrusive, but noticeable.

Soul Shaker (EE Version)

In other news, and after some requests, I ended up buying NWN1: EE at discount from STEAM, so I could update my NWN1 module, Soul Shaker, to be NWN:EE compatible. The updated version of NWN1 has undergone enough changes that had made my module incompatible with it. The main four issues I had to address were:-

• 1) Videos required a WBM format. (Thanks to Pstemarie for help here.)
• 2) A script function clashed with one in NWN:EE.
• 3) Some VFX required a delay to function correctly.
• 4) Some extra code to allow SP gamers without a unique ID to play. 

I await feedback to let me know if there are any other issues that need addressing. However, if you want to give it a go, grab it here. Let me know if anything else needs fixing for NWN:EE.

A City Vendor Tries To Attract Your Business!

 

Is This The best Deal?

Episode 51: Fast Area Map Travel

This is probably a silly question being asked here, but have you ever played the likes of Baldur's Gate (or more recently, Pillars of Eternity) and noticed the "map travel" facility that these games use? I am speaking about the way you can click on a location on a map and the heroes travel to that point. I bring it up now, as a player of my first module recently requested if I could include something like it in my next module. Thankfully, after some playing around, I believe I have achieved something that works just as well, and may even have an added benefit! I am even hoping to have it for module one, from v1.50E onwards! Read on for more info ... (Video demo further down page.)

Waypoints Travel

I took the premise that the main reason players liked to be able to click on a map directly to travel, was normally after they had explored it more slowly the first time it was encountered. This meant that by the time a player had explored an area, there were advantages to be able to click on the map to effectively travel faster to a known location without having to direct the movement by piecemeal environment clicks.

Therefore, with this in mind, I recognised that the only other hurdle to consider (for me at any rate) was to ensure no further gaming aspects could be broken by any system I devised. i.e. A system that simply jumped PCs across areas should be avoided, as such jumping could also jump over a builder's vital event trigger! NB: I do use such "jump" systems when I know they can be employed safely, and do so in a large outdoor area in my first module. However, the system I wanted to add was one that could help alleviate the constant mouse-click update within the gaming environment that would not compromise the game in any other way.

The answer was to become more reliant on waypoints; the small markers builders use to annotate an area map to give locations to the player. With such markers in place, and as long as a recognised format was employed, I could then setup a means to allow players to select the waypoints to which they could speed travel for their PCs to run towards.

Waypoint Format Matters

For the design I had in mind, the way I was to setup existing waypoints now mattered more than before. The game engine relies on many waypoints for various reasons, and now I wanted to add some of my own design into the mix. I also took the opportunity to allow different types (colour to represent transitions for example) to list similar groups together. So, as it turned out, general waypoints (for buildings) were given a green background, transitions a blue, and players own waypoints, a red background.

To clarify, yes you read that correctly. For those that may not yet be familiar with my area map system, players can annotate the area maps themselves. If they choose to do so, then their map pins will also show on the area map with a name label of their choosing.

Fail-safe Travelling

Pathfinding has never been great in the NWN games, and so I have taken steps to help alleviate any PCs getting stuck during their travels. However, this area of coding may change (improve) as time goes by. For now, however, I can report that testing to date has shown all destinations were reached, even in quite crowded locations. I have not yet tested all areas and conditions though. As a further aid, I have also effectively "doubled" the PCs default speed while travelling this way, so that areas are crossed that more quickly when using the system.

The system is also designed to break out of fast travelling should the party encounter a hostile or start a conversation. It can also manually be stopped by switching PCs while moving or simply closing the map (or related waypoint list). The system also stops if the PC encounters a door or gate that requires opening. As a small consequence of using the faster travel system, however, is that searches of nearby secrets and hidden objects will be ignored, as if the PCs were simply making all haste to return to a destination, without any concern for searching.

The Scroll Area Map Fast Travel System

UPDATED: Map Pin Fast Travel System 2025

 

Module Two Other News

Although slightly distracted by adding the fast way point system (which benefits all modules from v1.50E onwards), I have still been able to do some work in module two. It mostly involves new conversations, but recently involved a new creature too. (The creature is already available at the Vault, but it is "new" as far as an inclusion within my own campaign.) However, it was while working on this new creature that I discovered a few more minor issues with module one that also demanded my attention. 

My wife is currently testing some final alterations in her latest play through, but when the time comes, the next upload of module one (v1.50E) will have a large number of changes that require me to point out that earlier versions are no longer directly compatible. By that, I mean earlier versions will still play if updated using the latest campaign files, but are not fully supported, meaning latest updates such as the area map travel system will not work unless the module being played is also v1.50E or above. (NB: Replacing a module folder mid-game is NOT recommended. Better to restart the module completely.)

Another aspect that is not fully "compatible" is the new journal "By Group" option, which was another new design concept originally aimed at module two, but will be made backward compatible for module one v1.50E onwards. This new journal sort option basically now sorts journal entries by colour groups: Main Quests (green); sandy brown (essential side quests); pale green (non-essential side quests); blue (missions of mercy quests), and orange (gaming information). Furthermore, the old "Recommended" option has now been replaced with a new "By Order" option. The distinction being that the order is still a recommendation, but with more of a priority weighting. It's subtle.

I cannot stress how much I am looking forward to bringing you Predestinated Days! I have so many new different aspects of gameplay, that I am beginning to recognise the scale of this project. The new alterations to module one are just some of those that leak through.

As a final note, v1.50E also addresses some minor points that needed fixing in earlier versions, and now also takes extra care with respect to plot items when players may use the Party Gen GUI in a way I had not first considered.

Episode 50: A cRPG About 3rd Edition PnP D&D!

Those who have known me for some time will know that my RPG interest stems from a PnP (pen and paper) AD&D background. For me, NWN2 offered the best way to get AD&D PnP scenarios into a cRPG environment. Importantly, it offers an excellent interface that allows individual companion possession as well as encouraging multiple players to team up and play a game together. For my own campaign, there was still a lot of work for me to do with respect to improving the MP coop environment, but at least the core program was flexible enough to allow me to transfer from one medium to another. Over the years I have been doing this I have noticed other builders use NWN2 from quite a different angle. My observations follow ...

THE CORE REQUIREMENTS

Turn-Based Combat System

When I first started designing The Scroll, (using NWN1 at the time) my initial modules were created around a completely unique true turn-based combat system that I spent a long time coding within the NWN1 environment. It involved individual players controlling their own mannequin, which in turn controlled every PC they owned. Through this system, as DM, I was able to control the combat in a true turn-based system, which allowed DM and players alike to take turns according to when the next creature's initiative came along. Of course, when NWN2 came along, which allowed the instant switching between PCs for players, the mannequin concept I had developed could take a back seat if we were prepared to play a pseudo-turn-based system: where all players and DM (or AI) assigned their actions at the same time for the up and coming combat round. To me, the newer NWN2 approach offered greater benefits for us, not only as it meant I would not have to edit every spell to work in a true turn-based system, but it reflected a more "real" response in a combat round. (The spell editing was something I had started with NWN1, but stopped when the decision was made to switch to NWN2 when it came along.) Another benefit of moving to NWN2 was that it meant I could create the campaign for a larger audience, now allowing the new turn-based system to be merely an option for any new players that may like to play my campaign using tactical turn-based combat.

As the years have passed, however, I have seen less and less interest in some of these key elements of gameplay of which I hope to cover here: tactical turn-based combat being near the top of what appears to me a wave of "old ways rejection". I hasten to add this is not the case for myself or my own players, as we still very much like to play a combat using a character by character assignment in every encounter! However, I think there are other elements of which I hope to cover below, which have also taken a hit to inclusions due to changes in attitudes. I will approach these as I believe they have impacted the gameplay.

Resources: Rest and Recovery

Much of what governed the way a D&D module played in the PnP days was as much about good player management of their player character (PC) resources as anything else. Timelines, equipment, spell uses and hit points all mattered! I know there may be those who would argue they still do, or maybe there are others that will argue they are glad that such aspects of play no longer matter. My argument, however, is that while I am quite keen to see changes to mechanics that add interesting elements of gameplay, I am saddened when (in my opinion) elements are broken, or simply removed altogether. To me, it matters because such changes also break some of the key gaming aspects of a role-playing-game (RPG), especially with respect to the spirit of a D&D module.

Even the official NWN2 campaign suffered from this when players are allowed to rest almost at any time and anywhere. A simple pressing of the "R" key to rest and most (normally all) ailments, hit-points and spells are fully recovered. It becomes such a farce that it begs the argument of even having any "usage" for such recovered elements of play at all! Furthermore, once these kind of resources "no longer matter", such things as tactical combat (pause and assign commands) becomes meaningless, as we may as well use all our best resources against any foe because the moment the fight is over, we can just recover everything! It's no wonder that players today do not appreciate the more tactical side of playing a D&D combat. Basically, it has changed from players carefully considering their "limited" options to ensure they progress both in story and character as a team effort, to one of a fast solitary mega-build to compare their PC builds to their fellow players. Just look at the way coop games have declined over the years. I am referring to true D&D party coop and not large MP worlds.

The Timeline

The alteration of or even complete omission of a timeline also has damaging repercussions, albeit more subtle than that mentioned above. For while "free resting" is an obvious abuse of a timeline, it is made worse if left out altogether. When playing an RPG, events are occurring, and normally within a time frame. At the very least, even if no actual calendar is used, the world should reflect changes in light from night and day, even if scripted to do so if not through actual time passing. Otherwise, again, the player is no longer thinking about the resource of time and how that may have an impact on what they need to achieve. 

Basically,  the more we remove aspects like the importance of time and resource management, we are moving away from the RPG and into the realm of an "adventure game". There is nothing wrong with an adventure game, for I have played many and still enjoy them now. My point is, however, as the years have passed, I have noticed builders, even of AAA "RPGs" steer away from these traditional core RPG gaming elements.

Suspended Realities: Items & Encumbrance

I believe there is a difference between a fantasy game that considers resource management and one that does not. I have already mentioned the effects of some of the more obvious resource management issues to do with combat, but there are others that I would like to mention here too, such as encumbrance. Once again, I know the arguments used with such a game mechanic, but to ignore it completely (or even partially) can (in my opinion) imbalance a game. If you allow any PC to carry any amount of equipment (including gold), then one of the benefits of having strength among the PCs becomes less of an importance. The point I am trying to make, however, is that when too many aspects of gameplay mechanics are ignored, then we move away from the player even considering what they carry. Anything and everything becomes a viable item for the pack-rat that such a system encourages, leaving any items of importance just another bauble in the avalanche of "prizes". Personally, I believe the game is already over-generous with the strength allowances it gives. My preference, however, is to encourage an environment that gives value to finding a bag of holding or at the very least has players recognise the carrying capacity of a low strength PC. This is why to this end, I ensure gold does weigh something in my campaign.

The Economy

This brings us nicely to the economy of a world. I am the first to admit that balancing such is no easy task, but a clear game-breaker for any resource considering world has to be how common certain items are found in a world. I understand that certain items are necessary to help a world move along, but the value of a fantastic item is truly lost if every other vendor carries the next best thing.

IN CONCLUSION

I was going to consider some other aspects of gameplay that reflect a spirit of D&D, but I believe if the core concept of managing resources is understood as a vital distinguishing mark, then other aspects such as archetypal classes and NPC interaction also fall into place. I hope I am not alone in my observations, and that others also would like to reclaim some of those elements that have fallen by the wayside with time. Or perhaps I and others like me, are now a dying breed. Maybe the RPG has moved on to those who have better dexterity (for real), and don't really want to know about role-playing an avatar in a world where tactical choices beyond a bigger and better sword or spell matter, as long as they can beat the next creature that comes along and grab its massive horde. Please understand that this is NOT a complaint about any specific choice or style of play, but at worst, a lament for a kind of "depth" to a game that appears to be no longer in fashion. What about you?

MODULE 2: PREDESTINATED DAYS

For those interested, Predestinated Days will be written and designed in a style as close to PnP 3.5E AD&D rules as I can achieve, with some of my own additional mechanics that reflect the current world setup and main plot. This means you will need to consider resource management, and have the option to switch to turn-based combat if you need to, to help manage your resources. You will have to consider what PCs you have in your party to help manage all those situations you may find yourself in, but will also have the flexibility to adapt to the situation with any PC if you take time to learn about the world. You will face different creatures with different backgrounds and goals. You will come across difficult locks that only the best at lock picking can crack. You will also encounter puzzles to test your mental agility, and characters ready to test your moral fibre. Think D&D with an AI DM at the helm, as you will not simply be able to kill your way through the game.

But, you will not be left without the means to succeed. You can only fail if you lack the ability to manage a party of PCs both carefully and wisely. It's not a casual game, although you can certainly make it a lot easier by dropping the game options where I have taken care to allow easier foe and puzzles, but even with such adjustments, the player NEEDS to make careful decisions. It's a true traditional D&D game (as close as I could make it), based on a PnP campaign, including some of the original paper written dungeons, that will have you having to stop and think at times. If you have ever played PnP D&D, then I hope you know what I mean ... otherwise, unless you like a challenge beyond input device twitches, then maybe it won't be for you. ;)

Below is an original image of a city called Southstrong from my PnP campaign, of which some areas will be used in Predestinated Days. The two images below the map show a tavern from that city, and a thief attempting to pick a lock. (GUI improved from the first module to work on chests now.) NB: The option to switch to a NWN style pick lock is also available on the GUI.

Original Pen And Paper Map Drawing of Southstrong

A Tavern Within The City of Southstrong

Chest Demonstrating the Lockpick GUI

 

EPISODE 50: UPDATED VIDEO FOR THE SCROLL

Episode 47: Overland and World Maps!

I continue to chip away at the second module, Predestinated Days, of The Scroll campaign. This time around I have been sorting the World Map and all the links that will be available from it. The last time I looked at any of this code was probably around 2009, when I pieced together the code that would allow the player to examine maps in module one (but without travel), and in preparation for this latest module I am currently working on. In the last couple of weeks, those maps (and associated code) have been dusted off and looked at once again. Read on for the latest news ...

The World Map

This section of my campaign goes back many years, and I have a video of when I first started working with them as long ago as 2007. If you want to look at some of my first ever playing around with them, you can check out this video where I was pleased to have managed to code "map within map" change overs! (If you have played the first module, you may have seen this already.) Predestinated Days, however, will be the first module of my campaign series that will make use of them proper. I have "improved" the process since that time: the main difference being I now use the later (expansion 2) style map for normal travel and keep this original style world map for Nexus Travel.

Like most of my earlier code, I had to rewrite some of it, as it did not work as well as I required for module two. I have become more familiar with the functions since those early days, and had some newer requirements too. One observation I would like to point out for all would-be map builders, is to make sure you change the default 0 x 0 icon size, which (obviously) will not appear on your map when called via code, even after placement, as it is simply too small. I now use 16 x 16 for icon size. In my latest return to World Map usage I did not immediately notice this and so thought there was something wrong elsewhere. Once I had spotted the difference in this aspect, by comparing icons properties I had placed this time around from those years ago, things were sorted.

The Overland Map

As many NWN2 players/builders will know, the way the "world map" is presented has changed with each expansion. In the original campaign, it was a basic map interface (like the one shown in the video link above); in the first expansion, the world map interface came along with additional info, along the lines of my edited version in the image below. By the time we had the second expansion, we were now presented with an "overland map" style, where the party was represented by the leader who the player controlled over the "map" itself.

In Predestinated Days, I am aiming to implement all three systems in one way or another. To this end, an overland map has already been built and is in the process of being tested, which denotes the first areas of world that the PCs adventure in. In The Scroll, the idea is that the overland map acts as a "zoomed in" section of the actual world map, which becomes more effective later, as the PCs get to know the world better. However, to allow diversity of play, I have also allowed players to start using the static "World Map" as an option from quite early on too if they prefer to avoid the overland map style.

I had to spend some time going over the format I had setup with respect to how the map pins associated with their WP counterparts, but eventually worked out a solution that now supports the various world map policies in place. Whether the player chooses to explore the overland map or simply click on a world destination via a static map, all transitions now work as they should.

Food Rations

One of those side issues that came to light when working with world maps was the use of food rations. There was nothing fundamentally wrong, as the food count went down as expected, and apart from fixing a small "hunger" bug, the food count worked as expected. The problem was more to do with purchasing them for travel. At is currently worked, food rations could only be bought one ration at a time, which is fine if you are staying within the local vicinity. However, as travelling now involved much farther regions, I had to up the ration count that could be purchased to ten at a time to prevent the player having to spend minutes purchasing sufficient rations for an entire party. As a side benefit, it offers a discount for bulk buying. Remember, however, if a party has a cleric who can pray for Create Food, then no ration purchases are required.

Other Updates

My wife and I continue to play test module one, testing the latest changes and looking out for any new issues that may arise because of them. A few minor issues were found and addressed:-

i) Sleep animations were re-timed to ensure the player does not see the NPC fall to sleep.

ii) Crafting was fixed to ensure correct gold bags remained and essences used.

iii) An EffectListOverFlow was fixed related to the encumbrance icon on PCs.

iv) An ActionListOverFlow was fixed on relocated NPCs who used walkwaypoints.

As previous, once my wife has finished her latest play testing, v1.41E will be uploaded, which addresses any issues that were present in earlier versions. NB: Not all reported issues may be present due to changes made since last release.

NOTE: The following images have changed since being taken and have spoilers removed.

Viewing World Map In The Toolset

 

Viewing World Map In The Game

A New Place - A New Role!

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 28: You Can Count On Vampires!

What a bit of a selection of things to tell you about in this blog! My efforts (for what they are) have been tested in a number of directions, as health permitted during this difficult time. There may be another word with "V" in it that we are all talking about of late, but for this blog, I am going to restrict its application for the monster, the vampire! (The other word was "Covid", but that's the first and last time I will mention it.) So, what's been happening ... read on ...

CLASSIC MONSTERS!

You may recall from a few months back that I managed to put together some scripts that will manage lycanthropy in my next module. Now, in a similar vein, I am trying to rework another horror classic: the vampire! However, none of my vampires will be "Count" like characters ... or at least, they will definitely not be like the caricatured beaten to death more times than even the hardiest of undead characters, "Dracula" if I can help it. I aim to have them simply be the monster that D&D has made them and try to escape the stereo-type portrayal if possible. But who am I kidding! I reckon the "Dracula" character is so embedded in our psyche that it will be impossible to escape some mental images of that persona.

New Visual Effects

So what's new? Well, I discovered that NWN2 did not support the gaseous form that we are familiar with when a vampire wants to avoid an untimely end. Therefore, I had to script a version of that. (See video link below for a demo.) On top of that, I was not happy with the way the vampire model relied on a spell to try to dominate its victim rather than use a gaze attack, so I updated that too.

I also applied some of my previously developed "undead" scripts to ensure level drains work alongside any Life Essences a PC may be carrying. In my modules, Life Essences can act as a barrier towards level draining, in that some undead will drain these from PCs before actual levels.

Other than that, most (if not all) other vampire aspects are covered, from needing magik weapons to hit, fast healing, blood (constitution) draining, damage and other resistances. They are quite a formidable foe, but one that can be overcome if the party of heroes go well prepared; normally with a cleric and accompanying spells.

In Development

I still have some scripting to do with respect to their coffins and stakes, but that is all going to tie in with other plot related stuff and so it will come together in time. And you can thank my wife for their inclusion, as she wanted me to write a story based upon the return of one of her favourite characters from The Scroll (module 1), and this is where it led to. I won't say who that character was, but some of you who have played module 1 already may well be able to guess. :)

GAME OPTIONS!

As most players will know, vampires have the power to dominate their victims. This led me to looking at the various effects that I would need to have the vampire employ, which in turn led to the game option function, GetScaledEffect. This function is basically called when some effects are used on a player to alter the overall effect according to the Game Difficulty settings. Unfortunately, this section of the NWN2 game appears a little buggy, and so I determined to look a little closer at this too, especially as vampires use the dominate effect.

I discovered a number of small issues, but enough differences to what I expected to make me decide it needed "fixing". It's still currently a work in progress, but I do now have a greater understanding of the various effects involved and hope to have an update to this section of the game not before too long. I may even consider releasing another update for module 1, subject to any requests for it or not. If no-one asks for it, then I may just leave it as an update if and when module 2 is released.

The Vampire Combat Video demonstrating new effects ....

Episode 26: Are We There Yet?

I have to confess that I did not expect The Scroll (module 1) to have taken as many versions as it has to reach the state that I now hope it has reached ... DONE! I have said this so many times before that it is uncomfortable for me to say it again ... but ... v1.18E (2nd release) does appear to be the FINAL for module 1. Although, I confess that I may release a v1.19E (or jump to v1.20E) to mark its absolute final release, even if there are no changes from v1.18E (2nd release), just because I like to mark its place with a round number. For those of you more interested in module 2, and its latest news, read on ...

THE CRYSTAL MECHANICS

Between finalizing code for module 1 fixes, I have also been looking over the code I have in place for some new "crystal" mechanics in the next module. Much to do with balancing and ensuring certain abilities are available at the right time, as well as writing conversations that bring a player more background relating to such. That's all I can say for now though ... sorry ... it's too much of a spoiler to explain more, except to say that it plays a big part in one section of the module in a similar vein as the rune stones did in module 1, but more so!

MORE GENERAL BUILDING

I have been continuing to fill areas with interesting objects and events. However, the areas I am currently working with tie quite a bit to the new mechanics above, and so I am tending to switch between the two aspects as required. I have also hit a critical plot point of logic that is requiring me to wrestle with a number of alternative ideas, which has currently stalled my progress in this area of the story. The good news is I have a couple of approaches I think will work, but I need to consider the repercussions of these approaches fully before I commit to them. Once I am happy the logic works, I can start to write the story around it again. In the meanwhile, I am considering working on another area of the module to allow my subconscious to work on a solution too. Sometimes just letting it sit for a while like that can work for me. However, I have something to fall back on in a worse case scenario.

SETTING THE SCENE

It's fine when we have a dungeon (or area) and the player party is making their way to resolve their quest, but ... I just cannot escape the need to build more into an adventure (or any quest) for the player to discover before they embark on the adventure (or quest) itself. I don't want to rob the player of discovering their way (the journey) before dealing with the task (the destination) itself. It's true we can get away with less stage setting when delivering side-quests (to more of a degree), but even here I find I am wanting to flesh these out with more substance than I have previously. As a consequence, I have found the conversation sizes have increased, and surrounding storyline has broadened. It's not a bad thing in my thinking, but with respect to module delivery time, it does make it feel like taking one step forward, while taking two steps backwards. The price to pay for trying to create a particular scene I guess.

FEATURING THE ANKHEG

The bottom line is that there is not much I can add to the last few weeks of module building due to the various distractions of module 1 fixing and limited info I can divulge with module 2. So, rather than post a picture this week, I thought I might encourage readers by posting a video instead! It is part of module 2, and something I have posted elsewhere. However, this is the first time I posted it in this blog. Just to show I am working on various aspects still...

Episode 23: Most Puzzling My Dear Halfling ...

One of the things I like most about D&D as a whole is its variety of play. We have exploration, we have encounters, we have combat ... and we have puzzles! Furthermore, NWN2 is a great platform for all of them. Where else can you create an entire party of adventurers by yourself or with friends and play a D&D campaign of a home brew design sporting its own unique new GUI puzzles? Personally, I like a campaign that provides puzzles, and this post is about some of the new ones that I am hoping to bring to supporting players when it is finally released. Read on ...

NEW PUZZLES

Players of The Scroll (module one) will have experienced quite a number of puzzles in my campaign already. From "ripped scrolls" to "combination chests" and from "chameleon stones" to "cryptic puzzles". It has a fair number for the player who likes the occasional change of pace and a chance to flex their "thinking caps". And let us not forget the "rune puzzles"! For those who prefer not to tackle puzzles though, there is also the option to bypass many of them, with the exception of one or two game important ones.

The puzzles of the second module will, I hope, be of similar design. The three I show in the video below are actually part of a main dungeon design, and so are designed specifically with that dungeon in mind. However, with minor alterations, I may be able to use them in other areas of the module too. Anyway, here is the video ...

THE JOURNAL REMINDER

While on the topic of new GUIs, I also decided to update one of my other GUI designs to act as a JOURNAL REMINDER. Basically, if the player receives a journal update (maybe even in the middle of a conversation), then my SHOW GUI now keeps a worded reminder that the entry needs checking and remains present until the entry is accessed via the journal. 

Furthermore, the player needs only HOVER over the SHOW GUI (when the reminder is present) to open the journal to read the latest entry. The new system also works alongside the new JOURNAL NOTES system, whereupon a slightly different worded reminder is presented in the SHOW GUI alongside a sound file informing the player that the journal NOTES section has been updated. The reminder is cleared after the player HOVERS to open the journal and enters the NOTES tab section of the journal for such entries. This weeks screen shots image show the update in action. (See below.) And for those that would like to have access to this update now, then you will be pleased to know that The Scroll (module one) supports this from v1.09E.

AREA BUILDING

The last couple of weeks has also seen me going over some of the areas, gradually filling them with objects and creating a "lived in" environment. From a scripting perspective, progress is smooth as I am able to use scripts that are now quite stable and work well for my needs. e.g. I have dedicated encounter triggers that are more flexible to use than those officially provided ... and I have been making good use of them.

As I have continued to develop the areas, I have also been able to consider various side quests and various plot twists that come to mind. How many will make it into the final, only time will tell. It involves more conversation writing, of which I already have quite a bit still left to do.

CONTINUED IMPROVEMENTS

As I continue to design the second module, I find myself being able to improve older scripts, which continue to have improvements on module one. This is why module one has also had an update to v1.09E. However, this is bound to slow down sooner or later, as many of these updates are mostly cosmetic now. So unless further improvements have a reasonably significant impact on module one, they may not be seen until the second module is released, at which point all the other minor campaign improvements will be added then.

ALTHEA WEATHER SYSTEM

For those who may be interested, I also managed to update the Althéa Weather System to v2.0, which is basically the same system I use in the latest version of The Scroll. So, if you want a fully implemented weather system for your NWN2 campaign, then maybe it's worth considering. Version 2.0 basically runs more efficiently than earlier versions.

New Journal Update Reminder System

Episode 22: May The Force Field Not Stop You!

With the toolset issues behind me, I am now able to push forward with the creation of module two of The Scroll with more ease. Especially in the department of working with sounds and VFXs. I am not an expert in this area at all, but find I am able to rework some of those VFXs that others have made or come with the toolset already. To this end, when I found myself in need of another VFX for the latest dungeon I am working on, I was pleased to find I was able to make the VFX I needed. Read on ...

FORCE FIELD VFX

So if you had not guessed from the title already, the new effect was a Force Field. I don't think I give any spoilers by mentioning it, because I have not yet decided just how "menacing" the final encounter with it shall be. Suffice to say, the effect turned out as I hoped, with the only caveat being that I had to separate the sound part of the effect from its visual effect. This was because the sound of the VFX could not be easily managed in scripting if I did not. It was going to be this week's screenshot, but as the full impact could not be easily portrayed in a soundless 2d image, I am treating readers to a small six second video link to take a look instead.

AREA BUILDING

I also managed to start building another interior area to support one of the exterior areas I am currently working on with respect to the main quest. It's one of a few interior areas I knew I was going to have to build, and as I have just updated the HAK folder for the campaign, it gave me the opportunity to check one of the yet unused tile sets: Cellars by rjshae. This week's screenshot is from that interior area in it's early design.

CONVERSATIONS

I have also started to add templates for more conversations that are needed for the mega-dungeon section I am working on. These conversations are reasonably straightforward ones, but like anything to do with the "mega" status, I simply need more to accommodate the dungeon size. And while on the subject of the mega-dungeon, I can add that I have also continued to work on its various areas too.

SCRIPTING

Thankfully, writing scripts is one of the less taxing aspects for me, which I have been able to keep reasonably well up to date as required. On the subject of scripting, I have also decided to move all scripts, including altered official campaign ones, to the root directory of the campaign folder. This is because if they are stored within their own sub-directory (like they had been), they were not checked when using the "compile all scripts" option. While this may not be an issue much of the time, there are some circumstances when missing these scripts during a compile check may have an impact in future, because I often forget what these scripts refer to. So basically, it's a precaution moving forward from v1.08E (next release) of module one. As an example, the "invisibility" scripts required recompiling after I removed a function they referred to. Thankfully, the removal made no impact to the spells at all in any past releases, but I won't be taking the same risks moving forward.

BACKSTORY & QUESTS

I have also been taking time to put together back story in my Readable Books format (*) and develop some more side quests. The latest book written has over 2 x 6 pages! It is designed to answer some of the questions the player may have been wondering about, but they can choose to read or simply skip through. Either way, the game will continue regardless of how much detail the player chooses to read ... but I hope they are encouraged enough to want to know more of the story anyway. (*) Latest version in The Scroll campaign files only.

As I have stated previously, my aim is to try to provide some side quests that will complement the main quest more naturally than in the previous module. It's more of a subtle change, but one that I hope may make gameplay feel more natural ... perhaps. They take the shape of "while you are at it" approach, as opposed to "here is something else".

The Cellar is Cold, Dark and Dank!

Saving The Day!

There's not much I can report on this week, as it's mostly been about scripting and conversations. I'd be giving too much away. I can mention that I managed to "fix" a potential problem related to AUTO-SAVING a game, and post a couple of screen shots to show what I am currently working on, so that's what I'll do ...

AUTO-SAVING

Background: There's a function available for single-player games (DoSinglePlayerAutoSave), where a builder can force an auto-save for the player if they think one may be important (or required) to prevent the player from suddenly finding themselves "dead" without having saved for a while.

The auto-save facility also has a related "automatic" save every few minutes, which is often used in multi-player environments. The problem is, however, many players don't like the timed auto-save taking place when they are in the middle of a game and edit the nwn2player.ini to stop this "feature" of the game from working. However, when this feature is disabled within the ini file, it stops the single-player function mentioned above from working as well, as I found out from my own experience.

This caused me a potential problem because I needed to make sure a game is saved at the start due to some database coding. In The Scroll, if a player starts the module and leaves again without saving first, then they cannot start the game afresh with the same PC. i.e. They can only return to the game with the same PC from a saved position. Hence, I needed to make sure there was an AUTO-SAVE at the start of the game. And while a simple message may have been sufficient (and is still the way I do it in a multi-player game in this case), I wanted to ensure the game was saved in a single-player environment.

The bottom line is, I was able to work around a copy of the existing save game GUI and create my own AUTO-SAVE facility that bypasses the ini check ... and even allows me to NAME the saved game file. So now, when the player exits the GUI warning about the game needing to be saved, the game does an AUTO-SAVE in a single-player game using the name I specify. Players who usually have the AUTO-SAVE feature disabled need not worry, as this is currently the only place I use the facility. However, it is good to know that I have a facility to do an AUTO-SAVE if I need to now ... and one that can be used in single or multi player environment and can have the save file named.

THE SCREENSHOTS

Where the player saves the game's day play, the heroes simply save the day ... usually. And while nothing too special, I thought these two screenshots might be interesting to some players ... the first shows the RWS tielset in action and the second a personalised SEF in play. NB: The SEF has been edited to not give any major spoilers.

How Do We Get Over There?

Unlocking A Projection!

 

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