I came back to developing World's End again in my free time. I began upgrading the whole world space in 2018 through 2019.
In 2020 I released a work-in-progress unofficial build covering the main areas (major towns, tutorial, etc.)
In 2021 I released another WIP build, this time covering the mainland wilderness world space. You can find it later in this thread, posted on 21/2/21. This is the latest build.
More than two-thirds of the world has been updated so far and I am now working on the final WIP build of the world space.
I use this thread as a kind of monthly development diary. I recommend skipping to the latest posts to find out what's currently going on.
[ 02-22-2021, 09:43 AM: Message edited by: Fred Spade ]
-------------------- World's End - Open World RPG Version: 1.42 worldsend.000webhostapp.com Posts: 1692 | From: Hồ Chí Minh / Sài Gòn | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
GitHub pages + releases (Athelias releases on GH) would be one free solution that shouldn't disappear overnight. Also good for being able to roll-back changes if you mess something up (or just remembering what you last worked on). In theory, the world versioning and release process could all be done automatically using webhooks that integrate with the right service, maybe Travis with a bit of work.
posted
Mm that's why I was thinking GitHub Pages, the main limitation being that the website needs to be static (no php or other server side scripts). Default url they give for a personal site is <username>.github.io, and <username>.github.io/<projectname> for project sites; you can also use a custom domain if you own one that you'd like to use. And of course the website itself is a GitHub repository, so if you have the history of changes, and can edit the html/css/markdown files using the editor on GitHub.
posted
Cheers, Fred! I just got a Gunslinger to 100 earlier today in 1.41. Thinking I'll start fresh with a Mage in this version. World's End is a big and interesting world, when you're high enough level to explore safely.
posted
tl;dr Little things aren't always small. Ofc it's comin so st*u noob
So, obviously having gone to the trouble of supporting the world online again (and since I still have all the old files) I can easily - and probably should - update the website links in-game and remove references to the old forum that was hosted on EZBoards.
Looking among the folders and directories whilst rebooting the old site it turned out - probably in early 2006 - I must have made 2 or 3 initial changes to a prospective v1.43... "for some day, if I ever find the time for it again" or whatever.
There was also an initial to-do list for this 1.43, mostly of little changes to different things, but notably including a much-needed pass over the pets, reworking some, plus adding a few. Pretty much a pets overhaul.
Better to add these little changes and the pet overhaul, than release a new version in 2018 just to fix a few links, rite?
Oops.
-------------------- World's End - Open World RPG Version: 1.42 worldsend.000webhostapp.com Posts: 1692 | From: Hồ Chí Minh / Sài Gòn | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Amazing how this world now has real history and lore!
;----------------------------------------- ; Cosy Cabin SCENE 1102 my_underground_living_room_by_samuel123 WEATHER 0 THEME 7 MUSIC "blues1.mid" FX 0 ACTOR 1, "Carl", actors5, 10, 8, 68 POSE 3, 4 ACTOR 2, "Clyde", Cute_puppy, 4, 35, 84 POSE 1, 4 ACTOR 3, "", danNoFloat, 1, 86, 55 POSE 2, 4, 1 2: WOOF! IF ALIVE, @alive @dead 1: Oh, heh. END @alive 1: A visitor! 1: Who is it, Clyde? H: I'm %2. SEL 2 POSE 2, 3 2: Rrr woo woo THEME -1 SOUND "dogBark.wav" WAIT 2 1: He's a good boy! THEME 7 WAIT 1 SEL 2 POSE 4, 1 1: Did you want something? WAIT 2 @eventActorClick1 IF DEAD, @dead MENU "Who are you?=@whoAreYou1", "May I ask you something?=@questions" TIMER 1, 40 TIMER 2, 60 END @eventActorClick2 SEL 2 POSE 2, 3 2: Rrr woo woo THEME -1 SOUND "dogBark.wav" WAIT 2 1: He's a good boy! THEME 7 WAIT 1 SEL 2 POSE 4, 1 TIMER 1, 40 TIMER 2, 60 END @whoAreYou1 H: Who are you? 1: Who am I? 1: What in the world are you doing here? 1: Easthaven is that way. 1: Are you a hunter? 1: She's a tough mistress, ya' know. TIMER 1, 40 TIMER 2, 60 END @questions H: May I ask you something? 1: Questions? Does an old trapper have answers? WAIT 2 @menu2 WAIT 2 MENU "Could you tell me about yourself?=@whoAreYou2", "Please tell me about this part of the world=@theWest", "Do you have anything for sale?=@shop" TIMER 1, 40 TIMER 2, 60 END @whoAreYou2 H: Could you tell me about yourself? 1: Hm. Lemme think. 1: These days, I suppose, I'm known as Carl. 1: People once knew me as a hermit. 1: I was just out trappin'! 1: I love her too much to live anywhere else. 1: Can't live without her! 1: We used to live in a cave, didn't we boy? SEL 2 POSE 2, 3 2: Rrr woo woo THEME -1 SOUND "dogBark.wav" WAIT 2 1: He's a good boy! THEME 7 WAIT 1 SEL 2 POSE 4, 1 1: Now I'm finished building this place. 1: I'll rest here until I die. 1: Then I shall rest with her forever. 1: I do love to see the firelight in the window. WAIT 2 GOTO @menu2 END @theWest H: Please tell me about this part of the world. 1: You are just off the Low Road 1: ..running east-west across lower Gargan. 1: Not far westwards, you can follow the sign to Shiverton town. 1: Or you could go up the mountain, of course. 1: Most civilisation is far eastwards. 1: Bad farming here in the Western Ranges. 1: The west of the mainland is too mountainous for most. 1: Everywhere is so difficult to reach. WAIT 2 GOTO @placeChoices END @placeChoices MENU "Please tell me more about the mountain=@gargan", "What can you tell me about the town of Shiverton?=@shiv", TIMER 1, 40 TIMER 2, 60 END @placeChoicesFolk MENU "Please tell me more about the mountain=@gargan", "What can you tell me about the town of Shiverton?=@shiv","What do you mean, you saw 'strange folk' up there?=@strangeFolk1" TIMER 1, 40 TIMER 2, 60 END @shiv H: What can you tell me about the town of Shiverton? 1: Much colder, there. 1: It gets a lot of snow west of the mountain. 1: It was barely a settlement. 1: Back when there were no roads or signs. 1: The inhabitants seemed crazy to live out there. 1: Something weird 'bout the place, too. 1: Then, one freezing cold day 1: ..a gemstone mine opened up, right there! 1: Gem stones mean money, as well as gnomes, of course. 1: So more people came from the east. 1: Now we have signs on lower Gargan 1: ..and a Low Road for people who don't like climbing. WAIT 2 GOTO @placeChoices END @gargan H: Please tell me more about the mountain. 1: She is the barbaric Ice Queen, greatest of them all. 1: She takes what she will. 1: She is savage and kills brutally, always. 1: But she breathes life where she draws death. WAIT 2 SEL 2 POSE 2, 3 2: Rrr woo woo THEME -1 SOUND "dogBark.wav" WAIT 2 1: He's a good boy! THEME 7 WAIT 1 SEL 2 POSE 4, 1 1: Just snow up top. And sky. 1: The view's pretty good 1: ..if you think it's worth the climb. 1: I saw strange folk up there, once or twice. 1: You simply can't beat it for boar and bear skin. 1: Too old for all that now, obviously. WAIT 2 GOTO @placeChoicesFolk END @strangeFolk1 H: What do you mean, you saw 'strange folk' up there? 1: Back in my trappin' days 1: I used to go up top quite a lot. 1: I found out.. sometimes the place gets visited. 1: I mean, at the very summit of the mountain. 1: They come from the sky. 1: People said I was a crazy hermit for saying so. 1: I know what I saw. WAIT 2 @strangeFolkMenu1 MENU "What did you see there?=@seeThere", "People were right, you're a crazy hermit=@crazy","Can I ask you about something else?=@somethingElse" TIMER 1, 40 TIMER 2, 60 END @seeThere H: What did you see there? 1: You won't believe it. H: ...? 1: They're all girls. H: Girls? 1: With wings like birds. 1: That's what I saw. WAIT 2 @strangeFolkMenu2 MENU "There's a lot of crazy people and things in this world, you're not one of them=@notCrazy", "People were right, you're a crazy hermit=@crazy","Can I ask you about something else?=@somethingElse" TIMER 1, 40 TIMER 2, 60 END @notCrazy H: There's a lot of crazy people and things in this world, you're not one of them. 1: I appreciate you saying that. 1: Not that it matters now. 1: I haven't mentioned it in years. 1: Since I built my home here, people just think of me as ol' Carl. TIMER 1, 40 TIMER 2, 60 END @crazy H: People were right, you're a crazy hermit! THEME -1 1: Clyde.. SOUND "growl7.WAV" WAIT 2 SOUND "growl4.WAV" TAKE H1000 WAIT 0.5 GOTO EXIT END @somethingElse H: Can I ask you about something else? 1: Not sure I can really help. GOTO @menu2 END @shop H: Do you have anything for sale? 1: Hmm, not really. Nothing interesting. WAIT 2 OFFER 5, 13, 38, 39 TIMER 1, 40 TIMER 2, 60 END @eventTimer1 SEL 2 POSE 2, 3 2: Rrr woo woo THEME -1 SOUND "dogBark.wav" WAIT 2 1: He's a good boy! THEME 7 WAIT 1 SEL 2 POSE 4, 1 TIMER 1, 15 END @eventTimer2 1: ACHOOOOO!!!! 1: Oops. Did that go on you? ASK 7 IF YES, @itWentOnMe IF NO, @itDidntGoOnMe 1: I must have imagined it. TIMER 2, 25 END @itWentOnMe WAIT 1 H: It did go on me. 1: Oh, no! 1: I'm so sorry! TIMER 2, 25 END @itDidntGoOnMe WAIT 1 H: It didn't go on me. H: Don't worry. 1: Good! TIMER 2, 25 END ;---------------------------------------------------
posted
You know, Cityport used to have a football club way back when..
;-------------------------------------------------------- ; Cityport FC SCENE 909 HackneyMarshes THEME 8 WEATHER 0 ACTOR 1, "Some guy with a beard", actors1, 3, 37, 85 ACTOR 2, "Another guy with a beard", actors1, 5, 46, 83 IF ALIVE, @alive END @alive WAIT 2 1: Hey there. 1: Do you like to talk football? @introMenu WAIT 2 MENU "Sure, I love football=@love", "Football sucks=@sucks", "Do you mean soccer?=@soccer", "No, but I like to talk about other things=@things" END @sucks H: Football sucks! 1: Shame. 2: Never mind. END @soccer H: Do you mean soccer? 1: Soccer? 1: What does that mean? 2: It's from a foreign language 2: ..spoken by people with oddly-shaped balls. 1: Sorry, we only speak English. GOTO @introMenu END @things H: No, but I like to talk about other things.. 1: Oh. 2: We don't really talk about anything but football. END @love H: Sure, I love football. 1: Great! 1: What do you think about the 0 - 0 draw? H: Hmm... 2: You didn't know? 2: Cityport drew with The Smokes... again! 1: Match-fixing. It's gotta be. @footballMenu WAIT 2 MENU "What about match-fixing?=@fixing", "Can you tell me about the teams?=@teams", "Who do you support?=@support", "Could you tell me about the league?=@league", "Who do you think will win this season?=@season" END @fixing H: What about match-fixing? 1: Well, there have been some questionable results. 1: There are allegations that the Smoke City matches are being fixed. 2: Some say Sunnyville Wanderers are trying to buy the league. 2: I have a theory it's all about The Smokes. 1: Same old, same old. GOTO @footballMenu END @teams H: Can you tell me about the teams? 1: Yeah, but it's a bit of a history lesson. 2: It's interesting stuff! 1: Originally there were two teams that started it all: 1: Cityport United FC and Smoke City FC. 2: They're big rivals. 1: Shortly after, Easthaven Albion was formed. 1: Those early days were tough, though. 1: Cityport went bankrupt and the ground closed. 2: Yeah, but then Woodford Rangers were formed. 2: They have a rivalry with Easthaven Albion. 2: Smallest team in the league. 1: They never won a game until Shiverton entered the league. 1: Sunnyville Wanderers were formed next though. 1: That brought more money into the game. 2: Shiverton Town are the newest team. 2: They're small and don't travel well. 1: At least it gave Woodford someone they can beat! GOTO @footballMenu END @league H: Could you tell me about the league? 1: There are currently six teams. 1: Smoke City are traditionally the strongest team. 1: They usually win the league. 1: Cityport won it just the once. 1: Easthaven Albion are a good side. 1: Woodford Rangers and Shiverton Town are small clubs. 1: Sunnyville Wanderers are the 'new money' club. 1: They won the league two years ago. 1: Cityport supporters hate them, but we hate The Smokes more. GOTO @footballMenu END @support H: Who do you support? 1: Who do we support? 2: Hahaha! 1: We support Cityport, of course! GOTO @footballMenu END @season H: Who do you think will win this season? 1: Hmm, probably Sunnyville, 'cos of the fixing. 2: Nah, The Smokes will win as usual. GOTO @footballMenu END ;----------------------------------------------
The stuff in the second one is really a first draft so it may be different on release.
Carl & Clyde are more or less ready.
It's a rather big update.
[ 05-05-2018, 04:52 AM: Message edited by: Fred Spade ]
-------------------- World's End - Open World RPG Version: 1.42 worldsend.000webhostapp.com Posts: 1692 | From: Hồ Chí Minh / Sài Gòn | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Just started a new character for this world and so far just have 1 request. When in a shop on "shop st" maybe offer a way to get back to the street view from the shops.
posted
It's been reported that files on GitHub don't work with the 'Check online for new worlds' function in-game, so you just have to download the zip manually for now.
Both the web and file hosts are temporary just to make things available again, until I find a permanent home.
(Right now I'm busy working on a new version.)
Posts: 1692 | From: Hồ Chí Minh / Sài Gòn | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Looks like WoS is possibly using a very outdated browser control that I guess fails with javascript or redirects on modern pages.
Regarding your GH setup -- the link that you have right now to a file in the repository has some redirects happening that WoS doesn't like; using the GitHub pages link to the zip file instead will just be a direct download without any of the redirects that are tripping up WoS.
The "easy" way to set that up for you would be on github.com/FredSpade/Worlds-End, click on the dropdown on the left part of the page (above the list of files) that says "Branch: master". In the find or create branches text box that appears, type in "gh-pages" (no quotes) and then hit enter or click the thing that says create branch.
The above will make the files in the gh-pages branch of the repository get served as if they were a website without any of the redirection stuff that trips up WoS (ie - you can stick your index.html file and images for your website in there) when people go to FredSpade.github.io/Worlds-End, and you could also upload your WorldsEnd.txt file to the gh-pages branch instead of 000webhostapp.com (which seems to disable websites after inactivity).
It's going to be a little while yet before anything new comes. It's a pretty radical change for many areas, particularly cities.
Entry to Smokey Castle (2001-2005)
Amazing what 10+ years can do for inspiration and google search results, but most of all the gaming industry. And by that last reference I mean the fact that deviantart, opengameart and many other sites are around to day. Making a world with 100% dedicated art should be easy now, though I am continuing in the photo-realistic + occasional video game or painting direction.
Entry to the Old Castle (2018)
Anyway, 1.43 fixes up bad scene backgrounds, removes place-holders, improves perspectives. For the cities in particular, it's kind of like an overhaul of exterior shots, but it actually means a lot of work on interiors too, which also affects most of the scripts.
Stable in Smokey Castle (2001-2005)
Also, people had sent me loads of material over the years that is only now about to begin appearing, like actor skins, HUD themes or midi files.
Stable in the Old Castle (2018)
So just thought I better say that it's actually probably weeks or up to a couple of months away at this point because I just want it to be worth it.
Posts: 1692 | From: Hồ Chí Minh / Sài Gòn | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
1: That grinning smiley a few posts back wasn't at all what I clicked on. 1: Maybe I'll stick to my own smilies from now on. 2: And maybe you probably won't.
So v1.43 will easily be the largest amount of new content since the initial release.
-------------------- World's End - Open World RPG Version: 1.42 worldsend.000webhostapp.com Posts: 1692 | From: Hồ Chí Minh / Sài Gòn | Registered: Mar 2001
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Back in March I began an update. It needed to fix bad perspectives after the addition of WoS hot-key functionality. This has snowballed into a massive amount of changes. I couldn't just change a few backgrounds.. it means complete overhauls of many scripts and artwork.
When updating this I found I was obliged to update other things. In order to present something worthwhile I have to take the time to make it right.
I don't want a repeat of the original release that baffled and alienated some players.
So.. all my free time [that I can dedicate to WoS - edit] since then has been to get a huge amount of new content into 1.43
I took a break during the world cup and then got back to it.
I expect after 1.43 there will be another big update for 1.44, a sister version covering similar issues.
After that, I expect small regular updates.
Back in the day I used to be online A LOT. I would literally develop the world whilst in discussion with the players.
I noticed someone put a World's End server up. Normally I would support that with my presence which helps build a small player base, but for v1.43 the work is such that I just need to keep my head down and get stuff done.
One thing that surprised me: despite how it seems in 1.42 (current version) it's a lot closer to where it needs to be than I realized. It means i I need to touch something, I must take the time to do it right 'cos for the first time in its history proper content is being added rather than place-holders.
So no more place-holder quests to get 'the crown of destiny' or other such crap. Proper World's End lore is increasingly able to be introduced. Therefore, any new quests or old ones that are updated should be a distinct improvement on before.
Just thought I'd communicate all that for anyone lurking this topic and wondering what's taking so long.. My answer is it's something worth waiting for!
posted
Not another month, another progress report.
The bad news is development recently chugged to a halt while things got busy, but that's good and it will settle down again eventually.
More bad news is way back in June, as I took a break for the World Cup, I already knew this is more likely going to be a 2019 release. Even if it comes late '18 it will quickly seem old news as the year turns.
I think 2018 was the year it came back to life again on a temporary website with a few screen shots and a little progress report here.
So prepare to be disappointed in 2019 and be less disappointed
-------------------- World's End - Open World RPG Version: 1.42 worldsend.000webhostapp.com Posts: 1692 | From: Hồ Chí Minh / Sài Gòn | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Hello. Could I bother you to possibly give the Mage a look to see if it's properly balanced while you're developing your next patch? I recently leveled one to max level, but it seems to do less damage than my max level Gunslinger. They both have very similar attack bonuses from their equipment, and maxed their respective attack stats (Strength and Wisdom), but even when using a level nine spell to hit an enemy's elemental weakness, it does less damage than an attack from my Gunslinger.
Testing it on a Heavy (although I've observed this with multiple enemies), my Gunslinger would usually do around 550 damage per attack, but my Mage would only do 350 with a level nine air spell. The comparison becomes even more unfavorable when against a Death elemental enemy or one of those strange enemies that have no visible element. Not to mention these spells are draining a resource while gunning an enemy down costs nothing.
Also, this doesn't really have anything to do with you or World's End, but I wish spells didn't take twice as long to play out as a normal attack.
In any case, thank you for continuing to develop this world. I first played Well of Souls over ten years ago, I think, and I recently picked it up again this year. I always found World's End to be one of the most interesting worlds, and I appreciate your dedication.
Posts: 3 | Registered: Oct 2018
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Longbow, some other factors to consider with balance would be does the Mage take less damage and/or have more HP than a Gunslinger to compensate for the weaker attacks? The enemies without a visible element are chaos (damage by any spell does the same damage, similar to a death/bottom-most element spell). There’s a question in the FAQ at http://www.synthetic-reality.com/wosFAQ.htm about elements.
-------------------- SoV - High Priest Posts: 1147 | Registered: May 2005
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posted
The Gunslinger maxes out at 2,500 HP, while the Mage maxes out at 2,300. Technically my Mage does take less damage than my Gunslinger, but that's only because he has higher stamina since I decided to dip into wisdom on my Gunslinger (probably not particularly optimized, I know). The Mage does get the Grey Slippers which is basically the Horse (er, the equipment item, not the pet) with good stats, so they do have that going for them.
One theoretical advantage for the Mage that doesn't work out in practice is that it can use debuffs more frequently, but I can never seem to get them to stick on higher level enemies. Even enemies that are near my level (97, 98, etc.) seem impervious to stat-down debuffs. I'm not entirely certain what determines a foe's susceptibility to debuffs and status effects, but I haven't had much luck with enemies they would actually be helpful against. Possibly the enemy's defense stat has some kind of interaction with that, but I can only speculate.
It's entirely possible that there's something I'm missing, and that I don't know how to properly play the Mage, but I've been having a hard time getting a good performance out of the class compared to the Gunslinger. Fights can be long, drawn out affairs against tough enemies, giving them more time to whittle down my Mage's health and resources.
Thanks for taking the time to respond to my post.
Posts: 3 | Registered: Oct 2018
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Hey Longbow. Yeah so what felty says about chaos elements.
I kinda like it mysterious, though maybe if there were a 'Chaos' label like there are for the other elements it might be less confusing.
From my perspective, being vague about what chaos elements are means I can share them between mobs that probably shouldn't really be the same element. So like chaos element X is anything that can poison, and poison only, good for snakes.. good for plant monsters.. good for undead.. all one single element.
Debatable whether it's wise but it's certainly a possibility (and something I do).
About magic vs physical classes (that's pretty much what it boils down to), it's actually a wider issue that affects monsters - and therefore - pets, as well.
Kinda sucks that a pet should be weaker because it is intelligent and can cast spells. I have a vague memory of posting here on the issue way back when. Things were suggested maybe and certain stats were changed maybe.. or maybe not. I don't remember exactly.
On the MAG vs PHY issue moving forwards my plan was/is to look at it again or maybe find other ways to get desired effects.
But since you mentioned a couple of classes, I should take this opportunity to say that there are 2 sure things that may be the only things not being touched for the next version, and probably the version after that (which will be a kind of sister-version, albeit smaller hopefully).
Spells and Classes are just massive things I can easily and cleanly ignore while so many other radical changes are underway with regards to the environment and what's in it.
I agree the spells move too slowly for 2018, though without checking I believe it may just be a matter of a simple setting change. Let's hope it's as easy as that, and if not, then not.
Posts: 1692 | From: Hồ Chí Minh / Sài Gòn | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Thanks for the response. If classes and spells aren't getting looked at any time soon, that's fine. I always have that Gunslinger to play and my Mage isn't going anywhere. I'm looking forward to the patches in 2019, in any case. Maybe Well of Souls will have made a Steam debut by then.
It's funny that you specify that the spells move too slowly for 2018. Back when I first played the game, I don't remember having any problem with the speed at which spells were cast. Either getting older has given me a greater appreciation for time efficiency, or I just got more impatient. Maybe those two are basically the same thing.
Posts: 3 | Registered: Oct 2018
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posted
When I tried a normal reply I found I was just rambling on.
[edit- My best reply on the subject of classes is - I do think soonish, like in a potential version 1.45 there should be a series of initial class updates to fit into what is laid out in 1.43 and '44.
The long term plan was always...
Normal start (Easthaven) Classic start (Crocodile Island) Alternative start (class/location-based)
1.43 and 44 need to hammer out what the 2019 normal start looks like.
I expect if a version 1.45 is the one with the first class changes then they will simply be just that... the first changes. -edit]
[ 10-08-2018, 04:56 PM: Message edited by: Fred Spade ]
-------------------- World's End - Open World RPG Version: 1.42 worldsend.000webhostapp.com Posts: 1692 | From: Hồ Chí Minh / Sài Gòn | Registered: Mar 2001
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This progress update should give some insight into why it's taken so long.
As I write this I am currently working on overhauling the main city, including 56 scenes.
From v1.43 onward, the official name will be Smoke City and The Big Smoke (plus its acronym, TBS) will be more like a nickname sometimes used by the locals or anyone.
Very few interior or - particularly - exterior scene backgrounds will be left untouched, though the map image itself (and TBS music) will be familiar.
This has so far proven to be much more difficult than Cityport which is smaller and very easily defined...
Port city that slopes down to sea level off the South Downs. On the one hand, distribution and warehousing, on the other it is the wind and rain-swept, neon-lit party capital with the biggest nightclub and warehouse parties just a stone's throw from the shipping industry and the gateway to the east. I posted screenshots earlier in the year as I could plainly see the artwork coming together. In the end the whole place just fell together like a jigsaw, easy.
The Golden Realm, the Golden Palace and Gargan all similarly just came together relatively easily. At the same time, another society/faction that will hopefully be updated/introduced in the following version (1.44) have also fallen perfectly into synch with what's been laid out, though it is beyond the scope of v1.43 sadly.
As is a proper overhaul of the City University, which will become a more significant place. For now, it will simply be brought in line with the surrounding maps (newbie, urban) so as to not look terrible to new players and to introduce basic enemy encounters that progress the player from the Training Grounds (which are themselves getting the v1.43 treatment).
Whilst fixing up major areas most people will visit as priority, I became obliged to overhaul areas I might otherwise have wanted to wait on. The Old Castle is one such area.
The aforementioned nightclub area is another. I had originally planned an 'entertainments' update that would overhaul bar scenes, the nightclub in TBS, and introduce cool and funky actors or whatever. Unfortunately, by upgrading the main cities that old nightclub area was going to look awfully lacklustre without also getting more than an update.
So Das Unterwelt/The Underground, that was empty and boring anyway, shut down and has been replaced in TBS not by an area but just some scenes for a smaller nightclub style link on the map called Red Barn.
Meanwhile, in Cityport a whole new entertainments area has opened and seems to be rather busy and successful... Thing is, I was obliged to do that, and it was a lot of hard work that didn't just fall into place, though I wasn't short on ideas.
Smoke City is at least twice to many times the size of other areas. It is a grey-brown, graffiti-covered, "eye-sore" (as someone in CP describes it). A drab place where people mostly go or stay just to make money or scratch a living.
I always liked the map image and I also wanted to keep most of the familiar places. I spent hours juggling links around that map unable to feel satisfied until I changed the focus of the city.
Up to v1.43 the big transport routes running north-south were where all the main places were, like a city center.
Not satisfied but not sure, eventually I decided to begin with Fester Square, then centered places like the bank around there.
Gradually, it became evident that for v1.43 the city will have a definite east side and west side. The east side is both old and new money, castle and uni, the west side is industry and filth, loosely speaking.
All this also forced my hand on an overhaul of urban enemy encounters. However, unlike Cityport that is mostly defined, Smoke City is bigger and more complicated so after this overhaul I expect it to continue to evolve.
I will post some screen shots very soon.
-------------------- World's End - Open World RPG Version: 1.42 worldsend.000webhostapp.com Posts: 1692 | From: Hồ Chí Minh / Sài Gòn | Registered: Mar 2001
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s M o k e c i t Y is finally making good progress.
The general look and layout is mostly there and the focus has shifted to scripting.
The above scene is the entrance to a new location called tRACkyarD where street scum buy, sell, hang out and share the news or maybe find an opportunity, though it has a tendency to be raided by the cops.
This is another new location in the city. The scene begins seemingly empty with sound FX and the game notifying the player that rocks are being thrown...
Above is from Cityport. Just can't resist. It's like one city can't help being beautiful while the other city can't help being ugly!
The final one is from Grandchester Meadows, formerly Training Grounds. Thankfully most of the work is already done in this area.
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Can't give much away at the moment. You already knew to expect actors in front of pretty pictures, rite?
Well, I promised some images for the first time in a while but right now I can't show the good stuff, like scripts and interiors.
Of about 60 city scenes (and counting), the vast majority are too work-in-progress to be revealed yet. Backgrounds and script elements may be there but actor skins or positions and dialogue may still need attention.
Fine.
I need to say this really quietly because I didn't want to talk it up at all. Don't tell anyone outside this thread but... the direction 1.43 is going in is quite animated and interactive.. and that takes time but should be worth it in the end.
Just for example, The Mourning Star bar scene comes alive when the player enters. If the PC does nothing the actors have their own conversations and others come and go. You can just sit there and watch it all unfold.
However it's also interactive so the player can click on actors for varying results, sometimes with multiple possibilities.
Most scenes I am updating are like that to some degree, though the city really is a big thing so I am way better off trying to keep my mouth shut until I can get to the To Do list on the other side.. whereby I might finally catch a first glimpse of a light at the end of the tunnel.
I plan to post some script to show all this. So basically actors sometimes speak or move and you can click on them. Sometimes. It's nothing special. Just simple how I want the foundations to be.
[ 04-17-2019, 07:50 AM: Message edited by: Fred Spade ]
-------------------- World's End - Open World RPG Version: 1.42 worldsend.000webhostapp.com Posts: 1692 | From: Hồ Chí Minh / Sài Gòn | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Posting a bit late this month, just to keep the tradition until release.
News is simply that work continues on Smoke City.
2 major things are going on at the moment: slowly stitching everything back together (after being utterly ripped apart) and injecting a lot of new scripts/content/world-building.
Unlike last month, I now know what very many scenes actually look, sound and act like, with art, choreography, menu-functionality and scene-setting music themes.
I'm excited and frustrated.. so much in the bag already, but still a fair bit to do.
Posts: 1692 | From: Hồ Chí Minh / Sài Gòn | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
This month I turned my attention to Easthaven.
Smoke City may not be finished, but it has at least stopped expanding! Thus, City University needed some attention, the castle area required a total overhaul, etc. or it would be jarring for the player to see certain old content, adjacent to certain new content.
In the same way, looking at Easthaven I can see the update can't just be Easthaven, it must also address the Training Grounds (major overhaul COMPLETE, YIPPEE), the arena (another radical job) and the version expands again...
I should have seen this earlier, when I did the Golden Palace it naturally lead to updating the Golden Realm, and also Gargan.
Then I began on Cityport, which lead to the nightclub area having a major job done on it..
Back in the day, just one or two of these kinds of overhauls could make up a new version.
I also think it highly likely I need to overhaul the settlement of Woodford and the area called Weeper's Cavern. Both of them are technically newbie areas and they need to help form the pacing of the game.
1.43 is all about being the culmination of all the stage-setting I'd been doing with the world.
Although I'm far from done with Smoke City, skipping to Easthaven has shown me the point at which.. finally.. it can STOP BLUMMIN EXPANDING xD
Posts: 1692 | From: Hồ Chí Minh / Sài Gòn | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Around this time last year was when I put the last available version on a free website and started this thread. I thought I might make an update to fix dead web links. After all, I'd put all that work in, and the world list was still there.. Just a few changes to maybe 3 or 4 lines.
So much for that.
Next month will mark the 1st anniversary of 1.43, as far as I'm concerned, and it's come a long way.
Last month I said I had shifted my gaze to Easthaven, despite much of the city still needing attention. Easthaven has been coming together really nicely, I think.
It was time to see if I could find the point at which the version stops expanding. That's not in a physical sense, I mean in terms of workload and time frame.
I now know Weeper's Cavern is almost certainly the last area YIPPEE!! I may be obliged to fix up before the first modern release.
The arena has already been started and is looking pretty good. I am probably going to move it into the main city, though.
Grandchester Meadows (formerly Training Grounds) now separates Easthaven from Traveller's Junction, to help create more sense of distance in the central mainland. (I have had a long-held policy over many versions of not adding additional maps/areas until what is already in the game is acceptable. That meant the main towns were all too close together. Unfortunately Smoke city, aka. The Big Smoke will not be disconnected from Traveller's Junction in 1.43. Eventually though, both it and Cityport will become more of a trek.)
Today as I write this, and the past couple of days, I've been working on Traveller's Junction and the Traveller's Rest. They're looking pretty tight, not just visuals, the lore as well.
Oh my gosh Woodford... It's shocking how that place is turning out! Anyone who played before should probably revisit Woodford before upgrading.. ha!
So by skipping ahead to Easthaven last month it kind of marked a turning point in the patch, where I'm now bouncing around tying things back together and I now feel like I know roughly how everything is going to look.
Well, anyway here I still am, nearly a year later. Hopefully my To Do list will be getting much smaller over the next few months, rather than bigger, as it did throughout 2018.
-------------------- World's End - Open World RPG Version: 1.42 worldsend.000webhostapp.com Posts: 1692 | From: Hồ Chí Minh / Sài Gòn | Registered: Mar 2001
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I have now been developing this new version of the game world in my free time for the past year. I feel like I am standing on the summit after a long climb. There's still some way to go but now I can see ahead pretty clearly.
During this time my best cat friend died, I changed jobs, plus changed my computer and my operating system. In fact I am currently showing just over 500 hours on my WoS Dev install, but I think it's been a few more than that since April 2018!
The 2 lulls Part 1: (Not lulz)
Over all I have been really enjoying it, even though there were two slow points. I'd done most of a pet overhaul, and other fair amounts of changes, as well as Golden Realm/Palace and 90% of Cityport. I had more free time during the Spring and I felt I'd already got a lot done. Then, by early Summer '18, I realised I was obliged to overhaul the nightclub area or it would look bad. It needed to not be empty. And more. At that point I decided to take a break for the World Cup and set up a modded Fallout 3 install. By late July/early August I was back, and that nightclub took a long time, via blood, sweat and tears. It was the first point at which I really began to understand what I had undertaken, but it was just the beginning...
The 2 lulls Part 2: "The horror..."
When I looked at the city, I found myself in a surreal, survival horror game circa 2012 or something. I was in a hallway, but suddenly the door at the far end vanished into infinity as the passage stretched out before me as far as I could see. I spent hours and hours looking at the city, arranging it, changing it, rearranging it. I tried many different ideas. Eventually I found what I was looking for: a start point, around which everything sense could make sense (to me, at least). Towards the end of the year key scenes were underway, script-heavy or time-consuming, stuff.
Restoring functionality
The early months of 2019 have been about other areas, now I am bouncing around more between locations, maybe comparing where certain lines of lore or tutorial should go etc.
Current focus is on crucial scripts like shops, tutorials and transition scenes, now most of the new art content is in. Still lots needed to be done over all. Just watch this space, I guess.
-------------------- World's End - Open World RPG Version: 1.42 worldsend.000webhostapp.com Posts: 1692 | From: Hồ Chí Minh / Sài Gòn | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
A couple of things outstanding from previously in the thread...
@felty If you are still lurking this thread, I said I'd get back to you and I never forgot that. You were advising me with regards to site/file hosting and GitHub. Not long after we talked I decided I will eventually use a paid host and dedicated url and GitHub will be a backup repository.
I won't do any of that until much later. I'll probably make my first modern release on the freebie/temp website as it is now. A following version will get underway and some time around then I will start looking for the paid host.
This is long-winded, out of the blue, and you probably forgot all about it but I said I'd get back to you so yeah. Just to resolve that.
@zim zim
If you are still lurking, you requested functionality for the Shop Street link in Easthaven for the player to be returned to the street location after visiting the shops..
When you spoke to me I was actually working on a first draft for a shopping mall in the main city with exactly that functionality, via an elevator scene. I've since added the same functionality elsewhere, too.
When we spoke I hadn't got to updating Easthaven yet. When the time came it became clear my new Shop Street scene background fits the poor side of Smoke City better than Easthaven (thus has moved) and also when updating the shops and other links around Easthaven I realised I wanted separate them out to different locations.
So Shop Street doesn't have that functionality, ironically, whereas some other places do, and it isn't even in Easthaven any more.
As the city already has a market, shopping mall, numerous 24/7 convenience stores and no shortage of other shops around the place, The new Smoke City poor side version of Shop Street isn't actually going to feature any shops inside it, either! I've kinda got to liking the potential for Shop Street to be anything but shops, in reality, like old run-down stores that now serve as the hideout for a gang of hoodlums...
These are all organic changes, just so you know, I didn't literally flip what you requested out of some weird perversion! I am obliged to allow the update to dictate what it wants in an organic way and Shop Street demands to be in the city and be anything but shops!
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This month's progress report is just to say the focus has been entirely on City University. As I write this it is at about 80% complete. Yesterday I finished up a first draft of the Physics Department...
;----------------------------------------------------------------------- ; pHySics SCENE 109 empty_classroom_wall WAIT 2 IF ALIVE, @alive @dead END @alive SOUND "creakdoor2.wav" WAIT 1 MUSIC "Jean_Michel_Jarre-Equinoxe_3.mid" BKGND Classroom-1 ACTOR 1, "Professor Einstein", joshTownsfolk2, 21, 26, 60 POSE 21, 22 ACTOR 2, "Niels Bohr", joshTownsfolk2, 8, 8, 80 ; FACE 2, 0 POSE 8, 12, 11 ACTOR 3, "Max Planck", joshTownsfolk2, 8, 15, 88 ; FACE 3, 0 POSE 8, 12, 11 ACTOR 4, "Nikola Tesla", joshTownsfolk2, 8, 60, 72 FACE 4, 0 POSE 8, 12, 11 ACTOR 5, "Michael Faraday", joshTownsfolk2, 8, 70, 70 FACE 5, 0 POSE 8, 12, 11 ACTOR 6, "Alessandro Volta", joshTownsfolk2, 8, 80, 80 FACE 6, 0 POSE 8, 12, 11 ACTOR 7, "Werner Heisenberg", joshTownsfolk2, 8, 90, 70 FACE 7, 0 POSE 8, 12, 11 WAIT 2 1: New students and anyone who needs to catch up: 1: Let me know which lectures you require from our curriculum. GAME 8 TIMER 1, 7 END @eventActorClick1 IF DEAD, @dead MENU "Introduction to Physics and The Elements=@physics", "An Introduction to Elemental Affiliation=@affiliation", "The Changing Physics of Elemental Affiliations=@changingAffiliations", "An Introduction to the Physics of Flux=@flux" TIMER 1, 7 END @physics 1: The following lecture is as follows: 1: Introduction to Physics and The Elements. 1: Why do some things go up in the air, while other things come down? 1: To understand we must understand Air and Earth Elements. 1: Physics is just a way to describe the study of Elemental forces in Nature. 1: These forces are Elemental affiliations, and they are reactive with each other. 1: Let me know which lectures you require from our curriculum. IF R30, @reactions TIMER 1, 7 END @affiliation 1: The following lecture is as follows: 1: An Introduction to Elemental Affiliation. 1: Why are some things red colour? 1: They have an affiliation with Fire Element. 1: And other things green? 1: Nature Elemental affiliation! 1: A tree is usually green and brown because it is strongly linked to Earth and Nature. 1: A clear sky is blue because sky is Air and Water. 1: Don't forget: all water comes from the sky! 1: How about sunshine..? 1: Sunshine is comprised of both Fire and Air Elements. 1: Let me know which lectures you require from our curriculum. IF R30, @reactions TIMER 1, 7 END @changingAffiliations 1: The following lecture is as follows: 1: The Changing Physics of Elemental Affiliations. 1: Physics helps us understand how Elemental affiliation can change. 1: Molten larva: an interesting substance! 1: It changes its Elemental affiliations so rapidly, we can see it in front of our eyes! 1: Rock is strongly affiliated to Primary Element Earth. 1: Fire Element greatly changes the physics of rock! 1: Fire reduces its affiliation to Earth and sends its form into flux. 1: Water Element is closely linked to the flux of Chaos. 1: And thus - rock can flow like a liquid! 1: Living things are the same: they are affiliated to one or more of the Primary Elements. 1: Both living things and inanimate objects may change in their Elemental affiliation. 1: This is the reactive, and Natural process of Elements as described by physics. 1: Let me know which lectures you require from our curriculum. IF R30, @reactions TIMER 1, 7 END @flux 1: The following lecture is as follows: 1: An Introduction to the Physics of Flux. 1: Do you know why glass is transparent? 1: Do you know why ice is cold? 1: What's the difference between glass and ice? 1: Glass is an almost pure mix of the Primary Elements, Earth and Water.. 1: Affiliation with Earth prevents glass from being something closer to pure Water. 1: Affiliation with Water prevents glass from being something closer to pure Earth. 1: Of course, glass is not ice, because ice also has a strong affiliation with Fire. 1: Fire Element governs temperature, but it is diametrically opposed to Water. 1: Fire Element also influences change linked to both Life and Death Elements. 1: Glass is far less subject to the influence of Fire. 1: Its Water affiliation does not go into flux like ice. 1: That's obviously why more heat must be applied to affect the Water Element of glass. 1: The affiliation with Earth of glass distinguishes its consistency from ice when both are in liquid form. 1: The flow of ice or glass and their changing forms we call flux. 1: Flux is a phenomenon linked to the Chaos Elements. 1: Flux is also especially significant with regards to Water and Air. 1: It is where Primary and Chaos Elements meet and react. 1: Chaos Theory is how we understand the Nature of flux. 1: Let me know which lectures you require from our curriculum. IF R30, @reactions TIMER 1, 7 END @eventTimer1 IF R5, @dialogue1 IF R5, @dialogue2 IF R5, @dialogue3 IF R5, @dialogue4 IF R5, @dialogue5 IF R5, @dialogue6 GOTO @eventTimer1 END @dialogue1 1: Sunshine is comprised of both Fire and Air Elements. IF R30, @reactions TIMER 1, 7 END @dialogue2 1: A tree is usually green and brown because it is strongly linked to Earth and Nature. IF R30, @reactions TIMER 1, 7 END @dialogue3 1: Physics helps us understand how Elemental affiliation can change. IF R30, @reactions TIMER 1, 7 END @dialogue4 1: Both living things and inanimate objects may change in their Elemental affiliation. IF R30, @reactions TIMER 1, 7 END @dialogue5 1: Physics is just a way to describe the study of Elemental forces in Nature. IF R30, @reactions TIMER 1, 7 END @dialogue6 1: Flux is a phenomenon linked to the Chaos Elements. IF R30, @reactions TIMER 1, 7 END @reactions IF R5, @reaction1 IF R5, @reaction2 IF R5, @reaction3 IF R5, @reaction4 GOTO @reactions END @reaction1 6: It all makes perfect sense! 7: Definitely! TIMER 1, 7 END @reaction2 2: Some really clever people must have discovered that! 3: I wish I was a discoverer.. discovering discoveries! 2: I wish I was really clever. TIMER 1, 7 END @reaction3 4: He just goes on and on.. 5: He's doing it on purpose! TIMER 1, 7 END @reaction4 7: Who wants break time? 6: Is it break time? 5: When's it break time? 4: What time's break time? 3: Who said break time? 2: I wish it was. TIMER 1, 7 END ;-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------- World's End - Open World RPG Version: 1.42 worldsend.000webhostapp.com Posts: 1692 | From: Hồ Chí Minh / Sài Gòn | Registered: Mar 2001
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