A Land Far Away

For task status, check http://alandfaraway.org/projects.php

The following is the list of global scripting activities:

Critical Systems:
Must-haves, no other way around it. They gotta work before ALFA can go live. Listed from the ones we'll need an interface for sooner to the ones we'll need later.

• Portalling - TBD
• PC Resting - completed, animation fixes pending
• PC Bleeding - completed, animation fixes pending
• Persistent Creature Status (location/health/effects/diseases/curses/etc)- partially completed, pending effect persistence
• Currency System (platinum/silver/copper coins) - TBD
• Debugging Framework - completed
• Storage Object Framework - completed
• Server Data Persistence (NWNx4 Integration) - completed
• Seamless Area Transitions (AT) - completed
• Spawn System - completed
• Persistant Storage - completed
• PC Death/KO/Resurrection - completed

Must be in place:
The following systems need to be in place from day 1, but don't necissarily have to work. They can be wrappers at live, though we would hopefully have at least some of them completed and running.

• Custom Events Framework - TBD
• 1984 Logging - Cipher - partially completed (need to add web interfaces and make sure all requisite data is being logged)
• XP/GP Rewards and Tools (apply standards) - AcadiusLost, partially completed (need to add loot tables)
• Custom Feat/PrC Handling (dependant heavily on the Custom Events Framework)
• Placeables: Persistence & PnP Rules - TBD
• Traps: Persistence & PnP Rules - Thangorn
• Persistent Reputation System (include Bluff and Haggle) - Cipher (in progress)
• Script Event Hooks (acf files) - completed
• Wealth Standards Framework - completed
• XP Standards Framework - completed
• PnP Door Rules - completed

Wanted:
Not technically required, but these systems range from ones we should really really have working to ones which are just nice (in descending order):

• Nonlethal Damage System - Ronan
• Additional Subraces?
• Weather System?
• Encounter System
• Population System
• Static Quest System - Completed
• Crafting System
• Central Authorization System
• Central Reporting System
• Pet System (Horses, Pack Animals, ACs, etc)
• Spellhook/Custom Spells
• Deity/Alignment/Domain Enforcement - Ronan, T-Dawg
• Travel System - Ronan
• NPC Behaviors & Experience -
• PnP-style Weapon/Armor/Shield Proficiency System
• PnP-style Movement (small/large creatures) & Encumbrance
• Language System (Talus Listener?) (includes Thieves Cant)
• Rumor System
• Wild and Dead Magic
• Web Based Character Creation/Management
• Large-Scale Wards & Mythals Ronan
• Random Interiors (Generic Doors) - Cipher
• Binary-Tree Handling Functions
• Item Identification System
• RP XP System
• Fishing System
• Armor Customization
• Arrest & Jailport
• Merchant System (support haggling, stealing, trying before buying)
• Player Housing & Shops (possibly in tandem with taxation)
• Armor Damage? (visual mods like the shoulder or leg plates being hacked off)
• Weapon Breakage? (to support crafting and professions)
• Banking (possibly regional coins and exchange rates, loans and interest)
• Racial Languages
• Gambling Systems
• Aging?
• VFX System - dynamic effects on creatures and placeables
• Movable Placeables System (including siege engines)
• Recovering Ranged/Thrown Weapons & Ammunition (include RETURNING magical property)
• Herb Spawning & Seeding

Unknown
These are systems which we just don't have enough information for at this point to be able to say where they should placed until we've seen what Obsidian has done with them.

• Creature AI
• No-Stack System

Custom Spell Scripts

• Teleportation

Requires Evaluation:

• NWNx4 (remote sql server) + Vaultster
• Storing all 2das in database (load/cache OnModuleLoad)
• Storing all tiles in database (load/cache OnModuleLoad)
• Storing illegal item properties in database and tracking all in-game items (process OnItemAcquired)
• Support for Additional Classes

[Cipher: Cleaned up the list so it's more legible]

Good list, but let me just note that there's a whole slew of feature requests compiled from the basemod content forum posted up in the basemod management forum. So don't go thinking this is it folks....it's just the beginning.

I'll reorganize the threads as needed. I'd prefer to leave this forum strictly for technical discussions so don't be surprised if this sticky moves to the management forum.

Thanks for prioritizing, Ronan. Assignments pending.

Yeah, it's a good idea a priority list.

Can you move the Compendium thread to this forum cipher, just so it's easily accessible. To date, it includes everything listed in locked threads and I'll be maintaining it as an up to date database of content (it's inclusive of the ACR, palettes and other systems).

Moved and renamed for clarity. We'll keep this list up to date as we progress.

There is a more comprehensive list of feature requests here (3rd post down):

http://www.alandfaraway.org/phpbbforum/ ... hp?t=26965

We can pull those in as things come off this list to avoid sensory overload.

Just a quick note to all developers. As you design a suitable solution to the (hopefully) stated requirements for the systems you're working on, please adhere to the conventions we've established (conventions & procedures thread) and keep in mind the following documentation artifacts I'd like to compile:

• High Level Flowcharts or Visual Models
  Function Descriptions
  Data Dictionary (variable names, types, values)
  Persistent Data
  Setup and Configuration Instructions

With any luck, we'll be able to autogenerate the middle 3 items on the list well enough from code using a documentation tool that peterdin's looking into. While visual models really only serve as a developer aid and thus not essential if you're not up to it, the setup and configuration instructions apply to builders and/or administrators so if any such details pertain to your system(s), please be sure to publish them.

I hope I haven't sufficiently dissuaded all of you from volunteering.

(this is clearly a volunteer project so if we simply don't have the ability to produce to this level, that's ok)

I suppose I could sign up for:

Seamless ATs (I worked on it in BG when we switched from hexagons to squared areas).
*tries to avoid being squashed too bad by Indio*

1984 Logging (I worked on that as well and on the 1984 log parser that Duck wrote but was never really used).

Then maybe on the following tied systems:
Persistant reputation system
Rumor system

Hialmar wrote:I suppose I could sign up for:

Seamless ATs (I worked on it in BG when we switched from hexagons to squared areas).
*tries to avoid being squashed too bad by Indio*

Great
We do need to decide on what sort of grid we want to use. Fionn posted a great idea here for a non-standard grid that will allow us to locate each in-game area in Toril:
http://www.alandfaraway.org/phpbbforum/ ... hp?t=27715
It has its drawbacks, however, and I'd like to get other opinions.

Hialmar wrote:1984 Logging (I worked on that as well and on the 1984 log parser that Duck wrote but was never really used).

A while ago I asked our ARs to write up the specs of what their ideal logging system would be like. I don't think they've done much on it, but one thing I do know is that centrallize logging (hopefully via database) is their largest request. They said the biggest barrier to dealing with PGers or the like is actually getting a hold of the logs in the first place.

Hialmar wrote:Then maybe on the following tied systems:
Persistant reputation system
Rumor system

I'd definitely like to hear Baalster's thoughts on these.

I'd welcome Hialmar's assistance on Reputation and Rumor system.

Baalster

I'm trying to move quickly to an initial ACR release for the beta servers to start using. This will likely consist of a small hak, and an erf to import into your current build modules.

The hak will contain core resources and working code for the following systems:

-ALFA Spawn System (ASS? need a better acronym)
-ALFA Seamless ATs
-ALFA Resting rules / system
-ALFA PnP-style door scripts

Most of our "critical systems" above require some level of persistency handling, but those functions are still disabled until Obsidian gives us another patch or two, so this will at least allow linking of exterior areas, and population of areas with configurable spawns- commoner/merchant/placeables or actual hostiles.

Are there other things we /need/ to get into an early hak/ACR release?

Does this cover the creature-related stuff we talked about last night?

The ACR files to support the ABR creatures can be included as well, yes- I believe Cipher committed acf files for the NPC/Creature events last night if you want to use his for now. I think it makes sense to have the early hak support all the released ABR material (which should be Placeables and Creatures, by that point).

Not that I can think of. We're going to need to get the loot/xp system in place soon, since that's the next logical step beyond spawning creatures. That means creating the proper item blueprints and by extension, 2DAs.

I'm talking to rusty about the 2das now, I'll get some of them in with the first release, though some are still being debated in Standards.

I'll definitiely try to get item properties in, so builders can price things to be sold through static merchants properly (and more easily contribute to ABR items). It's likely that skills, ranges, and a few others will be in as well.