|
|
Post by Moradin on Dec 16, 2014 19:21:47 GMT -8
While I'm getting my ducks in a row. Feel free to make suggestions for the forum, mod, what haks you might like to see, or anything else.
|
|
|
|
Post by lazycat1984 on Jan 1, 2015 22:39:29 GMT -8
It's kinda neat in that it will be a fresh look at it.
|
|
|
|
Post by Fharlanghn on Jan 4, 2015 13:04:06 GMT -8
Hey! Been soloing to see the lay of the land. In my opinion the mod needs some rework. There's very little to do in game that I could figure out based on talking to everyone and everything. Lots of potential mind you, but not without some work. So far the things that stand out to me are: -There are quite a few areas that offer neither anything to see, nor anything to do. Travel areas are fine, but some of these areas are huge and almost pointless (outside of the North gate for example). -We should lose the silly names (Mighty Ducks Inn?!), the PC homes, as well as the cryptic map markers. -There are a crazy number of inns/taverns/pubs!! There needs to be a conversion of a large number of these to something that makes sense (Cobblers, coopers, butchers, race specific jobs, common jobs, etc...). And maybe even a relocation of sellers to areas that make sense (At the very least there's a bow-seller that should move to the Olven part of town)-- if only to give the areas something worth visiting for. -Map sizes. Verbobonc is meant to convey that it is a hub and a city- so multiple area maps makes sense. For villages and towns a smaller map should be the goal (the map should literally convey that the location is small). -My biggest beef (player-wise) is map borders. It drives me nuts to see area borders that are open, but inaccessible. Fixable by adding a wall, bushes, trees, water, chasm, or (my least favourite) a description with a reason that pops up ("The miles of marshland ahead look untraversable"). -The respawn area. Going back to the birth pool and then navigating out is not particularly roleplay sensible. Maybe a hospice, temple, or morgue? -If a restart is planned for VoV maybe it should be pared down to only a cleaned up Verbobonc, and then add on the other areas after they have have been 'fixed'. These are just my opinions of course. Hope I'm not being too critical. Thoughts? If amenable-- I'd love to get the mod so I can take a good look around.  |
|
|
|
Post by Moradin on Jan 4, 2015 21:21:03 GMT -8
Most of your ideas are things I'd considered (and some are already on the to do list). Not sure what to do about all the open areas (there are a lot of them all over this mod), but I'm open to suggestions. It really is a bit impractical to add borders all around the areas, and to make multiple transitions along a big edge (like in the prairies). As for finding things to do. Yes. This mod is pretty much intended to be run with a DM. I would love to start adding some conversations (one of the easier things to do in the builder) that give hints, more quests, etc. Respawning is already not very RP, so while I get your point, I'm not sure that would be a high priority. This mod is way tighter, and better put together than the old GHL mod (which was fun, but had tons of real game related issues). Some things the main city needs: a 'black market' where traps, poisons, etc. can be bought (and more importantly, sold); some good low level quests, especially for non-fighter types. There are a lot of pubs, and a lot of places in the main city that are still unbuilt. I've asked lazy to comb through her knowledge and references to help figure out which ones should be added as areas, and which should maybe be scrapped. The PC homes will be re-named. That's a simple fix. I'll get you a copy of the mod soon so you can look at it. I want to be careful about what we add or take away, and once we get a few players, I'm sure my to do list will grow quickly. I've also got my chief coder looking at a utility to be able to do a global find/replace so I can finally get rid of all the duplicate CLW potions too. Maybe I'll start a more formal list in a separate post so it's easy to see what is being done (that way, players/DMs/Builders will know what has priority and can argue for their pet peeves). I'm also looking for my Temple of Elemental Evil paper copy (I think I have 2) so I can add some conversations in Homlett and surrounding areas too. |
|
|
|
Post by Fharlanghn on Jan 5, 2015 3:55:58 GMT -8
I agree it is better than the old GHL mod. That had quite a few unsolvable issues. This does feel like a workable canvas at least.
Good idea about the pnp version of ToEE for conversations. Porting info from that and maybe even some related work would be a great way to recapture the feel of old school gaming.
For my part I can certainly start building some low level quests that can be easily imported. I might start dredging up references in other modules that might make interesting prequel quests (ex: hunt down the agent of the Slave Lords, Help some adventurers research the location of the Tower of Inverness, Investigate the Kua Toa body that washed up on the rocks, Escape the Magical Mirror/Painting/Book (with unexplored Lewis Caroll fairy tale references-- like Jabberwock, or the Hunting of the Snark!).
|
|
|
|
Post by Moradin on Jan 5, 2015 19:14:49 GMT -8
One of the things I'd like to do is give mages some good alternate ways of getting XP by collecting re-agents and selling them to the Wrinkle Academy, or Mages Guild. It wouldn't be huge, but since things like gargoyle skulls, fire beetle bellies, etc. Are in rather out of the way places, they would get a small XP bonus (as well as coin) for selling them. Other classes would be able to sell them, but not necessarily get the XP bonus.
I'd like some good rogue quests too, although I think anything breaking and entering related would require a lot of work (scripting the guards to imprison, allowing for the possibility of escape instead of permanent faction hit, etc). And I don't think the prison in Verbabonc is even built at this point, although it may be in some of the smaller towns.
Also, I would love to get Celene built. I'm looking into either running multiple mods, or seeing if there's a reasonable upper limit to what could be added without taking a performance hit.
Reading through the intro to ToEE, I think I'd like to see the Kron hills fleshed out a bit, with some more humanoid encounters and lairs, as well as more gnomish presence.
|
|
|
|
Post by Fharlanghn on Jan 6, 2015 5:32:21 GMT -8
The mage collection quests should be doable. I think I can script a 'detect class/spawn collectible object' on a placeable (plant, rock, bush, etc...). I'd just need to put a respawn timer on it. We then create a collectable-buyer to avoid clogging standard merchant inventories.
For the thief quests--In the past I've 'marked' houses (a visual tell like a stone near the door) and passed that info on to thief characters via NPC dialogue (opened by class-detect-rogue script). The interior could have random spawns like guard dogs and the like instead of dealing with guards/imprisoning at this point. Respawning random traps are harder. I think there's script out there, but I'll have to look around. For loot selling we could have a Fence NPC to, again, avoid clogging merchant inventories.
|
|
|
|
Post by Moradin on Jan 6, 2015 16:04:26 GMT -8
I like that idea for the thieves. The trick would be figuring out what to do if they get caught. For wizards, I'd prefer to have them look for existing things in the game, the idea being that they should need to explore, and even better hire/gather a group to help them get things. Once we get some players, I'll probably have a scavenger hunt to do the same.... |
|
