ACR release/update #2: Checklist and Organization

AcadiusLost · Post by **AcadiusLost** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:41 pm

Hopefully, this release will make the NWN2-ALFA experience pretty playable. The groundwork for real global persistency has been laid down by Cipher, using NWNx4 and SQL- and we've gotten some good early feedback from testers and builders to clean up some of our early systems from the first release. We'll start to bring in custom content from here onward, starting with the snow textures needed for 002, plus whatever else GF feels is ready and feasible to integrate.

The list of things to be prepared:
-- ------------------------------------------------

NWNx4/SQL persistency retrofit: (Cipher, committed, tested)

Bleeding/Dying scripts: (Cipher & A.L., done, committed, tested)

Resting system improvements: (A.L., done, committed, tested)

Spawn system fixes: (A.L., done, committed, tested)

XP system/validation systems: (A.L., done, committed, tested)

Starting gear: (A.L., done, committed, tested.)

Spelltrack fixes: (Cipher, done, committed, tested.)

Appearance.2da (A.L., done, committed, tested.)

Restdurations.2da (Cipher, done)

Spells.2da edits (Rusty, in progress)

Textures hak for snow terrain (GF, A.L.- done, being tested)

gold/gear random reward system: (in progress, Cipher)

Optional rez lever for Beta testing (A.L, done, tested.)

Basic NPC behaviours (Thangs, A.L., in progress)

Persistent Storage for items? (Cipher, Done, being testing)

Custom tilesets (A.L.- deep halls, arched bridged, tintables, windows added)

(I'll add to this list and update as we think of more things that will need to be rolled into the list.)
---------------------------- Additional content: ----------------------

Heed's PC tools for emotes, dice rolls (under consideration)

Population tracking/control for spawn points? (deferred until next update)

ABR doors update? (likely independent release)

Sittable chairs? (under discussion)

Persistent moveable/useable Placeable system? (Cipher, partially done)

Static Quest system?

----------------------------------------------------------------

Feel free to reply with updates, suggestions, thoughts- or to volunteer to take on one or more of the above. At some point we'll have to decide what to bundle up and release, and what to put off till next update.

[edit: 7/16/07 update]
[edit: 7/25/07 update]

indio · Post by **indio** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 12:06 am

Some suggestions..

Sittable chairs?

http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=nw ... tail&id=22

Persistent Storage for items? (P-chests)

http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=NW ... tail&id=87

Static Quest system?

Would love to help with this, but am still trying to iron out bugs in my own. However, if I can identify what's not working about it, I'll post it.

Custom tilesets, items, placeables?

Well, I'd love to see Arched Bridges and Deep Halls in asap, but can live without either.

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 12:38 pm

Some excellent progress here. Thanks AL and cipher.

AcadiusLost · Post by **AcadiusLost** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 5:50 pm

Managed to work around the extended outage of our SQL server by setting up one of my own for testing- spent a good part of the weekend in testing, debugging, and adding some nice improvements to the ACR.

I've got a few lingering bugs I'd like to sort out before I commit all the changes and try to wrap things up into another release package for the Beta teams. I'd also like to get at least a placeholder in for Rewards (maybe straight gp drop until we get random tables), and script up that Rez lever (as without it, it's a real pain to test midlevel content).

-Corpses are not being restored on module load

-Mobs continue to target and attack dying PCs

-Applying First Aid to dying characters does not stop bleeding

-dying while carrying another PC's corpse causes some problems

I'll add to this as I discover/remember other issues with the code and systems. Optimistically, I think we're looking at this week to finish fixes and testing, with the ACR release coming either the coming weekend or a bit after (depending how gracefully the haks come together).

ç i p h é r · Post by **ç i p h é r** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:42 pm

I'll investigate some of those behaviors, but FYI. Spell tracking is now revised, tested, and committed. More robust testing welcome, as always.

Thangorn · Post by **Thangorn** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:07 am

+1 to everything indio posted above.

At least until we can get the ability to move sitting NPCs/PCs up or down the z-axis which to my knowledge is unscriptable at this time. Trying to make it work did however allow me to make proper sleepable beds..

AcadiusLost · Post by **AcadiusLost** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 8:56 pm

Bump for the update edited in above.

Cipher and I spent a lot of time over the weekend crash-testing and bug-fixing. We're hoping to find time to release a new hak and erf to server teams this friday/saturday, though there are a few things still up in the air.

Also thanks to Mick for helping with the bleeding/dying system testing.

indio · Post by **indio** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:11 pm

Looks really good.

I can help test things if you like. I'm away from building for a week.

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 5:46 pm

Should we have all powers CastableOnDead; it seems clear that it is appropriate for most, if not all, spells, but what about all spell-likes? Should we start with it enabled for all and correct if a problem is later revealed?

AcadiusLost · Post by **AcadiusLost** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:23 pm

It's a special-case scenario at this point- I don't foresee much use out of being able to cast Mage Armor or Prot from Evil on your stabilized buddy before leaving him there to head back into town to find a cleric, for example. Maybe it'd get used, but I don't expect it would be much missed if it wasn't there.

At a bare minimum, we need the healing spells toggled to CastableOnDead- otherwise it will mean that going into negatives will be always be a one-way trip.

If it's easier to push the whole column to CastableOnDead = TRUE, we can try that- but I certainly don't want you to have to update all the entries by hand, just so we can have the peck of a cocktrice be able to stone a PC at -8 HP.

We haven't tested area effect spells with the toggle either- while IC for a nearby fireball to finish off a downed PC, I don't think anyone would complain if it passed them by (being prone and all) and someone still had a chance to try to revive them. My guess is that the column is only referenced in target selection, in which case it doesn't matter so much.

So I'd say: if it's easier- make everything castable on dead. If not, just the ones that stand to lead to a HP increase (temporary or otherwise). All the Cure Wounds, Mass Cure Wounds, Heal, Aid, CON buffs, that wacky regenerative coccoon one, etc.

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:28 pm

Editing every line to True is easy; done it already. It's going through and considering the options that takes time. (Sure, normally you might not want to cast Mage Armour on a dying buddy very often, but it's conceivable (only aid you can give till healing arrives, say).) I've emailed the all True 2da to you. We can take it from there, but it should work fine for now.

AcadiusLost · Post by **AcadiusLost** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:34 pm

Excellent, we'll see how it plays on the Betas. Thanks Rusty.

indio · Post by **indio** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 4:53 am

************** Exception Text **************
System.ArgumentException: Parameter is not valid.
at System.Drawing.Bitmap..ctor(String filename)
at NWN2Toolset.NWN2.Views.NWN2TextureBrowser.Initialize(String s2DAName, String sColumnName)
at NWN2Toolset.NWN2.Views.NWN2TerrainTextureSwap..ctor()

I keep getting the above runtime error whenever I try to use the texture swapper. Is anyone else? Was wondering if it started after I instllaed the textures hak. I've uninstalled it and the error persists, but I don't think I had this error prior to the last week or two.

Thangorn · Post by **Thangorn** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 8:39 am

I'm getting it too indio.. plus bizarre, demoralising crashes that have no pattern (eg. crashed last night after 6 hours toolsetting while placing my 300th placeable in the area, crashed another night while I was laying textures)..

also I cant see the snow textures in my list..

AcadiusLost · Post by **AcadiusLost** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 7:57 pm

Snow will only work to place in the toolset if you've got the overrides in as well- Marklos is the best one to touch base with about the logistics of it. The textures hak was confirmed to be sufficient to host and to join (and successfully see) snow on a server (no overrides needed for server or client).

With regard to corruption/errors, my experience is too limited to say much in that regard- we can try breaking things down to isolate the problem if it's reproducible.

A Land Far Away

ACR release/update #2: Checklist and Organization

ACR release/update #2: Checklist and Organization

Re: ACR release/update #2: Checklist and Organization