The Dark Sisters - NWN board

[SirRod]

Do not take this question the wrong way, but what is the probability of this server actually ever becoming a live and breathing server with at least 10 people on it?

I'm just wondering, as I like the concepts that have been put in place here. I do not fully understand the levelup system completely, but that is of little consequence to me.

I have been visiting the forums pretty much daily to see little or no activity. So since I am a perfectionist one could say, what does one have to do to actually get this server up and running?

I would help to do anything that is needed, but I am not much of a scripter. I would like to see your world come to life, especially when NWN2 comes on board. I am a bit concerned at this point though.

Again I do not post this to critize, for I think the things that have been done here are great!

A concerned player,

Rod

[Mordaedil]

As soonas the bugs are done, really. *pokes Sherian with a stick* You've got to tell Bioware once you're done.

[SirRod]

Thanks Mordaedil for the feedback. I was also wondering how close the module is to being taken out of prebeta. Also, to continue being pushy , about how long will the module be in beta mode before it will be fully released?

[Sherian]

Greetings!

A time-line? Well *laughs* a good one. I am behind schedule by over 1.5 years.

I honestly ask myself the same every time. I'd prefer "tomorrow", but that is not that likely.
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I know that once we go into beta, you can play here. It may in the beginning lack some options and diversity, but whatever is required will get added quickly as that will have top priority (DS currently does not have my top priority for about one more week). I really plan to build the world once it runs for what the players want within the limits of the background. Having run other module(s) for over two years now gives me the idea what a community really needs (interestingly it's not really fancy scripts alone. They sure help a lot though).

I know it will go beta this year

I know we port it to NWN 2 if that is a viable platform.

I know that NWN 1 DS will not shut down with NWN 2 but one can play parallel on both world. ICly they are the same world and you will be able to play the same character on both, your deeds on one module having impact on your other. As quickly as possible that will also be the case for your character where technically possible (global wealth, global items, global stats).

(Fun trivia side-note: once DS runs as we desire it, we will have way less problems with the known limitations of NWN 2, since we can modify most things persistently in-game and can stretch over multiple remote servers run by different hosts and teams, thus keeping individual module size lower then other huge persistent worlds can still offering a vast world)
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The issue is easy to explain though.

I am currently the only person developing the module content-wise. That will most possibly change once I can get the scripts running that are required to actually have the module work.

That is nearly done, however, I thought that for over a quarter of a year by now. It is a question of time I am able to invest.

This is also the main reason why the forum is quite inactive. I don't have to tell myself what my status is, and for you it would be quite boring. Reading "Yay! I finally managed to have the Hive Positions be completely manipulatable with the Worldbuilder Wand from in-game" might simply not read that well. And it will take up my time I prefer spending to actually debug the module
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The main reason is that I am terribly busy in real life. I have average 2 spare days a week, and that is also where I have to do my shopping and bureaucratic things.

Also, that I have no internet connectivity inside my project appartment (I work in a different city then I actually live) currently slows debugging to a halt, since I need the server to test the final scripts. They require the database.

Also, I have a real life and some friends I want to meet. And then there is this annoying habit of late to (have to) attend some fairs and conventions, which have the nastier habbit to be in the weekend.

Still, I manage to get about six hours of debugging time on the module. Per week. *sighs*

If I had some holidays soon I'd be finished with the module and in beta within a real seven days. But I have no holidays for a few more months. *sniffles*
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Once debugging is done, however, I can add about fourty areas and new items, and do that even without connectivity. But I don't do that yet because it tremendously increases size of the module, which I have to upload frequently to debug. Unfortunately my connection is DSL light and cannot be improved for remoteness of my house (beats having no connection at my project appartment though).

Then I hope people will help me with expanding the module. I have over a dozen people who claim to want to help, but my experience tells me that 90% of people won't back those claims up. So, if I end up with two people I am quite happy
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Once the debugging and area/item/NPC adding is done (this will take about a week max and is not bound to produce serious bugs) we will go beta. Beta means mainly that we will still find some bugs in the core systems (e.g. faulty tracking of items or such things), and that we still lack the two vital aspects of magic and crafting.

Since both systems are bonus systems not required for the module to actually work, and the tricky core of them is already done and working, I can work on them even without connectivity. But it will take time.

Oh, and inter-server data management is not yet fully working, but that is not yet required since all modules currently run on the same server. We will expand that system continually.

Once we have those running, the module will go out of beta.
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However, NWN 2 also looms on the horizon, and I plan to port the whole scripts and conversations to NWN 2, then modify the creation system to work there as well in parallel (so you can play the same character on both games NWN 1 and 2 as if it was one world). But that has to be decided once NWN 2 comes avaiable.

Have fun!
Sherian

[Sherian]

Oh, and while we're at it:
Yes, people can actually do things already. I don't mind you discussing things like crafting or magic here - especially magic, since I still have no clue what it will look like to be "cool".

Standard magic is no option. It does not work any more with our custom character system since I cannot manipulate the spell slots.

I want some rituals and quite free "modular" magic but yet don't know how to make that work (not the technical parts. I mean the system behind it).

I know there will be "mana points" and that all spells can be "powered" up to a "spell level" from 1 to 9 as the caster fancies and that magic will be very powerful but rare. I know that divine casters "pray" from a common "mana pool" of spell points for their church and nature casters draw from the power of the lands (area) around them - so they cannot really cast well in urban areas. I also know that arcane casters have their own mana pool but have troubles replenishing it since they regenerate it dead slow (divine gain due to faithful and donations, and nature replenishes itself - just move to a different area if this one is "dry").

I know that there will be "elements", but not yet fully know which. Fire, Cold, Acid, Lightning, Light and Darkness seem to be the way to go, mainly since I have so many nice spell FX for those.

But as I hinted at, I don't yet know how long casting takes, what if any preparation one requires, if components are required, the chances of mishap and all those small tiny little things. I have no clue what rituals will do or how they will do it. I don't have an idea about how to do "research" into spells and rituals.

I toy around with the idea of being able to have rituals "prepare" spells for near-instant casting (like real DnD) costing nearly no "mana" since one can substitute stuff for it, and that one can "force burn" "mana" to create a desired effect on the spot, taking longer and costing loads of "mana".

[SirRod]

Well I thank you for all your time in explaining things. I hope you realize I was only inquiring about it, not fussing or being negative.

Like I said I will help in some tasks, but I am far from an expert. If there are some small tasks that anyone can do I will help. I will even take on big tasks, but don't expect too much due to my lack of scripting skills.

Sounds like you have a good ideal of how you want to do things, but just lack that clone to help get them done. Heck while you are at it, make 2 clones.

[Sherian]

Ah, I don't think you are negative or anything. It is after all exactly the same thing I want to know, so how can I blame you for asking

Also, I do not fear criticism. I dislike stupid (non-constructive) criticism, but anything else is welcome, even if I strongly disagree with the poster.

Unfortunately I have to accept that my opinion or solution is not always the best one, so I always consider the positions of others.

[Tragic Kether]

I wanna play!

[Ryoden]

Soon TK, soon....

[Sherian]

I wanna play too!

Well, at least creation works with the new scripts as it should be That's a huge possible obstacle that did not turn out to be one. I'm really grateful for that one!

Saturday I hope to be finishing the debugging of the hives. That should mean I can finally add areas and NPCs and populate them easily. Fingers crossed.