25 replies to this topic

[Qwinn]

Thought I'd announce that the next version of Unfinished Business (probably to be released along with Fixpack 3.0) will contain two new components

1) Restored Mebbeth!

Poking around, I discovered that quite a bit of Mebbeth's dialogue can't be gotten to in game. One chunk of dialogue is several lines worth and is supposed to occur after you sleep in her hut via her dialogue option to do so, and actually leads to a new journal entry. Another block of dialogue is "Mebbeth's Tale of Ravel", which you will be able to get from her before you leave for Ravel's maze, and it also leads to a new journal entry. Sound interesting? It is This will count as a "Recommended Component".

2) Expanded Deionarra's Truth!

The present version of the Deionarra's Truth component (based on SKARDAVNELNATE's version of same) restores a few unreachable dialogue lines regarding Deionarra's ultimate fate with a few characters (the Mourners, Vhailor, and when opening the portal to the final area of the game), but only those where the dialogue was rather vague as to the specifics, because in the unmodded game you can't learn the specifics until you've reached the final area of the game and there's no way to get back to the characters in Sigil who have unreachable dialogue that makes mention of those specifics (primarily her father, but that conversation leads to some new dialogue with Yves as well).

This mod will contain a significant amount of new content, written by yours truly. It will create a path whereby you can learn of her ultimate fate before leaving for the final area of the game. It will not be trivially easy to find, and you will need to talk to several existing characters and take several steps to learn the Truth. You will also be required to have completed several existing side quests that aren't otherwise really necessary to complete the game (thus giving them some additional purpose that they were sadly lacking). I have what I think are some pretty good ideas for how to go about this, and I think you'll all enjoy it.

Because it creates a lot of new content, and is only partly "unfinished business", I won't include it as one of the "Recommended" components. The recommended components of UB are presently those where I do the absolute minimum to restore original content, and I intend to keep them that way. The Expanded versions of some of the recommended mods will be installable -after- and separately from the "Recommended" mods, and in the Expanded versions I will take a freer hand in fleshing out the content with my own writing, such as what I just described. There may be an Expanded Pendant of Yemeth quest along the lines in the future (though I don't really have any good ideas for it yet, so don't wait for it) and if I ever decide to flesh out the Xixi quest, which in the unmodded game has so little material that doesn't really lead anywhere that I didn't bother to restore it at all, it'll be considered an Expanded quest as well. (Frankly, though, I'd be just as happy if someone else takes their hand to restoring and fleshing out the Xixi content as a separate standalone mod, so if you want to, go for it

Qwinn

Edited by Qwinn, 02 September 2008 - 12:16 AM.

[Qwinn]

Eh, doesn't seem to be any interest in this, so I'll probably back-burner the Expanded Deionarra mod.

The Restored Mebbeth component is already done, so that'll go in.

If there -is- interest, please speak up and say so. Don't want to waste a bunch of time and effort making something no one's going to want to install though.

Qwinn

[Daulmakan]

Both of them sound very nice, as are all three of the mods you're maintaining. Can't give any particular feedback apart from that since I'm not able to play PS:T right now, though I'd definitely install the Deionarra component when I am.

With that said, there's no rush for a new release from my side. Take your time.

[Arkain]

Yup, sounds nice. While I'm always interested in "Restored X" components - usually to see what the game could have been even better - I appreciate any time you spend on additional components like that particular one about Deionarra. So, yeah, I'm pretty interested in it (especially when I come to think about a PM you send me ).

[Zyrica]

Aaah, you drive me crazy! Everytime I play the game I think "This time I got it all" and with every new mod version you throw in new, amazing stuff. You are seriously ruining my masters thesis, marriage and mental health! Oh, what do I care, bring it on!

Z

[Qwinn]

Great news - the Expanded Deionarra's Truth mod is completely written and coded

It has about 180 new dialogue lines, restores another 30 or so lines of original content dialogue, an exciting (and challenging) combat scenario which TNO must solo, a valuable prize at the end, and IMO fits in really well with the existing content.

I won't be posting the dialogue file publicly - too many spoilers

I've already forwarded it to our usual and very helpful Spanish and German translators. I still need an Italian translator though, for both the Sounds and Banters component and this new mod. Anyone know of an Italian translator willing to handle it? I'd hate to have to add "this mod not available in Italian" stickers to these new mods

Qwinn

Edited by Qwinn, 19 September 2008 - 07:45 AM.

[countingdown7]

Wholeheartedly look forward to this, as I adore Planescape. Your dedication is appreciated greatly..

[Qwinn]

You're welcome Still working my butt off to catch up with real life work, then will be hammering away. Still hoping I can make the Thanksgiving delivery date. I will make time over the next couple days to put it all together so I can send out a beta version or two for testing before I get to it.

Qwinn

[ghostdog]

Great job as always! Looking forward to these add-ons

[the vanished one]

Thanks for the amazing job, Qwinn. I'm really grateful for what you're doing.

[Qwinn]

Thanks for the kind comments

Just thought I'd add, folks... still no italian translator for the expanded Deionarra mod. Getting close enough that if someone doesn't start working on that soon, it probably won't be doable before release, so...

Qwinn

[the vanished one]

I'm italian, but I don't think I have what it takes to do a translation. However, if you don't find anyone else, I will have some free time in a month or so, so I could try. But I really hope you can find someone more qualified.
Also, thanks for not ignoring the language

[InTourette]

There may be an Expanded Pendant of Yemeth quest along the lines in the future (though I don't really have any good ideas for it yet, so don't wait for it) and if I ever decide to flesh out the Xixi quest, which in the unmodded game has so little material that doesn't really lead anywhere that I didn't bother to restore it at all, it'll be considered an Expanded quest as well. (Frankly, though, I'd be just as happy if someone else takes their hand to restoring and fleshing out the Xixi content as a separate standalone mod, so if you want to, go for it

Qwinn

What exactly is the xixi quest? And if theres so little material, do you think it will be possible to throw in other cool unimplemented stuff to make it a full quest or to take this unimplemented content (like the golem) and create a new quest?
Because then I have ideas of quests instead of just putting items ingame and do nothing with them..

[Qwinn]

SPOILER:

Once you get Stories Bone tell, visit the 1st floor of the Mortuary. One of the zombies in the NE part of it will tell you all about Xixi, how he was her bodyguard, and how he failed to prevent her kidnapping. There's a single line that was made inaccessible after that story where you agree to try to find her.

Other than that, there were a couple of hidden references to her. You could say "Xixi" to the zombie post outside the Gathering Dust Bar, and he would "point to wherever the hell Xixi's going to be". And there's a few inaccessible lines in Death of Names's dialogue about her, and depending on some Xixi quest variables that aren't referenced anywhere else, she'd either be alive or dead.

And that's all there is. Really not much to play with. The zombie-bodyguard's story is pretty good reading, but it doesn't hint at where anything's supposed to go from there.

I believe Cilantro's Restoration Pack restored all those bits I just mentioned, but since they didn't actually go anywhere I decided not to.

Qwinn

Edited by Qwinn, 16 December 2008 - 02:23 PM.

[Daulmakan]

Perhaps you could pester Chris Avellone about it the next time you talk to him?

[Qwinn]

Heh, nah. He's an incredibly busy guy, I've only bugged him for two things ever, and I save it for the really really big stuff, heh.

And frankly, it'd be easier to implement the Rubikon-Wizard-Kidnaps-Grace quest that he really wants to see in game than this Xixi thing, so, yeah, that's probably gonna have to come first

Qwinn

Edited by Qwinn, 16 December 2008 - 04:46 PM.

[Irbis]

i am so sad that i have only polish version of the game and my english i belive is unsufficiant for language used in original "PS:T =((( like "everybody with 2 hands can geta free bottle of vodka. ops sorry mister, you got 1 hand to much. bad luck huh?"

[InTourette]

SPOILER:

Once you get Stories Bone tell, visit the 1st floor of the Mortuary. One of the zombies in the NE part of it will tell you all about Xixi, how he was her bodyguard, and how he failed to prevent her kidnapping. There's a single line that was made inaccessible after that story where you agree to try to find her.

Other than that, there were a couple of hidden references to her. You could say "Xixi" to the zombie post outside the Gathering Dust Bar, and he would "point to wherever the hell Xixi's going to be". And there's a few inaccessible lines in Death of Names's dialogue about her, and depending on some Xixi quest variables that aren't referenced anywhere else, she'd either be alive or dead.

And that's all there is. Really not much to play with. The zombie-bodyguard's story is pretty good reading, but it doesn't hint at where anything's supposed to go from there.

I believe Cilantro's Restoration Pack restored all those bits I just mentioned, but since they didn't actually go anywhere I decided not to.

Qwinn

And what if its more an alignment thing? Like although its obivios that she is dead (Death of Names tells you about her death) tno tells the bodyguard still that he will help him.
I dont know the lines by myself, but it sounds that it would fit. Even without any xixi dialogue maybe it wasnt even planned to put her in.

[Qwinn]

She isn't necessarily dead. In fact, I'd say at the beginning of the (unimplemented) quest she's definitely alive, because it's possible to talk to DoN and he'll tell you she's alive. It's only if the quest has advanced to some stage (the quest variables are a higher value) that she registers with him as dead.

The Post points to "wherever the hell Xixi is going to be", so I'd say that's pretty strong evidence that it was planned for her to be in the game at least at some point.

Qwinn