Episode 109: The End Is In Sight!

First and foremost, while I have now posted my "The End Is In Sight" blog post, I do not want to give a wrong impression and need to put this into perspective. What this basically means is that the plans for the final areas that needed finishing has now been finalised and I now need to implement this. However, it is still possible for these outlines to change slightly and additional design to be added, but, importantly, no longer to any great degree. I have now "filled in the blanks" and have a coherent run of events from start to finish, allowing me to make this "end in sight" post. Read on for what else this means and other news...

The Final Areas Ecology

While basic exploring of areas, finding loot and combating evil hordes can be fun by itself, I personally prefer to play my games in an environment where its areas have an established ecology and a logical explanation for their existence. This includes areas that have a reason for me wanting to explore them, be it to locate a certain treasure or item of interest perhaps, or maybe defeat a known adversary or villain of the region, or even progress the story in some way. For the same reason, the more details I can include about areas and the environment they represent, the more satisfied I am with their final build. This aspect of design is important to me, and I hope that for each new area the player finds themselves in within Predestinated Days, that they also have an added enjoyment from this style of design and how it relates to them and the quests they may have to follow while within each region they explore. This is about a depth of design, which translates to how the player perceives their environment and how memorable the experience may be for the player.

Aiming for this style of design for each of my module's areas, however, is what costs me the greatest amount of time to implement. I spend much of my time going over notes, and processing thoughts and ideas, trying to ensure an area has a believable reason to exist in the first place, as well being an interesting place for interactions when carrying out any tasks there, or while just exploring in general. While considering each area, I look at various approaches, different puzzle types I may need, as well as the various quest lines and NPCs involved, and always with a view to create a new experience that I hope the player will enjoy and encourage them to explore the area more. As I say, however, this takes me a lot of time, and I would argue it to be the lion's share of the time I take in any module I have built to date! The story, for me, is as much about the local one for each area as it is the main quest. Therefore, every area has to be both coherent and interesting before I am satisfied with it.

So, the good news is, I believe I have reached the point where every area in the module has now been given this design goal treatment and now passes my own personal satisfaction requirement. For myself, this module has now (in my head at least) been completed! Only in the last week, I finally understood what I needed for the last few areas I have been working on to make them 'complete'. Hence, I can now report that the final release of this module is definitely in sight for me. Indeed, the latest idea that came to me actually manages to tie together a number of loose ends that I had previously put to one side as I worked on other areas. Now, I can focus on bringing together the final areas along with others with which they relate. When such ideas come to me like this, is when I gain the most satisfaction as a builder, knowing progress has been made. Next, however, comes the practical part, and I must now implement this new idea (and accompanying events) to complete the module. This should be relatively straightforward, but I have had enough experience now to say to readers to 'hang on in there' just a little while longer to allow me the time to reach the end of this final stage. (See screenshots below for latest areas work.)

I have already been in touch with a few people about moving on to beta-testing and have had two confirm they are in a position to help. Therefore, as soon as I can, they will be contacted and updated with the files, and after I have addressed any fixes required from their feedback, I will be announcing a release date.

NWN2 Enhanced Update 

For those of you following the campaign, you may have spotted that v1.45 was released early on 17th June due to a "bug" discovered that the EE introduced related to how DestroyObject works and the tag-based unacquire event. Others may argue this is not a "bug", but as it does not add anything new, but only serves to break certain aspects of the unacquire event, I count it as not required and inefficient, and so do consider it a bug. I wrote a fix for my own campaign to prevent its undesired results (duplicating destroyed plot items), which was the main reason for the v1.45 release. There were also a couple of minor XML fixes for the EE, including the ability to unpause a cutscene, but further testing has since shown other issues remain. 

In particular, a cutscene between two NPCs with sound files associated with each node can have problems in EE that otherwise remain working in the Original: the first sound file node played can distort (sound slowed down), and lip syncing no longer works on the second NPC in the cutscene. While I cannot with absolute certainty say these are a general problem (rather than only affecting my campaign), I have nevertheless, reported the issue to Aspyr to be looked at. The broken conversation can be seen in the first cutscene between Morcoss and General Korakus when the PC leaves the Shoreline area to head towards New Edgeton.

On another note, and because my wife has now finished testing the whole campaign in a true MP environment in the Original game (see next), we decided to buy another copy of EE for her to be able to start testing the campaign using this version of the game. This means there may be further updates for the campaign to accommodate the differences between the Original and EE, and any additional "problems" that the EE may bring up. We have already spotted a couple of XML alterations that were required to work within the EE again (E.g. The large journal and cypher display) , but they are minor and I am NOT going to update the campaign files today, as I would prefer more testing before doing another release. If, however, I find another EE difference as severe as the duplication of plot items bug (or another in general), I will provide an update sooner.

Latest MP Testing (Original Only)

Latest testing of the campaign in a MP environment in the Original is now completed. This was a "true" MP test, as the test was carried out on two computers connected via a LAN to ensure proper independent PC objects was observed. No further problems were found with the first module, The First Day (already released), including no more "gold" issues found or reported, and henchmen continued to work as expected between transitions. i.e. The latest release on 17th June (v1.45) should be stable and without issue for MP play on the Original game. My only personal disappointment, is that the area load times still remain higher than I would have liked on some areas in a MP game. However, as one of the tester's computers was a laptop, this may help explain some of the extra time involved when loading them.

Moving forward, as I now own a second copy of NWN2:EE, I am hoping to do some full MP testing of the campaign in EE at a later date and after the current SP tests have been completed in EE. As soon as I have further feedback on EE testing in either SP or MP, I will update you.

Campaign Latest

The latest release (v1.45), recently uploaded on the 17th June, remains the current release for the campaign. There are a few minor alterations made to the code that will be in v1.46, but I am putting that through further testing and looking out for any other bigger problems that may need to be covered before releasing it. If nothing comes up, I will look at releasing v1.46 in August. At the moment, v1.46 addresses a few minor XML glitches within EE, and improves efficiency of a load script for both game editions. If, however, I discover anything serious, or someone else reports a problem, I will treat it as a priority and release a fix as soon as possible.

A Light Shines Ahead!

A Disturbing View!

Preparing The Way!

Episode 102: Everything You Want From A D&D Campaign?

Have you ever built or run a pen and paper (PnP) Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) campaign? Both building and running your own campaign can be great fun, especially if you know the style of gameplay your players enjoy playing. That's the thing with D&D though, you have so many variations of styles of play, let alone different rule editions that alter the flavour of the game, that saying someone enjoys playing the D&D role-playing game (RPG) conjures a different memory of such enjoyment to different people. With that in mind, let's see what The Althéa Campaign, The Scroll, has to offer players and what they may expect to play. I will also be bringing you up to date with the latest campaign news.

Campaign Style

1) GAME FORMAT: Let me start by mentioning the biggest difference (or challenge) we face: That of bringing a PnP D&D game world to the computer environment. We notice straight away the differences from being able to play in an ad-hoc reactive way between players within a PnP environment, to a much more restricted response on a computer setup, simply because of real environmental limits. I will discuss player interaction next, but for now, I will speak about the technical differences only.

On a computer, there are both: a) Physical boundaries that limit the player to the areas designed by the builder, and b) Conversation boundaries that are governed by the options the builder has presented to the player at the time of build. These limits can be mitigated by designing a more open world approach and by offering more conversation options, but ultimately, we recognise that such boundaries always exist. However, I don't think this is such a bad thing. For what first appears as a limitation, I believe actually helps focus the player's attention on what matters for the campaign's gameplay. If done well, it's akin to a Dungeon Master (DM) gently guiding a group of PnP players in the right direction for their planned scenario for the session. The only real difference, I believe, is the DM in a PnP environment is able to pick up on player chatter and react to certain comments that help them direct the narration in the way they need it to go, rather than this same guidance coming via pre-written conversations or events within the computer designed module.

With respect to these apparent limitations, I believe the real goal for both module builders and the PnP DM is that they provide a sense of freedom that allows players to make the gaming decisions they want to make to unfold the story designed before them in a way they would like. Of course, in either case, the player will still need to observe the rules of the gaming environment while trying to do this, but if the player can approach a campaign world in various ways, both in character design and world path taken, then I believe the same sense of freedom with the same level of satisfaction can be achieved in both formats. 

The key points to consider for a module design to emulate PnP, if possible, and are a core design to the Althéa Campaign are:

• The campaign should be non-linear as possible, and offer various paths of approach for scenarios.
• Respect character class and backgrounds by offering supporting conversation options.
• Design in such a way that allows as much flexibility of play, to help avoid linear gameplay.

For example, if a PnP scenario has various leads and approaches by design, then a module design should also try to accommodate as many of the same as possible. This is much harder to do when building a module for a computer environment, but the more options and paths we can include that differ in some way, the greater the same D&D gaming experience of a PnP session can be replicated within the computer environment.

2) PLAYER NUMBERS: Another important aspect of D&D gameplay is the camaraderie had when playing as a group of players. Sure, playing an adventure alone can be fun, but the fun can be so much more amplified when you share the same adventure with a friend or two. This is part of the attraction of a PnP D&D session, in that you could share goals and ideas with fellow gamers, and the sense of "party" in the game being played would reflect as a bonding exercise in the players themselves. Overcoming a challenge was not just a lonesome achievement, but a group one! If you were unable to solve a problem in one challenge, you knew you could normally rely on another player to help your own thinking to overcome any problems the party faced. Another time, you would be the one to figure something out, and so the relationships between players grew as their own respective characters did.

Thankfully, Neverwinter Nights 2 (NWN2) supports this camaraderie spirit by accommodating co-operative play (co-op). As long as the module has also been designed to support multiple players, then a group of players can join together within the campaign world and take on the challenge together. If you have access to your own computer, then this can take place in the same room (as LAN is supported), or you can be on the other side of the world and do a direct connection via the internet. In such cases, you can also meet together in a group chat program (e.g. Teams) at the same time and keep the lively real-time chat going in the same way as if sitting at the same table in a PnP session. In this sense, the spirit of the PnP multiple player attendance is very well replicated for the co-op module. I quickly note that we are NOT talking about a Persistent World (PW) approach here, as I do not believe the PW approach can capture the same spirit and personal experience as a group of friends playing a co-op module.

The key points to consider for a module design to emulate PnP, if possible, and are a core design to the Althéa Campaign are:

• Design a module to support co-op play. (*)
• Accommodate a conversation system that respects multiple player interaction.
• Be sure to have a reliable chat program to enable clear communication between players. 

(*) I would recommend a maximum of four players when joining a module designed for a co-op session, as the more players involved, the more the game area load times and overall stability are affected. Other modules may offer support for a higher number of players, but your stability mileage may vary.

3) GAMEPLAY: Assuming we have an open world design, with various paths, and multiple nodes of interaction when speaking with the various NPCs in our world, the next biggest challenge we face is being able to offer the kind of gaming experience that players enjoy when playing their favourite RPG. This is one of the hardest challenges, because, as module builders (as opposed to a closed PnP group with a DM), we often do not know of our players likes and dislikes when it comes to their style of campaign adventure.

This is the main reason I chose to write this article today, as it helps illustrate what a player can expect from The Althéa Campaign, as well as demonstrate how our own PnP scenarios can still work well within a computer design. To emphasise this point, I have taken my own PnP D&D campaign, and rebuilt it within the NWN2 toolset, in such a way that I hope evokes the same gaming fun among new players, as my own group and I had many years ago within PnP. Indeed, I still have two players from the original group, who eagerly await the opportunity for us to all play the translated versions of the campaign from its original PnP setup to a NWN2 campaign.

As regular readers will already know, my wife, who joined my D&D group later than my other remaining player, has had the opportunity to play test some of these translated D&D scenarios, and her feedback has been most positive in that she has found them great fun to play. I quickly add that these same scenarios have multiple approaches, and so even though she has tested these and enjoyed some aspects of them, other approaches remain, which I hope will also work well and come to light when we all have the opportunity to play them as a group upon completion.

The main question still remains, however, and that is what can new players expect in gameplay when playing this particular campaign, within the world of Althéa? After all, as regular readers will already know, this campaign has been heavily modified. Even before Baldur's Gate 3 claim to be very much like PnP on the computer, my own campaign is as close in design to my original PnP campaign as I could build it within NWN2. i.e. Systems and gameplay interactions have been designed to accommodate all those PnP practices we used to enjoy playing within our own PnP campaign. I will list some of them now:-

• Added an optional pseudo Turn-Based Combat system with auto-pause. (1)
• Allowed multiple Player/PC creation support and/or companions, and/or henchmen. (2) 
• Added Fog of War to ensure maps did not give immediate player meta knowledge. (3)
• Added many puzzle games and events that encourage players cooperation. (4) 
• Improved and included all three crafting systems that work within a developed economy.
• Improved inventory and store systems to reflect skills and items equipped.
• Improved Journal interaction to ensure the player knows exactly what to do.
• Improved AI (and real life) responses that can affect alignments.
• Updated and multiple approach death system to accommodate personal styles.

All the above alterations or additions are designed to be fully integrated and work with one another and most importantly, work alongside the story that is being played. For, ultimately, it is the story that is the most important aspect of this campaign. The above are just some of the "seasoning" added to support the player's interaction within the World of Althéa as they play their role in the story that they are playing out.

Note, that some of the above are optional in some way, and can be changed according to the player's own preferred style of approach when playing D&D. Here is a little additional information about some of the  above:

1) There is an option to switch on an auto-pause during combat to pause the game every round of six seconds. While paused, a player can queue combat events ahead of time, or change them at the beginning of a new round. There are even some additional options to move the combat in smaller time intervals for those who like very specific control. I decided to include this system as an option, because of my PnP background and the players I have who prefer this level of control during combat. My wife loves to use it, and her combats are very well controlled, even when she has some very large party sizes at times.

2) The alterations I made here make a fundamental change to the way players can play PCs under their control. For example, in a co-op game with three players, but in a party of six (with three additional companions), normally only the leader can control the additional companions and give them orders. However, in the changes I have made, each player can control their own companions. This allows players to share any additional companions among themselves to control as they prefer. It is more akin to players of a PnP game, sitting at the table with more than one character. Again, this suits the way we used to play within our own PnP group and I imagine other groups probably do too.

3) As my players and I come from a PnP background, none of us wanted to have any maps revealed (or sometimes available) the moment an area was entered. Too much information from the start spoiled the sense of adventure, and so I added this as the default nature of the area map, and also made the mini-map only available in certain situations. There is an option to change this setting with certain feats or options in the game, but again, I imagine PnP players would prefer this on by default, as it is.

4) As players from a PnP background, we enjoyed those times when I would introduce a puzzle to my players in one form or another. That is, there were moments when the pace of the game would change from the tactics of an engaging combat to resolving a puzzle of some kind. However, I also recognise that some players (not of my own group) may not like these kind of challenges, and so I also included different ways of solving these puzzles automatically instead. It may require taking on a certain feat, but sometimes just having the right item will help solve it for the PC.

The key thing to take away from this section is that these systems are often flexible and are designed to complement the story and offer a change of pace at certain stages of the game. Their inclusion comes due to the fun times we recall having with puzzles from our own PnP days. I hope other players from a similar background appreciate their inclusion in the same way.

4) THE STORY: Like most PnP campaigns, the Althéa Campaign has a story that drives it along. Importantly, however, the pace of the game is left within the hands of the player and they can approach their immediate goals available in any order they think best. Changing the order, or trying a different path altogether is often allowed, but does not detract from the player's understanding of the game. Indeed, it is the choices of the path taken within the world and the story that the player unfolds for themselves that is "altered" subject to the choices the player has made along the way.

Sometimes, certain paths will become accessible earlier than other times (or change), subject to other paths the player or players have already agreed to take. Each decision can affect outcomes, but ultimately, the story remains in place, always reminding the player that there is a greater mission to complete and to drive them forward.

There is much more I could add to this campaign overview, but wanted to write this article to show that if you like or have enjoyed playing PnP D&D before, recognise that this campaign has been written to emulate that gaming experience as close as I know possible, and have access to. Note, I have not yet played Baldur's Gate 3, but as that uses 5th Edition, I like to think that The Althéa Campaign is a first to do something as close to the same, while using the 3.5th Edition rules. So, if there is anything you wish to ask, or know more about, just ping me a message and I will try to respond as soon as possible.

Latest Campaign

The latest release is v1.38, but has not had any updates since v1.37 that was released on 24th October, which was a critical update. The only reason for this latest release was to bring the module and campaign release to the same date. The module itself has had some minor optimisations for a couple of areas, but, otherwise, no other major changes. This should be, unless anything critical comes to light, the last update for the first module. 

Meanwhile, I am continuing to work on the second module. Due to personal circumstances, however, I was unable to do as much work as I had hoped to have done, but have managed to replay an important area and made some changes/updates where required. The next few weeks may be difficult for me to do as much as I would like to do, but I will be continuing to work on the module as and when I can. Hopefully, by next month, I will be in a better position to give the module my full attention. For now, here is a screenshot from the area I did work on:-

An Expected Visitor!

 

Episode 97: Stage Two First Alpha Feedback (α1)

I am delighted to report that I now bring you the first alpha testing feedback for the second stage of the second module. Yes, bugs were found (and fixed), but the overall experience went smoothly, mostly. Read on to discover the details and further news on the campaign development as a whole.

Stage Two Alpha

To date, the second stage has only had its very first alpha testing by one tester, which means a number of plot paths remain untested. As far as I am concerned, the first alpha testing is about discovering any critical problems such as path-finding movement issues and plot item bugs more than anything else. Logical flow of quest updates are certainly still checked, but are something that can only be considered as fully tested after several play sessions where the path is changed.

Tester Comments

PARTY MAKEUP: For this first stage two alpha test, the tester played a good-aligned party of six PCs and one henchman. They started at around tenth level, and were using stats and equipment from PCs that  had previously played through the first module.

Many of the tester's feedback from the first stage of the second module still apply, but here are a few new comments that were made:

"I was surprised and impressed at how involved the second stage was. It added depth to the overall story, and connected well with events I had in the first stage."  

One of the reasons I divided this second module into three stages is because of the way I try to pace the main story for the player. My aim is to allow the player to have as much freedom as possible to play the game their own way, but not at the cost of the story pace if I can help it. Therefore, while this second stage can potentially be unlocked within a few hours of play of the first stage, the player is now left with a choice as to which stage they may wish to progress. This setup is also helpful for the testing, as it meant the tester could play the quickest path they knew to jump straight into testing stage two.

Irrespective of the time the player takes their party to stage two, however, the story continues at its own pace from stage two. It is important to note that the main story is not only governed by the actions taken by the player in stage one, but that stage two also has actions that must be met before stage three can begin. However, the order of these plot events can vary between stage one and two and completed in any order the player desires. The end result is that the player recognises how their choices affect the story as they play it, as much when they play through the second stage as the first.

"The style of play has progressed and complemented (but also differs from) the first stage and the first module in the campaign, with exciting new puzzles and monsters, and fresh characters that deepened the plot."

One of my main aims with module two as a whole, was to not let what I know of NWN2 stop me from designing a campaign from what I had in mind to deliver. I thought of my Pen and Paper D&D days and the scenarios I had written back then (1980's) and went about to redesign them to work in the NWN2 environment. This was no easy task, but I thought if I could come anywhere close to achieving it, the fresh gameplay experience may be welcomed by most players.

I wanted to develop a greater involvement of "scenario mysteries", which requires several events to take place to make progress. It involved "puzzles", but I mean in a broader sense of a "quest-based" puzzle (or events) rather than a single "object-based" puzzle. I first tested this approach in the first stage of the second module, but as I have continued working on the module, I have tried to include these across as many scenarios as possible.

To be clear, sometimes I would prefer to replace "a puzzle" with "a challenge" as a better way of describing what it is that I have designed into a scenario. It's more of an "event" based approach to a scenario rather than calling it a scenario with "puzzles". Either way, playing a scenario may involve one or two more events than a player has experienced previously, which I hope is what adds to the overall fun.

"The side-quests linked in well and had plenty of depth to them."

Regular readers will know how much I am trying to give even side-quests a "greater" story line than what players may be used to. This ties in to some of those points I raise above. However, I also try to ensure any NPC characters involved are more than the usual stereo-typical 2d characters we tend to come across, which I believe also helps to bring an additional sense of depth to quests related to them.

"There were many aspects of stage two that provided a new variety of tasks that offered me significant choice of what action to take. I did not feel pressured into taking any specific path, but could take my time of what I would do next."

Offering "choices" to the player is what I believe any good D&D game does. This is even more important to my campaign design, bearing in mind its title, "Predestinated Days". It is part of the game design to help illuminate the dichotomy of life. How far are we actually "free" to act? Anyway, I won't speak further on this point, but playing the module may speak some more if you ask the "right" questions.

"Overall exciting, challenging and made logical sense."

Excitement and fun is my main aim for all players! If the scenarios and main story are also fully understood and make logical sense, then I have done what I set out to do. Importantly, I believe well written journal entries (for quest or notes), as well as clearly defined tasks go a long way to ensure the player is kept fully informed of their objectives. In recent months, I have developed a new TOKEN based system alongside journal entries, which also helps to accommodate the more dynamic story design of my campaign. The NWN2 toolset is truly great at what it gives us builders the power to do!

Any constructive feedback you guys can give me in any matter of design is always welcomed. What kind of game do you like to play? More or less combat? More or less "puzzles"? (Bear in mind what I mention above regarding this usage of the word.) 

I have often been surprised at what other players call "exciting" in an otherwise same format of game. For example, I have played some RPG games that, from my perspective, eventually become tedious. They begin to suffer from lack of interaction, repetitive or unbalanced combat, unclear objectives, wandering aimlessly around, with bland NPC characterisation and even little plot to keep me motivated, to name just a few problems. Obviously, time available to us often dictates our choice of game: grab a game to have a quick blast and then move on. I am, however, hoping that there are still enough game players around who have the time to spend a few hours in a story that is challenging and thought-provoking... or perhaps this style of game finally had its day?

Other Information 

WALK MESH: As it turned out, there was one particular area that required a redesign due to some passages that looked good in my own viewing, but ended up being either too narrow or too awkward to manage around combat. This was one of the first alterations I made, and thankfully, the custom tile-set I am using had enough alternative options to allow a similar design (apart from one section), which helped the overall movement for the player.

However, this change also forced upon me another gameplay fix, which involved a puzzle that was based upon the area design! Of all the areas that I least wanted to have to change, this was the one. Thankfully, all the appropriate redesigns have now been put in place, and are ready for the next alpha test.

GAMEPLAY DURATION: I asked the tester to play the first stage of the module in the quickest way they knew to be able to reach and test the second stage. As some parts of the second stage required different aspects of stage one to be completed, this meant the testing of stage two also had various timings. However, after considering time spent in the first stage of the second module, the tester took around 30 hours to complete what is currently available for the second stage. There are effectively around four areas that I am currently finishing off for the second stage, which, in my estimation should add a few more hours. So, my guess is that this second stage should come in at around approximately 35 hours for anyone playing it for the first time and not skipping any conversations.

The overall time to play both stages one and two (bearing in mind that much of the first stage was "skipped" through where possible), was 45 hours for the tester. However, when we consider the time it took in the tester's first play through time of stage one, which was 35 hours, then we are currently looking at a total playing time of 70 hours for stages one and two combined.

With respect to the time played, the tester does like to craft, which takes some time, and they did complete every quest possible. Therefore, at this point in its testing, I would say that the second module currently has between 50-70 hours gameplay, but that is excluding its third and final stage, which I hope to complete work on in the coming weeks or months. It is hard to estimate the gameplay time of the third stage, but I think it is possible that the final overall gameplay duration could possibly hit 80-100 hours, subject to how much you like to do in a game.

After recognising the time scale, I did consider breaking the second module into two to three separate modules instead. However, due to the way the story can unfold, I did not want to railroad the player into one direction only, and secondly, the story would not reach a satisfying "stop point" if I did. Therefore, I will stick to the original goal and aim to finish the third and final stage as soon as possible. As a result, finishing the second module as I have it planned will leave the player in a relatively "good" place, with the clear knowledge of what they need to do next.

FINAL COMMENT:  All in all, this second stage ran more smoothly than the first stage on first alpha testing. There were still a number of module to module startup scripts to sanitise, but gameplay and stability were relatively good from the start. All scenarios played well, and the tester recognised the goal of new tasks presented to them. There was one exception, when there was a slight confusion over one goal, but I have adjusted the journal comment, which I hope will help guide the player more accurately.

I still have some concerns with area load times for a co-op game, but have done a lot of adjustments to improve area stability by removing associates between area loads. Co-op testing is still pending. However, I also recognise that many of the larger areas are designed to not be jumped to and back that often anyway. There are a couple of exceptions, but hopefully, players will be patient for any longer load times due to a co-op game requirement.

Typos are being corrected the moment they are discovered, and further searches made when one is found, just in case. Some lip-synch may still need updating, as well as some animations, which again, are being updated as they are noticed.

Campaign Update 

Rather than delay the latest v1.32 until Monday (which was my original intention), I decided to upload this latest version alongside this blog release today so that I can have a fresh start on the remaining portions of stage two next Monday instead. There are enough updates in the latest v1.32 for me to recommend its usage, even to have a more enjoyable gaming experience. The most important fix was to ensure monsters do not spawn at a PC location, which was broken for a few encounters. E.g. Bats in the sanctuary.

The latest module update was just to move a WP to allow better movement of some NPCs, and is NOT required unless starting afresh. Just update the v1.32 campaign folder to allow a saved game to continue.

Other than that, here are a couple of screenshots from the first alpha test of the second stage:-  

Heroes Explore The Docks!

Episode 96: A Story To Tell!

On 3rd May, it will be six years (May 2019) since I started concentrating fully on building the second module. As I report in that opening post, a lot of the content had already been done, but little did I realise then just how much more content was still to come. Thankfully, today, I can announce that the second stage (of three) of the second module has now moved to its first alpha testing. I still have a couple of sections of this second stage to finish off, but the vast majority is now being tested for the first time. Alongside this news, I wanted to take a look at what we all try to do in our modules: to tell a story!

Stage Two Alpha!

To put this into perspective, my wife, who is currently doing this latest stage two alpha testing, started the stage one alpha testing back in December 2023, which was around four and a half years since the beginning of these episodic posts. So, this second stage has only taken around one and a half years to reach. As for the third and final stage of module two, this has had a lot of work already done too, and so I am hoping that that will not take much longer to complete... and is something I hope to start after finishing the final couple of areas required to bring stage two to be fully completed. Realistically, I suppose I am talking around six months to a year to complete this second module. My goal is to aim for the end of the year, but I am not denying the possibility of it taking to the end of next year. Personally, I want this module done and dusted by the end of the year, but these things often take on a life of their own, and demand time and resources that changes any deadline I try to stick to.

Predestinated Days

In the last month I completed (for stage two) all the outstanding conversations that required finishing, including one that I had not originally been expecting, which was required to fill a potential logical flow issue. I also finished placing all essential plot items, random finds and the encounters. These were the final steps that required completing before I was able to pass it over to be tested. As it currently stands, I am reasonably confident the exploration to encounters is about right. However, until the alpha testing stage is completed, I won't know for sure, or even if something like an extra puzzle is required. Once the pace of the module has been tested, that will determine any changes to what is currently in place.

Now that alpha testing of the second stage is underway, I am keen to finish the final few sections that need to be added to complete the segue between the second and final third stage. Arguably, these are a kind of stage 2.5, which allow for a scenario or two that sit between stages two and three. They should be fun to include, but I need to work on them some more before passing this section to alpha testing.

As an aside, I need to point out that unlocking the second stage requires testers to replay from the beginning of the first stage of module two, because of the way modules work, and some variables that require setting as played. I have asked my wife to take the quickest way she knows to be able to reach the required testing areas, and I hope to bring some feedback for you in the next blog.

Let The Story Begin

My article this month is to discuss the art of story telling. After all, for RPGs (pen and paper or computer), the main driving factor for playing such a style of game is often about the story. Personally, I believe this is what distinguishes an action RPG (ARPG) from a story driven one. Don't misunderstand me, I have played some ARPGs that do have a story of a kind, but even by definition, it is fair to say that the ARPG concentrates more on the "action" than the "story" element of the game.

In my own personal experience, when playing Pen and Paper (PnP)  Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), it was the story that kept us coming back for more. Yes, there was combat "action", intriguing puzzles, map exploration and NPC conversations... even player banter, but all of these elements were held together within the framework of the story being played out. The reason I wrote this article is because I wanted to encourage builders of a similar interest to focus on their story writing, and to keep it in mind as they build their game. Not to the exclusion of the other elements I mention above, but because I believe a well written story is what provides the most memorable gameplay, and certainly has been the case in my experience... and we all want to provide a good gaming experience.

I have touched on this before, but when I recall my PnP days of playing D&D, every player in the group had a good grasp of events from the previous weeks. Occasionally, players may have had to refer to some hand-outs or notes they had kept for some background details, but the main theme (or story) and what they were trying to achieve was always remembered... even if their current objective in such should change due to their gameplay choices. The lure of the game was to find out more about the world in which they explored and how they could affect the story that was unfolding before them.

We can all recognise that freestyle play is more limited on a computer, but a well written story can still allow a player (or group of players) to consider their choice of play in a way that unfolds the same story, but in a way they like to play. In other words, someone who enjoys combat should still be catered for with combat situations, but a good story hopes to instil some kind of purpose or reason for the combat beyond "they simply turned up and got in the way". Yes, random encounters do, and should happen, but if they appear every few feet without any good reason for such, or appear to be a duplication of the last encounter you just had, then the whole combat starts to lose its appeal... and an unnecessary distraction from the main story or current scenario. It's no easy task getting the balance right, and I suffer from this as much as the next builder. I just recognise the error in this and aim to try to do better.

Many Quests, But Only One Story! 

I touched on this last month, but I would like to expand on the various scenarios a player plays in a game in the light of an over-arcing campaign story. Again, I like to compare to PnP D&D, because that is the style of RPG I am trying to encourage here. Too often, in a cRPG, I have seen quests that appear in one area, encouraging the player/PC to do one thing, and then simply return with item "X" for the quest to be completed. Furthermore, these "quests", (let me refer to them as "sub-quests"), often have little to no bearing on the story at all. They are not much more than distractions or space-fillers, which, I believe, can damage the pace of the current scenario or main campaign story.

Note, I am not averse to "task-like" distractions now and then... sometimes we just want a change of pace... except the type of distractions I am talking about here are often totally out of character for the setting or go against the flow of the story as a whole. Instead, I would encourage to add a sub-quest that fits within the current scenario or story itself, which the player may or may not prioritise (conscious that it may just be a side-quest). If accepted, make it more than just the collection of an unrelated item for an obscure character, which will never be seen again, or lack interaction with thereafter. 

Even a side-quest should require more than a simple one step reward, and involve a "mini-adventure" that helps emphasise the "quest" in "sub-quest". As a guide to the kind of thing I mean, ask yourself if the quest you are considering for your cRPG would work in a PnP adventure? For myself, the simple one-step "quest" of which I mention above would not have held the attention of my players and so I never included such. If a character I designed had no depth or purpose to move the current scenario (or main story) forward in some way, then the NPC would not have been created or used in the first place.

Something I like to do nowadays, is to check the Journal Entries in my campaign as I write the story, making sure that any entries I add require a degree of gameplay before signing them off as a valid completed "quest". Furthermore, I like to have as many of these quests share a relationship with one another in some way, if possible, unless they can act as a stand-alone sub-quest with its own plot and substance. The point being, I hope that a player can recall a "story" with each entry they have completed... and I mean more than a simple one time task.

In conclusion, a good story is often comprised of other stories within the main. Think of "Lord of The Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien. The "main story" is often stated as the destruction of the one ring... but we remember so much more than that from it. Among other aspects, we remember the characters, the places, the combats and the puzzles, all in a full context of the over-arcing story, which different people may well interpret in different ways. Even some of the more "minor" characters we can recall, because they were part of that story and often had an impact or part to play in some way. So, when we have a story to tell, we must try to tell it in a way that people will remember. Don't add any unnecessary distractions or "quests" with little to no substance and add nothing to the story. Yes, allow some basic tasks, but try to consider them in a way that plays alongside the scenario the players currently find themselves embroiled with anyway.

Final Thoughts

Computers have been a fantastic tool to bring our creations and stories to "life". However, because they enable us to be able to "easily" add material to fill the blank spaces in our worlds, they also, unfortunately, mean we can make such additions without paying care and attention to the kind of impact they may have on our story. To have a huge "quantity" of quests appears to have dominated the medium rather than to concentrate on the "quality" of the quests that the well-written story should legitimately have. Any story, good or bad, can be stretched too thinly making it lack pace or any direction it may have had.

Over the years, the size of the RPG worlds have grown considerably, with every hour of gameplay of them demanding new quests for the ever-thirsty adventurous players. But, I am starting to question (or perhaps realise) that what players really lack (or want) is (maybe) just one good story to play through rather than more of the same type of sub-quests we may be currently playing. Note, this does not mean we have to compromise on the scale of the adventure, but I would suggest we would do better by remaining focused on the story it is trying to tell, filling the gaps with only materials that do not go too far off the beaten track... unless, of course, that is your story, and that it leads to somewhere of interest.

Latest Campaign 

The latest upload (done today) is v1.31. I also took this opportunity to re-upload the "Others" zipped folder, which contains all the other files and folders needed to play the campaign. Note, however, that the latest version now also includes another hak in preparation for the second module when it becomes available. It does mean that this download has almost doubled in size, but as it is rarely updated, then people will only have to download it the once and have all they need for both module one and for the later modules when they become available. The only reason I will ever need to update the "Others" file again is if the third module requires any new files, or if I find a fault in the latest upload.

The update was mostly cosmetic fixes only, but if you want the very latest, then do grab them to use. I think that this may now be very close to the final update I will need to upload for a while. If, however, I do have anything to update, it will appear in a future update.

Finally, just a couple of screenshots of something I worked on last month...

A Sign of Activity!

 

A Lit Passage!

Episode 95: Scenarios, Quests & Tasks!

Back in the days when I played pen and paper D&D (prior NWN on the computer), the players adventure took place within a campaign and you played various scenarios designed by the DM (Dungeon Master) in which you defeated monsters and won treasures to pay for your PCs advancement. The campaign was the world or universe in which the different scenarios were set. At the advent of the computer RPG, we soon became familiar with the common term quest, representing all those adventures we love to play, be they representing the main quest or a secondary (or sub) quest. In this month's blog, I am going to take a look back at the way we have defined our game from this perspective... and how I like to use the terms in The Scroll! Yes, it's just semantics, I guess, but it's still exciting to talk about if you like your D&D! However, if my thoughts and musings about such do not interest you, then scroll to the end of the blog entry where I will bring you up to date of where we are at with Predestinated Days, my second module for The Scroll.

The Scenario

One of the words I like to use when writing or describing quests for The Scroll is scenario. Why, you may ask? Well, I believe it conjures a broader sense of the potential goals for the adventure that lays ahead for the players rather than when using the term quest alone. In other words, I like to refer to a scenario as something that contains a collection of "main" quests (and potential sub-quests), rather than something that just has a single goal in mind. For myself, and possibly old school players of D&D, the reference to a scenario also satisfies the idea of an adventure that is going to be of a reasonable depth, while not necessarily being the main goal/story of the campaign.

Alright, I know the distinction may be a subtle one, but let me try to give an example of the kind of thing I mean from my first module. (I don't want to give away any scenario details of the second module.)  So, in the first module, one such scenario is that the PCs find themselves trapped within the village by a barrier of unknown origin. (Such scenarios may or may not be given an actual "quest" name status, subject to the specific design.) It is important to note, however, that this is not the Main Quest for the campaign, but "escaping the village" might be considered one of a few "main" quests for the module (*). Therefore, it may be possible to argue that scenarios simply translates as journal Main Quests within a computer RPG. However, I have to stress that this is not The Main Quest of the campaign, and that distinction will become important as I try to describe what I mean in more detail. I would also like to clarify that as a Main Quest for the campaign does exist (even if not fully realised by the player from the start), it means the module is not (as some may conclude) an open-world design. The story to be found and played is determined by the scenario paths the player decides to take.

(*) Note, when referring to "module" here, I am speaking of the completed game and not the individual "modules" that may make up a complete game.

Layered Quests

The important distinction when considering a scenario versus a quest is that, objectively, the "main" quest in a scenario event ends up being the most important story arc that the player wishes to explore at the time of their playing. It is important to note that any quest can effectively become the "main" quest in the player's eyes. When this happens, it allows the builder to play one quest off against another (within a given scenario) with respect to its importance or dominance. At this point, a journal quest leading in one direction may "pass through" or "interact" with another journal quest, and the player may decide to change tact or quest direction because of events they have played up to that point. Actual "quests" (as recorded in the journal) now become more closely described as "objectives", and if done well, may change a quest direction subject to which "quest objectives" the player prioritises. At that point, the game begins to feel more dynamic and like a D&D scenario, rather than a computer "tick box" exercise of completing "quests".

Multiple Scenarios

Hopefully, from the example above, it can also be recognised that scenarios are not always clearly stated, although strongly implied. However, every scenario the player perceives, or becomes involved in within the game, now becomes their choice of their current "main" quest. So, continuing the example above, the player may take their party about the village asking about the barrier, or, alternatively, simply go off exploring. Let's say they decide to go exploring their local area rather that start asking about the barrier. As they do so, they find a cave in the next Shoreline Road area and decide to explore this instead. Before they know it, they find some bloody rags of someone who has obviously been here recently. Continuing on, they suddenly discover the cavern system has been infiltrated by more than just the wolves they had recently killed... but also by a foreign human cult who attacked the heroes on sight! What is going on here?

The game is now on! By now, the journal will have updated regarding the encounter and the player must decide what they intend to do about it, as a new scenario they find themselves in. If they survived the encounter, do they report back to the authorities, or try to find out what is going on by themselves? Is this related to the barrier problem or not? The new journal entries suggest paths to follow, and include "objectives", but ultimately, the quest they take will be based upon the scenario the player wishes to play out. They can either pursue a current objective that their current path has taken them to, or turn about and try going somewhere else. Now, the player is playing D&D and not simply following a determined path. Couple that with their choice of play affecting future scenarios (or journal quests) and the game becomes interesting to know how it will all end.

The drawback to working to a multiple scenario design, is that it takes a lot of time to consider the many permutations that a player may like to consider playing from any given point. This is why most computer RPGs do follow a simpler "Quest" (main or sub) design, as it compartmentalises events that are self-contained and do not rely on one another for interaction. Don't misunderstand me, however, as these can be very well designed to have an impact later in a game, as many computer RPGs already do, but the difference is the timing of when such choices make a difference. We are not just talking about how decisions impact the game later, but possibly within the next scenario the heroes find themselves in, which may happen just around the corner. 

Sadly, my time is limited to just how many permutations I can account for and I have to be firm with myself and draw a line as to when a path cannot be taken. Normally, these are the more obscure paths that players are less likely to find anyway, but I do sometimes regret not being able to accommodate a certain path, especially when I have a handful of other repercussions bubbling away in my mind should the path have been made available. In the end, I just hope the number of permutations that I do manage to include will keep players interested for at least a second play through. The good news is that, in my opinion, the second module, Predestinated Days, benefits from the multiple scenario support better than the first module even, as I have learned new ways of how to handle such things as the years have passed.

Considering Tasks

Now, scenarios (or quests), subject to how you want to perceive them, come with clear objectives to keep the player moving forward in the current scenario or main story. However, there are some objectives that can, and should, as I understand the gameplay, be considered "tasks" rather than "quests". In this situation, the term "sub-quests" (or secondary quests) has, in the past, been used to describe what I would consider calling "tasks". Note, I am aware that some games do separate these smaller gameplay steps into their own descriptors, but with respect to the NWN game, they mostly get amalgamated into a single "quest" step or are demoted to a sub-quest when using the journal, or possibly not mentioned in the journal at all. The problem is that "tasks", when implemented fully, can be either "essential" or "non-essential" and so being able to separate them out according to any journal entry they work alongside with can be helpful to the player, so that a "task" (if added as a quest) is not lost among the quest list already available to the player.

So, as an example, a task may be to collect a number of items for someone. As I said previously, such collected items may or may not be essential for the main quest or scenario currently being played. However, if the task for a scenario (or quest) is clearly recorded, then once again, it can make it easier for the player to decide what they wish to prioritise as their current objective. To this end, I have been able to help separate and distinguish the various tasks available when playing The Scroll, which I hope adds a new and useful aid for the player.

Predestinated Days

Although it has been a long month, I did not quite hit my target. Don't misunderstand me, I managed to get a lot done, but I also had to put some time aside to fix one or two logical flow issues that came to light related to conversations that had been written way back earlier in the year. So, when taking these additional alterations into account, I am probably just three to four days behind where I wanted to be by now.

The Bloodstone College scenario is nearing completion with only a handful of conversations outstanding. I do still need to add the encounters and finish placing a few final items required throughout the areas, but most of the essential items have now been created and placed. During this time, I also managed to add some puzzle elements, a couple being new, one of which is scenario specific. That is, the puzzle is not used as a generic interface, like combination chests, but is a single purpose puzzle just for the task at hand.

I am optimistic about being able to finalise this scenario in the coming days to the point of being able to allow my wife to alpha test this section of the code. Once she has played through and I have fixed any bugs found, I will then offer it to my other alpha tester if they have the time to test it too. I am very keen to see how this second stage plays out, and while I still have some sections of the second stage to complete after the Bloodstone College scenario, I am hoping these will be completed in the next month or so, and at which point the second stage will be fully completed. Then I will move to the third and final stage of the second module!

Latest Campaign

I released the latest v1.29 of the campaign folder today, alongside the April release of the module. The module updates are minor and affect the storage chest and some oil flasks. The campaign update, however, is worth grabbing, especially if you enjoy crafting, as I have fixed the broken official section of code that was preventing an upgrade when improving the enhancement of a weapon. Other than that, there were a few other updates and minor fixes (check out the download page), but all in all, the code is pretty stable since v1.28 anyway. Its stability and lack of needing to make further fixes or alterations is why I have been able to make better progress on the second module. On that note, I will leave you with a couple of screenshots, that I hope will whet the appetite to want to play the second module when it becomes available.

 

A Beautiful Garden!

Did I hear Something Up Ahead?

Episode 76: Stage One!

Readers of this blog may recall a couple of episodes back, that I had determined that this second module of The Scroll campaign, called Predestinated Days, is effectively comprised of three stages. Taking this into account, I determined that I would concentrate on finishing each stage in order, before moving onto the next. This would allow me to beta-test each stage as I continued work on the next. The last couple of months has been about working on "Stage One". Read on...

A Bumpy Start To The Journey

Reaching this point of building module two has only been achieved after a bit of a bumpy ride, due to me continuing to support and update the first module, making it backward compatible with new additions along the way via campaign file restructuring. Thankfully, I believe that long and arduous task is now nearing completion, if not already completed. Apart from some recent last minute pitfalls, (which frustratingly added some potentially game-breaking updates), the first module, The First Day, should now be in its most stable version of release. Therefore, once the latest play-testers have finished their current games, and I fix any last minute issues they might find, I believe the core files for the campaign will have been fully tested in their latest format. As far as I am aware, most, if not all future scripting is now just a matter of writing new scripts, or adding to an existing template; neither of which should interfere with the first module any further.  

Bottom line: Module one should be near enough on its final version, and all updates to campaign code are now written within their own boundaries for the later modules. Hopefully, readers will recognise this as a big step forward for both the stability of module one, and how it will help expedite the writing of module two. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have supported me and been patient to bear with me with the many updates through the growing pains of the campaign. Hopefully, the end results were, and will be, worth it.

Stage One Progress

The New Quests

As I look within the toolset and at the numerous quests available for Stage One of the second module, I can see, at a glance, that five entries still require their journal end-points to be completed. However, I am also aware of a sixth journal entry, which has some missing entries that requires completing. I also note that this first stage has the most journal entries of all the three stages of this second module; although I appreciate that this does not necessarily reflect overall play duration, due to some quests possibly being quicker to complete than others. (Please note that I will cover the completion progress of later stage quests in another dedicated post for that stage.)

In the last month, I managed to reach (and add) another "end-point" to one of the larger side scenarios that can be played. All that remains to be done for this scenario, are a couple of conversations and the placement of some plot items. The point I am trying to make, however, is that the main framework for this latest quest is now complete.  For the record, it's worth pointing out that this is one of those quests that does not have to be played within the modules first stage, but, for the purposes of setting myself a completion goal, I have included it in "Stage One" as one of those to work on first.

Of the other entries that remain, one is the path of the main quest, which is a conversion of an old pen and paper scenario that I designed way back in the 1980's. I am hoping that it should not take too long to convert, although I have been adding some other gameplay details to it along the way, so that it reflects the flavour that players would have normally picked up when playing with a DM who would have given more feedback information at the time of play. I am also hoping to add one or two other gameplay aspects to this quest, which work better in a computer environment compared to how it was originally designed to be played in pen and paper. Finishing this quest alone would take care of at least two journal entries that currently remain. This will be the next area for me to concentrate on after I finish the final details of the one I am currently finishing off.

Lastly, there are around four other journal entries that are closely linked to one another, which the heroes will have the opportunity to deal with during this stage of the game. The core outline for these remaining quests is already set in place, but there are one or two conversations that require extra attention due to the logical flow that is involved during the process of completing these related quests. For while I could simplify (and speed up) the whole process, it would be at the cost of some unique gameplay. For me, such a design is the difference between a standard RPG quest experience and one that a player feels is tailored to their own unique gaming experience. If I can achieve this, then it will, hopefully, give a player a unique feel for their game, and the possibility of a different outcome and experience if ever played again.

The New Puzzles

Alongside some of the puzzles that came with the first module, I have introduced some new ones. Some are repeatable (in a similar fashion to the tumbler chest puzzles), but others have been designed to complement the current scenario. This first stage of the second module comes with at least one of these newer puzzles, which is designed in a way that I hope will keep the player intrigued and wanting to push forward in their current quest. In this sense, I have designed the "puzzle" to be part of the adventure. Hopefully, you will understand what I mean by this if and when you have the opportunity to play it.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I enjoy games that include puzzles or mini-games, which are employed in such a way that can add an enjoyable addition to the gameplay. In this second (and third module), I am trying to add some new gameplay that I hope will give players something extra to test both their wits and tactics, while having fun at the same time. I think of the times when, as a DM, I would present a puzzle to my group of players and have them try to figure out what part it has to play at that time, or how it may be of importance moving forward. In my mind, it adds another dimension to the gameplay, which I hope adds an interest and further expectations a player may have.

The New Gameplay

When we look at the AAA games available to play today, at first it may seem like anything we might try to make with NWN2 will appear to fall far short from that which is currently on offer in such new games. However, I have come to recognise that the enjoyment of a game is not just about such things as the introduction of a fancy new graphics engine, but just as much to do with being something "new" in general. The real enjoyment is to be had when a player can relate to a story being told, and has a good understanding of their ability (through their avatar) to be able to participate within it. If, along the way, they learn or experience something new or interesting from what they have experienced before, then that new moment of discovery or achievement is what has the player keep coming back for more.

The fun, as I have come to understand it from my own experience, is in the discovery of something new about the story or game I am playing, which I can then respond to or work with. Conversely, if the story or gaming element is something already (or becomes) too familiar to me, then that is when a game can fall flat, and possibly abandoned. Therefore, even though NWN2 may be considered an "old" platform, I concluded that the story I am writing for the game is still worth telling using it. For while I believe "there is nothing new under the sun", I would, however, like to believe that this story (of my own telling), can still offer some players "pause for thought", and hopefully remain as a memory of a pleasurable experience long after they reach its finale.

I would like to add that my knowledge of using the NWN2 toolset has improved over the years. Unfortunately, this is not in the ability to design new areas with grand and magnificent vistas, but is instead, in an ability (I hope), to give some unexpected designs in gameplay that may surprise the player and give them a moment of experiencing something "new" within the NWN2 gaming platform. I can think of at least two places where the end results of what I was trying to achieve exceeded my own expectations when play tested in-game. Maybe I am easily pleased? The point I am trying to make, however, is that the next module (at least), will come with some new gameplay experiences in the form of some interesting and unexpected differences from the standard NWN2 game that players have come to expect. This is the excitement of playing a modders game, as you never know if the builder has added something new to what is expected from the standard game. In this sense, we can have both the experience of playing a game that we know and love with the added excitement of not knowing what the builder may have in store for us.

Today I can report that Stage One of the second module is one step closer to a point of "completion", at which point I can then pass it on for testing. For now, here is a screenshot from Stage One of module:

Another Time & Another Place!

Episode 69: The Long Journey!

As we approach the end of yet another year of module writing, I end it looking forward with eager anticipation and hope that the next module, Predestinated Days, will see a release some time later next year ... more likely towards the end of it! For now, this is going to be a relatively short blog this month, with just a few notes of what I've managed to do this year, and where I hope to be heading next year. Writing Predestinated Days has certainly been a long journey, even up to now ...

That Which Is Done!

The start of this year saw me turning to some of my old pen and paper (PnP) scenarios with a view to bring them to NWN2. In the last year I have successfully managed to incorporate one side quest, which turned out far more involved than I first thought it would be, and have the foundations of two more core dungeons laid out.

Later, I delved into developing some rotating puzzles for my mega-dungeon, which was first started around July 2019. Work on this mega-dungeon has been continuing back and forth as I come up with more ideas with which to fill it and make better use of its size. Importantly, I have also developed a number of new gaming systems for that dungeon, which I hope will all add to a very exciting experience alongside the normal fun of deep dungeon delving.

Another area I have worked on has included new creature AI, including vampires with gaseous form and their coffins; lycanthropy and its curse (and curing), and the ankheg and its spit! Each of these creatures has its own areas of interest, which I have also been developing alongside the creature itself.

Later in the year, I realised that the scale of the world had grown larger than I first realised it was going to, and so I had to start bringing in more areas, which meant I also needed to consider new quests. Using NPCs that I had from my PnP days that fitted the bill, I wrote some new side quests, which has taken a large amount of my time over the last six months that had not been expected. These, however, are now done, mostly.

By now, my coding skills had improved from a year or two back, and I started to rework some of the earlier code, including improving shop vendor response interaction, conversation background options, journal updates and even write a small card game. Some of these updates I made backward compatible and released v1.50E (onwards), which supported the improved game mechanics. Other code, like the card game, will be included as a new experience in the next module, Predestinated Days.

As this year draws to an end, I find in the last few months I have been bringing together some of those more difficult plot lines that are brought in from the first module, The First Day, and that now come together for the two background choices within this second module. Basically, the core plot line has now been solidified for both backgrounds, meaning journal entries moving forward will no longer have to consider the difference in background choices.

That Which Is To Come!

Moving forward is primarily about continued development of conversations and quests. Many of the side quests (that I have started) are now done. That's not to say that I may have another idea or two for other side quests that may present themselves to me as I move forward. Around three small side quests remain to be written, with a couple more larger ones that mainly require dungeon design and monster balancing, as well as any puzzles or literature I may decide to include.

As far as the main quest goes, I have now structured it in such a way that it has its own number of "side quests" that must be played to move the main quest on. I have around two to three of these "main quest sub-quests" left to finish, but at least one involves the mega-dungeon, which is currently an unfinished environment, and which is likely to end up with another side quest or two of its own on top of what I currently have for it.

There is still map (overland and static) work to be done. The world maps themselves are complete, although I have still yet to finish all links involved subject to player path through the module. These should not take me long once I have all the quests finalized though.

I already have in mind where some of the final battles will take place, but they still need to be considered for game balance and general appeal. Then, on a final note, I intend to design a location where some concluding plot details will be learned by the PCs that I hope will leave the player in a satisfying position in relation to the module's current end-game and what they might be able to expect in module three, called The Last Day.

Outstanding In Brief ...

• Area with a PnP scenario adaption  x4 (One side-quest. Three essential.) (*)
  
• Unique area with new dungeon  x2 (One side-quests. One essential.)
  
• Mega-dungeon (various sections) (Essential.) (**)

(*) Two end-game dungeons not started. One requires area designing too.
(**) A complex environment with its own systems involved, which requires careful attention. 

The Bottom Line

It still feels like a lot left to do for me at this moment in time. However, to your advantage, my wife is as keen to play the next instalment as I am to finish it, and so she is a constant source of encouragement to me to keep going. It's very hard for me to give any sort of timeline for release, as some days I manage more than others. I must confess, these colder and darker days are harder for me to manage, but as spring comes along, I hope I will bloom in the new year and have a flourish of writing.

One thing that is always an encouragement and welcome, are comments from readers like yourselves. So, if you have any ideas or suggestions, or just want to ask something, please leave a comment. Either way, I hope to update you all again in the new year. Until then, I leave you with a screenshot from the next module.

Preparing To Embark On A Long Journey!

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 52: MP Considerations! (v1.50E News!)

It's been an unusual couple of weeks since my last update; mostly due to play-testing the campaign in multiplayer mode (MP). It has been a long while since I have tested the code in this area, and I apologise to any players who may have been trying to play in a co-op game, as there were a few glitches that needed addressing, especially with some conversations and, in my opinion, some awful area loading times. Anyway, this week's blog is all about MP care and attention, and the up and coming v1.50E! Read on ...

MP Conversations

One of the first elements that builders have to consider in a MP game is when players may or may not be speaking to an NPC and if that conversation is relevant to all players as a plot conversation. After all, it can be boring for another player to sit and wait if there is quite an important story conversation going on elsewhere with another player. This is why we have MP conversations, which involve all players. However, problems arise when certain NPCs can be both vendors (or independent NPCs) and potentially involved in a story conversation as well. Designing a conversation to switch from one style of conversation to another (SP-MP) depending upon when the player speaks with them (and what stage of the plot we are at) can be quite involved.

Unfortunately, in some of the later module releases, I had updated the system to allow for this kind of MP interaction, but the logic was around the wrong way. It was prioritising MP conversation over SP ones, which meant whenever a player spoke to one of these types of NPCs with multiple potential conversation lines, then other players could be kicked out of what they were doing, for no reason! In latest testing, this quickly came to light and I have now reset this conversation to work the correct way. Thankfully, there are only a few of these in the first module, and can normally be navigated anyway. The latest update, however, removes unnecessary interruptions. Coming in v1.50E I have also added some gaming info in some lines so players will know if a line they are about to chose will start a MP link. See this week's screenshot. I will use my discretion as to when best to notify the player, as sometimes the MP link will be automatically done anyway.

MP Area Load Times

Another aspect that quickly came to light in latest MP testing was the (in my opinion) unreasonable load times for some areas. I also discovered some old database code that added to the confusion at times, and could cause even longer delays. The old code has now been either deleted or updated to work as intended, especially with the next modules, and I have taken time to try to improve area load times by taking a closer look at what was causing the delays. I have posted a summary of my findings and how best to prepare for MP area load times below. The calculations are still "work in progress", but are reasonable enough now to give an indication of area load times for MP games according to how many and what type of objects are in an area.

I decided to work along the lines of a maximum of 30s per area load if possible, by altering both my own scripts for area objects and transition objects, and alter area designs accordingly if they were not overly compromised by doing so. Some aspects, like the number of clients in a game, I could do nothing about, but overall, I like to think the alterations have been most beneficial. However, there may be one or two areas (I am still working on them at this stage of writing), which may take longer to load, as they are much bigger and by their nature hold more objects. But, in such circumstances, the slightly longer load times may not be so much of an issue, because they are designed in such a way that the players have no need to leave them again for some time. Therefore, the overall area load time versus the amount of time they spend there is worth the extra few seconds wait. My key aim with this exercise is to ensure areas that are often revisited do not take more than 30s if I can help it, and am aiming for less wherever possible. (NB: In a SP game, these take only a few seconds, around 4-6 only.)

Module Two

I know some may be disappointed at the lack of latest news regarding module two, but I hope you can see that these improvements to the MP environment in module one, also ensure module two goes smoothly. Admittedly, those who only play SP are less affected, but rest assured, when I sort this kind of thing out for a MP environment, the SP aspect also benefits. Also rest-assured that in most circumstances, SP gamers will not notice any difference to gameplay with these changes (apart from a very eagle-eyed player who can spot even the slightest change), as any more noticeable gameplay changes only affect the MP game due to the requirements the MP game needs different to a SP game.

Hopefully, in my next post, I will be able to bring you some extra news regarding the progress of module two. MP testing will be well underway by then, and normally, once past the starting line, things normally settle down, and allow me to get back to plot writing. One thing I will need to address in module two straight-away, are the conversations like these, and check out the area objects! Whatever happens, I will keep you posted.

v1.50E News!

On a final note, some of you may have noticed I have withdrawn module one (v1.41E) until MP testing is completed. You may also note that the version jumps from v1.41E straight to v1.50E. This is because v1.50E has had some changes that will not be backward compatible with v1.41E and below. Trying to ensure backward compatibility is extremely difficult when I am trying to move forward. Therefore, rather than spend too much time trying to accommodate earlier versions, I announced the potential issues and left it a couple of weeks before withdrawing the previous version. However, I hope the extra wait for the latest v1.50E will be worth it, as it comes along with a couple of exciting updates such as an (i) improved journal, (ii) fast map travel and (iii) lip syncing on NPCs, as well as a number of fixes that will benefit all, like one-use items that stay in the quick-slot upon buying or finding more.

Demonstrating The MP Conversation Link

Area Load Time Investigation Summary

SUMMARY

In Summary, this is what I believe is worth considering when designing areas for a MP environment …

MP GENERAL

1. Each creature in the party adds load time. (Remove summons etal before transitioning.)
2. Each client adds load time. (Around 2-3s and is unavoidable.)
3. Area enter scripts add little time, but no more than a second or two. (Irrelevant.)

MP AREA SPECIFIC

1. Each creature already in an area can add a fair amount of time for a MP load. (0.25s each approx.)
2. Placeables with dynamic content creation may also add more time for a MP game.
3. Any objects created in an area (via scripting) add towards the total load time. (Remove prior leaving.)
4. Next, VFX are more time consuming than most other area objects because of the number used.

The bottom line is really the number of objects(*) in an area affects the MP load time, including any dynamically created during loading. Therefore, be sure to only create objects after the On Client has finished loading and be sure to remove them before exiting an area (and recreate again at next entry if still required).

(*) The objects that appear to do so more than any other are: creatures, VFXs, and placeables with contents. In testing, environmental objects appeared to have little impact, even when running into thousands as in Tsongo’s area.

SP games are much more forgiving and compared to MP environments can probably be ignored by comparison. However, as a guideline, I would offer these figures and guidance for MP area creation to best minimise load times for MP games to under 30 s.

1. Spawn constant area creatures after On Client load finishes and despawn on area exit transition.
2. If many, do the same with utility placeable objects, such as “weather units” in my own module.
3. Keep VFX to under 120. Keep inventory placeables under 40. (Non-scripted appear little impact.)

Doors, sound and light objects also appear to have a very small impact, but not enough to worry about unless you use a lot of them. Just compare your overall usage when considering these objects with relation to other objects used. For instance, if you do not use any VFX, then you can get away with a lot more sounds and light objects.

From following these steps, I reduced one area MP load time from 78s to 30s!

MP Load Time Guesstimate Formula

BASE: (# Player connected x 2.5 + # Additional Party Members (inc associates) x 1)
AREA: (# Creatures x 0.25) + (# Doors x 0.06) + ((#Sounds + #VFX) x 0.08) + (# Lights x 0.04)
VARIANCE: (#Placeables x 0.06 - 0.25 Subject to scripts attached.)

FINAL LOAD TIME = BASE + AREA (+ VARIANCE)

EG: My Area (With Host Only):

HOST: 2.5s + My Entry Scripts (2s) = 4.5s

• Area Creature Objects (15x0.25) = 3.75s (*)
• Area Door Objects (17x0.06) = 1.02s
• Area Sound+VFX Objects (120x0.08) = 9.6s (**)
• Area Light Objects (55x0.04) = 2.2s
• Placeables (Lowest = 34 x 0.06 = 2.04 TO Highest = 34 x 0.25 = 8.5) (***)

( * ) Using default scripts may lower this value.
( ** ) Actual VFX used in area will alter this slightly.
( *** ) Use lower value where no scripts or inventory used.

MP TOTAL LOAD TIME = 21.07s + (2.04 - 8.5s) or 23.11s - 29.57s

In practice, this example area loads in around 24s with just the host.

CAVEAT: Testing is by no means complete and these figures may be subject to further changes.

That’s as far as I have tested for now, but may add more info as time goes by. Again, my thanks goes to KevL and Tsongo for helping look at this with me. 

UPDATE: Script with latest timings .... These are seconds allocated per area object:

// OBJECT LOAD TIMES (CHANGE AS EACH TEST IMPROVES)

float fCREINV = 0.07;    // CREATURE WITH INVENTORY
float fPLCINV = 0.15;	 // PLACEABLE WITH INVENTORY
float fPLCUSE = 0.24;	 // USEABLE PLACEABLE
float fDOORS = 0.11;     // DOORS
float fVFX = 0.05;       // VISUAL EFFECTS			
float fLIGHTS = 0.1;     // LIGHTS