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Danger in the Sky!
docsc00ter
Member Posts: 291 Arc User
After a long delay, I've finally published another "Dangers of Dumedalot" adventure. And I am very eager for your feedback.
Like "Danger in the Fog," I've tried to keep "Danger in the Sky" brief enough to work well for those seeking to complete their Daily Foundry objectives. I've also tried to inject just a bit of whimsy in the midst of the story. Yes, the Mayor is back ("the cowardly fool" -- I really like that guy!), and we'll get to know the crazy old cat lady at the end of the street just a bit. But I'm especially interested in what you think of the little bundle of joy that's recently joined the town (there are some unique conversation threads to explore with each play).
In terms of combat encounters, there's about as much fighting as in my first Foundry, and the encounters are of pretty much the same difficulty. However, because of the way some of them spawn, players who constantly rush forward toward the next objective may find themselves dragging some monsters behind them unexpectedly. Even then, it wasn't a problem for my characters in the playtest, but your mileage may vary.
I tried something different with this quest. The bulk of the story takes place on one outdoor map (though there is a "finale" map that ties up a couple of loose ends... and lets me create a visual that would take up way too many Foundry resources otherwise :rolleyes:). Designing the adventure became an exercise in resource management, and I maximized everything I could.
Since the story takes the player into one house, underneath another, and even up into the sky, this was a learning opportunity for me to discover the challenges of vertical Foundry building. I gotta tell ya... I'm really looking forward to the flying camera and the new 3D editor that are coming! :P
Because all of the "interior" maps are also on the main outdoor map, I built those interior spaces deep below the terrain and off to the side of the action. As a result, if you watch the mini-map, you'll see where you actually go when you walk through Sylbia's front door. Once the adventure has gone through enough playtesting and feedback, and when I'm pretty confident that I won't be changing anything in those interior spaces, I'll drag them over to their proper location on the map so that the mini-map will make it look like you're actually inside a cellar beneath a building. All in good time...
SO... I'm savvy enough to know that there are bound to be errors lurking in the adventure -- typos, funny spawned critters, map snafus that I haven't caught, and that sort of thing. I would be deeply appreciative of any efforts you'd make to run the quest and give me your feedback. And, of course, I'd be more than happy to return the favor; I've always tried to be pretty generous about offering reviews and tips and that sort of thing. HOWEVER... I'm about to head out of town for a week. (What's that? A vacation? Seriously?!) I was going to wait until I returned to publish the adventure, so that I'd be around to make corrections, play other people's Foundries, etc. But if you don't mind waiting a few days until I'm back in town, I promise I'll respond to comments and exchange reviews.
Finally... Please be kind when it comes to your in-game review. It was such a big disappointment when "Danger in the Fog" was running a solid 4.3-4.5 average star rating only to be hit by a wave of 1-star reviews with only "!" as a comment. Was it bots? I don't know. But it was enough to pull me down to a 4.13-star average, which is just shy of what I've needed to stay up on the "Best" list. As a result, the number of plays on that quest pretty much bottomed out. Bummer.
If you really think the adventure stinks and needs an overhaul, leave your feedback here or send me a PM. I appreciate criticism and advice as much as kudos.
Thanks, everyone! Looking forward to sharing the adventure!
Like "Danger in the Fog," I've tried to keep "Danger in the Sky" brief enough to work well for those seeking to complete their Daily Foundry objectives. I've also tried to inject just a bit of whimsy in the midst of the story. Yes, the Mayor is back ("the cowardly fool" -- I really like that guy!), and we'll get to know the crazy old cat lady at the end of the street just a bit. But I'm especially interested in what you think of the little bundle of joy that's recently joined the town (there are some unique conversation threads to explore with each play).
In terms of combat encounters, there's about as much fighting as in my first Foundry, and the encounters are of pretty much the same difficulty. However, because of the way some of them spawn, players who constantly rush forward toward the next objective may find themselves dragging some monsters behind them unexpectedly. Even then, it wasn't a problem for my characters in the playtest, but your mileage may vary.
I tried something different with this quest. The bulk of the story takes place on one outdoor map (though there is a "finale" map that ties up a couple of loose ends... and lets me create a visual that would take up way too many Foundry resources otherwise :rolleyes:). Designing the adventure became an exercise in resource management, and I maximized everything I could.
Since the story takes the player into one house, underneath another, and even up into the sky, this was a learning opportunity for me to discover the challenges of vertical Foundry building. I gotta tell ya... I'm really looking forward to the flying camera and the new 3D editor that are coming! :P
Because all of the "interior" maps are also on the main outdoor map, I built those interior spaces deep below the terrain and off to the side of the action. As a result, if you watch the mini-map, you'll see where you actually go when you walk through Sylbia's front door. Once the adventure has gone through enough playtesting and feedback, and when I'm pretty confident that I won't be changing anything in those interior spaces, I'll drag them over to their proper location on the map so that the mini-map will make it look like you're actually inside a cellar beneath a building. All in good time...
SO... I'm savvy enough to know that there are bound to be errors lurking in the adventure -- typos, funny spawned critters, map snafus that I haven't caught, and that sort of thing. I would be deeply appreciative of any efforts you'd make to run the quest and give me your feedback. And, of course, I'd be more than happy to return the favor; I've always tried to be pretty generous about offering reviews and tips and that sort of thing. HOWEVER... I'm about to head out of town for a week. (What's that? A vacation? Seriously?!) I was going to wait until I returned to publish the adventure, so that I'd be around to make corrections, play other people's Foundries, etc. But if you don't mind waiting a few days until I'm back in town, I promise I'll respond to comments and exchange reviews.
Finally... Please be kind when it comes to your in-game review. It was such a big disappointment when "Danger in the Fog" was running a solid 4.3-4.5 average star rating only to be hit by a wave of 1-star reviews with only "!" as a comment. Was it bots? I don't know. But it was enough to pull me down to a 4.13-star average, which is just shy of what I've needed to stay up on the "Best" list. As a result, the number of plays on that quest pretty much bottomed out. Bummer.
If you really think the adventure stinks and needs an overhaul, leave your feedback here or send me a PM. I appreciate criticism and advice as much as kudos.Thanks, everyone! Looking forward to sharing the adventure!
Post edited by docsc00ter on
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PS: Your campaign code in your signature needs an 'S' in there I think.
Yeah. It's a bummer. But what's done is done. Hoping the new one sticks around a little longer (and perhaps helps me knock out more of the Foundry Author achievements).
I'll make sure to check it out tomorrow! (Working on something tonight)
My part 2 is in my sig.
Threads: Part 1: Rising of the Dragons (NW-DNGIC6AJC) | Part 2: Abyssal Pursuit (NW-DESQ9HQAZ)
The Accursed is also a nice touch. Humor for no reason always appealed to me. usually people do not find it though, so nice when they do.
BUT I am stuck with Speak With Sybia? Can stand on top of the diamond, but see no way to enter this house. I assume she is in another away room, but no interactive to ship me there like the cellar door.
Will try again tomorrow, since I have added about 40 minutes to this just wandering around.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
1- 20, 2- 35, 3- 18, 4- 20 min
Comments to -> the Book Binding
Brethren of the Five, Campaign. - Story focused
The Dwarven Tale - Hack 'N Slash
Fortunately didn't have the issues harbingerdrum is having with Sylbia, the quest played very cleanly for me. Only a couple of issues, nothing major:
Loved this, thanks so much. Have a great holiday
xpurpleinsanityx -- Thanks! I'll tackle Abyssal Pursuit when I get back from my trip. (I enjoyed part 1, so looking forward to the part 2!)
karitr -- Thank you SOOO much! I leave out in the morning, so I'll have time to make those fixes later tonight. (My aging eyes are positively blurry reading the same lines of dialogue over and over looking for typos. Ha ha ha!)
The first time I ran around killing anything found. It may have triggered a marker or something or killed something I shouldn't have. Dunno. I probably should do these without wandering around, but that's the way we roll <sigh>.
Anyway. Good quest.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
1- 20, 2- 35, 3- 18, 4- 20 min
Comments to -> the Book Binding
EDIT: Made the fixes you suggested, karitr. (It's funny how writers work with blinders. What you read about Sylbia "finding someone else," you thought it was supposed to mean that she found someone else's baby. In my head, I was thinking the question was whether she "found someone else" to replace her dead husband who then could give her a baby. Ha ha ha! In any case, the intent of the question is much clearer now in the text.)
Yeah i would like to know why that is too, Ive been getting them too.
Anyway ill try your quest cause i was thinking to do a quest up in the sky too so i would like to see how you did yours
Great follow-up to the first! I really loved all the mob customization...it all looked great. Everything flowed pretty smoothly for me. I love the zombie cameo! XD
Only real issue that I noticed is that I could not click on the goblin note that was posted on the tree for some reason...couldn't get line of sight.
I really liked all the little elements that added to the story like the guard translating the note. It was easy to get immersed in this very quickly!
Threads: Part 1: Rising of the Dragons (NW-DNGIC6AJC) | Part 2: Abyssal Pursuit (NW-DESQ9HQAZ)
I kind of regret doing something at the end though, i probably shouldn't of done that
I really think this should be a daily, you should join scribesenclave.guildlaunch.com awesome people, im sure they will help you with your quest and future creations
Well, sadly, some of it is just plain old intentional nastiness, I'm afraid. When I got a big string of 'em in a row in "Danger in the Fog," and when they came in clusters with about the same time stamp, and when they all had "!" as the comment, I figured it was some automated thing of someone dragging bots through Foundries.
But with "Danger in the Sky" being out just 24 hours and really only discoverable by seeing this post in the Forums, someone played it through and left me 1-star (but no comment) already. Yup. Really. In the first 8 plays, someone who saw this here in the forums took the time to play through the whole thing and leave it 1-star.
Of course, that's totally cool if someone really thinks it's awful. I am totally okay with people not liking something I've created. Yet it would be nice if they could at least leave a note explaining why they thought it deserved the worst of all possible ratings. Without any comment, I'm assuming someone was just being nasty. I only wish they understood how many (MANY!) hours it takes to craft a detailed Foundry adventure.
For me, I'm doing it because I really enjoy the creative process. I enjoy the satisfaction of playing through a quest that I've created. I enjoy watching other people have fun (it's a kick to sit in a room and look over someone's shoulder as they play through my quest, and it'd be fun to see a video play-thru someday). And I really enjoy playing through other people's Foundries, because I've come to greatly respect the effort that goes into something as simple as illuminating that cave wall with a purple glow, or placing that encounter so it surprises me when I come around a corner.
That said, I'd enjoy finishing up some of the Foundry Authoring achievements, but the long-term endurance of a quest in the current Neverwinter system depends upon the reviews of players. Just chucking a 1-star at a new quest without even any feedback... well... let's just say there are already plenty of trolls coming our way in the Feywild.
Take a deep breath and just consider that at least their play through got you one step closer to being Daily eligible. I am going out shortly, but will try to do something in game (nothing spammy!) to encourage players to give it a go.
I really wish there was an "either/or" logic in the Foundry at this point. I would have created a very different ending for the adventure. However, there is a dialogue thread in that last conversation that allows your character to not do the deed, but rather to leave the conversation in disgust. (Then again, because the objective needs to be completed using Foundry logic, even if you choose to walk away, the other character in that conversation may not be so keen on you staying alive now that you know the secret. So that final encounter ends up being inevitable.)
Glad to see the brave major back xD
Perhaps story wise. But it is not a necessity encounter wise.
With two conversation threads you can control what spawns next to Mom in the next room. Use a Catch Me If You Can finisher to the conversation and then the player can go into the other room and see what they expect to from the dialog path they chose.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
1- 20, 2- 35, 3- 18, 4- 20 min
Comments to -> the Book Binding
Hmm. But how do you set a quest objective that requires you to actually interact with whatever spawns in the final room? I know how to make the alternate final conversations spawn, but how do I make sure the player has to finish the conversation with one of them. Doesn't that become an "either/or" dilemma for the Foundry?
MORE!!!!!!
A Contact does not need to be in the story line.
Now if the player decides to ignore it, oh well you tried. So you are correct in knowing that you cannot Force them to continue the story unless it is in the story objectives. If however they chose door number 2, well they cannot leave with an active mob at the door can they.
But all interactions nor contacts need to be objectives.
Furthermore, since you did this all on the same map, it can even be taken a step further by another conversation at the exit. Depending how that room came out would determine who spawns for the exit dialogue.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
1- 20, 2- 35, 3- 18, 4- 20 min
Comments to -> the Book Binding
ALSO, for those who've mentioned enjoying the Accursed showing up from Danger in the Fog as kind of an "Easter Egg," you may want to know that I added as similar "Easter Egg" in my first Foundry with the publication of Danger in the Sky. In the final map, instead of heading into the town filled with celebrating villagers, you can turn around and head over to that blank area beyond the crops -- the place where the goblin camp will eventually be -- and you'll find someone there.
...Just in time to see that quests are all busted up by the lousy "profanity filter" bug. (Yeah, you know for certain that when an entire adventure hinges around the fate of a "child," and when the word "child" is now offensive, that Danger in the Sky is all messed up.)
I've got changes in to add a different ending to the story. "To kill, or not to kill... that is the question!" But I can't publish the new ending until they fix the profanity filter bug. (Well, I suppose I could, but it would require a dozen re-written dialogues, so... nah. I'll wait for the fix.)
Meanwhile, thanks to everyone who has reviewed. And I'll begin doing those review-trades this week.
One thing that has surprised me is the average running time of the adventure. It's sitting at about 28 minutes right now, even though it technically has about the same number of encounters as the average play-thru of Danger in the Fog (which runs an average of 15 minutes). Whatcha think? Should I trim out some of the combat to make it go faster? Or leave it as is?
Sc00ter
P.S. While I was away, I outlined the third adventure in the series. Some of the details still need tweaking, but I'm looking forward to presenting Danger in the Woods soon...
Glad to know the 3rd instalment is already underway
- The town is very well done which makes it very appealing for exploring. I technically neglected the main objective to stick my nose around. I think it should be rewarding for players who like to explore like that because I was disappointed that I just encountered interactables which tell me the villagers hide. It is awesome how you have “instanced” the town and if there are houses and cellars with something in them it would be great for the exploring types like me.
- Because of my curiosity to look around I encountered the cellar with the mayor without having the objective. He told me I can come in but of course I couldn’t which is kinda immerse breaking.
- The house which is on the left of William’s house has an orc enforcer which spawns inside it and gets stuck in the walls.
Family Secrets NW-DM71LY21M
• Yeah, I may slice out a couple of encounters just to cut down on the playtime. At least it'd be worth a shot to see what kind of feedback I get.
• I'll see what I can do to keep players from reaching the cellar too soon. Because resources are maxed, I keep watching for an unnecessary tree or something to get rid of in order to add something new. But it should be easy enough to switch out the clicky that convinces the Mayor to open the cellar with something that tells the player to go away until it's time.
• Ah... Thanks, adylhere! Someone else mentioned the mob that spawned inside a house, but I couldn't reproduce it. Now that I know where it is, I'll drag him out to the streets. (And make sure he's properly named and skinned, too.)
• I'll see if I can "de-activate" the other notes around town once the player has grabbed the goblin's letter. In fact, there's no reason for any of them to be clickable once the player has a copy of the letter. Then again, they might provide a source of comic relief if each of them was individually described. Hmmmmm...
• I'm also hoping to add a few unnecessary surprises that come from pounding on different doors around town. If I trim out the encounters to save time, I could add some surprises along the way. I'd need to find out how to shave off some extra NPC resources to do that, however. Hmmmmm....
• My goal with the next in the series was to finally spend some significant time on an indoor map. I wanna build a dungeon, dagnabbit! So many fun lighting effects to play with! However, as I thought through the storyline, I kept finding myself in an outdoor setting once again. I suppose that's the problem with wanting to anchor everything to a village setting. So Danger in the Woods will take place outside... in the woods, in fact (ha ha... go figure). But I've already got tentative outlines and maps completed for #4 & #5, and one of them will take the players inside. Somehow.
If you head up the ramp to the launch again, it takes you to the second burning launch without the ramp. Not the one you arrive on initially. There is no way I could find to get back to the ship. So, I had the brute dead (DoT did him in moments after I hit the ground, go figure) and still needed to kill the pirate captain. Leaving the map and returning didn't reset it, killing myself off didn't reset it. I simply had no way to get back to the ship to finish off the captain.
Obviously, I was unable to finish the map to leave a review. Seeing as how the only camp fire on the ground. I suspect this might also be an issue for anyone who might unfortunately die in that encounter as well. There either needs to be another ramp over from the 2nd launch, or some manner of teleport to get back on the ship.
It was fun up until that point at least
Looking back at the quest, that teleporting rowboat should remain in place until the ship captain is killed... for the very reason you mention. I tested it by jumping off the ship after killing the fiery giant but before initiating combat with the captain, and the rowboat back to the ship was still there. Very weird.
I'll do another pass through the conditions of those objects, and make sure that there's an obvious way back to the ship somehow. Being locked out of completing a quest is my worst fear, and I really appreciate the feedback!!!
EDIT: Aha! Found it! At least, I think it's fixed now. I made sure the gangplank from the rowboat won't burn away until the captain is slain. AND there's an invisible wall that appears blocking access to that first rowboat (and forcing you onto the remaining rowboat which exits to the next map)... but not until the captain is dead.