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Forums > Home› Neverwinter Discussion › The Foundry

UGC Feedback: From the Shadows

tilt42tilt42 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
edited October 2013 in The Foundry
Wolf_Pack_2_small.jpg

This thread is to discuss and give feedback on the Foundry Campaign
From the Shadows

Chapter 1: A Hidden Blade


Your employer has received a letter from his most trusted agent, warning him of danger and telling him to come south of the city, to the Lucky Arrow inn, and meet in person. Suspecting a trap, you are sent in your employer's stead. It soon becomes clear that someone, or something, is hunting the agent -- But who... and why?

The_Lucky_Arrow_Inn_small.jpg

A Hidden Blade is relatively short, but filled to the brim with things to do. This is a quest for those of you who want to have lots and lots of dialog, and combat that serves as more than just filler. Parts of the quest will not provide you with a glowing trail, instead relying on you to find your own path. To this end, the quest gives you the freedom of solving parts of it in multiple ways (though they don't deviate in any dramatic fashion). Combat is moderately hard.
Post edited by tilt42 on
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Comments

  • tilt42tilt42 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    Chapter 2: The Lanaar Legacy

    Determined to solve the mystery of the runestone, your path now leads you to the ruins of the Lanaar Mansion in the Tower District of Neverwinter. What secrets does that old mansion hold? What, if anything, can it reveal about the nature of your enemy?

    There's only one way to find out, and an army of orcs stands in your way.

    The_Lanaar_Legacy_Teaser.jpg

    The Lanaar Legacy is longer and features more combat than A Hidden Blade, but is still very much focused on story. This time you will dive deeper into the backstory, learning more about the mysterious people you encountered in the previous quest.

    The campaign is still in the early stages, so there should be several more quests after this one.
  • tilt42tilt42 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    *reserved post for future quests in the campaign*
  • tilt42tilt42 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    *another reserved post for future quests in the campaign*
  • tilt42tilt42 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    I've updated The Lanaar Legacy to fix the issue that caused the quest to be unsolvable for short races. Played through it from start to end as a dwarf to test it.
  • turkman84turkman84 Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 22 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    I applaud you for your great quest. Idiot that I am, I did the second one before the first, but nevertheless it was great. Great storytelling and a thrilling narrative. Also the encounters were well done and the interieur of Lanaar Mansion was exceptionally well done! Felt really haunted!
    The best Foundry quest I've experienced so far! I'm really looking forward to new content from you!
  • tilt42tilt42 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    Thanks! Based on comments like yours, I'm starting to realize that it might be a good idea to preface my quest titles with "Act" and the number the quest is in the campaign chain. The interface might not be obvious for this, and when featured the quest appears standalone from its campaign.

    In other news, A Hidden Blade got featured again. :) This is really encouraging, and it couldn't have happened at a better time. I'm really noticing that the maximum tip value is now five times as high as it used to be after the latest patch. I've probably earned up to 20k Astral Diamonds on my Foundry content today. It's making me really motivated to churn out the next quest in the series.
  • wininoidwininoid Member Posts: 534 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    Congrats on being featured!
  • kethiankethian Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    Not sure if I missed something or if there was a bug or whatnot, but I got all the way to the end of The Lanaar Legacy and lost the quest. I ran at the end (trying to avoid spoilers), got to the exit (or at least I thought I was supposed to exit) and when I left I was back in regular Neverwinter with no quest completion and the quest no longer in my journal. Disappointing, but I know it's not your fault. I'll definitely be trying it again.
  • tilt42tilt42 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Yeah, I've had this happen at various stages of my Foundry quests whenever you're sent via the public adventure zones. The quest comes back eventually, either through zoning or relogging, but it's very annoying. It's not my fault at all, I assure you.
  • lyaiselyaise Member Posts: 491 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    tilt42 wrote: »
    Chapter 2: The Lanaar Legacy

    Determined to solve the mystery of the runestone, your path now leads you to the ruins of the Lanaar Mansion in the Tower District of Neverwinter. What secrets does that old mansion hold? What, if anything, can it reveal about the nature of your enemy?

    There's only one way to find out, and an army of orcs stands in your way.

    The_Lanaar_Legacy_Teaser.jpg

    The Lanaar Legacy is longer and features more combat than A Hidden Blade, but is still very much focused on story. This time you will dive deeper into the backstory, learning more about the mysterious people you encountered in the previous quest.

    The campaign is still in the early stages, so there should be several more quests after this one.

    Finished the first Act, and now on this one - But, there is no quest patch being shown for it. All that happens is a message stating it cannot be shown. Checked the map, but cannot see it.

    So why is it not showing on the map? And why is there no quest path being highlighted?
    ...............vote for your favourite expansion..........
    "Mod 6. Oh my f****** god. It gutted the game pure and simple. And what wasn't gutted was messed up by the poorly thought out new level cap and equip. The game never recovered from that atrocity".
    ..............not this one then.............
  • tilt42tilt42 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    I have no idea. There are some annoying bugs that appear infrequently for quests in the public adventure zones. Try heading to the Tower District to see if the path returns. This isn't my fault at all actually.
  • rock2krock2k Member Posts: 2 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Just did the second chapter, found it pretty good, but I've gotta ask, the Winds of Magic, Warhammer easter egg? Anyway I can't wait to see the next chapter, quite compelling ( undead in final part could use more of an intimidation factor only real critic without anything spoilery )
  • tilt42tilt42 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    rock2k wrote: »
    Just did the second chapter, found it pretty good, but I've gotta ask, the Winds of Magic, Warhammer easter egg?

    Indeed it is. Nice catch! :)
    Anyway I can't wait to see the next chapter, quite compelling ( undead in final part could use more of an intimidation factor only real critic without anything spoilery )

    What level did you play this at? Trust me, the undead are quite intimidating at higher levels. I wanted to rather err on the side of caution than to have this section be impossible for high-level players. Also, things get quite intimidating if you actually try to fight back, and even more so with the 1.10 version I published this morning.
  • xercanoidxercanoid Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 1 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    I think I got stuck in the quest. Trying to describe it without giving away spoilers:

    Solved the book riddle, but now I can't progress the objective "Enter the Crypt."
    I think I'm looking at the crypt entrance, just inside the secret passage. But it's not giving off sparklies and I can't use it. Doesn't appear on the map either.
    Maybe this is because I continued to read the other books after solving the book riddle?
  • tilt42tilt42 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    That sounds like a genuine bug. There are issues with area transitions. I got so much feedback about another one in the next map after where you were that I added an abort exit for that purpose. There's not much I can do about the situation you got into though. Maybe exit the map and go back in? Relog? I assure you, it's not a bug in my map.
  • rock2krock2k Member Posts: 2 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    tilt42 wrote: »
    What level did you play this at? Trust me, the undead are quite intimidating at higher levels. I wanted to rather err on the side of caution than to have this section be impossible for high-level players. Also, things get quite intimidating if you actually try to fight back, and even more so with the 1.10 version I published this morning.

    I did it at level 30, Now I heeded what the tip said and just ran through, and don't get me wrong...there was alot of them...but problem was they were all zombies..and I don't think I got hit once, got to the end and just felt like I could have just strolled through :)
  • calebrus44calebrus44 Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 1 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    I'm loving the story so far.
    As I was saying to some folks on a different forum, I find the game in general to be a bit lacking, but the Foundry is where I'm having the most fun because many of them give the true DnD story telling experience.
    Quest lines like the one you're making here is exactly the reason why.
  • lyaiselyaise Member Posts: 491 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    tilt42 wrote: »
    I have no idea. There are some annoying bugs that appear infrequently for quests in the public adventure zones. Try heading to the Tower District to see if the path returns. This isn't my fault at all actually.

    Been to the zone looking for the entrance - no sign on the map and no quest patch. Not sure where to go to get this started. Hopefully it will be fixed soon.
    ...............vote for your favourite expansion..........
    "Mod 6. Oh my f****** god. It gutted the game pure and simple. And what wasn't gutted was messed up by the poorly thought out new level cap and equip. The game never recovered from that atrocity".
    ..............not this one then.............
  • weaponworldweaponworld Member Posts: 4 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    I have a question, that I could not find an answer to on Google. Is it possible to EVER find a piece of gear or a material that is of a higher rarity than Green in quality? Was the Foundry nerfed for loot in order to avoid potential exploitation?
  • baaddarebaaddare Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Must say I was about halfway through the lanaar masion when i remembered that this was a legacy quest and not one written by cryptic. Well done. Stuck on how to solve the riddle but working on it I shall not give up. Playing as a gnome if that matters since you said there had been an issue with short races
    "Magic is impressive, but now Minsc leads. SWORDS FOR EVERYONE!!!"
  • stolf87stolf87 Member Posts: 2 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    I'm absolutely loving the quest line, but I've hit a roadblock. I'm in the Lanaar Mansion, and need to get into the library, but I can't find the key anywhere. I've retraced my steps countless times through the whole place, and I can't find it. Is this a bug, or am I blind, because I found the barracks one no problem?

    Edit: Neeeeeeeeevermind, I am indeed blind. Completely missed the hallway and rooms next to the bonfire :/
  • thehuntress#2050 thehuntress
    thehuntress#2050
         Member Posts: 119 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Loved the background story. Very H.P. Lovecraft.
    [FAQ] Foundry Tips, Manuals, Tutorials, & Bugs

    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • lumineaislinlumineaislin Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Things like this make me wish there were a more active RP community (I haven't seen one, but it's possible I'm just blind) and I could hunt you down and force you to RP for hours. Very good writing, and... well, it's just nice. I'm looking forward to the rest~
  • tilt42tilt42 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    baaddare wrote: »
    Must say I was about halfway through the lanaar masion when i remembered that this was a legacy quest and not one written by cryptic. Well done. Stuck on how to solve the riddle but working on it I shall not give up. Playing as a gnome if that matters since you said there had been an issue with short races

    Did you figure this out? It's not really a puzzle, it just pretends to be. I played through the quest as a dwarf, so it should work with short races. The only issue is if you try to interact with one of the books in the bookshelves and get an "object not in line of sight" message no matter where you stand or look.
    stolf87 wrote: »
    I'm absolutely loving the quest line, but I've hit a roadblock. I'm in the Lanaar Mansion, and need to get into the library, but I can't find the key anywhere. I've retraced my steps countless times through the whole place, and I can't find it. Is this a bug, or am I blind, because I found the barracks one no problem?

    Edit: Neeeeeeeeevermind, I am indeed blind. Completely missed the hallway and rooms next to the bonfire :/

    Don't worry about it. I realize in hindsight that this particular corridor is too subtle. I'm going to publish an update to the quest that makes it easier to spot.
    thelastria wrote: »
    Loved the background story. Very H.P. Lovecraft.

    Thanks! The Lanaar Legacy features an actual Lovecraft reference as well. Can you spot it? :) (yes, I like to add easter eggs to my quests, as long as they don't feel too out of place. So far players have noticed references to Warhammer, H.P. Lovecraft and Skyrim)
    lumineaislin wrote: »
    Things like this make me wish there were a more active RP community (I haven't seen one, but it's possible I'm just blind) and I could hunt you down and force you to RP for hours. Very good writing, and... well, it's just nice. I'm looking forward to the rest~

    Hah! Trust me, you'd be disappointed. :) I'm an active roleplayer (GMed WH40k: Rogue Trader for a group of friends as late as last night), but for some reason roleplaying in an MMO just doesn't work for me. At all.
  • arontimesarontimes Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Hey Tilt, could you make it so that we can use skill kits to access skills based dialogue options? Before I played a Hidden Blade, I stocked up on skill kits thinking that they might come in handy. I was quite disappointed at not being able to pick locks with my thievery kits.

    Anyway, it's not that big of a deal. Also, enjoy your 500 AD. You deserve more, but that's all I can give.
    Member of Grievance.

    Taking a break from Neverwinter indefinitely...
  • tilt42tilt42 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    arontimes wrote: »
    Hey Tilt, could you make it so that we can use skill kits to access skills based dialogue options? Before I played a Hidden Blade, I stocked up on skill kits thinking that they might come in handy. I was quite disappointed at not being able to pick locks with my thievery kits.

    Anyway, it's not that big of a deal. Also, enjoy your 500 AD. You deserve more, but that's all I can give.

    Thanks! :)

    Sadly, I don't have the ability to allow the use of skill kits as this is core functionality in the game itself. Skill kits currently have absolutely no effect in any Foundry quest. Hopefully we'll be able to at least place skill nodes in the future.

    Honestly though, I like the way skill kits are handled already. It used to be possible to use skill kits in dialogue in some of the closed beta weekends, but that only served to devalue the unique skills each class gets. I use skill checks in my quests to make each class feel somewhat unique. For example, The Lanaar Legacy has a section where you can use the Religion skill to sanctify a group of dead bodies in order to let them pass on to the afterlife. It wouldn't have felt right to let any class except the Cleric do that, even with the use of skill kits.
  • stolf87stolf87 Member Posts: 2 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    tilt42 wrote: »
    The Lanaar Legacy has a section where you can use the Religion skill to sanctify a group of dead bodies in order to let them pass on to the afterlife. It wouldn't have felt right to let any class except the Cleric do that, even with the use of skill kits.

    I actually felt bad about not being able to do that on my guardian....At least I was able to bust a lock open with a rock :/
  • tilt42tilt42 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    stolf87 wrote: »
    I actually felt bad about not being able to do that on my guardian....At least I was able to bust a lock open with a rock :/

    Don't feel bad. I added another little bonus for those who have the Dungeoneering skill an hour ago. ;)
  • raenofgodraenofgod Member Posts: 1 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    I just finished Part 2 and let me tell you. I LOVED it! Thank you for putting the time in to make a gem like that! I tipped 500, but like arontimes said, you deserve more. The only question I have for you is... WHEN'S THE NEXT PART COMING??? :)
  • tilt42tilt42 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    raenofgod wrote: »
    I just finished Part 2 and let me tell you. I LOVED it! Thank you for putting the time in to make a gem like that! I tipped 500, but like arontimes said, you deserve more. The only question I have for you is... WHEN'S THE NEXT PART COMING??? :)

    Thank you! :D

    Truth to be told, I've been so busy playing Neverwinter and polishing the first two quests (A Hidden Blade has progressed from version 1.57 to 1.60 over the last few days, while The Lanaar Legacy has gone from 1.02 to 1.11) that I've hardly started on quest 3. On the other hand, I've written a general outline for the entire campaign now (7 chapters), and know roughly where everything is heading and when. It's probably going to take 20+ hours to finish chapter 3, but I'll get around to it as quickly as possible. It's going to feel pretty different from the previous two quests, yet still retain the same type of focus on story.
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