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Post by Badwater on Dec 17, 2010 10:48:14 GMT -5
This thread will contain all the updates that occur with Talus2.
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Post by Badwater on Dec 17, 2010 10:49:44 GMT -5
Today T2 was updated to include updated Module events, Dynamic Merchants, the Wysbooze system, and Level merchants.
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Post by Badwater on Dec 27, 2010 19:29:31 GMT -5
Added special NPCs such as the cloak models.
Working on a new Adrift Between Worlds so that we'll know the difference when we log in. Currently setting up conversation and directions before creating the module entry point.
ABW for T2 will be able to be expanded for multiple entry points based on race, should we ever decided to go that route after T2 is more developed.
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Post by Badwater on Jan 4, 2011 3:52:45 GMT -5
Doing layout for the beginning town for the T2 module.
I'm also going through all the areas in what was to be Fandar in T1 but will be the small island of Haktha in T2. There's lots of wasted resources that I will be cleaning up so I don't see this island going in for a few days or so.
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Post by Badwater on Jan 4, 2011 18:45:07 GMT -5
This is coming along nicely, although there is a lot of housekeeping needed to get it ready for Talus 2.
This Fandar update, as interesting as it is, is really more of the same as far as T1 is concerned. It will be a good place for non-epics in T2, however.
A lot of effort went into the creation of Haktha (Fandar) so the only thing I'm doing is encounter and loot alterations, and eliminating unnecessary resources.
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Post by Badwater on Jan 5, 2011 15:19:26 GMT -5
Just about there, which means I have another 6 or so hours of work. I have 17 of 23 areas updated, with some that really need to be on T2 before I finish them up. After that I will be adding content around the starting port. Haktha will be accessible by boat from a different port than the starting port.
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Post by Badwater on Jan 11, 2011 7:45:48 GMT -5
Some of the Fandar areas are crashing the module that they're in. I have no idea why, but it's a good thing I've been prodigious about saves and backups or I'd have lost a lot of work so far. Right now it's just a matter of taking more time.
I've imported the Haktha (Fandar) areas into T2 to do the final fixing up. I will then be playtesting and adding more beginning content around the start of the module.
So that's what is going on this week - I should be testing by the weekend. *crosses fingers*
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Post by Badwater on Jan 12, 2011 14:32:37 GMT -5
Adventurers will begin the module in a port town called Crescent Bay. This town will be a mix of halfling and human - mostly halfling, maybe 70/30 or so. I'm working on connecting areas to the next two closest citites/towns. Going inland will require braving some wilderness areas that also have orcs and goblins. Eventually one will arrive at Valhana, the Outcast Settlement. Going up the coast will take you to a human port at the mouth of a river. I'm not sure what the town is supposed to be called, as I don't have any maps or information on what had been previously discussed, but I'll come up with something. More later!
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Post by Badwater on Jan 14, 2011 22:19:15 GMT -5
Slidermike sent documentation on what had been talked about in regards to T2, along with maps. I might be changing a name or two but I'm keeping the general layout of the continent as it was envisioned. Haktha has 24 or so areas, and the starting point in the module has 9 or 10 areas, not including interiors to the starting point. My Valhana areas were about a dozen or so. When the areas I'm working on get encounters and fleshed out then I'll be well on my way. I'm going to split Valhana into 2 or 3 sections...as tempted as I am to keep it one area I think it will work better if I split the city up, and I may literally make a rich section and a slum section. That could lead to interesting possibilities.
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Post by Badwater on Jan 18, 2011 15:59:13 GMT -5
I am fleshing out the outside encounters to cave goblin and orc areas that are outside of the starting point in the module. I'm going to add another area or so and then interiors for the farms and Crescent Bay and then export them to T2. I'm devising ways for players to need gold, and also have reasons that make sense for players to be paying for places and services, etc. I've always thought that it was in bad form to walk onto someone's farm and start harvesting grain, fruit, milking cows - whatever. I will have a farmer co-op set up where one can purchase farm (CNR) items, but also where a farmer will let you go on his/her property for a fee. Look for things similar to this wherever you go...in a formal dwarven mine, you'll be able to get in and chip at rocks, for a price. There will also be fees to use a tanner, forge, etc. After I have these areas imported then I will be creating a standard loot resource system. If there are builders that wish to create places in T2 then I will have instructions in the builder forum that give details on how design with loot drops in mind. Ultimately it's going to be me that has final say on what is out there at what quantity. I have every intention of making gold actually be valuable, knowing that on just about any server once you get past a certain level then gold stops being a problem. Be that as it may, I want players to be budgeting their gold outlay for as long as possible.
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Post by Badwater on Jan 19, 2011 14:39:52 GMT -5
Areas, creatures, conversations, etc. for a dozen new areas imported to T2. We have just under 50 areas now.
I will be streamlining these existing areas so that they are as close to being adventuring ready as I can make them at this point, and then I'll work again on my Valhana areas and import them.
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Post by Badwater on Jan 24, 2011 12:53:20 GMT -5
Lots of nuts and bolts things going on right now. I'm setting up merchants and deciding on basic conversations right now. The resources used by conversations are too valuable to just have an NPC say "Go away, I'm busy" if you try to talk to him/her. Also, if that's all an NPC has to say for themself...well, to me that's boring and just means the NPC doesn't have a reason to exist. Needless to say, my NPCs have reasons to be there. I'm setting up farms around the starter city to have some basic CNR resources. You're not going to find mining or gem resources - these are farms, not dwarven mines! If you're interested in chicken eggs, milk, or using a mill or tanner's place to do your crafting, then it's going to cost you some gold to get a key and use the place. Also - sorry - there will be CRP resting only throughout the module. In CNR areas I will generally have a resting area for you, because you can't just sleep on the floor of their establishment. That's a great way to get hauled off to jail! I'm also going to decide this week whether gold will add real weight. I'm leaning toward this unless the mechanics are not feasible. I'll set it up on my creation module and see what happens on a small scale, but basically I think that if you're carrying 100,000 gold then you're carrying a lot of weight, and that should be reflected in the game. It also provides a reason for a bank to exist. The bank, by the way, isn't going to hold onto your money for free either; it will charge something like 5% to protect your gold. I may look into bank notes for transferring large amounts of gold in order to buy high ticket items, or I might not ... I will try to work the game mechanics so that it's not necessary to add yet another custom game item to the module, but if it's absolutely necessary then I'll do it. I'm adding animal encounters now as well, and making decisions on loot. Lanthar has a wonderful treasure system that I'm really making good use of (and have been for quite awhile). Ok, back to work. The early part of my week is where I can really sit down and work on T2, so on with it!
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Post by Badwater on Jan 31, 2011 14:45:39 GMT -5
CEP was updated today on Talus 2.
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Post by Badwater on Feb 2, 2011 17:24:00 GMT -5
I've had to back up a bit on Haktha. There were some quest encounter problems and I realized that I had no idea if something was fubar or not; meaning that I will load the areas in as sent to me on T2 see if things are working as intended, then I will update the areas.
I'm probably not going to look at that for a week or two. What I'm doing now is creating the major cities/towns that we'll be starting with:
Crescent Bay - Module starting point and mostly halfling with some humans. Northport - North of Crescent Bay, on the coast and at the mouth of the Orsha River. This is a human city. Hammerfall - North and west of Northport, this is the dwarf enclave. Valahna - The outsider city, with lots of races that you'll encounter. An elf won't exactly get a warm welcome in Hammerfall, and the residents of Northport aren't keen on most subraces, but a half-orc or wemic won't get a second glance in Valahna. They are used to that and deal with all types. It is inland, south and west of Crescent City.
Crescent City is in good shape. The exteriors for Hammerfall are taken care of and next with that is the interiors and mine. I am working on the layout for Valahna and it's twin city. I will be drawing up the outside of Northport as well. Then I will work on interiors for these cities.
After I have the cities/towns ready then I will build connecting areas and encounters. I'll have taken care of the transportation system and set up the small quests that will help players to become familiar with these towns and their outlying areas. There will be a boat to Haktha from Northport when that's up and ready to go.
After this basic framework is done then I will add an elf settlement on the other side of the Orsha, and Gnomehome. I think we have some great tilesets that will allow for an elf settlement in the forest, and quirky tower buildings for Gnomehome. I've been playing around with features and groups on our new tilesets and finding things that will work very nicely with the new designs I have in mind for Talus 2.
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Post by Badwater on Feb 5, 2011 21:02:50 GMT -5
Right now I'm working on updating what new characters receive when they login.
Some of the widgets are useless, and getting what is essentially a bag of holding out of the gate isn't going to happen in T2. I'm going to update the container itself - make it some sort of gem pouch that's smaller and not a bag of holding - and put in only useful items for players. I will also copy it over to Talus 1, although characters in T1 that already have the old container will still have it.
I'm also looking at having a player tracking tool, something that will allow a player to know (to the best of their character's ability) where a different player is. This would be helpful in the case of, for example, a low level character wanting to stay away from where a different much higher level character is potentially creating spawns that might kill them.
I should have this in tomorrow sometime.
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