Connecting the Dots

darrenhfx · Post by **darrenhfx** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 2:43 pm

Can someone remind me if we are looking at developing an overland encounter generator system to connect the detailed areas of the servers?

I can't remember!

AcadiusLost · Post by **AcadiusLost** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 4:49 pm

Got pushed to the wayside- I'd still like to see it in, but the servers we have at the forefront now (TSF, OAS2) are both tiling exteriors for now.

If Thangorn wants to make Moonsea a guinea pig for such a system, I think it'd be feasible, though a good deal of work. One of many things we'd like to get it if we had the manpower.

That said- if it inspires you, I'm glad to offer advice and what scraps of code we'd put together to start you off.

darrenhfx · Post by **darrenhfx** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 7:37 pm

Just curious, I knew that it was more of a secondary concern.
Maybe it's something that can be phased in later.

Thangorn · Post by **Thangorn** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:28 pm

I'm working with the concept of dynamic travel map areas for Moonsea similar to what exodus is using with triggers for random encounters.

I'll also have triggers for when you enter an area of interest, like a forest or something, it'll port you to a grouping of tiled areas. There wont be labels on these places, people will have to know them.

I didn't realise everyone else was tiling out their mods however. I'm a bit concerned about using that method. Has the game been fixed so you can have as many exterior areas as you like now?

Teric neDhalir · Post by **Teric neDhalir** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:41 pm

Thangorn wrote:I'll also have triggers for when you enter an area of interest, like a forest or something, it'll port you to a grouping of tiled areas. There wont be labels on these places, people will have to know them.

Sorry Thangs, didn't understand that.

As for "tiling out", the OAS is finite and doesn't need to be that large.
TnD

AcadiusLost · Post by **AcadiusLost** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 9:05 pm

The system Thangorn is describing is one we pitched early on, some called it the "Final Fantasy style" travel map- though that seemed to trigger some negative preconceptions with some folks.

Basically, we'd represent the whole server with one (or a few) 32x32 area(s) in which everything was scaled down dramatically- so you get a sense of relative distance, scope, terrain, etc. Parties entering the travel area get micro-nized down and travel collectively at a scaled-down pace (like ants on the giant-scale map)- when they near areas of interest- known or unknown, they get AT'd into a normal-scale exterior. Random encounters could also be managed in the wilds, as determined by terrain- each would jump the party to an encounter area, which might allow opportunity to evade the opponents and return to the travel map. Modifiers could be made for parties travelling with survival/tracker/scout PCs, and new hidden content could be seamlessly added by DMs as hidden triggers on the overland map.

It's kind of mind-bending- Sanderman scripted up a system like this for his own PW, but shelved it due to other commitments. Exodus has the scaffold of such a system in place on their Live server, Amn- but all it does currently is shrink and slow PCs on their way in, restore them on their way out- the encounter areas are all statically placed, parties do not travel collectively, and there are a lot of finer points unaddressed.

I certainly see it as a system that would have a lot of potential for ALFA, and one that could be added as we go as well, which is why it hasn't entered my priority queue- to my mind, we first need PC and DM tools, support for static quests and scripted XP gain, as well as some way to manage the expanded PC skill set we've been wanting to include.

Rick7475 · Post by **Rick7475** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 1:41 am

Maybe. I am for building roads and highways between major settlements on TSF. And currently no city-to-city caravan system, which is hardly ever used by most PC's anyway due to cost. There are no towns big enough for a "transit" coach system, though I would recommend one for Waterdeep when we start building there. In TSF, there is the "Legion" Highway, built by the Argent Legionaires, similiar to a Roman style highway. It will span the server and join Sundabar with Rivermoot, roughly 3 24X24 areas per map square with all sorts of goodies to explore on the sides. One of the things I like to do is explore areas, and on TSF, there will be lots to explore and cool things to discover. Beta 2 will be when I connect Silverymoon to Rivermoot through the Highway, which should be in a few days.

Thangorn · Post by **Thangorn** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 12:54 pm

Acadius described the system I am working on much better than me..

Right now the Moonsea using the scaled down travel map is looking like 2-3 32x32 dynamic travel areas but I'll only have one for the Western Moonsea by live..

I'm planning on making these travel areas effectively magic dead in the short term and if players rest, they'll need camping gear or their rest will be not very restful. Resting will port them to a random encounter area for the duration, with or without a random encounter..

AcadiusLost · Post by **AcadiusLost** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 6:31 pm

Just a thought- could we hook the rest button to jump to an encounter area instead of performing a rest function while on the travel map? Sounds like you've already started in on something like that- but would be an excellent way for groups to switch back into fullscale mode to discuss, RP, change up leadership, etc. The encounter checks could happen silently in such a case as well, with mobs or encounters added elsewhere on the encounter map if/when appropriate.