Hey Guys, my first NWN2 mod is about ready to go final

[Crichton]

*Update*

I've released a small patch on the vault

v 1.01 fixes the following bugs:

-The Hag's eye now drops correctly.
-Fixed errors in Rufus and Y'dey convos
-Both methods of resolving "Spies Among Us" now correctly mark the quest as finished.

http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=NWN2ModulesEnglish.Detail&id=292

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NOTE: Requires Mask of the Betrayer. If you have NWN2, but not MotB, you are a troglodyte.

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NOTE2: Installation:

The folder goes in "My Documents\Neverwinter Nights 2\Campaigns"

The file, ToEE Bugbears Wars.mod (windows thinks *.mod files are videos, blame Bill Gates) goes in "My Documents\Neverwinter Nights 2\modules"

In Vista, "My Documents" is "$USER\Documents"

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I've finished work on my first NWN2 module, but it would be cool if I could get a little feedback on this latest version before I declare it finished.

What is it?

The Temple of Elemental Evil Revisited

The Temple of Elemental Evil Revisited is my own little attempt to create a game with the basic ToEE set-up that a) gives the player choices about how he/she wants to deal with the temple, b) has an enjoyable story without railroading the player into it and c) has gameplay that people enjoy.

Where can I download it?

http://dodownload.filefront.com/111...d144733f78a18fc49f224375f86038707e28e0d54ddc4

Why will the codex love it?

-Hostile AI powered by Tony K 1.9
-Party-based combat (6 on 6, generally)
-Limited resting
-Unless they're using natural/giant-sized weapons, they're disarmable
-If they're carrying it, they drop it
-Choices and Consequences, including hordes of possible ending slides
-Non-epic, mid level adventure (ECL=8)
-Low magic / loot
-A few surprises for people intimately familiar with ToEE
-Arcanum easter-eggs
-Cool stuf from the Gygax module that didn't make it into ToEE
-Hard enough that my first set of testers gave up crying

 

[Jaesun]

Can we kill Volourn?

 

[Crichton]

Bah, you can try, little man, you can try...

 

[cardtrick]

This looks interesting -- I'll probably give it a go this weekend. Nice work with the maps; the whole thing looks quite polished.

 

[Murk]

while i'll definitely play it, and it looks like you did a great job

...why the fuck did you pick this horrible horrible module?

 

[Crichton]

Well, there's just something about a pentagon-sized building filled with different factions of bugbears that makes my heart skip a beat. And when I played Troika's ToEE, I loved the combat engine, but I hated the content, I kept thinking about how much bigger everything should be. I thought that every elemental temple should be it's own little community with it's own shops, resting places, landmarks, dynamic population and whatnot. So I made a mod where they were.

There's actually a lot you can do with that basic scaffold (even more than I did). I think the real problem is that when designers don't know what to do, they just add more combat because it's easier than adding quests and dialog. I think troika could have done something great with ToEE if they'd been willing to stretch a little more as designers.

 

[Crichton]

Nice work with the maps; the whole thing looks quite polished.

Thanks cardtrick. It should be polished since I started it last summer. I actually delayed playing the Witcher until I made my first release after Christmas. Then I just left it alone for a few months because I was burned out. When I started working on it again, I kept slowing myself down by adding content, so it took even longer to try to work all the kinks out. Then I incorporated Tony K's AI and had to rebalance everything. It's given me a real insight into why games ship with so many bugs / balance problems and with such shitty final chapters. But the nice thing about being a modder working for free is that no one's on your ass to release before you're ready (unless you're Team Gizka).

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Hmmmmm... Now I have something to try out after finishing with Dark Waters.

 

[Volrath]

Nice work with the maps; the whole thing looks quite polished.

Thanks cardtrick. It should be polished since I started it last summer. I actually delayed playing the Witcher until I made my first release after Christmas. Then I just left it alone for a few months because I was burned out. When I started working on it again, I kept slowing myself down by adding content, so it took even longer to try to work all the kinks out. Then I incorporated Tony K's AI and had to rebalance everything. It's given me a real insight into why games ship with so many bugs / balance problems and with such shitty final chapters. But the nice thing about being a modder working for free is that no one's on your ass to release before you're ready (unless you're Team Gizka).

Pretty cool, are you going to release it on the vault?

 

[Volourn]

:idea:

 

[Texas Red]

Sounds really good but I think controlling 6 character in NWN 2 engine would be annoying. Looking forward to see what scores you will get on the Vault.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Aside Volly not being a pretty princess, I think the dungeon could use a little bit of decoration. A little rubble and such here and there. Small things. It looks kinda... Empty?

 

[Jaime Lannister]

where does volly go potty

 

[Data4]

I'm surprised no one pointed out that little piss-take on Bethesda's Retarded AI conversations. :D

 

[OccupatedVoid]

This looks pretty cool. My only suggestion is that you add more clutter and detail to the dungeon.

Edit: There is also a typo in screenshot #4.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

This looks pretty cool. My only suggestion is that you add more clutter and detail to the dungeon.

Edit: There is also a typo in screenshot #4.

The bigass plain in the dungeon exterior pic could be less flat as well...

But really, other than the emptiness there doesn't seem to be much to complain about.

 

[Crichton]

Yeah, the last beta is on the vault now, I'll probably upload this one in the next week or so. But it's more of a pain uploading large things to the vault, so if there's something that people really want changed, I'd rather do it and then upload it.

Re: Areas. I understand perfectly. I'm not naturally much good at making an area look pretty (not compared to the purgatorio guys or the guy who does Harm and Crysanthenum anyway), so I spent a lot of time trying to make them look natural, but there aren't that many placables in the toolset and I don't want people to be seeing the same crap everywhere they go. The area around the temple is supposed to be desolate though, you walk through a forest of dead trees to get to it.

 

[buccaroobonzai]

Well, there's just something about a pentagon-sized building filled with different factions of bugbears that makes my heart skip a beat. And when I played Troika's ToEE, I loved the combat engine, but I hated the content, I kept thinking about how much bigger everything should be. I thought that every elemental temple should be it's own little community with it's own shops, resting places, landmarks, dynamic population and whatnot. So I made a mod where they were.

There's actually a lot you can do with that basic scaffold (even more than I did). I think the real problem is that when designers don't know what to do, they just add more combat because it's easier than adding quests and dialog. I think troika could have done something great with ToEE if they'd been willing to stretch a little more as designers.

Are there actually larger sized areas then Troika's game?
Are there higher quality sidequests, and is there better dialogue then Troika's game?

 

[Crichton]

Are there actually larger sized areas then Troika's game?
Are there higher quality sidequests, and is there better dialogue then Troika's game?

It probably depends on what you count. There are now six floors to the temple, as opposed to Troika's five. Every elemental temple now has it's own floor (as opposed to three of them being crammed into the 3nd) and the temple areas themselves are bigger. They also have their own shops, places to rest, lots of bugbears, jails, taverns, et al. However I don't know about square-footage, because troika had a lot more undefined space with random monsters. I have less and I'd like to think the monsters are less random.

I like the quests and dialog, but the standard of quality isn't uniform. I don't think any will incur the sort of wrath that troika's hommlet quests did, but some have multiple solutions and some don't. I was really inspired to write some and some are just filling in an obvious empty spot.

 

[SpaceKungFuMan]

Here's the rough outline of the party I'm planning to try. I know its supposed to be all one race, so I chose elves.

wood elf Barb 7 / Fighter 1 (feat and heavy armor)
wild elf Warlock 7 / barbarian 1 (extra hp and armor proficiency)
wild elf bard 7 / warlock 1 (for dark ones own luck)
moon elf rogue 7 / assain 1 (highest possible sneak attack at level 8)
sun elf wizard 7 / pale master 1
wild elf cleric 8

The barb / fighter will have pretty much the highest str and HP an elf can have. level 8 barb only gives 1 extra rage, which is not as good as heavy armor and a bonus feat from fighter. This character will use a two handed weapon of course.

Warlock 8 is not an important level, so I figured the extra hp and option to wear medium armor without taking up two feats seems like a good idea. I'd also consider starting the char as a level 1 rogue instead for the skill points.

The bard will be the most important member of the party. Level 7 grants inspire regeneration which will provide the whole party with passive healing. This character will also have great saves from the lock level + high charisma.

A rogue will be needed for traps of course, and skipping lvl 8 for assassin grants an extra +d6 sneak attack damage. Could also replace the assassin level with shadow dancer for hide in plain sight, but I find it cumbersome to always have to babysit the rogue like this on the NWN2 engine.

The other chars are obvious, I think. I want a wizard instead of a sorceror for flexibility, and taking 1 level of palemaster gives a free +2 ac. Cleric is taken over favored soul for the two bonus feats from spheres, and heavy armor. The cleric will primarily buff and serve as an off tank, since the bard will cover out of battle healing.

This was just a quick first pass at a party concept. Do you think it's viable, Crichton?

 

[Volourn]

Writing can't be worse than Troika. "R00fles!" alone makes it a masterpiece of classical proportions.

 

[Trash]

It looks very nice, however it also looks incredibly sterile. Perhaps some more time to work on the enviroments?

 

[Elhoim]

It looks very nice, however it also looks incredibly sterile. Perhaps some more time to work on the enviroments?

I also think they should be smaller.

 

[Crichton]

For what it's worth, I agree that a lot of the areas aren't up to say the standard of the NWN2 OC. The biggest problem (I think) is that there isn't enough variation in the tiles. Clever use of wall hangings and whatnot can help, but there's just not enough good placables that fit any given theme. Since the temple proper consists of a bunch of big indoor areas, it's more of a problem than it would be for more traditional outdoor, BG/IWD type adventures.

However I'm more than happy to take any suggestions for ways to improve the look as long as they won't take forever to implement.

 

[Murk]

Well, there's just something about a pentagon-sized building filled with different factions of bugbears that makes my heart skip a beat. And when I played Troika's ToEE, I loved the combat engine, but I hated the content, I kept thinking about how much bigger everything should be. I thought that every elemental temple should be it's own little community with it's own shops, resting places, landmarks, dynamic population and whatnot. So I made a mod where they were.

There's actually a lot you can do with that basic scaffold (even more than I did). I think the real problem is that when designers don't know what to do, they just add more combat because it's easier than adding quests and dialog. I think troika could have done something great with ToEE if they'd been willing to stretch a little more as designers.

most interesting as we come to the same conclusion but lead to a different solution. I would have, if able, implemented nwn2's content into ToEE's engine (yes i liked NWN2's OC, i am heretic ;( )

Regardless, I was playing moonshadows chapter 1 but i think i'll switch to your module instead. Well done sir.