Blackwinter

[youngneil1]

Concerning above bug (event tags for all three triggers always shown as same value), it's likely related to two combo boxes using the same data source, see here:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4344 ... a-source-c

[youngneil1]

With this mayhaps the crucial part of the solution:

combobox2.BindingContext = new BindingContext(); //create a new context

[Pongo]

Thanks Karl
You were completely right about it being cosmetic as well. I've been testing the module this evening and it does launch the correct encounter, it just doesn't list it correctly in the Event Trigger.
PS, test and debug mode is awesome!

[youngneil1]

[slowdive]

Encounter not repeatable once won is intentional. Before launching an encounter, a check is made to see if any creatures are left and if zero then skip. Resetting an encounter to use multiple times would need to be a new feature.

[youngneil1]

Ah, yes indeed. What I fiddled with was making extra sure that props carrying encounters are deleted once the encounter has been won (if flagged to be so).

[Pongo]

The testing is going well! Broadly speaking, everything bar the last two levels is now working fine. The convos and triggers in the last two levels aren't working as intended though, so I need to work my way through them and sort it out.

I'm coming across plenty of things I want to tweak further though. Take keys. This is a bit of a dungeon crawler, so there are loads of keys - about fifteen in total, some of which are essential to progress. The problem is that one key is pretty much the same as another, so its easy to lose track of whether any of them are still useful; and all the "locked door" convos get a bit tedious after a while.

Two quick improvements - I'm now adding scripts to remove keys from the inventory after use, so the inventory isn't bogged down with now-useless keys; and I'm going to add text so that it is clear which key is required to open a particular door.

To get around the too-many-convos thing, I tried replacing them with floaty text on screen. The basic interaction is either "locked, requires x key" floaty text, or "opened with x key" floaty text. The script to move the party to the previous square triggers if the party doesn't have the key. This worked really well, and I like the fact that the information is provided outside of convo boxes - ie, it leaves the player uninterrupted on the map screen.

For a short duration / key heavy module like this I think it works much better. For a longer module I think the convos would probably work better, mainly because of the option for additional atmospheric narrative etc.

I haven't included lock picking options... That would be a new challenge!

[Pongo]

Nearly there...

One thing that stood out during my non-combat run throughs over the last couple of weeks was that the ending felt a little rushed. So I spent last week adding in a whole new level, which provides for a better game flow.

Now I've got used to the toolset again (after quite a bit of time out!), I was really pleased with how quickly it all came together. Its the most complicated level so far, at least technically, with hidden props providing traps, pressure plates, and even a gas filled room that the player needs to find a way to clear. This all came together over the course of just a week, although I was fairly solid working on it over the weekend to be fair.

The good news is that the module is now content complete, except for the final dialogue and one absolute-pain-in-the-ass convo on the very first level. After that, it will need a spot of combat testing (I started this with v21 and its looking pretty good, but a few small things to iron out with creature specific magics etc) and its good to go. Another couple of weeks I reckon.

... after which, I'm going to put my feet up for a bit and play Hearkenwold (and maybe the new deus ex whilst I'm at it...!)

[Dorateen]

That is very encouraging. The ideas you have for traps will make the levels even more interesting. I can't wait to check it out. For me, I'm going to run through with the characters I tested Hearkenwold with and see how they fare in such a deep dungeon complex.

I noted your comment in the daily blog thread, about running out of arrows. Had the same concern once rangers start shooting twice per round. Strategic placement of ammunition or other resources can be tricky to get just right. But it does make for some welcome finds in the middle of exploration.

[Pongo]

Quick question about the ration system. I don't seem to have a standard "rations" item to add to loot drops etc, do I need to make one?
thanks!