Normally, I'm not glad to have to work on something I used to consider done... I'm in a hurry to finish the first bigger module, but I asked for help in making Chapter 1 more interesting and Thirdpres delivered some new content, which will be an improvement. It will take PC at least to level 2 so that she isn't quite as useless in fights next to Sir Brash, who will be level 5. These changes might make Chapter 1 worth playing on its own.
I'm concerned how fast I will manage to finish Chapter 2, which still seems like a lot of work. So maybe chapters 1 and 2 will be published separately after all, if I finish up C1 faster than C2.
I promised three romances early in the series, but there is only one in C1, although you will meet all three characters... And when I mentioned sexual encounters, most of them happen in C2. And most of the twists and important choices happen even later.
I'm concerned with whether people will still be interested in playing and believe me that there is more to come. How do they feel about a module series with 6-7 smaller modules?
But how much mess is it to always talk about chapters 1 and 2 together because they are stuffed in the same module? I get less panicky when I cut the work up and feel like parts of it are complete.
I guess I have until release date to think about it, whenever that is. I'm also eager to send out the first part of the module so you can play it, but my deadlines... I always feel like I'm lying.
I'm hopefully not lying about the Prelude. I need to finish it today or tomorrow, then have it proofread and tested, which I assume will take several more days, and then if the moderators on NWVault work around New Year, it will be out. :D
The Prelude will take an hour or so to play, depends on how fast you read and whether you decide to skip the glowing red, marked door (don't?). I worked in a custom system that hopefully stores your variables for the next module and exports your character automatically. I mean, I tested it, but what do I know. It's recommended that you save this character for later use, to skip introductory dialogs in which you have to tell the game what choices you made.
One of the most important things you will get to say in the Prelude is whether the girl is a virgin. I won't force you to play one, but I think it's better that way. If there's going to be a unicorn quest which Thirdpres suggested for C1, it's better to be a virgin.
P.S. We survived.
I'm concerned how fast I will manage to finish Chapter 2, which still seems like a lot of work. So maybe chapters 1 and 2 will be published separately after all, if I finish up C1 faster than C2.
I promised three romances early in the series, but there is only one in C1, although you will meet all three characters... And when I mentioned sexual encounters, most of them happen in C2. And most of the twists and important choices happen even later.
I'm concerned with whether people will still be interested in playing and believe me that there is more to come. How do they feel about a module series with 6-7 smaller modules?
But how much mess is it to always talk about chapters 1 and 2 together because they are stuffed in the same module? I get less panicky when I cut the work up and feel like parts of it are complete.
I guess I have until release date to think about it, whenever that is. I'm also eager to send out the first part of the module so you can play it, but my deadlines... I always feel like I'm lying.
I'm hopefully not lying about the Prelude. I need to finish it today or tomorrow, then have it proofread and tested, which I assume will take several more days, and then if the moderators on NWVault work around New Year, it will be out. :D
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| Added to the Prelude yesterday - arrange a mini prison break. |
The Prelude will take an hour or so to play, depends on how fast you read and whether you decide to skip the glowing red, marked door (don't?). I worked in a custom system that hopefully stores your variables for the next module and exports your character automatically. I mean, I tested it, but what do I know. It's recommended that you save this character for later use, to skip introductory dialogs in which you have to tell the game what choices you made.
One of the most important things you will get to say in the Prelude is whether the girl is a virgin. I won't force you to play one, but I think it's better that way. If there's going to be a unicorn quest which Thirdpres suggested for C1, it's better to be a virgin.
P.S. We survived.
Prison break!
ReplyDelete8D
Tell me more, tell me more,
Did they put up a fight!
@.@
They died like kittens! *said in Brash's voice*
Delete* Listen to the voice set "Male, Large Rowdy" :P
DeleteThey killed Ken...
ReplyDelete~No
-kittens- !
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Yessss I'm so glad you're letting the main character start out as a virgin! Mwahahahaha!
ReplyDeleteNot for too long, of course ^.^
DeleteYou know, if it weren't for those bars there in the photo, that would halfway look like a rowdy bar fight to me. Or perhaps a bar that had iron barred doors. :) Hey, I've been to stranger places. :P
ReplyDeleteBeing that I still enjoy this game, and now that it's basically as portable as putting said game on a thumb drive and taking it on the road with me, I will be playing it for the foreseeable future. So I will always be eager to play new NWN content. If you break it up into smaller chapters, I know I will look forward to playing each and every one of them. And it's like the gift that will keep on giving. Almost like extending Christmas day to the 12 days of Xmas or something. ;)
I will definitely play the virgin route. I almost always play the innocent/naive virgin role anyway. Hey, I tell these guys it's not going to be easy getting into my pants! (even if in reality it probably is). :P In any event, will like to play the virgin role if for nothing else, the upcoming possibilities for what my happen to my PC in this module.
Thanks again for all the hard work you've done getting this mod to this point!
Variables will not transfer from module to module if applied to the PC directly, but will if you apply it to an item in the PC's inventory. A good work around is adding misc item called 'Demonheart Module' in the pc inventory that they can stuff in the back, or by giving the PC a useful item they can't get rid of an scripting all the variables on to it. Of course you gotta watch those strip all items scripts that way.
ReplyDeleteSince it's a single player module and not a PW or something you could use the standard Bioware databases. Make sure to name your databases something really specific like 'DemonheartDB' or something, so nothing overwrites them accidently. This will make sure all the variables are available, and no weird items needed. However every time the module is replayed it will overwrite them, so someone would want to play each and save their databases or something.
http://nwn.wikia.com/wiki/Database_integration
Hope this might help.
I've read something about those overwriting databases. I might try them next time, if I get a huge amount of variables to transfer.
DeleteDoes it really work with items, no database used then? It seems to work when I try it.
Huh, it only works if I script the next module to fire right after the one where I save the variables. Anyway, I have a crazy little system with item tags that works for now.
DeleteBasically you add an item to the PC's inventory that saves with their BIC file at the end of one module. Provided the character was saved at the module end once they are imported into a new module with their inventory from the last module all the variables should be intact on their items. However you have to make sure that you store the item within a container in the PC's inventory. It's a bit of a chore, and best to script the container OnDistrurb to maintain the item inside of the container. It's a pain... slightly. Once a character is exported it strips the variables from the PC and the inventory, except that in containers. So you can transfer the item that way.
ReplyDeleteFor Servervault characters this was added by Bioware to give some form of persistence with PW building, and is used by a lot of them that try and avoid databases. It's one of the reasons you find that some PW's would give you a specific item when you logged in that was undroppable and plot. PC variables are basically module-specific and are saved along with the saved game, rather than the BIC file which is being transferred. Once you save a BIC it strips them all to cut down on file size.
The only other method I can think of is to name your databases per character, and load them per character. For example, you can have the SetCampaignInt function do this...
SetCampaignInt(GetName(oPC)+"_DEMONHEART", "variable_name", 1, oPC)
That way each DB will work with each character individually. No overwrites provided the PC name is always different. Whenever you call or write to the DB you just have that GetName(oPC)+"_DEMONHEART" and you should be good to go. I haven't tested that, so don't quote me :)
I've heard (read) that Stefan Gagne made 3 rotating databases for his modules. I suppose it would work with the PC's name. I'm not sure where these databases are. It seems neater that a player only has to save the characters, they can be more easily transferred.
DeleteI'm not familiar with Stefan Gagne's work personally. But as long as they don't transfer from one computer to another a PC name based DB shouldn't really ever be a concern for players. Most are unlikely to know they are even there. Plus you get the benefit of having people able to make several characters without erasing existing DB's. Anyway... hope my tirade helped a bit.
ReplyDeleteOh, BTW, searching through some fucntions I found this.
ReplyDeletehttp://palmergames.com/Lexicon/Lexicon_1_69/include.x3_inc_skin.html
Applying variables directly to the PC skin apparently are persistent and can be exported with the player. :) Easy peasy.
That would be neat... It would be more clear that the player has completed a certain module if there was some special item that could be seen in the inventory, but I can make that separately.
Delete(I sometimes have 20 characters with the same name when I reproduce them carelessly :()
I used to have fifty different versions of Cytan (and a few Tieravalon Danu's too) in my local vault.
DeleteHehe.
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