DA Toolset Released!

Remember how lost you were in the Electron (NWN2) toolset the first time?
"This isn't anything like Aurora...why did they make it so hard?"

Get ready for that overwhelmed feeling all over again. The new Dragon Age toolset is a completely new animal that befuddles and amazes all at the same time. Some intial thoughts as I have only been able to toy with it for one evening:

1) Complex as all get out...but reassuring that it can do so much more than previous toolsets. The learning curve is much higher, but so is the ceiling of what is possible.

2)Levels vs Areas. Here is one of the first things a new builder must grasp the difference between. Terminology in this toolset is completely different. Levels are landscape, decoration, basically all of the static elements of what we are used to calling an area. Areas, on the other hand, inherit the elements of a given level, and allow you to add the in interactive elements. Bioware basically split area design into two facets: static and dynamic.

3) Um what are these models again? The organization of the models used to create levels and areas is far from intuitive. They are put together in folders that prefix the first three letters of th model, relating to what area of the SP they were used.

4) Thank the Maker for the Wiki. Serioulsy, without the hard work, effort, and screenshots of the beta testers that has been documented in the toolset wiki, this might be a mission impossible. Beerfish went through and snapped shots of many of the models. JasonNH went through and put together cheatsheets of the textures. This is truly a community learning effort.

I have many more thoughts on this but I hesitate to follow the rabbit trail too far before I get some more time logged. I am once again experiencing the exciting feeling of curiosity, terror, and power all wrapped into one.

Bioware Social Site (DA Toolset Wiki)

I haphazzardly stumbled upon checking up on this at a great time. The Bioware social site is up and even appears to have project tracking in place on top of the normal player/developer/project profiles.

Very well done from what I see (albeit a few bugs still). The Dragon Age character creator is out as well, and showcases some nice facial customizations to give an idea of the flexibility of the toolset. I do hope skintones go a little darker than provided in the CC. Dark elves would have to change to really tan elves.

Ultimately, I think that will be the biggest challenge in creating a "traditional fantasy" setting in the DA Toolset, the creature pallette. Using their own IP means that Bioware will provide the custom creatures that then need to flesh out their own world. While there are some matches that can be used (Genlock = Goblin), there will be some places that noticeable differences (ogre == ogre).

All in all, reading through the toolset wiki is exciting...kid at Christmas exciting. Whatever the limitations, this is obviously the clear cut winner in a new development environment. While I highly doubt it can replace what NWN/NWN2 has come to represent, it will be nice to work with a new system for a change of pace.

Hopefully this new social site venture of Bioware's pays off for everyone involved. I think it will all come down to user buy-in, but so far they have me hooked.

What Happened To That Deadline?

Good question. Well, I have not forgotten about release. Things just got very very busy. I had to write my first ever technical paper to present at a conference (good for tenure they told me...and I'm too new to say no). The new academic year at the university started, and my first full one heading up the Software Engineering program.

Things are great with a new batch of very talented freshmen, as well as my first graduating class entering their senior year. While the economy took a giant dive over the summer, putting a serious damper in the plans of getting all of my upperclassmen into software engineering internships, I do have a few that have survived the great Jedi Purge.

One of which is the only female in the program getting accepted as an intern at NASA. Well sir, I just don't think that it gets much better than that. I am extremely proud of her achievement and look forward to hearing about it all as she progresses.

Now, back to NWN. I am seriously at the end. No, really. My partner in crime is still plugging away at some of the last cutscenes and then it's just a matter of plug and play (as in put it in place, and test to make sure it's all good in the hood).

While I'm not at a place that I can predict a release date, I am comfortable enough to say: soon. ;)

Bored? Try the Batman: Arkam Asylum demo for either PC or XBox. Now that is a total thrill!

The Approaching End

Well, I am finally finished with all but the final battle. The last stretch was a real bear. I guess you don't truely know what you don't have done until you get there. Anyhow, things are really falling into place and I am finally starting to be pleased.

Luckily a new tester has come forward (and one that has recently re-completed parts I and II), and may be giving things a semi-final runthrough this week. I'd love to expose any potential problems or unfinished aspects before I seal it all up.

I do know I have to complete some companion chatter for both Malcarus and Anziath, and I may want to go back and add one more triggered encounter in the late plot discovery. I think there is a bit too much fact-finding and not enough violence right before the final series of sequences so I may try to mix things up a bit there.

In the meantime, here are some shots of dimensional ruins after I spent an evening tinkering with placed effects and environmental settings:

If I Had Free Time..

...I'd be playing Zork. Seriously. I don't deviate from the Forgotten Realms often (which is odd since I've spent almost all of my NWN2 time outside of them), but Zork is a classic. A classic's classic. I'm talking your first text-based CRPG classic when the only other thing you had to occupy your time was Oregan Trail and Logo the Turtle. Probably one of your first real experiences with some sort of AI built into a game that in ways far exceeds the actual thinking algorithms that we enjoy now. It seemed like anything you could imagine doing with the environment could be done. To me, especially back then before I knew a little more about logic and design, it was mind-blowing.

ZORK – Rediscovering the Great Underground Empire

Do yourself a favor, and see what Amraphael has done with one of the genres that helped set the foundation of computer based fantasy. If I had some more free time, I certainly would be. It's one of the proverbial carrots I have been dangling on a stick to work towards getting to enjoy.

If I was a wiki kinda guy...I would think it was time to update this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zork in the See Also section.

Did I say July?

Wow, why does the end always take so long? I had really hoped to have a stuck a fork in this mod by the close of the month, and now I know that is crazy talk. As the summer winds down and my first summer break since becoming a working man, I find myself busy as Hades doing all of the things I neglected all season. Extracting weeds from the back of my house that have larger trunks than my new apple tree for example. Y’know, you have to be careful when you have underground cables. At least that is what I’ve been telling myself to avoid doing it.

Anyhow, I’ve made some nice progress with the wrapping up of the last sections of the module before the endgame sequence. Just 3 areas to populate with encounters and the final battle to finish up. There are a couple of important cutscenes coming up that will rely on things I’m always shaky doing (during combat). My new estimate is if I hit this hard and everything works out without fighting back too much, I should be finished by the time I have to return to the world of academia (Aug 21st).

Campaign Mimosa

I’m starting to wonder how difficult it would be to wrap all three modules together in a campaign. I’m also trying to establish the benefit of doing so. The first two did not utilize haks so there would be no 2DA conflicts. Although, what would really be gained?

An overland map or even campaign map is out of the question as most of the travel (albeit some great distances) are already handled via conversation. I do have the map of all of the areas already finished, polished, etc. Heck, I had that before I even broke ground on the first one. I just can’t see how to incorporate it at this point.

One upside would be the ability as a player to play through parts 1-3 taking a character from 1st to 12th (or so, haven’t tested upper cap). The module endings and beginnings do match up nicely as well, so from a continuity standpoint, that would work.

Admittedly, I haven’t done too much research into what it takes to make things a campaign as an afterthought. There would be no campaign variables, conversations, or scripts, as each mod is already self-contained.

Also this presents a possible release situation. While I like the idea of having an all-in-one option, I don’t want to have 2 separate releases (one for part III, one for campaign). I’m weird about wasting vault space, which is why I always host the beta downloads off of my server.

I also don’t want to force players who just want to pick up at part 3, either because they’ve already played the first two or just because, to have to go back and do it all over again. I’m not sure if the ‘lobby’ area could be used to select which chapter of the campaign, and then either do the appropriate leveling or not.

I might just be over thinking it all.