D&D mod: tjedge1-Mystara

[tjedge1]

The LM terrains look great. That will be far better than the inland sea idea. I will have to revamp my terrain stats when you are done.

BTW: You don't have to put any animals on the actual land or sea if you don't want. I've got many bonus resources for all types of terrain to show animals as food sources. If you do want to add them, just make them as small as you can so they aren't confused with the resource. I happen to have a Walrus resource .

I love the touch up you are doing on this terrain. I can't wait to see the final result.

EDIT: Oh yeah! Those ships are superb!

 

[tjedge1]

@Arghis: Nevermind about not putting the walrus in the tundra. It would be cool. I'm going to cut down on resource types and make my life a little easier and the mod more stable. The tundra resources will go first and most will be combined to generic terms like livestock and game. So go ahead and add animals if you like that would more pleasing to the eye than non-stop white tundra.

 

[Arghis]

ok no prob for adding small details.

i think that it's an "important" part for the flavour of the mod (if not for any game of course ; i was testing SMAC Sid Meier Alpha Centauri these last days, and clearly gfx are annoying ; u don't easily see or understand what u see). also addind details is relatively easy. modifying LM desert is another part for instance.

i've played some conquest scenarii (the three sisters and lost treasure), and the gfx look fine (i mean they do not distract your attention).

Send me your ressources list for me to have an idea (even if it's not definitive).

as i'm in holidays, i won't be able to advance on gfx until 4th of february.

 

[tjedge1]

That's cool about waiting till then to work on it. I'll try to narrow them down tonight if I can. There are 60 right now. That's just too many. If for no reason than just typing the text files. Let alone fixing the pcx file for it.

I'm also working on setting up my first post as an overview that will show a more organized listing of what is in the mod so far and where we stand in finishing it.

EDIT: I'm going to cut down onthe number of civs as well. Maybe all the way down to just 31. That might be easier on the number files and unit graphix there will be to download. I might combine some like Nithia and Vulcan and make them just Nithia with an undead leader and mostly undead armies.

EDIT2: OK I'm down to 36 civs. I got rid of duplicate civs like the Five Shires which was identical to the High Shire, and Doria which was just a relocated Alfhiem. The High Shire will be using as many of Kindred's Kender units as possible. Vulcan and Nithia will be combined, as well as Aengmor and Denagoth. Some were just deleted for not being signficant enough like Traladara, and Norwald was for actually being an Alphatian and Thytian colony.

 

[tjedge1]

These are my current resources. They need to be cut down which I will do and then post the finalized set in my overview post:

Strategic: 13 total
Camels
Cinnabar
Dinosaurs
Dragons
Gryphons
Hillfolk
Horses
Iron
Oil
Quality Wood
Saltpeter
Wolves
Woodfolk

Luxary: 10 total
Cocoa
Dyes
Elephants
Furs
Gold
Incense
Silks
Spices
Tobacco
Wines

Bonus: 18 total
Artifacts
Bison
Cotton
Fish
Fruit
Game
Gems
Grain
Jade
Oasis
Pearls
Platinum
Salt
Shellfish
Silver
Sugar
Tropical Fruit
Whales

That's 41 now down form 60. I have an idea on a few more to combine, but I wanted some opinions from more experienced modders on what is the best number of each type and the best max number that won't cause problems to the mod. I've heard too many resources can make problems. I don't need so many, but I would like the max to at least offer some diversity to the game.

 

[embryodead]

resources
Sure if this mod is for fixed map only, you don't have distribution problem, but on the other hand, your screen will look like mess... My only advice is - drop strategics at least 1/3 On the other hand, you can add some luxuries (ie. I have 16 now in MEM, but some of them are like only 3 on the map). I'd drop Bronze, which should be so abundant; Elephants - can be moved to Luxury (luxuries work as strategic also + the bonus from ivory isn't bad). I'd scrap ruins, esp. since you got artifacts, but I guess you need it for some special idea... I myself didn't use dragons as resource, because they're so powerful (and I guess they won't be weak in your mod too) that I shouldn't restrict them to few lucky civs. And do you really need coal? I mean, it's the rock coal (sp?), people at that times didn't really use it on large scale. I used it in WH since it's pretty unusual, resembling more of early Renaissance than Middle Ages, but again, I don't know Mystara too well (BTW few days ago I actually dumped coal as strategic; moved it to boni).
You can have any number of bonus resources without worrying.
Luxuries won't cause problems (they just don't work/appear on city screen if you have more than 8). The most annoying will be strategics, which clutter both city screen and trade advisor screen.

 

[tjedge1]

Thanks embryodead. You were the person I was hoping would respond since I noticed in your thread you were messing around with your own. I will leave the bonus as such then. and I wasn't aware it would be ok to use luxaries as strategic as well.
The difference between artifacts and ruins is that the ruins will allow certain special units like beholders, but since those will be civ-specific units I may scrap that. If luxaries are usable for units without a problem, then I will move some strategic to luxary. I'll edit post 185 to resemble what I have so far.

EDIT: The reason for coal was that I was going to allow as many civs as possible to develop gunpowder and mechanics in the latest age. Coal would be like bronze in that it would be too common to require a resource so I deleted both. Certain things will require Oil or Saltpeter instead.

Another question to anyone who is familiar with D&D.
Since some mages need gold to perform magic should I change gold to a luxary instead of bonus? Or not worry about that and just leave it where it is.

 

[embryodead]

Quality Wood a luxury? It's ok to move it here, but remember it causes happiness? I don't know if hardwood needed for ships should cause hapinness...
When I played D&D, there were all kinds of different ingredients for spells, though I do not have indepth knowledge I wouldn't worry, though Gold looks certainly better than Wood as Lux.

 

[tjedge1]

I guess your right. I wasn't thinking clearly there. The only reason I want Quality Wood is for the biggest and strongest Boats and then for Airships. I may just remove that one, but I am fond of it so I'll put it back into strategic. I'll make gold and gems a luxary then. Maybe Platinum? That's the rarest metal on Mystara aside form Cinnabar which isn't a metal ore per say. If I recall correctly. I think Cinnabar was a grain or something. But it makes the all powerful Red Steel. Which I need units for that still. Soon as I narrow down the civs I'll post another request thread.

EDIT: Actually, Gems and Platinum will stay as bonus. If I moved them then it wouldn't make since to not move Jade and other similiar resources to luxary. I was thinking of combining Dinosaurs, Gryphons, Dragons and calling them rare monsters or something along that line. Any ideas for that? Or bad idea?

EDIT2:On another topic, I'm down to 35 civs now since I am combining Vestland and Soderfjord. The Soderfjord Jarldoms are close allies to Vestland anyway and they aren't much of anything else.
I am thinking of taking out Ulimwengu since I have had no luck with the units and they are to different to be made like anyone else so...

EDIT3: I was thinking of combining Thothia with Alphatia, since they are occupied by Alphatia and they are very proud to be ruled by them. They feel that Alphatia is the only civilized nation on Mystara. Maybe they're not aware of the trade of Jennite slaves the Alphatians started up.

 

[tjedge1]

@Arghis: Whern you get back here is a possible option for goody huts. I like it. More variety for the game.

Compiled Goody Huts

 

[tjedge1]

Here are the final set of resources that I will put on my overview in the first post. I think the strategic ones will be alright since certain resources will be only visible by the civs who can use them. For example Woodfolk will only be visible to elven-based civs. Hillfolk to the evil-like civs. Dinosaurs, Dragons, Gryphons will only see the resource if they can build units that need these resources. That should clear up the city screen a little. When I release the tester version I will see how it looks and make the adjustment if it still is a problem. I have 3 testers available which I actually plan on LAN sometimes. That's been a while. So I will test the way it plays in multiplayer as well. If the standard is not workable well in multiplayer then a MP version will be easy enough. I will try without a limit to turns to at least give the multiplayers a chance to play as much as they want.

Strategic: 13 total
Camels/ Cinnabar/ Dinosaurs/ Dragons/ Gryphons/ Hillfolk/ Horses/ Iron/ Oil/ Quality Wood/ Saltpeter/ Wolves/ Woodfolk

Luxary: 10 total
Cocoa/ Dyes/ Elephants/ Furs/ Gold/ Incense/ Silks/ Spices/ Tobacco/ Wines

Bonus: 18 total
Artifacts/ Bison/ Cotton/ Fish/ Fruit/ Game/ Gems/ Grain/ Jade/ Oasis/ Pearls/ Platinum/ Salt/ Shellfish/ Silver/ Sugar/ Tropical Fruit/ Whales

That's 41 total. I have pcx for each which I got from Swan's compiled resource file. I'll need to get that Painshop Pro next weekend when I have some money, as long as it's not too much. Buying that will set back my laptop a little while longer. , but I need the software so I can do something on my own without transparency or incorrect save options problems I have with my outdated Adobe Photoshop!

 

[tjedge1]

I now edited my overview with the final 31 civs to be played and some explantions on maps and scenario ideas. I also placed the final resource list there as well.

I deleted Hinterlands and Jen since both are practically conqured by Alphatia and Thyatis in the real Mystara timelines. They will be replaced by barbarians as well as Ulimwengu and the Thothian region that is uninhabited.

 

[embryodead]

tjedge1 - an Outdated Photoshop (4.0 will work I'm sure) should handle palettes well, it just works differently than Paint Shop Pro.
There aslo freeware GIMP that is a photoshop ripoff and you can get up-to-date version anytime.

 

[tjedge1]

Where can I get the GIMP? Is it downloadable? My Photoshop is 1.0 so anything is an upgrade. Thanks for letting me know the minimum version to get. I get paid Monday and then the following weekend I'll go through all the comp stores and see whats the best for my money. The GIMP might work for this week though. In the meantme I'll just finish working on my editor tabs and then start the text files. NOw that I have only 31 civs this will make my job a ton easier without trying to figure out which ones will be in each scenario. I just set up the base random map with them all and deselect ones not in certain scenarios. This will give each civ a little more flavor without so many almost identical civs.

EDIT: I put coal back in the resources, but made it a bonus for production.

EDIT2: Also put Livestock in as bonus, For some reason when I got rid of pigs, sheep, cattle, fowl, etc. I forgot to put in their replacement.

 

[embryodead]

Here is the official webpage: http://www.gimp.org/
Here is windows installer: http://www2.arnes.si/~sopjsimo/gimp/
Don't be deluded by the fact it's free, it's better than all those low-budget programs like PaintShop Pro. I think aaglo uses GIMP, I remember he mentioned it some time ago.

 

[tjedge1]

I tried the GIMP, but it won't save in 256 colour pcx. THat's what I need for the title screen. At least that's what mrtn told me. Am I missing something? I downloaded the 1.2.5 setup, maybe I should install the 1.3? I'll play with it a little longer, but I am going out of town till tomorrow night so it may have to wait. Thanks for the links embryo, the GIMP looks better than the programs I was using so far.

 

[embryodead]

Programs such as Photoshop or GIMP don't apply palettes on save (unless for web optimization, irrelevant here), but during image editing. You should switch from RGB to Indexed Model. Let Google be your friend! for example: http://freebooks.by.ru/view/GimpIn24h/ch07-01.htm

 

[tjedge1]

I'll take a look at that site when I get home, but I just wanted to say that once again embryodead you are a great help.

 

[tjedge1]

@Arghis: I was wondering what LM terrains you currently are working on. Were you making the rocky desert in the Great waste with the LM Desert? I need to know so that I can finalize the terrains in the editor. If your not sure, but you plan to edit the LM-grassland and LM-plains as well I have a request for the grassland part. I could use steppes for the Ethengar region. It is supposed to be steppes and grassland. For the plains, I think you were on to something with those badlands graphix, just get them in the LM plains file and then if your not to busy, could you post a shot of any of these terrains you are working on? Just curious so I know what I'm working on. No rush since I know your on holiday. I'll move the finalizing of the terrain down the list a little and start woking the units and their upgrade paths, etc. I never knew units could be so much work.

 

[tjedge1]

Here's a shot of one of the pictures I was thinking of using for the title screen. I won't make it save over the originals, but you can always replace it with the original if you choose, once my mod is ready ofr download that is. I might throw a couple of these in there for options.

That's strange. I posted it as an image, but it comes up as a link. Oh well, it a good picture although a little fuzzy for my taste, but I had to stretch it to fit. I got this pic from a cover of a D&D accessory called Greenland. I thought it was quite nice.