The Path of Chaos Multiplayer RPG (Save/Load)

[Gausslander]

That sounds easy as pie.

 

[L2love]

Ya a lot of that is easy terrain wise the harder part is keeping import size small when it comes to terraining because if you want it HQ it's hard to not have to go over 1MB.

 

[Nestharus]

Eh, tiles that are like 60kb look fine to me >.>.

So far, map's like 1.2 megs and we have many, many, many models. With the added texture, it'll prob be about 2.4 megs (20 custom tiles).

 

[Adiktuz]

and you could always compress textures without sacrificing much quality...

 

[Nestharus]

precisely, that's what I've been doing =P

 

[L2love]

Then my bad. Also how many imports have you added as of now?

 

[Nestharus]

around 400.

So about.. 1 meg of imports.

 

[Nestharus]

All righty...

updated team listing to show everyone currently on the team.

removed synopsis (since it sucked), but put up a background story =).


At the moment we have a writer working on the intro.

We now need 2D artists not only for tiles, not only for cartography, but for concept art as well. Oh, the humanity D:


But at least we now have 3 terrainers ^^, wooo!


Also, even if you think you aren't good enough for the project, please apply anyways. Just show us your previous work and we'll figure out if there's a good spot for you or not.

You don't have to be that great at JASS for a JASS position =P.


Also, we might need someone who knows Java, c#, or c++ for an app we need. I don't have the time to write it myself >.<.

 

[InfernalTater]

I can create very small attachment models for you. I have created attachments with less than 1 KB file size; I'm the master of low file sizes!
I won't be making incredibly visually epic attachments, as that is a waste of file size. My attachments have quality and style to blend in with Warcraft III, and a tiny file size to make them import efficiently.
I am also very good with terrain, if you want help with that too.
I'm good with triggers but it seems you've already got that covered.
I won't be dedicated to your project on a daily basis, as I'm already making things for myself and many other people, but you can toss a request at me for an attachment or item every now and then and I'll tell you if I feel like making it!
I can also make 2-D art, if you really need it. I don't have any wonderful programs; just me, no training, a computer pen, and the paint brush tool. As for the models, I use vertexmodify, War3ModelEditor, and notepad...

 

[Nestharus]

Sound great, just give me a bit to get you all situated with the team. Today's been kind of a busy day for me ^)^. I'm still busy actually, might end up staying up all night to get this thingie mabob done =P.

How does tomorrow sound? =)

 

[InfernalTater]

Sounds fine, I'm not dieing while I wait to make models.

 

[Nestharus]

Ok, so after taking some more looks at the writing, it turns out we need a lot more writers >.>.

The only active write we have is struggling a lot with this stuff since english isn't his native language =).

We're really looking for quality:
culture, history, folklore, daily life, etc..

so if anyone enjoys writing, come aboard and you can help define an entire world.

Apparently we are in even more dire need of cartographers than before... in the process of writing, you should create maps, so this is where cartographers would come into play.

It may seem like a lot of work, but this would really help define a major high quality game ;D.

 

[InfernalTater]

I do write, but I'm not sure what you're asking. You want a damn book for your map or something? Doesn't seem to hard to write if I'm just making an intro and quest text, etc. If that's what you're asking, I suppose I can do it, but you need to tell me the theme you want my text to focus around. If you want a book, I don't think I have the patience

 

[Nestharus]

Well...

for every area, we need background, folklore, history, culture, daily life, and etc... so that's just lots of documents on each area so that we know the people there.

This also includes climate and landscape.

From there, the actual writing (story) is akin to a novel : ).

If it was simply what you thought it was, our current writer wouldn't be struggling so much =P.

He's spent like 1.5 weeks figuring out the intro ;D

 

[InfernalTater]

No offense, but if there's that much writing, do you really think the average impatient asshat on BNet will read any of it? I'll help, though, just send me a theme and instructions, let me see areas, etc, and I'll do some writing and send it your way. If you don't like it, toss it, if you do, great!

 

[Nestharus]

It won't be in the actual map, it's purely for map development ; )

We are working to avoid any cinematic scenes or dialog.

 

[InfernalTater]

Cinematic screens are okay. Asshats watch movies all the time, they just don't know how to read!

 

[Nestharus]

Yea, but they are annoying... it's better to have live action cinematics where players are part of the action ; ).

see, here's where we currently are on for the intro (the writer is still struggling with it)

visualize the coast of the island
 where the village is
 like an inlet
 the beach arcs out across the entire island
 and the village is somewhere along that
 it's dark
 but not so dark as to be pitch black
 water seems like oil under the shining moon
waves lapsing gently against the beach
 in the village can be seen little dancing flames
 torches so that people can see
 they are a poor people, living in shacks and what not
the waves begin to turn more violent, the foaming along the coast line rickling and crackling
 as though something from the deepest depths of the ocean was stirring
 splashes off the coast, then greater waves
 something long then came out of the ocean, its slimy slick skin glistening as it let out a long hiss
screams could be heard from the depths of the ocean
 the village began to awake, shutters opening and people peering out to see what was the commotion
 and there it was, a giant sea serpent, raging tumultously towards the village, letting out hisses and spraying water as it came
 shadows could be seen about the water surrounding it
 fleeting about quickly, sharply
the main character wakes up to screams and shouts
and sees smoke coming in from the shudders of his window
 one of the walls breaks down as a body is flung straight into his home

That is a very quick description I wrote for the writer as his inspiration : o.

We're still trying to get something solid =).

Btw, I consider what I wrote up there to be really bad.

 

[InfernalTater]

It's lower case. And it's written like poetry... Thought you said this was a description, some background writings, not literature o.o
I'd like to see the map itself, hard to write stories or descriptions for it without knowing what it looks like, y'know?

 

[Nestharus]

Terrainers sadly need the story etc before they can terrain =).

And that writing I put up was from a conversation where I was trying to get the writer to imagine the scene >.>. I actually cnp'd that out from the msn conversation ;D

When we can get the intro up, then everyone else on the team (excluding system designers) can get to work >.<.

 

[InfernalTater]

Uh... Don't really need a story to make terrain... Just simply make an area that you like, and then the story can be made to fit it. It's much easier to make a story to fit a place than to make a place to fit a story.

 

[Nestharus]

we're doing story, then terrain.


it may be harder, but it allows us to define the game to be exactly what we want it to be =)

 

[InfernalTater]

By more difficult I don't just mean harder, I mean pointless. If you make a story and then the terrain, the terrain won't match the story perfectly. It simply won't have the same feel of the story. You can make a story to match anything, but the terrain will match the style the terrainer gives it, which simply can't be exactly the same as the story the terrain is modeled after. Stories are flexibly made, but dry to be hardened and unchangeable to match any change in terrain.

 

[Adiktuz]

I guess a good terrainer can make his terrain based on a story setting...

 

[InfernalTater]

Adiktuz, the better a terrainer is, the more his own personal style shows in his terrain, and the easier it is to make a story based on the terrain, rather than terrain based on a story. It is not difficult to make a story to match any sort of terrain, and so it would work better to make a good looking terrain of any sort and then make a story to explain why your terrain looks that way.
If you make your terrain based on a story, you are limited. If you make your story based on a terrain, you are guided.

 

[Arcisal]

I'm up for writing. Just depends though, what is it for? Is it for plot? Or background? And is there a theme?

 

[Nestharus]

Plot primarily =).

The writing sort of defines the areas and so on ; p. For example, we're writing up the opening chapter so that we know how to terrain it and what to do =).

Writing is sort of our planning ;P.

 

[Arcisal]

So you want a short but descriptive essay (or not) on one area which includes people, history, cluture etc. etc? How many areas are there?

And what about the plot? Can I base it of my own imagination or do you give me a theme and a setting? If so, what is it?

 

[Nestharus]

for each area in the game, areas being cities/villages/kingdoms/ w/e

There should be a report on that areas-
people
history
culture
folklore

etc

There are many, many araes


As for the plot (the actual story, gameplay progression), there is an actual basic outline set out. Read the background story for some idea of what led up to this.

If you want to be a part of the team, I can let you in on more of the story and get you working with the other writers ^)^.

 

[Arcisal]

Alright. Sure mate. Just PM me what areas there are and the background story.

Have the other writers done anything so far? If so could you please send what they've done? And who are they?

PS. Is there a map? It would help to gain a better understanding of what you're asking for in certain areas.

 

[Arcisal]

Alright. Sure mate. Just PM me what areas there are and the background story.

Have the other writers done anything so far? If so could you please send what they've done? And who are they?

PS. Is there a map? It would help to gain a better understanding of what you're asking for in certain areas.

 

[Nestharus]

The terrain is coming after the story =P, so while there is a map, it's empty.

->Have the other writers done anything so far? If so could you please send what they've done? And who are they?

They've redone what they did and are still redoing. They are listed in team members. See main project thread.

 

[Arcisal]

I meant map as in cartographic map. Not file map. Lol.

 

[Nestharus]

Oh... no cartographers on the team at this time, but even then, those maps will be based on story =).

edit
Ok.. because I'm getting tired of waiting on these writers, we are now going to start terrain on the first area >: O.

woooooo, woooo

I personally only have like 5 more systems I need to code (1 to update, 4 to code), so I'm taking my sweet time with them . Maybe I could get others to code the 4 and just review it ;D.

Anyways, terrain screenshots should help get other people to join methinks ; ).

edit
Just wrote this up to try and describe the island (changed it around, added some fantasy aspects, etc). Also changed intro around a bit more, but who knows, it could be improved =)

again, I'm not that great of a writer >.>.

 

[dizzt]

Hey, Jackal said you were looking for artists. I'll be glad to help. Just msg me on what you'll need.

 

[rysnt11]

I see this thread, and did you searching fpr a terrainer?
If you are, then could i join?

 

[Nestharus]

I see this thread, and did you searching fpr a terrainer?
If you are, then could i join?

Can I possibly see some of your previous advanced playable terrain work? : )

If you don't have any (by advanced, something like a terrained ship), would you be willing to do a small bit of concept terrain so that I can see how good you are?

A lot of the terraining that'll be done in the map is pretty advanced ^)^.

 

[rysnt11]

I'll make them after school (about 3 or 4 pm, gmt +7)

 

[ragingspeedhorn]

If you still need a writer I'd be up for it. I make my living writing as a journalist on two danish websites (plus freelancing here and there), so I've got a lot of experience in the field. Though my english isn't as strong as my danish I know good from bad and how to string together a good and tight narrative. I've also always wanted to do an ORPG.

 

[Nestharus]

Ah sounds sweet =).

Could I see an example of your work ^)^.

 

[ragingspeedhorn]

I don't exactly have anything in English, but I could link you to the two sites I work for if you need proof of my claims.

Edit: If that isn't enough, what else would you require to start off with?

 

[Nestharus]

How about just writing a 3 paragraph thingie, something that might only take you 5-10 minutes =).

The first paragraph should focus on details, perhaps notes to gameplay or w/e. The second paragraph should be in something of an outline, like first players are here, then they are there. The third paragraph should be more like a story that you find in a novel ^)^.

Tx ;D

edit
This is actually an RPG, multiplayer online save/load =). Trying to do a lot of interesting things with this, but I think one of the biggest strong suits for RPGs are the stories, which is what ends up making ORPGs so weak as compared to RPGs ^)^. But then again, wc3 RPGs have so far kind of failed since they require you play through the entire story in one sitting and so on. In this, I'm hoping to take more of a Diablo 2 approach since that seems to be about the best way to do an online multiplayer RPG game ; )

Of course, it should be semi open, like Final Fantasy, where the players can still wander the world. The Oblivion approach of a main story + do w/e you like seems rather flimsy to me, but it does quite well for allowing players to wander and what not.

 

[ragingspeedhorn]

Story

Internal monologue: Dawn of a new day. The beginning of a new life. As the sun rises so shall I rise from the ashes of my former self. No longer a slave to others, no longer a peasent to be used and abused. While I've sworn to protect the king, the king has shown time and time again that we, the people, are nothing but servants with no value. I will no longer waste my life away serving others. As god is my witness I shall take what is rightfully mine, for my destiny is clear to me now. I am the true messiah, and I shall enslave this land and show the king, the people, the beasts and the critters who is the one being truely fit to rule all of Whateverlandia. The day of reckoning is coming - the world shall be mine to rule or no one shall see the sun rise once more.

Details - I guess this is the environment my story takes place in?

As the internal monologue starts off you see the shadow of a caped man standing on a hill, watching the sunrise (you see him from the back). The camera slowly zooms in from afar. As it progress the camera stops zooming in and slowly starts turning instead. As it finishes turning all the way around, so we now see his front (still a shadow) the monologue is about to end. The reckoning part comes and when that ends we now see the character fully, like a dramatic end. True evil revealed, etc.

Start setup

The camera goes to regular bird view and you gain control of the caped man - the protagonist. You then have only one path to go, which is back down the hill through a forrest. Forward is not an option as that is a steep way down, so you'd fall to your death. On the way down this'd function as a tutorial encountering an easy monster, having help text pop up etc. etc. As you reach the end of the beginner tutorial, so you reach the town entrance and the real game can begin.

-----

All of this ofc. doesn't relate at all to the map. Just made it up on the spot.