What a Silly Thing To Do...

Well that was indeed silly... I only went and opened the toolset, and before I knew what was happening, I'd opened a conversation file and started tinkering again.

Does this mean there's hope after all?  Hmmm... to be honest I'd say there's currently about 20% of what I intended for chapter 2, and even if I magically got it to 100%, it would still end on a bit of a cliff hanger much like Chapter 1.  It was always my intent that Chapter 3 would resolve the cliff hanger of Chapter 2 on completion, with Chapter 4 offering a multiplayer game where friends could play as the 3 main characters from the previous chapters.  That, I am painfully aware, is far too ambitious.  Having said that, I found nostalgia had me yearning to do more, or at the very least, complete enough of Chapter 2 that it would provide some nostalgia for those who enjoyed Chapter 1.  It would be a shame to shelve it completely, particularly with the work that has gone into it so far.

Players of the original may recall the effort I went to.  There was a real sense of story with a rich mythology.  Anything that could be clicked on had a unique description and nothing felt out of place.

What exists in Chapter 2 strives to have the same level of detail, and much like Chapter 1, combat is light to begin with.  As Chapter 2 involves playing a Thief, the story starts with a cutscene in which the player is tasked in a threatening manner to steal a sword.  I didn't want this to simply be a case of beating up a shop keeper, so some elaborate planning has been undertaken to ensure it felt like a real accomplishment.  The heist has to be carefully planned with a number of tasks undertaken to warrant success.  It seems a shame to let such planning go to waste, so I'm seriously considering if I can just get the heist section sorted it would be worthy of an upload, even if just so that someone else can use it in a bigger project of their own.  Of course, there's always the danger that I'll end up thinking I may as well do a little more.  We shall see.

So, I expanded on a conversation file.  I always enjoy those.  They can end up quite detailed.  I end up checking lines of dialogue and asking myself if some animation would add to the scene, such as drinking or a simple head scratch.  It's always nice if you can get nearby characters to interject too as it can make a scene feel so much more alive... curses!  I only opened the dam thing because I thought it was worth copying the text from items if I planned on releasing a book about running a roleplaying game in Relbonia, and now I find myself bitten by the bug again!

Ah well.  Have to work tomorrow.  Will see how I feel the day after.

Happy gaming all. :)

None Player Characters

Chapter One is getting ever closer to releasing a fully playable Beta. The first half of the module has already had some extensive testing, while the latter half has had none, so it seems wise to get some playtesting done before releasing an official final version, particularly as it is part one in a series and I won't want to put people off from looking forward to future episodes.
Although I envision the Beta being fully playable, it will be missing a few things anticipated for the final release. The town of Oasis will need some more townfolk to make it feel more alive. It will also need at least an end movie as the module will end on a bit of a cliffhanger and will feel odd finishing without an accompanying movie. A start movie would also be nice but not essential, so I suppose that will depend on how easy I find making the end one. Some of the scrolls I intend implementing might be missing but won't be a game breaker. There will also be something present that will be removed in the final release. At the moment the player gets feed
back when their rep with their henchman gets adjusted so I can get feedback if an adjustment feels out of place.

So, just to wet your appetite I'm going to talk about some of the NPCs present as that currently seems to be the most requested news in my poll here. As already discussed, "The Relbonian Chronicles" draws from a rich mythology that makes for a somewhat political setting where the Gods play an active role. As such, several of the NPCs are quite interesting. In some cases, they will play more active roles in future episodes and will only have cameo appearances in Chapter One, Zannaram being a classic example...

Zannaram was a once powerful Sorceror cursed by the Gods for his arrogance to assume the form of a Raven. As such, he roams the land in search of spell books to replenish the spells in his head. It's possible to have a very brief encounter with him about half way through the game, and again nearer the end where he might provide some assistance.

Math Skinnyfin is a Lith, a proud race of fish like people specific to Relbonia, being the earliest race known to exist (other than the "Ancients"). They are generally disliked by the other races, but there are some who recognise their loyalty and sense of honour, giving them the respect they deserve. We meet Math early on in the game when seeking passage on a boat. Later it's possible (but not essential) to rescue him, resulting in a reward that has consequences later in the game should he survive the rescue attempt. There are other conditions to the reward, but I don't want to post too big a spoiler here. Suffice to say it's good, and if the player doesn't like it, they're sure to be able to buy something they do like in Oasis after selling it. ;)

Gailin Both is much more in depth, being a henchman acquired at the halfway stage of the game. A runner for the Chronicle, he is initially annoyed with the PC for having his initiation ceremony into becoming a fully fledged Druid interupted by the arrival of the PC. Win his trust to increase control over him, otherwise you'll find him telling you to mind your own business when you suggest he changes his tactics. He's quite detailed now, to the point that even his posessions can cast light on the life of a runner.

Thon is a Half Orc met about halfway through who is initially sided with some bad guys the player can stumblle across who mistakenly presume the player is the help they have sent for. It's possible to have him switch sides, after which the player can either take him out too, or simply bid farewell. If you go for the latter option, he can turn up later, having been good enough to take out some other bad guys for you.

Another cameo appearance in Chapter One will be made by Allivanril, an Elven Sorceror due to make an appearance as the player character in a later chapter. Keep an eye out for him to gain a better understanding of what he's been up to when you come to play him. One of the main things that pleases me about this project is the politics involved despite the presence of magic and Gods. As an NPC Allivanril is clearly implicated in something bad, but that's because of his political motivations and an ignorance to the bigger picture. Sorcerors are frowned upon by those who derive their magic from the Gods, and to begin with, Allivanril is setting out to discredit the main body within Relbonia being representatives of the Gods, the Druids, by creating forgeries of the newsletter created by them, as he feels the ones penned by Druids offer a one sided perspective of world news. It is simply an unlucky coincidence that the man he hopes will distribute the forgeries for him is driven by far more worrying motivations that will later have our Sorceror acting on behalf of the Druids. Of course, his cameo appearance in Chapter One barely scratches the surface of this, but it does hopefully give you idea of the scope of the story.

Right, that's it for this post. Stay Tuned. :)

So what's it all about?

Well we've successfully moved, but still have boxes strewn around our new house. For ages I thought I'd lost my Neverwinter disks, but recently found them hiding inside my Printer box which was a huge relief as my laptop had to be re-formatted a while back. Our son was a little unsettled at first, but he now regularly calls the place "Mummy and Daddies new house", so we are settling slowly but surely.

It's been a relief that I have this project to work on when I want to escape the drudgery of organising our house, and I'm pleased to say that as a result good progress has been made in the past week. The henchman is really beginning to shine as a character now, with numerous branches in conversations dependant on the reputation of the PC with him. I'm also close to preparing the final location of the module, although I should point out that as a castle it's a fairly large area to populate and prepare, and there's also a cutscene needed for it. So, we're a little way off yet, but there is most definately light at the end of the tunnel.

Followers of this blog should know by now that I've been priding myself on the level of detail within the module. If you're unaware of how such detail is incorporated then shame on you for not becoming a follower by clicking on the link to the left! ;) You're in luck however, for, as promised in my last post, it's about time I talked about the object of the series.

What has become apparent, as I'm sure any playtester will testify, is that "The Relbonian Chronicles" will succeed in becoming immersive. This is something I set out to do from the beginning. I didn't want to make a purely hack and slash module. I wanted to tell a story where the player becomes connected with the characters involved, to the point that they can experience being part of another world, and from different perspectives too.

The intention has always been for the Chronicles to be a series, with each module having the player roleplay a different character within the same world, thus gaining a different perspective of being a part of a whole. For those of you who fear the word "roleplay", it won't be as daunting as you might at first think. In order for the overall story to unfold the player will have to play set characters of a pre-determined class and alignment. As such, dialogue choices will not offer extreme choices, but instead feature options that fit with the character. Notice I said "Options" there. Not only are they present, but they can influence the game. None feel out of place, yet in some cases can make the game easier or harder to play. So, although the story is on a set path, the manner in which you get to the end of the path can have subtle differences. The henchman I've been taking so much pride in is a classic example of this at work, in that there are many instances of his dialogue changing dependant on their feelings toward the player.

NPCs too benefit from attention to detail. In at least 2 instances you can meet someone further on in the story in a different location. Meeting them again is not guaranteed as it will depend on the paths chosen by the player, as does the outcome of meeting them again. In some instances there are even NPCs that will feature in future chapters in larger roles, indeed, one of them is even going to be the players character in a future episode.

So, to summarise, it's a story, told in multiple parts, from the point of view of a differerent character, all of whom are connected in someway to the bigger picture... a series of events threatening the very existence of the Relbonian world.

It's getting late now, so I'm gonna have to sign off. Before I go, if there's anything you'd like to know about the module please ask here, and I will do my best to provide an answer.

Books

Before I commence with the topic of this post, I should point out that the script shown in my last post entitled "Busy busy busy!" isn't shown as intended. There appears to be an error in the blog publishing software that removes certain characters. To view the script as intended, please refer to the comments left after the article, where Lance Botelle has been kind enough to show the script in its entirety.

Now, where was I? Ah yes, books. Books can add much to the atmosphere of a module and are often overlooked by builders. As Relbonia has a unique background and mythology, the importance of books is even higher than normal, requiring me to remove any reference to the default books and replace them with tomes of my own creation.

Books can fall into a variety of categories, sometimes requiring a different style in how they are written. For example, a book that simply covers a subject would just contain the actual content, possibly with a by line containing the name of the author to help add flavour, while a book significant to the plot might have a paragraph prior to actual content describing something else of importance.

The problem with books that just give a little background on your setting is that they can quickly become boring to the player, who may eventually decide that they simply aren't worth reading (a crime I myself committed in the original game), but how can one go about sprucing them up a little? A technique I try to employ is to give them something that not only adds flavour to your setting, but is also interesting to read, with the inclusion of information that may prove useful to the player elsewhere in your game.

As well as placing books within my module that discuss the mythology of Relbonia (which can also be read in this very blog), I shall also be including tomes that throw further light on the mythology in an indirect fashion. I've decided to post a few examples here to illustrate my ideas, and give you all a further taste of the world in which "The Relbonian Chronicles" are set:


THE FAVOURED OF MOYBALLACK

Other than the Ancients themselves, the Lith are regarded as the oldest race in all Relbonia. Indeed, some scholars openly debate that they are the race from which all other races derived, hence they are sometimes referred to as "The Old Ones".
Thought to have been created by Moyballack, it should come as no surprise that they originated from the sea and only later moved to the swamplands that they now favour.

They tend to keep to themselves, particularly as most other races regard them with low esteem due to their smell and repugnant nature. Over the years they have had a particularly hard time, gradually being shunned by those who fear them in their ignorance. While it is true to say that their slimy scaled skin and large soulless eyes give them a rather hostile appearance, most Lith are in fact reclusive in nature and quite prepared to leave the world to its' own devices. The only exceptions to this are usually the result of those who have been set upon, as they are very proud of the fact that they can be considered as original stock, and can be easily riled by what in their eyes are little more than egotistical inferior races.

Many Lith are known to follow the path of Mouys.


THE RELBONIAN CHRONICLES

The Relbonian Chronicles have been an important part of Relbonian society for many years, keeping citizens informed of news and events throughout the land, while helping to spread both faith and education to the far corners of the continent. Indeed, were it not for the Chronicle, many Relbonians would probably still lack the ability to read.

Laboriously penned by Druids in their great halls, they are sold as a means of funding for the Druid Temples.

News is spread via a network of both writers and runners, or in some cases even carrier pidgeons, although runners are considered more reliable, particularly as they tend to consist of apprentice Druids eager to impress their masters. When a runner reaches their destination, news is quickly copied so that the scribes there have a master to work from, then a fresh runner proceeds to the next destination. In favourable conditions, news has been known to span the continent in under a week.

It is now seen as a valuable commodity to the realm, allowing businesses to thrive by advertising their services in their own regional versions of the Chronicle. It is also highly favoured by the Faith Council which see it as a useful tool to maintain law and order throughout the realm.


THE EYES OF DARROK

"The Eyes of Darrok" are crystalised earth, thought to have been formed in the hands of Darrok himself.

The God of Rathna is said to have once materialised at Mad Mount to reward a Dwarf by the name of Tabanash Koovarn. As a show of gratitude for the kindness Tabanash had shown the earth, Darrok scooped some soil into his rock like hands and lifted it to his face, cupping his hands in the process. As he blew into the soil, he crushed it within his grasp, capturing the magical essence of his breath. When he unclasped his hands, a glowing gem was revealed which he then gave to Tabanash.

It should be said that while the story sounds authentic, Tabanash is generally regarded as quite mad, claiming himself to be a mighty Sorceror. Having said that, it may of course be the gem itself that grants him the power to make this claim.

There are many varieties of these gems that vary in size and function. Their most common form provides light, with the largest often used by lighthouses along the more treacherous coastlines of Relbonia. It is said that a stone such as this was broken into the smaller stones sometimes found in jewelry.


That's it for now. Watch this space for the next update installment, where I hope to go into more detail for the intended player characters.

Taking Shape

I thought I should post some info about my intentions with the planned modules.

It's all very well explaining the mythology here, but that's not the only thing I regard as unique in the way the game will take shape. Sure, the mythology is important, extremely so in fact, for much of the unfolding story deals with what's happening among the Gods. The unfolding story will unfold in "chapters", with each one revealing part of the broader picture from the perspective of a different character. In effect this will mean each mod will be playable as a seperate entity, but playing them all will give a far greater overall picture of what's happening for the player.

The first module is being designed for a Dwarven Fighter, but don't let that rather bland character class put you off from exploring this new world. As I mentioned earlier, Gods don't take a back seat in what's going on, and this first module will be no exception. Our story starts with the Dwarf stumbling upon the God of Death as he goes through the motions of introducing plague to the port town of Kerral for reasons that become clearer later in the game. Our first encounter with Death takes place as a cut-scene (watch this space for an exclusive preview of the scene), but another encounter occurs later in the game, where I am currently busy typing away at his conversation file.

Although the story itself might appear a little linear (such is the nature of a good story, but that's another subject entirely), efforts are being made to make certain actions responsible for differences within the game. While our player character will be a given alignment, with conversation choices limited to such, variation still exists, making it possible to attain a different level of gratitude from the God of Death, depending of course on how you want to play it. It's difficult to comment more on the subject without giving too much away.

Progress is good at the moment, with area creation steadily ahead of game progression. Area creation is one aspect of the NWN1 toolset I enjoy the most. I like the challenge of clever use of placeables, sounds and lighting to create areas some may never have considered, such as the top floor of the lighthouse which you can see here. The second major (and most difficult) cut-scene is near completion, and work on the Hak has begun, making magic more tailored to the "Relbonian" setting.

That's all for now. Thanks for watching. :)