Welcome to the second issue of the UANL! I've made every effort (along with some help from a host of UA authors and artists) to make this issue bigger, better, and more informative than the premiere. I've dedicated most of #2 to previewing some of the hottest new mods. that are coming to AOL. Think big: big art, big story, big fun. Anyway, hope you enjoy it - and as always, I am looking for good material to print (at least, electronically).
Coming next issue (in two weeks): more previews and reviews PLUS an all-new mod by the editor himself, usable on both platforms. Tentetivily titled: "Dawn of Twilight", it will set-up the Succession Wars campaign, with background information not found in "Minions of Twilight"! But the real purpose is not shameless self-promotion (although I admit, it is one :> ). Rather, "Dawn" will outline the more mysterious and vague uses of UA; kinda like a tutorial but a lot more fun. Quests, passwords, encounters, NPC's, art, and branching plots will all be covered in a compact one or two dungeon design.
Oh, and look for a nicer, more friendly set-up for the UANL sometime soon, courtesy of McD Avies. I've also recruited some new editors and writers, so all in all, the third issue should be the best yet! In the meantime, enjoy the readings.
-CORIC
Here are some tips/ideas on creating modules:
*Ermac Red has discovered a way to create intelligent monster NPC's, with abilities and stats not available to normal ones. To create an MNPC:
*If you are hesitent to upgrade to version 1.2 because you fear compatability problems with your current module, don't worry! Or, if you wish to upgrade some older mods, read on.
Translate a module from an older version is quick and simple. Because v1.0 created rather wimpy NPC's, you will have to re-create them all under v1.2. Another problem with v1.0 involves executing events at destination & guided tours.
If, after recreating the NPCs, you find that these events do not work properly under v1.2, you'll have to create a new .DSN directory. Then, copy all .TLB files from the older module into this new directory. Enter FRUA, go to the new module, re-create the Game Information file, and then edit mods. In this screen, copy all the old dungeons into the proper slots (from module A 3 to B 3). Your module is now running full-fledged under v1.2!
Notes: do not copy old saved-games as they can mess with the execute events & NPC's (ie - there is already an NPC in the party, created in v1.0). Most of the time you will only have to re-create the NPC's and the Info file, but if the events are not working properly, do the procedure described above.
*Creating a town:
UA cities and villages are an important part of every module. On an overhead map, make sure that you add Small City Events in townships that do not have seperate dungeons (in other words, if their is a picture of a city on the map, put something there).
But it is the seperate towns that most designers neglect.
It is important to first explain why you would want to copy a saved
game from one scenario to another. The answer is so that you can
transfer the quest flag values from one scenario to another scenario.
The quest flags are a major part of the game. They cannot be saved when
you update your characters files and transfer them into the new
scenario. This can be a real nusiance when you, as the scenario
builder, want to transfer some of the quest values or perhaps even
allow users to play in an ongoing campaign.
We can use some of the quest flags to store things like what guild the
group is a member of, how well known they are, the group alignment,
current scenario location, and many other things. Those examples should
give you a good idea of what could be possible.
I have listed some of the benefits of transfering from one scenario to
a new one. There is also a small problem involved in doing this type of
transfer. The saved game also stores when a do only once event that
has been triggered, in addition to the quest values. But this is a
small problem and can be easily worked around. I do not know if this is
the only event stored in the saved game file. This is one of the things
I am still working on.
We are now ready to explore how we would arrange for the player to
transfer from one scenario to another. Below I have listed the steps I
use to accomplish this feat.
SECOND:
# = Wall
I hope this text is understandable. I apologize for my poor grammer and
spelling (ed: give yourself some credit, man! :D ). If you have
questions or insights, I can be reached at: SHDWMSTR03@AOL.COM I will
try to answer all mail. (However, I make no promises)
Game info:
Author: Coric
Full Title: The Succession Wars: Minions of Twilight
For: IBM
Imported graphics: YES (110 pieces) so far
Additional documentation: YES(adventures journal, The Chronicals)
# of dungeons: 40
The biggest and meanest UA module ever! The epic tale of the siege of
Sacristern, this mod. follows a high-level party's travels across a
harsh and realistic fantasy world.
12 years after the Mass Exodus, the clans of Southern Alancia have
settled into a life of ease and content. However, all is not well. A
rebel faction, known only as the rogue clan, has allied itself with a
mysterious immortal bent on taking control of the world from the three
gods. Foul hordes of nether-world minions, conjured through
high-magic, have descended upon the people of Alancia. Your quest is
daunting: unite the six clans, defeat the evil archmages, build a
machine capable of taking on the Nether-world creatures, and finally,
lead the assault on the Tower of Twilight!
"Minions" is about 1/3 of the way done, and should be available by
August '94. Included in the package: a 60-plus page adventurer's
journal detailing your party's travels and the 20 page Chronicals,
explaining the history of the Succession Wars Campaign.
Features:
-CORIC
IBM/MAC Translator: JKochmar is just putting the finishing touches on
his translator, as reported in last issue. Expect to be playing some
of the best of both platforms sometime soon!
Item Editor: Cyberspace is still reeling from the anouncement that the
code for UA was cracked, and that an item editor is on the way!
Shot-guns, Dragonlances, scrolls, and more are in our future. News on
this is still foggy, but UANL will be there to break the story when its
ready.
Wall Editor: In creating his translator, JKochmar discovered a way to
do the impossible - edit walls. It's only a matter of time before he
or someone else hacks up a running version....imagine coupling this
with the item editor and UA will truly be unlimited!
Infinite Text: Word on the street is that someone out there has found a
way to get rid of the annoying text limitation, so keep those mods
long! And Shadowmaster has found a way to link modules - no longer
will we be limited to 36 dungeons and 4 maps.
Random Names: Ermac Red's (sorry about the name mess-up last issue)
Q-Basic name generator is up and running on AOL. If you've ever been
stuck on coming up with yet another city or NPC's name, Ermac's got the
solution - from the ominous to the downright strange, this creates em
all!
UA256: For the starving artist in us all, John McMillan has come up
with the perfect utility to crop, colorize, and clean our art. While
still in an early version, I've found this to be an invaluable tool.
Hirling System: Not really a utility, but very helpful none-the-less.
ChrisEllion has taken the basic idea from AD&D and Might & Magic,
providing a way to create vicious, money-grubbing NPC's that don't just
help your party out of the goodness of their heart. Solid, very
solid.
Monster Compendium: The first volume of Louminator's monster collection
is very impressive. C-pics and stats for that elusive boss-monster or
'filler'. Good stuff, but what about volume 2?
MAC update: I've heard from some reliable sources that SSI has not
forsaken our MAC brethren - an update should be coming up soon. You've
been patient, and I (as an IBM user) don't envy your position. Just a
bit longer, I say...
So, with all this out or coming soon, you're probably asking: "Coric,
what's next?" Well, I'll be honest; I don't know. Could be anything -
so keep your eyes peeled for the next Big Thing. Until next time,
-CORIC
However, the art is of the best quality - there are no jaggies or
noticible mistakes. Alex has consitantly shown himself to be one of
the top UA artists/converters, and he is in top form here. The Undead
pics are especially well done - so for those of you dealing with 'em,
this collection comes highly recommended.
Other good things by Alex DK:
Big Pics: A
- CORIC
"Paladin" is a tribute to the old days of D&D, when quests were simple
and quite frankly, more fun. Rhys avoids the typical save-the-world
plot, focussing instead on a single city. Gundahab was once the jewel
of the Merchant League. The other cities, jealous of its wealth and
prominence, launched an assault 15 years before the adventure starts,
leveling the city and outcasting its occupants. The party is employed
by the ancient cleric Namor to cleanse the city of the evil that
permeates it.
No, it is not overly original, but the execution is right and the
atmosphere is perfect. My only complaint is with the random combat -
it happens much to frequently. However, for the hack-and-slash lover,
this mod. is a dream come true. The writing is solid (not perfect, but
it certainly gets the idea across) and the bugs have been flushed out.
The original graphics (mostly different types of orcs) are refreshing
and would certainly be well accepted if anyone got around to up-loading
them.
Included is a nice adventurer's journal which can easily be printed out
for future reference (a lot like the old gold box games). The columns
were a bit too big for my printer, resulting in staggered text, but it
wasn't bad enough to render it unreadable. Gundahab makes no effort to
be flashy or different - it is, as I've said before, a straight-forward
hacker with a well done story stuck in for good measure. Not the kind
of mod that you can finish in one sitting, Gundahab can be frustrating
at times. The non-linear plot gives the pc some flexibility, and it is
easy to get lost or confused. But exploration is half the fun....
So sharpen your swords, polish thy armour and prepare to delve into
classic D&D adventuring.
Story Execution: A-
-CORIC
I hate to slam a mod., especially when it is from a new author. And
Cemosh has a lot going for it: well-designed maps, good graphics, and
an appropriate use of sound (a much-neglected area of UA). But
something is missing....namely, plot and clarity.
In a nutshell: the world of Krynn is being threatened by legions of the
undead, led by the Death Knight Lord Soth. A young party, seeking
glory and gold, sets out to unravel the mystery. Unfortunately, there
isn't much to go by. The party wanders around, fighting monsters and
the such hoping that somewhere they will encounter that one character
who will lead them to salvation, to clarity. He never comes.
But where is the plot? The death knights and draconians of Kyrnn
provide a wealth of material, but Tamahawk doesn't exploit it. He
falls back upon the drow, a standard enemy totally out of place in
Krynn. There is no random combat (a plus) but the set encounters are
so lop-sided that the pc will have trouble even starting. The first
dungeon pits you against huge numbers of formidible foes (the party is
only 1st level), and the second involves goblins. Most of this mods.
problem's revolve around play testing: if Tamahawk had tested it, no
doubt he would have found that the combats were impossible or way to
easy. There are tons of typos, and while the plot is totally linear,
the party, due to a lack of quests, keys, items, etc. can wander where
ever they like - including into the endgame, which is dubiously located
on the main map. Ick.
But there is promise here: Krynn is a nice world that has yet to
recieve proper UA treatment, and we all hunger after a good hack
through the War of the Lance. Tamahawk's Krynn is vaguelly familiar in
a disturbingly detached way. By adding some NPC's (Caramon,
Tasslehoff, or Tanis, for instance) the world would be a much better
place. Bug control has to be worked on, and the combats toned down.
The graphics are quite nice, and the story does indicate some ability.
As it is, "Chemosh" will probably take longer to d/l than play (about
1/2 an hour at 2400 baud). The module is simply rendered unplayable
from bugs, combat, and a story that flops and dies soon after
start-up. And while there are 11 dungeons, most are fairly empty in
terms of text and encounters. Tamahawk could have easily combined them
into 5 dungeons, and so fit both "Chemosh" and its sequel into one
mod. Nice try....but not enough.
Story Execution: C-
-CORIC
This is a large adventure set in my campaign world of Anastia. In the
middle continent of Salena, a dark shroud hangs over the world. Most of
the young men were killed in the Orken wars against the vicious Ork
armies of Twaalkin. Though the wars are now over, there is no peace in
Salena. The old religious faith of Tomanism, once thought unshakeable,
is being threatened by he Netallists, particularly the branch who
worship the sea god Kalak.
If this were not enough, prophecies in the book of Netal have started
to be fulfilled: Beasts are taking over towns where man once held
dominion. If something is not done, the evil Kalak will rise to
threaten the entire continent of Salena.
This game is about 1/3rd of the way done, since I threw in the religion
idea rather recently and have to rewrite part of what I had done
already. In my first draft, I had a final combat with a big baddie,
but I'm going to try to think of a nice original way to destroy him.
(ed: Authors take note of this! Combat is not everything) This is my
first module, and I have been working on the story off and on ever
since I got FRUA (back in August 1993) and think I have done some nice
things with it. Most of the imported graphics have been downloaded
from the Art directory here on AOL, as my artistic skills are somewhat
lax. One last note: the additional documentation is going to be an
overview of the continent and a description of the religions.
-KentConrad
Just a little commentary: "Siege" is fresh and original in every way,
and it's good to see that Kent is trying to go the exta yard. The exta
touches are what count: in a set engine like UA, there is only so much
that you can do. But by adding an original setting and plot, by going
beyond the 'norm' that UA is reaching in its maturity, Kent has reached
that higher level that make some mods such a joy to play.
One last note: addititional documentation is great - try to include it
in any of your mods. Player love to be drawn into the world you are
creating, and due to memory restrictions, this cannot be done on the
computer. A little background (or a lot, for an epic experience) makes
a mod. much more enjoyable - the player is not just thrust into a
hostile situation. There is a reason, a plot. One of my favorite
games, "The Summoning" (SSI, 1992) has a great manual, complete with a
lengthy introduction, background, and even author's notes (something
that UA authors have been using). I know that I get long-winded when
talking about how to create a good mod, and I know that there are
plenty of you out there who already know how to make one (hey, I've
played em), I just hope that these little tips will help someone who is
stuck or confused. But I diverge...
-- CORIC
NEWS-FLASH: ShadowMaster Discovers Module Link!
I have been designing scenarios with FRUA and have been disappointed
with its inability to transfer quest information from one scenario to
another. Well, I got fed up and started playing around with FRUA and
made a pretty neat discovery. I figured out that you can copy saved
games from one scenario into another one. Thus transferring your quest
values. I do not know what all that is affected by transferring the
saved games other than the quests and the one time event events.
Anyways, I will try to explain in this text what are some of the
possible applications and problems. I hope you find this article
interesting and beneficial.
FIRST:
I use Dungeon level one as my transfer point between the
various scenario's. I usually call this area the docks.
I build a series of transfer points on dungeon level one.
T = Teleporter
D = Door
! = One way door
###
#T# 2-Transfer player to transfer room. I use
#D# the event teleport.
# # 1-Purchases passage or whatever go to the next
#D# scenario
###
#T# 5-Player is transferred to location 6 where he begins
#D# play again.
# # 4-Player enters from three. The only door before him
#!# leads to 5.
# # 3-Player is teleported to this location. The player
### saves here game here. I save in game "A". Then exits
the game and goes to dos. I have written a program
do this next tedious part. But here is what happens.
The player copies saved game "A" from the scenario save
directory he exited and then copy it to the scenario
he is now entering. The player then starts FRUA
again selects the scenario he is transfering to and
loads saved game "A". The scenario should be an somewhat
of an exact copy at least the location 3,4,5, & 6
should be. The player now moves to location 4 thru
a oneway door.
6-The player begans play in new scenario wherever
you want him to.
WARNING: Only copy the saved games, not the vaults.
Note: ROOM 4: I use this room to tell the player to stop and save
then transfer modules. This is very important if you
don't want to pay for passage twice ::grin::
Room 4 might also be used to clear unwanted quest values
or take away special items. The most important things
these rooms should be a mirror image of the
other scenario.
I feel it is important to point out that some standardization is needed
if we are to write compatiable scenario's. Below I have listed some of
the things that I transfer from one scenario to the next.
KEY 8 - I call it the key of passage. I use this key to access
warp points or mainentance tunnels with my test
party in my scenario's when I am writing them.
42-What guild the character is a member of.
43-Character's rank or station
44-The scenario the character was supposed to transfer to.
Note: I usually check this quest value in room 5. If it is
incorrect I send him back to room 4. With a message telling
him he loaded the wrong scenario.
I am sure there are many other things one might want standardized. If
scenario transferring catches on we should compile a standardized list
of quest numbers and what they are used for.
Subj: Preview: Minions of Twilight
Subj: upcoming add-ons!
The future is looking good for UA, very good. In addition to a host of
new mods., we've got some interesting things in the future. Here's the
scoop on the new or up-coming add-ons and utilities (some of which may
be nothing more than rumors, I admit):
Subj: art review: Misc. Monsters
Art type: pics, bigpics
Format: PCX
# of items:
Artist: Alex DK (Dank1)
Alex has taken a wide variety of scanned pics. and combined them into
one very nice package. Included are: skeletons, death knights,
beholders, hydras, evil clerics, Nazgul, and many more. The down-load
time is fairly long, as most of these are bigpics, so be warned.
Dragonlance pics.
Pirates! Pics.
Drow collection
Pics: A
Distinctness (not blurry): B+
Overall: A-
Subj: Review: Gundahab
Game info:
Author: Rhys1
Full Title: Paladin1: The Restoration of Gundahab (V1.1)
For: IBM & MAC
Imported graphics: YES (14)
Additional documentation: YES
# of dungeons: 11
Graphics: B+
Encounters: B+
Bug control: A
nnovativity: B-
Overall: B+/A-
Subj: Review: "Denizens 1"
Game info:
Author: Tamahawk
Full Title: Denizen: The Release of Chemosh
For: IBM
Imported graphics: YES (27 pieces)
Additional documentation: NO
# of dungeons: 11
Graphics: A-
Encounters: D
Bug control: D
Innovativity: B+ (Kyrnn and the death knights add a new dimension)
Overall: C-
From: KentConrad
Siege of Kraken Hill
KentConrad
IBM
Imported Graphics: YES
Additional Documentation: YES
# of Dungeons: 20+