[Feedback] Suggestions What to Add/Change in the Foundry.

forien69 · May 2013

Hi everyone!

I made one quests and I'm into doing another one and I've came up with some things to change/add in the Foundry. Some of them were surely mentioned, but I personally didn't see. I won't report here any bugs, just content of editor.

Links in Comments (I've underlined them and every nickname is a link) are links to post where people originally described their ideas.
I set some suggestions BOLDED. I've picked some which you posted the most frequently.
Also I set everything on colors depending on Type.

#
Tab/Type
Content
Comments

#1
Costumes
Add more costumes
Like of peasants, merchants, villagers, commoners, dancers and every other NPC. We can see them ingame and in presets of NPCs, but I'd be happy to use them on encounter or on other NPC

#2
Costumes
Let us color presets' costumes and underwear
Brown "bra" under sexy armor is kinda disgusting, white or other mild color would work better

#3
Costumes
Add more types of underwear and option to hide it
Hide only when using armor, because underwear can mess up all great lookout of armor

#4
Encounters
Add more encounters covering 1 mob

#5
Encounters
Add another difficulty for encounters with only 1 enemy
Because "Hard" isn't always as hard as we want.

#6
Encounters
Add a boss if possible to implement
We would be very glad for having this big epic awesome health bar in Foundry quests. More epicness in UGC.

#7
Maps
Let us share maps
I would be happy to share my map with other players so they can use it in their quests. Or at least I would be happy to use it in my other quest. Can I? Didn't see the option.

#8
Costumes
Let us share NPCs and costumes
As above

#9
General
More map slots
It's not issue for me, but I see people having great quests. We have 10 campaign slots... I will do campaign with 3 quests, so what will left is 9 campaigns and only 7 quests.

#10
Details
Add movable content
We would enjoy levers, pullable chains, steer wheels and other funny things that moves when interacted with.

#11
NPCs
More animations
Currently there is no way to make NPC sit on chair/bench. I think animations like this and others would be gladly appreciated

#12
Rewards
Add placeable kits/chests
But only if you can make it non-exploitable (like minimum numbers of rooms and ancounters, maximum number of kits etc.

#13
Experience
Rework experience gain
Rework experience gain to avoid exploits and make Lore quests more attractive. I described idea here (it's more game development issue than stricly Foundy editor, but I placed it here)

#14
Story
Let us make branching story
With branching story we could give players more options to finish quests like "release prisoners OR kill them" with different story lines, so later objectives (and quest-dialogs) can depend on choices.

#15
Story
Add optional objective
Let us make optional objective (like "find a map" in "clear a dungeon" quest) that will mean a little more reward (i.e. in cash or experience) so we can make quests more attractive and interesting

#16
3D Editing
Let us move NPC
I find it very frustrating when I had to switch Foundry-Preview to adjust NPC position, so he could stay exactly where and how I wanted him to.

#17
NPC
Add "Animations Preview" window
Add preview to animations we select when deciding how NPC should stay or respond in dialogs without us having to preview map. Just like costumes preview works (can be on dummy if not on exact NPC)

#18
Preview
Add rolls
Or at least make statistic average for each class

#19
Encounters
Let us save modified encounters as templates
We could want to use them again on the same map or another with the same name/settings /frobeard

#20
General
Add option to set quest as "private"
If we can set map as private we can test it with our own characters without messing with "For Review" Tab. We would also want to invite friends to test it (f.e. via sharing). /xworndownx

#21
Details
Add switches
Puzzles and brain teasers would benefit from switches. May be hard to implement, but will add third type of quests (now are Story and Combat) /denverralphy

#22
Encounters
Add more types of encounters
With more types of encounter with other and/or new types of attack patterns battles and dungeons will be more interesting. Also making epic monsters like dragons, wyverns, beholders (these 3 as epic 1-mob encounter) would be great /allaerra ; xfatbat

#23
NPC
Authors' recorded voice
Being able to record your voice so you do your own voice acting for NPC's would be cool too. /xfatbat

#24
Catalog
More browsing options
Make it possible to view whole catalog, add more searching/filtering options. Add searching in "FOR REVIEW". /allaerra

#25
3D Editing
Object properties accessible
When you select an object's bounding box in Avatar-Edit Mode, it should present the same object-properties from Foundry-Edit mode. /schidoosh

#26
3D Editing
More options to edit objects
Allow authors to see and edit marker, sound, encounter, NPC, respawn, and spawn locations. Also please allow us to toggle visibility of avatar. /schidoosh, thesabotender

#27
3D Editing
Flying
Double-tap space bar to start/stop flying, hold space bar to fly upward. If the player is above the ground and stops flying they fall until they either hit a collision-enabled object, or double-tap the spacebar to resume flight. /schidoosh

#28
Sounds
Adjusting volume
Allow authors to edit the volume of sound objects and music manually in the object-properties. /schidoosh

#29
Sounds
Add range of sounds
Allow authors to edit the radius of sound objects, equivalent to editing the size of markers. /schidoosh

#30
Story
Add OR statement to objectives
If a quest node has two or more objectives, then authors should be able to specify AND/OR relationships between these objectives. (IMHO connected to #14 /Forien) /schidoosh, flukered, thesabotender

#31
Objects
Allow to move objects with triggers
Allow us to move or rotate objects with triggers (dialogue, marker, quest, etc.). /schidoosh

#32
NPC
Let authors set more phrases
Allow authors to write a deliminated list of phrases for an NPC to say. /schidoosh

#33
Encounters
Let authors set individual patrol paths for each actor
Currently they move in a fixed formation regardless of how the player positions them to spawn. /schidoosh

#34
Dialogs
Let NPC give more items
Enable NPC's to give the PC different items from specific dialogue choices. (and not only when it's main objective /Forien) /flukered

#35
NPC
Allow to make kids NPCs
/flukered

#36
Objects
Allow snapping objects
/austinacx

#37
General
Setting quests banner
Set the preview image for the Quest by choosing from presets (similar to campaign banner), or taking a screenshot using the 3D Editor with fly mode. /thesabotender

#38
General
Setting loading splash screen
Where you select the Map Location for maps, let us also choose a loading screen image (similar to previous suggestion). /thesabotender

#39
Encounters
New "Encounters" tab and options
Allow players to create encounters by choosing an AI (archer, sword, mage, etc.) and a costume/preset. Place them in a tactical layout, and set their agro range. /thesabotender, rasmenar2112, adjuchasbrokk

#40
NPC
Add Vendor option to NPCs
I'd like to see a vendor option so we can sell off our greys/whites that we've picked up along the way (end buy potions), maybe halfway through a longer foundry. /ladyshaie1

#41
Catalog
Play history and favorites
Please let us mark already played quests and/or add them to favorites (quests, not authors) /ladyshaie1

#42
Maps
Add Raid or Dungeon map types
rasmenar2112 describes this content a lot in his post

#43
Sounds
Uploadable music
Allow authors to upload their own ambient music /rasmenar2112

#44
Encounters
Actor's death as trigger
Allow authors to set something to happen when some mob dies. /rasmenar2112

#45
Sounds
More "Objective completed" sounds
And allow us to decide which one choose. /rasmenar2112

#46
Objects
Treasure chests and professions' kits.
/adjuchasbrokk

#47
Dialogs
Wait system for parties
So all party members must have completed the dialog steps before activating the next step of the quest. /adjuchasbrokk

This 18 things are what I came up for now. I will maybe add more. If you want, say what other things you would add to the list and I will add them (and mark it's yours, I don't like to steal ideas etc.).

You are welcome to say what you think about any of this things, discuss about it or even say it's stupid, but please, be polite and please give an argument.

If moderator thinks that a list like that would be nice (especially for people like me, as I do not read everything here and don't know what ideas are already here) please stick this thread (and rename title to sometihng like "List of suggestions" if you do)

wuhsin · May 2013

Don't forget fixing the music and letting us branch quests off into different paths so you can have different outcomes, and a reason to play a single quest more than once.

frobeard · May 2013

Awesome list of suggestions!

So here's a quick one, which i'm surprised isn't already in since it's so handy:
- Save modified encounters to an encounter template so we can reuse them easily.

forien69 · May 2013

wuhsin wrote: »

Don't forget fixing the music and letting us branch quests off into different paths so you can have different outcomes, and a reason to play a single quest more than once.

As I wrote earlier - I do not want to make a "bugs' listing"

I want this to stay purely "suggestions to add/change" content of the Foundry and Catalog.

frobeard wrote: »

- Save modified encounters to an encounter template so we can reuse them easily.

Good one

wuhsin · May 2013

forien69 wrote: »

As I wrote earlier - I do not want to make a "bugs' listing" I want this to stay purely "suggestions to add/change" content of the Foundry and Catalog.

Good one

Okay well the idea of having quests branch off into multiple paths is still a valid suggestion. Right now quests are little too linear.

castsbugc · May 2013

I will be very interested in seeing where this thread goes...considering my previous experience with pretty much every item on that list being requested in the past.

forien69 · May 2013

wuhsin wrote: »

Okay well the idea of having quests branch off into multiple paths is still a valid suggestion. Right now quests are little too linear.

I already put this as #14

ireniicus · May 2013

Fix the falling through the floor everytime I preview something indoors

xworndownx · May 2013

Only agree with #5 & 6 in your list as being what I would like to see of that list.

Though, would LOVE the option to make my map Private or Public. Some maps I just make for myself which I don't care for other people being in.

Another reasoning for a Private/Public setting is so we can make our maps private. Publish them and test them with our live characters before opening them up to Public. Private could also allow the owner to invite specific people to join them as a group for testing as well.

kamaliicious · May 2013

castsbugc wrote: »

I will be very interested in seeing where this thread goes...considering my previous experience with pretty much every item on that list being requested in the past.

And that Moonstar title means you were in Foundry alpha...

denverralphy · May 2013

Add Switches. Puzzles and brain teasers would benefit from switches.

ysil6969 · May 2013

/signed these are all great ideas. The foundry is FAR too limited right now. Especially when creating Npcs. There's no reason we shouldn't be able to make npcs from scratch with the character creator and than select out of all the clothing options. I noticed neverwinter guard armor and the pirate gear is not accessible for dressing up npcs.

Also you need some water maps so we can have quests on boats/floating fortresses etc. The idea to add rolls is something I'm waiting for too, or at least the ability to detect if the character is male or female.

And for treasure chests, there's no reason why you can't let people add 1 chest per x encounters. Or go off Difficulty rating. So if you kill 50 trash mobs, you can place a chest, or if you kill 30 mobs and 2 boss mobs etc. Make it so the loot isn't added until the end of the instance so people can't leave and renter to grind chests.

kamaliicious · May 2013

ysil6969 wrote: »

Also you need some water maps so we can have quests on boats/floating fortresses etc.

There is an all water map. I used it in my first quest, when the player is aboard ship.

dadeleviathan · May 2013

i agree with these points. All of them.

I was very disappointed when I found that there was no way to make NPCs sit down on benches / chairs / etc.

uristqwerty · May 2013

The (really old, by now) Morrowind construction set had a nice interface, where you could manipulate everything in the level using a 3D flying camera sort of view. If something similar to it was possible in the Foundry, it would help a LOT in making better outdoor or multilevel indoor areas, and tweaking the positions of scenery.

With the little I have tried to use the Foundry so far, I kept wanting to rotate around the selected structure, in 3D, to see things from a better angle.

azuro1111 · May 2013

+1 on the OP. Nice work putting together this list!

xfatbat · May 2013

I'd personally like to see a 3D camera view so you don't have to go in-game every time. Also i'd like to be able to adjust the stats and attack patterns of encounters so it will be something new and unexpected for players. Being able to record your voice so you do your own voice acting for NPC's would be cool too.

cinnamonsynonym · May 2013

castsbugc wrote: »

I will be very interested in seeing where this thread goes...considering my previous experience with pretty much every item on that list being requested in the past.

Honestly, I'm amazed at how attentive Cryptic's being with the Foundry community as is. Considering they've still got numerous paragon paths and an entire class left to incorporate into the game, all of which, from my understanding, they're behind on, it's a miracle they have any time to care at all. Most companies probably wouldn't.

allaerra · May 2013

Again, posted elsewhere but fix the search. Make it so the display allows you to go to page 2 and 3 and so on.

Monsters, more variety. Displacer Beasts, Dragons, Wyverns, did I mention Dragons?:D

nogaruk · May 2013

Already other threads on this topic as well, since you might have missed it.
http://nw-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?142681-Post-release-foundry-wishes

forien69 · May 2013

xfatbat wrote: »

I'd personally like to see a 3D camera view so you don't have to go in-game every time. Also i'd like to be able to adjust the stats and attack patterns of encounters so it will be something new and unexpected for players. Being able to record your voice so you do your own voice acting for NPC's would be cool too.

Foundry quests scale themself depending on character's level you play them. Adjusting stats IMHO is bad idea. About attack patterns, I will add that, but I think it's only matter of adding more variety to encounter types. If I want goblin spitting web I just place spider and change costume.

allaerra wrote: »

Again, posted elsewhere but fix the search. Make it so the display allows you to go to page 2 and 3 and so on.

Monsters, more variety. Displacer Beasts, Dragons, Wyverns, did I mention Dragons?:D

Can you explain what do you mean with "fix the search"? Do you mean Catalog?

nogaruk wrote: »

Already other threads on this topic as well, since you might have missed it.
http://nw-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?142681-Post-release-foundry-wishes

It is "old" thread and I wanted to keep everything in nice list

allaerra · May 2013

Both. The catalog only shows a dozen +- quests in each category. There NEEDs to be a way to browse the full catalog and I believe it used to be that way until recently. Also, if you search by Author, quests do not come up unless you actually click on their name.

forien69 · May 2013

allaerra wrote: »

Both. The catalog only shows a dozen +- quests in each category. There NEEDs to be a way to browse the full catalog and I believe it used to be that way until recently. Also, if you search by Author, quests do not come up unless you actually click on their name.

I think these issues are more like bugs than failed features. But browsing whole catalog with more sorting/filtering options sounds good. I'll add.

schidoosh · May 2013

After spending a number of hours on my map I've come up with a few suggestions:

Avatar-Edit mode

- When you select an object's bounding box in Avatar-Edit Mode, it should present the same object-properties from Foundry-Edit mode. These properties should be editable from Avatar-Edit mode.

- Allow authors to colour-code the bounding boxes for Avatar-Edit mode so we can tell what objects are buildings, high-detail items, flora, etc. Rather than just a sea of white cubes.

- Allow authors to see and edit marker, sound, encounter, NPC, respawn, and spawn locations in Avatar-Edit mode.

- Allow authors to toggle the visibility of the avatar, in Avatar-Edit mode. It is often in the way when doing fine detailing work or in close-quarters.

- Allow authors to fly in Avatar-Edit mode. Double-tap space bar to start/stop flying, hold space bar to fly upward. If the player is above the ground and stops flying they fall until they either hit a collision-enabled object, or double-tap the spacebar to resume flight.

Foundry Edit Mode

- Allow authors to edit the volume of sound objects and music manually in the object-properties.

- Allow authors to edit the radius of sound objects, equivalent to editing the size of markers.

- Give authors more freedom with the control-flow of story quest layout. If a quest node has two or more objectives, then authors should be able to specify AND/OR relationships between these objectives.

I.e. Quest P has objectives A, B, and C. I should be able to set the quest to:
- Complete "A" and "B" and "C".
- Complete "A" or "B" or "C".
- Complete "A", or "B and C".

Currently, quests only have a single, linear path. Authors should have the option of making multiple branches. It's difficult to make anything of substance with a linear quest path.

Object Related

- Non-flying ships and boats

- Shovels

- Pick axes

- Peasant boots, gloves, hats.

- Allow us to move or rotate objects with triggers (dialogue, marker, quest, etc.).

- Give authors a volume (sphere, cube, whatever) of editable size that deactivates any sound objects or light objects within them. Too often I have maps with built-in torches and other things that I don't want there. I can usually hide them with some effort, but their unwanted sounds persist.

- Allow the player to scale objects that have no textures. Like invisible interact volumes, or fading volumes. This can also help reduce the sheer number of redundant, hard-coded objects.

NPC Related

- Allow authors to place objects in NPC hands. For combat and non-combat NPC animations.

- Animations: Shoveling, mining, sitting in every type of chair.

- There are two kinds of NPCs, those that start off with no costume (naked), and those with preset costumes. First, merge all of the clothing options from both kinds of NPCs. Next, allow authors to set armour slots to "naked/none". As it is right now, if I spawn a Neverwinter Guard and I don't want him to have a helmet, there is no way for me to remove that helmet. All I can do is change the metal helmet to another kind of helmet.

- Allow NPCs to be used as "interactable objects".

- Allow authors to write a deliminated list of phrases for an NPC to say. NPCs can say these phrases randomly or in order from top to bottom, when alone. Allow us to tether two or more NPCs together so they can have conversations using these lists. A conversation can be structured similar to the advanced dialogue feature: Insert NPCs and specify which phrase they are saying, then connect them to another NPC (or the same one) and specify which phrase to say, etc.

Encounter Related

- Allow authors to set individual patrol routes for multi-unit encounters. Currently they move in a fixed formation regardless of how the player positions them to spawn, this causes the units to often get caught on geometry and stop patrolling altogether.

- Allow the player to customize the combat abilities, or at least their animations, of monster encounters. If I want to make an elite boss spider, for instance, I can't. Because I have to use some type of elite ogre or hulk and put a spider skin on it. This is bad because those models have altogether different attack animations that the spider. When I should just be able to set the custom skin to a spider, then set the custom abilities to those belonging to a spider.

- Or better yet, allow the players to toggle what kind of monster an encounter is, "minion", "standard", "elite", "boss", etc. So it can be scaled in size/stats/difficulty appropriately without the need to customize it.

flukered · May 2013

#1 Item handling

Enable NPC's to give the PC different items from specific dialogue choices.
Right now, no matter what we can only have an npc give one item for a whole dialogue..
please correct me if i'm wrong.

#2 Geometry Y autolevelling.
needs a snap to closest Y geometry option, so floating/buried models snap to the correct place.
Call it "gravity snap" or something.
Currently it's a hassle having to manually move everything we place just because it's not on ground level.
this would require collision detection im not sure the foundry has access to.

#3 An autosave feature .
the forum has it, why not the foundry?

#4 Add an OR logic function to quests.
This would help us creative types out immensely.
i.E Save the damsel OR steal her stuff while she's being murdered.

This would require:
#5 Diverging paths in storyline.

#6 Dialogue with more visibility flag conditions than check for x item or skill.
Such as adding flags to dialogue lines, preferrably that carry over multiple npc's and/or discussions.

#7
More resources in general, costumes, items etc.
Gets a bit tiring to see the same stuff in every other foundry quest.

#8 More checkboxes for "consume quest item" in more situations.

#9 Child npc's, don't forget about the little ones.

#10 Stop corpses from standing up when interacted with.
#10b enable us to plant quest items on corpses, accessable both via dialogue and interaction.

11# Enable us to turn a friendly npc/prop into a hostile, attackable one, via triggers, and back again.

#12 Enable a "fight until surrender" npc to have a proper conversation after the fight. (and being able to award quest-items)

#13 set a warning flag on items that have conflicting proterties and/or triggers associated with them.
ie a barrel is interactable only in storymode, and at the same time only dialogue in map-mode, creating trouble for us.

#14 Enable a status chat message for the end of activating an item:
You search the barrel.. "you find nothing in the barrel!"

#15 RNG based interaction objects?
Throw the die, get different results each time.

#16 Flowchart that shows states of objects and npc's according in a maps timeline.
Helps keep us sane if we have a lot of spawn in/visibility stuff in one map.

If some of these are already in/fixed, please let me know and i'll correct it.

forien69 · May 2013

flukered wrote: »

#3 An autosave feature .
the forum has it, why not the foundry?

It has. On server side. If you dont save on computer, next time you enter edit screen you will be asked if load auto-save from server side. Not sure how often it's saving.

About rest - I will review and add them to list when forums will be free of this massive traffic.

austinacx · May 2013

Add the ability to snap objects together in the Foundry editor menu and in the in-game Foundry.

(Get a block and able to snap a roof on it in a 3d model view)

thesabotender · May 2013

I would like to point out that suggestion #16 should be expanded.
Its not just NPCs / Encounters that need to be moveable/rotateable in 3D Edit mode, but also everything on the "Special" tab.
Teleporters, Campfires(respawn), Doors(from the details tab(i can move prison cell doors, but not portcullis) and I believe sounds, cant be moved or rotated in 3D Edit mode.

Here is the short of what I want added:
- 3D Editor: Move special objects, not just decor (NPCs, Teleporters, Campfires, etc.)

- 3D Editor: Fly mode, placing objects that are high up or far away is awkward and painfull without being able to fly, also fly mode would be great for taking screenshots.

- Quest info tab: Set the preview image for the Quest by choosing from presets (similar to campaign banner), or taking a screenshot using the 3D Editor with fly mode

- Story/Quest editor: Where you select the Map Location for maps, let us also choose a loading screen image (similar to previous suggestion)

- Story/Quest editor: "Force start" checkbox on dialog goal, this forces a dialog to appear when the player finishes the previous step, Example: have a "Reach point" objective followed by a "Forced Dialog". The player walks into a room, and a conversation is triggered automaticly "HEY, who are you?" etc. (without the need for the player to click on the NPC saying it)
This would also work to make multiple NPC conversations by chaining "Forced Dialog"s

- new "Encounters" tab: Allow players to create encounters by choosing an AI (archer, sword, mage, etc.) and a costume/preset. Place them in a tactical layout, and set their agro range.

- (optional) "Encounters" tab: Allow players to make Custom AI by choosing weapon and/or abilities, also setting health and stats

- 2D Map editor: In the special tab, allow us to set custom quest tracker paths (the sparkling line) similar to placing a "Reach Point" node, except with multiple points (similar to one-way patrol). The Quest tracker will point the player towards the closest Point in the Custom path, and then follow said path. On my quest the path often points through walls and rocks I have placed, and on one map i have quite alot of "scaffolding climbing" and the quest tracker just follows the ground.

- 2D Map editor, NPCs: add a "Boss" behaviour, that has the following attributes: "Health" (dropdown of Easy, Standard, Hard), "Show Bar" (checkbox to show the big boss healthbar), Cutscene (checkbox to show the zoom-in-and-show-name cutscene), Cutscene range (the range at with the player must be before the zoom cutscene is displayed.

PS. there should be a limit to how many bosses can be on a map, i think there should be no more than 5, in addition bosses should "cost" as an actor and an encounter.

odoielrulz · May 2013

Having a search bar in the Review section would be nice.

iakky · May 2013

I agree the most important is point 5, 6 and 16.. It is crucial to have OR option during objectives... I mean that one thing would give us a HUGE difference and great possibilities in stories... I mis OR so much in here... To have different options is fashion of nowadays stories. Make choices and so on... And possibility of making your own boss would also add a lot of variety. Boss making and OR option of objectives would turn it in to another level... This way we all end up having the same old stories with Ogres and "hard groups" as bosses...
More costumes also fine....

zebular · May 2013

. . . . . Great thread. I shall give it some temporary sticky-time while it is up for full review by the Mod Team. Looking forward to seeing more constructive feedback like this! Just please know, this is a temp sticky to divine its future! I've also updated the thread Title to be more fitting for a Sticky.