Beta Testers Needed

There will be a working version of [Sands of Solvheil III: Crusaders of Shalihir] that covers the first 2/3 ready by this Sunday or so. I'd like to see if anyone would like to give it a run, make sure that the story, conversations, scripts, cutscenes, encounters, etc go smoothly under a variety of circumstances.

My preference would be individuals who have already played through [SoSI: The Ruins of Kazatharis] and [SoSII: Beneath the Hearleforne] so that the overall story arc and reveals can be gauged. Although, new players to the series are also welcome to give it a go.

I estimate completion and release of the module by the end of this month should the tests go favorably and the last major battles are finished without too many snags.

If interested, please respond in this thread, on my blog, via private message or email, smoke signals, etc.

Thanks in advance.

Here are a few screenshots from the completed sandstorm cutscene by JasonNH. I can't convey how cool this looks ingame. Great cutscene work like this turns a seemingly mundane aspect of gameplay and turns it into something great to behold.

Adding Some Frosting

A few toolset shots of some painting in of details. This first one is a shipwreck in the desert that serves to shelter the party through a violent sand storm. I'm just adding a few item-based triggers as the larger cutscene is being added externally.



These are a few speaktrigger based smaller cutscenes that offer a bit of flavor to the main town area of Tahamman. While nothing plot dependant or groundbreaking is achieved in these, they do add the opportunity to break up the linear story a bit.

I'm really happy with how things are moving right along now. This is, I hope, that part of the process where seemingly seperated segments fall into place like magic. I like seeing a more and more complete playthrough each mini-test.

Addam's Family?

No, I am not making an attempt at anything crazy and kooky. I am just doing a bit of playing around to see if I can use some of the RWS assets to create a nice mountaintop castle that would serve as a decent vampiric abode. Long before I start shaping terrian, I like to work with strictly placeables to see what I can fit with each other to anchor the look.

I'm kicking around a few ideas for my post-crusaders development life. I have a few nice projects in mind, with this being near the front of the pack for tying it all together.

Don't worry, I'm not content with staying in one setting throughout a module, so this adventure I'm tossing around has a spanning storyline that also visits the depths of the forest, an island jungle, and a few other scenic places to die.

Sigh, I suppose I should get back to progress on SoS:III, while I have made a good dent in the first third, I am realizing that many of my ideas had not yet manifested into actual conversations. Hopefully I can take care of these pick-up shots without a noticable difference in style.

The Next Two Thirds

I finally get to start revisiting some areas that I have had semi-completed for some time. Normally, almost all areas in my modules reside as prefabs from the moment the story is determined. Then I have to take it a little at a time filling in all of the non-visual parts that make that happen (dialogue, waypoints, scripts, etc.) forcing me to shelf some of the later areas.

Anyhow, with the first third of the module in a working order, I can begin to open these back up and start adding the filling. I'm sure I won't be able to stop myself from retouching here and there.

Temple Exterior

Temple Interior

Oasis Crypts

Ruined Tower

Alakanthor Exterior

Alakanthor Interior

Scarcrag Pass and Cliffside Battle

Here are a few screens. One is the introduction to Scarcrag Pass which connnects the kingdom of Dalreon with the Shalihir Desert. This is the first area the player encounters after leaving their estate in Albrynn where they headed to at the end of SoSII.

The other screenshots are the setup and battle along the edge of Nalass. Nalass is a former island kingdom in the Imlan Sea that is now just a large plateau littered with ruins in the desert.

The beginning of this area is some fabulous cutscene work put together by JasonNH. I still love watching this thing and an earlier one he did for the town of Tahamman everytime I test the mod.

Conversations in Nalassian Ruins

Just a few screenshots from an area I'm trying to finish up the functionality of. These are the ruins of Nalass where you, Malcarus, and a few of his holy brigade to to capture Anziath Aers and recover the Tome of Koth. Naturally there are plenty of Ith'inaar dark-elves waiting there for you, as well as some of their new breed. Hazards of playing with chaos magic I suppose.

NWN MMO

Ug...

Hopefully the reports on the gaming sites are just idle speculation. I guess I wouldn't mind if the NWN Name/Title went to an MMO, as long as something else stepped up to replace the toolset driven community development suite that we know as NWN. I don't know, the DnD Ruleset Fantasy Module Creation Studio would be fine. I don't care what you call it, just don't take away our ability to mod.

On the flipside, anyone know of Dragon Age user created content can/will be deployed to consoles via live connections?

[Edit]
On the upside, finally a DnD MMO that isn't set in Ebberon? FR > Ebberon.
4E is practically screaming to be made into a game with it's cooldowns and such.
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