Scenarios

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AuthorTopic: Scenarios
Shock Trooper
Member # 4942
Profile #0
I am currently writing a scenario and I have a little dillemma, and I need all of you opinions. I would have a poll but we don't have that option anymore. (does anyone know why?)

I was writing the intro text to my scenario, and a prelude evolved from it. So I decided to make this prelude, for it will be small and will should be easy to make. But I am leaning towards having a custom 1 PC party. I personally did not like playing scenarios with prefab parties. What does everyone think about this?

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Wham Bam Shizam
Posts: 247 | Registered: Monday, September 6 2004 07:00
The Establishment
Member # 6
Profile #1
Polls were disabled because they suck server resources. This is probably due to poor programming on UBB's part.

I designed Emulations and the 1 PC party theme seemed to work decently well. I have gotten very good reviews from it, so take that for what you will. At any rate, do it only if you think it would be significantly better with 1 PC prefab.

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Your flower power is no match for my glower power!
Posts: 3726 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00
Shock Trooper
Member # 4942
Profile #2
"Being adventurers can be tough. Fighting goblins, ghouls, power-hungry magi, weird, demented humanoids, evil empires, and collecting mass amounts of treasure can get monotonous, even tiresome. Not to mention what healers are charging nowadays! Adventuring can be hard on the ‘ol back too... Rare is the species of adventurer that explores the depths of his own soul and meaning of existence. While, of course, whacking a few heads off in the process. Surely there is more than becoming rich and famous? There must be some adventure that has a truly fulfilling ending, if it has an ending at all..."

What do you all think?

This is gonig to be the intro text to my scenario, The Fourth Tower: Prelude. I don't know if that is a good name. If anyone else has a substitute for "prelude" do tell. I am hoping the whole think will consist of at least two parts. I am starting small with the Prelude. So if I don't get both of 'em out, I hope I am not shunned by the community. I hope I can at least get this one out...

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Wham Bam Shizam
Posts: 247 | Registered: Monday, September 6 2004 07:00
Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
Profile Homepage #3
This sounds like much the same reasoning that I used with NK0P... :P

One word of warning: don't talk too much about your scen before you release it. Some scenarios have become running jokes because of that (ask Drakey about RiB, or heck, me about NK1: Oalen). If you need help, of course ask questions, but otherwise keep the advertising and previewing to a minimum until it's at least in beta.

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Arancaytar: Every time you ask people to compare TM and Kel, you endanger the poor, fluffy kittens.
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Kelandon's Pink and Pretty Page!!: the authorized location for all things by me
The Archive of all released BoE scenarios ever
Posts: 7968 | Registered: Saturday, February 28 2004 08:00
Shock Trooper
Member # 4942
Profile #4
Thanks Kelandon. I don't think I gave too much away, just intro text, nothing haveing to do with the actual plot. But thanks a lot for the advice.

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Wham Bam Shizam
Posts: 247 | Registered: Monday, September 6 2004 07:00
BoE Posse
Member # 112
Profile #5
I like Pre-made parties a lot.

However, I would warn against starting a series with your first scenario. I did just that, and regetted it. You'll become a much better designer through the process of designing, and no matter how good your first scenario is, there will always be some things (probably a lot) that you could have done a lot better. If it's the first in a series, you're tying yourself into working on the same storyline (even if you come up with a much better one) and some design mistakes in your first work will most likely perpetuate through the series. For example, the outdoor terrain of Revenge is pretty poor. I could have made it a lot better. But I had to keep it that way for consistency's sake, beacause that's the way it was in Isle of Boredom.

So, I recommend making a stand-alone for your first effort.

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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
Shock Trooper
Member # 4942
Profile #6
But in the process of making one scenario, I needed an explination for why you started where you did. That led me to thinking "ok, I need a short scenario in order to have this one make sense. And it will be good for me to start small, and even if I don't finish the second one, I will at least have made something" ya know? And also I am wondering if I should even make one because it seems BoE is dying. And with Spidweb's treatment towards BoE, possible their greatest creation, I am not too optimistic. But I do think that there will be a small community of die-hard BoE lovers that will still put out a good scenario every once in a while, no matter how much other games outshadow it, or wether its designers totally neglect it. Am I right? Or do I have some empty optimism?

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Wham Bam Shizam
Posts: 247 | Registered: Monday, September 6 2004 07:00
Master
Member # 4614
Profile Homepage #7
You could always make a movie scenario to introduce the main scenario after it, such as Stareye did with Spears. You just have to know how to use that Jump To function.

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-ben4808
Posts: 3360 | Registered: Friday, June 25 2004 07:00
BANNED
Member # 4860
Profile Homepage #8
quote:
Originally written by Wham Bam Shizam:

And also I am wondering if I should even make one because it seems BoE is dying. And with Spidweb's treatment towards BoE, possible their greatest creation, I am not too optimistic. But I do think that there will be a small community of die-hard BoE lovers that will still put out a good scenario every once in a while, no matter how much other games outshadow it, or wether its designers totally neglect it. Am I right? Or do I have some empty optimism?
No way we (the community) will just vanish just because Jeff and co abandoned us. If we'd give up because of that.. hey, the community wouldn't have been here for years. ;)

There'll always be players for new BoE scenarios, no matter what Jeff himself thinks.

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The Great Mister

kommari@gmail.com[/url]
Posts: 103 | Registered: Sunday, August 15 2004 07:00
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
Profile Homepage #9
quote:
Originally written by Wham Bam Shizam:
And also I am wondering if I should even make one because it seems BoE is dying.
If you look at scenario designers' previous comments over the years, BoE has been dying many years now... And still, new scenarios continue to come steadily (good ones, too) and new people start playing the game.

Usually, it's good to start with small scenarios. You get an idea what the designing is like and get feedback (...which MAY kill you but then again it may not, especially if you've had the scenario tested...)

[ Saturday, September 11, 2004 05:22: Message edited by: Milu ]
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
BoE Posse
Member # 112
Profile #10
BoE is not dying at all. However, it's becoming less and less Spidweb-centralized. There's a couple of top-quality, recent scenarios that aren't even on their Untried table.

If the first scenario stands alone and you can leave the rest of the series undone without hurting it, go for it. Incidentally, you're not the only one who's found 'How did this happen?' to be a powerful creation tool. :)

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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
Shock Trooper
Member # 4942
Profile #11
One major obstacle that I have encountered playing this scenario. I have school, and my weekends are packed. Does anyone have any advice for that?

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Wham Bam Shizam
Posts: 247 | Registered: Monday, September 6 2004 07:00
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
Profile Homepage #12
quote:
I have school, and my weekends are packed. Does anyone have any advice for that?[/QB]
If you have only little time, then making the scenario small and stand-alone could be a very good idea. You have to choose your hobbies... I can't think of anything else.
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
The Establishment
Member # 6
Profile #13
quote:
Originally written by Wham Bam Shizam:

One major obstacle that I have encountered playing this scenario. I have school, and my weekends are packed. Does anyone have any advice for that?
Yeah. Same here. Work on it for 30 minutes to an hour everyday and you will make some progress.

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Your flower power is no match for my glower power!
Posts: 3726 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00
Shock Trooper
Member # 4942
Profile #14
Thanks *I. But a few more questions will come up later on. They probably are not very long, and I am not trying to get my post count up or anything. So first, how many moves counts as a day? Is it every 187 moves?

[ Sunday, September 12, 2004 12:27: Message edited by: Wham Bam Shizam ]

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Wham Bam Shizam
Posts: 247 | Registered: Monday, September 6 2004 07:00
The Establishment
Member # 6
Profile #15
Unfortunately, it varies depending whether you are in a town or outdoors. Unless you have an all town/outdoors scenario, it will be very difficult to track this.

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Your flower power is no match for my glower power!
Posts: 3726 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00
Shock Trooper
Member # 4942
Profile #16
I am making a rest special in a town. That is why I was wondering maybe that would help you help me :)

Also, how do you make a dialoge message that pops up once and only once. I tried "One shots-display message" but that doesnt work.

[ Sunday, September 12, 2004 13:29: Message edited by: Wham Bam Shizam ]

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Wham Bam Shizam
Posts: 247 | Registered: Monday, September 6 2004 07:00
Shaper
Member # 73
Profile #17
You need to attach a Stuff Done Flag. The fields are the top of the Special Node window. I believe they say Stuff Done Part A and Stuff Done Part B. Enter a SDF there. If you don't understand SDFs, refer to the instructions or an online tutorial.

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Posts: 2957 | Registered: Thursday, October 4 2001 07:00
Master
Member # 4614
Profile Homepage #18
quote:
Originally written by Wham Bam Shizam:
So first, how many moves counts as a day? Is it every 187 moves?
No, it's every 3,700 moves, I believe. Considering you're in town. Outdoors, I think each move counts as 5 or 10 or something...much more than indoors anyway.

quote:
I am making a rest special in a town.
Okay, I suppose you've figured out how to make there be buttons that you can push, like "Rest" and "Leave" too. That's good. As for the stuff done flags, pretty much what ADoS said. I usually put the number of the town in the Part A box to keep you from getting confused. If you need more than 10 per town, you can add 100 to the number of the town. Some people will disagree, but that's what I do and it works.

If you're confused, a One Time special needs a stuff done flag to set to 250. Take note than any SDF set to 250 renders the node it's attached to done for. Therefore, the One Time special will set the stuff done flag indicated in the special node dialog box to 250, and the node will not work again. Just be careful not to use that SDF again.

[ Sunday, September 12, 2004 15:09: Message edited by: burglar ben ]

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-ben4808
Posts: 3360 | Registered: Friday, June 25 2004 07:00
Lifecrafter
Member # 3608
Profile Homepage #19
In case you're on Windows, you might want to take a look at here . There should be an utility by Haneda Haneda Yoshiyuki somewhere. It really helps keeping track of the SDFs. ;)

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The Great Mister

kommari@gmail.com[/url]
Posts: 972 | Registered: Tuesday, October 28 2003 08:00
...b10010b...
Member # 869
Profile Homepage #20
A day is 4600 moves indoors, at least for me. I tested it once.

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The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure!
Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00
Shock Trooper
Member # 1249
Profile Homepage #21
I just tested it and for me one day is 3700 moves indoors, 370 outdoors.

quote:
Outdoors, I think each move counts as 5 or 10 or something...much more than indoors anyway.
One move indoors is 10 moves outdoors.

[ Monday, September 13, 2004 01:13: Message edited by: Milu ]
Posts: 259 | Registered: Saturday, June 1 2002 07:00
BANNED
Member # 4
Profile Homepage #22
quote:
Originally written by My Problem? You.:

In case you're on Windows, you might want to take a look at here . There should be an utility by Haneda Haneda Yoshiyuki somewhere. It really helps keeping track of the SDFs. ;)
Haneda Haneda Yoshiyuki? Is that like Haneda Haneda Revolution?

I use either pencil + paper or text files. I still have the SDFs used for IoB listed on a sheet of paper somewhere in my basement.

[ Monday, September 13, 2004 03:24: Message edited by: Kurojutsu ]

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Posts: 6936 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00
Shock Trooper
Member # 4942
Profile #23
Ok all, I'm back after a short delay. I have been working and I have a few more questions.
1: I am encountering a problem with names of people and towns. I have already made use of TM's random town name generator, but I can't seem to come up with a name for my main character. Any advice on this?
2: I am also wondering about the protocol for a beta-call. Though I am nowhere near it, I would like to know the protocol.

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Wham Bam Shizam
Posts: 247 | Registered: Monday, September 6 2004 07:00
Guardian
Member # 2238
Profile Homepage #24
1: For a main character, pick someone out of a movie, TV show, book... whatever, and just change maybe the spelling or rearrange some letters. I've found that's the best way for protagonists.

2: Ask people, get e-mails addresses and nicknames, then send it to them. They'll send you feedback and you take what they said into consideration. Make your fixes and release it. Enjoy.

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DEMON PLAY,
DEMON OUT!
Posts: 1582 | Registered: Wednesday, November 13 2002 08:00

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