figure1.pcx
Welcome, fellow game-designers, to the fifth issue of the UANL! There's not much to say for this issue; the format is the same and the editors are the same (almost). In short, not too much has been happening 'round here. So, without further rambling, I present the Unlimited Adventures NewsLetter!
Author:McJ Viper Full Title:The Rod of Ul'ranka Imported Art:Yes # of Dungeons:12 (apprx) Additional Documentation:NoI thoroughly enjoyed this module, despite its simplicity. The story is well told, the combats are done fairly, and the art is good. This is one of the few modules that I've played lately that has been playtested well. There are a few errors, but that is to be expected from any module.
The plot is bare-bones role-playing: the party has heard of a mysterious wizard, whom they quest for in search of gold & glory. The main story isn't exactly gripping, but I had a great time just wandering around, visiting small towns & fighting various evil creatures. Area views are available most everywhere, making my gaming experience much smoother (I hate graphing).
Graphics-wise, "Rod" isn't spectacular - it only has a few imported combat icons. However, the standard pics. work well in this module and so, fancy imported art was not necessary.
There are a few problems, however. For one thing, the quest is a bit too open: the party starts at the top of a map with limited equipment and levels and only a vague idea of what to do. I had to wander through several tough fights before I got started on the right track (hint: check in the mountains to the west), but once the correct path is found, everything moves smoothly.
The end of the game is a bit of a let-down, as well. It seems to have been 'rushed' - the last few dungeons are not as complete as I would have liked them. Instead, Viper relies on random combat to keep the module going. Had he filled in the last tower or two with set encounters my overall rating would have been higher.
One last complaint: the random combats are often set to a 'near-by' distance, which can result in unreachable enemies (who have been placed behind walls or buildings).
Still, this module is great fun for gamers of average experience. It has a good combination of story & combat, and has been playtested well. I tried to contact the author but was unable to reach him. Wether he has gone off-line or has simply changed his screen name is a mystery to me.
Story execution:B Combat:A- Graphics:N/A Bug Control: A Plot: B- Overall: B-CORIC-<C>
Author:Malavon Full Title:The Threat of Lord Malavon Imported Art:Yes # of Dungeons:15 Additional Documentation:NoThe Threat of Lord Malavon is not an entirely new idea. It's been done before in various different forms. But there are only so many stories to tell, and in general, the importance lies in how these stories are told.
This is a very well thought out game. There are more choices available here than you can generally expect in a game, and the game is genuinely affected by a few of them. The last major choice, for example, affects the NPC you work with, and the battles you fight.
However, the author was lax in some things. If you travel the road on the overland map the way I did, for example, you come across a little problem. You're supposed to visit a clerical stronghold and receive a mission, then head to a city to carry out the mission. However, you can not only enter the city before the mission is received, but also fulfill the mission, and the game will act as if you've received it. The result is that you find yourself referring to events and people that have never crossed your path.
There is not excessive random combat in this game, except during an escape scene in the middle of the game. Then, every few steps you encounter foes just as powerful as you, and probably with more hit points and better equipment. You cannot rest between these combats, making that area *extremely* difficult. Too difficult in my personal opinion.
The final scene is well thought out, and you are offered a choice of things that truly does effect the game - in this case, the final battles that you will face. However, I think that the combats were far too difficult for what will be 3rd and 4th level characters.
The writing is wonderfully descriptive, and can even inspire genuine awe. I had to quit playing the game after seeing one piece of text and couldn't touch the game for another 2 days. During that time, the description of the scene haunted me, and I started to think about what this creature would really be like to see. However, sometimes, the sheer number of words can get annoying. I like descriptions and text as much as the next person, but frankly, I don't want to read 20 screens describing a statue.
As a last gripe, one mention that the author wants feedback is one mention too many, but Malavon seems obsessed with telling us this. He also calls attention to the fact that we're playing a game at several points, and that seems to break the fantasy.
The art is good, and the story well thought out, if not terribly original. I'd recommend that the author do a bug fix, try and balance the combat more, and possibly lose the self-advertisements. BTW, don't be fooled by the number of dungeons; it's a very short game. It just so happens that there are multiple dungeons for every area just to provide the various events and text space needed.
***Nyx Nightshade***
Story execution:B Combat:B Graphics:A- Bug Control:B- (only one bug, but gods, it is a doozy :/) Plot:A- Overall:B+
Anyway, here is how I go about creating a module the easy way, in a step by step format:
If you are designing a new, independent world of your own design, try to create a history of some sort. Outline the events that shaped your world before the adventure started, and the people that lived there. Again, using MOT as an example, I created a detailed history spanning four ages and dozens of wars. I used this 40 page history as a 'jumping point' for the rest of the adventure - if I was ever stuck for ideas, I could always look back into it and gain some inspiration.
As for the good guys, the party should generally have some aid. Wether their allies actually fight in the combats (NPC's) or just give advice, a believable set of friends is always a plus. If you're planning on introducing a bit of humor to a mod., this is where to put it. A few over-the-top characters can liven an otherwise serious setting.
A general plot diagram looks something like this:
[start]
|
[branch 1]- -[branch 2]
| |
[1a]- -[1b] [2a]- -[2b]
| | | |
--------------------
[END]
Of course, in a real mod. they would be much more involved.
I then list all the monsters, NPC's, and other characters
involved in the module.
A better way is to plot it all out on paper first. To do so, I look at the map and label any areas that I can think of. Then, using the plot-diagram once again, I begin to write the various main events and encounters in a notebook. To place the event, I number a spot on the map and correspond a piece of text in the notebook to it. Included in the notebook are the necessary quests and event descriptions (ie - "use Who Tries event here...if Quest 23/10").
Once I've completed the actual writing of the main events (those listed in the plot-diagram), I see how much room is left. Generally, my mods. take up about 12 note-book pages to fill a single dungeon with 100% text. Of course, if you write neater and smaller than I, it could be less (or more if you're even messier than me). Depending on how many pages I have left, I put in little side-quests and 'filler' events that have no other purpose than to entertain.
The actual coding is self-explanatory and does not need to be detailed here.
There are several steps to de-bugging. First, you must print out all the dungeons and overlands. With the text and maps in hand, it is time to check spelling, grammar, and basic code mistakes (the printout does not show that much). Then, once these errors have been corrected, enter each module and go through each event, bit by bit. Check to see if the 'do event once' option is correctly set, that doors are only locked on one side, and that signs don't require a <CR> mark.
Finally, create a party that seems reasonable (if your mod. starts off with fights against Kobolds, a level 20 party is unnecessary). Set aside one dungeon for an 'arena test' (if there's room) and add in all your monsters in various combat events. "Test" the module with your party. If a monster seems unreasonably strong or weak, change it now. If most of the monsters overwhelm your party, create a stronger base to work with (give 'em more exp).
With your properly balanced party and monsters, begin a new game. Play through every possible chain, checking for typos, mis-fires, etc. It is probably a good idea to see if events that are not supposed to happen right away don't (see "Threat" review for an example). Do not think of yourself as a designer. Act as a player would act, and think as the player would act. Check for gaps in logic & story.
-CORIC-<C>
-DIKA WOLF
Okay, I understand your grief, but I didn't write the program nor do I work for AOL so I cannot solve all your problems with it. I do use the programs myself, and I have never had a problem with it. So it might be your system that's causing it, or more often than not, you started using the program before reading the description and the instructions to it (believe me this happens a lot!) If you still have problems with it, write to the programmer; I'm sure he/she will be glad to help you get started. Anyway, should I still get questions like this I will answer them in my column (it might help others who have similar problems with products I recommend).
Don't get me wrong - I like these letters and at times I do what I can to help. It's that "I am not an artist myself" quote I get (if I had a dime for every time someone says that to me, I could own California). If you've read my past articles, you would know that I'm also not an artist (if I was I would probably be happily working at some software company by now. I'm not, by the way). I have learned some tricks that help me in the drawings I send, and so, I took CORIC's offer to become Art Editor, to I can share them with you. So please, try drawing some yourself and you will realize there really is a budding artist inside of you after all.
I am not being conceited, I actually get this question a lot. To tell the truth, I do get some help at the home front. Many times, I drag my brothers or friends to my computer to help me get a picture right (you could always use third party help). As I mentioned before, I don't have a scanner (though I am jealous of those who do) so I have to draw each picture by hand. This takes time, lots of time (especially with real life looking over my shoulder all the time). But sometimes when the new picture is finished, all I do is impress myself and I can never see its faults (this is where third party help comes in handy). Fortunately, those around me can (especially my brother Euwin, who's a real pencil and paper graphic artist), and they tell me (boy, do they tell me!). Sometimes, they even fix it themselves (actually, I just complain about my blindness to it, and they do it so I would stop whining). So I would like to thank them for all the support they give me. They deserve it.
-DIKA WOLF
Sometimes, I shirk when I think about drawing a certain picture or a new NPC (mostly because I don't have a clue what's it going to look like until I start drawing). Sometimes, I just draw a blank (artist's block, I think they call it). So I play with pictures I've already done. I cut, paste, stretch, flip, rotate, etc. a face or figure until a light bulb pops up above my head. This is what I mean about recycling your art: by re-using your past drawings or other peoples' art, you can create a whole new picture (hopefully, one that you can use).
With recycling, you can create several new NPC's (after putting your figure through the grinder the original will more times than not be totally different from the new), different pictures of old NPC's (this can greatly enhance your module, as it gives the character's life; a hard thing to do with just words), and new scenes or backgrounds (I often keep clips of furniture, objects, or the ever useful trees). I've included PCX files (figure1.pcx & figure2.pcx) to demonstrate my point.
I know most of what I said in this and my past articles is not new to most of you, but I had to speak about it before I got into the real juicy stuff. Next issue I will begin a series of articles on figure drawing (the juicy stuff).
-DIKA WOLF
If you have no idea how to program (or no desire) this section will seem like a long list of variables and garbled text... just a friendly warning. This information was provided by Kaviyd.
The file "item.dat" contains 254 records (numbered from 1 to 254), with each record comprising 18 bytes. This file thus permits editing of all possible items except for item 0 (no item) and item 255 (the random Mage spell scroll).
The records in this file correspond to the following:
1 Arrows (20) 2 Battle Axe 3 Hand Axe 4 Composite Short Bow 5 Composite Long Bow 6 Long Bow 7 Short Bow 8 Club 9 Light Crossbow 10 Dagger 11 Darts (10) 12 Flail 13 Halberd 14 Hammer 15 Javelins (5) 16 Mace 17 Morning Star 18 Military Pick 19 Awl Pike 20 Bolts (20) 21 Scimitar 22 Sling 23 Spear 24 Quarter Staff 25 Staff Sling 26 Bastard Sword 27 Broad Sword 28 Long Sword 29 Short Sword 30 Two Handed Sword 31 Trident 32 Belt 33 Boots 34 Cloak 35 Robe 36 Banded Mail 37 Chain Mail 38 Helm 39 Leather Armor 40 Plate Mail 41 Ring Mail 42 Scale Mail 43 Shield 44 Elfin Chain 45 Fine Long Bow 46 Blessed Bolts (2) 47 Dart of Hornet's Nest 48 Cloak of Displacement 49 Mirror 50 Arrows +1 (10) 51 Battle Axe +1 52 Composite Short Bow +1 53 Composite Long Bow +1 54 Light Crossbow +1 55 Dagger +1 56 Darts +1 (10) 57 Flail +1 58 Hammer +1 59 Javelins +1 (2) 60 Mace +1 61 Bolts +1 (10) 62 Scimitar +1 63 Sling +1 64 Quarter Staff +1 65 Staff Sling +1 66 Long Sword +1 67 Short Sword +1 68 Two Handed Sword +1 69 Trident +1 70 Cloak of Protection +1 71 Banded Mail +1 72 Chain Mail +1 73 Helm +1 74 Leather Armor +1 75 Plate Mail +1 76 Ring Mail +1 77 Scale Mail +1 78 Shield +1 79 Elfin Chain +1 80 Arrows +2 (10) 81 Battle Axe +2 82 Composite Short Bow +2 83 Composite Long Bow +2 84 Light Crossbow +2 85 Dagger +2 86 Darts +2 (10) 87 Flail +2 88 Hammer +2 89 Javelins +2 (2) 90 Mace +2 91 Bolts +2 (10) 92 Scimitar +2 93 Sling +2 94 Quarter Staff +2 95 Staff Sling +2 96 Long Sword +2 97 Short Sword +2 98 Two Handed Sword +2 99 Trident +2 100 Cloak of Protection +2 101 Banded Mail +2 102 Chain Mail +2 103 Helm +2 104 Leather Armor +2 105 Plate Mail +2 106 Ring Mail +2 107 Scale Mail +2 108 Shield +2 109 Elfin Chain +2 110 Arrows +3 (10) 111 Battle Axe +3 112 Composite Short Bow +3 113 Composite Long Bow +3 114 Light Crossbow +3 115 Dagger +3 116 Darts +3 (10) 117 Flail +3 118 Hammer +3 119 Javelins +3 (2) 120 Mace +3 121 Bolts +3 (10) 122 Scimitar +3 123 Sling +3 124 Quarter Staff +3 125 Staff Sling +3 126 Long Sword +3 127 Short Sword +3 128 Two Handed Sword +3 129 Trident +3 130 Cloak of Protection +3 131 Banded Mail +3 132 Chain Mail +3 133 Helm +3 134 Leather Armor +3 135 Plate Mail +3 136 Ring Mail +3 137 Scale Mail +3 138 Shield +3 139 Elfin Chain +3 140 Arrows +4 (10) 141 Battle Axe +4 142 Composite Short Bow +4 143 Composite Long Bow +4 144 Light Crossbow +4 145 Dagger +4 146 Darts +4 (10) 147 Flail +4 148 Hammer +4 149 Javelins +4 (2) 150 Mace +4 151 Bolts +4 (10) 152 Scimitar +4 153 Sling +4 154 Quarter Staff +4 155 Staff Sling +4 156 Long Sword +4 157 Short Sword +4 158 Two Handed Sword +4 159 Trident +4 160 Cloak of Protection +4 161 Banded Mail +4 162 Chain Mail +4 163 Helm +4 164 Leather Armor +4 165 Plate Mail +4 166 Ring Mail +4 167 Scale Mail +4 168 Shield +4 169 Elfin Chain +4 170 Arrows +5 (10) 171 Battle Axe +5 172 Composite Short Bow +5 173 Composite Long Bow +5 174 Light Crossbow +5 175 Dagger +5 176 Darts +5 (10) 177 Flail +5 178 Hammer +5 179 Javelins +5 (2) 180 Mace +5 181 Bolts +5 (10) 182 Scimitar +5 183 Sling +5 184 Quarter Staff +5 185 Staff Sling +5 186 Long Sword +5 187 Short Sword +5 188 Two Handed Sword +5 189 Trident +5 190 Cloak of Protection +5 191 Banded Mail +5 192 Chain Mail +5 193 Helm +5 194 Leather Armor +5 195 Plate Mail +5 196 Ring Mail +5 197 Scale Mail +5 198 Shield +5 199 Elfin Chain +5 200 Silver Shield +3 201 Silver Shield +4 202 Belt of Protection +3 203 Boots of Speed 204 Girdle of Giant Strength 205 Periapt of Health 206 Javelin of Lightning 207 Stone of Good Luck 208 Necklace of Missiles 209 Eyes of Charming 210 Bracers of Defense AC 6 211 Bracers of Defense AC 4 212 Bracers of Defense AC 2 213 Long Sword vs. Giants 214 Vorpal Long Sword 215 Drow Long Sword +1 216 Drow Long Sword +3 217 Drow Long Sword +4 218 Drow Chain +1 219 Drow Chain +3 220 Drow Chain +4 221 Fine Long Bow +2 222 Cursed Light Crossbow 223 Ring (non-magical) 224 Ring of Vulnerability 225 Ring of Protection +1 226 Ring of Protection +2 227 Ring of Protection +3 228 Ring of Protection +4 229 Ring of Protection +5 230 Ring of Cold Resistance 231 Ring of Electrical Immunity 232 Ring of Fire Resistance 233 Gauntlets of Ogre Power 234 Ring of Invisibility 235 Ring of Blinking 236 Ring of Wizardry 237 Ring of Protection vs. Evil 238 Wand of Ice Storm 239 Wand of Fireballs 240 Wand of Lightning 241 Wand of Magic Missiles 242 Wand of Paralyzation 243 Potion of Speed 244 Potion of Healing 245 Potion of Extra Healing 246 Potion of Invisibility 247 Potion of Giant Strength 248 Elixir of Youth 249 Scroll of Protection from Dragons 250-251 Scrolls of Cleric Spells 252-253 Scrolls of Mage SpellsSince this file is full (all possible items are allocated), the only way to create a new item is to replace one of the items in the preceding list. This creates a slight inconvenience for players and designers, as the correct version of the "item.dat" file must be copied into that file before beginning any adventure that uses a different item list from the preceding one.
Numbering each byte in each record from 0 to 17, we have the following format:
Byte 0: Pointer to record in "items.dat" file.
Bytes 1 to 3: Name of item, read from byte 3 to byte 1. The vocabulary
is as follows:
0) (null)
1) Battle Axe
2) Hand Axe
3) Club
4) Dagger
5) Dart
6) Hammer
7) Javelin
8) Mace
9) Morning Star
10) Military Pick
11) Awl Pike
12) Bolt
13) Scimitar
14) Spear
15) Quarter Staff
16) Bastard Sword
17) Broad Sword
18) Long Sword
19) Short Sword
20) Two-Handed Sword
21) Trident
22) Composite Long Bow
23) Composite Short Bow
24) Long Bow
25) Short Bow
26) Fine
27) Light Crossbow
28) Sling
29) Staff
30) Arrow
31) Leather
32) Ring
33) Scale
34) Chain
35) Banded
36) Plate
37) Shield
38) Cleric
39) Scroll
40) Mage
41) Helm
42) Belt
43) Robe
44) Cloak
45) Boots
46) Ring
47) Mail
48) Armor
49) Of Prot
50) Bracers
51) Wand
52) Elixir
53) Potion
54) Youth
55) Ruby
56) Boulder
57) Dragon Breath
58) Displacement
59) Eyes
60) Drow
61) Elfin Chain
62) Ice Storm
63) Sapphire
64) Emerald
65) Wizardry
66) Hornet's Nest
67) Fire Resistance
68) Stone
69) Good Luck
70) Flail
71) Halberd
72) Gauntlets
73) Periapt
74) Health
75) Cursed
76) Blessed
77) Bundle of
78) Ogre Power
79) Girdle
80) Giant Strength
81) Mirror
82) Necklace
83) Dragon
84) vs Giants
85) vorpal
86) cold resistance
87) Diamond
88) Lightning
89) Fireballs
90) of
91) Vulnerability
92) Speed
93) Silver
94) Extra
95) Healing
96) Charming
97) Fear
98) Magic Missiles
99) Missiles
100) 1 Spell
101) 2 Spells
102) 3 Spells
103) Paralyzation
104) Invisibility
105) Cute Yellow Canary
106) AC 10
107) AC 6
108) AC 4
109) AC 3
110) AC 2
111) +1
112) +2
113) +3
114) +4
115) +5
116) -1
117) -2
118) -3
119) Electric Immunity
120) Gaze Resistance
121) Spiritual
122) Gem
123) Jewelry
124) blinking
125) from evil
Bytes 4 and 5: Encumbrance of item in coins (where 10 coins =
one pound)
Bytes 6 and 7: Price of item in PP
Byte 8: Magic Bonus of Item
Byte 9: Secondary Code:
Equals byte 8 for protective items other than armor and
bracers.
Equals 1 for magic rings other than rings of protection.
Equals 1 for scroll of prot. from dragons.
Byte 10: Indicates whether or not item is ready
Byte 11: Indicates whether or not item has been identified
(value is zero for identified item)
Byte 12: Set to 1 if item is cursed (cannot be unreadied once
readied)
Byte 13: Number of items in "regular" bundle (0 = cannot be joined)
Bytes 14-16 (Scrolls): Codes for spells contained on scroll
Byte 14: Number of charges (0 = permanent item)
Byte 15: Code for magical effect: See byte 16 for interpretation.
Byte 16: Special Code
0 = Byte 15 is spell code
128 = Byte 15 is special ability code
129 = Item is Ring of Wizardry
(byte 15 = 0)
131 = Item is Gauntlets of Ogre Power
(byte 15 = 0)
133 = Item is Girdle of Giant Strength
(byte 15 = 5)
Byte 17: Always set to zero
The file "items.dat" contains 128 records numbered from 0 to 127.
There are many records that are not referenced from the "item.dat"
file; it appears (although I cannot be certain of this) that these
records are not used. If so, they may be usable for expansions to
possible items. The known records are allocated as follows:
0 = No Item 1 = Battle Axe 2 = Hand Axe 3 = Club 4 = Dagger 5 = Dart(s) 6 = Hammer 7 = Javelin(s) 8 = Mace 9 = Morning Star 10 = Military Pick 11 = Awl Pike 12 = Bolt(s) 13 = Scimitar 14 = Spear 15 = Quarter Staff 16 = Bastard Sword 17 = Broad Sword 18 = Long Sword 19 = Short Sword 20 = Two Handed Sword 21 = Trident 22 = Composite Long Bow 23 = Composite Short Bow 24 = Long Bow 25 = Short Bow 26 = Fine Long Bow 27 = Light Crossbow 28 = Sling 29 = Staff Sling 30 = Arrow(s) 31 = Leather Armor 32 = Ring Mail 33 = Scale Mail 34 = Chain Mail 35 = Banded Mail 36 = Plate Mail 37 = Shield (including silver shield) 38 = Scroll of Protection 39 = Scroll of Mage Spells 40 = Scroll of Cleric Spells 41 = Helm 42 = Belt 43 = Robe 44 = Cloak 45 = Boots 46 = Misc. Ring 47 = Special Item 48 = Mirror 50 = Bracers 51 = Wand 58 = Cloak of Displacement 59 = Ring of Protection 61 = Elfin Chain 62 = Drow Chain 63 = Drow Long Sword 65 = Ring of Wizardry 66 = Dart of Hornet's Nest 70 = Flail 71 = Halberd 72 = Gauntlets 74 = Blessed Bolts 75 = Cloak of Protection 105 = Vorpal Long SwordNumbering each byte from 0 to 15, each record is interpreted as follows:
Byte 0: Location where item is to be carried:
0 = Weapon Hand
1 = Shield Hand
2 = Body (Armor)
3 = Hands (Gauntlets)
4 = Head (Helm)
5 = Waist (Belt)
6 = Body (Robe)
7 = Back (Cloak)
8 = Feet (Boots)
9 = Fingers (Ring)
10 = Ammo Quiver
For scrolls, the value is interpreted as follows:
10 = Protection
11 = Mage
12 = Cleric
Byte 1 = Hands required to use
Byte 2 = Number of Damage Dice vs. size L
Byte 3 = Type of Damage Dice vs. size L
Byte 4 = Damage Bonus vs. size L
Byte 5 = Rate of Fire per two rounds (if ROF = 1, value is 2 for one-
handed weapon and 1 for two-handed weapon)
Byte 6 = Protection Value
Value = 188 - Base AC for Armor and Bracers
Value = AC Bonus - 128 for other protective gear
Value = 0 for non-protective items
Byte 7:
0 = Not a Weapon
1 = Cutting Weapon
128 = Blunt Weapon
Byte 8 = Melee Class
0 = Item usable in melee
128 = Item not usable in melee
This byte appears to be meaningless for protective items.
Bytes 9-11: As bytes 2-4 but vs. size S-M
Byte 12: Range of item
Byte 13: As offset 183 in .cch file, with one bit set per class that
can use this item.
Byte 14: Missile Type:
0 = Not a Weapon
4 = Hand Held Weapon, Cannot be Thrown
10 = Sling Weapon (requires no ammo)
11 = Bow (requires Arrow)
15 = Fine Bow
18 = Ammo (Arrow or Bolt)
20 = Hand Held Weapon, Can be Thrown
26 = Thrown Weapon
138 = Crossbow (requires Bolt)
Byte 15: Set to zero
Changes to this file must be carefully considered, as they could have
severe effects on characters transferred between adventures. However,
this would be the place to correct the damage of a weapon or the
availability of certains items to certain classes (for example,
permitting Rangers to wear leather armor and Thieves to use vorpal
swords).
Code Effect 0 No Effect 1 (Blessed) 2-4 ??? 5 (Detecting Magic) 6 Immune to Electricity 7 Gnome THAC0 8 Protection from Evil 9 Protection from Good 10 (Resistant to Cold) 11 ??? 12 (Enlarged) 13 (Barkskin) 14 (Friendly) 15 ??? 16 (Reading Magic) 17 (Shielded) 18 Half-Elf MR 19 (Finding Traps) 20 (Resistant to Fire) 21-22 ??? 23 (Has Spiritual Hammer) 24 See Invisible 25 Invisible 26 Dwarf THAC0 27 ??? 28 (Mirror Image) 29-35 ??? 36 (Vulnerable, as per Ring) 37 Blinking 38 (Strong) 39 (Hasted) 40 Rakshasa MR 41 Protected from Normal Missiles 42-44 ??? 45 Protection vs. Evil 10' 46 Protection vs. Good 10' 47 Dwarf AC Bonus 48 Gnome AC Bonus 49 (Praying) 50-55 ??? 56 (Wearing Ring of Invisibility) 57 ??? 58 Petrifying Gaze 59 Reflectable Gaze 60 +3 or better weapon to hit 61 (Resistant to Fire) 62 (Regenerates 1 hp per hour) 63 ??? 64 Lethal Poison 65 Petrify Attack 66 Half Damage from Cutting Weapons 67 Half Damage from Blunt Weapons 68 ??? 69 (Invisible to Animals) 70 Umber Hulk Gaze 71 ??? 72 Mirror Readied 73 Immune to Dragon Breath 74 (Wearing Boots of Speed) 75 (Extra Damage vs. Giants) 76 Immune to Disease 77 ??? 78 (Wearing Stone of Good Luck) 79 Iron Golem MR 80 Half Damage from Weapon of +2 or less 81 Half Damage from Weapon of +3 or less 82 Slain by Blessed Bolts 83 ??? 84 Dragon Fire Breath 85 Dragon Cold Breath 86 Phase Spider Poison 87 ??? 88 Paralyzing Attack 89 Wearing Cloak of Displacement 90 Dragon Poison Breath 91 Dragon Lightning Breath 92 Immune to Fear 93 Immune to Fire 94 ??? 95 Elf MR 96 Dragon Acid Breath 97 Short Guy MR 98 Immune to Cold 99 Random Bonus Attacks 100 Dragon Fear Attack 101 Drain 1 Level 102 Drain 2 Level2 103 +1 or better weapon to hit 104 +4d6 fire damage 105 Ranger Damage Bonus 106-107 ??? 108 +2d6 fire damage 109-113 ??? 114 Paralyzing Gaze 115 (Vorpal) 116 Marilith Attack 117 Beholder Attack 118 ??? 119 (Protected from Fire) 120-121 ??? 122 Iron Skin 123 ??? 124 Charm Gaze 125 +2 or better weapon to hit 126 Protected vs. Gaze Attack 127-131 ??? 132 Paralyze on Hit 133-136 ??? 137 Carrion Stench 138-140 ??? 141 Immune to Sleep/Charm 142 ??? 143 Immune to Poison/Paralysis 144-157 ??? 158 Immune to Paralysis 159-167 ??? 168 Vulnerable to Fire 169 Half Damage from Magic Weapons 170 Inflicts Mummy Disease 171 Mummy Fear Aura 172 ??? 173 Grows from Electricity 174 Resistant to Fire/Cold 175 Half Damage from All Weapons 176 Shambling Mound Engulf 177-185 ??? 186 Black Pudding Attack 187-192 ??? 193 Immune to All Weapons 194 ??? 195 Gorgon Attack 196-215 ??? 216 Troll Get Up 217 Troll Regeneration 218 ??? 219 Efreet Fire Resistance 220 Owl Bear Hug 221-222 ??? 223 Hell Hound Breath 224 Ghoul Paralysis Attack
Code Spell 1 C: Bless 2 C: Curse 3 C: Cure Light Wounds 4 C: Cause Light Wounds 5 C: Detect Magic 6 C: Protection from Evil 7 C: Protection from Good 8 Resist Cold 9 Burning Hands 10 Charm Person 11 Detect Magic 12 Enlarge 13 Reduce 14 Friends 15 Magic Missile 16 Prot. vs. Evil 17 Prot. vs. Good 18 Read Magic 19 Shield 20 Shocking Grasp 21 Sleep 22 C: Find Traps 23 C: Hold Person 24 C: Resist Fire 25 C: Silence 15' Radius 26 C: Slow Poison 27 C: Snake Charm 28 C: Spiritual Hammer 29 Detect Invisibility 30 Invisibility 31 Knock 32 Mirror Image 33 Ray of Enfeeblement 34 Stinking Cloud 35 Strength 36 C: Heal 37 C: Cure Blindness 38 C: Cause Blindness 39 C: Cure Disease 40 C: Cause Disease 41 C: Dispel Magic 42 C: Prayer 43 C: Remove Curse 44 C: Bestow Curse 45 Blink 46 Dispel Magic 47 Fireball 48 Haste 49 Hold Person 50 Invisibility 10' Radius 51 Lightning Bolt 52 Protection vs. Evil 10' Radius 53 Protection vs. Good 10' Radius 54 Protection vs. Normal Missiles 55 Slow 56 C: Harm 57 (Potion of Speed) 58 C: Cure Serious Wounds 59 (Potion of Giant Strength) 60 (Javelin of Lightning) 61 (Wand of Paralyzation) 62 (Potion of Healing) 63 (Elixir of Youth) 64 (Necklace of Missiles) 65 (Wand of Magic Missiles) 66 C: Cause Serious Wounds 67 C: Neutralize Poison 68 C: Poison 69 C: Protection from Evil 10' Radius 70 C: Sticks to Snakes 71 C: Cure Critical Wounds 72 C: Cause Critical Wounds 73 C: Dispel Evil 74 C: Flame Strike 75 C: Raise Dead 76 C: Slay Living 77 D: Detect Magic 78 D: Entangle 79 D: Faerie Fire 80 D: Invisibility to Animals 81 Charm Monsters 82 Confusion 83 Dimension Door 84 Fear 85 Fire Shield 86 Fumble 87 Ice Storm 88 Minor Globe of Invulnerability 89 Remove Curse 90 Barkskin 91 Cloudkill 92 Cone of Cold 93 Feeblemind 94 Hold Monsters 95 (Scroll of Protection from Dragons) 96 D: Charm Person or Mammal 97 (Potion of Invisibility) 98 D: Cure Light Wounds 99 (Potion of Extra Healing) 100 Bestow Curse 101 C: Blade Barrier 102 C: Restoration 103 C: Energy Drain 104 C: Destruction 105 C: Resurrection 106 D: Cure Disease 107 D: Neutralize Poison 108 D: Hold Animal 109 D: Protection from Fire 110 Death Spell 111 Disintegrate 112 Globe of Invulnerability 113 Stone to Flesh 114 Power Word Stun 115 Delayed Blast Fireball 116 Mass Invisibility 117 Power Word Stun 118 Fire Touch 119 Iron Skin 120 Mass Charm 121 Otto's Irresistible Dance 122 Mind Blank 123 Power Word Blind 124 Meteor Swarm 125 Power Word Kill 126 Monster Summoning
*Shadowmaster has completed the beta-version of the item editor. Hopefully, it will be uploaded shortly after the release of this NL. With this add-on it is possible to create new items for use by both the party and monsters. Changing the damage, name, special abilities (i.e. - Dragonbreath, Lightning, etc.) and class-restrictions are all possible. For instance, a magic-user can now use a Long sword while a Fighter will be able to wield hideously powerful (and new) weapons.
Talireen has already uploaded a file containing eight new weapons and more will be coming shortly. However, there are several draw-backs to the editor, none of which are the fault of its creator. First, while new items can be created, the standard naming system must be used. Words in the game's vocabulary can be rearranged and mixed, but new names cannot be created (yet). Uzis, Hoopaks, and SCUD missiles are not possible, but Spiritual Armor, a Cursed Longsword, and a halbard of Magic Missiles is.
Secondly, the changes to the item files are permanent and systems-wide. So, if an editor is required for one module but not another, different versions of the files will have to be used. When using the editor, always remember to back-up the original item files or you'll have to re-install should you want to go back to the defaults.
With the items editor it is also possible to give the pc's some amazing abilities. For instance, with a sword of Dragonbreath, a char. will be able to breath fire - but only if set on 'Quick' mode. This could be very valuable in creating new character types like kender (see 'Character editor' info) who necessitate special abilities not normally available.
*I've also obtained a working character editor (stat) from Bart Jackson on the Internet. With this file, designers will be able to modify character attributes, racial modifiers, and more. Kaviyd has begun working on de-coding the information needed to create new classes (it seems that a Knight & monk will be possible), and this information will be employed in the actual d/l available version (again, thanks to Shadowmaster).
*John Kochmar is still working on the MAC/IBM converter, but it should be ready soon. He has also found the codes necessary to create a wall/backdrop editor. With this addition (not yet in actual development), a designer can import wall art to be used in playable modules. Importation will work similarly to the pic & icon process, but the information will be stored in the wall art file; so, as with the item editor, back-ups will be required.
Well, that's it for this month. But not to worry: with issue #6, I'll have the latest in high-tech add-ons for UA.
-CORIC-<C>
NPC namer - Male & Female Characters with Middle name option. Keeps a record of all the names rolled until window is closed.
Monster Namer - Insane and Semi-Sane Modes. Keeps a record of all the names rolled until window is closed.
Random Monster Generator - Creates random monsters. Enough info to get a good idea of what the monster looks like and how it fights. Flexible output. Can be printed and Saved as compact MST files (less than 1000 bytes each).
Random NPC Generator - Creates the appearance, occupation, and equipment for extradiminsional humanoids. It saves or prints. Uses an NPC file format that is as compact as MST files.
On both Random Monster and NPC generators, you can input your own name for the creature, which will be saved and printed.
Features an easy-to-use interface, increased string tables (about 20-40% larger, dependant on which tool), printer support, saveable NPCs and Monsters, small animation in and about box, text sensitive help and the original Program's strangeness.
Will Require VBRUN200 and a VBX file (which will be included) an undetermined registry fee. (The) source will be sold for yet undetermined price. Registry gets free updates.
-Ermac Red
Greetings, one and all! I am here to introduce an idea for a new column to be featured in the UANL. Now, I can see that we have a number of people working on art, modules, and hacking away for more editors and crack codes. Those areas have been covered sufficiently. I'm offering a NEW forum to help those aspiring writers and module designers who could use a little help in some of the more underdeveloped areas; namely in the area of cartography.
Here's the idea: every issue we will include one or several maps of "generic" towns for designers to use in their mods., or however else they see fit. Now there are a number of ways we can go about executing this project.
Since this is a relatively new idea (the format hasn't been developed as of yet), you can E-mail me with any questions or suggestions you may have.
BTW, OPTION 1 sounds like another column altogether....maybe a mini-adventure column. E-mail me on this if you have ideas about that, too.
Enjoy the sun while you still can!!
Louminator
a.k.a. Aneroch@AOL
I recently learned about a new way to purchase items in the Neverwinter Realms (an AOL on-line game, based on the gold box's), the players can earn pearls by participating in neverwinter on-line events. They then can spend the pearls to purchase magic items not found in the game. I thought this as a novel and very inventive solution to the glut of jewels and gems that can be found through out the neverwinter realms. I immediately set to thinking on how I could migrate this novel idea into FRUA. Well, I had been working on another project (Inns in which the player could prepay, so the player could stay when he was poor & down and out, which by the way was going to be my submission for this issue.) I felt that that project could be easily applied to the new pearl project (easily, hah, boy was I in for a eye opener). So what follows is the concepts and ideas and sample code for the pearl game. This is going to be lengthy and somewhat in-depth: in my mod game the main pearl area needed seven rooms and took up one level and 100 events. The code here won't be as lengthy as my original - I was doing some really wild things.
The whole idea is to make pearls a rare prize to be spent on those things which are not run-of-the-mill magic items. I come from the old school where the following are considered rare and far and few between: +3 weapons or armor, magic rings, gauntlets or girdles, and wands. Heck, +2 items are even coveted by the guys I play with. (but I digress :)
Anyways, it is just to easy to set up a shop and sell magic items. The player can easily get the cash and he loses that whole feeling that the item was earned. The pearls re-instate that 'earned' feeling. The player goes, "oooo..., I only need 5 more and I get that +3 shield". I think you get the idea.
Let's roll up our sleeves and get started. First off, we will need to reserve 3 quests for the pearl game. I used quest 3, 4, and 5 in my mod.
Quest 3: this quest holds the number of pearls in the player's pouch.Okay, now that we know what quest values need to be reserved, we can get into the meat of it. In my mod, I give pearls to the player for completion of quests. I usually give one to ten pearls, based on the complexity of the task performed. I also give out pearls in random combats; here the number of pearls given is usually from one to three pearls (a reward yet it isn't excessive). It is easy to give the pearls to the player. We only need a UTILITY and TEXT event linked together.Quest 4: this is a hold box, that is used when purchasing an item.
*Quest 5: this tells us what shop the player is in.
* The buying of items takes so many events that I decided it would be much more beneficial to put the pearl shop on one dungeon level all by it self.
Note: usually when you choose a new event, the editor starts you on the second page.
UTILITY: 2ND page
first box: # of pearls to give
operation: add to
item: Quest 3
The TEXT event should be chained on the first page
of the utility event.
TEXT: (here we just tell the player how many pearls
we are giving him, along with some neat artwork,
and perhaps a few exciting sounds).
"POOF", the player now has two pearls which he
can spend on some neat magic. An important note here
is that we are unable to tell the player how many pearls
he has. He must keep track of them by hand, if he wants
to know how many he is carrying. The computer
knows, but has no way of telling him how many the player
has in his pouch.
All right, now that the player has some pearls, let's go shopping. We first need to set up a shop (or at least what appears to be a shop; in truth it is just a store-front with a UTILITY event and a TRANSFER event. I am unable to proceed further without first drawing a blueprint of the levels we will be working with.
Dungeon level where the storefront is located.
0. This is the street
___
| 2 | 1. Place the UTILITY event here.
|_ _|
| 1 | 2. Place the TRANSFER event here.
|_ _|
| 0 |
| | This is the UTILITY located in room 1.
UTILITY: 2nd page
1st box: #of the store the player is in
Operation: store in
item: Quest 5
This is the TRANSFER located in room 2.
TRANSFER: 2nd page
Do not use artwork.
Turn off the question button.
Select the ATTEMPTS TO ENTER
3rd page
Select the dungeon level where you will put the pearl room.
The teleport location will be in one of the rooms labeled '4'
below. The room depends on which direction the player is
coming from.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dungeon level where the pearl room is located:
The pearl room should be all by itself on this level.
You will need the event space to do transactions.
___
| 3 |
|_ _|
| 4 |
|_ _|
| 5 |
____________|_ _|___________
| 3 4 5 6 5 4 3 |
|___|___|___|_ _|___|___|___|
| 5 |
|_ _|
| 4 |
|_ _|
| 3 |
|___|
3. This room will transfer the player back to room 1.
4. This room contains no events. This is where the
player is transported to from a room 2.
5. This room is an error check on the pearls the player
is carrying.
6. This is the actual shop where the purchase will be made
ROOM 3
QUEST STAGE event
page 2
select AUTOMATIC (NO QUESTIONS)
which quest: QUEST 5
stage: store # + 1
(Take the number we stored
in quest 5 in room 1 and
add one to it. That is
the number entered in for
stage)
page 3
chain accept:UTILITIES
Note: We are checking to see where
we need to send the player to
by checking QUEST 5.
We can check to see if we need to
send the player to another area
by going to page one and chaining
to another QUEST STAGE. We could
then go to page one of that
QUEST STAGE and chain to another
QUEST STAGE. We can do this again
and again.
------------------------------------------------
UTILITIES from chain accept
page 2
1 is SUBTRACTED FROM
item/quest:QUEST 5
page 1
chain event:TRANSFER
Note: We are subtracting one from QUEST 5
because the preceding QUEST STAGE
adds one to QUEST 5 by being true.
In other words, QUEST 5 is incremented
by one or becomes equal to the stage
number entered. We subtract one
so we don't send the player to the
wrong store if he turns around and
re-enters room 2. Even though we
transfer him to room with the
UTILITY event, the utility
event doesn't happen because the
computer doesn't check to see
if there is an event in the spot
we send the player to when we use the
TRANSFER event. NOTE: it does check
when we use teleport. But teleport
can't be used when switching between
different dungeon levels.
-----------------------------------------------
TRANSFER from chain event
page 2
no text
no ask
page 3
transfer the player back to
room 1 on the level with
storefront.
--------------------------------------------------------
ROOM 4
This room contains no events.
_______________________________________________________
ROOM 5
UTILITIES event
page 2
254 is STORED IN
QUEST 3
page 1
event happens if: QUEST COMPLETE
item: QUEST 3
chain: IF EVENT DOESN'T HAPPEN
chain event:UTILITIES
Note: We are error checking to make
sure that the value in QUEST 3
doesn't equal 255. If it does
Room 6 will not work.
-----------------------------------------------
UTILITIES from chain event
page 2
127 is STORED IN
QUEST 3
page 1
event happens if: QUEST FAILED
item: QUEST 3
Note: We are again error checking to
make sure that the value in
QUEST 3 doesn't equal 128. If
it does Room 6 will not work.
------------------------------------------------------
ROOM 6
TEXT STATEMENT
page 2
Explain to the player that the
ADD button is used to transfer
one pearl from his pouch to
a pile we will call the buy pile.
The buy pile is used to make
purchases from the store.
The SUBTRACT button is used to
transfer one pearl back to the
player's pouch.
page 1
chain event: QUESTION BUTTON
Note: Brief note concerning the buttons.
We will only check to see if the
player has the right amount of
pearls in the buy pile when he
is adding them. The reason for this
is that we would have to use events
to check when subtracting, thus
using twice as many events and
the events will prove to be
very precious indeed.
-----------------------------------------------
QUESTION BUTTON from the chain event
page 2
Select artwork appropriate.
Do not put any text.
Button 1
Label:ADD
Chain event:CHAIN
MARK Return to question event
Button 2
Label:SUBTRACT
Chain event:CHAIN
MARK Return to question event
Button 3
Label:LEAVE
Chain event:CHAIN
MARK Return to question event
Note: The reason we don't place any text here
is because it takes to long to print text
and check to see which button pressed.
I have a 386 and found that without text
the check moves very quickly and doesn't
take long. The player can quickly move
the pearls one by one until he has an
appropriate amount to make a purchase.
-------------------------------------------------------
CHAIN from chain event on button 1
page 2
chain to: UTILITIES
page 1
event happens if: QUEST IN PROGRESS
item: QUEST 3
chain: ALWAYS
chain event: TEXT STATEMENT
------------------------------------------------------
TEXT STATEMENT from chain event
page 2
quickly explain that the player
has no pearls left to transfer
to the buy pile.
------------------------------------------------------
UTILITIES from chain to page 2 of chain
page 2
1 is ADDED TO
QUEST 4
page 1
chain event: UTILITIES
------------------------------------------------------
UTILITIES from chain event
page 2
1 is SUBTRACTED FROM
QUEST 3
page 1
chain event: QUEST STAGE
Note: What we have done in the above two
utility operations is simply transfer
one pearl from the pouch (QUEST 3) to
the buy pile (QUEST 4).
-----------------------------------------------------
QUEST STAGE from chain event
page 2
(YES)AUTOMATIC
which quest: QUEST 5
stage: the store number plus 1
page 3
on accept: UTILITIES
page 1
chain event: see editor's note
Note: This is just like the QUEST STAGE
in room 3. Please refer to the
editor's note for the QUEST STAGE
there.
----------------------------------------------------
UTILITIES from on accept
page 2
1 is SUBTRACTED FROM
QUEST 5
page 1
chain event: QUEST STAGE
---------------------------------------------------
QUEST STAGE from chain event
page 2
Tell the player what he can purchase
and ask him if he wants it.
ACCEPT on YES
Which quest: QUEST 4
Stage: *
* This where we place the cost of the item
in pearls. The number we put in this slot
is number of pearls needed plus one.
page 3
chain accept:UTILITIES
page 1
chain event: see editor's note
Note: Again like the previous QUEST STAGE we
can link to another QUEST STAGE to check
and see if the player has enough to purchase
a different item. Refer back to the previous
QUEST STAGE editor's note where I referred
you to another note. I think you will
quickly see the pattern here.
-----------------------------------------------------------
UTILITIES from chain accept
page 2
* is SUBTRACTED FROM
QUEST 4
* this is the number we used in the preceding
QUEST STAGE. We are debting the cost from
the player's buy pile.
page 1
chain event: GIVE TREASURE
-----------------------------------------------------------
GIVE TREASURE from chain event
page 2
select the item the player bought.
be sure and
MARK items identified
the player bought it he ought to
know what it is.
page 1
Remember to
UNMARK do event only once
Note: I thought about placing a free shop
here where the only thing the player
could buy would be the item he had the
pearls for. But, then he could just
sit there and buy a zillion of them.
-----------------------------------------------------------
CHAIN event from button 2 back at QUESTION BUTTON event
page 2
chain to: UTILITIES
page 1
event happens if: QUEST IN PROGRESS
item:QUEST 4
chain: IF EVENT DOESN'T HAPPEN
chain event: TEXT STATEMENT
----------------------------------------------------------
TEXT STATEMENT from chain event
page 2
Quickly explain to the player that
he has 0 pearls left in the buy pile.
---------------------------------------------------------
UTILITIES from chain to in CHAIN event
page 2
1 is SUBTRACTED FROM
QUEST 4
page 1
chain event: UTILITIES
---------------------------------------------------------
UTILITIES from chain event
page 2
1 is ADDED TO
QUEST 3
Note: Real quick, we have transferred one pearl
from the buy pile (QUEST 4) back to the
player's pouch (QUEST 3).
--------------------------------------------------------
CHAIN from button 3 back at QUESTION BUTTON event
page 2
chain to: TEXT EVENT
page 1:
event happens if:QUEST IN PROGRESS
item:QUEST 4
chain: IF EVENT DOESN'T HAPPEN
chain event:TEXT STATEMENT
--------------------------------------------------------
TEXT STATEMENT from chain to page 2 of CHAIN
page 2
Explain to the player he is
trying to leave the room and
leave some pearls behind in
the buy pile (QUEST 4)
page 1
chain event: QUESTION YES/NO
-------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION YES/NO from chain event
page 2
ask if he really wants to leave them
behind.
page 3
Tell the player thanks for the free
pearls.
chain to: UTILITIES
page 4
Say, yeah I didn't think you meant
to leave them behind.
------------------------------------------------------
UTILITIES from chain to
page 2
0 is STORED IN
QUEST 4
page 1
chain event: TEXT STATEMENT
-----------------------------------------------------
TEXT STATEMENT from chain event
page 2
MARK back up one step when done
tell the player bye.
-----------------------------------------------------
TEXT STATEMENT from chain event from
CHAIN event from button 2
back at QUESTION BUTTON event
page 2
MARK back up one step when done
tell the player bye.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, there it is. You now have a new form of currency
and a way for the player to spend it. You can sell those rare
items without fear that the player is carrying a million
jewels and buy one for each player. I have been testing this
for a couple of days and have yet to experience a problem that
I haven't fixed by rehashing the events. At first, I forgot
about error trapping. I took care of this problem with room
5. A friendly note, don't forget to UMARK the do only once
on the GIVE TREASURE event. That can be alot to wade though
if you are absent minded. I hope you found this to be
educational and enlightening. If you run into a problem I
have yet to encounter, please feel free to EMAIL me.
Shadowmaster
SHDWMSTR03 on AOL
SHDWMSTR03@aol.com
Besides requests, I'd like to have 'advertisments' for upcoming art & modules. Let's face it: everyone can use a little exposure!
Elisstar - wants some good drawings of Darkelves, smallpics and bigpics (I like to do icons myself).
Kaviyd - I would like to see some normal sized (1x1) icons for Gnolls, Giant Rats, and other creatures that are either close to human sized (like the Gnoll) or significantly smaller (like the Giant Rat). A smaller Gnoll is required if we are to use them as player characters, while a smaller Giant Rat is desirable primarily for rules accuracy (they should take damage as size S, not size L; besides, they can swarm more effectively if they are smaller).
Nyx N1ghts - I need a red headed vampiress, sufficently beautiful, looking insane. No blood involved tho ;> I also need a black haired vampiress in a white gown, no blood involved. I need a big pic of a black haired male vampire, preferably in some sort of liesurely white top and black pants.
GreggY1 - I am looking for the older SSI AD&D games for a MAC. I have UA, Dark Queen of Krynn, Curse of the Azure Bonds and Pools of Radience. I need Dark Sun (think they never came out with this one), Secret of the Silver Blades and Pools of Darkness.
Pindar - I am currently working on a Ravenloft adv. I need:
Strahd Von Zarovich---pic and icon
Azalin---pic
EKSTRA - If y'all REALLY need art files, I've got about six Megs worth that I personally captured out of other progs, like Buck Rogers, The Secret of Monkey Island 1 and 2, Indiana Jones/Last Crusade, etc. All are very high quality, and I am using most of them in an adventure that will be done sometime after right now and before we colonize Mars. :)
*Editorial staff: Editor-in-chief: Coric Editor (MAC platform): KevinB13 Assistant Editor: Kaviyd Assistant Editor: Shdwmstr03 *Columnists: Reviews & Previews: Nyx N1ght, Nyx N1ghts Art: Dika Wolf Beginner's Corner: Elisstar 'The Dungeon': Aneroch *Correspondent: Ermac Red##New staffer! It seems that every issue we add another editor or two, and this month is no exception. Aneroch, aka Louminator, has returned to the UA area with a vengeance. He's signed up to edit & create short adventures and maps for the NL (see attached article). You've probably seen his work somewhere before: many of the older art uploads bear the signature of Louminator - and he's got some great new art coming soon as well!
Coming next issue, AlexDK will join us as an Assistant Editor. Another veteran UA'er, he has racked up more uploads than I can think of. Not only that, but Alex will proof the NL to make our writing tighter and more precise... it's looking good :>
What I'm getting at is this: UA is changing so fast that even we are having trouble keeping up with it all! I *really* need more information about any upcoming modules, art, add-ons, etc. that you've got out there. While I know of many modules in development, there are many more that I don't. As I've said in nearly every issue, this is your NL and it won't work without your input. :>
Now for the bad news: I haven't got enough Wanted Ads to make the section worth-while yet. These ads are *free* and certainly can't hurt. So if you really need that piece of art or that map, send your request to "Coric" and I'll get 'em in the NL.
The MAC version of the UANL should be ready soon, but due to software-conflicts, I cannot give an exact date.
The next few issues will have more extras than ever before. Nyx and I are working on a Rogues Gallery of NPC's (again, submissions are welcome :); Elisstar will have a short module ready; and Aneroch is readying his 'Dungeon' section.
Until next time,
-CORIC-<C>
I forgot to include the save files for Nyx Night's demo in #4; they are included in this issue. Copy the .CSV & .DAT files to the subdirectory (assuming that you're using the defaults) "C:\FRUA\AMENDS.DSN\SAVE". Once in UA, simply choose 'play game' and then load game 'A'.
Two of the art files in this issue, Figure1.pcx and Figure2.pcx, should be viewed with a paint progam, but they CAN be imported to UA as well.
*I've also decided to include the 'combat icon of the month' in each and every issue of the NewsLetter (Pics are take up too much room). They're all available on AOL already and you may or may not have seen them. However, I think that the icons chosen for this section deserve a bit more attention.
-ICON OF THE MONTH: 'Deep Dragon', by Louminator. This pic. is one of the best that I've ever seen - the color is great, the shading is unbelievable, and the overall pose is much better than the standard dragons. Unlike most of the other dragon icons uploaded, this one is completely original - it is not a modified default pic. Congrats, Aneroch (and welcome back)!
c_deepdr.pcx
-CORIC-<C>