Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 17:13:22 +1000 From: Lucien McMahon Reply-To: suireuqa@ozemail.com.au X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: b l a d e s@ spiderwebsoftware . com (Note spaces added to thwart spammers. Remove spaces for valid email address.) Subject: Workarounds for Blades limitations A major annoyance for Mac Blades players is the fact that some dialog text in certain scenarios is truncated, sometimes even preventing the scenario from being completed. An awkward but effective workaround for this is to record the message, end the conversation, examine the recording for possible key words, resume conversation and ask about these words. There are two common, related complaints among scenario designers: "I don't want level-50 PCs coming into my level-1 scenario and breezing through my tactical puzzles with Avatar spells and such" and "I don't want PCs to bring ridiculously powerful items into my scenario." It's possible to work around both of these, but the question is: should you? Some players like to be able to blast through a level-1 scenario with level-50 PCs and Deathblades+50. What good will come out of preventing them from doing that? Nonetheless, there are workarounds here if you decide you wish to use them. To strip a party of their items, create a special node chain that stones the party (stoning is preferable to death or dusting since the player's time is not wasted hearing death sounds), destroys the items or moves the party to a place where they can't get at the items, and then restores the party to life. To prevent high-level PCs from entering a low-level scenario, create a small checkpoint with no exits at the start of the scenario. Example: Ê #### #A## #### #PXI #### where P is the party, # are walls, X is a special node, I is a closed portcullis and A is a custom monster with 9 HP. Edit the monster with the "Edit Creature" button while editing the town. Set a special node to activate upon its death. Set this special node to change I to an open portcullis. When the party steps on the special (X), call a special node with a one-time text message saying something like "If the portcullis doesn't open, your party's level is too high." Then jump to a Hit Space node which hits the space your custom monster is on with 10 points of unblockable damage. If the monster HP has been doubled due to the party's level being higher than recommended, the monster won't die, its special node won't be called and the portcullis won't open. And, since the chain started with a one-time node, the party won't be able to step on it again. If the party's level isn't too high, the monster will die, the portcullis will open and the scenario will be playable. ----------- Update Date: Tue, 20 Apr 99 16:16:09 +1000 From: Lucien McMahon To: Mime-Version: 1.0 In a previous e-mail to you, I described how a 'checkpoint' which would allow only a low-level party through could be created. I tested this method and it returns a "Special node called during chain" error. There is, however, a workaround for the workaround. Instead of having a special node called upon its death, the monster can have an SDF set to 1 at its death. Then, a second special node between the party and the portcullis can check for this SDF. I believe this should work.