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.

"That's right boys, it's Doctor Venkman."

"They hate this...I like to torture em."
(I actually have a piano in my house that only has two keys ever played for just that line)



So here is what I've been doing when I need a sanity break from finishing up the mod trilogy. I have to say, I consider myself a pretty skilled gamer. I mean, I'm from the Atari generation. Although, this game on medium difficulty whooped my butt good. I had to humble myself and drop down to casual setting. (How anyone defeats 'The Collector' on hard is beyond me).

The graphics are amazing, down to the facial flaws on Bill Murray's face on an HDTV. The gameplay is fun, the levels filled with puzzles and uses for the PKE meter. Great game, lots of fun. The Ramis/Ackroyd writing style really shows through. While some elements are reused/rehashed, it never feels cheap (like for some reason Ghostbusters 2 did).

I have to admit that when going back to the library to face 'The Gray Lady', I had to turn the thing off for the night and wait until my kids woke up the next morning to help me (by sitting next to me lol). I was maybe 8 years old when my parents drug me to see Ghostbusters in the theater...a movie for which I had never seen a preview before I found myself standing in line.

Immediately after Dan Ackroyd yelled "Get Her!", my face was buried in my coat like a little sissy mary. Facing the librarian again brought all of that pre-teen dread rushing back like your first time in a haunted house.

Watching my 5 year old flee the room in terror when the Stay-Puft Marshmellow Man came on the screen gave me the same twisted smile that must have been on my parents face in that theater way back when.

Hakpak to Snackpack

Did a little trimming of the unused hak assets and shaved about 50 megs in MDB and DDS files. Mainly it was items from the BCK (Builders Construction Kit). I used a few select pieces in some areas like the Temple and the Aquaduct, only about 7 out of hundreds of models. Didn't feel right to leave the whole thing in there unused and force more vault space and bandwidth.

Although there is no way I'm going through to remove all of the unused item placables. Then again...have to see what the late night hours bring.