The Drunken Lizard Pub

IJBall wrote:Anyway, the question is whether BW can make area-specific Foraging happen without a major overhaul of the game engine - because if it requires that, I don't think we're going to see it happen. (And I'd rather not see it if it's going to add 6 months on to the development time!)

I'm not a programmer, but there is another element already in the game that is area-specific and is even connected to random camping events: those rude awakenings. So if you're at risk of being stumbled upon by noximanders, possibly you're settling down in an area littered with little vials of their venom.

Not as simple as that, of course. I imagine a map is tagged to allow a certain chance of a certain type of enemy appearing. A tag could also include "reagent set A."

Am I way off?

Just thinking about something that isn't on this list. Either give the player a note pad or make the Quest Journal editable in some way. Perhaps also use color-coding for quests rather than dropping them from the interface entirely, so we know which quests we've abandoned, which we've completed, and which are still active.

Kreador Freeaxe wrote:Just thinking about something that isn't on this list. Either give the player a note pad or make the Quest Journal editable in some way. Perhaps also use color-coding for quests rather than dropping them from the interface entirely, so we know which quests we've abandoned, which we've completed, and which are still active.

Oh, no, it's in there:

• A "notebook" (pad) for the player(?)
• Related to the above (perhaps): a "game log" (.txt?) file (e.g. Din's Curse) of the Narrative/Info gametext that can be accessed

Check item #1.

That one's a semi-popular item, actually - I think it's been requested more than once in the past couple of years.

Your Quest Journal suggestion is good, though - I'll add that.

IJBall wrote:

Kreador Freeaxe wrote:Just thinking about something that isn't on this list. Either give the player a note pad or make the Quest Journal editable in some way. Perhaps also use color-coding for quests rather than dropping them from the interface entirely, so we know which quests we've abandoned, which we've completed, and which are still active.

Oh, no, it's in there:

• A "notebook" (pad) for the player(?)
• Related to the above (perhaps): a "game log" (.txt?) file (e.g. Din's Curse) of the Narrative/Info gametext that can be accessed

Check item #1.

That one's a semi-popular item, actually - I think it's been requested more than once in the past couple of years.

Your Quest Journal suggestion is good, though - I'll add that.

See what happens when I try thinking before I've had my second 4-shot espresso of the day.

How about being able to set traps? I was playing around with powder kegs last night and they add some good tactical choices, but are rare and are often overkill. Leghold traps and some smaller explosive devices would be a good subtle alternative to the heavy handed mage and fighter approaches.

a spell that temporarily increases Mapping skill should be changed into something like:
Map Quadrant spell.
casting spell reveals a screen-sized map square (basic level 1, w/trees)
level 2 adds details (mountains,rocks,water,walls)
level 3 - enhanced spell area
level 4 - more details (floor tiles,doors)
level 5 - enhanced spell area
level 6 - max details (treasure,levers, points of interest, chance of spotting hidden items 50%, temporarily shows enemies)

spell effect should be permanent ofcourse.(except for sening monsters)

that will make the most tedious task of mapping trees much easier.

OK, just updated the 'wishlist' today (Dec. 31). I'm still planning on going through it and adding more citations/links to past threads (and maybe adding attributions as to who suggested what...). So, still a work in progress...

Whatever you do, please implement some kind of toggle or slider to allow us to speed up the walk animations.

Even with Eschalon 2's speed increase, movement still feels incredibly slow compared to a lot of the similar games out there.

I'm used to playing a lot of graphical roguelikes where you can move around nearly instantly, so it is incredibly painful to literally spend minutes at a time just watching a walk animation.

Try out Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup w/ tiles for an example. The core mechanics are very similar to Eschalon, but in DCSS travel is many times faster than in the Eschalon games, so you can simply get in much more gameplay in a given amount of real time.

I just can't play these games until this is fixed, life is too short.

Hi All,

Just throwing my 2 cents in...

I've looked through the Book III wishlist thread and agree with much of it. I've played the PC game "Thief: The Dark Project" and I can say that having a game editor and a place to post fan adventures for download/rating would catapult this game to cult status in a hurry. It's such a good, simple engine, so much playability and story potential.

Wishlist/Needs:

1) As above, a game editor/user-generated level maker
2) The ability to hit the "esc" button and back out of any and all dialogs
3) Ability in generator for user to generate artwork for new items (non-user items, like the Crux, so that new stories could easily have target quest items to get).
4) Ability to put items together in Alchemy Box to craft new items (ex. Chronometer + Sextant + Ectoplasm = "Captain Jack Sparrow's Compass") <-Yes, I know you cant' use the name, it's the idea of having a compass that will lead you (indirectly/circuitiously) to the treasure.
5) Larger bestiary. Lots of spiders and wolves to fight. I liked the giant beetles (II), not so much the wasps (I). Lycanthropes, bugbears, goblins, hobgoblins (heirarchy?) Orcs, centaurs, mind flayers...
6) Some way of knowing what a spell does aside from quitting the game and coming here to look before adding a spell. If you are limited by the intelligence skill, you want to pick and choose. Can't do that with a spell like "Sparkling Wonder" if you don't know what it does. The "read it and learn it" scroll should tell you first, not just disappear, just like a skill book.
7) One word: ELVES!
Another word: Balrog!
9) More belts
10) Cursed items (once you put it on, you're sorry you did).

I love this game, and I've been playing for about a year now. Good, good game. Thanks to all of the development team and the guys here at the forums for all your hard work and dedication.

Best,

mph66

mph66 wrote:Wishlist/Needs:

6) Some way of knowing what a spell does aside from quitting the game and coming here to look before adding a spell. If you are limited by the intelligence skill, you want to pick and choose. Can't do that with a spell like "Sparkling Wonder" if you don't know what it does. The "read it and learn it" scroll should tell you first, not just disappear, just like a skill book.

Quickly, I thought I'd point out that you CAN see what a spell does if you're buying it from a vendor by right-clicking on the item in the vendor's inventory first to get a description. What there should be is a way to get the same information for ANY identified scroll IN your inventory.

@kreador: Aye. That's much better said. I did not know about the right-click from vendors, but you can't do that in your inventory, as you've pointed out. That needs to be a feature. Thanks for the clarification.

*export / import character (to prevent re-leveling for new content)

*Widescreen support that adds inventory to the extra space available.

*Have map adjustable/scrollable.

*Books/ skills can not be gained from books unless you have a skill level of 3 on the skill. (read below)
-Anyone who reads a book with a skill from 3 to 5 will receive 1 skill point from a book.
-If you have a skill level of 6 or more, you gain 2 skill points from the corresponding book.

*Trainers: to have a skill trained, you may only get 4 skill levels from the trainer if they have not had the skill, or 3 levels if they already do. 1st level (if you do not have the skill yet) will be obtained with a donation of 300 gold and running an errand or quest for the NPC.
-2nd skill point (or 1st skill point for people who have it trained) will require 200 gold and the donation of a certain random in game item (quill, small candle, skull, etc)
-3rd skill point will require donation of 400 gold and donation of a specific in game item (alchemy trainer will require a potion, cartography trainer a compass, arcane a scroll)
-4th point will be awarded with a donation of 600 gold and the fact you read the corresponding book. (IE: if you are at the alchemy trainer and have not read the alchemy book yet, you will not be able to purchase the last skill point till you do.)

So all in all,...

Start: Alchemy lvl 0 at start
Trainer +4 Book +1 (or +2 if you pump up a skill before reading)

Start: Alchemy lvl 5
Trainer +3 Book +2

It balances out in a sense that, if you wish to switch to a trainers skill like going from swords to bows, or vise versa, you can gain up to 6 skill points by choosing that path to level in and by reading a book later. They can also just gain the normal 5 and finish with the trainer earlier. People who wish to hone the specified skills will gain 5 skill points at any stage and do not have to run the initial quest to start the trainer.

Edit: Add in, if you read a book previously at skill level 3-5 and only gained 1 point and invested at least 1 skill point at a level selection and now have the skill at six, then it will say "You have gained a better understanding of the authors point of view incorporating your practices." and will gain an additional point.

This means you train up to level 5 including a book read for +1, then later invest skill points, you gain the full knowledge of the book. for a +2 on the book total.

As many of you already know -- since I think I've gone on about this ad naseum -- in the end, all I'm really looking for in Book III is narrative and -- most importantly -- characters & characterization. There simply aren't enough <i>people</i> in book two, not to mention opposition. Not a lot whole lot of surprise interruptions when you camp out, either. The island seems remarkably sparse in population, even within a region that is on the brink of being besieged. Furthermore: none of these characters are treated with any depth.

This creates a profound emptiness.

Since BW since he's concentrating 100% on all of this in Book 3: I take him at his word and hope to be thrilled!

I would love to see in book III more narrative sequences, i would say that book I had many or at least more sequences than book II , i really liked the explanation in the different situations that help to feel inside the game , to some may not be worth it, but i think it really gives a characterisc touch to the game.

If i´m not mistaken (please feel free to correct me if i am) i recall that someone in the forums did the texts in the skillboks (can´t remember his/hers nickname) , it was a superb job!! i look forward seeing more in the next book , and more than the skillbooks if possible .

AXS wrote:I would love to see in book III more narrative sequences, i would say that book I had many or at least more sequences than book II , i really liked the explanation in the different situations that help to feel inside the game , to some may not be worth it, but i think it really gives a characterisc touch to the game.

If i´m not mistaken (please feel free to correct me if i am) i recall that someone in the forums did the texts in the skillboks (can´t remember his/hers nickname) , it was a superb job!! i look forward seeing more in the next book , and more than the skillbooks if possible .

Shhhhh. Don't tell CrazyBernie you liked his work. It'll just go to his head.