Celtic Minstrel
da00da261c
- This update is not comprehensive. It does not touch the appendices, and even in the parts it does touch, many details may still be out-of-date.
89 lines
5.0 KiB
HTML
89 lines
5.0 KiB
HTML
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<title>Testing and Distributing - BoE Scenario Editor Guide</title>
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<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="style.css">
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<body>
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<script src='nav.js' type='application/javascript'></script>
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<noscript>Javascript required for the navbar.</noscript>
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</div>
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<div class="content">
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<h1>Section 13: Testing and Distributing Your Scenario</h1>
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<p>So you've spent many hours learning to write your scenario, and even more of them
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writing one. It's almost done, and you want to share it with the world. First, however,
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you need to test it.</p>
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<ul>
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<li><b>Getting More Information -</b> Spiderweb Software will be keeping a scenario editor
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information clearing house on our web site at www.spidweb.com, in the Blades of Exile
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section. If at all possible, go there often. You'll find hints, FAQs, articles with tips,
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and bug reports (so you'll learn what features don't work right), as well as the very
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latest version of the scenario editor.
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<p>Your feedback is welcome! If you have a neat article on how to do something cool, have
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found a nasty bug or have a question that should be answered on our page, post it on the
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<a href='http://l.calref.net/boeforum'>forums</a>.</p>
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</li>
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<li><b>Scenario Contests! -</b> Spiderweb Software will be holding scenario design
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contests, with big cash prizes! For information, look in the Blades of Exile folder for
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the Scenario Design Contest file, or visit us at www.spidweb.com.</li>
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<li><b>Playtesting -</b> There are few tasks less welcome, and more important. Without
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testing, you are almost destined to release a scenario with serious bugs, which may not
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even be finishable at all.
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<p>The best way around this is to play it. And give it to friends and let them play it.
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With time and careful play, the problems will become clear, and you can fix them.</p>
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<p>One debugging aid has been provided for you. When playing your scenario, if you type
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the <span class='key'>D</span> key, you will enter debug mode. The monsters will no longer
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move while in combat mode and any blow will kill them, so that you can fight through
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combats quickly. Press <span class='key'>D</span> again to exit debug mode. While in debug
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mode, there are a number of additional hotkeys you can use. Press <span
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class='key'>/</span> to bring up a list.</p>
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<p>You can edit a scenario while playing through it. It is often convenient to keep the
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editor open while playing through a new town, so you can make fixes immediately. However,
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when you save the scenario, it may scramble the data in your game. Whenever you save the
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scenario, upon returning to the game you should immediately load a new save file to keep
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the game from falling apart.</p>
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<p>Even more importantly, Blades of Exile remembers the state of special encounters in
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towns you have visited. If you enter a town in the game and then place or change a special
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encounter in that town in the editor, the change will not be recognized in the game until
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the town is reset. To reset a town or dungeon level in the game, go to a different town or
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outdoors, and press the <span class='key'>></span> key. (Note: You need to be in Debug
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mode for this to work.) This will
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reset the towns, and your changes will be visible.</p>
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</li>
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<li><b>Distributing - </b>Once you are sure your scenario works, you can place it onto the
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Internet and let people all over the world play it. To distribute a scenario, place it and
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its custom graphics files (if any) into a folder, and go to www.spidweb.com. There is a
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scenario uploading area there. Alternately, you can mail the scenario on disk to Spiderweb
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Software, Inc. (the address is in the order form).
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<p>Before sending your scenario out, you may want to take a look at the scenario legal
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stuff, elsewhere in this documentation. A few guidelines when writing your scenario:</p>
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<ol style='list-style-type:lower-roman'>
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<li>Overt racism and other sorts of prejudice, as well as obscenity and explicit
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sexuality, are bad ideas. Such scenarios will probably not be kept on software sites, such
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as Spiderweb Softwares.
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<p>Use common sense here. If a character says that the Nephilim are evil and should be
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wiped out, that's all right. That is just that character's viewpoint, not an
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editorialization on the part of the game. On the other hand, a scenario where the party
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was expected to keep and capture slaves would be very questionable.</p>
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<li>Play balance is important. Don't give low level scenarios too much gold, too much
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treasure, or too much magic.</li>
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<li>Don't make things too difficult. Keep the monsters not too tough, and make sure the
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puzzles are solvable and give at least a few hints. Its always better to be a little too
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easy than a lot too hard.</li>
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</ul></ul>
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<p>And with that, good luck! Tell everyone a story, and share the results of your
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imagination! After all, there is very little that is more satisfying than creating
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something truly great, and having it get the appreciation it deserves!</p>
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</div>
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</body>
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</html>
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