[EL] Quest_creation questions/ideas

[Twinley]

Hi all : )

( I searched for a specific topic about the quest creation, but I didn't find it, so sorry if there is another one with that kind of things. )

I'm very interested by the quest creation. To me it's one of the strengths of the game. It gives real " power " to the players to give some lifes to the game. : )
And I wanted to share a way to create mission I'm actually testing and ask some questions.

first I read the Quest0_sample, and the documents made by Marvin, that was very useful, thank you : )
It could be very helpful to have a kind of "Quest_Editor" to generate QuestX.txt files.
I thought maybe that was possible to make a kind of form in javascript, but I'm not an advanced programmer... so I tried to find another way ^^.

and I'm testing a method with freeplane to organize the different stages, so it's easier for me to try to make non linear missions.
Here is a screenshot of a preview :
https://e-nautia.com/twinley/disk/Evoch ... edit01.jpg

I created a block for each stage, and I can duplicate it for each next win or lose stages.

when it's finished , there is a little trick to convert it in text file with Libreoffice.

https://e-nautia.com/twinley/disk/Evoch ... edit02.jpg

If you are interested I can give more details for the trick later.

I don't know if people are using other methods, but I wanted to share this one.

Now, I didn't test all the possibilities, but I've got some questions:

- Is that possible to share a quest in a multiplayer server ? I mean, can we have access to custom missions , and If I select one, can I share it with some players who are playing with me in the same time ?

And I tried to import a object I made, that work fine ^^ but there are 2 things I wanted to know.

-Is that possible to make it selectable. for now It sounds like I can see it, and that's great : ) , but I can't select it as a target, And I can't see it in the navigation map if I use a sensore module for exemple.
We can find some tricks to bypass that thing, but I wanted to know If I messed something or not.

- And It sounds like the imported objects want to play cat and mouse when we are too close ^^. maybe due to a collision systeme, I don't know. Is there any way to avoid this ?
https://youtu.be/FKIZ8Stq39o

I'll probably have a tonne of other questions later, but thanks in advance : )

(I hope my english is understable enough ^^ )

[Vice]

- Is that possible to share a quest in a multiplayer server ? I mean, can we have access to custom missions , and If I select one, can I share it with some players who are playing with me in the same time ?

No, the quest system is exclusively a single player (ie offline) option. It's set up this way in no small part to free it up to provide more diverse options that it would otherwise not have if restricted by certain shared conditions/limitations.

-Is that possible to make it selectable. for now It sounds like I can see it, and that's great : ) , but I can't select it as a target, And I can't see it in the navigation map if I use a sensore module for exemple.
We can find some tricks to bypass that thing, but I wanted to know If I messed something or not.

The quest object entity system is designed to be 'off the grid' as the saying goes. That is, an object option that is intentionally not rendered on sensors or radar to make having to visually hunt/search for such structures in order to locate them (for treasure/quest hunt type activities). That said though, you can mark them with the quest marker as may be desired, which supports sensor tracking and right click nav map selection. You can also place the marker away from the object's location to guide the player to an area, but still require them to visually hunt for something to find it.

- And It sounds like the imported objects want to play cat and mouse when we are too close ^^. maybe due to a collision systeme, I don't know. Is there any way to avoid this ?
https://youtu.be/FKIZ8Stq39o

It looks like you may not have a valid collision parameter for that object via its selected size, so it may just bounce you back about 100 when you get too close to what looks like extremely small container objects. So the object you are using might benefit from being made a little larger to give the collision mesh system space to adapt to the various shapes and structures it has. Try increasing its scaling by maybe 10X, then scale it down from there until you find the collision behavior you prefer. If it still gives you trouble, posting the code block section for that object may help myself or someone else provide additional advice.

[matchbox2022]

gah this is making me want to make a quest.
I had a fairly good idea for a "mini story" just wish I could implement it.

Basically involves running from system to system as others pursue you for some valuable cargo you happened to stumble on whilst on a planet, until you decide it best to dump it into a star, at which point it has an unintended side effect of making it go supernova / taking out the system. Maybe only 4 steps long, and requiring a science officer to be hired on.

[Marvin]

...dump it into a star, at which point it has an unintended side effect of making it go supernova / taking out the system. Maybe only 4 steps long, and requiring a science officer to be hired on.

The quest engine, in its present form, doesn't look to see if crew members are aboard the player's ship. And, if you want to take out a star system with an exploding sun, you'll first need to create the objects to take out (star, planets and any other otherwise non-destructible object you plan to destroy).

[Twinley]

thank you for the answers Vice : )


- For the Multiplayer quests, I see. Even if the MP Quests might be more limited than for Solo_Quest, I thought it could be an interesting thing in order to organize PVE events, and gives some kinds of dynamic stories on the servers to bring some various missions/goals all along the time. I have to admit I was very excited by the idea of sharing stories-missions with friends.

- For the custom objects, I understand. On my test mission I used the mechanism of the sensor deployment followed by a countdown stage with an unreachable waypoint ( hiding the quest marker) to simulate a " scanning time " before to make the Quest marker visible. It's a possible trick : )

- and for the collision with the custom object, I'll try to rescale the object and I'll test with different sizes, thank you !

@Matchbox2022: hé hé, I was wondering how you could make a supernova and Marvin brought the answers. Your idea looks fun, especially the pursuit stages ^^
Hope to see it soon.

[matchbox2022]

as fun as that would be twinley, I really don't have the time, sounds I am okay at.

I'd love to learn questing / scripting...maybe eventually those ideas can come to fruition.

[Marvin]

I found that having a list of quest options in front of me helps when designing a scenario. For example, way back when, another member of the Starwraith community began writing a story which was to be converted to a quest for either Legends or Mercenary (I forget which) ... but his story had the "player" fall asleep in one location and, later, wake up elsewhere ... an option which that quest engine didn't support. But an option which the Legacy engine does support (along with branching).

[Twinley]

@Matchbox2022: I totally see what you mean ^^

@Marvin: Yes, you're right, I'm actually doing a quest_test , and each stage is a quest option of the game to see how that works. helping me with the Quest0_sample and the documents you made : )
I also use the software that I motioned on my first message. As I can put notes outside of the stage blocks, it's really helpful to put ideas : )

https://e-nautia.com/twinley/disk/Evoch ... edit03.jpg

So I can note if there is something that doesn't work, and test several options.

[Marvin]

In case you haven't noticed, the discs inside the Vonari jumpgates (Transporter quests) are custom, as is the cube from the Cosmic Glitch quest. They might help in determining size (big enough to see) and distance (which can be critical for advancing the quest to the next stage).

[Twinley]

Thanks for the tip Marvin : )

I already tested to import the disc in blender, and the scale was good. I think the " problem " is the scale when I export an object.

I made a test with a cube of 50x50x50.

if the dimensions in blender are 50x50x50 and I export it with a scale 1, I've got a really small object.
If I increase the scale x100, the dimensions ingame are good : )

https://e-nautia.com/twinley/disk/Evoch ... edit08.jpg

I think there is a distance of about 10 for the limit of the collision between the ship and the cube. I have to check that.

[Twinley]

I checked the distance for the collision, and I think it's about 10 units ( I don't know if it's meters or miles, or something else ^^ )
https://e-nautia.com/twinley/disk/Evoch ... edit09.jpg

[Marvin]

You can get an accurate activation distance by creeping up on the waypoint, keeping an eye on the distance readout. I think I made a few tests using the default buoy, adjusting the size of the buoy and rotating it to see how it affected activation.

[Twinley]

@Marvin: Yes totally right, I noticed that on the last video I made, If you pay attention, each 10 units the containers pushed me away ( no, you can't get me ^^ ) . but I wasn't really sure.
I'll try to make a hole in the cube ( maybe 10 units from the edges) to see if I'm blocked ^^

[Twinley]

I tested with a hole in the cube and that works, we can cross it : )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwkdVmo ... e=youtu.be

That gives me a lots of idea ^^

[Marvin]

Cool little demo video.

[Twinley]

Thank you : )

Here is another Video test, I wanted to see how I could manage an area with several objects. It sounds like it's better to make a *.X object with all the different objects already in place.
https://youtu.be/3kyUG2saWTI
(ok I'll have to practice a lot to be a better pilot ^^)

[Marvin]

It's much easier to maneuver when not in inertial mode ... that said, keep in mind that if you make all your waypoints into one .x object, you'll only have one waypoint. Unless there's something I haven't thought of for assigning more than one "center" to a single object.

[Twinley]

hé hé ^^

For the waypoints, there is a little trick.

In your 3d software ( here in blender ) you probably have the ability to check the coordinates of your different objects
https://e-nautia.com/twinley/disk/Evoch ... edit10.jpg

In my exemple, the first cube ( green ) is at 0/0/0 . I set the scale on 1 and the grid on 50/2 . so when I moved the other cubes, the center of the cubes are exactly placed each 25 or 50 unites.
The 2nd cube ( bleu ) is at 100/225/150. I took notes of the coordinates for each cube on a paper before to export all the cubes on a single *.x object.
Then when I wrote the quest file, I simply had the add or subtract the coordinates to the origin of the *.x location ingame.

For exemple:
- the origin of the *.x objet is -20000/0/20000 ingame. It matches with the first cube in the object which was at 0/0/0, so no need to do anything for the first one.
- For the cube B, I had to add the coordinates 100/150/225 to the origin ( the Y and the Z value have to be invert ingame ). So the next waypoint is at -19900/150/20225. : )
I hope I'm clear enough ^^

[Marvin]

Yup. Brilliant.

[matchbox2022]

Man that flythrough object looks awesome!!!!!! Great idea!

making me want to try quest scripting....can't wait to try your idea when its done.

[Twinley]

hé hé thank you, I'll try to share it soon : )

[Marvin]

Keep in mind that quest (custom) objects disappear when you leave the sector. As the old saying goes: if you snooze, you lose.

[Twinley]

Oh ! good to know, thank you : )

Right now I think I'm going to make a kind of " training area " to pratice the piloting skill. ( as you could see... I have to pratice myself ^^ )
The other funny thing I noticed is if I put an " end quest " (88) option , when the mission is finished the objects are sticked to the player, they follow me when I move ^^. I think I have to use the option to remove the object at the end, but for now I didn't try.

[Marvin]

Stickied objects were among the early glitches ... most of which were fixed by Vice. The "dog followed me home" which happens with an 88 is one I never tested. I have a feeling Vice will be fixing this one too, as soon as he reads your post. Ergo, keep the scenario close at hand so you can test Vice's inevitable fix.

[Twinley]

I have no doubt about that ^^,I'm pretty sure we can find tricks to avoid this : )
I noticed that " bug " because I wanted to try the 88 option, and when the end of the quest came... I tried to reach one of the cube... but even if I tried to increase my speed, the cube always stayed at the same place in my point of view... and after while, I checked with the " building top view "... and I saw that the custom objects were moving according to me, that made me laugh ^^