State of Development

October 27th/2009
The world is a deeply detailed island nation consisting of four large cities, a number of towns, villages and camps; miles and miles of forest, mountains, swamp and cavern networks to explore. There are hidden 'easter eggs' everywhere.

Some stuff to look forward to-
* legendary levels.
* customize your character's physical appearance, weapons and garb to your tastes at anytime.
* innumerable harvestable resources, which sidles into the CAP crafting system - for cooking, farming, alchemy and magical gear and mundane items.
* Interactive environments, lots of stuff around you at any given time can be used for something other than just dressing in any given map.
* hunger, thirst, stamina and tolerance effects. Your character, while being your avatar in the world is also something of a pet for you to manage.
* horses, pets and companions you can customize to fit your character.
* build stuff, play games, slay monsters, topple foes, sit around and get smashed with your friends.
* non violent means of progression; meaning that yes you could eventually reach level 40 and never once engaged in combat. This is accomplished by a detailed commodity trade system and economy hard coded into the fabric of each settlement.
* the current number of scripted quests is comparatively small, but those that are in are story driven and will take you more than twenty minutes of running around picking up troll guts and rat droppings for a few paltry xp and a handful of gold.
* a chimerical world. Things change depending on the time of day, your journal status and what your carrying around with you.
* enhanced PC banking and reliable persistent storage.
* the farther you go away from the road... the more dangerous it is. Rules of causality rule the roost here.
* random global events - over 100 events that occur at random times in random locations around the world. When and what will happen is always a pleasant surprise. Beware the Change Wind
* freedom of travel and intricate map design... The plan here is every door will lead somewhere and if you strike off west and keep going west, you will eventually arrive back at the very same spot you left.
* 100% persistence, randomness and more twists than a mountain track.

Over the next few days, I hope to stabilize the additional community created content I intend to include (above and beyond CEP, CTP and CMP), after which the module will be posted to Gamespy most of the time.

Once the server and CC side of the equation has been all hammered out, we'll go live 24/7.

The server is entilted 9fires, its running the module 'Community Adventure Project v7' and its located under Roleplaying on Gamespy.

IP Address for direct connect is 69.172.248.69:5121

And just so we're very clear on this point... this world is a work in progress and your input, and mine own imagination will shape it. Consider this an open beta test. Not everything is in, not every area is complete. At this time, there are 16 quests (some of them are quite large, don't be fooled by the low count).
The areas still bear their grid references.
The most notable absences are some services inside of the cities and towns.

Oct 31st/2009
The community crafted contented has been finalized and everything is organized and uploaded for your downloading pleasure.

I updated the server with a few minor fixes and clarifications for new characters after an all too short walk about with my good brother, Winterhawk last night.

Happy Hallowe'en.

Oct 31st/2009

Updated the Emotes to allow for an easier chat-based interface. This system includes skill checks, ability checks and of course 1.69 emotes. I didn't remove the emote interface from the PCI, so you now have two options to chose from. For details on the nomenclature, see your PCI > Character Utilities > Community Project Ruleset > Emote Options. I also included the information in a book, available to read in the Adventurer's Guild and the Libraries.
As a point of interest, while the CAP utilizes the vaunted DMFI tools, much of the code in this system was written some four or five years ago and no longer conforms to what I would call 'neat and tidy', so much of it has been phased out, disabled or rewritten to conform to my standards. The language system has long since been replaced and now, the listener-based DMFI emote functions have thus, been supplanted by the system I finally finished today.

Minor cosmetic updates to the city of Castra Rackham and its environs.

Nov 1th /2009

Server offline temporarily, whilst I do some stuff. Be back up ASAP

Nov 1th/2009

Server back online.

Server is off line whilst I update the mod. Will be back up tomorrow at about 5 pm-ish. Contingent of course on how much longer I can stay awake Thanks a lot to Deathstyles and Angelwings for hanging out with me this evening, I had a good time banging around Perdition.

Long live it.

Server is Online

Nov 2nd/2009
Bone Head Maneuver Report: Thanks to Deathstyles for pointing this one out - To make a long story short, once upon a time, I was experimenting with pstmarie's 3.0 SRD, but I abandoned it due to... issues... I had with its integration for use in an online PW. While what Paul offers in his pack is just frakkin' awesome, it would have required me to meddle with forces, I scarcely understand... I am a competent code monkey, builder and I'm a fairly imaginative story teller - but when it comes to the extraneous components of this game, I'm lost.

Anyhoo, I pulled the plug on the SRD and ditched it... Or thought I had. Some of the files, however have been uncovered, and they are locked up inside of your copy of the CAP1a.hak which contains all of the 2da files used here in.

What this means is that I will need to track down the offending 2da, edit it and make a patch for the CAP1a.hak. In all honesty, I don't expect that I'll be able to accomplish this before the weekend and realistically, it'll prolly be even later still. Work for me is kinda nuts right now... My last pay period I put in over 130 hrs and over the next few days, I'm gonna be billing out some major time... Oh the joys of responsibility... *sigh* I digress...

Adinterum, please be mindful of these empty slots when creating a character or leveling up, and under no circumstances, are you to select them; they don't do anything.

There is no need to panic... This is not a major issue and it won't break anything; it is rather inconveniencing and well, more than a little embarrassing, but nothing more.

I'll keep you appraised of this situation, as it develops.

Updated the FAQ to include more information regarding character builds, multi-classing rules and other stuff you should know before you jump in.

One thing I want to make clear, is that I view the forums and the game as two very separate entities... If you want to know what the world is, what's where, who is who, and dive into a deluge of local lore... log in, visit the library and ask around. You'll find lots of folk with something to say - The module word count is about 200000 words...

There is a mantra I chant as I continue to design the CAP and that is verisimilitude Dictionary.com defines this word thusly -

[ver-uh-si-mil-i-tood, -tyood]

1. the appearance or semblance of truth; likelihood; probability: ie 'MERP lacked verisimilitude.'
2. something, as an assertion, having merely the appearance of truth.

And its exactly what I mean to say in every blade of grass placed inside of my world.

The forums are where we talk shop... I'm babbling... sorry... Anyhoo, off to bed then to work. Back at 5.

Server is online and open for your entertainment.

Nov 3rd /2009

Server offline for maintenance. Back up ASAP.

Nov 4th/2009

Server Online. Fixed a couple of errors I spotted yesterday... Got some scripting finished. Still working on the patch to fix the cap1a hak.

Nov 4th/2009

Server offline for the evening. Got some stuff to add to it and I'll be uploading and downloading to the rig, which as I learned yesterday creates a great deal of lag... Its just easier if I take 'er down while we're quiet. If anyone is in need of a fix, lemme know and I'll load the server.

Server back online and I'm off to bed... its been a day.

Nov 5th/2009

Stoopid automatic updates shut down my server... Just noticed. The CAP is back online.

Updated the FAQ to include three or four more things you might want to know.

Updated the mod. Fixed a couple spelling mistakes I found... I hate spelling mistakes. Corrected an error in Tywin's Trials. Clothed a naked NPC wandering around Castra Rackham. Several cosmetic improvements to various transitional areas...

I'm gonna go bang around the world for awhile. My log in btw, switches depending on my purpose - ClanAnvilkraca is my RP character, most notably Twoedge of Clan Anvilkraca, who by and large my favorite character. I log in as 9fires when I am there on sysadmin and DM duties. Its just after 8 now... prolly in game and IC until about 10.

Looking forward to the weekend.

Nov 6th/2009

Home early, called it a 'rain day'... Server offline for maintenance and updating. Will be back online ASAP.

Nov 6th/2009

1st player created Faction installed and is our second true non standard race (the first, of course being the Warforged). FYI at anytime you desire to try out a new Faction, you can 'reset' your character by selecting the 'Refresh Properties' option in the Self Help section of your PCI.

Added a new function to the Faction system to better facilitate the distribution of extraneous items and Faction languages.

As soon as the server has done its thing I'll put it online.

Server is back up, sorry that took so long. I gotta warn you, there may be some chop, there's currently a storm whipping around outside. Any way, I'm gonna go play.

Nov 7th/2009

I lost power for several hours last night... Stoopid south-easterly winds... Anyhoo, I'm working today, and won't be home until sometime after 4 (pst)... The server is back online.

Prior to losing power, I did accomplish to update a few things including one of the Trade Skill books, fixed a broken trainer, Fey now speak Slyvan, instead of Pixie (as per a Beansidhe's recommendation), and added a some information for new players regarding their first couple of levels.

Also uploaded the Voiceset override, which is something I believe everyone should have.

Anyhoo... I gotta go to work, have a good day and try really hard not to die

Nov 7th/2009 Part II

After a rather enjoyable adventure with good man Adlash, a couple of issues were discovered. Most of these have been remedies at the time of this writing. These include the following
- a few minor graphical errors in the West Farthing (read floating placeables), how I missed those before now, I know not.
- wrong directions in a journal entry. Ida Green is south west of Perdition, along the Coast Road.
- Some of the Trade Stations were failing. This was a total oversight on my part, and has been remedied.
- The toolset some how ate the Trade Contract item. Dunno when, why or how, but I remade it and now everything should be just ducky.

Some new stuff to tell you about. I added a few more services to Citerior and I'm promising you now that after I have a nap here, I'm gonna finish what should have been done a while ago. I won't lie to you, setting up cities with all the all the bells and whistles is rather dry work, but I'll have some huge updates to all four cities by day's end-ish.

Several enhancements are underway for a couple of the Quests to provide for non-violent means of resolution. The big one here is Tywin's Trials, but a couple of others are being looked at as well. I've got a couple of half completed quests that are undergoing a re-think. After a conversation with Adlash, I'm weaving in a few alternate paths.

It should also be noted here that the chat box, while a dandy little unit is buggy as hell. If you log in there to chat, be sure and change the color of your text or you and the person you're talking to won't be able to read it. Seems the default color is white.


Thats all for the nunce. Game on.

Another storm - or the same storm with a second wind - is plummeting the north island. Expect some lag in game... Weather man says, its supposed to blow itself out by tomorrow... But what the frak does he know anyway?

Fixed an issue with the Faction properties not refreshing completely. Fixed the pipe. Fixed the contract tokens in your PCI, it will now display the correct information. Removed an obsolete item, hiding in the Commerce Guild.

Tywin's Quest has been updated. Nathan the Alchemist's quest has been expanded to include to further adventures. On next server reboot, I will be deleting the Journal Database. Sorry if that's an inconvenience, but its the only way to ensure these changes properly take hold.

Nov 8th/2009

Server is offline for maintenance.

Nov 8th/2009

After a critical rebuild of the module, a huge update is in the works and I will put it up as soon as I've completed some testing. Whats this critical rebuild thing? A purging on a massive scale. As I stated below, I was once monkeying with a spell hak, in an attempt to add a little something to magic... But the .tlk file gave me fits, so I abandoned it and pulled out what I thought was all the code. This however quite quickly became untrue as soon as I launched - You've prolly noticed the empty feat and spell slots and all of the gimpy spells...
This improper deletion of the SRD files created a leak in the mod and stuff was just dropping away... Some items disappeared, some code that has worked forever, simply failed to function.
So I have taken the mod offline to kill this bastich, for once and all... I really am sorry about this... Sometimes I'm not as clever, as advertised... But I did say this was an open beta...
Anyhoo, I have got it all smoothed out and I will be re-launching the mod today... This will require you to patch the cap1a.hak, which I've repackaged as cap1b.hak. This will be available for download momentarily and I will repack the CAP_CC for all future downloads.
I will as always post the State of Development here.

I am wiping the Journal DB, as I stated below. I have added a few new quests to Nathan the Alchemist and added a new twist to Tywin's Trials. To ensure that you all get to enjoy these and that everything runs smooth, the DB is going to be wiped. This will not mean anything other than you get to go rescue Snuffles again...


This will bring us to a new level in the beta test... And I trust it will be a bright and sunny-shiny level.

Anyhoo I still have work to be done, I'll holla at y'all later.

Nov 8th/2009

I really must apologize to everyone who went looking for the CAP today and couldn't find it, but I got some good news... A HUGE bug hunt today has really set the world to the right and the server is back Online.

The re-pack of the CC for new players will be available on the NWVault. At this time it is only partially uploaded.

For those of you who dl'd the haks before today, all's you need is the patched Hak, which is here. Its very small and painless.

Nov 8th/2009

After banging around with deathstyles, his lady love Angelwings and my number one faerie, Beansidhe, I have taken the mod offline to complete the uploads I started earlier. I'll put the mod up after I have completed the ul and this should be the last time service is interrupted *crosses fingers*
While I'm uploading, I'm also working on some stuff... making the night scarier and area work.
Anyhoo, I sense the shadow of Monday looming... Dreadfully terrible... Woe to us poor working stiffs... Not the best weekend I ever I had, but its been a weekend. Until the next time I blog... Game on

Fixed a small issue with the journal triggered events and lives not being dealt with properly. Plans for the future include removing the item entirely and going to a persistent value.
The lag issue has been remedied.

I'm not gonna be around much tonight - Going to a friends for dinner and game of Settlers. Game on folk... And thanks for coming out.