Overland linking servers and giving variety

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Dorn
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Overland linking servers and giving variety

Post by Dorn »

Ok. Here's a crap map i whipped up (about 12x12 i think). WOUld be much prettier and scaled if the idea flies.

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/1615/scnth.jpg

So the overland map has WD in the low left. THen mere dead men and then NEverwinter (with volcano) at the top left. UP the right road is a littel greenfields, then red larch, then triboar then accross to Yartar (round town) next to the high forest and lost peaks. In the far top right you can just see the evermoor. Beyond would be the savage frontier.

So this map is made and has ATs to BG and TSM (and WHL when it comes).

This 'overland server' could also have ATs to single maps (or small clusters of 2 or 3 maybe?) in interst areas. I mentioned some above.

These detailed maps have a beautiful built area in them, but no spawns/scripts etc. They are just canvases for the DM to work with.

There are builders around who could chew out a single area easy enough if the technical side wasn't an issue.

THis 'overland server' could perhaps end up with 10+ 'paces of interest'.

THe AUrilites could go up the volcano near neverwinter to fight Fire GIants.
THe Helmites could go to Goldenfields to repel an invasion.
THe elves could have a homeland in the Highforest but a eathquake has opened tunnels beneath with DROW! in them.
The uthgardt could seek the Grandfather tree and save it from the dreugar mining it's roots.
(Hellgate keep...Ascore...)



5 interesting stories that would only need 5 areas to be built and attached. Also a standard 'combat area' could be in the server for DMs to insta-port parties to when ambushed (you would NOT want to try combat scaled down like this).

JUst something to add some extra variety for DMs and players.

If soeone REALLY wanted to they could even make a village with merchants etc. But THAT would have to go to detailed testing and standards.

So. Is it possible?
I remember something similar being raised previously....
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Kest
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Re: Overland linking servers and giving variety

Post by Kest »

Didn't want to show this until I had more done, but I've been working with Wynna on a TSM map: http://tinypic.com/search.php?type=images&tag=kest+nwn2

Image Image

Going to be visiting family this week, so probably won't get back to it til the weekend.
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Wynna
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Re: Overland linking servers and giving variety

Post by Wynna »

As Kest says, he and I are working on an overland TSM map. That means he's building it and I'm asking: "Are we there yet?" lots. I'm out of town for two weeks starting Tuesday, so scripting is either going to be up to AL or wait for me. For those of you who bemoan the thought of a travel map replacing some of our gorgeous exteriors, we bemoan the same thing. The good news is that I've managed to cut down some of the most scenic exteriors to some of their most scenic parts, and these areas will be used as destinations and encounter areas on the travel map. The simple fact is that going to a travel map allows us to relieve some of the pressure on the CPU that caused our recent spate of p-crashes and plain old crashes and right now keeps several of the areas of the server actually removed from the module. We simply can't run TSM at it's current size. Rather, it's a choice of running TSM at it's current size without p-storage and with frequent crashes or having p-storage (and less frequent crashage).

What Dorn is suggesting is a different thing, entirely, as I understand it, an overland SERVER connecting our existing servers. That's a DMA question and one I'll happily forego making until it lands in my lap.
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Wynna
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Re: Overland linking servers and giving variety

Post by Wynna »

Forgot to mention: the travel map will (thus far) only cover the areas along the highway between Silvy and Rivermoot and Silvy and Auvendell. Depending on how we go with it or whether we need to save more CPU at a later date, it may expand, but that's it for now.
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Dorn
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Re: Overland linking servers and giving variety

Post by Dorn »

Any thoughts HEEGZ?

Or is it also something AL will have to consider given potential tech issues.
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Rotku
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Re: Overland linking servers and giving variety

Post by Rotku »

Just to be clear, are you suggesting an entire seperate server as a travel map? Sort of like Boom's old ALFA000 idea. I'm sort of confused here, sorry mate. If so, do we really have the resources (mainly talking man-hours) to make it a valid option?
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Dorn
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Re: Overland linking servers and giving variety

Post by Dorn »

Yes i am proposing another server as a travel map.

Stage 1 - Map in place joining servers
To begin with, the server would include the overland map (~28x28) and 2 Portals (one to BG and one to TSM).

Plus maybe 3 unlinked full scale 'combat areas' (2x2?) where a DM could jump a party on the travel map to as part of an ambush or something. To be clear, this area would never have a 'DM team'...it's merely somewhere a DM could take a party outside there home server.

Not really that hard to make as it's only 1 map of the northern sword coast scaled down to NWN2-SoZ overland scale. No statics, spawns or anything like that. Just some map pins and placeables.

I'd be happy to try and do this stage. If i fail....*shrugs* we're no worse off.

Stage 2 - Add some 'Areas of Interest'
These would be single full scale maps joined by AT that would contain an area of interest (as listed in the OP).

These would be places DMs could use to extend plots on there 'home server'. These areas would be built by ALFAns if they had a special interest in an area, or by DMs to enable their plot (if they had spare time...in the future). No 'schedule'.

Stage 3 - Bring alive
Add static content, spawns, PStorage and stores etc

This may never be done as it's time consuming and we prob dont have the resources.


Things i dont know:
Hosting...id assume stages 1 and maybe some of stages 2 would be VERY low in terms of hosting powa needs? But i have no idea really.

If people just prefer having a portal in a ship from TSM to BG, dont really want to see any of the features/places between servers, and dont like the idea.
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Rotku
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Re: Overland linking servers and giving variety

Post by Rotku »

*shrugs*

If someone wants to build it (and a host can be arranged), I see no reason why a server proposal wouldn't be judged the same way any others are.

Alternatively, why not approach the BG DM Team, and see if they have need for such an area? Only reason for a separate mod completely is if it becomes resource intensive.
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dob85y
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Re: Overland linking servers and giving variety

Post by dob85y »

I would really like to see this come to fruition one day.

I would suggest leaving open the option to ferry via water or caravan, maybe change tthe mechanics a little so there is no instanious travel and adjust the cost a bit, but actually walking the distance between TSM and BG...WOW.

Imagine having to walk from TSM to WHL, or WHL to the coast then boat to the Moonshaes. Travelling great distances would really take on a meaning.
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Dorn
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Re: Overland linking servers and giving variety

Post by Dorn »

Well then maybe i'll just plug away at it and if a final product is judged worthy we can see.

Otherwise...it's fun anyway:) ANd within the skill of a toolset chump like me;)
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Dorn
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Re: Overland linking servers and giving variety

Post by Dorn »

Continuing to muse about this as it has my interest even if not possible :roll:

The below has the map i was thinking of.

Each grid square = one map square in the toolset.

The shaded areas = the servers (i dont know where the WHL border is) where i wouldn't build for as the teams are doing so themselves. It's the unshaded areas that would be the 'travel server'.

The red dots are portals to the 'live' servers.

Image
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Brokenbone
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Re: Overland linking servers and giving variety

Post by Brokenbone »

If people want to stretch their legs in the toolset, and aren't up to full server proposals, I bet "points of interest" building (which is probably the thing I like most in Dorn's ideas above), would be welcome stuff, even if such points aren't 100% geographically contiguous with any given server.

Teams might make use of them for campaigns, or short/long term static uses, you could stick a caravan-type NPC at the edge of a server and say "DO YOU WANT TO TRAVEL WITH ME TO THE FIERCE RUINS OF RUINDOM?" to do some little task, the addition to the server doesn't need to be forever, special "treats" that you don't see every day or have several of your PCs run through identically, not the worst surprise to encounter.
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Keryn
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Re: Overland linking servers and giving variety

Post by Keryn »

Well i think we could have a host, with a PW where we had several paths linking our servers. For instance you would get your PC ported to "Path TSM - BG by foot", or "BG to Neverwinter by foot" and all these could be hosted in the same place. leading to diferent way points inside this PW with unconnected areas between the two paths or if we wished connected. Not sure I can get my idea out but this could certainly be interesting since ALFA always had the idea of covering the whole faerun, well here is a way to do it...
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Teric neDhalir
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Re: Overland linking servers and giving variety

Post by Teric neDhalir »

Dorn,
Just my 2 new pence.
When Indio suggested a similar plan my reply was that BG, WHL, Waterdeep and TSM are actually contiguous (if you can find the original server map) and thus a travel area linking them together was redundant.

Having said that, a lot of the area on your map kind of counts as TSM2 - i.e. a part of the TSM server area as originally defined that is unlikely to be built. Perhaps you should agitate to have server boundaries redrawn so that the Long Road and High Forest are a new server that bridges the gap between our northen and southern halves. I would have no problem with that being a travel area with "points of interest" (as that's how WHL is designed).

Best of luck,
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NickD
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Re: Overland linking servers and giving variety

Post by NickD »

Teric neDhalir wrote:When Indio suggested a similar plan my reply was that BG, WHL, Waterdeep and TSM are actually contiguous (if you can find the original server map)
This one?

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