To Infinity, and BEYOND! NW-DSQ39N5SJ

torontodave

Tags: Spelljammer, SciFi, Skyships, Space Pirates, Mindflayers, Indiana Jones, Star Trek, Firefly

This is quest [1 of 4] of my Spelljammer Space Western. Quest two can be found here.

- Meet your crew members
- Learn about the missing Drake expedition
- Travel the skies on a skyship!

This quest has combat, sound fx triggers, 5 hidden chests, some light parkour, unique items, secret rooms, and NPCs with names that might sound familiar. =D

This quest is open for review! Please post your comments!

From wikipedia

Spelljammer introduced into the AD&D universe a comprehensive system of fantasy astrophysics, including the Ptolemaic concept of crystal spheres. Crystal spheres may contain multiple worlds and are navigable using ships equipped with "spelljamming helms". Ships powered by spelljamming helms are capable of flying into not only the sky but into space. With their own fields of gravity and atmosphere, the ships have open decks and tend not to resemble the spaceships of science fiction, but instead look more like galleons, animals, birds, fish or even more wildly fantastic shapes.

Alien races inhabiting the Spelljammer universe included humans, dwarves, xenophobic beholders, rapacious neogi, militant giff (humanoid hippopotami), centaurlike dracons, hubristic elf armadas, spacefaring orcs called "scro", mysterious arcane, the Thri-kreen insectoids, and bumbling tinker gnomes. Illithids were another major race, but were presented as more mercantile and less overtly evil than in other D&D settings.

From "The Complete Spacefarer's Handbook"

Toril and Realmspace
Realmspace is the crystal sphere that contains Toril. The people of Toril are tolerant of travelers and new ideas, making Realmspace a common stop for traders and a base for adventurers.

Spacefarers trade with lizard men and aarakocra on Coliar, as well as with various civilizations on Toril itself. In addition, nearly all spacefaring species maintain a base within the Tears of Selune, a cluster of asteroids that follows in orbit behind Toril's single moon.

Of all the peoples of Toril, only the Shou in eastern Kara-Tur have established an active expeditionary spelljamming force. Shou dragonships are increasingly common in the spacelanes, although their presence tends to wax and wane with the political status of those advisors who press the Emperor for increased space exploration.

torontodave

- added a bunch of new invisible walls to keep players inbound.

Starting work on Quest #2 of the campaign soon, so this is your best chance to help me beta-test Quest #1!


[after republishing my bug fixes, do I lose all my positive reviews? I had no reviews today! =X =X]

melinden

If you deleted the old copy then yes, the reviews went with it. Editing a pre-existing copy shouldn’t change reviews.

I like the addition of the Lawful and Chaotic labels on the dialogue, I think players used to Dragon Age and such with like that.

The ship interior is great, the new additions are also great and very funny. The changes to the quest are all improvements and I think you do very good detail work.

torontodave

Thanks so much!!

Hm, no i was editing an existing copy, Reviews showed up again thismorning, no worries. =D

I really liked the [Lawful] and [Chaotic] dialog options.. I was really trying to get a good/evil choice thing going, when I realized that it didn't need to be good/evil, because Lawful characters sound rigid (good or evil), and Chaotic characters sound bonkers (good or evil). So yeah, I'm really a fan of those dialog trees.

The next chapter will have even more.. including Looping dialog boxes! (thanks to mosby1 for the 'DM's Studio' quest, AWESOME learning foundry for authors.) Started work on it yesterday. ;D

torontodave

First round of reviews =D

tipadaknife

My video review is ----> here. Just started playing with Twitch.tv.

I don't like being forced to drink myself drunk. I am a non-drinker IRL and so are my characters. I liked the "Lawful" and "Chaotic" responses, but they didn't seem to influence anything. In the ship, the first ladder is surrounded by invisible walls until, apparently, I clicked on everything. That was a little frustrating. After climbing a ladder, it's just sticking out of the deck, which is weird.

I expected something more from Wesley...

I didn't find any Intrepid Explorer badges I didn't know I was supposed to be looking for them!

Wasn't sure whether the two skyships had ever met each other before. We kill a dead Captain Drake -- but isn't the ship we came in on, The Drake? Filled with Observer's Guild loot? Yet I read a journal from the other captain which claimed the Observers were the enemy... so confused!

Anyway, I gave it four stars. Maps were really well done. I was a little unhappy I couldn't just push mobs off the edge.... invisible walls....

If you feel like giving any of mine a shot, I could use more plays on The Crypt of Befallen or Crushbone's Revenge.

Thanks!

torontodave

tipadaknife wrote: »

My video review is ----> here. Just started playing with Twitch.tv.

I don't like being forced to drink myself drunk. I am a non-drinker IRL and so are my characters. I liked the "Lawful" and "Chaotic" responses, but they didn't seem to influence anything. In the ship, the first ladder is surrounded by invisible walls until, apparently, I clicked on everything. That was a little frustrating. After climbing a ladder, it's just sticking out of the deck, which is weird.

I expected something more from Wesley...

I didn't find any Intrepid Explorer badges I didn't know I was supposed to be looking for them!

Wasn't sure whether the two skyships had ever met each other before. We kill a dead Captain Drake -- but isn't the ship we came in on, The Drake? Filled with Observer's Guild loot? Yet I read a journal from the other captain which claimed the Observers were the enemy... so confused!

Anyway, I gave it four stars. Maps were really well done. I was a little unhappy I couldn't just push mobs off the edge.... invisible walls....

If you feel like giving any of mine a shot, I could use more plays on The Crypt of Befallen or Crushbone's Revenge.

Thanks!

Heh, I never want to force the character to do anything they wouldnt do, but as this is my first foundry, I was just kinda learning how things worked. Thats why you go back n forth to the cask + with an item + an NPC convo which required an item.. I was just learning things. ;D Also, lots of the 'bar' sound FX are lacking unless you have a large crowd .. I was left with pour and drink. ;D. Hopefully your char being sick + 'maybe its time you swore off the drink' makes up for it? ;D (did you see the fishes in the vomit? That Tulaberry wine is dangerous stuff.)

Yeah I wanted the player to get the 3 lore checkpoints.. The story (I thought it was understandable if you read all the bits n bobs) is basically the Observers are the bad guys, many years ago Drake stole something from them, they cursed him, and imprisoned him, but to the public they lionized his memory and said he was an explorer. Present day, you're on a vessel owned by the Observers. (*DUN DUN DUN* Intrigue. ;D)

In the main mission summary when you accept the mission it says "5 hidden chests, the first one is located in the bar!"
If you find the 1st one, there is an NPC who explains it wants Intrepid explorer badges. ;D

I expected more from Wesley too!! But he couldn't make it onto the derelict Spelljammer! If you turn around and look at him when he gets stuck on the bridge he'll say "I'll help you from here, I dont have the pathfinding skills you do" which is a nod to the AI pathfinding not being able to find him a path up the crooked bridge. =X I didn't forget about him though. ;D


lol. sorry about the invisible walls. ;D they need to be there cause those ruins are holey and will trap people in their geometry. ;D

Ill give the video a watch and I'll play yours on monday

torontodave

Thanks for the video review!

Only got 0 of 5 explorer badges though - so for anyone watching the playthrough, there's still lots to stuff to find!! =D

torontodave

Second round of reviews. =D

torontodave

Work on the second quest is well underway!
This is your last chance to play this one and get bugfixes in before I submit it to Cryptic! ;D


Proof that getting the 5 Explorer badges is possible: ;D

torontodave

Someone else did a video review on twitch, Azazel the Great Waffle plays this quest => http://www.twitch.tv/azazel_the_great_waffle/b/635780533 (starts at the 02:30 mark)

He gets 0/5 explorer badges aswell!

Jeez maybe I should make them easier to find? .. Naw.. He looked right at two of the ghost lights and didn't follow those paths.. ;D [hint]

edit: made all the chests easier to find. ;D

torontodave

Third round of reviews!




I think I'm finally confident in the quality of the quest. Once I fix the last 2 minor bugs that were just identified for me ^^, I'll be submitting it!

torontodave

This quest has been featured!!


Thanks for all your help with bugfixes and suggestions guys, really appreciated it =D

zebudha

torontodave wrote: »

This quest has been featured!!


Thanks for all your help with bugfixes and suggestions guys, really appreciated it =D

After drinking (passing out) I can't wake up. When I try to throw up I get a "Map Transfer Failed" error.

Am I missing something/doing something wrong?

essenti

zebudha wrote: »

After drinking (passing out) I can't wake up. When I try to throw up I get a "Map Transfer Failed" error.

Am I missing something/doing something wrong?

Many foundries are broken like that right now. The foundry system isn't fully up yet.

torontodave

zebudha wrote: »

After drinking (passing out) I can't wake up. When I try to throw up I get a "Map Transfer Failed" error.

Am I missing something/doing something wrong?

As stated above ^^ Foundries are broken right now. Mod6 implementation broke most map transfers.

Kinda embarrassing for Cryptic to be 'featuring' a quest in the catalog when none of them work right now. =X


Utmost apologies. Hopefully it's sorted soon. Apparently the unfeatured version of the quest is also broken. =X

mahrsalla

Hello, I wanted to ask about an error I received during the "To Infinity, and Beyond!" mission. After passing out from drinking i get the instruction to "throw up" and the quest direction is wake up. I constantly get the error "Map transisition failed". If I leave the mission i cannot re-enter. Dropping the mission and starting over yielded the same result. I did set my graphics settings according to the notice prior to entering the building. My pc has very good hardware specs. If anyone could suggest any options, I would be very grateful. I loved the Spelljammer books and modules.

thank you.
Raymond

PS: apologies, i just found where someone mentioned this issue

torontodave

I just republished this quest, so hopefully the map transfer failed issue will go away? I haven't tested it yet.

I haven't tested the new level-scaled to 70 mobs either, so if it's too hard I'll delete a couple encounters.

I'll edit this post when I know more in a couple hours. =D

(Be sure to play the NW-DSQ39N5SJ one, not the featured version)

torontodave

edit: clearing post and updating. [...............................................................................................................................]

torontodave

[Admin] Map Transfer Failed has been fixed!

This quest is now live and active again. [Both regular and featured versions]

Unfortunately, if you're level 70, the featured version is HARD AS BALLS. Bring healing potions and injury kits. ;D

Still doable though. I just finished it on my CW.

I've made updates to my live version (1.1 - Reduced mob encounters for post mod6 difficulty) Be sure to play NW-DSQ39N5SJ not the featured one. =D

torontodave

Okay - my Live version NW-DSQ39N5SJ of 'To Infinity, and BEYOND!' has been repaired for mod6. (v1.1)
-Encounters have been reduced to a more manageable level.



The featured version(v1.0) is still very hard and will require a friend, or lots of injury kits. =D

torontodave

Heh, so here's some more feedback on my first spelljammer quest.



These are my fave two reviews ever.

First one - "F*** you, man. I loved it. Scared the c*** outta me but I loved it. " bahahahahahahaha, best response yet. ;D

Other one - "go kill yourself" bahahahahahahaha this one is just to remind me that you can never make neverwinter players happy. surrounded by 5 stars, the 1 star guy who you can never make happy.

nalaureth

Very new player here. I attempted the quest yesterday, and got stuck at the activation of the three support structures. Every time I got near the two foredeck ones, I'd get stuck in apparent combat (yet without any targets), and thus unable to activate either one. (The aft-deck rubble worked fine after a few passes, but started with the same error.) Either I was too far away to interact, or - I think - I got a LOS error. Following your DM notes, I tried unsticking, but that didn't work, so ultimately I logged out of the game.

... and now can't get back to the quest, which is stuck on the final checklist item, "Friendly Skies."

Any suggestions or should I just drop and re-take the quest?

Thanks kindly for both all your diligence in responding here as well as for building such a fun, complex questline.

torontodave

You can drop it and re-take the quest, you'll have to start from the beginning, but there's no clean way to resume it.

The problem is that sometimes the skeletons spawn inside the ship, even tho they're told to spawn above the sails.

I also put down invisible walls along the decking of the ship, because they sometimes pass thru the 'holes' .. my best advice is to not move around much after each interaction, let them fall, kill them without moving, then move to the next support structure.. =D

thanks for playing! =D

torontodave

HAH! With Strum's teasing of "galleons" and now the Dragon Turtle having cool abilities like Cannon blast and Hullshredder.. I can't help but think mAYBE jUST mAYBE some of the devs have actually played my Spelljammer campaign?

=D

If not, @commanderander @terramak @panderus @strumslinger @amenar @bbascomdev @badbotlimit @Arkayne - Sanctuary ,

NOWS THE TIME TO PLAY IT! =D Search catalog for Spelljammer and both of my featured quests will pop up. They've got Skyships, Space pirates, Mindflayer merchants, and Indiana Jones moments. THEY'RE FUN AS HELL and have lots of .. ship to ship combat fun. =D

SO PLAYYYYYYYYY EM

torontodave

@crypticarkayne did you ever get a chance to play this? ;D

torontodave

@mimicking#6533 Check out the reviews in this thread.. (first page too) ... It's worth the 20 mins to play it. =D

flinwood

I really loved this, especially the npc names, and some of the enemies had me bursting out laughing many times. I also hate heights, and in-game vertigo (which is the wierdest thing ever, I know!) which had me feeling didn't let that stop me though.

I took some screenshots as well, with my travelling companion (in a spoiler tag, because my companion's name is a bit of a spoiler)

My companion's name is Nibbles

torontodave

Nice! Glad you enjoyed it. Glad you even came on the forums to share your screenshots. Registered and everything to make the 1 post. =D =D

See how much value the Foundry brings @mimicking#6533 ? I swear that person ^^ is not me. Go play my Spelljammer quests. ;D

torontodave

@midnightlight#2361 play my quests! ;D this is the first!

torontodave

@mimicking#6533 @midnightlight#2361 PIRATES? Yes this quest has them. It is also the best quest you'll play today.

If you play it, I'll even patch NW and login for a bit.

Looking forward to your review. ;D