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Displayed name	The Creator
Member number	112
Title	BoE Posse
Postcount	1423
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Registered	Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00

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BoA Editor Suggestions in Blades of Avernum Editor
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Monday, August 2 2004 02:45 Profile #14 Stareye's pretty well covered everything I'd like added. Except maybe a call to force party members to equip items. [ Monday, August 02, 2004 02:46: Message edited by: The Creator ] -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
BoA Editor Suggestions in Blades of Avernum
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Monday, August 2 2004 02:45 Profile #14 Stareye's pretty well covered everything I'd like added. Except maybe a call to force party members to equip items. [ Monday, August 02, 2004 02:46: Message edited by: The Creator ] -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
Deadly Goblins scenario: really, how the hell..... in Blades of Exile
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Sunday, August 1 2004 20:17 Profile #1 Elswhere (bottom right corner) there's a storeroom. Use the key to unlock it (it'll happen automatically), and then smash a moldy wall to get out. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
Where BoA falls short in Blades of Avernum Editor
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Sunday, August 1 2004 02:15 Profile #3 That could work, but it would really bloat download size. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
Where BoA falls short in Blades of Avernum
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Sunday, August 1 2004 02:15 Profile #3 That could work, but it would really bloat download size. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
Same old story in Blades of Avernum
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Saturday, July 31 2004 22:14 Profile #37 It's not all that hard. Usually, it's just a case of finding your enemy's weakness and making sure he can't use his strengths against you. The Deep Crawlers WERE hard, though. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
Where BoA falls short in Blades of Avernum Editor
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Saturday, July 31 2004 22:09 Profile #0 The Display Dialog node from BoE - which I feel is one the most used and important nodes - has no equivalent in BoA. We do have dialog boxes, but they aren't the same as BoE. How are they different and why does this matter? The difference is there is a picture along with the text in BoE. We can still display big chunks of text, and there's a greater capability for pictures, but there's no good combination. We can have a freaking huge picture with a bit of text, or a small picture that looks very lonely in a vast white expanse with a bit of text, but that's about it. The reason this is so important? Scenario designers have been using the Display Dialog node for a long time now to great dramatic effect - commonly, to simulate conversation. For example, in the middle of a battle, one box comes up with an NPC's face and the words "Quickly! He's getting away!" Now, we can put up a bunch of solid text that tells us "Bob yells out...", or we could have those little words appear over Bob's head. But neither option has the immediacy and impact of seeing Bob's face close up. It feels less like we're reading a book and more like we're reading a comic or watching a movie. And since games are a visual medium to a fair extent, this is a Good Thing. But where it really becomes important is in situations like two NPC's conversing between themselves. Short ones can be done with text bubbles, but anything longer and it becomes annoying. And, while a book can produce strong feelings with only the written word, that's done by enticing the reader to imagine the scenes in his mind. In a game like BoA, where we SEE everything, it's not very powerful to just be told whenever something interesting happens. So if I want to show two characters getting in an argument and one killing the other, it's very difficult to do it in an effective way. And of course, it's incredibly useful for a situation where the speaker isn't actually present. For example, in Tomorrow, Alcritas creates a wonderful creepy atmosphere with the Wickerman's voice floating through the empty tunnels. Or, in a scenario I'm working on right now, I want the main character (i.e. you) to relate an experience in his past, and as he relives it in his mind, you (the player) play through it, with your character narrating the action as you go. While all this isn't ESSENTIAL, it does add tremendously to the atmosphere of a scenario. Anyone who disagrees should play a number of recent BoE scenarios. The capability for a small/medium picture (say, the size of the BoA facial pics) along with a medium/large block of text (3 or 4 paragraphs) should be fairly easy to implement and would make a huge difference. If Jeff would be willing to do this in an update, or one of the people with the know-how to modify the editor could do it, I would be very, very grateful. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
Where BoA falls short in Blades of Avernum
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Saturday, July 31 2004 22:09 Profile #0 The Display Dialog node from BoE - which I feel is one the most used and important nodes - has no equivalent in BoA. We do have dialog boxes, but they aren't the same as BoE. How are they different and why does this matter? The difference is there is a picture along with the text in BoE. We can still display big chunks of text, and there's a greater capability for pictures, but there's no good combination. We can have a freaking huge picture with a bit of text, or a small picture that looks very lonely in a vast white expanse with a bit of text, but that's about it. The reason this is so important? Scenario designers have been using the Display Dialog node for a long time now to great dramatic effect - commonly, to simulate conversation. For example, in the middle of a battle, one box comes up with an NPC's face and the words "Quickly! He's getting away!" Now, we can put up a bunch of solid text that tells us "Bob yells out...", or we could have those little words appear over Bob's head. But neither option has the immediacy and impact of seeing Bob's face close up. It feels less like we're reading a book and more like we're reading a comic or watching a movie. And since games are a visual medium to a fair extent, this is a Good Thing. But where it really becomes important is in situations like two NPC's conversing between themselves. Short ones can be done with text bubbles, but anything longer and it becomes annoying. And, while a book can produce strong feelings with only the written word, that's done by enticing the reader to imagine the scenes in his mind. In a game like BoA, where we SEE everything, it's not very powerful to just be told whenever something interesting happens. So if I want to show two characters getting in an argument and one killing the other, it's very difficult to do it in an effective way. And of course, it's incredibly useful for a situation where the speaker isn't actually present. For example, in Tomorrow, Alcritas creates a wonderful creepy atmosphere with the Wickerman's voice floating through the empty tunnels. Or, in a scenario I'm working on right now, I want the main character (i.e. you) to relate an experience in his past, and as he relives it in his mind, you (the player) play through it, with your character narrating the action as you go. While all this isn't ESSENTIAL, it does add tremendously to the atmosphere of a scenario. Anyone who disagrees should play a number of recent BoE scenarios. The capability for a small/medium picture (say, the size of the BoA facial pics) along with a medium/large block of text (3 or 4 paragraphs) should be fairly easy to implement and would make a huge difference. If Jeff would be willing to do this in an update, or one of the people with the know-how to modify the editor could do it, I would be very, very grateful. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
Shadow of a Stranger Help: Ice Drake! in Blades of Exile
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Saturday, July 31 2004 19:09 Profile #3 Remind me what the riddle is. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
Editor bug? in Blades of Avernum Editor
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Saturday, July 31 2004 04:31 Profile #4 It happens to me as well. Do you want to email jeff about it? -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
Editor bug? in Blades of Avernum
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Saturday, July 31 2004 04:31 Profile #4 It happens to me as well. Do you want to email jeff about it? -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
Same old story in Blades of Avernum
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Thursday, July 29 2004 18:59 Profile #34 I basically went through as quickly as I could. I was only level 9 by the time I finished (day 9). Paticularly tough bits? Well, the dark place with all the Deep Crawlers was nasty - I was only level 2 at the time and couldn't come up to rest. And that Dervish in the Opal Citadel. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
How do YOU come up with . . . in Blades of Avernum Editor
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Thursday, July 29 2004 18:49 Profile #9 I start with a descriptive word for the character, and then delete letters until I've got something that looks good. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
How do YOU come up with . . . in Blades of Avernum
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Thursday, July 29 2004 18:49 Profile #9 I start with a descriptive word for the character, and then delete letters until I've got something that looks good. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
Same old story in Blades of Avernum
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Thursday, July 29 2004 01:36 Profile #30 bump Got bored, did Za-Khazi, level 1, and all that jazz. It was actually harder than Diplomacy with the Dead. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
I've tried 'The Icy Tunnels' in Blades of Exile
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Wednesday, July 28 2004 20:13 Profile #2 Welcome! The way it goes: You can email the author directly (in most cases), but most people use the Comprehensive Scenario Rankings - there's a link at the top of the forum. Here's the topic for The Icy Tunnels. If you want to beta-test, the usual method is just to hang around, post, and volunteer when someone asks. I'd recommend rating a bunch of scenarios on CSR - recently, I specifically asked Sboto to test Areni because I'd been impressed by the quality of his reviews. If you show that you know what makes a scenario work, you're likely to get picked. EDIT: Kel beat me to it. [ Wednesday, July 28, 2004 20:16: Message edited by: The Creator ] -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
New scenarios in progress in Blades of Exile
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Wednesday, July 28 2004 20:03 Profile #31 There's a lot of custom graphics floating around on various websites. I don't know what sort you'd need (never read the stories), but you might find something useful. Some artists might (but probably won't) be interested in making graphics, but aside from that you're not going to get much help (loads of advice, though). There's a strong stigma against collaborative efforts around here. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
Blades of Avernum Center in General
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Tuesday, July 27 2004 17:59 Profile #43 quote: Originally written by Overwhelming: quote: I predict it being the divisive factor of the SW community. Explain why. Only if you're talking about the reactions from certain members of the BoA community, which are far from representing it. (In case you don't know, the BoA (and spidweb's) community isn't reduced to the people who post here or in any other forum. Most of them are people who aren't interest in participating in forum or whatever. They just found the game, liked it, play it and some como again to see if there are more scenarios for their game. Somo even might think about making one, so they seek help for that. I think he meant that plagarism would be the thing that divides the community. If you haven't already, go read about Solberg at the Lyceum. quote: Which leads me to comment your next statement: quote: And a great site does not exist because it wants people. A great site exists because people want it, because it fills some kind of vital niche. I agree. I didn't create the site because "wanted people" or whatever that means. I want to share something I like (BoA and it's editor), help other people with it, change information, etc. He didn't mean that you wanted people. He meant that your site wants people. I've seen half a dozen posts by you saying to people "Please fill my site." And what vital niche does your site fill? BoA Center? That niche is already filled. The Lyceum does everything you're trying to do. Surely you agree that it would be better if people could get something from your site that they can't get from anywhere else. At the moment, you're supplying a product there is no demand for. I would hate to see so much effort and enthusiasm go to waste. [ Tuesday, July 27, 2004 18:24: Message edited by: The Creator ] -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
The Scenario Ranking Contest Has Begun! in Blades of Exile
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Monday, July 26 2004 18:42 Profile #26 But you're destroying Demons and Evil Magic-users! :D Okay, if it's only using magic that's the problem, there's a lot more scenarios you can play. Areni for one, Zankozzie's Big Mistake, and Back To Normal spring to mind immediately. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
Script Database in Blades of Avernum Editor
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Monday, July 26 2004 18:35 Profile #1 Silly Stareye. Take a look further down and you'll see I already started a topic about this. :P [ Monday, July 26, 2004 19:55: Message edited by: The Creator ] -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
Script Database in Blades of Avernum
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Monday, July 26 2004 18:35 Profile #1 Silly Stareye. Take a look further down and you'll see I already started a topic about this. :P [ Monday, July 26, 2004 19:55: Message edited by: The Creator ] -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
The Scenario Ranking Contest Has Begun! in Blades of Exile
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Monday, July 26 2004 04:53 Profile #15 Actually, thinking about it, your parents wouldn't like Shrek either - it has magic (this is a fair comparison - Blades magic is equally unrelated to actual witchcraft as fairy-story magic). I'm a strong Christian, myself. I appreciate the concerns parents can have about the material that their children are exposed to. But I don't believe the 'magic' in Blades carries any moral implications - no more than 'the Force' in Star Wars or the Evil Witch Queen in Snow White. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
The Scenario Ranking Contest Has Begun! in Blades of Exile
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Monday, July 26 2004 04:27 Profile #13 I voluntarily stayed away from 'R' rated scenarios for a long time. It may have had something to do with the fact that in Australia the 'R' rating is equivalent to America's NC-17. But once I'd played all the good PGs I tried a few out. They aren't that bad, really. Well, some of them are - Johnny Favourite of course being right at the top of the pile. I left that one alone for years, but curiosity got the better of me. I regretted it. But the majority are much safer than that scary 'R' rating would make them seem. There's no PG-13 option, so it covers pretty much everything more extreme than Shrek. Alas, there's no certain way to tell till after you've played them. Spears, as an example, is rated R but contains nothing worse than a custom graphic of a slith that's fallen on a sharp rock. And if you side with the Undine you won't see that at all. Add to that the fact that the ratings are chosen by the designers - who, of course, have vastly different standards. Generally, an 'R' rated scenario by Stareye is safer than a 'PG' rated scenario by Terror's Martyr. As for scenarios with magic and demons, I'd ask if your parents object to you reading the Bible? It's got witchcraft and demons and sex and lots of violence - some of it quite graphic. [ Monday, July 26, 2004 04:40: Message edited by: The Creator ] -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
The Scenario Ranking Contest Has Begun! in Blades of Exile
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Sunday, July 25 2004 20:00 Profile #10 You poor guy. Let's see, scenarios with no magic, demons or goblins... if scenarios that have spellcasting monsters are counted, then there aren't many that fit in that category. The Election is one, and Johnny Favourite is another (though that last one would be going by the letter and not the spirit, so to speak). -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00
The Scenario Ranking Contest Has Begun! in Blades of Exile
The Creator BoE Posse Member # 112	written Sunday, July 25 2004 14:35 Profile #2 Not allowed to play most scenarios? Why not? -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 \| Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00

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