Updates Go On

Sure, I've got the Storm of Zehir project on my plate, but it is worth noting that work on Shagret, that bloated beast of a project, still goes on. The problem is, that despite efforts to reign in its excessiveness, I find it still rather time consuming to make certain areas. For instance, one really ought to make every dungeon unique, skill checks happen and other "fanciful" events occur.

With that said, I feel it necessary to say that Shagret is simply incapable of being released at my original "deadline" of January. I know, for some of you, this was the only reason to even wake up in the morning. Well, I apologize for that much(drink coffee, it's good and good for you). I'm not really sure how Chaos Wielder of the past really thought the work would be done in time; you do know he's constantly working against me, laying down "scripting systems" and "ideas" that need work later on. He is a despicable character, really. I am, however, beholden to continue some amount of work in this vein.

The upside of this delay--of which I have no definite time line--is that individual polish, such as area lighting, descriptions and other minor troubles, are being given a thorough going over. In the end, it's for the best(and many folks are busy off with Dragon Age, so I should shoot for the [distant] moon and be happy).

Obligatory screenshot. I've re skinned all the Golems to have a golden look. I figure, if the Nagas like gold so much, their constructs would have that vain appearance as well. Calad, my testing dummy, is about to be killed, so I thank him for posing so elegantly before the finishing blow.

Next week, I hope to have some more definite(read: interesting) information. Until then, keep at it!

SOZ Holiday Project

I started a thread over on the official, NWN2 boards with a simple goal: more adventures to be had in SOZ. I explain more fully in the thread, but that's the essential aim of the project. I think that if we modders work together and give a substantial, and substantive, gift to the community, they'll back us on future endeavors. Too often hear people saying they don't know what we're up to: well, I think giving our own little flair to SOZ(which is, in reality, a fairly open and plot light adventure) would allow our talents to shine while making it not too much additional work.

That, of course, cannot be overstated: any modder who reads this and would like to contribute but has time constraints, that is totally acceptable and, really, respectable. Many of these campaigns we are working on are dreams(or, in some cases, nightmares), but they just stick with us. Shagret sort of demanded a break from me--after 30000 words of dialogue, area design was just a relaxing exercise--and so I managed to keep modding while not overdoing it. A welcome bargain, I think.

Of course, I've digressed(and indulged myself) too much. For those interested in lending a dungeon or two, hit me up in the thread or here. I welcome the support and, really, think it will be grand fun. Zehir won't know what hit him...

Now, of course, obligatory screenies on my two as of yet finished dungeons(fyi, I do love blue light and fog):

Darkstrand Maw

Lair of the Creators

(Wyrin has beaten me to the punch, but...ah, who blames him. For those that like good old fashioned adventures, it's a welcome addition. I'm pleased by the support thus far, and I suspect it will be a good time for all.)

Monsters and a Request

I love monsters. Sure, we all do, right? I mean, what what an adventurer do without a horde of seemingly oblivious creatures to kill? Hell if I know. So, to this end, I've decided to make certain changes to the monsters in my module. I've discussed this before, but I enjoy repeating myself(especially since I really would like to talk about something. It's better than saying, "I'm writing conversations and that's that.")

Cowardice: A great philosopher said something along the lines that we'd all sell our souls to the devil if we were scared(his name escapes me). The point being, that the smaller, squishy monsters of the swamp make sure to get out of the way when the big ones show up. I've also incorporated this, in some cases, to a staged regeneration system, which means the little guys have a point in running other than simply running. This is not a totally new idea, I'll admit, but I think it necessary when you have multiple species of creatures interacting.

Ignoring the Small fry: Let's say you, intrepid hero, have somehow stumbled across a big bad Blastoderm(pro tip: don't). Naturally, you run away hoping to find some possibility of escape. The thing is, most of the big monsters will initially ignore the smaller monsters if they're preoccupied with something else. The idea being something like: if a Lion is busy with a Buffalo, it won't go for a rabbit just because it's there. NWN2 is hardly real life, but I'd like to think, if we're making environments with the monsters, that they should be afforded more than just encounter strength.

Boredom: But, of course, I'm a fair guy. Most monsters, if you run for too long, will just grow bored and quit hassling you. This is a very "gamey" solution, meaning that the player could act outrageous and still survive, but it, in sense, does mimic the behavior of "real animals". In turn, it means I can spawn in very, very dangerous creatures early on because I give an "out" option for the player(and, assuming they're suicidal and/or bloodthirsty, they might try and go for an early kill).

Species: I'm trying to make the monsters of the swamp feel more than just monsters. In Metroid Prime, for instance, there are detailed biographies and lifestyles for many of the creatures. You can see them foraging, living out their life as if yours does not "matter" to them. And, really, for most animals in real life, human interaction is not a direct interest in their day to day activities(and God knows the monsters in an RPG are hardly "animals"). So, in some cases, the monsters simply are foraging for plant life, pollinating or just flat out ignoring you. Although there are some really crazy monster fights in this module, many of them have lives that are outside the player and should, I hope, be respected as such.

I've also made a request over at the official forums. I need some help with a reskin for the deer model and remodel of the wolf to make a fox. At the risk of sanctimonious musing, I'd be eternally grateful to anyone skilled in these arts to assist me. I can, yes, do some skin work on my own, but this is, sadly, outside my skill. Please contact me here or via the forums if you can. Thanks in advance.

Logo(!) & Status

As I'm sure you've noticed by now, there is a fancy new logo at the top of this blog. It's quite lovely and was made by the very talented Bolero. I hope you like it(and make sure, lest one forget, that it is very much in accordance with the oft-remembered principles I have on the left side). I hope you enjoy it.

As far as progress: An important point for Shagret is its insistence that the many characters you meet will not always simply follow you(I've mentioned this before, I'm sure, but it bears repeating). This is a difficult thing to design for, because certain monsters would, due to their power, seemingly require all your party members to defeat them: if you lust for blood, you need a good heart at the same time. Of course, some players will have trouble with this idea. You can't boss them(the companions) around all the time. I'd like to, in some small way, manage a "real life" for them outside of your interactions. It's absurd, sure, but their motivations supersede yours(i.e., if they want to go right, but you say left, they'll more than likely still go right). That might make them seem selfish, but it's just a simple way of formulating it. The point is that they're not your toys to be used, and they will 'rebel' if you throw them towards crazy battles, pointless dungeons/caves and other tasks they don't like.

(And, for those curious, my computer is back up and running. It was a bit scary there for a moment, but it was just the graphics card and nothing more serious. Sadly I'm now running a less powerful machine--who knew things were so much money!--but it gets the job done. It had a fine time going through Live Forever which, really, I think everyone should; it's a lovely module, although I'm sure Azenn would not like the word "lovely" to describe it. I'm no philosopher, but "fucking awesome" would seem more apt, I imagine).

Anyways, enjoy the logo(I know I do), and I'll see you next week.



PS:
Oh, I should also say I'll have a small piece of custom content to release on Halloween. Not a mod or anything like that, but a good friend to keep you warm in the darkness.

Possibly Major Problem

My computer has stopped working. I'm under the impression it is the graphics card and the main fan; I simply need to get new ones(expensive, perhaps, but simple). However, it remains to be seen if that is the case yet. Like all computer issues, one hopes it is nothing major.

Fingers crossed--it goes in to the shop later today.

Writing, yes

Writing is problematic as an update. What do I, well, talk about? Strangely, words do not make good updates. Pictures, monsters and other such zazzy topics are generally more accepted. However, bad conversations are a blight like no other. All I can say is that I've been writing and, well, there's not much more than that.


Or, actually, there is. I've been working on a small monster "logic" system for the swamp. Basically, it means that little monsters(let's say, a Stirge) won't try and attack a bigger monster(say, a Wyvern). And, conversely, the Wyvern won't try and attack the Stirge. Although this might seem simply like a faction issue, it's a bit more complicated. I want it to be that if the Wyvern is "hungry"(injured) that it will attack other monsters that, previously, it ignored. But, of course, the Stirge will try and avoid it--ultimately, it involves chases and the Wyvern giving up.

These sort of scenes, obviously, won't attract much player attention(you'd have to have good eyesight or invisibility potions). However, I like to think this level of detail--or supposed detail--does much to make a module(or game) more interesting.

And, while I'm coding this in, I'm trying to make sure that grossly unbalanced combats don't happen(one Naga cannot beat a flight of Wyverns). So, I'm trying to get a handle on a cowardice system, of sorts. Not a total one: making everything run away just bogs down gameplay too much. So, I'm sort of giving it a rule of thumb on which monsters should run away and which ones shouldn't. It'll (hopefully) keep things interesting.

In sickness and in health

Or, something along those lines. Last week, I was afflicted with a serious case of the flu and found myself away from the computer(tangentially, I recommend Batman: Arkham Asylum: it was a good friend while ill). However, I did manage to do some amount of thinking about the module(an important thing, of course). I don't have the time to showcase something interesting, to be honest, but I will make sure to discuss something more of interest next week.

Until then, I'd like to say my rules about writing dialogue(something I could do while sick):
1) Know the ending before you start. Random tangents can be amusing, but they are more likely to be a distraction. Players want focus, despite occasional insistence on non-linearity(despite my focus on individual choice, I try to keep the random choices focused, which is hard and confusing).
2) Imagine if the character came over for dinner. What would they say?--would the Wolf Goddess like The Daily Show? This helps as a primer for dialogue.
3) Keep your characters distinct. Even if it's as banal as having one of them say "Aye" instead of yes. Just, please, try and make the individual lines distinct enough that they could stand on their own. "Oh, that's something she would say!" Bland dialogue is a killer for me, even if the module is 'action-oriented'. It doesn't need to be Proust, but try to make it interesting.
4) Try not to have direct answers to questions. If I said to you, "Tell me about yourself."--what would you say? If people in games are supposed to even sort of be like us, then make it seem like that.
5) Stupid people don't all sound like, "I go bed now." Vary it up.
6) Different species/races ought to have different perspectives and likes. Dragons aren't just scaly people--how's a life that's viewed as scale mail like?

I hope these simple steps are useful(now, granted, there are better writers than myself, but these might be helpful to somebody). /Englishmajorrant

Visual Effects Tutorial - Pink Torch

Have you ever thought your dungeon lacked the zazz it needed? Are your torches looking a bit...drab? Well, thankfully for you, now you can turn that torch to a hot pink look. I've made a tutorial that should give the basics on how to make some simple modifications to standard VFX files. It's not hard to do, but can be a bit daunting if you just jump in expecting results.

1) The torch itself

All files pertinent for this are stored in the install directory(for most, something like: C:\Program Files\Atari\Neverwinter Nights 2).

First, we need to find the torch visual effect to modify. Go to the install directory, find the Data folder and open it up. Inside this is a .zip file called NWN2_VFX--open that up. The explorer should show something like this:

These are all the subfolders where the individual effects files are stored. We're looking for the torch, so a logical place to look would be the FX_AMBIENT folder. Once there, you're going to see a large collection of effects files:

We're going for torches, but there's all sorts of stuff to play around with in here(maybe some other time!) Anyways, I'm going to extract all the files that have "fx_torch" as their prefix. This will just simplify things. Also, for later, you should extract "fx_embers". This is needed as well.

Now that we've extracted them(put them somewhere you can find them), it's time to load up the toolset. Now things will get interesting.

2) Hot Pink

Go to the plugins drop down menu and select Visual Effects Editor. From there, find where you extracted your file and open "fx_torchglow.sef". If you do that right, you should see something like this:

There are three files being defined here--shown on the left tab--(and we've extracted them all), so let's go open up the first one: "fx_torchglow.pfx". But wait, you say, we've already got the torchglow open. Well, the thing is that the suffixes for the files are different things(I'll explain all we need for now):

.pfx: A particle effects file. This is like flying dots and stuff like that.

.bbx: A billboard effect. This is for a static image.

.sef: This is the special effect file. It combines other effects into a package the game will then apply.

Anyways, let's open up that file "fx_torchglow.pfx":

You can see the start color and end color definitions on the side of the tab. Changing these on their own gives our desired effect(this is a very basic tutorial, so this is all we need to muck with).

I changed my values and...voila! I have the start of a pink torch. Edit the other two files the same way--changing only the start and end colors--and save them into your override folder: for most, something like C:\Users\YOURNAME\Documents\Neverwinter Nights 2\Override

I used the names pinktorchglow, pinktorch, and pinkembers to make it easier to find.

Let's go back to our original torch, fx_torchglow.sef, and modify the definition files for each slot:

It doesn't particularly matter, in this case, which order you put them in, so don't worry. But, look...it's done!:

We can now save this into the override folder(or campaign directory for our project) and go from there. I'm calling mine pinktorchfinal. Go into the toolset, now, and load up any area. Put down a torch visual effect, and then change its definition file to the finished torch. And, voila part deux, it is done!:

From here, giving it light and such is up to the individual modder. But, really, what self-respecting lich wouldn't have a pink torch?

3) Lessons

You can take what you learned here and my other tutorial on VFX files to make a wide variety of different effects. These are just the basics, of course, but they allow for a fair amount of flexibility and, importantly, individual uniqueness for modders. Rather than have things look like the same old stuff, spice it up with some custom visuals!--your eyes will thank you later.

Status Update - 9/14/09

I was originally going to have an update featuring something in respect to visual effects. Sadly, time constraints got the best of me. It will have to wait until next week.

The truth is, I started my final semester at college(woot!) and am right now in the process of looking at master's programs(people just line up for philosophy degrees, no?). In any case, this will not have an effect on Shagret so much--I allot time as needed--but it might make these updates, occasionally, consist of hastily formed sentences and blubbering excuses. I shall, however, aim to make the other updates more robust and interesting.

The Nagas, a Companion and Music

The Nagas:
In the silt of the Julak Swamp, Nagas reign supreme. There are terrible creatures in the swamp, but none stray close to the Naga Temple. Nagas are many in number, great in sorcery and resolute in their collective purpose. They view the swamp as their property, and any sentient creatures which venture inside are little better than chattel. The few remaining civilized monsters that make Julak their home know better than to ever challenge the Nagas. However, the player is thrust into a dangerous situation to begin with. Diplomacy, while useful, is not as helpful as quick feet. Running away is ones best option to begin with.

But, perhaps you wish to return the favor? Mayhap the Nagas have earned your wrath? Well, there's a problem with that...you see, the Nagas don't take well to you escaping. They want you back.

The player will, very soon upon escaping, find that the Nagas have given chase into the swamp. Nothing is worse than a story of success, so they hope to make your escape a short-lived and pointless endeavor. There are few options left to the player: fighting is next to useless to begin with and you're outnumbered. Of course, the Nagas might think they own the swamp, but other beasts might beg to differ...and I'm sure they have a few words to say.

But let us say the player escapes. Let us say that they wish to come back with powerful items and allies to kill the Nagas. Well, I'd like us to say further, but there's quite a few "ifs" involved now. The Nagas aren't goblins or orcs, they're heavily trained and armed. There's no Naga 'grunt', each one is a fearsome foe that will not go down easily. Worst of all, they are intelligent; Nagas will retreat and call in reinforcements quite liberally. It would be rare if the player managed to catch these serpents unaware.

Of course, I do not require one to kill the Nagas for the story to advance. I suspect complete eradication to be beyond most players. And, besides, the Naga Queen might have a few tricks up her (proverbial) sleeves.






Mulaska:


Indeed, she has a few tricks left. As a hidden companion, only available due to certain events at the start of the campaign, the Naga Queen Mulaska might join you. Despite what she might have you believe, she is only the former Queen--politics and all that are ever so complicated and filled with back-stabbing, reverse back-stabbings and smoke filled rooms.

She would not, of course, explain any of this to you. Mulaska is in charge and, in fact, does not tolerate back-talk from the player. The conditions on which she joins you are...well, complicated, and she is somewhat justified in saying you work for her. And she does take this seriously. Unlike other, kinder NPCS in my campaign, Mulaska is ruthless. She will kill you if you don't act right. She demands respect and will receive it. She provides a totally different experience for nearly every dialogue and event in the game.

Mulaska, as the former Queen of Nagas, carries her name far in front of her. Anyone that knows of her will be displeased simply by her presence, and her terse tone does nothing to help that. One will find allies in small supply if they wish Mulaska to be an ally. She has done crimes that are best not spoken of, and only by dredging the mire does it fully become apparent what the past holds. It is worth noting, also, that if you have Mulaska on your team, all Nagas you meet will have names. There are no 'generic' Nagas. Each one has their own life, and she knows of them all.

The excellent portrait for Mulaska was made by Bolero. Her eye is hidden from the world, and why does her smile crack like a stiched vein? Snakes never blink, you know, and Mulaska is no different.





Battle with Nagas:
I have been fortunate enough to receive another track composed by Goran Bastinac of Heaven Rain. It is the battle track players will hear when fighting the Nagas and, I think, does a good job at making their deadly presence felt and appreciated.