Is it still worthy to make a mod in english ?

Discussion in 'Arcanum Discussion' started by Wims, Jun 18, 2011.

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  1. Wims

    Wims New Member

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    Hi there guys,

    I am currently making a mod for Arcanum. So far, only two people i personally will play it. I am French and so they are but i could write dialogs and names in English if some people here would be interesting to play to it...

    I would need to know in following days if there is still people playing Arcanum here and who will be interested in playing a mod released in... well, i think one or two months.

    Cheers !
     
  2. Muro

    Muro Well-Known Member

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    What is this mod going to be about?
     
  3. Kierkegaard

    Kierkegaard New Member

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    Indeed, I would also like to know the answer to that. If it's an interesting mod, I'd love to see it. Always looking for cool Arcanum-related stuff.
     
  4. Wims

    Wims New Member

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    I can post some screenshots if you want me to...

    Well, about the story, i can give you some features without spoiling the scenario i guess...

    The mod is divided into 6 parts plus intermissions.
    - You will have exploration
    - You will have puzzles to solves (some hard enigmas, i promise).
    - You will have some nice fights (even if it is not the main point of the mod, i would like everyone to enjoy so... some nice fights, yeah.)
    - You will have social stuff.

    I do not want to spoil the plot so... let's keep it for later, okay. But, as it is partly inspired by some twisted movies and videogames, it should be interested.

    I can post a demo of the mod if you want to give it a try. I can translate the elements in English and, if you like it, i will translate all i have done yet.

    So, what do you say ?

    PS : It may seem to be a lot of promises but it is likely the eight or ninth mod i make so i am an experienced user of WorldEd and SockMonkey ScriptMaker.

    BTW, if any of you is also good at creating mod, i have a small problem to display pictures on the mod. I made a post into the modding support section of the forum. Any help is welcome.

    Cheers !
     
  5. Muro

    Muro Well-Known Member

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    We have some French modules in Downloads -> Arcanum Modules -> Arcanum French Modules. Are any of those yours?

    I am myself interested in checking out the module you speak of, especially if you are as experienced as you say you are.

    Screenshots are, of course, always welcome, as are demos.
     
  6. wayne-scales

    wayne-scales Well-Known Member

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  7. Wims

    Wims New Member

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    No, my mod is not in the French section. I am translating everything for the demo. I will likely release it tomorrow. I'm glad to see that there is still Arcanum fans who want to play mods ! \0/
     
  8. Crypton

    Crypton Member

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    I'm definitely interested in new mods, so please, make some :) I'll try to help you as much as I can (though I'm bit busy right now - working on OpenArcanum very intensively).
     
  9. Wims

    Wims New Member

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    So, i have just translated the stuff for the demo. It is not a long demo but i hope you will find it good. You got almost the half of the first act with the two first riddles (easy ones to begin).

    Please note that even this part of the game is not the final version. Actually, you do not really start at the beginning of the game. I had an idea today and it seems interesting.

    At the beginning of the mod (the real one not the start of the demo), some questions will be asked to your character. Answers will have consequences on the game.

    For example : If you say yes to "do you like to fight ?" you will have extra critters to kill during the game. Some changes are easy to notice, some others are not. So far, there are 17 questions... This will give you an opportinity to have a very unique game. Some questions influence on others to bring even more contents !

    Here is the link of the demo. Enjoy and give me feedback !
    EDIT : debug version of the demo + data files to put on Arcanum folder.

    http://www.mediafire.com/?3sdbqpup3qpkyer

    - Wim's
     
  10. Kierkegaard

    Kierkegaard New Member

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    I'm enjoying it immensely so far.

    I have to say, the jolt from the machine was... shocking.

    I know, I'm awful.
     
  11. Muro

    Muro Well-Known Member

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    The first thing that positively surprised me was my character actually commenting on the situation.

    The second thing that was new - the way you handled going from one part of the map to another. Chopping the map into small sectors with exit grids & fade-away effect? An interesting move. Not sure how I'd like it in the long run, but without the world map it sure made it easier to not get lost in the beach part.

    "These gears probably belong to mecanical stuff" - the description could be a bit better on this one.

    There's a lantern on the barrel? I'll just take it. How easy and obvious, and yet how new!

    There are cobwebs all around? I'll just pick them. There, gone. What a fresh approach!

    Personally, I am stuck after weakening the bars. Not sure what should be done next.

    I also experienced a massive lag at a moment. I tried to recreate it to check if it was a one time thing and it was not so. I was able to eventually identify its cause - the girl's painting is somehow bugged. The game becomes unplayable after the player loads a save in which he has already clicked on the painting. If the player is on a different map, the lag will initiate once he returns to the map with the painting.
     
  12. Kierkegaard

    Kierkegaard New Member

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    I got ridiculous lag after going down in the basket. But yeah, I noticed that too.

    Also, you're a tease, putting that falchion on the wall and not letting me take it. :(
     
  13. Wims

    Wims New Member

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    hI guys, thanks for the feedback !

    First, i completly forgot to give you the "data" file with new art so it may be the cause of the lag... here is it :

    http://www.mediafire.com/?wug6b8uxw5vfmee

    I REALLY hope it is the problem. So far, i had no lag while testing a hundred time. In the past, several mod i have created had a very nasty bug, it randomly create heavy lag with no reason. It happened in all the mods i was created. But i am on my new computer and i have never faced this bug since so let's just say it is the art file that was missing. Arcanum goes so mad for tiny things...

    Now i will try to answer to all of you :)

    thank you. it seems you were not so DEXed.

    i have noticed that testing the .dat and it was too late to change it for the release of the demo. It was 2:30am... SO what about "these gears are probably part of a mecanical thing" ?

    I must confess that it is no so obvious. Let me explain myself... At the beginning, i wanted to create a presser foot but i couldn't find an art that would fit... So i made the robust and fine blade that will be helpful in a lot of ways. Come on, it is not so hard to guess :)

    You got a point. I will get rid of the falchion. In an old module, i let the player took a falchion form the wall in this way. This is not realistic, thanks for pointing it out.


    I hope the data files in Arcanum folder will fix. So, how many of you have actually reach with end of the demo ? With our bone friend ?

    BTW : I would need an rotable art for later. It is not urgent but I would eventually need it. Please, contact me with pm if you can help.

    Thanks again, you give me motivation !

    And, for the last word, I have a good news... My brother is also modding and he is as experimented as I am, maybe more. He is currently modding and i may translate his mod during the summer if I have some time.

    Plus, as for the annoucement of our friend, i am thinking on it and i will likely launch it soon.

    :)
     
  14. Muro

    Muro Well-Known Member

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    Just did.

    The blade didn't have a graphic so I wasn't even aware I was carrying it. Became visible with the data folder, though.

    The data folder did add two graphics (the blade and the Fallouty rope), but it did not remove the lag, sadly.

    There is also a second lag, in the room where the skeleton comes out. Going straight NE from the broken bars to the "exit" doesn't activate it too much, but it becomes severe if the player tries to move the screen NW behind the gate that gets opened by the skeleton.

    "These gears are probably part of some mechanical device" would be my suggestion.

    Why not leave the falchion but make it pickable, like in the older module you mentioned?



    Overall, I liked the the demo you provided. Seems Arcanum can work as an enjoyable adventure game as well. I would be happy to get more of the same type of experience, as long as you'd be able to get rid of the lags.
     
  15. Wims

    Wims New Member

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    Thanks for the translation, Muro.

    About the falchion, i have just removed it. i do not want to give such a weapon right now to the character.

    About the lag, i do not have any lag... That is weird... I will check walls...
    I am under the first version of WorldEd, the game is patch with 1074 + Drog's patch...

    I just do not get it...
     
  16. Muro

    Muro Well-Known Member

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    If it is in any way helpful, I was running the module in 1.0.7.4 + UAP v091225 (= the latest released one).
     
  17. Wims

    Wims New Member

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    I am checking out the version of the patch but since I get it for a week or so, i think it is the latest version. Does any had this nasty lag ?

    As a bonus : Here is a new screenshot of the nice conversation you will have with your bone buddy :

    http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/696/skeletontalk.png/

    EDIT : a line of dialog is in French... ^^

    I have also install the latest Drog's patch but i think i already had the latest version. Err...
     
  18. Kierkegaard

    Kierkegaard New Member

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    I'm running it without updates. No patches or fixes or anything. I should fix that.
     
  19. Wims

    Wims New Member

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    Hey guys !

    A huge thank you to Muro who helped me ! The lag bug has been removed !

    Here is the link of the debug demo : everything should work plus you have an extra 10 seconds in this one :)

    http://www.mediafire.com/?3sdbqpup3qpkyer

    DEBUG DATE FOLDER - I've been told that the one in the archive above does not work.

    http://www.mediafire.com/?wug6b8uxw5vfmee

    About the lag bug : It was the script of the painting like Muro said. It seems that, for no reason except a programming error for Troika, you should not use the line "teleport (obj) to map (num) at X:(num) and Y:(num)" with OBJ = ATTACHEE.

    Using this makes the game lag when you load your game ! I changed the script for another one...

    Thank you for playing !

    - Wim's

    EDIT : I've just finished two linked scripted and the result is really good-looking !
     
  20. wayne-scales

    wayne-scales Well-Known Member

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    Brilliant stuff! I especially like the cordial thanks from the skeleton, at the end!

    I get the feeling that you intend this to be a rather large, all-encompassing mod; so, for the sake of completion and refinement, you could, perhaps, do something about some of the character backgrounds which make reference to the IFS Zephyr.
     
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