Improvements

Discussion in 'The Temple of Elemental Evil' started by Gaear, Apr 25, 2011.

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  1. kungfuramone

    kungfuramone Member

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    A few more:

    -Fix the bug in which summoned creatures stay indefinitely after the slaver fight (and/or other fights that end with immediately being teleported somewhere.)

    -Signpost in Nulb? Even though it's obviously tiny compared to Hommlet + Verbo, I still get mixed up sometimes.

    -Keep adding new higher-level content to Verbo! That's been the best part of the modpacks, not counting all of the fixes. ;)
     
  2. Gaear

    Gaear Bastard Maestro Administrator

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    That should be fixable somehow.

    There's one there already, at the landing point where you first arrive.

    There's still more to come.
     
  3. gazra_1971

    gazra_1971 Knights of Legend

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    My suggestions for improving the game:

    1. Change the scenario with Lubash (the ogre in the moathouse dungeon) and the Dire Bear (in the pit at Hickory Branch) so that the player can no longer kill them without them being able to retaliate.

    2. Reduce the time that it takes for the random encounters to trigger with the envoys from Prince Thrommel and Countess Tillahi. Last time that I played the game, I played the game properly and realistically (i.e. instead of resting 2 weeks in Hommlet so that I would definitely get the random encounter with Prince Thrommel's envoy, I wasted no time what-so-ever in my quest to rid the lands of all evil) and I never got the random encounters with either envoy before I finished the game.

    3. Add more special random encounters to the game, and add many more types of generic random encounters that are MUCH more difficult (i.e. so that some random encounters would be challenging for a party of 8 level 16 characters). The most difficult random encounter I've ever encountered while playing the game is 2 Will-o'-Wisps or 2 trolls or 1 ettin (which may possibly be challenging for level 10 characters, but since characters can now reach level 20, more difficult random encounters need to be added to the game).

    4. Add a new function to the arena so that when the player's party travels to Verbobonc, his/her party can compete in combats in the arena on a daily or weekly basis, eventually earning the right (if successful) to challenge the current arena champions.

    5. Add a new quest which would eventually be the final quest in the game for an "evil" party. The quest would involve a confrontation with and a combat to the death with the Circle of Eight wizards. Naturally, it would be nigh impossible for the player to win the combat (which would make it all the more fun for the player to try to win).
    The Circle of Eight wizards, Zuggtmoy, and Prince Thrommel are all in the intro for this computer game. The player can encounter Prince Thrommel and Zuggtmoy during the game, so it stands to reason that the player should be able to encounter the Circle of Eight wizards as well.

    6. Modify the game so that it would be possible to destroy the Orb of Golden Death while Pishella is in the player's party.
     
    Last edited: May 8, 2011
  4. Odium

    Odium Member

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    Is this jerkstop making the party move somewhere and the blue circles just disappear and the party stop?

    If so then I am having this and I do have the chest.

    I reverted to a previous save, went and killed the Giant and am having the same problems.

    Will this show up everywhere I go in the game or just in Hommlet?

    I would really hate to restart but am not sure how far back I would have to go.

    This can happen anytime you exit the inn or fast travel to Hommlet?
     
  5. Gaear

    Gaear Bastard Maestro Administrator

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    That is indeed jerkstop. It's been reported in Nulb, but that's very rare (almost never in recent memory). Otherwise it's just Hommlet, specifically when you exit the inn onto the exterior map or arrive on the exterior map via the worldmap, but normally only in the center of town (not by the church or the tower).

    It would be really interesting if you could dump the chest (actually get rid of it and all its contents) and then try it again and let us know what happens.
     
  6. Odium

    Odium Member

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    Ok but now that it has happened, will it get worse in other areas?

    How would i get rid of the chest? Drop it on the ground somewhere? Destroy it? How?
     
  7. Gaear

    Gaear Bastard Maestro Administrator

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    The Thrommel and Tilahi rewards are now set to an entirely reasonable (I think) time frame, something like 10 days or two weeks. If you didn't get them, you must have completed the game before that time elapsed. I think it would be unrealistic for Thrommel to get back to Veluna, have a party, arrange a reward for you, send his guys out to find you, and have them find you in just a few days.

    I would like to add more scripted encounters. Making more difficult ones for higher level parties is a different story and will require some major tinkering with the random encounter scripts.

    Problem is, the modern day arena in Verbobonc is supposed to be a relic, basically. They don't hold contests there anymore; they're 'civilized.' The arena you visit in the AoH chapter is mystical, from another time and plane, etc. It's not like you're going to Verbobonc when you go there and fight for the MotA, even if its literal counterpart is physically in Verbo.

    That's a pretty tall order, if an interesting idea. The Co8 wizards would all have to be level 20.

    It does appear that it's impossible to do that right now.
     
  8. Gaear

    Gaear Bastard Maestro Administrator

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    Best thing would be to get a random encounter, then after you're done with that but before you leave the RE map, summon the chest, empty it of all its contents, dump them onto the ground, then dump the chest onto the ground, and then leave. This will destroy the chest and all its items, as per the RE warning.
     
  9. Sitra Achara

    Sitra Achara Senior Member

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    What do you mean by major tinkering?

    I somehow doubt that the mere possession of the chest triggers that,

    though it does sound possible that repeated summonings of the chest, particularly with a full load, could cause jerkstop.

    Being that Hommlet exterior is a popular location for offloading your junk, that could explain why it happens only there.

    I will conduct some testing on this, and would like to ask others to do so as well. Heading to the killing fields...
     
    Last edited: Apr 29, 2011
  10. Gaear

    Gaear Bastard Maestro Administrator

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    Basically that I would have to look at the scripts, try to figure them out, make new ones and/or steal old ones, have them fail, repeat the process, etc. etc. If you can do it with only minor tinkering, by all means feel free. ;)
     
  11. The Royal Canadian

    The Royal Canadian Established Member

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    Hi
    I just had a thought. Could Jerk-Stop be caused by an "Overloaded" Extraplanar Chest" ? I used to have some problems with Jerk-Stop, but lately I've been using a strategy of filling the chests ( I have 2 in the party ) until I get the "no room available" message ( I stuff the excess in whatever chest or barrel is convenient ) and haven't had any problems with Jerk-Stop.
    The Royal Canadian

     
  12. GuardianAngel82

    GuardianAngel82 Senior Member

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    I get jerkstop after I get the chest, but I don't think it's overloaded at the time. OTOH, inventory seems to be a big issue in this game. Still, I think it's too pat, like the sign post thing.
     
  13. Sitra Achara

    Sitra Achara Senior Member

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    We're talking about the random wilderness encounters, right?
    If all you want is to add tougher entries, that are restricted to high-level parties, it's very easy.

    The lists of encounters are in random_encounter.py, in the get_scrub_daytime section (there is a separate function for each terrain type, and daytime/nighttime).

    Example:
    Code:
    def get_scrub_daytime( encounter ):
    	...
    	r = game.random_range(1,11)
    	if (r == 1):
    		# bandits
    		n = game.random_range(2,5)
    		encounter.dc = 2 + (n/2)
    		encounter.enemies = ( ( 14069, 1*m ), ( 14070, n*m ) )
    		encounter.id =  1000
    	elif (r == 2):
    	...
    	...
    	...
    	elif (r == 10):
    		# kobolds and kobold sergeant
    		n = game.random_range(3,10)
    		encounter.dc = 1
    		encounter.enemies = ( ( 14640, n*m ), (14641, 1*m) )
    		encounter.id =  1003
    	else:
    		# jackals
    		n = game.random_range(2,4)
    		encounter.dc = 1
    		encounter.enemies = ( ( 14051, n*m ), )
    		encounter.id =  1006
    	return
    
    If you want to add another encounter:
    1. Increment the random range (e.g. random_range(1,12) in this example)
    2. Append another entry like the above, with e.g. r==11
    3. Change the encounter.dc to an appropriate level (parties can encounter DCs up to party level + 2)
    4. Change the protos in encounter.enemies
    5. encounter.id isn't really important, as long as it's in the 1000-1999 range.
    6. That's it!

    That said, I'm not too keen on having powerful monsters roaming the countryside, unless the player explicitly asks for that sort of thing via a Front End option.
    If Agetian can add that (e.g. write the choice into a file a la the delayed blast fireball option), then I'm all for it, and will provide the necessary scripting framework.
     
  14. Gaear

    Gaear Bastard Maestro Administrator

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    We've been operating on the 'less is more' ethos with front end options lately (meaning that we've generally dropped the have-it-your-way approach), so I would oppose adding such an option. That said, while I agree that we shouldn't have powerful monsters roaming the countryside, I see no problem with adding more appropriate monsters for higher level REs. (No balors, but trolls would be better than kobolds, for example.)
     
  15. Skittles

    Skittles Kind of Delicious

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    @Gaear et al.:

    I found something that helps with the jerkstop that occurs when exiting the inn--I'm not sure I've found it in the jerkstop troubleshooting section of the game guide, so I'll mention it here. When I experience jerkstop on exiting the inn, I can revert to a save from immediately before exiting the inn, visit a different level of the inn (basement or second floor) and then exit without a problem.

    I've only used this solution twice, but if any other person suffering jerkstop could repeat it... It could become a useful coping technique.

    I haven't started my Extraplanar Chest-less playthrough yet--don't want to rush this game while I'm enjoying it.
     
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