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Cleanup continues
August 31, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
Cleanup continues. The server is just about back to where it was before, though with some extra protection.
I managed to find some time to work on the module as well, putting in some complicated scripting pieces that should keep things different and entertaining. I have two more rooms in the Labs area that I need to finish up, and then I've got to finish the Barracks, the final battle, and the final scenes in the game. With luck, I'll finish up this first module next month.
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I had a catastrophic server failure last nigh...
August 30, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
 I had a catastrophic server failure last night and have only just started to get things functional again. The team's discussion boards are still hosed and a number of other things are fairly well messed up. For the curious, I went to a cache of a page in Google that evidently had some malicious JavaScript on it. Within seconds, my computer had become completely unusable as trojans downloaded by the dozen. I've since switched to Firefox.
On the plus side, I found some time to do some texture work on Razvan's ships over the weekend. The tiny whale boat is done, and I started in on the dhow. It's amazing how much work remains, but it's fun to work on when I get the chance.
I also did more dialog and scripting. I've figured out what I want to do with the rest of the Labs area, feeling pretty good about how some of the encounters shed light on things. The psychological aspects of psionics can be entertaining.
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I'm off to the coast for a few days, hauling ...
August 26, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
I'm off to the coast for a few days, hauling along my computer and notebook. I usually get in quite a bit of writing and there's a few dialogs that have been calling for attention in the back of my brain. Hopefully I can do some of that, and perhaps some texture work as well.
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Well, I backpedaled a bit from yesterday
August 25, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
Well, I backpedaled a bit from yesterday. I started having weird custom content problems with the new Ogre model and decided it was best to just take it out. I have to keep reminding myself that this is all a prototype and I need to keep my life as simple as possible.
I layed the groundwork for the final battle, which I'm hoping doesn't drive me insane. These things tend to take on a life of their own, so I'm hoping to keep things as simple as possible. I still have a number of empty areas on the last level, so I'm hoping to fill those in as well.
It looks like I'll be away from the Internet over the weekend, but hopefully I can spend the time scribbling down ideas and dialog.
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Work continues
August 24, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
 Work continues. As I predicted yesterday, I did manage to spend a fair amount of time on the patrol system, staying up far too late last night to get things mostly working properly. I also introduced a new creature, though I've been running into some problems. I suspect I've been playing a bit fast and loose with leaving out unnecessary files to keep the hak pack size down. I'll do some more fiddling today.
I've also started in with a very interesting focus gem. What's nice about the socket system is that I can make one cool gem and it works with any weapon the player chooses. Before I'd get complaints when I made a neat weapon but many players didn't specialize in it. Ah, progress.
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It was amazingly busy yesterday, though I man...
August 23, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
It was amazingly busy yesterday, though I managed to work on the module for a few minutes this morning. The sixth level continues to shape up. I continue to try and add interesting things along the way. I also put in more things for the patrol system, though I've yet to make it more challenging. At the moment, only a single little guy wanders about and is easily dispatched. Hopefully today I can make things a bit more exciting.
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I'm starting to feel like the pirate cards ga...
August 22, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
 I'm starting to feel like the pirate cards game is done, at least for now. I put in Allyndyn's two songs into the module, the song about the card game playing when you specifically request it. I think all the descriptions are matching now. At this point I'm going to package it up and give it to QA to go over.
Strangely enough, I did manage to find some time over the weekend to work on the game, though watching two kids by myself was a bit of a challenge. Most importantly I think I know how I want to get the main quest moving along. I've known for a long time the main path I want the player to follow, but I've been trying to find a good motivation to have them do so. Hopefully this new one will be both good and piratey.
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Progress on the Pirate Cards game continues
August 20, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
 Progress on the Pirate Cards game continues. All the internal scripting names have been changed, mostly through lots of search and replace and a a good text editor. I've also been making sure that the placeable, item, and creature descriptions all match. I'm about halfway there.
After that, there's still a few more things I'd like to do, such as get Allyndyn's music in there, clean up some portraits, and finally integrate it with the main Dark Waters module.
I doubt I'll get much chance to work on things this weekend, though. I've got both kids to myself and I suspect it's going to be an exciting couple days.
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I switched gears yesterday and started in on ...
August 19, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
 I switched gears yesterday and started in on the Pirate Cards game that hasn't been touched in a month or so. Most of what's left is fairly straightforward. Basically there's all these internal names in the script that still have the old card names. I'm going through and cleaning things up to minimize any confusion.
As a couple of the writers have been going through the cards and adding quotes for flavor, I'd also like to get those into the game. The catch is that for every card I have to update the card placeable, card item, and creature, so it's a fair bit of work. Still, today's the day I let myself have a mocha, so maybe I'll make some progress with things.
I also spent some time yesterday on organization, putting yet more details about the plot and world into a little Wiki our team has for such things. I also created a five-page HighSeas project plan and handed it off to Sunjammer. It's the system that lets players sail about the world, engaging in trade, combat, and piracy. Should be fun.
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Yesterday was another busy day for me
August 18, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
 Yesterday was another busy day for me. I managed to work on documentation for the project, in part for the team and in part for myself. The next three modules have a fairly open structure still and I'd like to nail things down a bit more before I finish up with the first module. As a plus, I think I've named all the modules, a few of which really resonate with me.
Not to forget about the module itself, I managed yet another trap that clever players can use against the enemy. It shouldn't be too much of an obstacle for smart players, though it is a little different than the normal traps. New is good.
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Work on the Lab area continues
August 17, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
 Work on the Lab area continues. Since the player will be facing a number of odd beasties while wandering around this area, I'm trying to put in opportunities for the smart player to lay traps and generally make their lives easier.
My sister goes to school at the Art Institute in Portland, so I've been trying to get her to recruit her friends for help. My pestering may have paid off. It sounds like the watercolor map I threw together is going to be turned into something a bit more formal. I'm still hoping to use it as my world map, so there's a good chance people will see quite a bit of it.
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My work and life has been exceptionally busy ...
August 16, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
 My work and life has been exceptionally busy lately. I did manage to work on a nifty new blade with a fun On Hit property. I've also been working on the Labs area of the sixth level, which is the most fun of all of them. The area deserves a fair bit of writing as well, so I've been trying to scribble things down when I get the chance.
Hopefully today I can get a little more time. I'd love to continue to work on some of my more fun little ideas.
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I perfected my little surprise
August 14, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
 I perfected my little surprise. It has multiple dialogs, fun scripts, and, of course, things catching on fire. For the exceptionally bright player, it can also be turned into an extremely effective trap, though I'll leave that for those folks to discover.
I have two more main areas I need to work on, and of course the epic battle at the end of the module. There's an unspoken rule that every module needs some sort of twist or epic battle at the end. Dunno why.
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I think I have this unhealthy fixation with s...
August 13, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
 I think I have this unhealthy fixation with setting things on fire. In any case, I snuck in a little surprise for people wandering around the armory area. I'll probably continue to tweak things some more.
The armory is now stuffed full of weapons and armor for all occasions. It took awhile to make each and every custom armor and item, but players should now feel suitably well-equipped.
The team continues to put out amazing things. Allyndn the Beggar and his wife recorded some beautiful sea shanties. It's a treat to have such high-quality music in the game.
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The patrol code is in and working, which went...
August 12, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
The patrol code is in and working, which went easier than I thought. Now I've just got to put the code in place that keeps track of how many beasties you end up killing along the way. Shouldn't be too hard.
The Storage area is feeling done and I started in on the Armory. That involves creating a ton of new items, so it's more time consuming than complicated.
Finally, I recorded myself this morning singing the "drunken sailor" song. The plan is that the various team members record themselves singing and it's assembled into some sort of horrific chorus. Fortunately sailors aren't known for their singing abilities, so hopefully I'll fit right in.
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I typically talk about the work that I've bee...
August 11, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
 I typically talk about the work that I've been up to, but the reality is that this continues to be a team project. I integrated Sunjammer's fancy new ball code into a little arena area back on level three. It's "working", although there's no opponents and no reason to play other than the novelty. I may fix that in the future.
EvilMulder wrote another nautically themed song. He has this uncanny ability to get the pirate vibe perfectly. Another voice actor volunteered their services yesterday. Writers continue to do their thing - we're currently brainstorming about the backstory of the main pirate group.
As for me, I finished up the Storage area for the most part. The players that like to loot and find interesting items should be fairly happy. I've still got to get the patrol code going, though I think I'm ready to get there in a day or two.
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I'm continuing to work on the overall structu...
August 10, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
 I'm continuing to work on the overall structure of the sixth level. It's really five separate areas, so the whole thing feels pretty big. This morning I made sure the various critical doors worked. I also started decorating, adding placeables and items and such. This entire level is fairly combat heavy, though the encounters should be ones that the player is in charge of. Smart players will set traps for the frequent patrols rather than randomly run across them.
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Well, the sixth level is completely mapped at...
August 09, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
 Well, the sixth level is completely mapped at this point. Of course, the dusty hallways are empty and there's nothing of interest in the rooms. It's a rather daunting task to fill each of those rooms up with interesting things, though I have a general plan for each area. I've also been scribbling down how I'd like the patrols in each area to work, though some of the scripting aspects may be tricky.
I also brought home a microphone so I can help record "Drunken Sailor". The plan is to get everyone contributing a bit of their voice and then mix it together to sound like a chorus (of drunken sailors anyway).
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I couldn't help myself
August 08, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
I couldn't help myself. I've been running the first dialogs of the second module over and over again in my head. Eventually they simply demanded to be typed up, so that's what I spent my time doing yesterday. Some of them are pretty funny, a nice contrast to some of the grim events that follow.
I'm still hoping to get to mapping today, at least at a very rough level. I'd also like to sketch out how I want the patrol behavior to work. There's QA work that's been building up, and endless polishing. Still, I'm starting to get really excited about finishing up the module and moving to the next.
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I just finished up a rather complex piece of ...
August 07, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
 I just finished up a rather complex piece of dialog. I tend to write and script at the same time, so this short encounter involves a dozen or so scripts that apply effects, move people about, change the camera, and so on. I've also included branches for the people who just want to get on with things, as well as those who love lots of details.
The areas for the last level are in place, though that's about it. I might be able to sneak some time in today to start putting in rooms and placeables, making the place more life-like. The main fun will be around a rather complex AI script that moves guards around, something I've been planning for awhile. We'll see how it goes.
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I've been working on dialog, which isn't part...
August 05, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
I've been working on dialog, which isn't particularly flashy. I also find myself in the uncomfortable position of having to explain a lot of what's going on to the player. Sure there are clues I scattered about, but I'd like something in place so the player can say "Oh, I get it." Alternatively, there's the people who don't care so much about plot. For those folks, I need to write a couple paragraphs that point them in the right direction so they can get about the business of killing and exploring. Ah, the joys of trying to appeal to everyone.
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Progress continues in a variety of ways
August 03, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
Progress continues in a variety of ways. I threw in a few more custom placeables yesterday, trying to get more things wrapped up so that I can start work on the final level. I also threw in a way to avoid some of the Proctor level puzzles for those folks out there who detest any sort of puzzles in their gaming experience. I've tried to make each of the puzzles quick and fun, so hopefully even the puzzle haters out there won't get frustrated. I even cleaned up the astronomy puzzle to make it more straightforward.
My big accomplishment yesterday was working on more of Robert's dialog. I still have quite a bit to do, but he's turning out to be a chatty one. At the moment, he's the character that knows best about what's really going on, so I want to let the players get as much of the truth as they can out of the fellow.
I'm also starting to get excited about the seafaring modules that are coming up. It's hard to stay focusing knowing the fun piratey parts are just around the corner.
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The fifth level is nearly done, with only a f...
August 01, 2005 by Adam in NWN2
 The fifth level is nearly done, with only a final confrontation left to do. I snuck in a few tricky fights, though they're completely optional. Careful players can breeze right through them, as the psionic powers should make life much easier if used appropriately. I've been playing through to get a feel for the various fights. So far, so good.
After that, there's only one more rather large level left and I'm done with this dungeon for good. It's likely the largest in the entire campaign. After this the player should have much more freedom to sail about and get into trouble.
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About Me
I've won multiple awards for my Neverwinter Nights modules, which I've been working on since the year 2000.
In the real world, I'm a web developer for a healthcare organization. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.
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