The World of Avlis

Right, something that NWN has not, as far as I am aware, ever had is an oriental persistent world. Or rather, I heard of one that was such a dismal failure it folded.

I've finally caught the bug BIG-TIME and started doing something I have been talking about for ages, and I am curious as to what the initial response might be. I've built about 30 areas for an oriental PW and want to stick at it. I've got screenshots from about half of my screens at the link below. I have the working name of Meishima right now (those who speak Japanese and follow CoPaP news will work that one out) and I am hoping to find a place in one world and have another CoPaP world "waiting in the wings" as a possible alternative location.

So, are you interested in an oriental PW? Do the shots at the link below grab your attention? If so, or if not, please post your comments below, either encouragement or whatever else seems appropriate.

There are three pages of shots at the link, plus a photo page with a lovely pic of ME and, more importantly, screenshots taken from the verandah of my old flat in Japan, to let you see where I get my inspiration.

Um... I am not really sure what else to say...

Oh yeah, if you want then I can point you to the relevant haks on NWVault and email you the module to have a wander round. It is still pretty empty - I've been concentrating on area building rather then planting spawns, but you'll get an idea.

http://fifty.5u.com/index.html

Looks beautiful so far...
What can I say, except... Go for it!

Fifty wrote:So, are you interested in an oriental PW?

Yes.

Do the shots at the link below grab your attention?

Yes.

i believe some of those haks used for this areas are used on glantri.

Very nice

Is that Captain Algren with his back to us?

that does look pretty cool

Unless you work out the gameplay aspect really well (read: make playing in an oriental world very different from playing in a 'normal' fantasy setting world), with just a neat oriental hak and some CEP stuff you won't make it.

Remember, oriental areas filled with "wannabe ninjas" (also known as omgroflmao 1337 d00ds) and "I wanna play a samurai and smash people with big swords!" characters, doing the regular hack and slash and remi-roleplay (the kind found at a boring day in elf gate or the rock), will NOT be a different game experience from a 'normal' setting world.

If you somehow manage to do it well (And I trust you can do that), and actually get PCs to commit Seppuku when dishonored and get people to not care for wordly possessions and meditate not because of the +3 will save but because it's IC, then you've got a neat world.

Although I've no experience with it myself, I'd say it's very hard make your setting really stand out: everyone will always be tempted to do random dungeon crawls, help the farmer to get rid of some pests for some XP (ever seen a feudal japan samurai help a farmer?), and do quests for old men in the streets who ramble about long forgotten times.

Oh, and about the screenshots, they look neat. I've worked with the hak once, and I know you can do even cooler things with it

Krator wrote:Oh, and about the screenshots, they look neat. I've worked with the hak once, and I know you can do even cooler things with it

Prove it then! Help me build it!

Fifty wrote:

Krator wrote:Oh, and about the screenshots, they look neat. I've worked with the hak once, and I know you can do even cooler things with it

Prove it then! Help me build it!

Sure.

Yes and yes.

Well done Fifty. I'd like to keep informed about this.

f

An interesting challenge for the many Gaijin like me to see if we can act appropriately.

*Rushes off to watch 'The Last Samurai' and 'Shogun' again*

Well, potentially it won't be strictly necessary to act like proper samurai/ninjas/japanese commoners at all times as if it is built in the world where I originally conceived for then there are plenty of gaijin around who could just be visiting, same for a possible alternative location, and in the (very) unlikely event of me hosting it myself it would be up to me.

Domo arigato, Fifty-san

Krator wrote:Unless you work out the gameplay aspect really well (read: make playing in an oriental world very different from playing in a 'normal' fantasy setting world), with just a neat oriental hak and some CEP stuff you won't make it.

Remember, oriental areas filled with "wannabe ninjas" (also known as omgroflmao 1337 d00ds) and "I wanna play a samurai and smash people with big swords!" characters, doing the regular hack and slash and remi-roleplay (the kind found at a boring day in elf gate or the rock), will NOT be a different game experience from a 'normal' setting world.

If you somehow manage to do it well (And I trust you can do that), and actually get PCs to commit Seppuku when dishonored and get people to not care for wordly possessions and meditate not because of the +3 will save but because it's IC, then you've got a neat world.

Although I've no experience with it myself, I'd say it's very hard make your setting really stand out: everyone will always be tempted to do random dungeon crawls, help the farmer to get rid of some pests for some XP (ever seen a feudal japan samurai help a farmer?), and do quests for old men in the streets who ramble about long forgotten times.

Oh, and about the screenshots, they look neat. I've worked with the hak once, and I know you can do even cooler things with it

True, but...

Then don't add those quests. Add quests like "Quell the peasant rebellion" and "Assassinate the neighbouring Lord's captain" and "Beat the Master Swordsman in a duel" sort of quests. Make them one time only if suitable, or make them repeatable only if it makes IC sense. Instill a sepukku system such that comitting seppuku somehow brings favor to your allies, whose names you did not dishonor. Give xp for performing a proper tea ritual or having your peasants harvest the most rice or writing a beautiful haiku. Establish a well thought out, historically accurate hierarchical system with lords, nobles and peasants, and make your players vie for these positions.

I think it can be done and done well. But, it'll be an assload of work. You'll need VERY talented builders and scripters, and a team willing to work with a very exacting set of rules.

Finally, if you decide to go for it, GO FOR IT. Don't just piss around with us... I'd love to see this up. Lemme know if I can help somehow.

Cheers,
Nightshade

ALSO!

Make it human only.

Make the enemies strictly human, or animal, or possibly demonic (if you want to dabble in at least some fantasy forms).

Severely restrict the PrC system.

...I'm sure I'll have more to ramble on later.

Also.. take a look at the WotC honor system for oriental campaigns.. it isn't perfect, but it would help create a setting that is more law-chaos based than good-evil.

Great pics btw

WOW AWESOME!
*sings* I think I'm turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so.

Nightshade wrote:ALSO!

Make it human only.

Make the enemies strictly human, or animal, or possibly demonic (if you want to dabble in at least some fantasy forms).

Severely restrict the PrC system.

...I'm sure I'll have more to ramble on later.

Well the fact that the CODI samurai armour is currently. human only helps with that decision. I am not sure I woudl want to have no non-humans, but samurai caste would almost have to be limited to humans.

Same goes for enemies. Humans mainly, but Oni would be in - I would probably just use the giants and ogres we have now.

PrCs would definetely have to be restricted.

Most of these decisions turn on whether I join another world or make a separate PW too.

Wyrmwing wrote:Also.. take a look at the WotC honor system for oriental campaigns.. it isn't perfect, but it would help create a setting that is more law-chaos based than good-evil.

I'd want that, but I would not be able to code it myself.

Just want to say I really like the pics.....oh, and there's a tree on your bridge on "Tranquil Monastery"...but maybe that's oriental, I don't know...

Actually it is just behind it and it looks bad in the pic - but you made me run to the toolset to check

edit: Bugger, actually it had got bumped up there...

Looks good. Do it, do it, do it!

Nightshade wrote:True, but...

Then don't add those quests. Add quests like "Quell the peasant rebellion" and "Assassinate the neighbouring Lord's captain" and "Beat the Master Swordsman in a duel" sort of quests. Make them one time only if suitable, or make them repeatable only if it makes IC sense. Instill a sepukku system such that comitting seppuku somehow brings favor to your allies, whose names you did not dishonor. Give xp for performing a proper tea ritual or having your peasants harvest the most rice or writing a beautiful haiku. Establish a well thought out, historically accurate hierarchical system with lords, nobles and peasants, and make your players vie for these positions.

I think it can be done and done well. But, it'll be an assload of work. You'll need VERY talented builders and scripters, and a team willing to work with a very exacting set of rules.

Finally, if you decide to go for it, GO FOR IT. Don't just piss around with us... I'd love to see this up. Lemme know if I can help somehow.

Cheers,
Nightshade

Feel free to hit up the Kurathene team about some of this stuff, since we have a lot of what's listed here. In terms of quests, a lot of them are already ingame.

You know I want to play, Im not real savy on yhe building end but i can research religion, hstory and mithology, just let me know if i can help

If you enact a kensai PrC, I will be so there. I want to play a grungy vagabound that only carries a Katana, cause that is all he needs. Everything looks really good, too

Just a note.

There is an entire Chinese and Japanese Realm begging to be built in the outlands... (: Both are effectivly infinite in size and need no consistancy other than what you impose...

Drop me a note if you are interested.