Two things

[itsdat]

1. Why don't we have random encounters in the vanilla game (world map)? I will really miss this feature. Traveling around the world will feel like....you are travelling on a dead land.
2. Speaking about the world map....Pierre, could you show us some pictures / video about world map exploration? Or theres no world map in the first module? If there is no world map in the first module (which would be really weird), can we create world maps in the toolset?

PS. The world map random encounter tool is a 125k stretch goal? Really? It should be one of the first stretch goals....

Other than this, I am really excited about the game.

[BlueSalamander]

Hello itsdat! Thank you for posting.

1. Why don't we have random encounters in the vanilla game (world map)? I will really miss this feature. Traveling around the world will feel like....you are travelling on a dead land.

KotC 2 can't be all things to all people. As the developer, I constantly have to make a choice about what's important and what's not. You can have encounters on the world map, even random ones, but they have to be scripted. Did you like the random encounters in Temple of Elemental Evil?

2. Speaking about the world map....Pierre, could you show us some pictures / video about world map exploration? Or theres no world map in the first module? If there is no world map in the first module (which would be really weird), can we create world maps in the toolset?

There's no world-map travel in KotC 2 Augury of Chaos. But yes, we can create world maps with the editor and there will be a regional map in KotC 2 The Dark Arena. Cheers!

[itsdat]

1. Well I like random encounters, that is all. Also, will it be hard to script random encounters? Will you help the players how to make a script like that? [with an example script, or something]
2. Nice, so we can create world maps then. How will it work? We must use a .png image for it or? What can we do in the toolset with regard to world maps? Placing site locations and stuff?

[BlueSalamander]

Well I like random encounters, that is all.

I know, I know.

will it be hard to script random encounters?

No it's not hard and I will describe the process for you now:

Okay, say that the regional map consists of a village (your home base) and a deep cave filled with monsters. Whenever you want to go to the cave, you have to go through a forest that has already claimed the lives of many adventurers.

So we'll say that there's a 60% chance of a random encounter in the forest. The first thing that your script will need to do is to roll a d100 and set the result in a variable that we will call 'Roll to determine if there is an encounter'.

Next we need to create the actual encounters. Say we want to have six possible encounters in the forest: a group of five orcs and a troll, a group of seven human cutthroats, a single hill giant, a group of three ghouls, a pack of five wolves, and if you're really unlucky, two hill giants and a bear.

So you start with the forest map background and you place the monsters of the first encounter in it. You set them to act as a group. Then you tell the editor to hide that group. Now you place the monsters of the second encounter. And so on, until you've placed all six encounters.

There are six possible encounters, so the second thing that your script will need is to roll a d6 and record the result in a variable that we will call 'Number of the selected encounter'.

After creating these two variables, your script will look if the 'Roll to determine if there is an encounter' is below 60. If yes, there's an encounter. If not, the script ends and the party can keep moving through the forest.

If there's an encounter, then you have a series of six checks, one for each possible value of the 'Number of the selected encounter' variable.

If the variable is one, you teleport the party to the forest map, you set the monster group of five orcs and a troll as visible, and you display a dialogue 'The party is facing a group of savage orcs led by a Troll!'. That's it for this check.

If the variable is two, you teleport the party to the forest map, you set the monster group of human cutthroats as visible, and you display a dialogue 'The party is under attack by a group of human cutthroats!'. And so on.

You also have to decide whether these encounters respawn or if they are a one-time affair only. If they respawn, you have to tell the script to heal the monster group before unveiling it.

If they don't respawn, then the script needs one more variable called 'Have all the random encounters been defeated'. The script ends if this variable has been set to 1 (true). If not, the script needs to check if the selected monster group has been defeated before. If that's the case you increment the 'Number of the selected encounter' and check again, until the script finds a monster group that has not yet been defeated.

we can create world maps then. How will it work? We must use a .png image for it or? What can we do in the toolset with regard to world maps? Placing site locations and stuff?

Yes, you need a JPG or PNG image for a regional map or world map. Yup, you can place important sites on the map. Thank you!!

[BlueSalamander]

PS. I also posted about this in the comments there: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848628223/knights-of-the-chalice-2-revolutionise-old-school-crpgs/posts/2847818

[itsdat]

Thanks Pierre, you are really awesome. Wow...it won't be hard to create scripts like this. Nice.
2 more questions if you don't mind.
1. What is the max number of variables with regard to enemy parties? IE. How many diferent groups can spawn on the forest map for example? Can we add things via scripting like...a second wave of enemies spawn at turn 3?
2. Can we create scripts like..a merchant spawns while you are travelling, which sells specific items only?

[BlueSalamander]

Thank you for the kind words, itsdat!

How many diferent groups can spawn on the forest map for example?

As many as you want. That's not limited.

Can we add things via scripting like...a second wave of enemies spawn at turn 3?

Yes you can. Place the extra enemies on the map, set them as a group with the creatures of the first wave, hide everyone. Go to the character sheet of any of the enemies of the first wave. Give that enemy a combat script that will unveil the new enemies and add them to the fight when turn number three begins.

Can we create scripts like..a merchant spawns while you are travelling, which sells specific items only?

Sure. Just place the specific items in the inventory of the merchant and then give that merchant a dialogue script that will allow the player to trade.

[itsdat]

Nice.

[Dromin]

I like the sound of this.

I have a big imagination, and I'd love to design a living, breathing world which includes random encounters as well.