13 replies to this topic

[Yovaneth]

We're waiting for a fix/response on one problem from someone who was not involved with testing; so far as we know, this is the very last problem. So, release really is just a few days away now.... at last.

-Y-

Edited by Yovaneth, 06 February 2011 - 05:34 AM.

[Shaitan]

You project has also grown a bit as far as I can understand considering the older posts. How did it start?

Cheers

[Yovaneth]

You project has also grown a bit as far as I can understand considering the older posts. How did it start?

I can't remember!

Actually, now I stop and think hard about it, I can remember. You remember that lighthouse on the west coast where you had the trouble with the Syrene (and where the mod 'The Syrene's Call' is based)? There was also one in Ulgoth's Beard? I was always disappointed that you couldn't get inside either of them, so this whole huge adventure started out with me simply wanting to build a mod where I could get inside a lighthouse!

Well, there had to be a reason for the lighthouse which is why there is a wrecked ship just down the coast. Then you need a small settlement to support the lighthouse and gather wood for the beacon. Some in the settlement turned to fishing because there was a small sheltered harbour just south of the lighthouse. So Porthpentyrch started to grow and at this point I didn't have a clue what the mod was going to be. I considered just finishing the settlement and throwing it out for anyone to use, but I must have had the germ of an idea at one point. I don't recall what or when, but it had something to do with finding Elminster because the project name on my HDD has always been 'Find Elminster'.

I spent a lot of time studying the FR Faerun poster (it became my desktop wallpaper) and also reading the 2E PDFs that used to be available on WotC, both for ideas and to ensure consistency. The goals for the mod became these:-

1. It had to be integrated into the main SoA storyline. Parts of Fishing for Trouble depend on where you are in the main game quest - I didn't want it to feel 'tacked on' like 'Tales of the Sword Coast', 'Heart of Winter' and 'Trials of the Luremaster' all did.
2. There had to be multiple ways through i.e. it must be non-linear and you must be able to role-play it.
3. Dialog had to affect outcomes and quests.
4. You must be allowed to screw up one part of the main quest storyline - even bring it to a grinding halt - without affecting the outcome of the other.
5. There absolutely had to be multiple endings to both main storylines depending on actions taken throughout the quest.
6. Even most (not all) fedex quests had to have multiple endings.
7. It could be started after the dreaded Chapter 4, despite the fact that Brynnlaw can (not necessarily 'does') play a part in the story.

I certainly don't remember when the storyline took off because despite being a published technical author, I have next to no discipline when creating fiction. Technical stuff is different; you have a clearly-defined set of goals to achieve before you start. I do remember the trigger though; in the Copper Coronet, where does the Black Lotus come from? It's obviously an analogue of opium, so that suggested a hot place. In the 2E 'Calimport' DnD handbook, there's a description of a co-operation between one of the major powers of Calimport and a Red Wizard - bingo! I had my Black Lotus supplyline and a reason for it. Better still, the Red Wizard mentioned had the same surname as our Edwin, giving me a whole world of interjections and refutations.

Both the storyline and the dialog grew organically. If dialog grew stilted I left it alone until that NPC fleshed themselves out in my mind and I knew how they would react depending on CHARNAME's attitude. Then I went back to it. This, however, on frequent occasions led to my reaction of 'now why the hells did X say that? That means I have to do Y or get Z to do something else'. Thus Cerendor Hold was born and from a conversation within it, the Cloudpeak caravan stopover. The only two areas that were 'decided upon' rather than growing out of an action were the Government District Westside and Imradim. Even then, they had reasons to exist.

1. I was fascinated by the houses and trees you can see if you look down from the south wall of the Government District. Initially I just wanted to populate these but I quickly realised there was no easy way to access them, so the separate Westside District grew up.
2. Imradim grew up because I just wanted something that improved significantly on the oasis encounters of both ToB and IWD2. That was probably the area I worked hardest on because although you are only there for a short while, it still had to be a living community.

It wasn't easy lifting existing chunks of Amn and re-using them for new areas. If you look, most buildings are obscured by plant growth or other buildings, so I had to study what was available with an eye to creating whole buildings from part ones. Then I covered them with plants and other buildings in the new areas! The biggest grind was creating the insides of all of the buildings when Porthpentyrch was abandoned. I made the restored areas first, then removed the objects from those areas to make the abandoned buildings. Of course, all the lighting changed too.

For a long time I wasn't sure where the storyline was going and I was completely out of ideas, so Fishing for Trouble sat abandoned in the metaphorical corner while I concentrated on a real-world contract for a couple of years. When I returned to it, I worked on areas only for a while until I had one of those lightbulb moments that, from just two words, laid out the entire remaining story (and no, I'm not going to say which two words because it's a big spoiler!). That wasn't quite all of it because I tried to introduce a couple of unexpected twists but as the author, I have no idea if I've succeeded. We also had a forced break during testing which, because I was now all hyped-up about getting FFT released and because of the help I was getting from the testers, led to the Imradim building boom and a bunch of more fedexes in Imradim. As it is, I enjoyed building Imradim so much I could have expanded it even further!

-Y-

Edited by Yovaneth, 06 February 2011 - 05:32 AM.

[Shaitan]

Thanks for the insight, for me it was good, because I now much (not all) of the quests belonging to FFT. I still get surprises even in ma last runthrough.

Can't wait for others to play it

Cheers

[smeagolheart]

The mod sounds exciting. Your design philosophy sounds solid and better considered than a lot of mods.

Looking forward to playing the mod once it's out.

[Shaitan]

I don't see Yovaneth online now, so I'll take the liberty to answer your questions. I've tested this wonderful mod since before summer 2010 (not sure when I started anymore).

Very interesting to hear the background of your work. I have been looking forward to this mod for a couple of years now and I can't wait to see the final result.

Yeah, and you will be pleased (I hope)

I wonder if you could perhaps disclose whether the mod will be filled with extremely powerful enemies and items or rather follow the style of the original game?

There are a few items in FFT but, really no new killer swords and the like. FFT is very low-key on adding new items. A few known items on a few enemies, but they will come late in the mod, and you will have to be of level 12-14 at least (or I did) to get them. FFT has the build-in structure, so ideally the player goes on and off to FFT quests. I found it very satisfying that I didn't ran over a bunch of ovekill items early in the mod.

Some of the larger expansion mods I've played earlier (for BG1/Tutu/BGT) actually added to the gaming experience but strayed far from the spirit of the original campaign when adding monsters and treasure. I'm thinking specifically about The Grey Clan and The Secret of Bone Hill here.

Agree.

cheers
Daemon Caledor

Cheers

[Yovaneth]

Shaitan's right - I was more interested in telling the story. The new items are all story-related and not yet another set of nuclear overkill.

-Y-

[Daulmakan]

I hope release is close and imminent. I've ran out of nails.

[Yovaneth]

I hope release is close and imminent. I've ran out of nails.

You can always go down to the nearest pharmacy and buy some falsies...

-Y-

[Yovaneth]

Update: for those that don't visit the TobEx forum, we're checking our patch code for compatibility problems with TobEx. Once that's done, it will be released.

-Y-

[Yovaneth]

Last update evah - I hope. We've got the patch problem sorted - I just need to double-check the installer and smile sweetly at Kae to move it somewhere public.

-Y-

[Daulmakan]

*Smokes nervously in a corner*