Fall 2009 Design Contest

[manikus]

It wouldn't necessarily be the topic that I enjoy writing about, but the writing itself. I've had to do plenty of writing on topics that I care nothing about. I just enjoyed the writing. You can take something like writing an Ops manual for a bank and make a game out the tone you use in comparison to the font and headings (for example).

[olivier_leroux]

In this category I think you're ahead of me again.

But I'm not complaining, compared to writing an Ops manual for a bank this job is great fun.

[Uatu]

Ahem, Uatu here, to note that he is most definitely in last place in terms of progress on rumored mod... (Making Manikus second-to-last.)

[manikus]

Originally Posted by olivier_leroux In this category I think you're ahead of me again. But I'm not complaining, compared to writing an Ops manual for a bank this job is great fun.

The ops manual was pretty fun, but then I was an account specialist for the bank. For the record, account specialist equals the folks in the operations center, not the tellers - I'm way too hairy and pierced to be a teller.

[manikus]

Originally Posted by Uatu Ahem, Uatu here, to note that he is most definitely in last place in terms of progress on rumored mod... (Making Manikus second-to-last.)

There was a reason why I dropped your name, Uatu.

I hope that you work on this contest, even if you don't finish in time. My suggestion would be to make your design a subset of your larger design aims.

[Uatu]

Oh, I am! The art I have been doing so far are, well, quite obviously done with the large, final goal in mind... (Which obviously doesn't help much with the short-term goal, but we'll get there... I hope.)

[manikus]

Hmm, I think I need some new goals. I don't mean a new project, but a big picture kind of thing.

I've really go to finish something one of these days, I mean good grief, how many things do I have going on? I have a huge design that I've been working on since I lived in Oregon before heading to Minnesota, which is now almost 10 years ago... <>

[Uatu]

Wow! That one should be nearly finished then, right?

(I need more clearly delineated goals myself - I have little or nothing of my big picture actually actualized yet...)

[manikus]

Unfortunately the 10 year old design is of such a scope that I have done more walls and backdrops and level layouts for it than everything else combined (not counting the silver blades stuff) and I am still less than 5% done.

I first entitled this project "Heroes of the Savage Frontier" but at some point changed it to "The Silver Marches". Imagine every city in the Silver Marches and most of the ones due West of it, including Neverwinter and Waterdeep. Waterdeep alone is six levels for just the street level stuff.
There is an actual story for it, somewhere. But, I wanted to give the player a lot of options, and the player I was designing it for was me. I want to create something big and huge of scope with a distinct story but tons of areas to explore as you try and figure out what you're supposed to do.
I even have ideas somewhere for a kind of sequel called "The Dalelands" that is the same type of thing, but not necessairly a true sequel. I've done nothing on this except come up with the idea and plan on Elminster making an appearance.

[Dinonykos]

As expected, I made progress again last night and am now in the phase of "alpha testing", so to speak.
But - apart from the feared tutorial - I'll spend some time in polishing the overall looks of the design. Maybe I'll also colourize my standard walls a little bit, to give the whole thing a darker feeling...
On the left, you see a screenshot from the first subterranean level, and on the right, that is the dark enemy. This is no spoiling, since you will be introduced to him right at the beginning of the adventure...