The Loquacious Lord Grimm

Okay, let's talk practicality.

I do know that we can utilize calls to check PC stats.

What if one created a tag or several tags using skills that can't be trained in, or the skills that require base skills to train in?

In essence, a combination key of skills, with a different key generated from the different sub-scenarios?

One could potentially manipulate the key, of course, but why would one want to, if they wanted to play corectly?

 

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The Silent Assassin knows more than the Shadow.

I'd had an idea very similar to Dintiridan's, myself.

However, instead of extracting singletons, i figured the player would just select the character to be affected by each story at the start of the scenario.

Do it with a "choose a character" or "separate active character" type thing (I'm not in the mood to look up actual calls). I mean, TM kept the first character separate in Mad Ambition.

 

Each scenario trains a different class of PC, so there would have to be quite a few sub-stories. Then the party is "united" in a larger scenario, where the player doesn't have to chose; it just starts automatically. In order to keep the characters in separate scenarios, one might be able to use items (gifts or rewards, perhaps?) from the other scenarios as markers. One could then potentially use the same items to create a story recap in the big scenario.

 

To be honest, this is merely speculation.

But it does sound cool.

 

EDIT: Post 250!

 

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The Silent Assassin made a point of making known that his new crossbow invention is a brilliant success.

Of course, this was after he had managed to destroy every piece of furniture in the Living Room.

Jeff has already made it quite clear that he is not making any Vahnatai PCs.

 

And changing the plot depending on difficulty levels, though novel as it sounds, also sounds ridiculously overly complex to program.

 

You know wha I'd like to see in Avernum 5?

Something I didn't expect!

 

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The Silent Assassin is running around, doing steam locomtive impressions.

Which is quite odd looking, him being silent and all...

If you don't use clear or import, then the program automatically imports the previous item.

 

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The Silent Assassin just came in from pitching a no-hitter.

I suppose that not having anyone for whom to actually pitch the ball would help that stat.

For those of you who like color swatches, the Silent Assassin and I present a few of the graphics from his scenario (in progress ad infintam).

 

These are all customizations of original blades graphics, with exception of the archer, who was originally thrown together by NecrisOmega and then hue shifted and chair swapped by myself.

 

 

and this one is just a preview of the prototypes for a few of the characters from said scenario.

These, oddly enough, are also customizations of original blades graphics.

 

 

EDIT: Accidentally linked to the thumbnails and not the actual pictures.

 

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The Silent Assassin roundhouse kicked Chuck Norris.

Or so he claims.

Something I've found effective for keeping me on target (and the same for Sicarius) is having a scenario outline or flowchart written out before I even begin design, covering the plot and noting key events and characters (extremely useful for mapping how the plot changes if "Choices" need to be made). I use this as a core for my scenario, almost like a mission statement. When in doubt or conflict, I refer back to this core diagram.

Granted, I have allotted for the ability to change the core process, if I have a really good idea or something.

I also use the same concept for side quests.

 

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The Silent Assassin would like to point out that he is not, in fact, mute; simply silent.

I haven't heard anything to prove it, though.

Okay, folks. Lord Grimm finally caves and starts his first topic.

 

The conundrum is as follows:

 

I am trying to create a terrain of a cage.

Yes, seemingly simple enough. Jeff supplies a very nice cage in VoDT. (a)

But.

I would like to alter the cage so that a character can walk on the space and appear as though inside of the cage. (

Originally, I thought I might be able to split the cage into two graphics (c,d) and layer them through various te_second_icon commands, including cutaways.

Alas, all of the graphics appear behind the character. (e)

 

 

I cannot create custom graphics of all of the monsters in cages, as I don't have enough room in my terrain list to do so.

I would also rather like to allow party members to walk through the cages.

 

I can use a different graphic if I must, but I want to see if there's something that I'm missing.

 

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The Silent Assassin is happy that I finally started a topic.

Next thing you know, he'll have me spamming.

Ah, yes. I remember that one quite well.

"Friends don't let friends watch kung fu movies"

 

If you go all the way through the monastery and enter the testing chamber, there is a secret passage on the left-hand wall, I believe.

I don't remember if you have to beat the test first.

 

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The Silent Assassin is upset because no one is giving him credit for his work in dreanged subterfuge.

I thought that getting no credit was the idea.

I could be wrong.

You're missing at least one.

"Eas Ter Egg".

 

There was just a topic on it.

 

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The Silent Assassin has insisted upon haste, so as to be the first to respond to this, and thus is not communicating any strange factoids, personal revalations, or witticisms.

Whatever.

WHERE?? AHHH!
-flees in panic-

Oh, wait... nm...

In seriousness, I don't think that there's anything wrong with incorporating evolving technologies into the world of Avernum (saltpeter cannons, etc.).
We just need to make sure that we keep our developments in line, lest Ermarian go through an unprecedented industrial revolution.

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The Silent Assassin is thinking of changing his dress style to something a bit more modern.
I have told him on several occasions that pink bunny slippers are not the way to go.

I got one of those shareware disks back in like 1997-98-ish. I discovered Exile 2 on there in about late 2000, and finally found the website (and the other games) in 2002.

I didn't actually play (or register) the Avernum games until about two years ago.

 

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The Silent Assassin believes that he has broken a dimensional barrier and is now living in an alternate reality.

I believe that he needs to stop reading Lewis Carrol's poetry for a bit.

Yes, it works the exact same way.

I think that my largest terrian sheet is at five rows at this point.

 

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The Silent Assassin has taken to disecting electronic hardware for stress relief. He says it is helping to cure his insatiable lust for knowledge that will assist in deranged subterfuge.

I want to know when he's going to put the kitchen back together.

For those who care:

I posted the next section.

Perhaps it will ease your concerns. Perhaps it will heighten them.

 

I post it now, because it has been written. I cannot guaruntee that the next part in sequence will come as quickly, as it is not yet written.

 

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The Silent Assassin has been rather quiet lately.

Then again...

Well... I finally gave in and posted the first chapter. Call it a teaser.

Maybe having an active audience will force me to finish the stupid thing.

Of course, in the scheme of things, my Blades scenario takes precedence.

 

My not-so-original story can be found here , waiting to be read and criticized (not that there is much there right now to be criticized).

I quake in fear.

 

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The Silent Assassin is pleased to note that you have accepted his challenge to duel with bananna peels.

The contest begins right now. Watch your feet.

It's a Compaq (ugh) running XP SP2.

 

But I think the problem was a combination of errors with Geocities and my LAN's firewall.

I can get to the other pages now.

 

And again I say, pretty sweet.

 

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The Silent Assassin once considered a career change from deranged subterfuge to professional cooking and catering.

The response from his customers changed his mind back very quickly.

Sometimes plot can be a good device to get a party going. But it has to be a good plot.

 

New toys for destruction and spells and money are always good motivators, so long as the player believes that enduring the plot is worth the reward, and in an RP sense, the characters believe that getting through the plot is worth the reward (though the plot is, as I said, sometimes its own reward).

If you can find the right balance between motivation for goods and motivation for skill points and the right balance of combat and exploration and expostition (three-way-balance), you should be able to lead your audience through your story with no problems.

Although leading them on with flashy technical stuff and hints of or using a few cool items definitely helps.

 

Me, I'm a sucker for a well-written cutscene, if it enhances the exposition properly.

 

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The Silent Assassin has decided that he will create an Item so powerful that anyone who wields it will most definitely overcome any obstacle placed before him.

He will then use this Item to destroy France, Canada, Khasakstan, and Ohio, after looting them of all things of monetary and historical value.

What I want to know is what he holds against Khasakstan.

You may also want to experiment, if you have the software capabilities, with creating a custom terrain set using a /semitransparent, masked overlay of the floor/ overtop of the hill terrain to create the appearance of texture.

(slashes added for clarity)

One can generally do this sort of thing in a photo-editing program that allows for layers.

Granted, such programs are rarely free.

 

I may go try it, just to see what kind of results I can get.

 

Mab: Can you check to make sure that your links are directed properly? I can't get anything but the floors and terrain section to come up.

But what I did see was pretty awesome.

May I recommend submitting some of it to The Louvre ?

 

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The Silent Assassin is glad to have me back to speak for him after a week's sabbatical.

I was glad for the quiet, myself.

Have you been to the control panel yet? If not, that should make things obvious.

 

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The Silent Assassin has made it clear that if he is elected, the beatings will be reduced in intensity.

Well, to answer the thing about novels, I'm writing something based on Exile (Avernum) 2 in my spare time.

I'm doing the second installment , because it's the only one that is really plot-based; though I've considered using the same characters in a version of third installment.

 

I haven't posted what I have written anywhere yet because I want to kinda post it in order, and in installments, and, well, the prologue isn't done.

I have a host account at my school, which I'll be using for a few years yet.

Though I do have a paid account and domain with GoDaddy web hosting that I'm only using for e-mail at the moment.

 

Problem is, I havent finished designing the LL section of the site, so it's not really worth bothering you guys to see it.

 

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The Silent Assassin would like it announced that his birthday is next week. He expects expensive gifts from all of you. Large strings of pearls are acceptable.

While we're on the topic of porting utilities...

 

Is anyone porting the dialogue editor to windows?

 

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The Silent Assassin appreciates the fact that you all nominated him for Best Supporting Actor.

(Just let him stay deluded. trust me.)

I suppose we'd all love something new.

Even if I never registered BoE.

Go ahead, I can be a sounding board.

 

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The Silent Assassin would like to make it known that he regrets the last time that he allowed me to say that.

I don't know what he's going on about. All that I said was that fish and kangaroos really don't belong together.

Simply posting every day, Dikiyoba?

I have been a member of these forums for 39 days at this point, and average a little more than 1.25 posts per day.

By my count, you have been on these forums 24 days longer than I have, and you have about nine times as many posts as I do.

Cheating, no.

But one must admit, it is a little... interesting...

I would like to suggest that you check your entire script for that missing semicolon. Depending on what text editor you're using, line 38 according to BoA may not be line 38 according to your editor.

The most common unhandled exceptions in Windows that I have encountered occured when someone accidentally used windows, doors, and such in a wall terrain that doesn't have them. But that exception has some "s"s in it, unfortunately.

 

Although I think I may have seen that particular exception when I first played through Bassikava, trying to access the final floor of the dragon's lair. I had to reinstall the scenario to get it working. I never figured out what caused it.

 

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The Silent Assassin told me once that he dreams of one day ruling the cosmos. I have yet to figure out quite what he was getting at.