Development Update

[MonkeyLancer]

hey hey, That's quite the wishlist!I'll refrain from going on a huge anti-drow rant because of R A Salvatore, and his fanboys which single handedly destroyed a really cool class concept in 3e. However, I do like the idea of making a troglodyte or Thri-Kreen character!!

Some of your wishlist I have seen implemented in other CRPGs , but I doubt that makes it any easier for you use in yours.
what have you guys been working on lately that you care to divulge?

[BlueSalamander]

Yeah, I also like the idea of a formian (giant ant) character, or kobold (not very different from halfling). I read Salvatore's Dark Elf trilogy but somehow can't remember much of that story.

These are the things worked on most recently:
- finished work on full game's quest journal, this took the largest chunk of time
- added a "writing" sound effect played when something is added to the journal
- graphic improvements including pentagrams and new light sources
- increased AI use of grapple (depending on strength and size of creatures).
- wizard taking an armour feat at the start will start with armour.
- fixed a rare problem with pathfinding
- Started work on my (long) list of encounter and creature tweaks to make battles more interesting.

[MonkeyLancer]

A kobold or goblin would definitely be fun, and not having to deal with any ECL difficulties.

I am quite curious about grapple as I only really have a rudimentary understanding of it. When/Why would someone choose to grapple over walloping someone with their club? Maybe a hobgoblin is menacingly standing next to your wizard, so your fighter tackles him so your wizard will remain unscathed? So then how does that hobgoblin and fighter deal with each other? I imagine it as a mixture of wrestling/unarmed melee, would you say that is more or less accurate?

I'm curious about your NPCs, have you designated classes or even NPC classes or stats to them?

heh,and finally I hope it isn't trollish to say especially since you didn't ask. But my Salvatore issue isn't really with him per say, but his fans, and how that popularity seeped into the d20 ruleset. So I thought that the drow's sort of cultural combat style was two weapon usage. And of course some brilliant person at WOTC or wherever decided to make that a ranger style. Which in my mind really limits the class into archers and drizzt clones, when there is a whole litany of weapons or combat styles that are ignored because they don't really coincide with those templates... sorry I said I wouldn't rant and I did anyway

[BlueSalamander]

There are a few reasons for grappling. Basically it's a way to immobilise someone and prevent him from casting spells or using his weapons. So if you're facing a wizard and don't expect to be able to finish him in a single attack, you could use ready versus spell or attempt a grapple. You can still cast a spell while grappling but you need the feat metamagic still and to succeed on a concentration check. If you're facing an archer with death arrows it's a way to stop him shooting at the party. If you're facing an enemy with a powerful melee weapon or very high armor class, it's a way to bypass that weapon or armor. As you said, you could also use it to protect your other characters; but it's even better than that because the grappling opponent can't take AOOs anymore and loses his dexterity bonus to Armor Class (and so becomes easier to strike for the rest of the party). It can be more useful for a large enemy group; half of that group could grapple with your characters, making it easier for the other half to hit the party.

Once you're grappling, you can go one step further and attempt to pin the opponent. When pinned, the only action you can take is to try to break free. Also, when shooting into a grapple, there's a 50% chance of hitting the wrong target.

Regarding the mechanics of grapple, the difference with a normal melee attack is that instead of comparing an attack roll to an armor class, you compare the strength rolls of the two opponents. Large creatures and those with the feat Improved Grapple get bonuses.

I'm curious about your NPCs, have you designated classes or even NPC classes or stats to them?

The game follows advice from the Dungeon Master's Guide. NPCs use the normal character classes (fighter, cleric, wizard, commoner, warrior and aristocrat) and monsters use either their own monster class, a character class or a mix of the two. Just like PC stats, NPC stats depend on race, level and chance.

[BlueSalamander]

Here's a quick update:
- added a large battle at the very end (past the normal end game in fact)
- added two other smaller battles.
- added extra dialogue bits
- added the final victory picture,
- added new pictures in the battle won and battle lost screens
- added buttons in the quest journal screen and shortcut key to open journal
- decreased selling prices and increased crafting costs slightly.
- fixed an issue when the party moves to open a door
- fixed an issue when healing unconscious characters during combat.
- lots of encounter tweaks (HP, abilities, grappling behaviour, spellcaster behaviour).
I still have lots of changes to make to encounters, and lots of changes planned for the demo.

[Over]

Nice to hear some more news. I guess the game is in its final sprint before being released.

[getter77]

Yep...surely good stuff incoming.

[BlueSalamander]

Here are some of the things I've been working on in the last two weeks:
- added dialogue bits including a slave auction where the player can place bids.
- added a fight with polymorphing gnolls
- added a battle where the player has the option to fight the enemy alongside a group of elves
- improved a fight with grimlocks, added a set of double doors
- improved fight with a wizard group in orc fort
- changes to first battle with the orcs
- reworked the fights with the Giant Kings and Fire Giant Queen. King Sulphur will be really tough.
- completed a big rework of the Slaver Lords' city. Added four sets of double doors, an additional soldier patrol and soldier ambush, made existing battles bigger, more of the enemies can sound the alarm.
- added the option for a spellcaster to dismiss iron body
- vampiric blast and poison gas have become more powerful spells
- the four polymorph spells (spider, bear, fire and frost giant) have become more powerful
- changed halberds to piercing damage, not slashing
- fixed a bug with grapple
- fixed a AI bug with baleful polymorph
- fixed AI behaviour during surprise rounds or when slowed (it tended to favour movement over attacking, and during a surprise round you can only do one or the other)
- AI will sometimes take a 5-foot step before interrupting a spellcaster (as part of a ready versus spell action).
- AI will strike preferentially at enemies without Damage Reduction, low DR, or those enemies with DR it can bypass.
- fixed the slowdown problem when killing bosses.

[MonkeyLancer]

Exciting stuff! Slave Auction?! that sounds interesting!

I was curious whether it would be a pain to make halberd damage interchangeable between piercing and slashing? On a similar note will morningstars do bludgeoning and piercing?

[BlueSalamander]

Hi, yes that would be a bit of a pain. Maybe as an update after release. I'd need some extra categories: "Slashing+Piercing" and "Bludgeoning+Piercing"