Whispers of a New Module

Hello, everyone! This is my first post on this forum, and I'm afraid it'll range from self-important to purely arrogant ^_~ So, here we go!

I intend to attempt to make a new module. Not a small one, either - I'd like to spend at least a year, maybe more, making this sucker! I've got some ideas in my mind already re: storyline, characters, the world, places within said world... basically, the module concept is fully developed in my mind, it's just a question of building it now. I've been a regular D&D DM, and for the most part I get a lot of compliments on my worlds and stories, and I think this is the most complete world / story I've ever built, so (not to sound too full of myself) it should be awesome once it's complete.

Now, to be perfectly fair in spite of myself, I do tend to get into these sort of things and leave them half-finished <.< I've got about ten books on my computer, all of them three to five chapters long, that I just haven't gotten around to finishing XD

That said, if I can get some support and encouragement, I can usually toil through the tough parts and get it done - which is one of the reasons I've brought this tale to you fine folks on Terra Arcanum!

Another reason, of course, is that I'd like some help / ideas regarding the module. Specifically, a few things come to mind:

a) Some ideas on how to rebalance magick, technology, and melee-dodge. I've looked at Carcanum but haven't downloaded it just yet, planning to in order to get a good look at what's been done with the system, but I'd like people's input, too ^_^

b) Something I've been looking for and unable to find so far - certain backgrounds have engine-handled effects (Technophobe, Sky Mage, et. al.) and I'd like to know if I have to hack the engine to access them (and if so, how to go about it).

c) Along similar veins, I'd like to know if there's any way to turn off the "XP per hit" thing so followers don't constantly sap your XP, or, failing that, some ideas on how much XP per quest is reasonable when XP from killing creatures is completely turned off.

d) I'd love to formally extend an invitation to include anyone's self-insert avatar as an NPC or follower ^_~ Just for fun, and I promise I'll run all their dialog options by you to make sure I'm staying true to the character.

I will, of course, have many, many, many more questions as time grinds on This is my first Arcanum module, but I'm a hobbyist programmer (code kiddie, really), and I feel like I already have a good grasp of scripting, so I think I can handle this. I'd of course like to release new bits of the module as I make them, and I'll try to keep this forum post updated at least once a week or so with my progress...

I guess this post kinda wandered around a bit, but it's the gist of what I'm planning. If anyone's interested, I can share the basic ideas behind the module with you! Just be sure to lemme know you're interested - I'm always up for constructive criticism, ideas, and possible pranks to pull on my players.

Sincerely yours, with very high hopes for the module and the future,
Dalos Tristam de Vere, Professional Dungeoneer

Oh, Post-Script: Please feel free to ping me on AIM or MSN messenger or G-Chat (Dhosmhea, Dhosmhea@Hotmail,com, and Dhosmhea, respectively XD) or send me an e-mail any time.

 

Welcome to the forum, de Vere!

Sorry I was a bit late in noticing your post.
If you don't mind my asking, what's the scenario for your mod?

Onward... Regrettably, most of what you're wondering about are things I can't answer, but here's what I can:

Balancing out the magic isn't too difficult. I was able to take the Dark Magick hack and use it as a guide. You'll find it in the Downloads/Arcanum/Dimensions of Arcanum downloads section.

Technology, on the other hand, requires a tweaking of the .pro files to reset the damage values. The Russians are steadily making progress on this. Check the modding section - it also has a thread concerning reworking the combat system.

http://66.163.168.225/babelfish/tra...=0d5f4321e387d1eeb040ecc61bf551fa&showforum=3

 

Thanks, Rroyo, I'll look right into that! ^_^

No sooner did I post this than my beloved AT&T decided to shut down our internets because we kept clogging the tubes <.<

but I return!

Regarding the module... I've designed a world and a small scenario in my mind, but a lot of it is going to be the individual stories of certain countries in the world - Westermarck is undergoing turmoil because of a massive underwar between two of the criminal cartels that run it, Tethan is in the grip of a counter-revolution to overthrow the tyrant that installed himself ten years ago, et cetera.

The overarcing story for now, though... well, I don't want to give too much away ^_^ but the idea I have can be summed up in four words:

"The world is rotting."

 

Sorry for the blurriness, and I don't have a good scale yet ^_^

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h320/ ... 1270600832

THE LAND OF NORWYN
Westermarck: A great trading capital, Westermarck on the southern coast of Norwyn is technically a traditional monarchy, with a ruling king and an inordinately large noble class. However, these are mostly considered flashy relics by the common populace, who all know exactly who is actually in charge - the cartels, the organized crime syndicates, and the merchant princes. Capitalism is the lifeblood of the country, and protection payments are considered more important than taxes - but so long as you're paid up, it's considered one of the best places in the world to live. Mostly humans, although any race can hail from the mixed culture of Westermarck.
Ellisver: An elven nation, Ellisver is one of the more isolationist countries in the world. Aside from border trade with Westermarck, few have ventured into the massive forest's boughs who are not elven. The nation is run almost anarchistically, with only a security council that functions to protect society without concern over morality or the usual elven reverence for the sanctity of life. Elves and half-elves alone may hail from Ellisver.
Mydael: A great Dwarven kingdom under the mountains separating northern and southern Norwyn, Mydael is mostly ignored by outsiders, considered unimportant in the affairs of the world. The king of Mydael rules in the typical Dwarven manner, wherein the code of law is short but absolutely incontrovertible. Dwarves alone may hail from Mydael.
Jungodr: A small kingdom nestled in a grand valley between the mountains of Mydael and the sea, Jungodr has a rich naval military history, mostly composed of raiding nearby countries. Its centuries-old feud with Tethan was diminishing through diplomacy and the mutual respect of honor until the Revolution, and the king of Jungodr, backed by the House of Lords and the Executive, have extended a promise of military aid to insurgents in Tethan to restore the country they once considered honorable enemies. Humans, half-elves and halflings are most common in Jungodr, though some dwarves have left Mydael in search of glory in war, and half-orcs are not unseen.
Vargas: Little is known about the grand marshes of Vargas, except that long ago a group of necromancers claimed it for their own, and noone who has passed the borders since has returned alive.
Arrenthya: The most populous nation in the world, Arrenthya is a constitutional monarchy with an incredibly aggressive-expansive bent. Having already conquered two nearby nations, Gormalin and the Republic of the Sun, and expanded their borders almost a hundred percent, this massive juggernaut has focused on the plains and deserts of Durn as their next target, and a bloody war has raged for three long years. Somehow, the king and his ambassadors have used their diplomatic ties to convince Caldyr, Westermarck and Mydael not to intervene in any of these wars. Anyone (apart from Half-Ogres, who are not tolerated) may hail from Arrenthya, although once again, humans are the most prevalent species in these grasslands.
Durn: The great plains and desert of Durn are home to some of the finest horses - and finest riders - in the world. A nomadic people, what little government exists serves only to stabilize the various tribal chiefs of the hundreds of small tribes. Their army was hastily formed out of raiders and riders, and the Outrunners of Durn, as they call themselves, see Arrenthya's expansion as a personal challenge, each one swearing to take no fewer than ten Arrenthyan soldiers with him when he dies. Anyone may be from Durn, although humans, half-orcs and halflings are most common in the plains.
Caldyr: Eleven years ago, the wise and benevolent King Steadfast the Third, passed away. On his death bed he proclaimed his youngest child, Prince Devout, as his successor, but this break with tradition caused his eldest child, Prince Steadfast the Fourth, to attempt to politically wrest control away from Devout. The spiraling feud eventually ended in all-out war, with all three princes claiming control of parts of the Kingdom of Caldyr - Steadast IV forming North Caldyr, on the premise of his seniority, Devout claiming Castle Elaycal and most of the country on the basis of his mandate from his father, and Prince Harmony the Second taking the easternmost provinces and forming East Caldyr, on the basis that his brothers could not lead a kingdom wisely. This massive schism has led to three countries where constant civil war has taken a toll on the populace. Humans, halflings, and a smattering of elves and half-elves come from Caldyr.
Akqu Peninsula: The ancestral home of the orcish tribes, the Akqu Peninsula is divided into three lands ruled in semi-peaceful co-existance by the three grand leaders of the orcs - the Warlord, the Shaman, and the Creator. (The lands are named after the orcish titles for these leaders - Libeq, Tureq, and Saleq, respectively.) Though they are by no means evil, they are extremely warlike and intolerant of outsiders - however, half-orcs are welcomed "in spite of their deficiency" because, by rule of the Shaman, leaving anyone of the tribe's blood to be raised by outsiders is a great sin. Though they used to live primarily by raiding Caldyr, they've turned to a growing civilization, guided by the Creator, as their new lifestyle, and raids happen only rarely. Only half-orcs can come from the Akqu Peninsula.

http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h320/ ... CN0289.jpg

THE ISLAND OF AUWYN
Tethan: Once, Tethan was a democratic republic with a history of honor and fairness to both its people and outsiders, and a raging but almost good-natured feud with the warriors of Jungodr. Rumor has it that the feud began with an argument of beer compared to wine, or perhaps rapiers compared to greatswords... but such rumors and jokes are long forgotten now. Six years ago, the Free-Thinkers Revolution swept through the nation, massacring, raping, pillaging and burning. The government did not react in time, perhaps stunned by the suddenness of the revolt, and all of the old leaders were captured and executed. The patron of the Free Thinkers, a man named Regalion, was installed as supreme leader of Tethan... and the nation has devolved into a psychotic dictatorship of the lowest measure, with people starving while the leader feasts, and a level of censorship and suppression unheard of in the history of the world. Humans, elves, and half-elves may hail from Tethan.
The Au Provinces: The large belt of farmland, woods and plains mid-island in Auwyn has been divided into a collection of small, close-knit provinces, each self-governed and watched over by a benevolent dictator who does little but punish lawbreakers and organize the trade of goods between the provinces. A standing army has only just been raised in this area, for the sole purpose of guarding the border with Tethan, and for the most part, these provinces are treated as neutral and ignored in global politics. Humans and some gnomes are most common, but anyone may hail from the relaxed culture of the Au provinces.
Cliffspray: Rocky hills, devoid of good farming soil, make most of eastern Auwyn unappealing to most political entities in the world. However, buried deep within the earth there are large gnomish, halfling and dwarven communities, who have banded together primarily for the political power to push their ores and inventions upon the rest of the world. The nation is named Cliffspray after the largest underground city in the world - built directly into several square miles of cliff face on the very easternmost cliffs over the sea, and connected not only by tunnels within the cliffs, but great elevators and mechanical conveyances along the cliff's face - truly an amazing sight to behold. Gnomes, halflings and dwarves hail from Cliffspray.

 

Phew! You've set a huge task ahead of you.
It sounds like this'll be a kick-ass game though.

Look forward to seeing it.

 

Grrawr

Ugh... it's impossible to get AT&T to pay attention sometimes, you know?

Typing this from the library computer, so I don't have any of my information XD but as soon as I've got internet back up I'll have some updates on the status of the module. I'm still in the planning / outline phase, and working on the initial scene map... speaking of which, if anyone would like to see about designing "pile of rubble" graphics, I'd be appreciative, and if anyone could either design or explain to me how to make some new fires, I'd love them forever - my town is supposed to be on fire, and the two fire options in the World Editor just look... blah, wrong.

rroyo, thanks for replying ^_^ I do have a big project here, and like I said, it's going to take a long time - I was writing down map pins for locations the other day, and I must have at least 50 <.< at least 20 of which are main-plot-related.... but all in good time, oh yes, all in good time.

 

Did this project die?Is anyone making Mods worth playing?

Most of the Mods i have tried have not been great except DarkUnderlords which was awesome but unfinished.

Are there any Mods i might have missed that have the same quality as the beginning of GreyHills DU Mod?

Any suggestions would be great.Thx

 

After gong through AMTUT for a second time a lil more thoroughly i seem to be gaining momentum.I have never done any sort of programming before but im learning the basics at a good rate and can script basic NPC's using sockmonkey.Also got the hang of all the mes files and am actually enjoying the whole experience.

When i master the basics and think i can handle more we'll see what happens but at the moment im a baby compared to you and most of the Hardcores here lol

I have a little issue atm if you think u can help.I opened the "generatedDialog.doc from the editdocs.zip to find the list of codes to use for NPC's like GGreeting) and BBarter) but i couldnt really find a decent list of all of them.I also looked in the WorldEd manual but didnt find anything.Is there a full and easy to read list around?

VeinDrinka

 

Nothing beats the reaction of followers after completing the game, though, especially Geoffrey's.

 

Yeah, you can actually set this 'secret' story state with Virgil's debug menu and get these responses in the game.

I think one of the followers (was it Magnus, hm?) even makes a reference to Arcanum 2. Too bad this stuff isn't available in the game normally.

 

*rises from the grave*
I liiiiive....


Soo, yeah. My apologies for disappearing for... over a year, jeez... things like divorce, moving across the country, reestablishing myself with a new job, reconnecting with family and friends... they tend to distract a guy. :/

But!

I would still like to get back into this project.

All my previous comments still stand.

We shall see where this goes. Hopefully, no more interruptions.

Runaway, Vein, glad to hear I'm not the only one working on stuff, and if you want to try to work together somehow on mod projects, I'd be happy to throw my (expansive) creativity and (significantly less expansive) technical skill behind your work ^_^

Often delayed, but never denied! Let's get back to work. *cracks knuckles*

 

Congratulations on the divorce.

 

Haha, thank you XD Finally someone says congrats instead of condolences.

 

Thank you kindly for the invitation, Scientist ^_^ When I've got time outside of work, I will definitely hop online and let myself be known.

 

I've seen enough of real life to know how things are.

 

Some background ideas!

"Native" Backgrounds:

Westermarck Native
Coming from a country ruled by commerce, every Westermarcan has a slick grasp of the back-and-forth of trade (+5 ranks of Haggle). Apart from that, there's nothing particularly out of place in your story... yet.
{ANY}

Ellisver Native
Born in the secluded groves of the elven nation of Ellisver, you've been inundated from a young age in the elven traditions, adherence to which leave you feeling self-assured and centered (+2 WP). Apart from that, there's nothing particularly out of place about your story... yet.
{ELF ELM HEF HEM}

Mydael Native
Growing up in the ancient halls of the Dwarven kingdom of Mydael has instilled in you the dwarven solidity and work ethic of your people, leaving you hardy and hale (+2 CN). Apart from that, there's nothing particularly out of place about your story... yet.
{DWM}

Jungodr Native
The small but proud country of your birth has always been a martial nation, with a long history of naval combat. Growing up among the Clans of Jun has enforced a certain mindset about combat on you - in spite of whether you glory in combat or shrink from it, you recognize that it is often unavoidable, and prepare yourself accordingly (+5 ranks of Melee). Apart from that, there's nothing particularly out of place about your story... yet.
{HUF HUM DWM HEF HEM HAM HOF HOM}

Arrenthya Native
Politics are the art of choice among Arrenthyans - at the lowest and highest levels. Social class, station in life, even appearance all play second place to how well your people can turn a phrase or make a persuasive argument, and you've been taught the secrets all your life (+5 ranks of Persuasion). Apart from that, there's nothing particularly out of place about your story... yet.
{HUF HUM DWM ELF ELM HEF HEM GNM HAM}

Caldyr Native
You remember what your homeland was like before the old king passed away and everything fell to infighting and civil war. Those memories sustain your hope for a better day, and after living through the first years of that chaos, you're always careful not to make an enemy out of someone who could be a friend (+2 CH). Apart from that, there's nothing particularly out of place about your story... yet.
{HUF HUM ELF ELM HEF HEM HAM}

Akqu Peninsula Native
Life among the Orcish clans of the Akqu Peninsula is hard and harsh, and being a halfbreed didn't make them easier for you... but you lived and thrived there, and you are stronger for it (+2 ST). Apart from that, there's nothing particularly out of place about your story... yet.
{HOM HOF}

Tethan Native
You grew up in a terrifying world, a place where family, friends and loved ones sometimes disappeared in the dark of night, never to be heard from again - and the smallest faux pas could ensure the same for you. The smart money was on staying as small, out of the way, and unnoticable as possible - and if you hadn't learned how, you probably wouldn't be here today (+5 ranks of Prowling). Apart from that, there's nothing particularly out of place about your story... yet.
{HUF HUM ELF ELM HEF HEM}

Au Provinces Native
Amid the farmlands of the Au Provinces, you lived a relatively carefree life, if a somewhat boring one. Safe, more or less, from the trials that many of your contemporaries faced in their early years, you had time to learn and grow, and still treasure old friendships and the value of cooperation (+1 max Followers). Apart from that, there's nothing particularly out of place about your story... yet.
{ANY}

Cliffspray Native
You grew to adulthood amidst the small races, buried in the hills of Cliffspray. The great technological marvels that powered the cities there - as well as the nation's place in world politics - are second nature to you, and even if you don't know how to make them, you certainly picked up how to fix them (+5 ranks in Repair). Apart from that, there's nothing particularly out of place about your story... yet.
{DWM GNM HAM}


These background bonuses would be tacked onto the front of most other backgrounds, as well - for instance, Adventure Archaeologist would read like this for someone from Westermarck:

Adventure Archaeologist (Westermarcan):
Coming from a country ruled by commerce, every Westermarcan has a slick grasp of the back-and-forth of trade (+5 ranks of Haggle).

Long hours of fascinated historical study filled much of your early life - as did fantastical stories and daydreams. As you entered adult life, you refused to give up those daydreams, and got involved in several daring archaeological expeditions, making a name for yourself. You've never been very strong (ST -2), and your lack of assertiveness does you no credit (WP -2, -3 ranks of Haggle), but you're quick of mind and body (IN +2, DX +2) and your tales are quite riveting (CH +1).
{HUF HUM DWM ELF ELM HEF HEM GNM HAM HOF HOM}

...while the same background from Jungodr would read thusly:

Adventure Archaeologist (Jungodri):
The small but proud country of your birth has always been a martial nation, with a long history of naval combat. Growing up among the Clans of Jun has enforced a certain mindset about combat on you - in spite of whether you glory in combat or shrink from it, you recognize that it is often unavoidable, and prepare yourself accordingly (+5 ranks of Melee).

Long hours of fascinated historical study filled much of your early life - as did fantastical stories and daydreams. As you entered adult life, you refused to give up those daydreams, and got involved in several daring archaeological expeditions, making a name for yourself. You've never been very strong (ST -2), and your lack of assertiveness does you no credit (WP -2, -3 ranks of Haggle), but you're quick of mind and body (IN +2, DX +2) and your tales are quite riveting (CH +1).
{HUF HUM DWM HEF HEM HAM HOF HOM}

...and the background wouldn't be available for the Tethani, too busy trying to survive in the slums of an insane dictatorship to waste time on whimsical studies.

Balance between the bonuses is, of course, still being worked out.

 

*sighs* Scientist, I'm having some issues getting Ventrilo to cooperate. Can we discuss over IM, would that be possible? My addresses are up in the first post, haven't changed.

 

A thought occurs and I'm throwing it in here so as to not forget it.

Taking cues from Mass Effect 2, every follower will have their own series of sidequests. (Unlike ME2, these won't be "one single quest, you get it right away, no effort on your part to unlock it, nothing particularly special about it...") Working them out, working through them, and finishing them successfully would, on top of good XP rewards, also reward the player with a Fate Point. I feel that Fate Points were a tad underused in Arcanum, and also that they should be earned with more effort than Arcanum required for the few it offered, so having a long, rather difficult and wandering series of sidequests leading to a fate point (or more if you complete the quests in certain ways or especially well) is a good approach. Also, nearly every character (probably a couple of healers and a warrior would be exempt from this) will have a manner of completing their sidequests that will inevitably lead to you having to fight them. This won't always be because "you did evil things to my family / friend / loved ones / pet," some of them will be rather more involved and morally gray.

 

...wow. Sounds like you have some awesome ideas of your own, Scientist ^_^ Not sure if I'd be up for scripting all of that but I could definitely look into it, and if we're working together, it'll be that much easier!

Regarding multiplayer - I'm honestly thinking no, unless we can find a way to make RTC work better. I played Arcanum pretty exclusively in TBC once I discovered it. To be honest, though, even if we did get RTC working acceptably I'd still prefer to have it be single-player, since it's going to be a lot of dialog and politics along with the hack-and-shoot. That said, if we could arrange some way to set it up for co-op, that could be fun!

The idea of fate points being spent in dialogue really, really intrigues me... I'm thinking adding that in alongside some of the more mechanical benefits of fate points (full heals, critical successes, etc.) would be a great idea! I guess one of my questions for that would be whether we could tie a dialog branch to a fate point check - ensure you can't choose it unless you have a fate point to use on it?

And re: custom avatar, feel free to set up a concept! Race, class, good-evil-neutral, magick-technology-both-neither, a little bit of backstory, and we'll see how we can fit it in ^_^ I might ask you to hold off on choosing spells / schematics until I'm certain whether I'll be replacing or rebalancing some of them.

I do have a question to fire off: I never found the "plus one / two / three skill ranks" backgrounds to be terribly helpful or effective, especially since I felt most backgrounds weren't terribly exciting or helpful at all in the first place, and the skill rank bonuses didn't match in character points the statistical penalties you usually took for them... but in an attempt to look at bringing the skill bonuses / penalties in line with stat bonuses / penalties, I realised that a full CP worth of a skill actually benefits you a lot MORE than a CP in a stat, since it means you can have one stat 3 points lower and still master the skill. I'm wondering where people feel the balance point would be on number of skill ranks per CP-equivalent for backgrounds?

 

Anyone have any thought processes on how to make Beauty something other than a dump stat? I've been thinking about writing up something to make beauty, like intelligence, a stat that certain quests will have a minimum-to-recieve value, with the idea that it's not just attractiveness, but an air of trustworthiness, and also possibly modifying how reactions work a bit so it's harder to get higher reactions through just general chatting, and reactions will actually have an effect... somehow.