I made some good progress last night and this...

November 30, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

I made some good progress last night and this morning. I finished up the last plot area and have started implementing some "item redistribution" code. A minor spoiler, but at the beginning of the game you lose all your items. One of the things you can do is recover most of them at various points in the module. I'm writing the code to clean up any special items the character may have, along with moving them to the proper places. It's a challenge to do, but I'm hoping that people appreciate the effort in being able to use their old equipment again.

I also missed a door in one of my Sigil interior tiles. I spent about fifteen minutes fixing that this morning as well.

I'm a bad, bad man

November 29, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

I'm a bad, bad man. Instead of "wrapping up" the card game like I mentioned the other day, I added more features. I wanted the ability for players to manage multiple decks, then break out the one they wanted for any particular occasion. I have that now, using a "Deck Bag" where you can put your unused decks, along with the ability to purchase assorted deck containers with names like "Creatures Deck - Undead". It works fairly well and should be a welcome addition, especially in multiplayer.

I've also been fixing issues as I find them. I'm down to the more minor ones, I think, and a few things that are strange and intermittent. Certain games seem to result in no cards or gold lost, for example. I've got to research further.

As for the Demon module, I'm slowly working away on it, though not as quickly as I would like. The plot area I'm currently working on is almost done. I just need some dialog and a bit of scripting, then I'm calling it quits.

I'm also seriously toying with the idea that at least some of the items you can bring from Shadowlords/Dreamcatcher don't disappear. There are some where I'm practically forced to do it, such as the custom weapons that require hacks. I might end up recreating them, but it's a fair bit of hassle. All due to the way .2da files work. Sigh.

Yet another short entry today

November 28, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

Yet another short entry today. I spent a good eight hours yesterday and a couple more this morning painting our basement. Yippie.

I'm continuing to work on the same plot area. At the moment, I'm getting a puzzle together that you need your henchman to complete. It's not quite finished, but fairly close.

Another short entry today

November 27, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

Another short entry today. It's Thanksgiving here in the states, so I'm quite busy getting things ready. Not to mention our remodel and the two hours I spent painting walls this morning.

Still, I managed a bit more scripted encounters last night. Hopefully it'll make this particular are a bit more alive and interesting.

I actually managed to get some work on the mo...

November 26, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

I actually managed to get some work on the module yesterday, in between the daily insanity of life. I mostly worked on one of the plot areas, putting down appropriate placeables, creating some assorted treasure, and scripting some small encounters. Still not there yet, as I have some dialog and more interesting scripting to go. It's amazing how long these things take.

Every time I think I'm getting close to relea...

November 25, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

Every time I think I'm getting close to releasing the card game, it turns out I was wrong. It's usually for very good reasons, however. The testers make a good point about how something shoudl work, I talk to Jazael who puts it in the game, then I've got a new round of testing and fixing.

The game now supports multiple areas to manage decks and play games. It's pretty amazing to me to play multiplayer and have all these games going on. Very cool.

We also have new cards, though some have some issues with them. Pictured here are Scorched Earth and Intellect Devourer. I think I'm over 60 unique cards now, enough to build a variety of decks with.

Well, I was supposed to post this Saturday, b...

November 24, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

Well, I was supposed to post this Saturday, but better late than never:
Magnus Ringblom's site

Magnus is the person who's been creating custom music for Demon and he's graciously offered to host some of the music for the upcoming game on his site (as this poor server couldn't take it). Today we have the main theme, with the thought that we release a new one every few weeks to keep things interesting. Click over to the "Music" section of his site to get a sample of his work - Demon should be up there at the top. Magnus has been great to work with and I'm excited to get all of his music in the game.

As for me, I've been so busy the last 24 hours that I didn't work on the module hardly at all. Between kid watching, laundry, and remodel projects, I think I managed to create a few new outfits for a couple new factions. Hopefully today I can get into it a bit more.

Finally, Knights of the Old Republic gets a "masterful" rating from me. It's kept Sam and I entertained for long stretches of time.

I worked more on a tricky multiplayer scripti...

November 23, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

I worked more on a tricky multiplayer scripting sequence yesterday. The hard part is getting all the characters through a door at the same time, doing a certain event, then having another event fire when they're all done. Hopefully it works, though I haven't fully tested yet.

I also redid the Gem Thief area. Hopefully it'll be interesting, challenging, as well as offering some interesting puzzles for folks. It feels good to finally get to areas of the main plot.

Wacky days

November 22, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

Wacky days. I noticed over at the NWVault that they changed the way scores are calculated for the modules and all the Dreamcatcher modules rose to the top. Nifty, I suppose, though I stopped keeping track of ratings a long time ago.

I worked some on the shapechanging scripts, getting things ready for HotU and the new SetAppearance function. It's core to the game, so I'm wanting to get things ready. It's important that it works for the Struggle areas too, as disguise is important for the neutral path. I still have a ton of dialog to write around that choice, but at least I'm getting closer.

As for the main plot, I have one of the sections ready in my brain. I just need to sit down and do it. Hopefully today. Jazael came up with a potential fix for the last big bug of the card game. He's also looking into adding a few more cards. I've also been doing lots of bug fixing based on QA feedback.

On an unrelated note, I finally got Knights of the Old Republic. I had a moment of extreme frustration when it crashed to the desktop when I started it up. Remembering my woes with the latest NWN patch, I found a "no cd" fix, applied it, and it works like a charm. Sad days when the publisher makes life hard on honest customers who happen to have CD drives that the copy protection can't deal with. So far, it's pretty good. It gives me hope that the core NWN engine is solid, as KotOR uses an improved version of it. Little things such as the light glistening off the alien's tentacles look fabulous.

Sometimes it feels like the card game has tak...

November 21, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

Sometimes it feels like the card game has taken on a life of its own. The QA pace is increasing, with lots of bug reports and balance issues. We've got one show-stopper at this point that's going to take some time to fix, and lots of smaller balance issues. The Pit Fiend and Master Vampire were basically unstoppable, for example, and Fireball was dishing out too much damage. It's funny how what was just a little mini-game within Demon has become a stand-alone thing in its own right.

I didn't touch Demon at all yesterday as I was too busy working with the QA folks and fixing problems. The list of issues is decreasing, fortunately, and I've managed to sneak in a few enhancements as well. You can't really make it out in this screenshot, but there's a visual indicator of how many hit points your avatar has left. Makes your impending doom even clearer.

Yet more tweaking of the card game

November 20, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

Yet more tweaking of the card game. I fixed a couple other bugs yesterday and added some more enhancements. I'm starting to get comfortable with the scripts, which weren't created by me, and getting in to tweak things.

One of my experiments yesterday was to increase the amount of hit points each avatar had. This screenshot is from a test with 200 hit points. It went on for quite some time, being extended by various spells that destroyed many creatures, along with healing spells. We finally ended up littering the playing field with bodies and both running out of cards, something I'd never done before. I'm going to do my next set of tests with 150 hit points. The goal is to make it hard to die if you're unlucky in the first few seconds of the game, but not so high that small creatures are worthless.

I also worked a bunch more on the Chen village area, adding scripting and dialog for the various sides. Hopefully today I'll be able to get in the neutral quest options, which have been dragging on for a bit.

The development of the card game continues nicely

November 19, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

The development of the card game continues nicely. I squashed a few more bugs yesterday and I've handed over the latest version to the CODI QA team. Hopefully it won't be that much longer, though it depends on what bugs people return with. I'm looking forward to giving everyone a little "teaser" of things to come.

I've also been working on the module more, mostly with the Struggle areas. I think you can currently join the evil side and jump in for some mindless slaughter. Now I just need to get the other two sides in. The good side is almost done. Yesterday I got in details such as being able to sober up the drunk priest or befriend the village dog. You'll need all the allies you can get your hands on.

I was a busy little debugger last night

November 18, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

I was a busy little debugger last night. Jazael sent me the latest version of the card game with untested bug fixes and a new sacrifice method. Now you can simply click on some gallows and select via dialog the creature you want to sacrifice. Works quite well.

At this point, I think I'd like to get it to the CODI QA group to work it over a few times and then get it nicely packaged up for people to play for awhile. As issues pop up, I'll try to clean them up before I integrate it into the Demon module.

Sorry about the web problems yesterday. It looks like one of Microsoft's security patches broke things. It seemed to hold on to user connections over time, which made it hit the 10 user limit for Windows XP Pro. One of these days I should upgrade to a real server. It's just this time consuming thing that I'd like to avoid.

As for progress on the module itself, I have the third faction in the game - the Seekers of Balance. I still need to add in the necessary parts to the first Struggle so that they can walk through it. I'm still waiting on some of the new scripting pieces from HotU. Should be out very soon, though, as it went gold yesterday. Probably December 2nd or so.

I've been mostly working on details since yes...

November 17, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

I've been mostly working on details since yesterday. I added another "ambiance scene" - some dialog with a shopkeep. I also put in some flavor text, though I'd say I'm only a third of the way done there. I also added sounds to the various areas, making sure things like the portals all had te same magical effect. Finally, I started in on some main plot points which helped me feel like I was actually making progress.

I also finally picked up the December issue of Computer Gaming World. Sure enough, the Dreamcatcher series is mentioned prominently. Strangely, they grabbed a picture from this site, but it was one from Demon rather than Dreamcatcher. It's only a few short sentences, of which here's an excerpt:

From the cinematics to the storytelling detail, the Dreamcatcher series includes memorable, well-crafted NWN mods.

I can always tell when a core idea is a good ...

November 16, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

I can always tell when a core idea is a good one, as it starts to branch off in all sorts of directions. I start thinking, "Well of course group X is behaving this way. They're trying to blackmail group Y into doing their bidding." After yesterday's revelation, things are moving along quite nicely. I'm even considering reversing some of my earlier assertations, such as taking away all the player's items and tossing them away. So, I'm happy with the change even though it's fairly major.

Other than just thinking about plot revisions, I've been working more on polishing existing sections. One of the things I think distinguishes between average and good modules is the sense of immersion. The world should be going on around the player, rather than waiting for them to arrive. I added a little bit of that yesterday, though I certainly have more of it to do. We'll see how my time goes. I still have a bunch of plot areas I need to start in on.

In a fit of insane brilliance this morning, I...

November 15, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

In a fit of insane brilliance this morning, I completely rewrote the plot.

It sounds fairly significant, and it is. Up until now I've been pussyfooting around it as I've never felt completely satisfied with the thing. It seemed overly convoluted and I was never sure if the player would really understand the reasons behind what was happening. It now seems so much clearer, without being overly simplistic. I think most people will be happy with it, especially longtime fans (and that's all I'm saying about it for the moment). The good news is that it won't actually mean any rewrites for me, as it's the portion of the plot that I've been saving for the last. Hopefully it all works out nicely.

I got the music into the game, which makes a huge difference in setting the proper mood. Magnus has been quite busy, coming up with a wide variety of themes. It's a goodly amount of bytes, so I'm thinking of offering it as a separate download. Still, for those of you with broadband, it's highly recommended.

I've been cleaning up broken issues in the game. The Gate Divers area is a key area and it wasn't working properly. A little script tweaking and it was up and running again. I also had some cases where I had "fixed" something in the game, but ended up breaking it elsewhere. Finally, I got ahold of Jazael on IRC and he's graciously decided to try his hand at resolving the last of the card game issues. It's all good.

I seem to be alternating between despair and ...

November 14, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

I seem to be alternating between despair and enthusiasm these days. Progress continues, though never as quick as I'd like. I find myself going back to old areas and finding problems that need to be fixed, taking time away from newer things.

I tested the card game yesterday and found that some of the bugs were still there. I think the ball is in my court for testing and fixing issues, though time is at a premium for me these days. It's also tricky looking at someone else's work and trying to figure things out.

I've also started adding in shops to the game, one of the mainstays of any good adventure game. I have the weaponsmith and the tinker's at this point, though they're not quite fully stocked yet.

More work on the swamp, trying to get the loc...

November 13, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

More work on the swamp, trying to get the locals looking just right. I think I've got the quest and dialog mostly scripted, now I just need to get the NPC in there and put a few more finishing touches on the gate diving aspect of it.

I was fiddling around yesterday and found some problems with the Plane of Air area. One of those things where I overwrote a file in the hak and now something isn't showing up correctly. Should be a quick fix.

I still haven't gotten back to testing the card game. Bad, bad me.

While I'm not really close to done, I came to...

November 12, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

While I'm not really close to done, I came to the realization that I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have one more Plane to finish, some locations in Omelas, and then the rest of the major plot areas. Based on my current rate of progress, I'm guessing things will be done in January, though that could change in the future. I still have to see how HotU turns out and integrate in all the new scripting functions.

I finished up the Plane of Air yesterday, putting in all the spawns I wanted to get in there. I also made myself a "Control Center" area that let me teleport to different parts of the game, sets up the henchmen propertly, and has a chest full of goodies to play with. Makes testing easier.

Finally, I started in on the Abyssal Swamp, getting a hut into the tileset and starting work on the necessary dialog.

Work on the sewers continues

November 11, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

Work on the sewers continues. I've been pretty happy with the way they've been turning out. Hopefully it's a nice mix of tricks, traps, and combat to liven up the evening. I put in my first puzzle that requires you to ask your henchman to do something. Though it involves a little typing, it makes them feel more like real people instead of these things you tow about to add more firepower. I'm also putting in large numbers of custom items, which I've always felt kept the game interesting.

Jazael sent me an update to the card game, though I haven't had a chance to test it. Hopefully soon.

Well, it appears my ISP is down at the moment...

November 10, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

Well, it appears my ISP is down at the moment, DSL connects up just fine but no one is listening. I suppose I'm writing for myself this morning then.

Mostly I worked on sewers and the placeables I needed. Expect secret doors, loose bricks, and water that can flood an area. Great fun.

Update: Ah, DSL is up and running again. Which is pretty obvious, because you're reading this.

I spent some time this morning working on the...

November 09, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

I spent some time this morning working on the sewers. It's the first "dungeon" area the players wander into, so I'm trying to put in as much interesting tidbits as I can. Velmar's big rooms really help break up the claustrophobic feeling of the tunnels.

It's probably going to be a mite too tough for first level characters going in, though after the PCs have a level or two under their belts, they should be able to hold their own.

Not a lot to report for today

November 08, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

Not a lot to report for today. I worked more on the dialog for the various Orders, as well as some of their special items. There's something about items with unique powers that I really like. Keeps things spicy.

I also tested out the transport mechanism from the Order to the first Struggle area. Lots of funny problems, such as my portal model being set to "effect" instead of "character", so it was impossible to make usable.

I may have gotten the issue with the Tainted using the PLT files sorted out. I need to revisit them shortly - it turns out the problem is fixed by having a set of Tainted "armor" that looks like their exposed skin. It should work out, I think.

I'm still working on getting the card game mi...

November 07, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

I'm still working on getting the card game mini-module together. I dug up some more bugs yesterday. The funniest was casting Dispel Magic and the enemy's avatar lost his paralyze effect and began running away from all my creatures. I worked a bit more on balance as well, polishing up the issues I could find.

As for the main module itself, I finally got a chance to work on it some more. I have the Radiant Way in the game, including the link to the first of the Struggles. I still need to test it out more fully, but hopefully it will go smoothtly.

I've also been doing tests with texture compression using the DDS format. It makes a huge difference, reducing sizes by over 50% in many cases. I may have to offer a TGA-only download for the very small percent whose cards don't support it, but I think it's a minority of folks. Hak pack size is one of those things I worry about off and on, but hopefully I can get it down to the bare minimum without making compromises.

Not a lot to report

November 06, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

Not a lot to report. I added a few items to the module and created the area for the Radiant Way, one of Omelas' philosophies.

On the card game front, I managed to pull it out of the game and shrink it down to around 300 KB in size, including the hak pack. I think we're getting very close to QA time. There's a couple bugs and issues I want to resolve first, but it shouldn't take too long. It'll be nice to release a little something before the module.

I worked on a number of different things yest...

November 05, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

I worked on a number of different things yesterday, though strangely none of it was on the module itself. Magnus had some more music for me to listen to, which is always a treat. Jazael sent me the latest and greatest version of the card game. It's getting even closer to being done, after some minor tweaking and testing. I also spent a bunch of time working on a new Tainted model with Ryuujin using the PC parts system. I got it all set up in the game, but ran into a really weird problem where the textures were using the half-orc PLTs rather than the Tainted ones. Hopefully I can figure that out today as I really like the approach.

Yet more work yesterday

November 04, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

Yet more work yesterday. I think I have the Manor area finished up, complete with a new fancy placeable. I also needed to put in the change to allow holdable mage items in the game (staves, wands, etc.). Now that they're there, I now want to start whipping up some new magic items. We'll see how it goes today.

Also, it seems that my modules are mentioned in the December issue of Computer Gaming Word (on page 108). I've yet to see a copy, so I'll try to snag one the next time I'm in a store. Pretty neat.

I tried very hard yesterday to not work on cu...

November 03, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

I tried very hard yesterday to not work on custom content and instead focus on the game itself. I made one tiny thing, but otherwise put in scripts, dialog, and the like. The Plane of Air is mostly done and I did some testing and cleanup on the Plane of Fire. I do have a placeable I need to whip up for my haunted manor, but hopefully that'll be the end of it for awhile.

The card game work has slowed a bit as I need to do some things and get back to Jaz. I'm still hoping to release it before the module itself.

I was working this morning on getting Wysiwyg...

November 02, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

I was working this morning on getting Wysiwyg's drunk script in the game. I thought about doing it myself, but his is about as comprehensive as it gets. It's actually required for the game, believe it or not, and not just a silly little add-on (though it's a fun one at that).

Mostly, though, I've been working on tiles. Yesterday I got the Slum terrain basically done and integrated into the Demon hak pack. Now I need to turn my attention to scripting and finishing up a bunch of different areas.

More tileset work yesterday and this morning

November 01, 2003 by Adam in NWN1

More tileset work yesterday and this morning. It's tedious work at times, moving vertexes around on the screen, testing for shadow problems, fiddling with the SET file, and so on. Still, there's a feeling of satisfaction seeing things come to life in the game. I'm really trying hard to minimize the number of tiles from the official game that are seen in this module so as to really give the player a strong sense of immersion. I have several different interior styles at this point - the Stem interior (which makes a good generic interior) and what I'm calling Slum, Stone, and Rich. I have a couple 1x1 interior tiles that I'll use as well, though they're quite minimal. There's also one group I did that I'm calling the "Metal Dome", ideal for tinkerers and slum bazaars.

To be honest, I'm starting to feel antsy and want to see these tiles in the game fairly soon. I'm almost done with the Slum terrain, just needing to get doors in the game at this point. Not much further and I'll finally be able to start work on a variety of interiors.