Still working with NWN1

Someone asked me the other day, why I was still working with NWN1. I confess, I sat there, and tilted my head like a dog trying to put its ear in position to listen better.

It took a second to put the question into terms that made sense to whit: "Why haven't you moved onto a newer game?" That one, I could answer. The difference lies in the spectrum of answer. Dane Cook, I believe it is, has a joke in his stand up involving a some sort of sandwich.

Rarely ordering this kind, he had no idea what was on it by default, and started telling the waitress what he wanted on it. I understand that, simpler to list the 4 or 5 things you want on it. This being a joke and all, the waitress asked him to list the things he didn't want on it instead. "OK, I don't want a cat's paw on my sandwich. I don't want a sheriff's badge on my sandwich. I don't want motor oil on my sandwich."

Bass Ackwards way of stating what should be, and what shouldn't be on the sandwich 'eh? Anyway back to NWN.

"Why are you still working with NWN?" has so many answers that its nonsensical to even try and answer. "Because I can't make classes for Pacman. Because I dislike like no clerics in Dragon Age. Because I had a dream where merlin told me to. Because the Halo toolset sucks(and it doesn't have classes)."

"Why haven't you moved onto a newer game?" Oh, ok, that's better, and simpler. "Because after all these years of experience, I can make NWN sing A Capella, Oh and NWN has a massive range of CC, and still gets more added on a regular basis. That, and the little fact that all its graphical shiney's don't push graphics cards and the like."

I mean, not to be unkind, but I have played 5 FPS halo games now, and not once did I pay any particular attention to the water. Meanwhile, Mass Effects Hammerhead hover-tank had be constantly paying attention to Lava, and acid and the like. I think you could honestly remove half the VFX from NWN, and I wouldn't mind.

True, graphics are damned nice, but no matter the level of detail, so long as I'm looking at a screen, I won't be immersed. When we have 3d holography draping the area around us when we're playing.. that's when I'll care if the bloom, and source lights and all look perfect.

NWN's graphics are adequate. Most all of the recent content pushes them from that threshold upto "Good", if not beyond.

Now with all that said, yes I am still working in NWN. Mostly on classes at the moment, and a bit on web stuff. I have my Knight base class, and my Warlock, and both handle about as I want them to. I won't share details here, not yet.. But I will share.. a world map. The set up for that was less than you think. A bit of writing PHP code to display it, and a nifty little app on the vault to generate up minimap's from existing area's.

Example:



That was done for a prefab with CTP babylon. But the point is, I can make changes to the maps, save module, Run App, upload images.. and the big world map, will adjust exactly that quick. Talk about awesome. Thus far, I lined up most of the edge borders and the like that way.

Anyway, enough babble for now.. More later perhaps.

In a Dragons Age..

So.. I'm going to talk about Dragon Age, and while I'm not entirely sure how to begin, the best I can come up with is to start with the beginning. I picked it up at 10AM from bestbuy(Which opens at 10AM), on November 2nd.

Today is November 16th, and I'm finally getting around to writing something about it.

I picked up the Xbox 360 version(Shame on me) for a rather simple reason: I wanted to get my Christmas shopping done, before Christmas came around. That would not be happening, if I got the DA toolset, which is a download that only works if you have the PC version. The side effect of this, is I get to play the game on the idiot-friendly, pre-built hardware box, with idiot-friendly controllers, and idiotic achievements.

First thing first, I'm impressed with how control is handled on the Xbox. Usually, RPG's are the star shaped peg that are beaten into a round hole with an over abundance of brute force. You can see some of the inventory controls below.


Now the truth is.. More quickslots would be a godsent, but its not realyl feasible to duct tape buttons onto the controller, still it was handled well.

You got 3 programmable letter buttons(X,Y,B) and 1 default action button(A). That sounds bad, until we get more into it. Those 3 buttons wear two hats each, which means they also have alternates functions when you depress a trigger, giving you 6 programmable buttons. But wait, There's more! Those 6 buttons, are tied into the Weapon set your using. So really you have 12 buttons(or if your like me, 10. I mapped X on both weapon set's so that it'd swap weapon sets.)

What that all boils down to is.. For example.
X = Swap weapons
Y = Activated talent 1
B = Activated talent 2
T+X = Activated talent 3
T+Y = Activated talent 4
T+B = Activated talent 5

That's just how I did it though. Now let's elaborate, knockdown in NWN would be an activated talent. Parry/Expertise would be a sustained mode, And passive talents, you can't map to a button anyway.

Assuming you made a Bard/Weaponmaster/Arcane archer for a minute(No, don't ask why), think about how many activated feat's you'd be using. KD, Disarm, Called shot, Ki Strike, bard song, curse song. Except in DA, Bard song is a sustained thing, so you can turn it on and leave it active for the next four days. Doesn't really need to be on the quick buttons 'eh? Likewise, healing is a trigger pull, and thumb rotation away. IT doesn't need to be quick-mapped.

In my example above, that covers most Melee things you'd be using right? Do the same for archer. Rapid shot is sustained, so ignore it. Called shot, fireball arrow, homing arrow, death arrow.. what else? Anyway, point made right? More buttons would be nice, but its enough, it works.

Anyway interface babbling aside, they did a really good job overall, with 2 things I'd have liked to see.

1.) Clicking down on a thumb stick to switch to 1st person view, or zoom in like your bow had a scope. Nothing major, or dire importance there, but damned it'd be nice.
2.) and this is where they screwed the pooch.. In Mass effect you could set your own waypoint on the map to help keep you from running around in circles like an idiot. The age of Dragons despite being made after Mass Effect.. lacks this technology.

Not major, but it'd help at a lot for people on their first run through.

Now then I haven't looked at the toolset, or played with it yet, but I can't help but say they did wonders with the dwarven city. Let's look at some pictures for a bit 'eh?

Human city:

Dwarven City:

Elven area of the Human city:


Human Town:

Dwarven Town:

Elves out in the Bushes:


I won't go on a rant about how different, and correctly all this architecture feels to me, but I will invite, and encourage you to look into it more. I can't find pictures I like for some of the ruins that most impressed me, or the Mountain top temple. But the fact remains, while the area design could be better, the views and locations are for one, enough to make me impressed. NWN2 failed to do that for me.

I could go on more, and I probably will later. But as it stands, I need to get back to stopping the blight.

Mask is a Ranger?

Neutral Evil Human Ranger (3rd Level)

Ability Scores:
Strength- 13
Dexterity- 13
Constitution- 11
Intelligence- 15
Wisdom- 16
Charisma- 12

Alignment:
Neutral Evil- A neutral evil villain does whatever he can get away with. He is out for himself, pure and simple. He sheds no tears for those he kills, whether for profit, sport, or convenience. He has no love of order and holds no illusion that following laws, traditions, or codes would make him any better or more noble. On the other hand, he doesn�t have the restless nature or love of conflict that a chaotic evil villain has. Some neutral evil villains hold up evil as an ideal, committing evil for its own sake. Most often, such villains are devoted to evil deities or secret societies. Neutral evil is the best alignment you can be because you can advance yourself without regard for others. However, neutral evil can be a dangerous alignment because it represents pure evil without honor and without variation.

Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.

Class:
Rangers- Rangers are skilled stalkers and hunters who make their home in the woods. Their martial skill is nearly the equal of the fighter, but they lack the latter's dedication to the craft of fighting. Instead, the ranger focuses his skills and training on a specific enemy a type of creature he bears a vengeful grudge against and hunts above all others. Rangers often accept the role of protector, aiding those who live in or travel through the woods. His skills allow him to move quietly and stick to the shadows, especially in natural settings, and he also has special knowledge of certain types of creatures. Finally, an experienced ranger has such a tie to nature that he can actually draw on natural power to cast divine spells, much as a druid does, and like a druid he is often accompanied by animal companions. A ranger's Wisdom score should be high, as this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.

---

Detailed Results:

Alignment:
Lawful Good ----- XXXXXXXXXXX (11)
Neutral Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (17)
Chaotic Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (15)
Lawful Neutral -- XXXXXXXXXXX (11)
True Neutral ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (17)
Chaotic Neutral - XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (15)
Lawful Evil ----- XXXXXXXXXXXXX (13)
Neutral Evil ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (19)
Chaotic Evil ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (17)

Law & Chaos:
Law ----- XXXX (4)
Neutral - XXXXXXXXXX (10)
Chaos --- XXXXXXXX (8)

Good & Evil:
Good ---- XXXXXXX (7)
Neutral - XXXXXXX (7)
Evil ---- XXXXXXXXX (9)

Race:
Human ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXX (13)
Dwarf ---- XXXXXXXX (8)
Elf ------ XXXXXXXXXXXX (12)
Gnome ---- XXXXXXXX (8)
Halfling - XXXXXXXXXX (10)
Half-Elf - XXXXXXXXXXX (11)
Half-Orc - XX (2)

Class:
Barbarian - (-6)
Bard ------ (-4)
Cleric ---- (-4)
Druid ----- (-4)
Fighter --- (-2)
Monk ------ (-19)
Paladin --- (-17)
Ranger ---- XXXXXX (6)
Rogue ----- XX (2)
Sorcerer -- XXXX (4)
Wizard ---- XX (2)

---

What are you?

Mask's a Socializer? WTF?

I'd say it fits..

Socializer


The Socializer motto: "No friend undiscovered!"
Description:

It's not what you do, but who you know, how you are known and who loves you. People with high Socializer scores enjoy interacting with other people, forming bonds and finding cooperative solutions to the challenges within the virtual world.

Secondary influences

• Socializer Killers loyally love and fiercely hate. Groups an SK bonds with in game are often deemed heroic, while the opposition is reviled. SKs appreciate teamwork and cooperation in PvP. They may become vicious predators while enjoying the thrill of hunt within in a pack, but they are not likely to seek out targets by themselves. They enjoy forming groups and alliances that will pit themselves against other players--and they gain the most satisfaction when they defeat organized groups of other players.



• Socializer Explorers love the the 'total experience' of a virtual world--meeting new people and finding the unique places. They don't care much for PVP or leveling, but meeting up with online friends to see new parts of the world is considered fun and exciting. SEs make great group members, because they often know everything there is to know about a game and are enjoy sharing that knowledge freely.



• Socializer Achievers value reputation. They want to be known and appreciated for what they accomplish bother for themselves and their group. If city or base building are available in a game, they enjoy creating these and inviting other people to come and see. SAs enjoy the increased social status that comes with defeating a powerful foe or finding a unique treasure more than the act of gaining or possessing the achievement itself. SAs endeavor to be associated with leaders and teams that are renown for great deeds, often finding as much satisfaction in the success of the group as with oneself.

Try it yourself.

The Chemistry of Hell

Got this via email a while back, and thought it was worth sharing.

HELL EXPLAINED BY CHEMISTRY STUDENT

The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid-term.

The answer by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well.

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.

One student, however, wrote the following:

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving.
As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. ''' Since there is more''' than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell.

With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially.

Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.

This gives two possibilities:
If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.
If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.

So which is it?
If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, "It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you," and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct......leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting "Oh my God."


Suffice it to say this student was the only one who got an A

PS: This is hilarious too.

Great Characters..

Prologue: Fact Finding

The young Tymoran priest lay unconscious on his side, bound hand and foot with thick hemp rope. A purple bruise was already beginning to form around his left eye. Vraggen eyed him coldly.

"Get him up," Vraggen ordered his agents.

Dolgan, the big Cormyrean, slung his axe and kneeled at the captive's side. He took the priest's face in his ham hand and squeezed.

"Awaken," Dolgan said.

The priest groaned, but did not open his eyes.

"Well done," taunted Azriim. He stood beside Vraggen with a smirk on his dusky-skinned face. "Very creative."

Dolgan looked at the half-drow with his typically thick expression and grunted, "Huh?"

Azriim, dressed in the green finery and high boots that he favored, flashed a smile at Vraggen. "He never gets the joke, does he?"

Vraggen made no reply. To Azriim, everything was a joke.

"I don't?" Dolgan asked, still dumbfounded.

"Wake him up," Vraggen said to the Cormyrean warrior.

"And try not break him," Azriim added. "We need him capable of speech."

Dolgan nodded, turned back to the captive, shook him by the shoulders, and said, "Wake up! Wake up!"

The young priest groaned again. Dolgan lightly tapped his cheeks, and after a moment, the priest's eyes fluttered open.

"There," Dolgan said. He stood and backed away a few steps to stand beside Azriim and Vraggen.

The priest's bleary eyes cleared the moment his situation registered. He struggled against his bonds, but only for a moment. Vraggen waited until he saw resignation in the Tymoran's eyes before he spoke.

"What is the last thing you remember?"

...

Wizards has made a pdf version of Twilight Falling, book one of The Erevis Cale Trilogy, available as a free download. The whole novel. So why not go grab it, maybe send it to a friend who's never heard of Erevis Cale? There's nothing to lose. It's friggin' free. And speaking of free, do feel free to spread the word.

I actually suggested this to my editor at Wizards twelve months ago. Yes, indeed, the wheels of publishing turn slowly.

Obviously, the print version of Twilight Falling is available, too, but alas not free.

-Paul S Kemp

Now, I have every book centered on this character(save the most recent one) in print, on my bookshelf, but damned if this isn't a great opportunity for me (as a fan) to shove things I like down other peoples throats.

Like the man say's, its free, nothing to lose.