Hearkenwold

[Dorateen]

I have just posted the latest version of the Hearkenwold module, now available to download. The file can be found here:

https://neverwintervault.org/project/ic ... earkenwold

As always, if anyone has an existing saved game in progress, the Hearkenwold saves folder can be copied over and placed in the new saves folder. This is still using build 203 of the IceBlink engine, so for those who have been working with the latest build, only the module folder need be copied from the compressed file.

There are three primary purposes for this update as follows:

• Continues the main adventure, introducing a new desert town called Sinestra

• Adds a Psionic themed adventure, which also functions as an alternate guild quest for wizard player characters

• New wilderness locations introduced along the River Astar with associated content

Altogether there are dozens of new maps, enemies and items that further expands the campaign.





I have also updated the world map. Empty white spaces have been replaced with a general terrain tiles, which represents what can realistically be expected to find in those areas. The framed, more detailed squares are the actual playable areas in game, including the new locations introduced in this update. The plan has always been to eventually fill the entire map with explorable content.

[Dorateen]

July Update

I am back working in the Knights of the Chalice 2 Module Editor, for the purpose of converting the most recent IceBlink content into that module. Looking back, I see that I did previously post progress in the other toolset here, and hopefully this should only take me about three months to complete.

Here are a few locations that I have started on. And of course, these are all presently available as part of the IceBlink campaign.





This is a view of Edinmoor Keep. In the KotC2 version, there are now streaming banners to add to the pageantry of this court.



What's cool so far, is that it looks like we will be able to get a toggle working, through script commands, to change the Party Leader's token into the river boat, when moving on the water. In Iceblink, this was very easy as there exists a script to change the image used for the selected character on the adventuring screen, back and forth. It will require some additional commands in KotC2 to get it working as intended, but we are getting there.

After I conclude this conversion, I will be back to working in the IceBlink toolset as more adventures await the characters from Hearkenwold.

[slowdive]

Looking great so far in KotC2. It is great that you were able to get a token swap working for the boat! The streaming banners look great too.

[Dorateen]

It's always great to get a little more animated props. Like how in IceBlink we have waves for water tiles, and also flame.

[Dorateen]

August Update

I have been continuing work on converting the most recent Hearkenwold content in IceBlink, into the Knights of the Chalice 2 engine. One of the new areas that I have gone on about is allowing the party to travel the River Astar by boat. This would mean switching the party leader into a boat token while they are on the water. In IceBlink, there was already a simple toggle to make this change. But for Kotc2, I had help from the developer to create new script commands that would change the Party Leader into the boat token, and then back to the character's original token when returning to land. To further complicate things, KotC2 allows the player to display characters as animated sprites. We have implemented an override function just for an instance like this, when I need the player to be represented by a token, and then it switched back to a sprite. All told, there is a lot more scripting involved, but it now works the same as in IceBlink.

Here is a video to demonstrate what happens when the party sails on the river and goes back onto land, only to run into an angry elf.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv4FEQEmAxQ

Another difference between IceBlink and Knights of the Chalice, is the presentation of NPC conversations and text interactions. In IceBlink, we have a separate interface that is switched to, so the main adventuring map is never seen during these interactions. It is very convenient for times when an NPC was not required to be physically placed in the game world. For example, in the city of Skardale, the player clicks on the many different homes throughout that location, and is taken to the conversation screen with the occupant. But In KotC2, this abstract approach could be a little jarring. So I am going through the citizen dialogues and now using the large display image to occupy most of the screen, with the text box below. Here are a couple of examples to show what I mean:





It's definitely more stylistic, and helps ease the player back into the game after talking with these NPCs.

Anyway, I've got more work to do this month, and I should probably have the module conversion complete by the end of September. If all goes well, I can be working on the continuation of Hearkenwold in Iceblink this fall.

[Dorateen]

September Update

I am trying to finish up the most recent Hearkenwold conversion into the Knights of the Chalice 2 module.

I only have a couple of areas remaining to work on: the boat adventure aboard the Crimson Cutlass, and content on the region known as the Wild Plateau. There are some loose ends to tie up, and I will need to test everything. In the meantime, here is an example of one of the encounters in Sinestra. The map uses a fog terrain feature that limits mobility and targeting. It is a battle against fifteen kobolds, which includes spell casters, so they probably shouldn't be taken too lightly.





And this is a kindly old granny the party can find in the forest.



All of the above content is present in the IceBlink version of the campaign. I think I can have the Kotc2 version updated by the end of the month, or early October, which is what I had projected. Then I will write more about the next stages for the ongoing adventure.

[Articulatemis]

Can you message me the Lost Guardians sponsor name? I came across the NPC while doing the main quest but didn't realize that he would disappear after the dialogue, or that I would need to manually note his name to gain entry in the guild.

[Dorateen]

Can you message me the Lost Guardians sponsor name?

Hey Articulatemis,

I sent a message to you with the information.

Just a head's up, later on, I did include a couple of places in the module where the sponsor names are listed. I recognize that players might have missed the name from the initial dialogue.

Hope you are enjoying the module and thanks for playing!

[Dorateen]

October Update

I was able to release the updated version of Hearkenwold as an Adventure Module for Knights of the Chalice 2, at the end of last week. If anyone is interested playing the campaign for KotC2, it is available here:

https://www.nexusmods.com/knightsofthechalice2/mods/5

Here is a screenshot from the module.



For fun, I wanted to share the same scene as it plays out in the IceBlink engine:





Again, a difference in how the two versions are presented, in IceBlink conversations switch to a separate interface with the NPC portrait and the party characters selectable along the bottom of the screen. While KotC2 has a text box placed over the still visible adventuring map. Also note, in Iceblink, character responses for the dwarf and elf are only available by clicking on that party member. So there is no additional tag needed before the response. In Kotc2, these dialogue options (which do get different reactions from the Elf Captain, respectively) are more like a list that displays only if those characters are present in the party. I have maintained in doing this conversion project, that I love the combat and mechanics of KotC2, but I think IceBlink handles conversation interactions better.

One of the benefits of porting the module over is I can catch little things like typos that I missed the first time working in the IceBlink toolset. I have corrected a few of these that popped up.

Now, moving forward with the Hearkenwold campaign. The most recent update advances the main adventure path, and references the town of Saldanus as a desired destination. For the next content, I will be working on this location. Saldanus is an independent city-state outside the Kingdom of Astaria, where Hearkenwold begins. It is positioned on the coast, and its rumored riches make it a valuable target. There is quite a bit of history, which I won't go into just yet, but a local legend tells of the town's founding much like a Babel-esq story of hubris and powerful mages who would build a city that could reach the heavens. How much of this myth plays into the city's presents fortunes will have to be discovered.

This month, I am starting on the city maps. It will be laid out similar to Skardale, which was comprised of nine interconnecting maps. However, Saldanus is not exactly a place for the party to linger and shop and talk to a lot of NPCs. They will arrive at a tumultuous time, and there will be quite of bit of opportunity for fighting. Rather than trying to save the population, though, it is more likely the party just needs to get through the volatile streets.

I should be able to post some preliminary images as part of the next update.

[Dorateen]

As a special treat for Halloween, I have a new video of Hearkenwold from Knights of the Chalice 2, that shows a haunting encounter aboard a sailing vessel. Recently, we had new sound effects added for sea waves and wood creaking, which fit perfectly with this location.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpijmChtkas&t=99s

Also, the most recent update to KotC2 will allow the water animations to be resized. I can finally go back and adjust those on the maps that had water tiles.

This weekend, I will be making a post about new content being worked on in the IceBlink module.