I'm sure many of you have noticed that the EFU server has been low on players, and I've noticed its empty most of the day. This brings up the question: "Is it worth keeping the server online?" If its empty most of the time, should it be shut down?

I dunno.. If I did shut it down, I'd still work on finishing it and release it sometime--would take a while--but maybe you could get the word out to players of NWN1 to check the EFU server out--get us some more players. That would also give me even MORE incentive to get new levels out, new content, etc..

Just that seeing it empty makes me feel like "why bother".. [img]smile.gif[/img] But I know some times there are lulls in gaming, and stuff.. but maybe try to get the word out on forums and friends to check us out. NWN1 is not done! There's much more life left in it. And it has more functionality than NWN2 does.

Just getting worried.

http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/cg...c;f=8;t=000881

I'll call your attention back to this one again. It still applies. I can't speak for everyone, but I'm having a bad case of meltdown right now. I've been able to largely do nothing else but play NWN's for almost two years, and that sporadically sometimes, and I'm severely burnt out on the game. It's taking a break, toolset included for a bit. Not good to have too much of a good thing right now. Also, I've quit smoking, and it's hard to sit still long enough to play anything really. The upside is that I'll soon have my new gaming rig... :D My verrrrryyyy upgradeable, bet the gaming industry can't obsolete me for about 2 years rig, and then I'll be forced to upgrade it, but at least it's upgradeable. It's going to be SLI capable "out of the box" even if I don't have both cards just now. So I've got a few things going on, and as soon as I get through this burn phase, I'll be back.

Dan, I've been off it for a few months entirely because of work and family committments. Been doing massive overtime and haven't had any free time to romp in the Undermountain...but hope to in a month or so! Been having crash problems with my pc too. We're hoping to pinpoint the problem- might be memory- and fix it up soon.

I say, hang in there and see how it goes. It does seem to cycle up and down and this may just be a lull in the usage!

PS: I can't wait til you release it, so don't stop working on it! I'll have to do something drastic like tell Choc we'll withhold all Fancy Feast til you do! ;) :D [img]graemlins/kittynow.gif[/img]

[ 04-03-2007, 08:35 AM: Message edited by: Cloudbringer ]

Our internet crashed hard last week and wasn't fixed until yesterday afternoon. Before that, there were days when the server was populated all day long with no reset (which was both gratifying and annoying, imo).

Keep in mind, it's springtime and for some folks that means getting the gardens tilled and out, animals are birthing, etc. Don't know how many farmers, gardeners or agriculturalists (or people like me who help others with their farms/animals) we may have, but it is something to think about.

For the crowd still in school, it's coming up Finals time. They're cramming like made - and need the release that only Smiting the Evil in Undermountain may provide ;) .

<font color=skyblue>I would be available to play if I had a party of friends to sign on with me. This year, I've checked into EfU a few times but I was usually the only one there or there was a player or two so far away that I could never have reached them, since I do not have any high level chars.

If a group would like to set a day and time that I can work with, I'll be there.</font>

Garnet got it right. This is probably just a down in the cycle.

We're coming out of hibernation here and there is lots that needs doing outside. Besides, Easter is close. It's a time to see friends and relatives and I for one will be out for a week or two soon.

I will admit that I haven't started any new builds for some while. Mostly 'cos I'm still trying to work out how to solo the Cyric leader without using magic.

I can't say that I have noticed any lack of players. Some weekends there are no resets for hours and packs of people wandering about. And there are usually one or two whenever I log on.

It's just slow right now. I've been stuck on mids for a couple weeks and my wife has had major surgury, but everytime I've gone on the server is pretty full and often needs to be reset due to every quest being done. There is usually someone running around everytime I log in.

Hang in there, Z. Today I gave a hand-spinning demo at the school which took me away from Undermountain. Tomorrow I have another 'engagement' which will do the same. And then there's the llama/sheep shearing (I get the llama fleece - expensive fiber! - free [img]smile.gif[/img] for helping)...... and helping friends put in their gardens ...... and the last of the birthing season to be on-call for (when friends call with troubles) and the handspun needing to be worked up for sale .....and ..... and....... and....

*sigh* I need a visit to Undermountain just to escape real life!

I was going to suggest that a handwoven alpaca or vicuna sweater might persuade Z to keep going.

Then I remembered that Undermountain is in Florida!

D'oh.

Maybe a nice felted (with real wool!) catnip filled mousie for the Almighty Choc?

Keep it up Dan! I've been playing NWN2 for a while and I'm not that impressed. I'm sure that you know that z reveals all interactables in NWN2.

Hey Larry, sometime if I ever escape the craziness that is life at the moment, we'll have to hook up! I have a few medium level chars and some beginners. Not too many really high up and most of mine don't have stones to go below Skullport at this point, so it's all hoofing it through the trenches.. LOL

Hey Larry, sometime if I ever escape the craziness that is life at the moment, we'll have to hook up! I have a few medium level chars and some beginners. Not too many really high up and most of mine don't have stones to go below Skullport at this point, so it's all hoofing it through the trenches.. LOL </font>[/QUOTE]<font color=skyblue>Yes, I would definately desire to game with other low to medium level characters like me, rather than have a babysitter. Let me know when you want to go in and get eaten and we'll make it a date. </font>

What's Nacht going to say? HMmmmmmm?

I'd say continue it.

Right now, I've been working on a host of things - some for here, some for myself, some for elsewhere. If I focus (for a change), I should be able to get the first thing for here completed. That, of course, is the Slayers Only Store. Sadly , I can't promise a host of conversation trees, but I can tell you right now nothing in the armor section (and more than likely the weapon section) will be completely original items just for the server.

If I didn't think this server was worth it, I wouldn't have made all those suggestions and send you tons upon tons of craziness to begin with. If I thought this server was a "flash in the pan," I would never have gotten so involved with posts within the EFU section. If I honestly believed EFU was "just a place to play," I wouldn't have told others to go and at least check it out. For me, this IS my home server. No matter how far I may wander, or where I may traverse, this is where I come to rest my weary head. It's where friends are for me.

A lot of what I have been working on was for another server. Why? Because as far as I was concerned, they could use it. As well, it was a challenge for me to see some of what you do on a regular basis: world building. Now note this: I was kept to 16x16 maps and no major alterations (such as NPCs, weapons, or plotlines), but that alone brought far more respect for your craft. Even without all the placeables, doing "rapid fire" work of that nature is tiring and some times it feels thankless. Make no mistake, if anyone thanks you, it'd be me.

So I would like to see the server keep going. Even if you cut down the hours you have it online (which is completely up to you). I may not be around much now, but I have every intention to return. After all, you've given all of us here a place to not just "test the latest builds" but socialize and invent. Thanks to this server, I've actually gotten involved with the "back end" of things with this game: toolsets, looking up scripts, designing NPCs, et cetera. Wouldn't have been bothered to even see how *.hak files come together to make the inns and valleys my character walks through on a regular basis - at least not without EFU.

[img]smile.gif[/img] Yeah, I'll keep at it, just worried sometimes when its slow. But you're all right, there are slumps, and then its back again.

Also, I repackaged my Massive Hak into an easier to download fileset, and will be releasing it on IGN soon--which will give it some VERY Large coverage I think. I plan on rendering out loads of the 3D Models, Placeables and tileset pieces that come in the hak, and so off all the content in screenshots so it'll get some news going on EFU. (hope!) [img]smile.gif[/img]

Next up for EFU--I'm finishing up some levels--one is the Underwater Level--IN the Lake of Shadows! [img]smile.gif[/img] Gonna be fun! And other things..stores, etc.

Which was a blessing when I got one of my gaming buddies to reinstall NWN's. Just another little note, too. I have three bookmarked servers, and over the last five years, two of them have been the same ones, EfU, and Fates. I have DM responsibilities at Fates, and a few players from there have come in and out of here, and vice versa. I've also had people follow me from the one or two times I could actually handle one of the pure roleplay servers. Oh, the third bookmarked server? My own. Where I took the time to build something, and use all the script ideas I had, or a lot of them anyway. I still want to write the script that rewards a char based on weapon focus...

[img]graemlins/biglaugh.gif[/img] I'll bring him along. ;) :D

Will do, Larry! I've got a date to whomp some very nasty Malar types on lower levels one of these days...they really ticked one of my higher level girls off, so the others will be gunning (arrowing? LOL) for them! :D

Suddenly have a few urges:

1) to make all six magical items from the original Dungeons And Dragons cartoon somehow

2) to make all seven major characters from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as NPCs (Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michaelangelo = lizardmen, Splinter = wererat, April O'Neil = elf (for looks), Casey Jones = human, Shredder = human)

3) to finally install that weapon script into a test module to see how the heck it actually works. (remember, I am the one who is afraid of scripts...)

HAH! I am actually thinking of modeling each of the characters from that Dungeons & Dragons cartoon--I got the new DVD set a few Months ago, and LOVE IT! Such great writing, and each episode had a good message to kids--a shame those bible thumpers said it was satanic. If they simply watched a few, they would have see that. (it was taken off the air due to ratings though, not religious pressure--but they did call it satanic, which is silly).

I'd be hard to model them, but imagine how freaking cool it'd be to, as a DM, be the Dungeon Master character!!!! That would rock... I can make Uni easy... [img]smile.gif[/img] even make a voice set for the characters using sayings from the DVDs... HMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!! [img]smile.gif[/img] And add weapons.... oh man. I'll start working on this soon..

THAT would definitely get EFU major attention if I released those D&D Models on IGN! [img]smile.gif[/img]

That would be really cool having a chance to fight Venger or Tiamat. Of course if you fought Venger you would probably be stuck fighting him and his sidekick at the same time, the Shadow Demon.

Z - I hope you do continue to host the Undermountain. Along the same lines as RTB - I have two servers bookmarked, one of which is the Undermountain. I haven't played much for a long while, which I blame squarely on my 8 month old son! One day he will learn to sleep soundly all night long...

Anyway, I hope it's still up and running when I'm able to get some much needed gaming time in.

*EDIT*
Armpitlint - whereabouts in Iowa are you from? I'm a Des Moines guy myself that relocated to Kansas City back in 1999, but both my wife and I are from WDM and go back frequently to see the families.

[ 04-10-2007, 11:25 AM: Message edited by: Marathon ]

I also hope that you keep the server up Z. I play a variety of games but Neverwinter Nights is the only one that I keep coming back to just so that I can stomp around in Undermountain.

Marathon, I'm from Sioux City(Sewer City). I have friends in Des Moines and travel there once in a while myself.

Ah, worst night of my life was spent in Sioux City. Too many drinks were had, friends were split up, and a buddy and I took a wrong turn walking back to an apartment. We wandered the streets until around 5 a.m. trying to find our other friend's place. The smell...is overpowering...

Obviously this was before cell phones were widespread, so perhaps things have changed. I think IBP was the culprit.

My only beef with Undermountain is to an extent the high-magic world. In this case, it makes certain classes obsolete

For example, i tried a shifter, only to get mercilessly slaughtered [img]smile.gif[/img]
Sorcerers and Wizards I would love to play but I just don't get much success.

That's the main reason I'm taking a break, along with that thing called "college" and the other thing called "job" :(

Exam season is looming, and the weathers nice, so I'm spending more free time outside. I'd wait to see whether its a long term thing before taking it off.

I hope that any problem has gone away now.

There always seem to be other players logged on while I've been in recently.

I can't help noticing that Warner Brothers and Iain M Banks themes are making an appearance. That just has to be better than fluffy pink bunnies.

"Sorcerers and Wizards I would love to play but I just don't get much successI don't know.." I have a pretty good sorc and wiz who do pretty good. I have yet to take them on lvl 14 though....

My computer is having fits trying to run NWN's at all. I can maybe squeeze out 1/2 an hour, but mostly, I'm lucky if I make it out of the tavern. I put the down payment on the new one today, and they will have it built by the first...Then, it's on, for a bit, I still have to take a run at NWN's 2.

Yeah, I'm working on and off of the new goodies--took a week off from building so I don't get burnt out, as I do from time to time, but I still find myself loading up the tileset and working on new stuff. [img]smile.gif[/img] ADDICTED I TELL YA! [img]smile.gif[/img]