I'm having fun ripping my hair out over the ambient system (which, though I hesitate to give any solid details yet, has become an epic-scope AI system), and reading Casa's latest post reminds me of the need to keep my inspiration up.
Building a PW is a lot of work. Like, scary lot. To the point where you almost imagine who in their right minds would do it without getting paid. It helps, of course, that I'm not content to cobble together a bunch of existing scripts and insist on rewriting everything (even if it ends up being the exact same code) I find just so it does exactly what I want. Still, I'd have imagined I'd get more done in the now over two years that I've been building.
So how does one find the inspiration for continuing a project that has already taken so much time and will yet consume so much more than it already has? I suppose on some level it's by reminding yourself that you've invested too much time and effort to quit now. But on another, it's the thought of how beautiful the finished product will be.
I began S&S as a labor of love, and along the way I've found others who are similarly entranced with both Neverwinter Nights and the opportunity to tell a compelling story. That love, I think, will be something that players will feel when they begin playing on the server, and it also means I'll be happier with the final product.
Yesterday I sat back and began to imagine playing in the world. Not just how the systems would work, or what the conversations would say, or how the areas would be designed. No, I began to think about the role-play that would come out of it, the stories I want to tell, and the characters I want to grow in it. Not so much from the point of view of a writer and a DM but from that of a player. I felt the atmosphere and the weight of the themes that flow through the world. I let my mind wander through the broad spectrum of people I'd meet, the places I'd see, and secrets I'd uncover. And even though I was imagining what I've already been trying to create, seeing it through the fresh new eyes of a prospective player gave me a new vigor. I don't want to just get this thing built and run it; I want to play in it, too.
How do you keep up your inspiration in your project?
Lore snippet: One of the causes for the current tensions between the states of the Confederacy of Adun was the War of Burdean Sovereignty. Burdea, a state in Upper Adunay that suffered heavily in the war with Nerath, tried to leave the coalition rather than submit to the rule of the new Confederation government. Claiming Burdea was sovereign over its own affairs, Major General Alexei Graudyn led his troops in storming Fort Lussk, a Confederation stronghold. He was hailed as a folk hero and continued his raids against Confederation forts for fourteen months. When Burdean Prime Minister Hendrick Chatham, fearing Graudyn's political aspirations, had him arrested and hanged for treason without a trial, Burdea plunged into civil war. The Confederation leapt at the chance to crush the vulnerable republic. All that remains of its cities are the blackened husks of buildings, and most of its people live in refugee camps throughout Adunay.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
A lot of interesting thoughts there. Personally I prefer not to take too long a look at how much overall work will be involved -- the "big picture" -- but rather see development as blocks of progression. Often the situation is that certain "blocks" of development will enable others, so it's also quite a natural way of doing things that prevents me feeling that I have a hundred different things to finish, all confusingly intermeshed (I can't finish this 2da till I've written these tlk entries, I can't create this area until this placeable is finished, and so on).
I feel I'm somewhat lucky with regards to inspiration, because most days I wake up full of enthusiasm for mad ideas and only time, technology, or skill restraints stop me from building everything straight away. Talking to other players about character concepts, potential roleplay, planned world lore, etc can be very encouraging as well, as it confirms that there's a story there, waiting for your work to form around it.
And yeah, a healthy dose of insanity helps...
Ah...I can so relate to needing inspiration when you see a mountain of work ahead of you.
I'll often talk to friends about progress, and have them test little snippets. Enthusiastic feedback goes a long way in providing inspiration ;)
I'll also work on finishing segments first. For example, a henchman I'm currently working on has been kitted out with several custom items all of which have some lore associatted with them. It makes him feel more complete and gives a sense of real progress being made.
Sometimes part of a project can be a little daunting, so it's good to switch to other tasks so as not to become bored with what you're working on. Most of my areas have been made, but a few still require decor and sound effects applied. When I find one task a little too tedious, I'll return to the area enhancement to maintain my interest. I deal with item descriptions in a similar manner at times, creating an item, but leaving the description vague so I can enhance it later when I feel I'm in the appropriatte mood.
Conversations too can be a little tiresome, so I tend to concentrate on the verbal content, then switch to something else before returning to the conversation to apply emotes and sound.
It's a shame, I feel inspired now but can't work on my mod owing to PC problems. :(
When building (scripting is another beast entirely), I like to work on the mood of an area first. The lighting is the first thing, followed by sound. I figured out some lighting settings that reflect Midport's smoggy streets; it helps me to build organically, messily.
Sound is important to keeping my inspiration up while building as well. I took a page from Fester Pot's book (he was gracious enough to teach me his technique in great detail) and have sounds that change as the day goes on. So in the early morning hours, things are quiet, with maybe the occasional dog bark or breaking glass, and things gradually get busier as the day goes on.
I leave the sound on when building, and it helps me to see the flow of the area in my mind. Then I turn up the game speed for testing so I can observe the flow of the day when checking out the area design.
Conversations help inject more life into things, but, as Quillmaster said, they can get tedious quickly. I like to plop down NPCs and write a bit for them, just enough to give them a unique voice and a purpose. Then I can come back later and finish things up.
Adding lots of little touches like that early on helps get me through the longer, tedious placeable placement.
Post a Comment