A Few Initial (Sort Of ) Problems

[Picnic Pandemonium]

Hey there, I've played the avernum and geneforge games for a while now though I'm having a few problems now(both game related and otherwise). Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

1. I can't download any scenarios from avernum.com, any other sources or workarounds to this problem.

2. Tips for starting to learn avernumscript

3. I forgot my BoA scenario idea though I'm pretty sure there's nothing you can do about that.

 

Edit: Right, I forgot to mention one other thing. I've been wondering if there any guidelines towards avernum lore (like how the vanhatai don't storm from out of the underworld, sadistically brutalizing any humans that they may meet).

[Nioca]

1. Try TrueSite, Shadowvale Scenario Database, or The Blades Forge.

 

2. Take it slow. Make sure to play Nine Variations on Point B, and look at the scripts as you go along to get an idea of what's going on. Keep the BoA Editor Appendicies open as you go, so to look up calls and see their function. Also at least skim through the Avernumscript section of the BoA Editor Instructions. A full, thorough reading isn't necessary, so long as you grasp the basics. Finally, after playing a scenario, open up the scripts for it to see how things were done. One last piece of advice: start simple. I cannot emphasize this strongly enough. Don't try to make Special Spells, Cutscenes, or other fancy things off the bat; keep it constrained to simpler things.

 

Hope that helps.

 

AMEND: In response to your edit, I suggest Encyclopedia Ermariana. It has a lot of useful lore.

[Picnic Pandemonium]

Coincidentally, I just found and downloaded "9 Variations on Point B".

 

Revision: In response to your amend, I say with much joy,"Thanks!".

[Kelandon]

w00t 9Var.

 

In other news, also check out the (somewhat dated) Designer FAQ and the Links on my page.

[Picnic Pandemonium]

Ummm....yeah, sorry to burst your bubble, but I read everything of use on your site weeks ago. I liked the thing on the slith language in particular.

[Guest Anonymous]

Special Spell? are you saying that BOA lets you make new spells? or are you simply talking about walking over a node and "casting" something?

 

BTW: I say node because I have only ever used BOE, and i dunno what they call it in BOA.

[Niemand]

A 'special spell' in BoA refers to either a special ability or an item with an ability used to simulate a spell. As I recall before releasing BoA Jeff made a lame excuse that custom spells would be too difficult for designers to use well, with good balance and so forth, when it seems far more likely that it was too difficult for him to include in the engine without undue delay.

[nikki.]

Yeah, but we've made work arounds. as Niemand has said.

 

Also, download Settlers, by TM. It has a really useful guide to scenario making included, which prolly shouldn't be followed to the letter, but may be helpful.

[Kelandon]

"Burst your bubble"? That's certainly a weird way of expressing that thought. (Though if you had actually read everything on my site, you'd have had an answer to #1 already. And to the last question you added on.)

 

In other news, I've come to the conclusion that special spells are virtually mandatory for a halfway decent scenario that's larger than a couple of towns. The default BoA system is not very interesting otherwise.

[Enraged Slith]

I disagree, it really just depends on the combat. Combat in BoA tends to grow really dull to anyone who's played the game as long as most of us have and I've come to the conclusion that the only fun combat is scripted combat. Even then, ambushes and the like are lessened by the fact that most people can save and load, which is already a neccesity whenever you die.

 

EDIT: I think the important thing is, whenever you're designing, make a goal for each hostile encounter. Then design a certain obstacle for each encounter that the player must overcome (i.e enclosed space/difficult terrain (ala Echoes: Renegade barricade fight), swarm of many monsters (ala Adrift skeleton swarm), etc.)