Talad(Leader/Founder)
Eonwind(Rules)
Tuathanach(Rules)
Zunna (Rules/Settings)
Mordaan (Settings)
Venalan (Settings Lead)
Uadjet(GM Lead)
Emaline (GM Team)
Zweitholou (Art)
Uadjet says: Hello and welcome to the Developer's Q&A! This is an out-of-character meeting where you can hear about the development of the game and ask the Dev and GM teams any questions you might have. If you do have any questions, please line up at the lecterns in front of the stage.
Damola says: No Q from my side.
Gonger says: Any idea when PSU will go live?
Gonger says: Ok, wrong question. Everybody is petrified!
Uadjet says: No clue, but we're due another PSU release soon.
Damola says: Haha, the magic question.
Uadjet says: Nah, just kra.
Damola says: But yeah, that would be the next Q, when 0.7.19... but you said already, soon.
Holesod says: on the subject of PSU, is there a plan to allow us to use controls like what we have in legavy?
Holesod says: legacy*
Uadjet says: What type of controls?
Holesod says: like movement
Uadjet says: Ah, not to my knowledge.
Holesod says: instead of having to use the mouse to see where I am going
Uadjet says: The Advanced Locomotion System has movement wrapped up in everything else, so I don't know how hard it will be to change.
Holesod says: ahh ok
Uadjet says: Okay, I'll give you a little recap of what's been going on behind the scenes.
Uadjet says: Talad has been doing a lot of the technical stuff, like working on lighting.
Uadjet says: The lighting in PSU is a bit... basic at the moment, and he's been updating it all.
Uadjet says: That includes lighting in caves as well as exterior lighting.
Uadjet says: The game will look much better once it's lit properly.
Uadjet says: And I nearly described that difference as being 'like night and day".
Rykia says: ^^
Holesod laughs
Uadjet says: I almost described the technical stuff as not being especially 'flashy' too. I start talking about lighting and the bad puns start pouring out.
Rykia says: Keep'em coming
Uadjet says: Talad has also looked into the various mechanisms that players can use to move objects in game. Like the secret passages in certain locations, or the rocks in the lava cave.
[Channel] [1: gossip] Migg: Hello!
Uadjet says: I went through and got coordinates for the teleporting onces a while back and found a secret entrance I didn't even know about, despite well over a decade of playing the game, so it was quite illuminating.
[Channel] [1: gossip] Rykia: Hello!
>Teleported Migg Ellorean to meetingore in instance 345
[Channel] [1: gossip] Uadjet: I assumed...
[Channel] [1: gossip] Migg: You assumed well!
[Channel] [1: gossip] Migg: thank you!
Migg says: this staff is big
Uadjet says: On top of doing lighting and mechaisms, Talad also went in and fixed the flicking textures in Amdeneir.
Damola raises an eyebrow "You found a secret entrance you did not know about? Might be something to look out for" she grins
>Anysu just joined PlaneShift
Uadjet says: It was mostly on rooftops, that I noticed, but it's a case where there are multiple faces in the same location. The engine tries to render them all, leading to them flickering back and forth.
>Anysu Atani salutes Uadjet with respect.
Uadjet says: Oh, I found multiple that I didn't know about. Some were just nonfunctional or in places nobody could go.
Migg says: there are stil places where the architecture doesn't properly meet the scenery
Uadjet says: But yes, there's one secret entrance - a tunnel, really - that was surprising to me. And functional.
Migg says: don't know if that's what you mean
Uadjet says: Talad didn't finish up with Amdeneir, and I know Tua is workign on Amdeneir as well.
Uadjet says: But this is... It's called z-fighting, I guess. Hold on...
>You spawned Ojaveda Bluedust Carpet to your inventory.
>You spawned Ojaveda Green Carpet to your inventory.
>Uadjet dropped an Ojaveda Green Carpet.
>Uadjet dropped an Ojaveda Brown Carpet.
>Uadjet picked up an Ojaveda Brown Carpet
>Uadjet picked up an Ojaveda Green Carpet
>Thosor Riereri looks at Anysu's Small Table and panics..!
>Uadjet dropped an Ojaveda Green Carpet.
>Uadjet dropped an Ojaveda Bluedust Carpet.
Migg says: nope
Uadjet says: Well, the carpets aren't flickering, but if you move around you can see that which one is on top changes.
>You spawned 2 Marble Benches to your inventory.
>Uadjet dropped a Marble Bench.
>Uadjet dropped a Marble Bench.
Holesod says: I saw when I changed camera angles
Holesod says: there was a dark spot on the center when I changed camera angles
Uadjet says: Ah, the benches show it better.
Holesod says: then it disappeared
Thosor says: i get spots
Uadjet says: The game can't decide which is on top, so it tries to show both.
Migg says: at the proper camera position the benches flicker
Uadjet says: In Amdeneir's case, it's often where faces got duplicated somehow, so Talad can just delete them. In other cases he just adds a little more geometry so that the top and bottom faces aren't overlapping.
Holesod says: ahh yes
Holesod says: I see that too
Holesod says: thickness and gravity?
Thosor says: carpets switch
Uadjet says: But there are a number of places in Amdeneir where the ground has gaps, or an incorrect texture is applied. That's what they're doing.
Holesod says: is that like how sometimes I can fall when leaving east hydlaa here?
Holesod says: or is it a different issue with the ground in PSU
Uadjet says: In PSU you can actually see holes in the ground.
Uadjet says: I think the one by the tavern was fixed.
Holesod says: oh ok
Uadjet says: You could actually down into the hold underneath Amdeneir.
>Holesod Sacerey nods at Rykia Mewmeat.
>Holesod Sacerey nods at Uadjet.
Damola says: You can have that flickering even with the regular benches here. For example the one Damola is sitting on
Uadjet says: It's a nice place, actually.
Uadjet says: Roomy, high ceiling. Trees.
Uadjet says: Ah, yes. Where the benches overlap at the ends.
Uadjet says: In Legacy we fix that by sliding one item down just a few millimeters. That was the game knows which face is on top and the flickering vanishes.
Uadjet says: But in Amdeneir it's different parts of the same items, so that isn't as easy. Talad's been deleting extra faces and moving bits around so that the flickering stops. And they look nicer too. In some cases there were double-sides faces, like a sheet of paper with textures on both sides. Saves rendering resources, but looks wrong. Roofs are not infinitely thin. Talad's been making those more reasonable.
Holesod says: that makes sense
Uadjet says: And with the fixed lighting Amdeneir won't have a washed out look to it, so it should be amazing.
Uadjet says: Let's see... I think I told you about the shrines last meeting, right?
Gonger says: Yes.
Holesod says: I remember some discussion on them
Uadjet says: Good. There's been more progress on them, and if you're in the supporters tab of teh discord channel you'll see a preview of the Laanx Shrine.
Uadjet says: It looks amazing!
Thosor says: looks like a dead spider hehe
Migg says: are the shrines in the known temples?
Uadjet says: No, they were made to be added to different locations. Places without a full temple.
Uadjet says: But honestly, the Laanx one is cool enough it could be added to the Temple.
Uadjet says: So, other than that I've been working on writing quests for the new areas. Mostly just determining who the new NPCs are and what quests they'll have, but on at least some I've got the steps mapped out. I just need to edit one of them down, as I got a bit carried away.
Uadjet says: When you start approaching the 100 step limit for a quest, you know it's time to dial it back a bit.
Holesod says: yeah 100 steps might seem a bit excessive
Anysu nods
Uadjet says: I'll probably make it a series of smaller quests. Simpler that way.
Holesod says: that sounds reasonable
Holesod says: completion of some to unlock others?
Uadjet says: I'm still trying to figure out the Advanced Locomotion system well enough to fit flying and gliding in.
Uadjet nods to Holesod. "Precisely."
Uadjet says: I can do flying, gliding, and slow falls easily enough in normal Unreal, but I may have to ask Talad to complete that little project. I can't even find the blueprints I need to edit in ALS!
Uadjet says: Let's see... I think that's all for the updates. Oh! I'm almost done with the lockpicking quest rewrites. I just need to work on the loot tables.
Uadjet says: Okay, that's all I've got for updates. Any questions?
Rykia says: None from this one.
Damola says: A lot of nice work. I wasn't aware of a 100 step limit for quests, but I bet that's pretty reasonable
Anysu says: *cheers for lockpicking*
Migg says: any new artist NPCs?
Holesod says: Yeah a lot of work. It's impressive
Uadjet says: A while back Zwei mentioned lockpicking animations. I'm sure those are around somewhere...
Uadjet says: Artist NPCs? I've got some planned for Amdeneir and Oja. Still need quests for them.
Migg says: If they are bard NPCs specializing in some musical instrument, I may have some ideas
Uadjet says: I'm told Settings won't add new NPCs that don't have a purpose, as far as players are concerned. So goods to sell, involvement in a quest, etc. They can't just exist because their profession existed in medieval times.
Uadjet says: There goes one of the medical NPCs I was going to propose.
Migg says: I would assume every town had at least one bard, or someone to carry on oral tradition in song form
Holesod says: what about ones that talk when a player passes by?
Migg says: towns ought to have poets, composers and playwrights as well
Migg says: at least big towns
Anysu says: One that talks as walk by like a town cryer
Uadjet says: NPCs that greet passing players should be rare, or they'll get annoying.
Uadjet says: A town crier could be interesting, though...
Holesod says: oh yeah they would
>Holesod Sacerey nods.
Anysu nods at Holesod
Anysu nods at Uadjet
Uadjet says: It would be fun to have one that can tell you about updates to an area from an IC point of view.
>Anysu Atani nods at Uadjet.
Migg says: peddlers would cry out their wares to passers by
Holesod says: oh yes
Holesod says: wait a minute...
Gova says: I just want the ability to cast sound deprivation on the two in Amdeneir's Theatre.
>Thosor Riereri nods at Gova Liernan.
Rykia says: Could easily overhear NPC's talking to one another about newsworthy topics too
Migg says: hehe well it would have been interesting if their repertoir was more varied
Holesod says: peddlers crying out there wares would get annoying
Migg says: but realistic still
Holesod says: oh yes
Uadjet says: Ah, yes. I wonder how that could be scripted... If it was a single line, that would be easy. But conversation is trickier.
Rykia says: ...and helpful to new arrivals to PS
Holesod says: hmm can one-on-one conversations exist without quests?
Migg says: just have lines be dependent on time of day
Uadjet says: What, you're tired of Kaiman yelling about his fat sacks?
Holesod says: haha
Holesod looks around, "which fat sacks is he talking about?"
Uadjet says: Toda does as well, as I recall. Maybe more.
Uadjet says: Maybe just a limiter, so they don't shout more often than once every x minutes.
Holesod says: that would be reasonable
>Anysu Atani nods at Uadjet.
Holesod says: generally I only notice Toda doing it when I am in her shop
Uadjet says: It could have a very short range.
Holesod says: yeah
Holesod says: but that might be another thing
Holesod says: do they shout all the time or only when their shops are open?
Uadjet says: Just checked, and I had no town crier on my list, so that's one more NPC to add to the cities.
>Anysu Atani cheers happily!
Uadjet says: I'll probably have that one be a younger NPC, with a scale of .9 or .85.
Uadjet says: Like the pickpockets.
Anysu says: Pickpoket npcs!
Uadjet says: Well, cities do need a criminal element.
Holesod says: I'd imagine they would be in a more secluded area of a city
Anysu says: Aye
Uadjet says: I'm trying to place new quests in the new areas.
Holesod says: at least one where people aren't bound to hear their conversations
Holesod says: or see what might be shady
Anysu says: Is it pickpocket quest npc?
Uadjet says: The two quests to start lockpicking both start in exisitng areas because they follow naturally from two of the existing quests, but I'll have the player go to a new area and a new NPC as part of the quest, to get them moving around a bit.
Holesod says: those involved in the criminal element wouldn't want to get caught by the guards
Anysu nods at Uadjet
Anysu says: Such quests could give not only skill bu faction points with criminal faction.
Uadjet says: Truly secret areas would require map alterations, but a thief guildhall might be appropriate.
Holesod says: oh yeah that would work
Holesod says: a thief guildhall
Holesod says: but perhaps some might be between buildings if space is allowed
Anysu says: Thief guild would make sense
Uadjet says: There was a conversation about that in the devs channel that I'll have to find, but rogues in Amdeneir won't be this...
>Overriding race for Uadjet to rogue
Uadjet says: They'll look like everyone else.
>Resetting race for Uadjet
>Anysu Atani grins at Uadjet impishly.
Uadjet says: That was good. Any more questions/ideas?
Migg says: to that end, rogue potion should also obscure identity
Holesod says: hmm or some kind of thief clothing that hides identity
Holesod says: maybe both
Anysu nods at Migg
Anysu says: Be handy if disguised as thief player coul have name obscured via a potion.
Uadjet says: Hiding identity sounds interesting, but I worry about it being abused.
Anysu says: Aye
Anysu says: That makes lots of sense.
Holesod says: would probably need mechanics to mitigate the abuse
Uadjet says: Maybe the label could change to make it clear the person is disguised, but still leave the name visible in case of misconduct.
Rykia says: Or something simple like a ring that could be used for both things as a quest reward from the Thieves Guild
>Anysu Atani nods at Uadjet.
>Holesod Sacerey nods at Uadjet.
Migg says: I thought one would become rogue #3245 and that would be in a database to say that rogue is really Migg Ellorean
Migg says: but players would not know
Anysu nods at Rykia
Rykia says: Like that idea, Migg.
Migg says: they can still report abuse and GMss would know who it is, rogue could be like another character creatred by the player
Uadjet says: The database knows players by PlayerID.
Uadjet says: If I look at old events, for example, it will list all of the events I've run under the current name of that character, not the name it was at the time.
Uadjet says: Well, that's in the data too, but I digress.
Holesod says: the rogue number would need to be unique to the player in order to mitigate confusion
Anysu says: If one was in a thief guild, then as in ps maybe that guild name is hidden
Uadjet says: So the game would know who it was, but I worry players might not know that and feel like they have no recourse if an anonymous person was harassing them.
Holesod says: yeah that's a good point
>Anysu Atani nods at Uadjet.
Holesod says: I haven't come across them here, but I have come across them in non-rp RPGs
Migg says: if I am always the same rogue then that will help
Migg says: could also be a randomly generated name instead
Migg says: like every time you drink that potion you are slinky underdog
Damola says: See you.
Holesod says: it sounds interesting Migg, but I think Uadjet made a good point about how someone could misuse it to harass players
Rykia says: Bye
Migg says: and that name is fixed but also unique to you
Uadjet says: Could be. We're well past the hour, though, so I think we'll have to call it a day.
Anysu nods at Holesod
Migg says: Yes, it's late for me as well
Migg says: So see you all!
Rykia says: Farewell everyone
Migg says: Thanks for the updates Uadjet!
>Thosor Riereri bows to Rykia Mewmeat.
Holesod says: yes thanks for the updates Uadjet
Uadjet says: Thank you all for coming, and I'll see you at the next meeting in two weeks!
>Holesod Sacerey cheers happily at Uadjet!
Anysu says: Thank you for update
>Thosor Riereri salutes Uadjet with respect.
>Anysu Atani salutes Uadjet with respect.
>Holesod Sacerey salutes Uadjet with respect.
Holesod says: ohh
Holesod says: I see the flickering here too
Holesod says: now I know what you meant
>Thosor Riereri bows to Anysu Atani.
Anysu says: The stage of table flicker
Holesod says: I saw it with the benches here when I stood up just now
Anysu says: *stage*
Anysu says: yup benches as wel
Holesod says: oh yeah I see it with the stage now
Holesod says: it flickers and then stabilizes
Anysu says: really bad flicker here on table stage
Uadjet says: Yeah, things have to be set up just right or the edges overlap.
Holesod says: hmm
Uadjet says: One set of numbers I'll never forget is that carpets are 1.5m wide and 2.5m long. Makes it much easier to lay them out and prevent overlap.
Anysu says: Hmmm, yup. Bye!
>Anysu Atani grins at Anysu's Small Table impishly.
Uadjet says: Just set them all down using '/drop inplace' and then slide them in those increments. Perfect.
>Thosor Riereri bows to Anysu's Small Table.
Anysu chuckles
Holesod says: aha I see
Holesod says: hmm
Holesod says: made me think like how in some things there is a "snap to grid"
Uadjet says: Yeah, that would be nice.
Uadjet says: But for many items I can drop two in one place and slide one slowly to figure out the measurements.
