Europa: NWN2

January 2012

2012-01-01T04:54:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Progress continues! Soon I will have all 40+ areas for lvls 1-8 ready for exploration, including 4 human townships, a half race hill fort, 2 elven towns and a dwarven city. In these zones, ruins, mines, catacombs and caves will be available. A series of quests in each of the starter 4 human cities will also be available for testing.
The first launch will be to test the following systems:
1) The training area and portal system.
2) The TCC revised crafting system and the Europa material spawn system.
3) Europa's foraging and career system and benches.
4) General area transitions and creature spawns.
5) All of the haks used in Europa, but specifically the PC tools, KEMO storage, auction & scrolls as well as Pain't journaling system that works in tangent with the SQL database.)
-
Several other small things need to be tested, all of which will be listed upon entering...
-
The server will be online, but a password will be required. For the purpose of all testing until the formal launch, the password will always follow the month and year in a numeric sequence: For January, the password will be...
ex. 012012

please leave comments on our posting site. I welcome any constructive criticism and suggestions.
...I am looking at a January 9th/10th test launch, given that all goes as well as it has for the past few weeks. Hope to see you all soon.
Erik.

December 2011

2011-12-13T03:38:00.000-08:00

Development updates:
1- I have finally finished connecting all the exterior areas for the levels 1-4 and 5-8. These include a total of 27 exterior zones and 21 interior explorable areas (not including places like temples, inns, guilds and markets, those are city areas).
To list the zones:
-The Sanctuary start zone and the new Training Hall.
-[in the North West] Hellenath, Sitaria, Linaria and Thalassa. Paralia, Bryn, Caligo Malum and Earunu.
-[in the North East] Kirmizi'Kayi, Buyuculuk, Kara Koprusa and Kuchu'Boyuz, Mallatta and Faomon.
-[in the South East] Gaellen, Pairc Oscail, Aillarda, Tur-Aill, Tur-D'aois, Thuaid Pas, Kardorn and Pantaure.
-[in the South West] Scavalan, Skraent, Dal-Mingol, Ostlige and Forsvunde. Updates of those areas for the on-line map are soon forthcoming.

2- We have been experiencing SQL Database issues lately. I hope to have all this resolved soon, but until then, all testing has been postponed. ...NOW, having said that... the server is ON-LINE right now, so that test players can go explore the areas and get a sneak peak at the landscapes.
The Password for accessing the server is the month and year in numerics ( 122011 ).

3- This weekend, between Xmas decorating, shopping and actually getting more than 4-6 hours of sleep, I will hopefully get the material spawns installed in all the areas, add in the environmental effects and scripts and add some creature spawns.
...IF I can get the database back up, we are most likely looking at a post-Xmas testing, possibly a full testing on the 1st of the New Year! ...this will include testing of elements listed as: Creature spawns and drops, material and random loot spawns, Foraging, Career and Crafting systems, Reknown System, Quests, the Training Area, Persistent Storage & Scrolls and the Auction System. And a few more hopefully.

That's all for now. I hope to hear some comments on the environment looks soon from anyone interested in looking around.

Erik.

November 2011

2011-11-06T09:22:00.001-08:00

UPDATE on the NWN2; Europa the Dark Age... Database has been vigorously tested, and the results are.
1) PC location saves within a 60 second period of your last location upon server crash, and on the spot when you intentionally log off.
2) the Date and Time saves well and restores upon server reboot within a 15 minute intermission after a server crash.
3) the player written notes (that is, your own typed logs to remind you of things to do, places to farm, etc) works like a charm. The journals DO record to the database, but [ISSUE] in game the journal entries do not populate...
[RESOLUTION] the resolution at this time will be to create 0.01 lb scroll/paper items that contain the journal information to accompany the quest, so that players will know which quests they need to complete, and at what stage they are. They will be able to discard the papers at any time, or store them in the provided quest bag until no longer needed. This way the quest items will take no room int eh inventory and weigh only a fraction of their total weight thanks to the quest bag.
Construction of quests and content will resume this afternoon.

September 2011

2011-09-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

I'm back, and in black...
...well, mostly black and mostly back. It was a demanding summer, I won't go into any details, but health has been improved and I got another teaching contract this fall.
.
.
.
- What this means is that there will be more building on Europa, with a few modifications to the build-schedule. The new priority will be to get the environment up and running and do a server load test.
- I'm not going to give any dates, but asap is on my list.
that's all for now, keep an eye on this blog for more details...
-
Erik.

July 2011

2011-07-14T10:30:00.001-07:00

Europeans...
I have an announcement regarding the building of Europa II. I'm going to be putting the building aside for a while, for several reasons... personal, professional and health wise as well. I will be staying in touch of course, but I need to step back for a while. I doubt that I will be abandoning the build completely, but it will slow down considerably as a result.
The fact is, I have been doing 99% of the project alone for over 3 years now and it has cost me a lot personally, so I need to make a decision. If I had a build team like some of the servers do, it would be different, but right now I can't see myself finishing the entire server by myself at the same speed and with the same energy it has been developing at for the past few years...it's unsustainable for one person to do.
Soooo, the project will be put on the bottom of the pile for now while I reinvest my time into work and paying projects, I might even finish that P&P game I was working on, and the card game that went with it. I'll definitely be getting back into some artwork and novel writing, I think it's long overdue.

I am STILL looking for some scripters to help with some of the things I can't do without expending months learning to script... so if anyone wants to help while the project is on the down-low, that would be great ... In any case, I'll keep in touch, notify people (most likely in the fall) of any advancements on the project and what not. If any of you are Pen & Paper players (P&P), then keep an eye/ear out for my project: Sins of Redemption.

TTYAS.
Erik.

June 2011

2011-06-19T15:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a month and much has been accomplished!
...
Just now, I finished modifying the creatures in the level 1-4 areas, reducing the damage of some from as much as 2d8 to a more reasonable amount, like 1d3 or at a max of 1d4. This will give the non-fighters a reasonable chance in what would otherwise be an unfair fight.
Will fighters get any opportunities at a challenging fight you may ask...absolutely! There will be hunting and boss quests in each city, plus the exploratory undergrounds, ruins and caves all have dangers of their own!
-
I'm adding the cave and ruin spawns now...and, have already added the first quest! A discovery quest entitled: Discovery: The Towers of the Last Guard.
-
More quests will be added in all of the 4 starter cities, with roughly about 40 quests slated for stage 1 of the build.
-
Some small content has to continue, most of it aesthetic such as decorating the inside of houses and the like... but if all goes well, I'm looking at a late August launch!

Erik.

May 2011

2011-05-05T15:48:00.001-07:00

And we're back!
After a short hiatus of being offline and moving, I am back and ready to build. The build schedule and potential Beta testing for the low levels is this month, so better get crakin'... chop chop chop [oops, I think I need that finger....]

Erik.

April 2011

2011-04-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

- Well, I had hoped to do a test on the weekend of the 16th, but none of the test players have answered. It is, after all, exam time in most universities and colleges, so I think I'll take the extra time to add more to test...
- So far, a lot has been done, creature behaviors in lvl 1-4 areas have been modified, some will attack on sight, others will not. The new foraging and career systems have been set up. As per the player's requests, only intelligent creatures will drop gold, other creatures that drop mats, like leather hides, will have a 1 in 2, 4, 6 or 8 chance to drop their mats upon death.
- I'm in the process of decoration and adding full transitions to all the lvl 1-4 exterior areas, of which there are 13. Added to this will be 10 interior 'explorable' areas, such as catacombs, caves, mines and ruins.
- After that will come the creature and mats placeable spawns, night spawns, merchants and of course random commoners and their conversations...Quests will of course, come last.
- All in all, I'm looking at a beta launch for lvl 1-4 playability in May, once we move into the new townhouse and all is settled of course.
Erik.

March 2011

2011-03-01T06:42:00.000-08:00

- Work has kept me sufficiently busy so as to stall the building process to a crawl in February. March, fortunately, has a full week, 9 beautiful days of availability. Yes ladies and gentlemen, I am speaking of the GLORIOUS March Break! A perk of working at the college is that I have the March break off. So as my students go galavanting about I will be hard at work adding content to the lvl 1-4 areas in preparation for the next server test...Presumably on March 19th to the 21st.
- Now, I am adding some content, not all. [hehehehe] but I'm hoping to get quite a few test players online this time...

Erik.

February

2011-02-16T15:54:00.000-08:00

The game server load test is set for the weekend of February 19th to the 21st.

IF the server can handle the load then I will leave it running and see how much it can take over time...

Please record ANY and ALL problems encountered here. Include the area name, approximate location, what you were doing and what happened.

Thanks Everyone.
Erik.

January (well, end of)

2011-01-29T09:28:00.000-08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen. [ahem, clears throat]
- ...The 61 areas are now built! It's a bit behind, but if you have been following the newsletter, then you know that in December I pushed the server test back to Mid February. The server test date is currently set to the weekend/week of Feb 19-27th. A post and emails will be sent out to notify all registered members.

- I finished all the 61 zones, softened the terrains and will be placing the last textures and walkmeshes this weekend. Half of the continent's transitions are already done, so adding the rest will take another week or so.
- Adding terrain decor and the primary ruins/cities in the exterior areas will be done on the weeks of the 4th to the 18th of February. I anticipate that not ALL of the terrains will be fully decorated in complete detail at the time of testing, but what will later be added will have minimal impact on the testing and load of the server [a rock here, a bench there].
- I also took into consideration many of the suggestions for terrain environments suggested by the players. Here are some that have been accepted; a lake area inhabited by Fae creatures, no, not the nice ones...lol. A lost temple in the mist where dark magics have trapped the protecting army there over the centuries, making them turn on everyone who enters the mist. An ancient hero's graveyard of cairn graves which lead to subterranean catacombs. A monolithic stone landscape now abandoned but still holding secrets and power. A prehistoric forest filled with all manner of giant plants, creatures and dangers. A haunted forest where a ghost army still walks the earth, hoping to complete their sworn duty...

- So, that's where it's at everyone! The server test date is set, I am on track with the building schedule and I am REALLY looking forward to seeing the launch. I have countless quest and plot ideas written down and many many more stirring in the back of my mind, so believe me when I say, Europa II ... will be anything but boring.... [grins evilly]
Erik.

December

2010-12-16T15:19:00.000-08:00

[Ahem]

How to begin. Well, how about with a bold statement: Europa II is being redesigned from the ground up. Yes, you read right, but don't despair... this will barely affect the current timeframe for the server test, which was sadly already far behind because of the many issues that popped up.

Here's what has been done. A new continent was generated using L3DT, which has 61 playable zones. Why? The reason is this: the existing map for Europa was a hand-painted heightmap of the current Earth Europe layout, but had none of the correct heights or dimensions. England was squeezed down to a 10 area zone, completely disproportionate to the real terrain it should have represented. However, the new randomly generated continent looks amazing! It has opened up all manner of possibilities and game-story plot venues. I was in a situation where I had to redo all the walkmesh on all the terrains in E2 already, so the substitution of this new continent doesn't push me back one bit. What may take a few days is replacing the transition triggers that had already been done, but that won't add on more than another week at most.

When will it be ready for a server test and eventual gaming? Well, I'm looking at January for a server load test. Then another 2 months before actual gaming content in sufficient detail will be available to keep players entertained enough while I add more in the background.

So that is Mid-December's update. My work contract is now done at the college till January so I will be dedicating allot more time to the development. Other than that, I appreciate all the environment suggestions I have been getting and I have added a few of the ones I really liked to the map. That's all for now. Keep posted for more updates.

Erik.

November procrastinations.

2010-11-10T03:42:00.000-08:00

October went by fast and here we are in the month of November already... and I'm behind schedule. SIGH.

The problems lies in the Tanita's Terra Coppa and a drawn out decision on my part on if I wanted the textures to be present for the server load test or not. I decided to give all of Europa its basic texture and proceeded to "paint the world", literally. Then I used Tanita's plugin to transfer the border textures to the adjacent area so that when players lod form one zone to the next, it would look like the last place they had been. It's not seamless transitioning but it's as good as NWN2 gets.

The issue is this, in transferring the textures, even if you remove ALL check-marks except the texture, it rewrites the walkmesh of the new area in the places where the texture has been replaced... soooooo... I have found myself re-doing ALL the 70 zone walkmesh. Time lost: weeks.

S I G H.

Anyways, I'm slowly getting back to it, and hope that the server load test will be available over the holidays... that's the best I can do while working alone on this project.

On another note, the textures that ARE there, look fabulous. (A sneak peak Here).

Erik.

October and more progress...!

2010-10-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

Fantastic!

October is here, and ALL the exterior terrains are added into Europa II. I will have all of the walkmesh done by the 25th, and hopefully we can do a server load test by November 1st !!!

I also added 3 secret exterior areas that will be for the 25-30 lvl areas and up... these will be part of either Epic quests, the Path-Quests or as part of the Story-Plot arcs. In any case, they are on the fringes of the known lands, usually remote (islands) or accessible only by caves/passages.

The 4 basic starter cities and their structures are up! There was an issue with the RWS haks, in that when added, they overwrote all the SoZ placeables! Not good, so, Europa II will have to do without them... and I have to admit, the results are actually pretty respectable, new towers, made of composite structures/building will be places in the major cities of Glastenbury Tor & New Byzantium.

All that is left before the server test is to add in the transitions for quadrants 4 & 5, a few bridges or rowboats travel to permit access and some basic textures for all those zones. Then we can test...and I REALLY can't wait to know your opinions!!!

Erik.

September 2010 Dev news.

2010-09-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are in September, two of the quadrants are done and I started the third; the forbidden lands.

We're Back!

2010-08-10T07:41:00.000-07:00

- Wow, what a summer. If anyone was wondering "what ever happened to Europa?", it's an easy answer... real world work... lol

- I have been working for a college for the past 5 weeks in an intensive & immersive English as a Second Language program, requiring me to live on campus and leave behind all technology during my teaching term. It was a spectacular 5 weeks and I met people from all around the world, in addition, I got a full time job for the fall out of it!

- Soon my girlfriend will be going for major dental and jaw surgery and will be incapacitated for many weeks as a result, this will slow down the project just a little, but that's is understandable. Europa will be back on track and hopefully launched before 2011 begins, at least in the testing phase.

- There is still allot to do and I am in need of a part time scripter, but most seem to be engaged in their own projects or uninterested in joining projects they don't have complete/major control of... lol

- I will be beginning to build terrains again today. My first priority is to do a server load test and make sure the server CAN handle all the zones I want to add. This means connecting ALL the areas together and preparing the walkmesh layout. Decorations and what-not's will come in Phase II.

The build schedule should work out something like this:

I - All exterior areas, transitions and walkmesh setups.

- Test the server for any load issues.

II - Build-up the cities, terrains and scenery.

- Another load test to iron out any issues.

III - Add NPC content, conversations and scripts necessary to skills, careers and traps etc.

- Thoroughly test all aspects and conversations.

IV - Add spawns, traps and treasures.

- Launch!

Keep an eye no the progress reports here and our posting site at.

Erik.

June has Come and Gone...

2010-06-23T07:46:00.000-07:00

I regret to inform everyone that Nicethugbert seems to have moved on off the project. I have sent another email to this effect but again, as the ones from April and May, I got no answer. This is most unfortunate, as I REALLY liked the terrains he did and was hoping that I could split that workload with him. This will greatly push back the Europa II release date unless I can find someone who Uses L3DT and is familiar with YATT as well.

Let the word go out ... I am willing to pay someone to do the terrains. Yes, pay, in cash (well, most likely a money order) to convert the terrains I build in L3DT, into usable terrains in NWN2.

On the progress side: the building positioning and port of Glastenbury Tor has been completed. The interiors are all done for the cities, and the walkmeshes are set. Next is Parisii, and then Singinum. Once the city Structures are in place, the environment will be set up and then the NPC's. I will build the surrounding terrains before adding any quests of course, as many of the terrains will influence what quests go where.

On the aspect of Quests, I have outlines 24 quests and quest-related events in each city! That will be almost 100 quests types and half of those are 'progressive" quests. What I mean is that let's say you take on a Delivery Quest at level 1. After completing it, the NPC will suggest you come back later to do more deliveries. If you accept, he gives you a memo reminder and when you reach lvl 4 and speak to him again, he gives you a different, more difficult delivery quest. This progresses through several stages, usually a minimum of 4 quests from that Quest Type. Now, here is the catch, all of these are level capped: characters of level 1-4 will receive a different quest from the same NPC than those of level 5-8. This will mean that no matter what your level you are, you will always be able to go to a starter city and take on a quest.

Now, this is only factored for the 4 initial cities... there are a total of 15 cities which means there will be 11 cities to discover in various territories, all with their own sets of quests. However, the level and progression of those quests will be significantly more narrow. I am thinking of 3-5 quests in each city, which is still an additional 45-75 quests! Meaning, not including the storyplot nodes and the 'paths', players will have 150-200 quests to do in Europa overall! I think this will keep many people VERY busy.

...nuff said?

Erik.

4 Cities Ready....

2010-06-01T10:41:00.001-07:00

T'is done!

The 4 starting city's structures are built, totaling 53 areas (58 if you factor in the dungeons I have already built). 8 additional areas will be added later to represent the city-home interiors. Those will be built after the cities are placed on their individual terrains as the selection of each home and structure will be dependent on the terrain allowances.

Speaking of terrains, I am afraid that the project may be delayed on its release date of August. I have tried contacting NiceThugbert for some time now, with little to no results. If I can't get a hold of him by the 25th of this month, I will have to drop him from the project. Reliability is paramount on a project this size, and I am not seeing it lately. However, I hope to hear form him soon, he does excellent work and is pleasant to work with and Europa would look stunning with his terrains and my development.

On the other hand, I am learning to delve and develop in L3DT and have successfully built a terrain and imported it into the NWN2 toolset via YATT. Mine are no where as nice as NTB's (LOL) but in time, they will be. In, ALLOT of time that is.

So that is a 'SitRep' for the current month. I'll be decorating the building interiors this month and developing more 'starter' dungeons when time allows it. I'll see if there is more information on how to make and transfer terrains from L3DT to YATT and perfect my skills there too.

Erik.

Europa II Progress Report.

2010-05-27T18:47:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to report that most of the main structures for the 4 starting cities are built to the exception of the commoner's homes (which are a low priority on the architecture list).

New Byzantium's Arcane Tower, Bazaar, Merchant's Guild, Barracks, Jail-house, Temple, Casbah and Inn, Warehouse & Baig's Home are erected. I have also built three dungeons already.

Singidun's Warehouse, Marketplace and Merchant's Guild, Temple Academy Complex, Hospice and Magistrate's Home are built as well.

Parisii's Warcamp and Great Hall, Market House, Barracks, Training hall, Mead Hall and Church are erected.

Glastenbury Tor's Tower was already there, as many of the Britannia structures from Europa I, so most of that is done already.

After a well deserved weekend off and a good feast of lobster, I will begin decorating all of the interiors and adding secret passages, etc. I predict this will be completed by the end of June. At that time I will add the NPC houses and decors. As fortune would have it, I got a summer teaching contract, which will eat-up most of my time in July. But building Europa is a pro-bono gig, I gotta pay the bills somehow. LOL

Hopefully soon I will hear form Nicethugbert about the exterior terrains made from L3DT software and converted to NWW2.

A word on the exterior terrains in Europa II. Much talk on the Bioware sites rant on and on about the value of 'eye candy' in a terrain, exalting high levels of visually pleasing content versus the amounts of terrains offered. Many servers have many more interior areas than exterior, which to me is absurd.

A world isn't inside, it's outside.

Europa WILL sport an impressive interior count, 60 just in the 4 starting cities. Add to this the 40 explorable caves, mines, crypts and ruins scattered throughout Europa, and you will have 100 interior areas. But an equal amount of exterior areas will also be available...

...of these exterior areas, you will see open air structures, abandoned sanctuaries, swampland ruins, etc. What you will NOT see is tons of RAM eating decor. Beautifying an exterior area doesn't add to a quest, it doesn't add to the story plot or make the game any more fun...it is what it is, 'eye candy', nothing more. Europa II will work on the premise of content. More quests as opposed to forests of individually generated trees and waterfalls with dazzling effects.

YES, we will strive to make our terrains attractive, appealing to the player, but if there is interesting content such as a stony outcrop or a waterfall, it will be because there is MORE to it, than meets the eye... [grins evilly].

So, I end my rant. Europa II will be dedicated to content and player's suggestions like the ability to build your own home, tent or tower. It will use player based crafting as the main source for magical items. IF all goes well, Europa II will also boast a territory conquest system, as we had suggested in Europa I, where players can form alliances and conquer, invade and defend territories. But, that is a tale for another time...

Erik.

May Madness... Mercenaries are fixed.

2010-05-08T06:38:00.001-07:00

When we started, Europa had Merccenaries you could hire that leveled to the average PC lvl. Two issues became apprarent: the first, and the most problematic, was that the mercenaries would adopt the average level of ALL players in game. The other issue was that when dismissed, the mercenaries would be unsummoned.

Resolution: Thanks to Lokey, a simple line change in the script now adapts the NPC mercenary's XP level to that of the SPEAKER player instead of all the PC's collective average XP. Additionally, when you dismiss the merc, they will now remain on site. This will permit players to leave mercs at home, swap mercs or post them as guards (albeit not very powerful ones).

NEXT? Per is going to belt out another round of recipes to me, so the total potential amount of recipe books in game will rise to 75+. These will be distributed amongst the 4 types of guilds all over Europa II (fighter, thief, cleric & magi guilds).

Some interior areas have been built for Europa II's Eastern lands. These include a low level mine, cave and temple ruins, as well as a high level ruinds and the 'New Byzantium Tower of High Magi". Pics can be seen here.

Enjoy.

Erik.

Europa II ...Europa is reborn!

2010-04-01T22:10:00.000-07:00

That is correct, Europa will be reborn as Europa II.

This is not a deviation form the original Europa MPW, but rather a return to the original concept of having adventuring as a central aspect and many places to adventure to!

What will happen?

Currently we are building 50 area quadrants with the L3DT software (thanks to NicethugBert) with 4-5 quadrants making up the sum of Europa II. Players will be able to start in Britannia, Gallic lands, the eastern lowlands or in the Turkish Peninsula in any of the 4 stater cities. Exploration will lead to discovering other cities, temples, shrines and ruins...

Game play will be enhanced by more than just combat-oriented quests, but also discovery, research and search based skill quests. Everywhere players go, there will be a chance of discovering secrets, find clues to mysteries or finding lost places to adventure in. Fighters will no longer be central character classes. Arcanists will be able to do research to find clues and look up lost lores. The devout will be able to seek omens and divine signs to know where to go next. And thieves will be able to do what they do best...

Europa II will keep all the great things the current server has and add more! More skill based check, more adventure and hidden places, more quests and more hidden areas to explore....and more danger!

Erik.

New Europa Map (pdf).

2010-03-07T18:41:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Pelle-Plutt, we now have an updated Europa Map for download.

Hoorah!

Hoorah!!

Hoorah !!!

Erik

General Blog and Comments (Mar. 07)

2010-03-07T11:19:00.001-08:00

Here anyone can make comments, suggestions or start whatever they so please.

One rule: language. I have NEVER and WILL NOT tolerate inappropriate language. Just don't do it... There is no excuse for poor manners.

Erik.

~Happy St Patty's Day Event~ "Smack That Leprechaun!"

2010-03-07T10:23:00.000-08:00

OUR FIRST EVENT!

~Happy St Patty's Day Event~ " Smack That Leprechaun ! "

March 17th, from 12 Noon to 12 Midnight (AST) - MAD leprechauns, wearing green and causing mischief, will be seen all over Europa! Hit one, even but once, and you will get his pot'o'gold! (2000gp/pc level) - Any method counts, missiles, spells, melee, anything, as long as you land one hit, you win! - They are rare though, not common creatures at all, so look everywhere, explore all areas far and wide, you never know where you might find one! - ....there goes one now! ....

Best Screenshot Award! (April 2010)

2010-03-07T09:51:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Europa's FIRST 'Best Screenshot Awards (BSA). I hope to make this a regular thing, every April, August & December. Of the three winners of each, an annual winner will be chosen.

ALL winners are chosen by vote and judges will always be non-Europa players. Different judges will be chosen each contest.

-April 1st will be the first judging.

-Only one screenshot will be accepted per player.

-April first's prize, is a surprise !!!

Let the screenshot begin!

-Please submit screenshot to the site email address.

First Submission!

Submitted by: Pelle-Plutt

Title: 'Eye of the werewolf'

Second Submissions: Ericbreau

Title: "Fighting the Lilithim".

Votes are in: Keep the magical items or not.

2010-03-07T09:09:00.000-08:00

With over 10 votes, here is the result: 60% of the players would rather see option 3 implemented in Europa. (Leave the low level and expendable items (arrows, bolts, magic missile wands, etc), but remove all the rest of the items. Players would need to contact crafting PCs for any items past a common +1 enchantment).

Upon the Match 16th Update, all magical items of a +2 or higher enchantment which can be crafted will be removed from the merchants. However, items such as arrows, bolts, javelins, throwing axes, bullets, etc, will remain. Accordingly, low level wands such as the magic missile wands will not be removed.

This should certainly not discourage players from crafting these items, as PC crafted items are typically far more powerful than the store bought ones. Just ask Astrid about her wands, wow!

There will be many methods by which PCs can sell their wares.

-A- Post your items for sale on the posting boards in the market places (I would ask each vendor to use one page each to post all their sales, please).

-B- place your items for sale in the Auctions in each city.

-C- sell them to stores so other PCs can buy them there.

IF you are going to start crafting (in a serious manner) I will suggest you either purchase a shop, a house, or put in with other players to buy a villa together. However, Villa's a large and will take time to construct. Chose where and the content carefully, because once built they cannot be removed or modified for some time.

Erik.

POLL: Keep Magical Items or Not?

2010-02-27T11:53:00.000-08:00

• With the addition of the new Complete Craftsman and KEMO auction haks, we need to make a decision.

• Crafting has always been and was planned to be an integral part of Europa form the beginning. However, all merchants carry one copy of each possible magical item in their inventories and although access to these stores and their items is limited by the level/areas where they are accessible, this means that players do not need to rely on PC based crafting to get magical items. This renders crafting as a lesser-necessity skill and the crafting PCs are good to have, but not critical character.

• Given that crafting was meant to be a 'character inclusive aspect', meaning that playing a crafting character was to be as important as an adventurer, we need to decide what to do with the shops' magical item contents.

• The following suggestions have been made.

-1- Keep it as is; leave the magical items in the shops and crafters will be on equal parr with NPC merchants.

-2- Take out all the powerful items (ex: holy sword or staff of the magi), but leave the ones like sword+1, shield +2, cloak +3, etc . Crafting PCs would make specialty items but access to normal items should be open.

-3- Leave the low level and expendable items (arrows, bolts, magic missile wands, etc), but remove all the rest of the items. Players would need to contact crafting PCs for any items past a common +1 enchantment.

-4- Take them all out, leave only non magical items in play. Crafting and the very rare drops should be the only way to get a magical item...

• Please go to the Poll on the right and post your vote (only once please). Your opinion really matters, so after your poll, you can leave a comment below.

Thank you all.

Erik.

The Europa Cup!

2010-02-27T09:44:00.001-08:00

Yes, that is right! A hand-made, terracotta, customized Europa Cup.

- This particular model is mine folks, hands off! However! should our regular membership grow so as to include a solid player base, then... I will make another Europa Mug and place it up for draw!

- That's right, your own Europa Mug, complete with the Europa name on one side of the Rim, and your favorite character's name on the other! Hand crafted and kiln fired by yours truly!

...Are you an addict? Have Europa on the brain? Then you should have a Europa Cup! Sign ups for the interested are below, please place your Login name.

Erik.

General Blog and Comments (Feb. 10)

2010-02-19T14:09:00.000-08:00

OUR FIRST EVENT!

2010-02-19T14:01:00.000-08:00

OUR FIRST EVENT! ~Happy St Patty's Day Event~ March 17th, from 12 Noon to 12 Midnight (AST) " Smack That Leprechaun ! " - MAD leprechauns, wearing green and causing mischief, will be seen all over Europa! Hit one, even but once, and you will get his pot'o'gold! (2000gp/pc level) - Any method counts, missiles, spells, melee, anything, as long as you land one hit, you win! - They are rare though, not common creatures at all, so look everywhere, explore all areas far and wide, you never know where you might find one! - ....there goes one now! ....

General Blog and Comments (Dec. 09)

2009-12-27T19:15:00.000-08:00

Europa Game Content (Dec 2009)

2009-12-27T18:17:00.000-08:00

Europa. (Requires NWN2 v.1.23 & MotB).

(UPDATE Dec 27th/09) ~See previous post regarding general content.~

___________________________

QUESTS: There are currently several type of quests and several of each type in Europa's starting city alone. All major cities in Europa have quests and Lundenwic, Europa's starting city currently has a total of quests for PCs of level 1-7. All quests in Europa are repeatable if the player has not surpassed the PC lvl cap, so you and your friends can do your favorite quests over again if you like!

-Common Quests: These are quests that any player can take, they typically involve getting items for someone by killing creatures. There are currently 7 common quests in Lundenwic capped at PC level 5.

-Gender Quests: These are quests that only a male, or female character can take. There are currently 2 gender quests in Lundenwic capped at PC level 5.

-Adventure Quests: Adventure quests can be acquired by visiting the PC's 'Adventure Guild'. They are by no means easy and should be attempted with the aid of others or mercenaries. These pit the PC against boss and unique creatures in various locales. There are 3 adventure quests in Lundenwic capped at PC level 7.

-Epic Quests: Taken from period lore and mythological records, epic quests place the PC in the place of literary heroes in epic story reenactments that attempt to stay true to the original tale. Each of these may have several stages that must be achieved in order to complete them, typically requiring a party of players to complete. Lundewic is host to the epic quest of 'Beowulf & Grendel' which comes in 3 quest stages. This quest is capped at PC level 8.

-Discovery Quests: Once your PC starts exploring about the countryside surrounding Lundenwic, you may begin to discover ancient ruins and lost monolithic sites. These are typically part of the discovery quests and will require intrepid and detailed exploration of the terrain. accepting a discovery quest is a multistage endeavor.

-STORY PLOTS: Europa comes with a mystery driven plot in which PCs may become embroiled. It includes aspects of discovery, combat and adventuring. More than just a series of quests, a story plot is a trail of breadcrumbs the PC must use their intellect and courage to follow to solve the mystery of Europa.

___________________________

Quests in development: There are new quests types in development for Europa's higher level environments. These include but are not limited to:

-Riddle Quests: PCs will be asked a random riddle, if they select the correct answer they receive a reward. Failure will get them cursed.

-Guardian Quests: PCs will be given the task to defend a target/place for a specified amount of time. Victory gains great rewards, failure will get them killed, or worse.

-Class Based Quests: four quests, one for each PC character archetype (fighter, thief, mage & cleric), will be developed. These will be quests that are best suited for that character class archetype, but can ultimately be taken by any multi class or intrepid PC.

-STORY PATHS: Once a PC has advanced in sufficient levels, they will be given to opportunity to embark on a story path of their choosing. Paths are like story plots, but will take players in different directions. Four possible paths are currently being suggested; Path of Heroes, Path of the Otherworld, Path of the Nine Hells and the Path of Darkness. These are not alignment or class driven, rather they are topic oriented and it would not be out of the ordinary for a Paladin and a Blackguard to both join the Path of Darkness, albeit to discover the 'truth' of the darkness, for different reasons...

Remember:

* Role-Playing is not enforced, but we ask that you respect those who do/do not RP.

-Always whisper or speak directly to a PC if you are talking ‘In-Character’. Do not DM or Shout unless your character is actually speaking to a DM or shouting…

-Please use direct chat to explain for instructions or to give any information between players.

* Europa is running on a PC-driver server (4GB-quad processor) and a 10MB-Download / 1MB-Upload high-speed connection. 13-20 players limit. Europa will be running 24/7 eventually, with regular reboots on Tuesdays at 7 AM/PM (AST).

CREDITS:

Developer: Erik Breau.

Development Aid: Barry the Hatchet, Pelle-Plut.

Scripting: ‘Zheldon’, 'Axe Murderer'.

Test Players: Bryan ‘Crogano’ Arseneau, Davy ’Sir Kills-allot’ Thomas, James ‘Lynx-San’ Beattie, Pelle-Plutt, Chipoutski, Annoying Git.

DMs: 'Cernunnos' the 'Horned One'. (Celtic Pantheon).

* REMEMBER, THE ENVIRONMENT WILL BE CONSTANTLY UPDATED WITH NEW CONTENT, AREAS AND QUESTS.

Pictures from Europa.

2009-12-27T18:16:00.001-08:00

The Europa Gallery has been update and includes all areas that Player's can now access, as well as enticing tidbits of information about each area.

Europa Photo Album: Please feel free to post your comments here, or on the album itself.

Erik.

Europa - A short History.

2009-12-27T18:13:00.000-08:00

The History of Europa.
It is now the 575th year A.F. That is “After the Fall”, allow me to explain young apprentice…
For months magi and wise scholars had followed the star as it traveled across the night sky, a sign of the coming of a messiah. But in the pitch of a dark winter night the sign became an omen and with a thundering sound, the earth shook and the night became day…and there followed a long, dark night.
The first years were the most difficult, the skies emanated but a dim light and only for a few hours. Crops were decimated, livestock died and empires fell. At first, people turned inwards and made the best with what they had, but when these meager resources disappeared, people turned outward and there was war. Entire cities were laid to waste, so much so that ruins now dot the land. Time passed, months became years and eventually the skies began to clear. So many people had died in that time that entire civilizations were decimated. Cultures disappeared and the few cities that remained were mere candles in an endless sea of wilderness.
Then there happened ‘the coming’, a multitude of peoples appeared from the seas, the deep forests, the mountains and even the bowels of the earth itself. But these were not men as had been seen before, they were the other peoples, those relinquished to lost memory, myth and folklore. The race of man would no longer be alone, the world was now open to the return of the races of dwarves and elves, if but to name a few. Some came to trade, others to settle and yet others came to plunder. And there was war again, but this time it lasted more than a few years. Conflicts exploded as new peoples settled or overtook lands belonging to others, fighting over precious few goods the earth could offer. Everywhere there was lawlessness and violence, each race fought the others in a series of violent wars and broken alliances until there came a time that only a few could remember why the wars had begun.
Finally, an uneasy peace was struck amongst the different people and slowly civilization and trade began again. Cities were rebuilt, cultures flourished once more and with it knowledge of lost arts. Magic, believed long lost, reemerged and became accepted. With time the races intermingled, melding together and fusing beliefs, cultures and peoples till new races emerged; the half races. People began to reclaim the lost cities and forests, venturing deeper into the wilds and underground caves...and what they found frightened them…

The other races were not the only ones to have been forced to seek new lands after the fall, so did all manner of beasts. The goblin races, otherworldly spirits and monsters the likes even the elvish people had forgotten, such as dragons. But they too had fled and now they saw the races of men as nothing but competition.

...Fled from what you ask my young apprentice? Well...this is something you will not learn as common lore. You see, they had fled from the darkness that had arisen after the fall. But this darkness is not the one that blanketed the sky, nor is it the moonlit night, or even the deepest shadow you could imagine. No, this is an evil, ancient and alien to all races. It has no name. It has no face. It has no known origin save that which men have spoken of in hushed tones, things that would make your skin crawl and make every night sleepless till your mortal death. This darkness is nothing short of pure evil, given form without form and power over all things both living and dead. Some have returned form the lands to the north and spoken of the dead, walking the earth and building a great city there, a mockery of life itself. Others have said to have encountered entire villages, decimated with no sign of life, not even a rodent, but a presence was felt and there lingered dark whispers that came from nowhere. The worst is a rumor by a man that travelled by ship to the far lands past the coastal shores of Europa and saw the lifeless bodies of all manner of creatures, twisted and blackened by some unknown disease, puppets who obeyed some unseen master and who seemed to have but one desire...to spread their dark contagion to all they looked upon. This captain barely escaped and when asked what they were, he could only find one word to describe them: ‘Darklings”.
...so now you know. Be weary of this dark power young apprentice, I have long sensed that its grip has extended past those distant shores since the captain’s visit.

Now, let us resume your history lesson, for that is what we are here for...and without this knowledge we are all doomed to repeat its mistakes…

Europa's Current Pantheons & Deities.

2009-12-27T18:10:00.001-08:00

Europa does use the NWN2 OC divinities as a basis for spells and faiths, however, these are perceived as localized gods, belonging to ancestral, familial or local traditions. They do not belong to any particular Pantheon, but should be chosen carefully as they may affects the spells and advantages some character may have.

Europa DOES use a more traditional set of Pantheons & Deities for the purpose of 'Divine Aid' (DM based help). Each DM has dominion over a particular Pantheon and if online, may or may not chose to answer the plea of a character for aid. Sometimes, the avatars of these deities appear in Europa, interacting directly or seeking aid from brave heroes/heroines in some task. Deities may also punish mortals and adventurers who offend them, or desecrate what they see as 'holy'.

A monotheistic divinity may also be chosen as a main deity. However in doing so, you must chose [no deity] at character creation and Players must remember that more recent inceptions of monotheism, such as Islam, Protestant, Pentecostal, etc, did not yet exist in the 6th century. This means that the only monotheistic religions one should consider are Judaism, Christianity and Catholicism. (this is not to insult other beliefs, but the setting and era are set).

Celtic Pantheon:

Cernunnos the “Horned One”: Primary god of the Celtic Pantheon, lord of nature, animals,agriculture, prosperity and the underworld. He is often seen with the antlers of a stag.

Epona the “Great Mare’: portrayed as riding on horseback, or accompanied by a bird, dog or foal, Epona was a goddess introduced to Britannia by the Romans from Mainland Europa. She is associated with fertility and husbandry. Shrines for her can be found in stables.

Lugh the “Shinning One”: associated with the sun and sky, he is seen as one of the most important Celtic deities. He is the master of all arts and crafts, favoured by merchants and artists alike. He is also accredited with bringing enlightement from the otherworld, chasing out the old Fomorian gods of the isles, and beginning a new age of Celtic gods.

Lugh became the leader of the Elven peoples called the Tuatha De Danaan, replacing their former king Nuada “of the Silver Hand“. The Welsh also refer to him as Lleu the “Bright One of the Skilful Hand”.

Sulis the Goddess of the healing spring: Sulis is a Britannia goddess who’s healing springs are reputed to remove all forms of illness. She may come in many forms, but always as a healer.

Dagda the “Great Father” and the “Most Learned”: Dagda was the original leader of the Elven Tuatha De Danaan. He is associated with the sun, weather, harvests, storms, war andfertility. He possesses two great artefacts; the Cauldron of Dagda and the Club of Dagda. The former was said to satisfy all who ate from it, the latter was said to kill any foe it struck while it also had the properties to resurrect allies. Dagda is often perceived as oafish (unintelligent and uncultured) and was eventually succeeded by Nuada.

Morrigan was the primary goddess of War: capable of infusing warriors with frenzy and war-lust, she also possessed te power of prophecy and could take the form of a raven or crow.

Europa Stage 1: Mapping.

2009-09-18T08:46:00.000-07:00

Here is the map for Europa.

Each square is the equivalent of a 24x24 area. This allows for large, open exterior areas. The map is on a 1/781.25 scale of Europa (thanks CID-78). The map will be laid out in a grid marked by letters (west/east horizon lines, A-JJ) and numerical (north/south lines, 1-60). Thus the first area I started with was Britain's Lundenwic city in grids L13/14.

Several areas in the map have been designated as 'empty', I have this designation map. The map attached to this post is generic, based on Europe circa 3rd Century AD/CE.

I will post updates here on the mapping progress.

Erik.

Europa Game Content:

2009-09-18T08:45:00.000-07:00

Europa. (Requires NWN2 v.1.23 & MotB).

Europa is an Multiplayer Persistent world that is set in an alternate reality where in the year BC/AD 1 there occurred a cataclysm that reshaped our reality and introduced the ‘mystical’ races and creatures now populating Europa. Europa has a rich and detailed myth-lore that is woven into the quests and main DM driven story plots. Players become part of that environment through adventuring and participation in quests, gaining status as heroes and adventurers that will be posted in game on persistent posting boards.

* THE ENVIRONMENT WILL BE CONSTANTLY UPDATED WITH NEW CONTENT, AREAS AND QUESTS. Europa presently contains:

* Uses the 1.23 Auto-Downloader for custom content. Mac & Windows players welcome.

* Server based character storage: no local characters allowed so everyone starts on an even foot.

* Legal characters are enforced, items are restricted by levels.

* Level specified areas (challenge of the area can be seen in its title). The further you travel from the starting cities, the harder the challenge.

* A portal system that will allow instant teleportation to any populated area and to certain temples/sacred sites throughout the world of Europa.

* The NWN2 crafting system and ‘Crafting Guilds’ where players can freely craft their items.

* Houses, towers, keeps even forts and merchant shops FOR SALE. Players may purchase a key to a house or a merchant shop from ANY DM, and enjoy the benefits of home and work, with free ‘Persistent Storage’.

* Persistent Banking and Storage for lease, at a very low cost (usually 10 gp) per use.

* Henchmen mercenaries that may be paid for in the city Barracks.

* Guild memberships that give players access to select merchants and quests.

* Persistent Posting Board for messaging as well as a Game Notice Board to view updates, Planned Story Instances as well as upcoming Events.

* PVP and non-PVP areas including an upcoming full team-vs-team PvP Battlefield!

* Role-Playing is not enforced, but we ask that you respect those who do/do not RP.

-Always whisper, talk or speak directly to a PC if you are talking ‘In-Character’. Do not DM or Shout unless your character is actually shouting…

-Please use direct chat to explain or instruct any information between players.

* A good Quests variety: Fighter quests, Mage quests, Thievery quests, Priest quests and general quests. Adventure quests, discovery quests, Epic quests and guardian quests have/will be addedthroughout Europa. Other quests also include gender and alignment quests. Some non-journal/repeatable quests are also available. All Quests are level restricted, so that high level Characters can assist but cannot accept low level quests, nor can low level characters take quests that are beyond their ability.

-Europa's questing system does not use the Journal Entries. It utilizes a combination of items & tags to keep score of what quests the PC has. The advantage is no cluttering of journal entries and PCs may retake a quest they have completed if they still meet the level requirements.

* Major DM driven Stories that players can join or drop without restriction will be posted.

* Hidden and secret adventure areas such as catacombs, crypts, burrows, caves and megalithic sites dotted across Europa.

* A RESPAWN script that places players in the safe START area, from which they can safely heal and use the portal system to return to any area in Europa. A 50xp/lvl and 10% gp penalty (max 10,000gp) will be applied.

* GODS: Europa uses the pantheons of traditional Mythology. Celtic, Germanic, Roman, Greek and Persian, as well as Monotheistic gods. Select a standard NWN2 deity when creating a character for the purpose of PC powers, but you should chose and evoke deities from the Europa pantheons to receive Divine Aid (DM). [Each individual DM will have domain over a particular Pantheon]. See our website for the Available Pantheons & Deities.-

* A friendly/impartial DM group who are all extensively experienced in both PnP & VGMP based DM’ing.

* In-Game portable Player’s Tome for referencing information such as Monsters, Materials, Crafting, Guilds and Deities.

* High quality ‘visually’ driven builds that are meant to give the ‘feeling’ that you are in the world of Europa. Area transition to adjacent areas is done through the traditional NWN1 triggers along the edge of all exterior areas.

* Standard Rest limitations, no timed limits so as to allow players a less restrictive gaming experience.

* All creatures drop either; Crafting Materials or Money (HDxHP = total gp dropped) as well as a combination of both with random drops possible as well.

* Day/Night specific spawns.

CREDITS:

Developer: Erik Breau.

Scripting: ‘Zheldon’.

Test Players: Bryan ‘Crogano’ Arseneau, Davy ’Sir Kills-allot’ Thomas, James ‘Lynx-San’ Beattie, Pelle-Plutt, Chipoutski, Annoying Git.

DMs: 'Cernunnos' the 'Horned One'. (Celtic Pantheon).

A general Blog:

2009-09-18T08:42:00.000-07:00

Here anyone can make comments, suggestions or start whatever they so please.

One rule: language. I have NEVER and WILL NOT tolerate inappropriate language. Just don't do it...

Mr. Breau