Reply to Re: Dink Smallwood : Creating the Quests.
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At first, I should have some motivation and inspiration to make a DMod. I usually have some whacky ideas lying around, but these will never get implemented, or I must find some use for it later on.
After having a general idea of what it's going to be about, I start with setting out a story-line in Notepad, your all-purpose text-editor. Then I usually think of the setting of the introduction, make the screens and script it.
Next is dividing the story into logical units. Like Stonebrook, Terris, Kernsin and Windemere in the original, or, more obvious, the different stories in Stone of Balance. Then I create the map that goes with the first of the units, and script it. Then I make the map for the second one, and script it, and so on.
About enemies, I usually play through the parts I've already created numerous times. I write down my own scores for health, strength, defense and magic, and adjust my monsters to something less than that, because I know where they are and how strong they are. A normal first-time player doesn't know these things, so they will have a harder time beating them. Also, if I use any powerups, I make it not too difficult without them, nor too easy if you've found them all. Only exception being the quest for the holy water in BoE, in which you HAVE to find the correct source to get your 5 strength, 3 defense, 1 magic boost. Or you want to be doomed killing low-level pillbugs to gain 9 levels
.
I also test major scripts like bosses and story-changing scripts, to make sure they work correct. All this testing builds up savegames of 15+ hours, for a game that's finished in 30 minutes or something.
When I feel like it's finally done, I give it one more test-round myself, and let my brother and friends play it. Then I fix the bugs they've found and upload it to the DN, or I might let someone from here beta-test it before that.
And then, I'm just waiting and waiting for the first reviews and bug-mail to arrive, to check what can be improved in another version of it.
After having a general idea of what it's going to be about, I start with setting out a story-line in Notepad, your all-purpose text-editor. Then I usually think of the setting of the introduction, make the screens and script it.
Next is dividing the story into logical units. Like Stonebrook, Terris, Kernsin and Windemere in the original, or, more obvious, the different stories in Stone of Balance. Then I create the map that goes with the first of the units, and script it. Then I make the map for the second one, and script it, and so on.
About enemies, I usually play through the parts I've already created numerous times. I write down my own scores for health, strength, defense and magic, and adjust my monsters to something less than that, because I know where they are and how strong they are. A normal first-time player doesn't know these things, so they will have a harder time beating them. Also, if I use any powerups, I make it not too difficult without them, nor too easy if you've found them all. Only exception being the quest for the holy water in BoE, in which you HAVE to find the correct source to get your 5 strength, 3 defense, 1 magic boost. Or you want to be doomed killing low-level pillbugs to gain 9 levels
.I also test major scripts like bosses and story-changing scripts, to make sure they work correct. All this testing builds up savegames of 15+ hours, for a game that's finished in 30 minutes or something.
When I feel like it's finally done, I give it one more test-round myself, and let my brother and friends play it. Then I fix the bugs they've found and upload it to the DN, or I might let someone from here beta-test it before that.
And then, I'm just waiting and waiting for the first reviews and bug-mail to arrive, to check what can be improved in another version of it.
