I have been looking around and there are several different tools to help build playfields and sectors but with the new additions to the PDA is there currently a tool to help with this? or is there at least a list of all of the available options? I would like to build some scenarios and a PDA tool would be helpful in this. If there is not one, it might be worth looking in to. BigZunnin
Eh, I might slap one together, that's web-friendly or something.. Do you have any wishes as to how it'd work?
There is an example file for scenarios in the files somewhere, probably located where the current ones are stored.
A tool is still nice to have I wasn't refering to the technical part of it, but more so what you as an user can do, and how. Any wishes?
Alright, was initially thinking you didn't know where to go to create a new one. Anyways, far as I know the scenarios allows you to use custom planets, probably solar systems as well, create custom chapters and missions, and the custom planets includes custom built POI's or bases too.
I would love to be seen missions that can tie in with the new NPC characters. For example Mission: Special Courier Background: In the age of instant electronic communication there will alway be a need to physical delivery services. Earn Credits helping out your local trader. Mission stages: 1. Visit NPC trader in Akau orbit trade station 2. Visit NPC Trader Omicron 3. Recieve payment of 100gold coins Or something like that. Not sure what can trigger a stage in a mission, Can you receive and item, can you deposit an item etc
There is a Playfield Designer tool on here that is fantastic...it does many of the things needed to help build a scenario... perhaps you can team up with that guy (@jmcburn )? http://empyriononline.com/threads/empyrion-playfield-designer-v1-23-1.9789/page-7#post-117122
Mm, I considered it, but on the other hand, I would prefer something that is more share-friendly. Most likely, the fewest of us will want to make 10-100 quests each, so borrowing a bit from eachother might not be a terrible idea (Or so is my thinking atleast).. I do see the (implied) value tho. It might be nice being able to import a playfield, to get planets, POIs etc.. First version will be simple. I might look into extending it, once it's done. Mm, I'm obviously not going to *write* the quests, but having premades, that is "fairly easy" to fill out, might not be a bad idea.
Yeah, scenario-sharing. Not quest sharing My thinking atleast, is to create a database of all the created scenarios, and when you go like "I want the quest to be kill 10n", it will search for similar quests, and suggest what the player could do next, or what the lore behind it could be. (For instance, if you decide the player should kill 100 spiders, you might be suggested, that there's an infestation on the planet, and they would like the player to rid the pests).. or whatever others have submitted already.
I like the database idea. It can be tied to a local CSV file (or similar) and users could upload their custom quest database to the site (or maybe github?). Then when the next update happens the local master database would be updated while the custom would not be changed. So it could be 2 files then? This would be fantastic it would definitely simplify some types of quests. IE exploration quests which require the POI's and playfield names in order to be usable.
*something* like that was the idea, yeah.. It might take some time to get out tho.. As you mention, a lot is tied onto the playfield, so I'll have to build an import tool first
One advantage is that all of the files are either YAML, XML or CSV. That simplifies the import process because there are importers that take care of the hard part.