Content Alpha for TGS 1.0

[DeathCow]

I plan to have a completed and working alpha for content ready by 3-10-07, this content will include;

• Starting Area for Levels 1-5
  
• 6 Towns
  
  • 1 Town for Good alignment
    
  • 1 Town for Evil alignment
    
  • 1 Town for Neutral alignment
    
  • At least 3 other towns which are currently Maped, but not quest ready
• Adventuring; including
  
  • Map exploration
    
  • Several small side quest
    
  • Various Bosses designed for groups
    
  • Scripting Locations
    
    
    • Levels 1-5 (same for all alignments)
      
    • Levels 5-10 (Good, Evil, and Neutral)
      
    • Levels 10-15 (Good, Evil, and Neutral)
      
    • Levels 15-20 (Good and Evil)
    
    
    • Dialog; including
      
      
      • Ingame explanation of commands/controls via NPC interaction
        
      • Brief introduction to the realms NPCs and story
        
      • An introduction to alignment choices
  • 200+ Monsters
    
  • 500+ Items
    
  • 12000+ Rooms
    
  • 500+ Spells, 300+ usable by users
    
  • All brand new messages and room descriptions
    

[Secret]

Sounds good to me! I hope you have someone helping you...

[Gaiden]

guys-not being a programmer i am completely blown away with what you are doing. i know alotta people complain,but i just wanna say thanx for all you are doing.

[DeathCow]

I've uploaded content to vitoc for the express purpose of simply being able to walk around and look at how my edits are looking.? What I uploaded is nothing more than a skeleton realm with very little of the area updates.? There is very little involved content wise in this first update, and be advised that it is likely buggy as well as very messy.  Furthermore, I am advised that it will take about a week to allocate the time to properly update the database coverter.

[DeathCow]

Update, Vitoc apparently was able to completely update the conversion software already.  We worked through some of the initial bugs this evening. 

Came up with some interesting bugs though, some of the bugs were because of how I was abusing metro's system in order to make things work the easy way <like make it so monsters dont attack every round via bad parsing on attack%>.  Other bugs came up due to bad message setup, which was basically caused by my laziness in decoding the large attack message strings<like for attacks that seem to have extra %s commands>. Also I had somehow set several class restrictions on items to -1, instead of 0.  I dont know how mmud would have handled that but, I fixed the error in every location that I found it in, and vitoc also coded a -1=0 fix for future errors.

We also had an interesting error with NMR's standard export all command, it apparently doesn't export all map #s, you actually have to manually set that up after you set all to export.   

I also discovered that at somepoint during my compressing of record numbers that I allowed for several duplicate monsters that I'll have to remove.  This isnt a big deal, except for a few cases where boss npc's are duplicated.

Apparently the only issue with the coverter was easily fixed, and now I can update the realm as needed.

The only realm/server issue atm is saving which isnt implimented yet, but that should be functional in a relatively short time. 

This initial content import will run on 2323, and is 11281 rooms (a shit ton more than I thought it was, so I'm guessing I actually have about 30,000 rooms completed rather than the 12k I thought I had)

Ok this is enough rambling for tonight.

[kalus]

i like the way this is sounding

[DeathCow]

i like the way this is sounding

Well, at this point we are both eager to get things rolling again.  Having the board up with real content should prove as a motivator for both of us.  He'll be able to see what his work is going to as he impliments each update, and I'll be closer and closer to doing the part of content design I enjoy most, the story telling.

Its so much more fun to write this

Ravon Wyrmdreamer

(Greet)
(1st meeting)
At your approach, the old dark-elf straightens and looking directly at you he says, "Well met, %name. I am called Ravon. Although thou dost not know me, I know thee well.
I have seen thee destroy the dark one's power and so defeat that misguided mage, I have seen thee vanquish the Grand Priest Mythan , I have also seen, in a very unique way, how thou brought low the mighty witchunter clan."
He falls silent here and you notice that the dark elf's eyes are milky white.

(2nd meeting)
"Greetings once again, %name. How may I assist thee?" The blind dark-elf looks unerringly in your direction.
(Busy)
"I'll never get any work done like this! What do you wish of me?" Ravon seems a little pevish at this point.
"I'll speak to thee no more, %name!" He ignores you.

Wyrmdreamer
The mage gives you a half smile, "'Twould seem that your knowledge of dark-elf history, %name, is poor at best. Wyrmdreamer is quite a famous clan name, might I suggest you read a book before you bother me further."

seen
"I am a follower of the Circle of Arcane. But unlike others of the school, I would prefer to seek out the knowledge instead of waiting for it to come to me.
It is this curiosity which has brought me to this island from which dark one, the spawn of Mythan and Ankas Barcral, sought to rule the world.
The books and scrolls here have taught me much of the land's history and other... interesting subjects."
His clouded eyes sparkle with intelligence. But you can't help wondering how books and scrolls are of any use to a man afflicted with blindness.

books/scrolls
"If thou art interested, feel free to inspect them. This is no library." As if regretting his gracious gesture, he adds, "However, I trust that thou wilt take utmost care with the older ones." He stops, on the verge of saying more.

blind/blindness
"Thou art a tiresome child. Leave me be!" He ignores your presence.

mind/circle of mind
"Could this possibly be true?" Ravon's blind eyes light up with unabashed glee. "What an opportunity I have here."
He once again notices your presence. "Now, do not let any strange ideas of destruction enter thy mind, %name. I shan't let thee deprive me of this chance to experience a true wonder of the world. Run along now... Is there not a right to be wronged, somewhere else?

evil/great evil
The elderly mage frowns. "I sense no great evil, but then I never did quite get the knack of cosmic awareness. Nevertheless, don't worry thyself over much. These things tend to work themselves out." You feel as if you've just been patted on the head and asked to go play elsewhere.

brooch of the starry night
(1st)
"Ah, yes. I once had a scroll that told of a talisman by that name. If only I could remember where I put it. Dost thou by chance have the parchment entitled Book of Wonders with thee?
(2nd)
"Dost thou have the Book of Wonders amongst thy possessions?"
(no book)
"If thou bringest the book to me I can aid the in finding the meaning of the archaic text." The dark-elf sighs.
"I must touch the scroll to glean its meaning. Else I'll not be able to help thee in this matter." He shakes his head in a disappointed mannor, "If thou dost not have the scroll, I cannot help thee in this matter."
(book)
"Here we are. Now then, it appears to be written in a strange format. One might even say a code of sorts... I have it! Apparently, the Talisman currently resides in the Abyss. A plane somewhat removed from ours. If thou wishest to gain access to the Abyss, thou shalt need to craft a conduit capable of focusing light. Light focused through the properly enchanted conduit will open a portal between our realm and the Abyss. But this is all I know, you'll need to speak with one capable of crafting such a conduit. It would seem that the brooches sole purpose is to coerce a powerful force into the Abyss." A thought hits the mage like lightning strikes a tree. "Oh no, %name... Thou shan't gain any more aid from me. I may be blind, but I see through thy sham. I'll not help thee send the blade into the void." Ravon falls silent, and it would appear that he'll speak no more.

(cont if Demon Gem in inventory)
The demon's gem growls and a husky voice whispers to you like a ripple in a still pond, "Fear not, my master. I have some knowledge of these matters."
     
magic sword/sword
(If artificer)
"I once attempted to create a sword of great power." Ravon frowns in concentration then says, "if thou wishest to continue my work, thou shalt have need of some few pieces of forging equipment... And a place to put them... I know just the spot. Come with me and I'll see what I can do to help thee."
(Other class)
"And what would you know of it child? Your skills are nothing compared to mine, how could you ever finish my work?" With that the dark-elf laughs and turns away.

Mythan
Ravon scowls, "Now there was a mighty wizard. A bit twisted but then who knows what happens to the human mind when 'tis subjected to the powers he wielded.
'Tis even said his skull alone had the power to destroy enemies... he must have locked a magical matrix upon it, I'll have to research that." He nods his head, seemingly making a mental note, then continues with a wistful look on his aged features,
"I would have loved to study that fascinating grand tome of necromancy, but alas, I was born in too late an era."

demon sword
Ravon nods his head when you tell him of your dilemma with the demon sword. "Yes, I can see how the blade would be too clumsy to swing in combat. However, if thou were to bind a magical source of power into the hilt of the blade, thou mightest be able to counteract the unwieldy nature of the sword."
(cont if demon gem in inventory)
The little gem sparks up at this turn of the conversation. "I believe that in my current form, I could serve perfectly well as the blade's stabilizing force. In truth, this would allow me to give thee access to some of my more dramatic powers." The daemon sounds excited at this prospect, perhaps a little too excited.
Ravon's voice is quiet as he says, "Consider well before thou bindest a demon that powerful into the sword. For it is true that he will be able to solve the sword's problem of balance, but will he be able to solve his own problems as well?"

problems
(if gem)
You wonder if perhaps the demon might be able to shed some light on this issue, and as if reading your thoughts, Ravon says, "Beware the daemon. His goals are not those of thine or mine. If he offers to help thee, it is to help himself. Of that thou canst be sure."
"This is thy choice to make. Apparently thou hast need to make this sword function, but if the daemon is thy only recourse, I pity thee. For as surely as he will be bound within the sword, thou wilt be bound to possess it. I can tell thee no more."

Ankas Barcral
A sad sweet smile comes to the wizard's face, "She was quite a comely lass at one time, with a mind forever searching." His expression darkens, "But then Mythan forced all of the good sense from her.
She became a power unto herself, in time. I do not think she quite rivaled her former mentor, Mythan, but she was a force to be reckoned with, nevertheless.

dark one
"That being has become a passion of mine, lately." He almost glows with excitement. "Indeed, 'tis what brought me here. While I was at the Rose Temple, I happened upon a passage in a manuscript that described an Island in a Lake of Fire.
Upon further research, I found that the entity known as dark one was not truly destroyed. The interface between its two parts and the world was merely severed."

two parts
"One part, his mind we shall call it, was taken by the demons who live in the below us in a realm on the other side of the world. A truly fascinating culture they have, but I digress..." You begin to wonder just how long this dark-elf has been out of circulation.
He continues, "The other, I have here. I call it the corpse, because without the mind, it is mostly lifeless." His face appears to youthen, and you feel as if you're speaking to a child describing his new toy... or perhaps, pet.
"I believe 'twas the removal of the mind from the corpse that caused this island to sink beneath the flames."

mind
"Eventually, I shall turn my studies to that being. The demons have placed it within a crypt, in a shrine they dedicated to their dark gods.

the vail/vail
His expression is unreadable, "The magic that thou destroyed was dark one' means of communication with and control of the world.
When it was destroyed, his mind could no longer retain its hold on the corpse.
I have often wondered if another vail was implemented, would the mind return, or possibly be regenerated..."
As his idle musings begin to run toward possibly dangerous conclusions, his mouth audibly snaps shut.

demons
"Interesting creatures, thou mightest call them balrogs, but they are beasts of nightmare.
The larger, intellegent ones are magical beings by nature,while the smaller, less humanoid ones appear to be more or less beasts of burden for their fiery masters."
He turns his head in your direction with a puzzled expression in his eyes, "I have the oddest feeling that thou hast heard all of this before..." Ravon falls silent.

Corpse
"I know its not the best description of this fantasic object, but it will have to due.  Its form although humanoid comes appart at almost every seam, it unravels and inside the language of the demons is scribed on almost every inch" the dark-elf looks at you in an untrusting mannor. "Yes, here it is. It is the coffin sitting upon yon pedastal." He motions in the direction of the coffin. "I have found it to be quite a treasure trove of useful facts. Its sole purpose seems to be the storage of information. Much of the information is trivial, such as the detailed description of the color of the sky on a particular day eons ago, while other bits give instructions for the manipulation of the world. Within it I even found the knowledge to raise and sustain this island we stand upon. It is truly a remarkable artifact." He thinks for a moment, then looks nervously in your direction, "Please, do be careful around it. Artifacts seem to have a tendency to, shall we say, disappear around thee."

demon gem
"Ah, now there's a question. I've heard naught of it's existence since the dark one first came to this world. It was reputedly a great item of magic. Didst thou find it so?" He cocks his head to one side as he asks the question.
(yes)
"Yes, 'tis a pity to lose such an item of antiquity. Perhaps as time unfolds it will turn up. These things have a way of surfacing at the strangest times."
(no)
"No? It didst seem to serve thee well enough to dispatch the enchantress Ankas Barcral. But then I suppose only a poor bard blames his instrument." He winks mischieviously in your general direction.

grand tome of necromancy/tome
Milky eyes glitter up at you like twin marbles, "Ah, yes. But thou knowest all too well about that little bauble.
After all, it was thee who burnt it to ashes which caused thee so much trouble during the regency of The Dark One.
So much power that even in a charred state, its magic still flowed. 'Tis sad to lose such an artifact." As if suddenly remembering with whom he is speaking, he ammends, "Much better than having Mythan running about mucking with things, I suppose."

skull
"'Twould seem that someone," he pauses dramatically, "let that slip into a volcano..." His wry smile belies his careless tone.

daemon mirror
"Ah, so thou hast met that old windbag. Truly, I feel that I would do better to free myself of that burdensome beast, but he sometimes proves to be useful. If it weren't for his whining, perhaps he and I would get along better."

whining
"'Tis his favorite passtime. He begs, pleads, and threatens me to free him from that stupid mirror. Believe me, if I could I would have done it long ago." Ravon's lined face shows his chagrin.

free
"He wants this special bauble. I once possessed this gem he seeks, and I don't think he'd be very happy once he gets it. I have tried to tell him that 'twould only imprisonhim in a more mobile jail, but alas, his head is made of stone."

jail
"Quite. The deamon seeks to have dominion over the land and believes that the gem will give him the ability to exert his power here. In truth, the Crani Gem works in the reverse, his power will become accessible to the one who possesses the gem."

Crani Gem
"The gem was pilfered from me by an ill tempered dragon. She blew her way into this castle, waylayed the golems that protect the Shrine of Arcane, then destroyed a perfectly good secret door on her way to the lab. I'd have liked to see her squeeze through the hole she made, 'tis hardly big enough for a creature of her bulk." The mage's milky eyes twinkle with suppressed mirth.

golems
"Mmmm... Yes. This pair of manshaped, magical constucts used to guard the Shrine of Arcane Magic, but alas, one fell pray to falling rocks when the dragon assaulted the castle. The other picked up his, ah... brother, for lack of a better word, and carried him off through the portal to the portal of fire."

Shrine of Arcane
"The shrine lies through the doors at the rear of the main hall. There thou canst find three oracles, each one dedicated to a  teaching of the circle arcane." Conspiratorially he adds, "A bit stuffy, but they make nice trophies."

Ancient Grey Tome
"I not had the chance to inspect that oddity yet, however, thou art welcome to peruse it at thy leisure." He smiles like a grandfather giving a present to a child.

Summoner's Compendium
"I believe 'twas written by the first Summoner, Gra'thkal the Kang in order to teach..." He gestures in your direction, "A novice," he snickers "the ways of the art." Ravon grins mysteriously.

daemon gem
"So... thou hast made a servant of the deamon. 'Tis good to be rid of his incessant whining. I hope that thou findest him to be as useful as I didst." You're not sure, but his words might be construed as a curse.
The gem glows brighter, "'Tis good to see the last of thee, also, dark-elf. Perhaps in another life, I shall be thy master, and thou the slave." The daemon lets out a chilling little laugh.
Ravon looks a little shaken at hearing the daemon's voice, but quickly recovers his composure. "I think not, daemon. I'm not at all sure that there is a way for thou to get out of that little gem." The dark-elf mage's expression is unreadable.

daemon blade
"I see that thou didst not heed my warning. Alas, my pity shall be thine eternally. And so, what wouldst thou have of me, Master and Slave of the Deamon Blade."

Leaving room
(Normal)
"Goodbye and good luck... Thou'lt need it." The old dark-elf snickers under his breath as if enjoying a personal joke, quite possibly at your expense.
(Happy)
"Goodbye and good luck..." Ravon sounds truly sympathetic.

Than it is to write

Code Select Expand


Map Room Name Desc 0 Desc 1 Desc 2 Desc 3 Desc 4 Desc 5 Desc 6 AnsiMap Type Shop# Gang House #
Min Index Max Index Light Runic Platinum Gold Silver Copper Max Regen Mon
Type Attributes Death Room Exit Room Command Text Delay Max Area Control Room Perm
NPC Spell Exit 0 Type 0 Para1 0 Para2 0 Para3 0 Para4 0 Exit 1 Type 1 Para1 1 Para2 1 Para3 1 Para4 1 Exit
2 Type 2 Para1 2 Para2 2 Para3 2 Para4 2 Exit 3 Type 3 Para1 3 Para2 3 Para3 3 Para4 3 Exit 4 Type 4
Para1 4 Para2 4 Para3 4 Para4 4 Exit 5 Type 5 Para1 5 Para2 5 Para3 5 Para4 5 Exit 6 Type 6 Para1 6 Para2 6
Para3 6 Para4 6 Exit 7 Type 7 Para1 7 Para2 7 Para3 7 Para4 7 Exit 8 Type 8 Para1 8 Para2 8 Para3 8 Para4 8 Exit
9 Type 9 Para1 9 Para2 9 Para3 9 Para4 9 RoomItem 0 RoomItem 0 USES RoomItem 0 QTY RoomItem 1
RoomItem 1 USES RoomItem 1 QTY RoomItem 2 RoomItem 2 USES RoomItem 2 QTY RoomItem 3 RoomItem 3 USES
RoomItem 3 QTY RoomItem 4 RoomItem 4 USES RoomItem 4 QTY RoomItem 5 RoomItem 5 USES RoomItem 5 QTY
RoomItem 6 RoomItem 6 USES RoomItem 6 QTY RoomItem 7 RoomItem 7 USES RoomItem 7 QTY RoomItem 8
RoomItem 8 USES RoomItem 8 QTY RoomItem 9 RoomItem 9 USES RoomItem 9 QTY RoomItem 10 RoomItem 10 USES
RoomItem 10 QTY RoomItem 11 RoomItem 11 USES RoomItem 11 QTY RoomItem 12 RoomItem 12 USES RoomItem 12
QTY RoomItem 13 RoomItem 13 USES RoomItem 13 QTY RoomItem 14 RoomItem 14 USES
RoomItem 14 QTY RoomItem 15 RoomItem 15 USES RoomItem 15 QTY RoomItem 16 RoomItem 16 USES
RoomItem 16 QTY HiddenItem 0 HiddenItem 0 USES HiddenItem 0 QTY HiddenItem 1 HiddenItem 1 USES
HiddenItem 1 QTY HiddenItem 2 HiddenItem 2 USES HiddenItem 2 QTY HiddenItem 3
HiddenItem 3 USES HiddenItem 3 QTY HiddenItem 4 HiddenItem 4 USES HiddenItem 4 QTY
HiddenItem 5 HiddenItem 5 USES HiddenItem 5 QTY HiddenItem 6 HiddenItem 6 USES HiddenItem 6
QTY HiddenItem 7 HiddenItem 7 USES HiddenItem 7 QTY HiddenItem 8 HiddenItem 8 USES
HiddenItem 8 QTY HiddenItem 9 HiddenItem 9 USES HiddenItem 9 QTY HiddenItem 10 HiddenItem
10 USES HiddenItem 10 QTY HiddenItem 11 HiddenItem 11 USES HiddenItem 11 QTY HiddenItem 12
HiddenItem 12 USES HiddenItem 12 QTY HiddenItem 13 HiddenItem 13 USES HiddenItem 13
QTY HiddenItem 14 HiddenItem 14 USES HiddenItem 14 QTY PlacedItem 0 PlacedItem 1 PlacedItem 2
PlacedItem 3 PlacedItem 4 PlacedItem 5 PlacedItem 6 PlacedItem 7 PlacedItem 8 PlacedItem 9

1 2426 Wasteland WCCMAP01.ANS
0 0 0 1 5 -175 0 0 0 0 0 15 23 0
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0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
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0 0 0 0 0 0



[Vitoc]

Going to finish revamping regen (npcs will be regenning properly and instances of mobs should be properly persisted to and pulled from the db).  Should hopefully get a new build running tonight both on port 23 and 2323, with the new content on 2323. 

To start out there will only be two people with sys powers; deathcow and myself.  There's going to be some ground rules on using these powers before they are granted to anyone else.  It's discouraging for new people to come in and see someone with billions, trillions, or even more experience just a day after the realm was generated.  Using sys powers should be the exception, not the norm.  That being said, during alpha/beta testing the use of these these powers will help expedite testing so it will be taking place.

Keep in mind the new realm will be completely reset when testing is completed and the game officially launches (no date established yet) to level the playing field so try not to get too attached to your characters.  The idea here is to test the new content and engine and make it more enjoyable for everyone, so please give us lots of feedback. 

The old content will be taken down permanently within a couple weeks or so and the new content will be moved to port 23.  It was never our intention to use the other content long term, we just needed some something substantial to do initial testing on the engine until we got some original content, and now we do.  8)

On that note, a special thanks to dc for putting in all the time and effort into content.  I've only seen a few rooms so far out of the several thousand, but it looks promising.  I'd also like to reiterate that I appreciate the contributions everyone has made so far; testing the engine, feedback, suggestions/ideas, hardware donations, hosting (thesifer), and everything else.  It's all starting to come together. ;)

[DeathCow]

Going to finish revamping regen (npcs will be regenning properly and instances of mobs should be properly persisted to and pulled from the db). Should hopefully get a new build running tonight both on port 23 and 2323, with the new content on 2323.

To start out there will only be two people with sys powers; deathcow and myself. There's going to be some ground rules on using these powers before they are granted to anyone else. It's discouraging for new people to come in and see someone with billions, trillions, or even more experience just a day after the realm was generated. Using sys powers should be the exception, not the norm. That being said, during alpha/beta testing the use of these these powers will help expedite testing so it will be taking place.

Keep in mind the new realm will be completely reset when testing is completed and the game officially launches (no date established yet) to level the playing field so try not to get too attached to your characters. The idea here is to test the new content and engine and make it more enjoyable for everyone, so please give us lots of feedback.

The old content will be taken down permanently within a couple weeks or so and the new content will be moved to port 23. It was never our intention to use the other content long term, we just needed some something substantial to do initial testing on the engine until we got some original content, and now we do. 8)

On that note, a special thanks to dc for putting in all the time and effort into content. I've only seen a few rooms so far out of the several thousand, but it looks promising. I'd also like to reiterate that I appreciate the contributions everyone has made so far; testing the engine, feedback, suggestions/ideas, hardware donations, hosting (thesifer), and everything else. It's all starting to come together. ;)

If you could get verbose mode working that would be peachy as well, it would help me scan for typos and grammar errors, which there are many of.

[Vitoc]

You mean like showing the room description when you move into a realm?  It doesn't do that now? ???

[DeathCow]

You mean like showing the room description when you move into a realm? It doesn't do that now? ???

I dunno, you might have programmed it in, but there isnt anyway to set it to be in verbose mode.

[The Crazy Animal]

Nod it doesn't work there should be a set verbose/brief to toggle between the two modes.. I mentioned that in the to do list I posted the other day... which I'll be adding to shortly..

[DeathCow]

Btw, There is now some content Up at 70.143.14.206 P2323, if your interested in seeing it.  ATM the content is well, dynamic.  But as we are quickly addressing the minor issues that confront us the content shifting will dither and from there we'll move to indivisual, more modular, updates.

[DeathCow]

Btw if you havent taken a look yet, this is running on port 2323.  I'm making adjustments and changes everyday, and when I'm happy with what I've got I'll update the map with the next area so I can make changes there.  So feel free to stop by and give input.  Right now I think the most interesting part is the conversations in the village, but there is quite a bit to do other wise, there is a nice sized area to explore, and lots of monsters to test.