10 June Meeting Logs

Ideas and suggestions for game mechanics and rules.
Locked
User avatar
Rusty
Retired
Posts: 2847
Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2005 10:36 pm
Location: London
Contact:

10 June Meeting Logs

Post by Rusty »

Present:

Aelred
cipher
indio
Rusty
Teric neDhalir
Thangorn

[23:57] <Aelred> Rusty I saw you posted wanting to know about the canon starting date and what the teams thought
[23:57] <Aelred> but if there is no one active on "the team" then who stands up to speak?
[23:57] <Aelred> Is Leareth around anymore?
[23:58] <Rusty> hm hm, yeah issa problem specifically for MD
[23:58] <Rusty> rly I need to know what canon MD needs = what is being built to
[23:58] <Rusty> i guess it says that in the proposal tbh
[23:58] <Rusty> tho its month since i read it
[23:58] <Aelred> Halrin did mention that in his proposal
[23:58] <Thangorn> halrin told me this rusty..
[23:58] <Aelred> he said toward the end of the mythal series
[23:58] <Thangorn> MD timeline would actually be 10 years ahead
[23:59] <Thangorn> he wanted to bend canon a little and bring the canon timeline 10 years forward
[00:00] <Aelred> i really want to continue building the forest
[00:00] <Thangorn> but the city of MD according to canon is not totally habitable as per hal's proposal until 1384
[00:01] <Rusty> and we're looking to start at?
[00:01] <Aelred> some of the areas he already built were very much "under repair"
[00:01] <Thangorn> i think 1st day of 1375 would be a good say to start
[00:01] <Aelred> but far from finished
[00:01] <Thangorn> but I think moving the MD timeline 9 years back is a good idea too
[00:02] <Thangorn> and I really think the WD team should decide how much of "Blackstaff" canon they want in and we start from there
[00:03] <Rusty> well, we rly do need to all start at the same point
[00:03] <Rusty> that is what matters
[00:03] <Cipher> so MD would just cater to adventurers?
[00:03] <Rusty> and we need to build to that point
[00:03] <Cipher> ie exploration and such
[00:03] <Thangorn> the MD they desscribe at the end of Last Mythal is like Hal's proposal
[00:04] <Aelred> Hals plan was to have the town of Essembra as a base camp for adventures into MD (at first) and then have PCs actually take control of the MD reconstruction
[00:04] <Aelred> knights of MD and all
[00:04] <Thangorn> oh cool thats different to what he told me.. thats better I reckon
[00:04] <Rusty> hm, ok
[00:05] <Thangorn> 1st day of 1375 would work pending WD's decisions regarding "Blackstaff"
[00:05] <Aelred> HEEGZ was on that - right Rusty?
[00:05] <Aelred> there were posts in the WD builder forum
[00:06] <Rusty> Yeah, that was more to do with the general question of including canon from novels
[00:06] <Rusty> as well as source books
[00:08] <Aelred> Khelben died in 1374 and was replaced by an apprentice?
[00:08] <Cipher> Yes
[00:08] <Rusty> Don't think AL is going to make it. So, we're waiting on: darren, indio, HEEGZ, of those who said they could make it
[00:08] <Cipher> Infused his apprentice with part of his spirit
[00:08] <Thangorn> theres a book coming out in Nov 2007 with a completely updated timeline of every product ever made
[00:09] * indio has joined #ALFA-DMA
[00:09] <Cipher> We did talk about Khelben a bit
[00:09] <Rusty> I don't have a 100% up to date timeline.
[00:09] <indio> thanks
[00:10] <Rusty> Hi indio
[00:10] <Aelred> another canon question - since I am interested in drow stuff too....
[00:10] <Aelred> Lolth is silent and Vhaerun is dead right?
[00:10] <Thangorn> depends when we start
[00:10] <Rusty> Right.
[00:11] <Rusty> So we need a definitive timeline and then to mark on it where each server would /prefer/ to start
[00:11] <Rusty> And we need that ASAP.
[00:11] <Cipher> I think we've settled on 1375.
[00:11] <Cipher> At least, that ended the discussion.
[00:11] <Rusty> So, we need to get the original Admin decision changed.
[00:11] <Thangorn> definitive timeline wont be out until sept 2007.. they are publishing it
[00:11] <Aelred> that is after all the spider queen craziness right?
[00:11] <Rusty> Rogue Dragon AND Last Mythal will haev happened
[00:12] <Rusty> is there a tale of years on candlekeep?
[00:12] <Thangorn> no rusty because they are publishing it
[00:13] <Thangorn> there used to be
[00:13] <Thangorn> but its been taken down
[00:13] <Rusty> all the online ones end at about 1370-4
[00:13] <Thangorn> due to wotc pressure
[00:14] <Rusty> Alright, so:
[00:14] <Rusty> WD - 1375
[00:14] <Thangorn> this one is the best so far.. http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?T ... s=timeline
[00:14] <teric> what about www.geonomicon.com?
[00:14] <Rusty> indio, what is the starting date you planned for TSF?
[00:14] <Rusty> "Update: In anticipation of the September release, the PDF has been removed."
[00:15] <Thangorn> wotc bought it by the looks
[00:15] <Thangorn> cause that author of that site is the author of the new book
[00:16] <teric> good for him
[00:16] <Aelred> his hard work paid off
[00:16] <teric> i need to get my historical atlas finished :0
[00:16] <Rusty> ok, looks liek HEEGZ dropped out of chat
[00:16] <Rusty> and Ina is AFK
[00:17] <Rusty> So, first thing was briefly the Toolset learning curve
[00:17] <Rusty> I've chatted to a few ALFAns who are semi-committed to NWN2 servers
[00:18] <Rusty> But remain unsure of teh Toolset and gettig over that first hurdle
[00:18] <Cipher> do they need some coddling?
[00:18] <Rusty> We can help in two ways:
[00:18] <Rusty> Firstly, a tutorial or thelike, such as indio said he's making some progress on
[00:18] <Rusty> Secondly, diff parts of the toolset are much easier than others
[00:18] <Rusty> Exteriors are by far and away the trickiest and most offputting
[00:19] <Rusty> So, and I'll return to this later - not just now, but as we make more headway with the foundationso f our mods, we need to reach out to ppl who maybe aren't up to huge exteriors
[00:19] <Rusty> But can do NPCs, dialogue, even just interiors etc.
[00:19] <Aelred> (hey where is Rick?)
[00:20] <Rusty> Don't know.
[00:20] <Rusty> He didn't post in the thread.
[00:20] <Rusty> Unfortunate, 'cause he's been pushing for consolidating, meetings, etc.
[00:20] <Rusty> Yup, we need to make sure that we get follow-through.
[00:20] <Cipher> there have?
[00:20] <Rusty> The 2nd point I wanted to talk about is ACC.
[00:21] <Rusty> Unfortunately AL/darrenhfxain't here
[00:21] <Rusty> How would you rate our ACC progress, Cipher?
[00:22] <Cipher> Pretty reasonable. We can't progress further on account of isses with 2DA updates (frequency of them) and TLK customization (namely not possible atm).
[00:22] <Cipher> We've got lots of critters and placeables. And that's really all I think we can do for the time being.
[00:23] <Rusty> Do we have any idea when we will get the patch support we need?
[00:24] <Cipher> I haven't heard any mention of when the TLK will be customizable.
[00:24] <Rusty> Do we actually have a guarantee that it will be?
[00:24] <Cipher> I dn't think anything is guaranteed...but they have insisted in the past it will be, yes.
[00:25] <Rusty> I'm assuming the rest of the nwn2 comm is having hte same issue as us.
[00:25] <Aelred> sorry for my tech ignorance guys - but can we actually use the ACC doors and chests now? or will the not work with the next patch? I have been building with no doors because I dont want to have to replace them all later
[00:25] <Cipher> Without that capability, I think a lot of things will simply not be possible for PWs.
[00:25] <Rusty> cipher, doors?
[00:25] <Aelred> in one area alone in WD we are talking at least a few hundred doors
[00:26] <Cipher> I suppose we could just put bogus TLK references in the TLKs, but that would be horribly messy.
[00:26] <Cipher> in 2DAs I mean
[00:26] <Thangorn> I'm taking it we need to build vanilla with the content atm because when we get ACC it'll change everything?
[00:27] <Rusty> ATM, our ABR is largely monstars and placeables. AFAIK, they are usable.
[00:27] <Cipher> we've had doors in for a while. AL noticed that the script references were wrong, which would explain why they haven't worked in-game
[00:27] <Rusty> OK, so ppl can build with them then.,
[00:27] <Cipher> one thing I'd yet like to do is include door tint maps (available on the vault) to allow greater customizability locally
[00:28] <Cipher> Thangorn, don't use OE content outside of buildings and other environmental objects unless you're willing to retrofit your mod later.
[00:28] <Thangorn> yeah I've only been building vanilla anyway
[00:29] <Rusty> Only indio builds enough to do everything twice. :p
[00:29] <Thangorn> Blackwill will have to refit a few of his areas I think though
[00:29] <indio> heh
[00:29] <indio> truth is, there's a plugin that will do an Update Instances
[00:29] <indio> it's called PowerBar
[00:29] <indio> http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=NW ... tail&id=34
[00:30] <Rusty> Excellent.
[00:30] <Aelred> I use the powerbar for cutting the around placeables fast
[00:30] <Rusty> Alright, so we know, pretty much, where we stand in turns of ACC; we have good ABR and ACR is largely waiting on patches.
[00:30] <Aelred> so for now no doors?
[00:30] <Aelred> or vanilla doors?
[00:30] <Rusty> Not till the tint map is ready I assume
[00:30] <Rusty> Any estimate of time/effort on that ciph?
[00:31] <Cipher> no you can use the doors as they are - they need their script hooks update though, which AL was going to do but I think his plate's been full.
[00:31] <teric> can I assume that the OAS can go ahead with systems that work? (ie normal transitions/doors etc?)
[00:31] <Rusty> OK, and we can update aftewards then.
[00:32] <Cipher> UNLESS you want to wait for tintable doors.
[00:32] <teric> lol. ain't got many doors...
[00:32] <Aelred> I would rather use regular doors and do a massive update of the later
[00:32] <Cipher> It should be nothing more than an INSTANCE update to fix the scripts issue
[00:32] <teric> or rather they.re there and they work
[00:32] <Thangorn> I'll wait.. easy to delete a bunch of doors for an area at once anyway
[00:33] <Rusty> OK.
[00:33] <Cipher> you don't have to manually replace anything, which is the key really
[00:33] <Rusty> Now, in terms of an actual 'base mod', i.e. areas, templates, what do ppl think?
[00:33] <indio> cipher's right
[00:33] <Aelred> and INSTANCE update is what exactly?
[00:33] <Rusty> i see a lot of interest in providing generic scripts and templates to be build around for teams
[00:33] <Rusty> updating en masse
[00:33] <Thangorn> I'll build some template areas
[00:33] <Rusty> "Every time X, then replace with Y."
[00:33] <Aelred> ok - got it
[00:34] <Cipher> An instance is a copy of a blueprint in the module
[00:34] <Rusty> OK, I'm going to make a stickied thread in the the team forum
[00:34] <Rusty> For Basemod
[00:34] <Rusty> if you make something, list it there
[00:34] <Aelred> I still dont understand what the basemod is or how we will use it.
[00:34] <Cipher> so if you change the properties of the blueprint, you will want to update all its instances for the changes to propagate
[00:34] <Aelred> and there is all this basemod tal all the time
[00:34] <Thangorn> indio you've already got some populated scripted inns and such dont you?
[00:35] <indio> it's pretty simple Aelred
[00:35] <indio> yeah
[00:35] <Rusty> well for nwn1 the basemod was important; it is less so for nwn2 and doesn't effect our thinking quite so much
[00:35] <Rusty> http://www.alandfaraway.org/phpbbforum/ ... 748#429748
[00:35] <indio> all a basemod should be is a bunch of templates (areas, convo's, NPS's etc) that makes building faster by modifying rather than creating from scratch
[00:36] <Thangorn> what populated scripted areas have you got so far then Indio?
[00:36] <Rusty> so instead of making your inn from nothing, you take the template Inn and adapt it
[00:36] <indio> exactly
[00:36] <Aelred> templates meaning prefabs?
[00:36] <indio> right
[00:36] <Rusty> then you just have to edit rather than recreate
[00:36] <Rusty> not just the area tho: all the scripts for merchants, convos etc
[00:37] <indio> to someone like you Aelred, with so much building instinct, it's probably an unnatural way of going about it ;)
[00:37] <indio> but it's a time-saver for new builders, to be sure
[00:37] <teric> indio, which terrain plugins are you suggesting in your tutorial?
[00:37] <Rusty> and it does help a little with standardisation
[00:37] <indio> Than, so far I've got working stores, inns, temples (minus the healer script), and a few others
[00:38] <indio> teric, that'd be YATT
[00:38] <indio> cipher, did you find YATT useful in our Waterdeep experiment?
[00:38] <teric> and how are you making heightmaps?
[00:38] <Rusty> alright, so indio are you going to strip a few down to templates and put them up for inspection, and then we can assemble some ALFA standard temples?
[00:38] <Cipher> yes, I did
[00:38] <indio> right Rusty
[00:39] <Aelred> it seems more useful for sculpting terrain than for laying out streets though
[00:39] <Rusty> ok, thanks
[00:39] <Rusty> that will help some with the learning curve
[00:39] <indio> agreed Alered, but it can be useful for basic street layout
[00:39] <Rusty> let's get the discussion moving on basemod content as well then, in the team forum
[00:39] <Thangorn> Indio: what do you think about me taking a few of types of your areas and vanilla-ising them for teh basemod?
[00:39] <indio> just for positioning of objects and whatnot
[00:39] <Cipher> YATT is a pretty amazing tool. It'll make grown men cry, once you realize how much work you could have saved yourself.
[00:39] <Rusty> and aim to have a good set of tools together within a few weeks
[00:39] <indio> of course Des
[00:40] <Rusty> Thangs: he can do it or you can
[00:40] <Rusty> Whoever has time.
[00:40] <Thangorn> well if I do it it wont slow him down and it will speed me up :)
[00:40] <indio> I'll post the module later on today...the tute will take a while longer
[00:40] <indio> heh
[00:41] <indio> teric, cipher's is right...it will make you weep to realise how exteriors can be built so quickly and easily
[00:41] <indio> YATT, that is
[00:41] <Rusty> OK, so that's ACC. We know where we stand on most things; waiting on patches, and assembling a template set.
[00:41] <teric> i know, i use it all the time.
[00:41] <indio> http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=NW ... tail&id=14
[00:41] <indio> oh
[00:41] <teric> :)
[00:41] <indio> lol
[00:41] <Rusty> The next thing I wanted to discuss was beta stage planning in general
[00:41] <teric> but how are you making heightmaps??
[00:42] <Rusty> & this really ties in to what I said at the start about the learning curve
[00:42] <indio> Photoshop
[00:42] <indio> sorry Rusty
[00:42] <Rusty> And is the most important thing facing us in terms of progress to Live.
[00:42] <Rusty> Now, I want us all to forget about Live.
[00:42] <Rusty> ^^
[00:42] <Rusty> That is key to our progress.
[00:42] <Rusty> As a team, let's not worry about Live, but let's concentrate on getting our mods to 'Beta Two'
[00:42] <Rusty> That is, a mod that someone can log into, and play in, and be DMd in.
[00:42] <Rusty> My line of thinking is this:
[00:43] <Rusty> The hardest bits of toolset work are the exterior fundamentals
[00:43] <Rusty> Get them done, and it's easier for more people to help
[00:43] <Rusty> Also
[00:43] <Rusty> If we can get up mods that ppl can play in and be DMd in
[00:43] <Rusty> More ppl are interested in building and helping
[00:43] <Rusty> Interest grows
[00:43] <Rusty> Also, if we try and grow our mods together at the same time
[00:43] <Rusty> It is easier to learn with eaach other.
[00:43] <Rusty> Does that make sense?
[00:43] <Cipher> Hopefully. Has there been much interest in the TSF beta? Are you seeing decent numbers Indio?
[00:44] <Cipher> Yes, it does Rusty.
[00:44] <teric> absolutely
[00:44] <Aelred> Yes Rusty
[00:44] <Rusty> Now I've been approaching teams and individuals and getting status updates for a while now
[00:44] <Cipher> Perhaps a beta 1 server isn't interesting enough yet.
[00:44] <indio> I did cipher, in the early days
[00:44] <Rusty> TSF was rocking for a few weeks
[00:44] <indio> but of late, as the content is limited, it's dropped off to nothing
[00:45] <Cipher> Ok. That's good to hear.
[00:45] <Rusty> Right. But if we can get to the stage where we can DM, we can thrive.
[00:45] <Rusty> Realistically, for now, our goal is to see Waterdeep, TSF, and Moonsea in Beta Two ASAP
[00:45] <indio> which would be awesome
[00:45] <teric> And the OAS open to non-alfans
[00:45] <Rusty> TSF has quite a head start here, but the others I think are our next two
[00:45] <Rusty> And the OAS, yes.
[00:46] <Rusty> Although really, it would be good to have a mod in Beta TWo before a Live OAS
[00:46] <Rusty> So new ALFAns can actually play.
[00:46] <teric> we have the benefit of being finite, i think
[00:46] <Rusty> OAS -> Beta Two -> Toolsetting
[00:46] <indio> well teric seems to be well ahead of the curve for the OAS...I love your exteriors
[00:46] <Rusty> that is the path we wish for them to follow :p
[00:46] <Thangorn> yep.. my new puter should be here thursday then I gotta just start tacking things together and debugging
[00:46] <Rusty> Alright, so in terms of consolidating, i've been encouraging wherever I can
[00:46] <Aelred> correct me if Im wrong but alot of us want to begin with one PC and start investing in it - we wont be able to do that until after the initial beta testing - once we go live with a server then I bet there will be a huge movement out of NWN1 Daggerdale(hehehe) and into NWN2
[00:46] <Rusty> Thangs, I suggest you talk to Inaubryn and see if he'll help with Moonsea
[00:47] <Rusty> I think he's waiting on more content for Skullport and Northdark
[00:47] <indio> not wrong, Aelred
[00:47] <Thangorn> good idea.. I'll hit him up.. I have drowie bits he'll like :)
[00:47] <Rusty> Nope, there's some sense there.
[00:47] <Rusty> But atm, ALFA NWN2 offers nothing much to ppl.
[00:50] <Aelred> *raises his hand*
[00:50] <Rusty> We will see much more interest in NWN2 when we have playable servers
[00:50] <Aelred> could I ask something?
[00:50] <Rusty> sure
[00:50] <Aelred> I had mentioned before if we all end up building on all the servers how will we play on one fairly?
[00:50] <Aelred> could you address that
[00:51] <Rusty> I would say, do not worry about that at all.
[00:51] <Cipher> Unless you're creating every NPC and quest, it's unlikely that you'll have the keys to an entire server.
[00:52] <Aelred> true but at somepoint you would have access to the whole mod
[00:52] <Thangorn> why play when you can kill PCs?
[00:52] <Rusty> Even then, the time gap between what we're talking about now, and Live is vast.
[00:52] <Cipher> And things change over time.
[00:53] <Rusty> Right now, looking at moving for beta two, this is just not going to be an issue.
[00:53] <Rusty> If you feel that helping at all on a mod would compromise a pc of yours, then of course you can not help.
[00:53] <Rusty> But in terms of formal rules, we are not going to let this prohibition hold us back.
[00:53] <Rusty> The current rule after all is 30 days
[00:53] <Rusty> And we are not Live-30
[00:54] <Rusty> That alrigh Aelred?
[00:54] <Aelred> *nods*
[00:54] <Aelred> got it
[00:54] <Rusty> Perhaps PA will address it more closely when we are in Beta 3.
[00:54] <Aelred> of course we may want later on to change that rule
[00:54] <Aelred> to a much longer time frame
[00:54] <Rusty> Till then, it's not a big deal.
[00:54] <Rusty> Possibly.
[00:55] <Cipher> We'll just keep an eye on you to make sure you don't get out of line, Aelred. No worries. >:D
[00:55] <Aelred> since very little will actually cahnge on any given server in the course of 30 days
[00:55] <Aelred> lol
[00:55] <Rusty> OK, so Consolidation and Teamwork was my concluding theme.
[00:55] <Rusty> If we focus on those three named servers
[00:55] <Rusty> And we try and break their back, so to speak
[00:56] <Rusty> I think we can get them to the stage that the 2nd tier of builders, so to speak, start to get involved in content creation
[00:56] <Cipher> I'd like to ask a question.
[00:56] <Rusty> and we begin to get some Beta campaigns, and to generate some Buzz over ALFA 2
[00:56] <Rusty> K
[00:56] <Thangorn> can I ask a question of the group?
[00:56] <Rusty> ciph first ;p
[00:57] <Aelred> *stands at the back of the question queue*
[00:58] <Cipher> Should we consider building something on the fringes of FR, say something that hasn't really been done and/or explored before to elicit more interest in ALFA? Does anyone feel that the FOrgotten Realsm theme has or is getting stale, particulary with long timers?
[00:58] <teric> no. next question :)
[00:59] <Aelred> NO
[00:59] <Rusty> lol
[00:59] <Thangorn> no
[00:59] <Aelred> lol
[00:59] <Rusty> I think there is something of merit in the question, certainly.
[00:59] <Thangorn> i play in alfa for canon nazi-ism myself.. others might not 'tis truw
[00:59] <Rusty> We want to generate interest and excitement and if you've spent 5 yrs playing nwn1 wd, why nwn2 wd?
[00:59] <Rusty> BUT, FR is why we are here, more or less.
[01:00] <Rusty> Do you have anything in particular in mind, ciph?
[01:00] <Aelred> NWN2 gives us a far better chance to really bring FR to life - and pour all our creativity into making it shine
[01:00] <teric> i agree we're going over old ground, but those were the applications
[01:00] <Thangorn> i guess I see your point though ciph.. kind of the reason I am building moonsea this time.. never been done before
[01:01] <Cipher> I'm not really sure Rusty, but as you said, we are here for FR and I think we're too far in to simply consider something new anyway. What about access to other planes?
[01:02] <Rusty> The real issue their ciph is likely content.
[01:02] <Thangorn> access to other planes at low levels?
[01:02] <Rusty> I doubt we could build them.
[01:02] <Rusty> Then we also have the issue thangs mentions yeah
[01:03] <Cipher> Anyway, it's more food for thought really.
[01:03] <Rusty> Rly, what we want to be is where ppl come to for FR NWN2
[01:03] <Aelred> the low level kinder garden planes - all flowers and teletubbies with a big purple dragon
[01:03] <Rusty> That is part of the mission: to be definitive.
[01:03] <Rusty> K, Thangs, your Q.
[01:04] <Thangorn> I've been sitting in #alfa-builders alone for about a month..
[01:04] <Aelred> I can not chat and toolset at the same time
[01:04] <Aelred> not enough juice
[01:04] <Thangorn> I think staying motivated building requires other builders to be about generating buzz
[01:05] <teric> ditto aelred
[01:05] <Thangorn> I'd like to get others feedback on this..
[01:05] <Cipher> we know, we've been monitoring you the whole time thangs. We got it up on youtube now. *snickers*
[01:05] <Aelred> well I can say that the surge on WD has given me alot of motivation
[01:06] <Thangorn> i think being able to ask questions instantly and get the assistance, support and ideas of other builders while you are building makes a huge difference
[01:06] <Thangorn> dont need to chat while you build, just check chat every hour or so
[01:06] <indio> I see
[01:06] <Thangorn> or while you are baking or whatever
[01:06] <Aelred> for me I get the biggest boost when I get some feedback/constructive criticism on what Ive done - any artist at heart wants to see some sort of impact with what they are creating
[01:07] <Aelred> posting screenies has helped me stay motivated
[01:07] <Rusty> Part of the issue ther eis how few active builders we have right now
[01:07] <Rusty> So it's going to be quiet anyways I guess
[01:08] <Rusty> But obviously the more ppl logged in there the better
[01:08] <Rusty> We can also clearly make more use of te nwn2 forums
[01:08] <Cipher> for me, chatting is a big distraction from anything that I'm doing to be perfectly honest, but I completely understand the motivation issue. I just wish you could plant your behind across the table from me.
[01:08] <Rusty> esp the Team forum
[01:08] <Aelred> Thang I am more a forum person myself - i check the new posts almost every hour
[01:09] <Cipher> I'll try to remember to login to that channel though if I'm on
[01:09] <Thangorn> okay well if the team forums are a better way to handle comms thats cool
[01:09] <Aelred> communication on the WD forums has been really fast and helpful
[01:09] <Cipher> It'd be even better if we were working on the same module
[01:09] <indio> true enough
[01:09] <Rusty> the NWN2 Team Collective Discussion forum is a good palce for everyone to share and discuss
[01:10] <Rusty> if it's wanted, i can add another just for builder queries
[01:10] <Rusty> with access for the NWN2 Team UG I set up
[01:10] <indio> I'd say make fewer forums within the NWN2 section...focus the discussion
[01:10] <indio> most of those forums have served their purpose
[01:10] <Cipher> I agree with Indio
[01:11] <Rusty> well i've deleted over 50 forums in the past month ^^
[01:11] <Cipher> let's avoid forum bloat
[01:11] <Cipher> it's great now btw Rusty
[01:11] <Thangorn> which module though? I've got a team thats already been a bit demotivated by a period of intense RL, I dont want to stop moving forward or the project that I've already put a lot of effort into might never get the impetus it needs to go live
[01:11] <Rusty> ok, we can kick Proposals to the archives i think
[01:11] <Rusty> I don't think we want to build just one mod
[01:11] <Rusty> I think the three i mentioned is what we want
[01:11] <Rusty> TSF is way out ahead anyway
[01:11] <Rusty> so rly right now we're talking WD and MS
[01:11] <indio> why not all of us give a week to each of WD and Moonsea?
[01:12] <Cipher> do you have any help on MS Thangorn?
[01:12] <Rusty> well you can build however you like
[01:12] <Cipher> I like that idea Indio
[01:12] <Thangorn> well a heap of stuff is built Ciph
[01:12] <Thangorn> I'm just tying it all together
[01:12] <Cipher> I know, and it's your baby so it's hard to let go
[01:12] <Thangorn> and populating it
[01:13] <Rusty> i think two mods is a reasonable focus atm
[01:13] <Rusty> if ppl want to hepl both teams that's great
[01:13] <Cipher> I've no objection
[01:13] <Rusty> and it gives some choice to helpers
[01:13] <Rusty> where they pitch in
[01:14] <Thangorn> i've had a bunch of help, now things have slowed right down.. once I get the beta up people will likely come back
[01:14] <Rusty> Right.
[01:14] <Rusty> When ppl can see what they're doing and add the content.
[01:14] <Thangorn> yup
[01:14] <Cipher> you should post some screens thangorn
[01:14] <Rusty> Ok, anyone else had a Q?
[01:14] <Thangorn> i've posted quite a few I thought.. in my moonsea news thread
[01:14] <Cipher> that'll get you some well deserved feedback
[01:15] <indio> yeah, I've seen them Than
[01:15] <Aelred> they are awesome Thang - I especially like the cliffs over the ocean - I saved the screenies as a reference
[01:15] <Cipher> ah. speaking of which, is there a reason you don't use ALFA forums? think of it as greasing the rails a bit.
[01:15] <Rusty> Over the last two weeks i wrote 2 reports on ALFA NWN2
[01:16] <Rusty> One was bleak and said we'd fail because we have too few ppl etc
[01:16] <Thangorn> ciph.. we have a HUGE amount of canon info on there
[01:16] <Rusty> One was sunny and said we'd get there - in the end, just it will take a whle
[01:16] <Thangorn> tons of developer notes
[01:16] <Cipher> Lemme have a looksee. If you did post on ALFA, it'd show up in the "new posts since last login" search
[01:16] <Rusty> Both have some truth to them.
[01:16] <Thangorn> that we worked on for nearly 12 months before we started building
[01:16] <indio> hedging your bets Rusy?
[01:16] <Rusty> Damn straight :p
[01:16] <Rusty> Two opinions :p
[01:17] <Cipher> lol
[01:17] <Rusty> Now, I'm going to write a third, based on what we've discussed here, and outlining how we're gonna get, not to Live, but to beta Two, with three mods
[01:17] <Rusty> And I'll publish it on the website.
[01:17] <Rusty> Then, every month, i think it would be a good idea for servers to publish an update on their status
[01:17] <Rusty> Either collectively or indivdiually
[01:17] <Rusty> With screenshots etc
[01:18] <Rusty> (just for the 3 focal servers right now)
[01:18] <Thangorn> sure.. how can I move threads from my offsite forums to alfa forums?
[01:18] <Cipher> That'd be nice
[01:18] <Thangorn> guess I can cut/paste and quote
[01:19] <Rusty> but i'd recommend having all your customer-facing threads on the ALFA boards
[01:19] <Rusty> and you can use your off-site for the machinery
[01:19] <Thangorn> I'll see what I can do then
[01:19] <Rusty> Even if it's just an update thread
[01:19] <Rusty> Although if we can get monthly team updates
[01:19] <Rusty> Combined frmo each server
[01:20] <Rusty> with a couple of new screenies and some news
[01:20] <Rusty> Stuck in the website
[01:20] <Rusty> Then that will do the important job.
[01:21] <Rusty> Alright, so does everyone have an understanding of where we stand on NWN2 planning now?
[01:22] <teric> yessir
[01:22] <Thangorn> yup
[01:22] <indio> cipher, can you flag any threads you want kept in the NWN2 forum so we can archive them before Rusty nukes em?
[01:22] <Aelred> *nods*
[01:22] <Rusty> i'll jsut archive the proposals thread
[01:22] <Rusty> so it'll be at the foot of the page for now
[01:22] <Rusty> Is everyone reasonably happy with NWN2 planning?
[01:22] <teric> question?
[01:23] <Rusty> yup
[01:23] <teric> is there any chance of any proposed servers being booted due to "non-cultivation" as they say on my allotment
[01:24] <Rusty> not in the forseeable future
[01:24] <teric> k
[01:24] <Cipher> I'll go over the forums with rusty and see if we can consolidate or nuke any
[01:24] <Rusty> the reason being, they are doing little harm just sitting there
[01:24] <indio> gtg folks...thanks Rusty
[01:24] * indio has quit IRC
[01:24] <Rusty> the reason being, they are doing little harm just sitting there en masse to each proposal team
[01:24] <Aelred> although if Halrin never returns...
[01:24] <Rusty> was to avoid the issue of having to then kick servers who were getting nowhere
[01:24] <Rusty> to avoid bloated election lists etc
[01:24] <Rusty> now, sure, if servers build zero in 6 months more
[01:25] <Rusty> we can archive them
[01:25] <Rusty> but there is no reason they can't be resurrected in future
[01:26] <Thangorn> I'm reposting my news thread from moonsea forums to team collective discussion to get things rolling
[01:26] <Rusty> thanks thangs
[01:28] <Rusty> Alright, so any more Qs?
[01:29] <Rusty> OK, I think we're done
[01:29] <Rusty> 90 mins, not bad for an ALFA meeting.
[01:29] <Cipher> not bad at all
[01:29] <Rusty> I'll tidy up the log of this and post it in Team
[01:29] <Aelred> thanks for calling the meeting too Rusty - great idea
[01:29] <Cipher> a good meeting
[01:30] <Rusty> We will work out immediately on some base mod templates
[01:30] <Rusty> and sort out timeline asap
[01:30] <Rusty> and then we will focus on getting MS and WD up to the level of TSF
[01:30] <Rusty> and then all three to Beta Two.
[01:30] <Cipher> that would be a lot of fun
[01:30] <Rusty> I think things will get a lot better frmo there onwards.
[01:30] <Rusty> So, ifyou need stuff from me - access etc - just lemme know.
User avatar
Rotku
Iron Fist Tyrant
Posts: 6948
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2004 1:09 am
Location: New Zealand (+13 GMT)

Post by Rotku »

So.... A summary would be nice ;)
< Signature Free Zone >
Dorn
Haste Bear
Posts: 2196
Joined: Sat Apr 17, 2004 5:00 pm
Location: Australia (West - GMT+8)

Post by Dorn »

Thanks for getting on with this guys. Top work.
HEEGZ
Dungeon Master
Posts: 7085
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 4:17 pm
Location: US CST

Post by HEEGZ »

Okay, sorry I missed it folks.

With BG going offline that pretty much leaves me with 1 NWN1 quest left, the OAS organization with contributions mainly by Teric, and my exteriors for WD. I am really hoping to get some time spent in the toolset but I have had no end of problems with my house and appliances breaking down around me this month. Today it rained and my exterior door started leaking, ugh. Anyways, as soon as I get the heightmap and YATT figured out I'll start pumping out WD wards. I think the 1375 start date sounds good with Khelben's apprentice... Um, and I'm a bit rushed and the rest looked pretty good from what I thought. 3-4 initial servers is what I remember coming up with last spring so it all looks pretty good. It's a crying shame there aren't more builders around here though...
Rick7475
Haste Bear
Posts: 2097
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2004 1:59 am
Location: Ottawa
Contact:

Post by Rick7475 »

Same here, sorry I missed, was camping at a Scout Jamboree.

I'll be working on WD this week.
User avatar
darrenhfx
Beholder
Posts: 1982
Joined: Fri Jul 30, 2004 5:35 pm
Location: Halifax, Canada GMT -4 (AST)

Post by darrenhfx »

Sorry I missed it as well but glad you met and it looks like you had a productive meeting.
User avatar
Rusty
Retired
Posts: 2847
Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2005 10:36 pm
Location: London
Contact:

Post by Rusty »

10 June Summary/Minutes

Amending the canon starting date was discussed. Generally, 1375 was felt to be preferable, but Rusty said he would confirm this with all of the teams before seeking Admin approval.

Several ways to help smooth the toolset learning curve were discussed. indio is developing ALFA-specific tutorials, while Rusty said that when more mods got into active Beta stages, we would see easier aspects of toolset become more important, e.g. interiors, dialogue, items.

Cipher updated the Team on ACC progression. Currently, ABR progress is halted by the frequency of 2da updates and the lack of tlk customisation support. The ABR already provides a significant number of creatures and placeables, which mods could start to use, although the placeable doors will be improved at a later date. indio mentioned the use of the PowerBar plugin to make updating easier.

The creation of a basemod was discussed. indio will make completed areas from TSF available and Thangorn will turn them into generic templates. Rusty will monitor the development of a set of templates.

Rusty said that the Team needed to forget about Live, and instead concentrate on Beta Two as the immediate goal. This was because the hardest parts of building were large scale exteriors, and once they were done more people would be able to get involved. Also, with mods in Beta Two we would be able to run DM campaigns which would further increase interest. Also, if we manage our servers to develop concurrently, we can work together on many problems. Rusty said that our goal should be to focus effort on getting three servers (TSF, WD, MS) to Beta Two, and that several members of other teams had volunteered to help with this. Rusty also said that we needed to get Beta Two mods up alongside OAS2 so that new applicants had a place to play.

Aelred raised a concern about building a mod that one later wished to play on. Rusty said that the time that would elapse between now and Live was so great that this would not, at present, be a factor. Cipher asked if we could aim to build something unusual in order to generate interest. Thangorn reminded the Team of #alfa-builders. General communication and use of the NWN2 Team forum was discussed. teric asked about the prospect of proposals being dropped, and Rusty said that this would not happen in the forseeable future.

Rusty said that he would draw up a summary of NWN2 development and publish it to the community. He asked for a monthly progress report from each of the three focal proposal teams.
Mikayla
Valsharess of ALFA
Posts: 3707
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2004 5:37 pm
Location: Qu'ellar Faen Tlabbar, Noble Room 7, Menzoberranzan, NorthUnderdark

Post by Mikayla »

Aelred:
another canon question - since I am interested in drow stuff too....
[00:10] <Aelred> Lolth is silent and Vhaerun is dead right?
By 1375. IIRC, Lolth is no longer silent and Vhaerun is on the verge of being "killed" - though to be honest I do not believe he is really dead. The "Sacrifice of the Widow" is the first in a trilogy that will take more than another year to complete. My recommendation is that we start on day 1 of 1375, with the Silence of Lolth over, but with the events of the "Widow" series yet to come - underdark/MD/drow DMs can then play these events out in their own fashion, much as Vendrin did in NWN1-ALFA with the Silence of Lolth and GF did with the Shade war.

As for the rule about building/playing - we shall stick with the 30 day rule for now. I do not see any reason to change at the moment.
ALFA1-NWN1: Sheyreiza Valakahsa
NWN2: Layla (aka Aliyah, Amira, Snake and others) and Vellya
NWN1-WD: Shein'n Valakasha
User avatar
Rotku
Iron Fist Tyrant
Posts: 6948
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2004 1:09 am
Location: New Zealand (+13 GMT)

Post by Rotku »

Thanks for the summary, Rusty!
< Signature Free Zone >
User avatar
Rusty
Retired
Posts: 2847
Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2005 10:36 pm
Location: London
Contact:

Post by Rusty »

Formal NWN2 Progress Report on website.
User avatar
Castano
Head Dungeon Master
Posts: 4593
Joined: Wed May 26, 2004 5:42 pm
Location: USA

Post by Castano »

sorry for missing the meeting...had to work


If anyone needs help with their project PM me. I am all alone on the Island Kingdoms project so maybe we can all work together to get it going when the others are farther along. I would especially like to see parts of Lantan built for our gnome PCs...

Until then I will continue to plug away for the time being, but I doubt it is possible for one person to finish a server.
On playing together: http://www.giantitp.com/articles/tll307 ... 6efFP.html
Useful resource: http://nwn2.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

On bad governance: "I intend to bring democracy to this nation, and if anybody stands in my way I will crush him and his family."
You're All a Bunch of Damn Hippies
Locked