Module Design Tips

[Chewbacca]

I have been working with toolset since NWN first came out ( almost a year...oh my!) and from the first module I attempted to the two I am working on now, I have learned a few things and made a whole bunch of no-no's and boo-boo's.

So I open the discussion here for builders to leave any design tips they use to make the process more fun as well as productive.

My tip for module builders is plan ahead. You don't necessarily need a full design document that has every fine detail of the module like I do, but I do recomend at least an outline of the modules main areas and NPCs.

A one-page plot summary is very helpful as well. Believe me, it's better to know your plot has holes in it before a few months of developing a module.

Making flow charts for area lay-out and plot progression can be helpful to give you an overview of how the module will progress through the different plot hooks and will show how areas connect.

This kind of preparation also makes it easier to share your ideas with collaboraters.

In short- planning ahead can save you from looking back and wondering.."what was I thinking!"


Alright-anybody else got any module design tips? Please post 'em here if you do! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Dreamer128]

Don't waste too much time adding huge amounts of detail on an area in which the PC will only spend a few minutes. Instead, focus your attention on plot area's (such as city's/villages) in which the PC will return several times during the story. Its easy to make your mods bigger by quickly drawing a number of maps and placing several encounters in them. Its also fun to make a number of empty area's(=no monsters) to raise the tension. For instance, place a number of corpses with detailed speakstring descriptions on the way. If you are creating a multiplayer mod, create several quests around a central area where players can meet and gather equipment. You can make your mods come to life by making your NPC's perform actions (sitting around a campfire, hammering away at a rock, talking to each other). I can provide scripts for the last few actions, if anyone is interested in that.

[ 06-16-2003, 04:57 PM: Message edited by: Dreamer128 ]

[philip]

-as above: plan ahead!
-add sounds and music that make sense (custom or not, I found out that the standard music has some good options, don't look at the name just listen to it)
-make a module you'd like to play yourself and not one that you think will be popular
-create your own NPCs and don't use eg. one commoner blueprint but more so there's more variety
-don't use huge areas, smaller ones don't get boring
-if you want to have quests that are (nearly) the same as quests you've seen already, like 'retrieve the item' quests try to add something original
-don't let PCs level up too fast
-also you might check the Bioware boards, Playermade modules, to see opinions on things like stripping PCs, alignment changes, to see if what you want to do doesn't take away the fun for everyone

(will be continued)

edit: didn't know you could make text invisible by adding it between < and >

[ 06-17-2003, 05:56 AM: Message edited by: philip ]

[Legolas]

For tip number one, I'll have to disagree with Dreamer. Add many details to every single area. These include sounds, lighting effects, placeables, non-standard commoners, animations during conversations and item/character descriptions. It does not matter whether the player is there forever, for just a minute or too busy to consciously notice anything at all. The fact that you took great care in creating an area does show and players will notice, even if it is not always at that conscious level.
The problem with adding detail is that it takes time, and when an area is still very much unfinished you may end up removing most of it again. It's best to add the detail once you are just about done.

Tip number two. Build the module one bit at a time. Finish one area before moving on to the next (this includes scripts). Finish setting up quests one at a time. This allows you to keep track of what needs to be done, it lets you focus on creating every single bit to the best of your abilities, and you can test completed plots. It also ensures you don't feel as if the mod is growing above your head.
For this it is also important to finish an area before you begin adding any scripts to it.

Tip number 3. Keep areas small. But not too small to add a wall along the edge. The endless mirror-effect you get when not adding walls or forests or hills or homes to the edge of your areas is not pretty. Unless you want it to serve a purpose you are better off with as little of it as possible.
Smaller areas are easier to finish, the players won't get lost and you can add detail without it looking repetitive.

Tip number 4 is to plan ahead, and stick to that plan unless you get a better idea as you go. Don't give up on difficult-to-realise aspects. Those are what will make the module interesting. I've got it easy as there's a 702 pages long storyline for me to follow (after months, I'm at page 15 or so, with a single village finished) complete with dialogue, personalities and area descriptions, bt as long as you have some idea that will be better than none at all.

Tip number 5 is to make the module for yourself. You will be playing more than anyone else as you try to remove the flaws, and noone's going to be more involved in making the thing. You'll be the one to know who the dialogues and scripts belong to, and what options are availiable. You'd better enjoy the mod.
Because you are so involved, you may not realise others have trouble finding things. Add map notes, they can't do much harm and will be a great help.
Also make sure you don't design the mod to be barely beatable by yourself. It'll be too hard for those who do not know all the tricks.

That's the main advice I can give you.
Oh, and there's tip number 6 as well: If scripting is too tough, keep trying. Eventuallyyou'll get the hang of it.

[philip]

Every bit of important information should be in the journal, so players can see what they have to do if they get stuck or haven't played for some time.

[Chewbacca]

Great tips Y'all!!!!! [img]smile.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img]

My tip for the day is: Tell the players who you made the mod for.

Include a read me file that has the module's name in the title.

At the least include things like rules variances, recomended levels and classes, reccomended # of players, ect. Like on a forum, don't hand out spoilers without marking them.
Some builders include a full walk-through or just solutions for the really difficult or obscure quests. I have also seen builders who offer complete players guides for their gaming world.

Also your module has a place in the module properties for a description. Include a description in this place with the pertinant read-me info that the player(s) will see as they select the module for loading. Some people don't read read-mes or maybe even lost the read-me. Some players won't play a module without a description as they see it as either unprofessional or incomplete.

And an FYI- I found out that some folks in the NWN community hate to refer to NWN modules as "mods" because the word "mod" pertains to actually altering a game with custom content, whereas when you make a module in the toolset you are using the software how it was intended, not modifying it in any way.

So be careful where you refer to your "mod" as a "mod" or you might get flamed...yes I actually witnessed such behavior.

[philip]

Write comments when you write the script and not afterwards. You know exactly what you've just written and can write the comments mre easy. Also it is a lot less tedious to do it when you write the script (just back from commenting 40 scripts, good thing I dropped my other module it had over 100 uncommented scripts)

Keep the naming convention you use and make sure every name is right so you don't have to rename and put in a new one on every object that had the script on it.

[Chewbacca]

Just a *BUMP* for aspiring designers/builders til I can think of a good tip...

Wait here is one based on my current predictament...

Never let times of creative-block get you down. Those times will pass and you will again be struck with the inspiration for great moments in computer roleplaying. [img]graemlins/pi_lightbulb.gif[/img]

[SpiritWarrior]

And may I add to that by saying: In the wake of a creative block never compromise anything for the sake of 'getting it finished'. This goes for all creative work in general.

If something remains incomplete, so what? Why bother forcing that which is not there yet? Don't bother settling on something that you don't actually like out of some self-induced obligation to 'tie up loose ends'. Trying to logically create something that really does no justice to your true creative potential when fired is bad news...The greatest projects and endevours from literature to art, take time. If a gap remains then allow this gap to remain until that time comes when you feel it can be filled properly and the way it should be.

[Legolas]

Here's another.

Leggy's toolset tip #7

Test. Play the module every time you add something new. Not entirely, of course, but the bit that should be affected by the change. That way you know whether or not your scripts are working, and if not, testing often gives you a reasonably good idea on where things went wrong.
Use common sense, bracket checks, Capital Counting, the PrintString("...") command and the '`' key (usually found right above the 'Tab' key) in conjunction with the 'Tab' key (usually found just below the '`' key) to find out what parts work and which ones don't and why.
Also, regularly test a larger area to make sure a script designed for one region isn't affecting things in another as well.

It saves time when you playtest often, makes it easier to discover where you've made an error and gives you a better idea of what the completed module will be like than immobile objects and lines of text ever will.