Doubts (public) Developmental log

[Doubtful]

OK!

After a serious bout of chin stroking I've decided to stick this thread up. I know it can often seem like the world is stuck as it is with little or no forward development or that the staff are inactive or retired.

Well, hopefully, no more!

This is going to be a semi-opaque (not quite transparent, I needs to keep somethings secret until release!) log of my non-DM sundren antics. It's (hopefully, again) going to be fairly interactive, so if something's so terrible that you think it should never see the light of day then speak up!

Lastly, a word of warning - This is as much a list of dream projects as it is of actual ongoing work. I know as well as anyone that I've a limited attention span and a terrible habit of getting distracted at the last minute. I tend to hope on and off of projects in stages as and when my whims dictate so it's likely some of this stuff may not see the light of day. Time can also be a bit of an issue, don’t expect rapid development cycles! Purely toolset based stuff should remain a lot quicker than stuff that requires non toolsetty work.

Anyway, enough negativity, with time, dedication and a bucket load of something I’m sure we’ll get these done and dusted quickly as. Feel free to comment / make demands / enter discussion / laugh. It all helps, people getting involved gets me motivated, a motivated me gets things done!

[Doubtful]

Active Projects
Projects that have had some level of time investment beyond brainstorming or paperwork. Toolset or other development has begun on these projects and has taken place within the last month (after a month they get chucked into inactive).

1. Mirakus Post – Redevelopment of Mirakus into A Place of Cool! Toolset work part done, area mapped on paper. Mirakus map is complete, ExiCorp Trading Post is around 50% complete - NPCs outstanding.
2. Ixis – I LOVE Ixis. It needs MORE! Now, the green isle already has plenty of OUCH! type of action going on, but it needs some more of something like ARGH! and a healthy dose of OOF! some COR! wouldn’t go amiss either.
   I’ve got two new external areas and a dungeon in mind (yes, one of the areas will be called ‘Field of Screams’. Status: Underway, maps on paper and roughed in toolset. Desired new assets blocked out. Around 15% done.
3. Cool cultural pieces for Dwarves and Elves – Following the EvD thread I said I’d do something, it’s not been forgotten, I just haven’t had a good idea of what to do yet. Percentage Completed: Elves 60%, Gnomes, 80% Dwarves 30%
4. THE TOOL - Holiday project and a heap of fun. This tool should be useful to DMs, DEVs and Players alike both ICly and OOCly. Status: Around 25% complete.
5. ExiCop Stores - Whole host of new and exiting arms, armour and items. Should be entertaining. Status: Around 50-60% completed, still working on nailing a good cohesive style.

[Doubtful]

On Hold & Pipedream Projects:
These are projects that may or may not have any substance to them, ideas and thoughts that seem fun and might get taken up at a later date or projects that are currently stuck behind skill/technical issues.

1. Legion Forward Operations post – A ground based Legion fortification and training camp styled after a few sources (notably a recent visit to Pompeii). It would be placed between the existing Sunderer’s Gate and the Pioneers Way to signify the last post of genuine Legion control on the ground. On paper, some toolset work, inactive for over a month. Status: Designs done, completing ExiCorp work first.
2. Gnoll Makeover – A bunch of assets and models for the gnolls of the Viridale, making them unique and flavoursome. Also included Thayan themed gnoll things for potential playability. Project ran out of steam.
3. Legion Makeover – New custom armour for the Legion forces on the server, Romano-Grecian in style. Several versions made but slammed into a brick wall and burnt out trying to resolve numerous technical issues. May be picked up again as relevant technical skills develop.
4. ExiCorp Armour – Same issue as above.
5. Crafting – Bug fixing easy fixes (hahahahah) in the crafting system. Only recently gained access to the scripts, on hold while I summon up the courage to touch that filthy pile. Status - Fear
6. New Nature HQ! A place for all you filthy hippies to gather and discus the best method for molesting goats or something. Inspired by bits of various countryside, landscapes and ruins (Wales, England, Italy and Iceland) along with comments and discussions with players, this should be a location that fits in with server/realms lore, allows intermingling of nature types and non-nature types in one area and is generally rather pretty. It should also get a couple of shops. Tied into this is a rejig of the old grove/Ranger area, concreting the events that happened there into server lore and providing an interesting new dungeon. On Hold while nature faction is rejigged for IWD.
7. Dungeon X – A new subteranian fest of doom, screams and more doom. It needs a custom tileset that’s about 25% done. Picked at as and when, very much needs the right brain action going on hence slow progress. Stuff that inspires me to develop it also tends to distract me from doing it. Durnit. On Hold at the moment - Non priority.
   

[Doubtful]

Completed Projects:

New stuff what is live and on the server and things.
Well, this is awkward. There’s nothing here.

Well, there is one thing but I can’t remember what I called the .hak so I won’t bother with it now, it was some appearance things. Anyway, once projects get complete and go live they’ll get moved here. Magic.

1. Dwarven Schild - Done! A new dwarven Bunker, remodelled Schild and a couple of new NPCs on the Twin Peak road. It’s all ready to go and can be moved to ‘Completed Projects’ just as soon as I figure out how the living heck to upload stuff with this SVN witchery. - Completed and Phase I is IG
2. Sestra – Polt started mapping a 16x16 redux version of Sestra and asked me to take a poke at it. It’s a fun base and mapping it is going fairly swiftly. Should be good to show prelims after a couple more good sessions. - Handed on to Polt

[Gamling]

Sestra better have an epic stair case.

[Doubtful]

Sestra better have an epic stair case.

I know exactly why you want a staircase. I'll even place an urchin child at the bottom for you.

[Gamling]

Why do you think Adeodatus wears those boots?

[Thief Of Navarre]

*sigh* I want tap shoes now.

[Jhickey]

There was a BH faction store makeover in the pipeline; is that still in the docket?

[Doubtful]

I'm not sure about the status of the BH store renovation.

[Poltergeist]

There was a BH faction store makeover in the pipeline; is that still in the docket?

That's still on me; Sorry for the disappearance. Grinning Death contributed extensively to that, and I've been waiting to finish Sestra to launch them all at once, and then hit mapper's block and couldn't continue. Doubt has very kindly picked up my rough outline, so I figure I'll get back to the store and coding some abilities. (Because who doesn't want a fiendish robe that is lined with barbed hooks and feeds off your vitality to give you incredible power?)

protip: Don't die while wearing the soulsucking fiend robe.


Also, dont' derail Doubt's project log. Maybe I'll do one of my own.

[Jhickey]

That's still on me; Sorry for the disappearance. Grinning Death contributed extensively to that, and I've been waiting to finish Sestra to launch them all at once, and then hit mapper's block and couldn't continue. Doubt has very kindly picked up my rough outline, so I figure I'll get back to the store and coding some abilities. (Because who doesn't want a fiendish robe that is lined with barbed hooks and feeds off your vitality to give you incredible power?)

protip: Don't die while wearing the soulsucking fiend robe.


Also, dont' derail Doubt's project log. Maybe I'll do one of my own.

I understand, it happens to the best of us. I just wish I knew more about how to help you guys out in my spare time.

[Doubtful]

Awesome to have you back Polt!

If you want to help Jhickey, or anyone else, write a quest! A good quest is something that me, Polt or Saulus can get in game for everyone to enjoy and play with. Just do the dialogue and journal entries and whap it up in the help section.

No real updates at the moment, just another session spent beavering away at sestra. Today I'm all torn - Should I get in game and DM some stuff, fire up max and do some work on the Secret Tileset of dungeonisity, carry on with making Sestra look scary, or dip my toes into another project for the day. Choices!

Edit: Theme music; Marcus Licinius Crassus, I'm Minted.

[Doubtful]

Thoughts for the day: Mapping and Railroading.

NWN2 presents quite a few challenges for mapping, aside from the general terribleness of the engine the Toolset can be a real bugger when plotting out areas, the development time for a single external area can be long, ludicrously long times a lot if you're looking at adding regions rather than single areas.

What this tends to mean is that areas are designed and mostly built in advance, that way (hopefully) the areas can get released after the completion of the reletive event. BUT, that means there's always going to be an element of railroading involved in releasing/modifying an area.

Of course, you could only start work on new areas after the events have happened, but that can mean a huge, huge lag between events and updates. We could cut back the quality of mapping in order to reduce the build time for areas, but the quality of mapping in Sundren is something we shouldn't compromise on.

We work hard to try and avoid railroading, but sadly the nature of the game means that many times it'll be a case of minimising, rather than totally avoiding. The game engine and toolset just isn't as powerful as our imaginations.

Still, player power and player input are the cornerstone of an enjoyable and dynamic world, your decisions and actions should, or better yet must affect the world that we build and it's important that these things are factored into development whenever possible.


Thoughts over - What have I done?!

Progress this weekend:
Sestra - Firming up the silhouettes and shapes for the new fortifications and thinking about how the redevelopment of Sestra can bring fun and interest to groups beyond the Black Hand.
Secret - Can't really say that now can I.
Secret 2 - It involved spending cash monies to go look at lots of Egyptian and South American artifacts and art. The rest, I cannot say.

Theme Music (Secret 2 inspired): Pachacuti

Things to go on various lists:
Essential:
Flags - Legion, ExiCorp, BlackHand. Need to have a Max/Zbrush day next block off.

Would Likes:
Water Wheel.
Power cables.
Crucified people and/or gibets.

[Doubtful]

First, as you may have seen there's been an Update!

Added Dwarven Bunker - The old Veritas Bunker has been modified to serve its new Dwarven tenants, featuring crafting area, beer brewing zone and the rarely used dwarven washtubs.

Schild Mountain - Stage 1 of the Mountain is completed! ExiCorp miners have carved a new water course across the landscape and installed a new entrance facility. Inside the mountain the ExiCorp researchers and builders are hard at work doing Zeus knows what.

Twin Peaks Road - In order to secure the growing ExiCorp facility Blackwood have stationed a few hand chosen men and women to monitor and guard the approach.

Geihmreadh - Eidior is dead, long live Auril! Eidor and Lief have been removed as a result of in game antics.