Rethinking

Well, it's been a while since my last update. That was due to my getting married (woohoo!) and to computer woes which required me to reinstall Windows twice (still not totally fixed, btw). During that time, I've been turning lots of different ideas for the world over in my head.

One of my ideas is to use Project Q instead of the CEP. Q's content is very high quality, and it matches the slightly gritty TNO art style, which means it will go well with the feel I want in the module. On the other hand, it's still in development, which means it'd be a while until I could incorporate its content into my module. I could just build without it for a while, and I have plenty of script work that could be done during that time. Then, too, the CEP content would have to be ripped out of my module, and that's a lot of work, especially considering how much time it took to place it all so carefully in the first place.

After weighing the options, I think I'll go ahead with my idea and plan to use Q. I'll keep the work I've done untouched so if I decide to go ahead with the CEP instead in the future, I can. I won't be able to do as much building while waiting for the Q content to come out. Wait, no. I will be able to do plenty of building, just not as detailed as I was doing before. That may be good, though. It'll mean I'll get more areas set up, flesh out the city, and possibly even start building some of the countryside and adventure zones. I'll also be able to use the time to work more carefully on storyline and conversations, plan some early DM events, and do all the scripting work I've been putting off.

I suppose getting to rebuild things is good. After all, I've wanted to make some changes to the tileset I've been building Midport with (NWAlleys overwrites the Merchant Ship tile group). Then too, I think I haven't been setting the exact tone I wanted for the module. I wanted it to be a bit for cynical and dark and have a greater presence of technology. As it is, you only get a hint that this isn't just any old medieval port. I want to make things more obvious. I want this world to be truly unique, a place where anyone can come and play and say, "Whoa, I've never seen this before." I think that's why I love the cluttered city look, the NPCs with real personality, the flavor text, and the whole idea of the world. It's something I've never seen before (and I doubt anyone else has). I want it to be a breath of fresh air.

Er, wait... there's no fresh air in Midport. :P