Localized pause

[HEEGZ]

A DM-Proximity pause would work great but is surely impossible.

I've wondered if it is possible for a DM to cast Time Stop for a localized pause. Maybe someone familiar with scripting could add a function/script to the DM wand or a DM item that casts Time Stop, and dispels it as well. Use a quickened version of Time Stop from wand or item to create a localized pause that is activated and deactivated via an item/script/spell... Would this be possible? I might experiment tonight with just casting the spell from a quick slot and dispelling it if possible.

The one thing I liked in ToEE over NWN was the turn based nature. Sometimes the real time combat and lag is detrimental, and RP suffers as there is no time to *emote* etc. if you are about to perma-die.

[ç i p h é r]

Not with NWN1, but what you can do is "freeze" all creatures within a specific radius from the spell caster. That will make it sufficiently "localized".

[Mulu]

The one thing I liked in ToEE over NWN was the turn based nature. Sometimes the real time combat and lag is detrimental, and RP suffers as there is no time to *emote* etc. if you are about to perma-die.

I knew a player who could emote during combat. He'd call almost every shot. I don't have the twitch or typing skills to pull that off.

[NickD]

If they repeated a lot, he may have had his emotes quickslotted.

[Mulu]

If they repeated a lot, he may have had his emotes quickslotted.

They didn't. Every one was unique, misspellings and all.

I, on the other hand, got jealous and tried quickslotting them, then decided they were dumb after awhile.

[dergon darkhelm]

If they repeated a lot, he may have had his emotes quickslotted.

They didn't. Every one was unique, misspellings and all.

I, on the other hand, got jealous and tried quickslotting them, then decided they were dumb after awhile.

I'm going to guess that this guy played a fighter type with either a very high AC or using expertise..............then it's just "left-click-on-the-bad-guy-and-emote-away"

[HEEGZ]

Not with NWN1, but what you can do is "freeze" all creatures within a specific radius from the spell caster. That will make it sufficiently "localized".

So you have an idea how to do this? Definitely sounds promising, at least for an option anyways.

[Brokenbone]

I don't like the idea much, while it fits solo play, it doesn't, to my mind, fit multiplayer.

If partymates are okay with the realtime nature of RP, but one PC has to pause the game to really RP well... well, judge whether the disruption is outweighed by the RP about to take place. If my game gets paused, it better be because Shakespeare is about to speak, not *grunts, chops* is about to get emoted. Again, part of the perils of real time, but the advantage is that everyone is on the same playing field.

I guess also on the trust thing, people would have to be sure that the pause was really for RP. No rearranging of inventory, no queueing up next five combat moves, basically, no exploiting. Unfortunately, ALFA is of such a size that you're going to constantly end up meeting folks you haven't regularly gamed with... not everyone is going to give each other the benefit of the doubt, if people see (or worse, hear rumours) of "pause abuse", well, it just makes things unpleasant. Why implement something almost guaranteed to cause controversy?

...

On point of combat emoting, I do it all the time. Play a fighter, I think about five quickslots are at all times devoted to things that are battle appropriate (two battlecries, some kind of *swinging / advancing* move, some kind of *sprint, armor clanking*, and sometimes, if partied with fragile folks, a "Fall back! Fall back!") I mix them up every couple of weeks, slight variations. If in a struggle that doesn't look life and death, I'm willing to sacrifice a few hit points for real quick typing (i.e., a pack of orcs are unlikely to gut my PC, so I can probably manage a *swings overhand* "Yield, pigblood!" and be little the worse for wear).

Granted, casters probably have much more vital need for quickslot real estate, but hey... stay in the back where you can cast and emote in peace

[Ronan]

Not with NWN1, but what you can do is "freeze" all creatures within a specific radius from the spell caster. That will make it sufficiently "localized".

So you have an idea how to do this? Definitely sounds promising, at least for an option anyways.

Its possible, but I'm 90% sure if interferes with combat rounds, initiative, etc.

[HEEGZ]

I was thinking along the lines of DM use, not for PCs. Right now pausing is a global affair. Just curious if it's possible to pause the local map and not the whole server.

[Fionn]

Short answer: No.

Verbose: No, but we *could* simulate it by freezing all N/PCs in the area, then selectively unfreezing in a cycle. No way I know of to make sure the right number of attacks occur per cycle though. It also drastically favors casters, and likely hurts archers. We could do this, but I doubt any coder will take the time, nor any HDM will want it.

If a DM really wanted to simulate this, I'd just remove all scripts from the mobs, then have PCs take turns with NPCs manually controlled by the DM.

[JspecWip]

When I think of making combat Rp i don't really mean Emotes... I mean more of a tactical PNP style of combat over the click fest ping wars we have now.

Example.

A small party is faced with a single foe that could overwhelm them say a much higher level caster. As is now the fighter can try to get in close and get AoOp's on em the rouge could flank and a mage could try to counter spell but the level disparity will still see them all dead.

Where as in PNP or if we actually RP'd combat the fighter could grapple the caster thus he can't cast at all the rouge/cleric could jump on as well and they could subdue/overwhelm the PC. The same could happen to PC's as well by a mob of goblins....thus all those 1/2 CR's actually pose a threat to high level characters.

You could jump on a table or rock, actually hide behind a tree all kinds of things that aren't possible due to the game engine. I know this would slow combat down but the combat that does happen would be much more memorable and this would only happen in DM run events so people that like the thrill of "real" time combat still have it when they aren't being DM'd or if their Dm doesn't want to run combat in this way.

I also don't see stacking combat actions in que as "Cheating" because you can do it now even if you are quick enough, and this also basically only shows planing in a PC's actions much like what happens in PNP. Talking is a free action after all.......

[Dorn]

While i see your points i think we need to be realistic.

We are playing a computer game 1st, and DnD a close 2nd.

If we want the full flexibility of being able to do anything like you describe above the only way i can see it happening is if there is mods made for single small parties alone. In a PW where we may have many people around it just wouldn't really work.

Could you imnagine how long an adventure would take if we went down this path? It would take hours longer than we have. And with people around the world staying up late or getting up early to join in it would make it far harder for them to get involved.

I think we should take the game engine we have, the limitations we have and play the closest to DnD that we can. But we shouldn't expect it to be the same as DnD as no game has the capacity to replicate the huge range of choices that we can use our minds to imagine and play out when speaking to each other.

....we dont even have a jump command to leap from the ground walkmesh onto a table/rock...

[JspecWip]

An adventure wouldn't really take longer, what you see as an adventure would change there would only be 1 or 2 "fights" in this type of play in a given adventure, much more like PnP. Thus the fights take longer but the adventure isn't just combat, its an adventure.

A localized system, either using time stop or something else would remove the global pause effect so other people would be free to do as they will if not envolved in the DM run session.

This type of system would be local and come very close to simulating PNP as long as the DM and players both know thier rules. Also I don't see it having a huge effect on other players, or being a huge pain if timestop is capable of doing it.....*now only to find a DM who will run such a campaign....*

THere is a jump action that will move your PC, its an additional animation. You can jump streams, or down a cliff....I've not tried to jump on a rock or a table yet....

[Dorn]

I'm aware of the jump animation.
What i mean is that all these actions you might do are limited by the game engine and the single layer walkmesh and the feats and skills available to us.

It isn't DnD as they (nwn) appreciated that DnD is far too massive to include every option that you can have.

As i said I appreciate your point of liking this.

However i have never found the current way of playing to reduce my ability to RP. Sure every nuance and action in battle can't be played out...but, as you've pointed out, battles are a small part of things and the intereaction between characters and with NPCs and with the story leads to better RP that is enhanced by short battles rather then reduced by having to spend 30mins of a 2 hour gaming session on a fight rather than 5minutes.

I would severely dislike this system. I enjoy adventures that range through miles and miles of hostile country. Having battle after battle that drives you to the very point of exhaustion and where your resources are spent. I also equally enjoy those where there is next to no battle involved, where guile or intimidation are the name of the game and the end result is different..

Most of all i like the adventures that involve both. Or the quests that involve the 2nd for the most sessions on the lead up until the finale where heavy battle is needed to fight to rescue the damsel in distress. And i'd hate to be limited to only the second type.

Pausing and going through each individuals (and each NPCs/Mnsters) actions for a party of say 8 would take too long a time for my money time.