http://lostsosaria.ultimaaiera.com/forum/ The Lost Sosaria Forums: Last 35 Posts en Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:09:42 +0000 http://lostsosaria.ultimaaiera.com/forum/topic.php?id=18#post-222 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:24:25 +0000 admin 222@http://lostsosaria.ultimaaiera.com/forum/ <p>And the short answer would be that we're going to try and keep the plot relatively...ah...neutral, so that Lost Sosaria could, without much mental acrobatics, be interpreted as being compatible with all three plots. I realize that means that we'll have to remain "general" on some concepts, but in the end I think that might be the best choice for us.</p> <p>Put more plainly, I like Corv as much as I like Thepal, and I don't want to snub either of them. I'm less concerned with turning my back on the "official" U9, but if we're already trying to make ourselves compatible with two storylines, what's a third? Ideally, I'd even like to try and keep us compatible with the fabled "Bob White Plot," but since I think Thepal is basing part of his story off of that, doing so won't be difficult. </p> http://lostsosaria.ultimaaiera.com/forum/topic.php?id=18#post-220 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 11:46:16 +0000 reclaimer 220@http://lostsosaria.ultimaaiera.com/forum/ <p>Yeah that's basically what I meant. I was just wondering whether were keeping their plot in mind or if we were working with the EA Ultima 9 in mind. </p> http://lostsosaria.ultimaaiera.com/forum/topic.php?id=18#post-218 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:21:19 +0000 admin 218@http://lostsosaria.ultimaaiera.com/forum/ <p>I'll re-send the documents to you, Helgraf. And if you need, I can dig up contact info for both developers.</p> <p>Dammit, I totally didn't find time to implement that keyword thing. Grah...okay, that's first on the list once I get back from the coast. The nice thing about the keyword system is that assuming I do the scripting RIGHT, we can prevent against the vulnerability of critical plot information by use of tightly defined flag variables, a la U7.</p> <p>The thing I don't like about dialogue in NWN is that if you want a truly Ultima-like conversation options list (again a la U7), wherein all the various conversation options get added to a continuously displayed list, to do that in NWN you wind up having to replicate numerous conversation nodes. It's...kind of hard to explain with words, so maybe I'll try draw up an example come April.</p> <p>It's early enough, I think, that we can experiment; we can try the dialogue both ways and see which method we like. This Mala conversation could be an excellent testbed for that. </p> http://lostsosaria.ultimaaiera.com/forum/topic.php?id=18#post-217 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:32:24 +0000 helgraf 217@http://lostsosaria.ultimaaiera.com/forum/ <p>I'd better get a look at the three stories then so I have a clear window on what I'm looking at, and how to wiggle around it if need comes up.</p> <p>Also, need the storyline/gameflow bible again so I can flesh out initial conversations without working semi-blind from memory alone. When I had to do the HD format, it was one of many things I'd lost months back, kept forgetting to re-requisition it.</p> <p>I've been working my way through the tutorials suggested, am getting the gist of Aurora's interpretation of conversational structure, existance checks, et al, but not sure how that will change if a keyword system is implemented.</p> <p>I'm not entirely sure I like the keyword system - if it's like the older Ultimas, typing in keywords from a master crib list could give access to information long before the player should reasonably have access to it. If it's like U7+, then certain keywords can't even show up until the proper flags are set, which is safer in that regard. Since dialogue uses a node selection (option choice) methodology already, I'm not certain what the benefit of reducing that down to single word selections is. </p> http://lostsosaria.ultimaaiera.com/forum/topic.php?id=18#post-216 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:03:45 +0000 admin 216@http://lostsosaria.ultimaaiera.com/forum/ <p>Reclaimer was wondering if I'd spoken to the <a href="http://www.cfkasper.de/ultima">Titans of Ether</a> at all about plot contradictions. I'm assuming, Reclaimer, that you meant whether I'd tried to synch up my plot planning with their backstory so as to avoid contradictions?</p> <p>If that's your question, then yes -- Corv and I spoke about that very issue, although it was a couple of years ago now. Then, as now, my general goal is to not take the story in any direction that <em>directly</em> flies in the face of what the Titans are doing. By the same token, I also don't want to slave our story to one of the three <em>Ultima 9</em> stories that are currently out there (the official release story, the Titans story, and Thepal's story).</p> <p>As to how we achieve that? That's why we have someone devoted to plot and lore. </p> http://lostsosaria.ultimaaiera.com/forum/topic.php?id=17#post-210 Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:41:25 +0000 admin 210@http://lostsosaria.ultimaaiera.com/forum/ <p>I've added a script to the module (it'll be in the next upload) that automatically strips all items from the player when s/he begins the module for the first time (and then puts a pair of PJs onto said character). This will be important for reasons of plot later on -- the player wakes up in a room of the castle after being attacked by one of the aberrant Wisps. </p>