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Thank You for the Foundry
bardaaron
Member Posts: 545 Bounty Hunter
I know that I complain a fair bit, and spend a fair amount of time on these forums asking for more features, and I'm not the only one. I am not setting aside these requests by any means, nor am I "settling," but I want to take a moment to appreciate what we actually DO have.
Even with its shortcomings, we still have a platform to create brand new quests with virtually any storyline we like. The storyboard gives us a variety of objectives types to use, and by exercising some creativity, we can do some really cool and unexpected things with them; and even more by avoiding "official" objectives at all. We do have the tools in the foundry to work around the shortcomings, giving us a lot of utility. We can create comprehensive storylines that meet or exceed the standard content.
We have a wide variety of maps to use as the canvas on which to paint our pictures. Some of these come pre-loaded with details already, giving us a head start and a break on our detail budgets, if they suit our needs. And we do have quite a lot of detail assets to choose from already. On outdoor maps, we can change the sky with a range of backdrops and filters; add fog and mist, and affect the way players see and experience our quests. Many of the authors here have learned to use our assets to do some top-notch work, sculpting them into maps that look totally professional, artistic, and natural.
We have a good solid range of encounters and encounter types, with nigh-infinite permutations of costume options so that no precise costume need ever be repeated, if desired. We can give characters horns, piercings, and eyepatches; change the colors of their skin and hair and clothes, and outfit them how we like.
We have branching dialog options that allow for roleplaying, and providing a different experience for players with different classes. We can spawn enemies and trigger events on dialog prompts, and tie options to quest items. We can make it so that there is a dramatic difference between one play-through and another, if we arrange things properly.
So, thank you to the devs for giving us what is probably the best current MMO UGC creation platform out there these days. I appreciate the ability to make everything that we can make, and I look forward to one day being able to master the art of map-wizardry like eldarth and apocrs, and so many others who are still much better at it than I. And it has been said that limitations breed creative solutions, so working within some limits may actually be a blessing. While we go forward, asking for what we want; I thank you, Cryptic, for giving us what we HAVE.
Even with its shortcomings, we still have a platform to create brand new quests with virtually any storyline we like. The storyboard gives us a variety of objectives types to use, and by exercising some creativity, we can do some really cool and unexpected things with them; and even more by avoiding "official" objectives at all. We do have the tools in the foundry to work around the shortcomings, giving us a lot of utility. We can create comprehensive storylines that meet or exceed the standard content.
We have a wide variety of maps to use as the canvas on which to paint our pictures. Some of these come pre-loaded with details already, giving us a head start and a break on our detail budgets, if they suit our needs. And we do have quite a lot of detail assets to choose from already. On outdoor maps, we can change the sky with a range of backdrops and filters; add fog and mist, and affect the way players see and experience our quests. Many of the authors here have learned to use our assets to do some top-notch work, sculpting them into maps that look totally professional, artistic, and natural.
We have a good solid range of encounters and encounter types, with nigh-infinite permutations of costume options so that no precise costume need ever be repeated, if desired. We can give characters horns, piercings, and eyepatches; change the colors of their skin and hair and clothes, and outfit them how we like.
We have branching dialog options that allow for roleplaying, and providing a different experience for players with different classes. We can spawn enemies and trigger events on dialog prompts, and tie options to quest items. We can make it so that there is a dramatic difference between one play-through and another, if we arrange things properly.
So, thank you to the devs for giving us what is probably the best current MMO UGC creation platform out there these days. I appreciate the ability to make everything that we can make, and I look forward to one day being able to master the art of map-wizardry like eldarth and apocrs, and so many others who are still much better at it than I. And it has been said that limitations breed creative solutions, so working within some limits may actually be a blessing. While we go forward, asking for what we want; I thank you, Cryptic, for giving us what we HAVE.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Post edited by bardaaron on
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Comments
Roland Mac Sheonin GF | Tarron Direheart SW |
Besides the dead CoH/X, I cannot think of any other MMOs that have or had such. The Neverwinter Nights series allowed it with persistent servers, but those weren't true MMOs, as the hosted servers only held several dozen people at a time.
[ Support Center • Rules & Policies and Guidelines • ARC ToS • Guild Recruitment Guidelines | FR DM Since 1993 ]
Roland Mac Sheonin GF | Tarron Direheart SW |
[ Support Center • Rules & Policies and Guidelines • ARC ToS • Guild Recruitment Guidelines | FR DM Since 1993 ]
Roland Mac Sheonin GF | Tarron Direheart SW |
It's what separates Neverwinter Online from any other MMORPG.
So, thanks for making it!
To be honest, it's the main reason I'm still playing.
Actually, Landmark allows for a pretty robust Sandbox MMO experience & will be adding in quest creation soon as well I believe.
Bill's Tavern | The 27th Level | Secret Agent 34
If you want terrain sculpting and programmable objects check out Project Spark.
Encounter Matrix | Advanced Foundry Topics
As I plan to start making my own foundries, which tutorials or guides would you recommend?
Neverwinter Wiki -- upper right corner for Foundry pages
Encounter Matrix | Advanced Foundry Topics
Yeah - create an entire game of your imagination. A lot lower level and much, much more script/program intensive.
Encounter Matrix | Advanced Foundry Topics
By that I assume you mean it can't be done by people who don't know how to write code? Because that kind of makes it unusable for most people.
Not really. It has a bunch of pre-defined behaviors for different things already. And the coding is very beginner friendly - it's all visual plug-together pieces and the code editor is very context sensitive to help you with relevant options.
Encounter Matrix | Advanced Foundry Topics
Me, I'm extremely bitter about Foundry because I have pretty much no decent way to get to an audience. With no ability to search decently for what you want, even the folks who are interested in story pretty much... can't find them.
And I don't really feel like doing the work of creating stuff AND spending every waking moment advertising.
If they ever, ever change this, I will return happily.
(As it is, I don't really feel up to figuring out why my existing 3 foundry missions didn't republish, given I got maybe one play a month)
Wicks and Things: NW-DI4FMZRR4 : The Fenwick merchant family has lost a caravan! Can you help?
Beggar's Hollow: NW-DR6YG4J2L : Someone, or something, has stolen away many of the Fenwicks' children! Can you find out what happened to them?
Into the Fen Wood: NW-DL89DRG7B : Enter the heart of the forest. Can you discover the secret of the Fen Wood?