What tool do you use to assist?

[Abraxx]

What tools do you use to keep track of your scenario plot, puzzels, conversations and all their ramifications etc?

I assume the advanced scenario designers among you must have some little trick, tips and tools (like excel sheet etc)

at hand. Maybe you can share those here

 

cheers

Abraxx

[The Creator]

I use a Notepad file to keep track of SDFs. I scribble notes on a piece of paper when I'm in early planning stages.

 

Uh... that's about it.

[Drakefyre]

I use a paper notebook for ideas and things like that. For SDFs, I don't keep track of them at all.

[UA]

Notepad.

 

And writing IRL is extremely tiring for me. I'm just not used to it.

[The Creator]

And your scenario would be?

[Newtfeet]

In the event that I would write a scenario, I'd use TextEdit to keep track of states, dialog nodes and SDFs.

[Kelandon]

While I can hardly call myself an advanced scenario designer... I use Word to keep track of SDFs. I also use Word to edit scripts (but the default TextEdit to read them), and I use Photoshop and ResEdit to work with custom graphics.

 

Just for kicks, my SDF flag notes are in this format:

 

0 0 1 party has eaten the pie 2 party has eaten two pies 3 party has eaten three pies

0 1 1 party has entered Big Room

0 2 1 party has seen Big Monster 2 party has killed Big Monster

0 3 250 party has seen message in front of creepy altar

[Donald Hebb]

TextEdit.

 

If you really WANT, I could post up some of my scenarios' SDF lists.

[Eldiran]

I use a piece of paper to keep track of SDFs. Occasionally I use a pencil as well.

[Shyguy]

I have tons of notes on paper including lists of SDFs, names of all NPCs and their locations, lists of where all services are and prices, custom graphic sheets, lists of special items, special class items, detailed maps, timelines of history and events that have occured, and solutions to the harder puzzles (so I don't forget).

 

Of course, my scenarios are typically on the HUGE side, so most designers probably don't need all this.

[Donald Hebb]

I did most of those things for B2. I didn't need to keep track of shops, however, because there are so few in the scenario. I also didn't need to keep track of special items because I never "used" them- I gave them to the party for a cosmetic effect, but I only checked SDFs. I'm hardcore, baby.

[Drakefyre]

Yeah, I scribbled solutions to puzzles in RiB and promptly forgot how to read them. Eventually, though, I remembered.

[Milu]

I use an ancient program called Writenow 3 to keep track of SDFs. (It opens fast but it's more versatile than Textedit.) In my experience, keeping track of SDFs is vital if I use them more than three times (which I do...)

 

I've used Appleworks (the spreadsheet is similar to excel) to make a table of the Blades of Exile items. I use that when I need a lot of custom items and/or have to put a lot of items into a different order.

 

I scribble some notes on papers, too. Especially the general ideas in the beginning. And I map them. If the scenario making project is big, I draw a map of the more detailed plotline(s).

 

I also keep track of where spells and recipes are sold and other minor things, mostly ideas about what could be cool...

 

Some monster graphic sketches I've drawn on paper first. I use another ancient program, Superpaint 3, to make my custom graphics.

[The Creator]

Us: Drakefyre, you said that RiB was in alpha testing stage two years ago. What's going on?

 

Drakefyre: Well, I can't figure out how to get past this puzzle...