280 replies to this topic

[berelinde]

No writing any new material until you've got the old material working.

[Tempest]

Taking the time to write new material before I start re-doing all the code. Once I get everything coded and working, the temptation to declare alpha testing will be too strong to ignore. Flirts are by far my least favorite and most difficult thing to write, but they're good for wasting time when you're supposed to be doing a research paper.

[Solstice]

Yay! More flirts!

[Miss Sakaki]

I'm taking the opportunity to rewrite some of Darian's material before I go back to redoing all of the code. Mostly because I really, really don't want to have to go back and redo Darian's coding. I don't like coding, as you might have gathered, and am not particularly eager to force myself to go back into Crimson Editor.

Keep your chin up and try to stick at it! If you break things down into manageable chunks it won't feel so hard. It's a pain when you get a setback, I know, but I can guarantee that it'll be very satisfying once the coding starts going your way.

[berelinde]

Sooner or later, you are going to have to code it, though.

Sorry if I sound like a Gloomy Gus, here, but I know perfectly well that the chance of a mod being completed is inversely proportional to the amount of written material that's still left to code. A mod with nothing written and coded but the joining dialogue and the unscripted banters is more likely to be released than a mod with all the dialogues, the quest, and the romance track written, but not coded.

Think about it, Tempest. You're doing something you hate, writing flirts, rather than coding. When you've written all that can possibly be written for Darian, what then? Will you start writing for Xarana before coding up Darian?

I'm going to make one last suggestion before I leave you to it. Simplify.

Do you really need a 5-track romance in addition to a Mazzy romance? From what I've read of the mod, you could probably have done it with three (plus the obligatory "over"): not interested (male PC, dwarf PC, etc.), in denial (RA=1), and committed (RA=3). You don't need to change romance active values just because you're changing the tone of the lovetalks.

[Tempest]

True-I've already seriously considered eliminating the friendship track, at least for the initial alpha. And I really do exaggerate my dislike of writing flirts-they're awkward, but I have a few suitably sarcastic female friends who were happy to lend me ideas.

[Choo Choo]

I'd say keep the friendship track, but don't release it in the first alpha.

Darian should be an attractive party member even for someone who doesn't want to romance him.

Just don't include it in the first alpha. Leave it for later. Code it while bug reports for the initial alpha are streaming in.

That way, you can also make sure that the romance is bug-free before dealing with the friendship bugs.

Although I'm hardly one to speak, since I've got no experience whatsoever.. but at least that's my two cents of common sense, if I have any.

And I just can't resist glomping Darian while I'm at it and writing, so.. *glomps him and runs off*

[berelinde]

If it were me, I'd have written, coded, and tested the friendship track first, before even starting to think about the romance. It's always easiest to start at the beginning. For me, that meant the following sequence: NPC joins party, NPC notices that he is not alone and has inconsequential smalltalk with other party members (unscripted banter), NPC becomes aware of the game world (interjections), NPC befriends the PC or other party members (scripted banter), NPC falls in love (romance).

But everyone is different.

[Solstice]

*Teacher voice* Now you stop playing video games until your homework and studying are all finished, young man!

*Geek voice* Glad you're back in action!

[Ankhes]

I have no practical adivice but as a player who is dying for this great romance I want the romance first. Friendship tracks are cool imho but it seems they are around forever and the romance never comes out. Okay maybe I exagerrate but for once it would be nice to have the romance available right off. Especially for this gorgeous hunky Darian!

[Choo Choo]

Yay, good news! *does the good-news-dance*

[Ascension64]

Looks like you are getting back on track.

[My Anata]

I've gotta agree with Ankhes on this, but since I am not the seasoned modder that berelinde is, I'll admit that this is mostly my inner hormone-driven teenage girl talking. Good luck to you and I hope to ravish the aloof Avariel soon!

[Tempest]

Tempest: Bleh. Been finishing ironing out the banters in what little time I can spare among preperations for Christmas. I'm pretty sure there aren't any further problems, but I'm testing them anyhow to make sure.

Darian: You keep telling yourself that. You don't want to go on to the next stage of testing.

Tempest: Correction. That would be what you want. At least I'm still getting something productive done during the holidays. Darian doesn't have many scripted banters, so that phase shouldn't take long.

Darian: Uh huh.

Tempest: Shush. Oh, and keep an eye out for a few extra banters that won't occur under normal circumstances...

[Choo Choo]

*pokes Darian with a stick*

Ahem.

Seems like you're doing great work, Tempest! (More than I'm doing on Emmeline, anyway.) Keep it up! I simply can't wait to torment save the world with this guy.

[Tempest]

Darian: Your world can burn in the flames of the Abyss, human. Toril would be a better world without your filth.

Tempest: Silence. Thank you, Chooch, and Darian will be finished sooner or [more likely] later.

[Choo Choo]

LovelylovelyLOVELY news! I don't dare to hope for a Darian alpha for my birthday (unless you plan to code 24/7 without sleeping, eating or any other breaks for days), but.. soon? *dances*

[Solstice]

Yay! Santa read my mind!

[Tempest]

Probably not, Choo. I'm going to try to avoid another fiasco like the last time I thought I was almost ready for alpha release-I'm testing everything block by block of code. Got burned once, and have no desire to get burned again.

[Choo Choo]

Well, soon is relative. And I know the feeling, what with being caught up in coding myself - you search for hours after ONE single error which ruins the whole compilation and it turns out to be a missing ~ or something. Take your time!