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From news.cs.andrews.edu!gumby!wupost!howland.reston.ans.net!usc!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!news.kei.com!eddie.mit.edu!magnesium.club.cc.cmu.edu!news.sei.cmu.edu!kochmar Mon May 24 17:23:41 EDT 1993 Article: 47 of rec.games.design Xref: news.cs.andrews.edu rec.games.design:47 comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg:1068 comp.sys.mac.games:12647 Newsgroups: rec.games.design,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg,comp.sys.mac.games Path: news.cs.andrews.edu!gumby!wupost!howland.reston.ans.net!usc!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!news.kei.com!eddie.mit.edu!magnesium.club.cc.cmu.edu!news.sei.cmu.edu!kochmar From: kochmar@sei.cmu.edu (John Kochmar) Subject: Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures (FRUA) FAQ Message-ID: <1993May21.172539.17101@sei.cmu.edu> Keywords: FAQ, FRUA, Fun, Fun, Fun Sender: netnews@sei.cmu.edu (Netnews) Organization: Software Engineering Institute Date: Fri, 21 May 1993 17:25:39 EDT Lines: 1429 FAQ for Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures Last Edited: 5/21/93 Note: Items with new or corrected information are denoted with an "*" in front of the subject. 0) What is UA, and why does this list exist? 1) Is there a list of events? 2) How do events and event chains work? 3) What are quest items, keys, and special items for? 4) How can I create an NPC? 5) What drawing programs can I use with UA? 6) What games are available for UA? 7) What UA developers can I communicate with? 8) Can I differentiate between combats the party has won and combats they ran away from? 9) What cursed items exist? 10) Can I create my own items? 11) How can I make secret doors, 1 way doors, and simulate collapsing walls? 12) The combat icons .PCX template is misaligned, is there a way to fix it? 13) What additional art is available? 14) What are in the mage and cleric scrolls listed in the scroll item list? 15) What happens if I copy a simple monster into an NPC slot? 16) What happens if I try and look at the spells a dead mage has? 17) Can I create a mage NPC? 18) Can I make stairs/teleporters reference an entry point rather than a specific grid point? 19) Can I make the starting point anything other than entry point 1? 20) Is there a true "random encounter" in the game? 21) I'm having problems in test mode, are there things that don't work right in test mode that work ok when playing the game? 22) Can you import new sounds into the game? 23) How can I implement an armory? 24) Can I add new pictures without replacing old ones? 25) How can I go about capturing art for UA? 26) Why can't I make self standing adventures? 27) When working with art, can I change the color palette? 28) When I import art into one design and then switch to a different one, the imported art shows up in the other design. Does the art import into all designs? 29) Can I move a party from adventure to adventure? 30) How do I keep a party from using the overhead view in a module? 31) When I try and create a party for a module I picked up, it keep asking for a save disk. What is going on? 32) My NPC runs from combat. What's going on? Misc: Kudos to the following UA developers for providing information for most of the answers below. This FAQ would not be as full if not for them: Mason Reed (jmr5125@tamaix.tamu.edu) Chet Tidwell (tidwell@susan.cs.andrews.edu) John Sandoval (sandoval@stsci.edu) Robert Trifts (E2KP@UNB.CA) Wray (W.) Ferrell (ferrell@bnr.ca) Joe Colleran (jnc4p@virginia.) Also, to all who have read this FAQ and provided comments, corrections, and general advice, thanks! -- John Kochmar, current editor --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: 0) What is UA, and why does this list exist? Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures (UA for short) is, for all practical purposes, a dungeon builder and simulator. It allows people to build their own adventure game, and play it with characters that they create, in a style taken from the AD&D gaming system. Unfortunately, while the game itself is quite rich, the manual is more of a tutorial than a reference manual. Because of this, this FAQ was created to store as many of the general questions as could be captured about module building. While all of the information in this FAQ could be figured out given enough experimenting with the system, we hope the FAQ will save people some time in creating games. If you find any problems with this FAQ, or have something you think should be added, please, Please, PLEASE, let us know. Currently, John Kochmar (kochmar@sei.cmu.edu) is maintaining the FAQ. Forward any comments on to him about it. Also, if you currently own the system, drop us a line. Kochmar is keeping a list of players & developers, and as always, the more the merrier. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: 1) What are events, and is there a guide to them? Understanding events and how to use them is crucial to designing a game in Unlimited Adventures. When you place an event, several pages of choices are brought up. All events have the same first page. This gives you control over: -whether an event happens only once or multiple times -when an event happens: -Always -If party does/doesn't have a special item (see SPECIAL ITEM) -Daytime/Nighttime -Random Percent -Party is/isn't searching -Facing certain position (or combination there of) -Quest Completed/Failed/In Progress -Party is/isn't detecting traps -Party can/cannot see invisible -Specific race/class in party -Chain Control -When to chain: -always -if event happens -if event doesn't happen -List of events to go to next (See CHAIN) The following is a list of the types of evens, with what can be found on the pages of questions that come with each event. ADD NPC -page 2: -graphics the player sees & their distance -text box -name of npc to add -percentage of max hitpoints CAMP -page 2: -which camp picture to display -choice to back up when done (See CHAIN) -text box CHAIN Chaining events allows several different events to follow in sequence. This chain command allows more control of the trigger that starts a chain than in the typical page one chain by using the page one "when event happens" -page 2: -event to chain to COMBAT -page 2: -graphics the play sees -text box -location of monsters relative to party -surprised (neither/party/monster) -choice for auto-approach -choice for combat being outdoors -page 3: -3 choices for monsters which include -type -number -page 4: -3 more choices, but with an option for them to be friendly and fight with the party -page 5: -choice for no treasure from monsters -choice for party never dies -choice for magic doesn't work -monster moral percent -difficulty of turning -none(0) -harder(2) -difficult(10) -impossible(100) COMBAT TREASURE -page 2: -amount of platinum -amount of gems -amount of jewelry -list of 8 items -choice for whether items are identified. -page 3: -note that combat treasure event must be chained directly before the combat event in which the party is to get the treasure. DAMAGE -page 2: -art the player sees, and the distance it is from party -text box -number of complete attacks -who is attacked -party -active player -one random party member -each on has a percent chance to get damage -page 3: -how many dice of how many sides plus _____ damage -saving throw/save for half/save for no damage/hits based on THAC0 -saving throw type -modifier to throw -THAC0 of attack ENCOUNTER This is more like what happens when you meet monsters and do not go into combat right away. What gets done depend on what you set the options for and where the chain choices go. -page 2: -graphics the player sees -text box -where monsters are relative to party -monster speed -chain choices for -combat -talk -escape -page 3: -approach -whether choice is available -whether it is allowed closeup -choosing it will -decrease range -combat chain, no surprise -combat chain, surprise if party is slow. -combat chain, monsters surprised if party is fast -talk chain -escape chain if party is fast -no effect -retreat -whether choice is available -choosing it will -same options -fight -whether choice is available -whether it will only be allowed closeup -choosing it will -same options -page 4: -wait -whether choice is available -choosing it will -same options -talk -whether choice is available -whether it will only be allowed closeup -choosing it will -same options -if range goes to zero -same options minus no effect and decreasing the range ENTER PASSWORD -page 2: -graphics the party sees -text box -password -number of tries -teleport destination (see TELEPORT) -whether to execute event at destination -page 3: -text for correctly entered password -after displaying text -chain -do nothing -teleport -back up one step in the chain -page 4: -same as page 3, but for incorrect password GAIN EXPERIENCE -page 2: -sound -graphics the party sees -text box -who receives experience (party/active member) -amount GIVE TREASURE This is the same as COMBAT TREASURE, but will work at any time. GUIDED TOUR Note long guided tours can be accomplished by chaining several guided tours and using an option on the page two. Note, guided tours do not work in overland. -page 2: -number of steps (max 24) -whether to use starting location -location to start, and facing -whether to execute event at destination -page 3: -first eight steps -forward/right/left/pause -page 4: -steps 9-16 -page 5: -steps 17-24 -page 6: -two text boxes -choices when to display text NPC SAYS -page 2: -say if ________ is in party -graphics party sees (w/ distance) -sound -text box -whether return must be pressed -whether text is highlighted -page 3: -two more text boxes -two more whether return must be pressed -two more whether text is highlighted -page 4: -same as page 3 PASS TIME I have used this event w/ zero time passing to help in chaining w/ multiple event triggers necessary to start the chain (for example: 50 percent chance if party is searching) -page 2: -text box -how much time passes PICK ONE COMBAT This is the same as combat, except that the monster group is randomly chosen from one of the groups on pages 4 and 5. QUEST STAGE Quests are useful and can often be used like an if/then statement. Each quest (a total of 44) can have values between 1 and 100. These events should only happen if the quest is at a value (stage)-1 and will become (stage) when accepted. This is useful when giving the party a choice. You can also use utilities to directly manipulate quests. -page 2: -graphics the party sees -text box -accept quest on: -impossible -yes/no/both -impossible, no question -automatic, no question -whether quest is completed on acceptance -whether quest fails upon rejection -which quest -which stage -page 3: -chain for accepting -chain for rejection QUESTION-BUTTON -page 2: -what graphics the party sees -text box -button 1: -label -chain if choose -whether to return to question when does -whether to back up one step when done -page 3: -button 2 and 3 -page 4: -button 4 and 5 QUESTION-LIST -page 2: -what graphics the party sees -small text box -answer 1: -small text box -chain if choose -whether to return to question when done -whether to go back on step when done -page 3: -answer 2 and 3 -page 4: -answer 4 and 5 QUESTION-YES/NO -page 2: -what the player sees -text box -page 3: -text box for yes -where to chain -what to do after chain is done -page 4: -same as page 3, but for no REMOVE NPC -page 2: -what the players sees (and distance) -text box -who to remove SHOP -page 2: -what the players see -cost factor (from free to 100 times) -whether to back up one step when leaving store -up to four types of items -pages 3-6 -which items of the 4 types selected are available SMALL TOWN Small Towns have simplified versions of things (for example, the shop in a small town has only two types of items). For more detail on each type, see each places separate entries. -page 2: -what graphics the player sees -text box -what is in the town: -temple -training hall -shop -inn -tavern -vault -rest of the pages are for what is in the town SOUNDS -page 2: -first 5 sounds to be played -page 3: -second 5 sounds to be played SPECIAL ITEM You can use this option to reset quests by taking them from the player -page 2: -what graphics the player sees -text box -whether to give or take item from party -which item STAIRS -page 2: -what graphics the player sees before entering -whether to ask a yes or no question -whether to transfer on yes or no -text box for question -page 3: -where on map to go when entering stairs -text box -whether to execute event at destination TAVERN -page 2: -what graphics the player sees -text box -whether to allow fights -where to chain on a fight -whether to back up a step on leaving -page 3: -show tales in order/random -tale one and two -page 4: -tale three and four -page 5: -whether to allow drinks -where to chain when too much is drunk -names of five drinks TAVERN TALES This is place in a chain before a SMALL TOWN or TAVERN and includes six tales. TELEPORTER This is like a stairs, but can transfer without question TEMPLE -page 2: -what graphics the player sees -text box -spell level offered -cost -whether to allow donations -how much must be donated -where to chain when enough is donated -page 3: -what text read in the temple -whether to go back one step when leaving TEXT STATEMENT -page 2: -what graphics the player sees -sound -distance -whether to back up one step when leaving -text box 1: -text box -whether you must press return -whether text is highlighted -pages 3 and 4 : Text boxes 2 - 5 TRAINING HALL -page 2: -who may train -cost -what graphics the player sees -text box -whether to back up one step TRANSFER MODULE This is like TELEPORT, but can be between modules UTILITIES This event is useful for manually effecting quests and can be used to keep track of many things. For example, if you wanted to have certain events happen only if an alarm has been set off, you can use quest one for the alarm. It starts at zero. If the alarm is set off, add one to quest one. Then in page one of each event you want to happen only in this special case, set the event to happen only if you have quest one. -page 2: -how much is stored in/added/subtracted from quest/item -whether to exit play now -page 3: -check up to six items/quest and put result in item/quest if all/any of six items are present VAULT This is a place where items can be dropped and retrieved later -page 2: -what graphics the party sees -text box -whether to back up one when leaving WHO PAYS -page 2: -what graphics the party sees -text box -what is need for success (enough platinum/ gems/jewelry/impossible) -where to teleport if necessary -whether to execute event at location -page 3: -text box for success -after text: chain/teleport/back up one step -page 4: -same as page 3, but for failure WHO TRIES -page 2: -what graphics the party sees -text box -what check is based on (stat or thief skill) -whether compared to die/must have at least -number of tries -teleport destination if needed -whether to execute event at location -page 3: -text box for success -after text: chain/teleport.back up on step -page 4: -same as page 3, but for failure ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: 2) How do events and event chains work? An event is evaluated for execution when the party enters a square that the event is attached to. If the party meets the criteria for the event, then the event occurs. There are many different types of criteria, outlined above, that affect the events. Events can be defined to happen only once during the game, or happen every time the event's criteria is met. Planned combat events and traps tend to fall into the former category, while random encounters and informational items tend to fall into the latter, though there are exceptions. The defaults tend to be pretty good for creation of events that don't lead to a party's being able to milk lucrative events. 2 or more events in a single square can be connected through a "chain" that allows for creating rich events or modifying what happens to the party based on previous actions. A chain between 2 events can take one of 3 forms: always, follow on success, follow on failure. Once the chain stops, subsequent events do not happen. However, failure of an event *does not* break the chain, only the logic of whether to follow the chain can do that. Also, do once is considered a *failure* after the first time, so a subsequent always event will be evaluated, and if it is not a do once event, it can happen again. For example, if event A is a do once event (like, get a message if they search and keep them from entering the square) and you want event B, which is supposed to happen only if event A fails, to be evaluated for happening only once, you must set the only done once field, or it will happen every time the party crosses the square and meets the success criteria. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: 3) What are quest items, keys, and special items for? Because events can be specified to occur only in the presence of quest items, keys, and special items, information can be carried from event to event through the use of these items. Keys and items can be seen in the party's inventory (which is separate from the individual party member's inventory), while quest items cannot. This provides a boolean variable for setting off specific events given the results of previous events. For example, you might have the party get a quest item if they are not searching when entering a building (having them trip an alarm), and include a few more combat events (with monster's advantage) if the party has that quest item. Key's and special items work similarly, and can also be used to limit a party's advance into certain areas of the dungeon if they have not completed certain tasks. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: 4) How can I create an NPC? NPC's are created in the monster creation screen. This is actually documented, but some people missed it, so it is here for completeness. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: 5) What drawing programs can I use with UA? UA lists PC Paintbrush and Deluxe Paint as supported paint programs. In addition, Corel PhotoPaint, Deluxe Paint II Enhanced, and Neopaint work well with the .PCX files, but Draw (I forget who produced it) does not. PhotoPaint supports .PCX files by default, and works nicely with the UA templates. The cost for the Corel package is a little steep, but it comes with other tools and fonts people might like. Deluxe Paint II Enhanced supports both .PCX and .LBM files. It supports most video cards and is the only package that will allow you to create cycling colors. It's published by EA and runs around $80. Neopaint will do 1024x768 for most popular cards in 256. 320x200 is also possible by specifying the image size within the video mode. It also supports TIFFS and GIFs in addition to .pcx files. It sells for around $45.00, and is available to 30 day evaluation via anonymous ftp (consult archie -- seach for neopaint.zip.) The commercial version has even more features than the anonymous ftp version (which is quite good in its own right.) Draw, which is has support for .PCX format files through import & export commands, does not work properly with the UA art. Exported .PCX files from Draw give a bad header message when you try to import them into UA. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 6) What games are available for UA? To date, there are 11 adventures available (besides the demo that came with the game). They can be picked up at the following sites: wuarchive.wustl.edu in /pub/msdos_uploads/games/UA ccosun.caltech.edu in /pub/adnd/inbound The games are outlined below, in the following form: Name: Name of the Game Date: May 7, 1993 File: File Name Author: Author's name Type: Free, copyrighted, etc. Description: Text (usually from the author) describing the game. Disclaimer: Any disclaimers, notes, copywrites, etc, given with the game beyond what is listed above. Name: Dead Swamp Destiny Date: ??? Author: Robert Schmitz File: deadswam.zip Type: copyrighted, but free for use Description: Featuring several new monsters (but only a few new graphics!), this module is for the experienced player, and is intended to be played at CHAMPION level. Your characters will progress from level 12 through to about 20-25 as they attempt to thwart the plans of an evil god. Disclaimer: People may use the art contained as long as Robert is given credit for its creation. You may not sell Robert's work without his explicit permission. Name: Challenge Beneath Summerfield Date: May 7, 1993 File: SUMMERFI.ZIP (13605 bytes) Author: JWQUINN Type: Freely Distributed Description: This is an entry level dungeon for 1-4 level characters. Its my first design and I think it came out reasonably well. Hope you have as much fun playing it as I did making it. It all takes place in the town of Summerfield and beneath. Disclaimer: We guarantee that each module released will, when properly installed, load into Unlimited Adventures. We do NOT guarantee that these modules are completely bug-free. They are downloaded on an as-is basis. Comments to the author are always welcome. Name: Arena Adventure Date: May 6, 1993 File: ARENA.ZIP (14063 bytes) Author: Mark Grant Type: Freely Distributed Description: You are in the town of Sarena wealth lures you towards The Wizard, The Pyro-Maniac and the Beastmaster. Can you survive? Disclaimer: We guarantee that each module released will, when properly installed, load into Unlimited Adventures. We do NOT guarantee that these modules are completely bug-free. They are downloaded on an as-is basis. Comments to the author are always welcome. Name: Red Dragon Adventure Date: May 6, 1993 File: REDDRAGO.ZIP (16196 bytes) Author: Rommel Type: Freely Distributed Description: This is a quick little adventure I put together. Find and kill the red dragon. Be careful where you sleep. Disclaimer: We guarantee that each module released will, when properly installed, load into Unlimited Adventures. We do NOT guarantee that these modules are completely bug-free. They are downloaded on an as-is basis. Comments to the author are always welcome. Name: Goblin Adventure Date: May 6, 1993 File: GOBLINS.ZIP (5562 bytes) AUTHOR: LrdPhoenix Type: Freely Distributed Description: An interesting adventure with the Fun Goblins Disclaimer: We guarantee that each module released will, when properly installed, load into Unlimited Adventures. We do NOT guarantee that these modules are completely bug-free. They are downloaded on an as-is basis. Comments to the author are always welcome. Name: The Beginning Date: May 6, 1993 File: THEBEGIN.ZIP (22422 bytes) Author: ROMMEL Type: Freely Distributed Description: This is just a quick little adventure I put together in about 3 days not bad. If you find a bug. or one of my many spelling mistakes please e-mail me. Also if you would like the password please do the same. Disclaimer: We guarantee that each module released will, when properly installed, load into Unlimited Adventures. We do NOT guarantee that these modules are completely bug-free. They are downloaded on an as-is basis. Comments to the author are always welcome. Name: Sins of our Fathers Date: April 27, 1993 File: SINS.ZIP (13349 bytes) Author: Pashka Type: Freely Distributed Description: The children of a small town are disappearing, and Dark Elves are implicated. Can you solve the mystery and return the children to freedom? The editor is unlocked ;) For levels 8-12. Disclaimer: We guarantee that each module released will, when properly installed, load into Unlimited Adventures. We do NOT guarantee that these modules are completely bug-free. They are downloaded on an as-is basis. Comments to the author are always welcome. Name: Kobold Uprising Module Date: April 25, 1993 File: KOBOLD.ZIP (31460 bytes) Author: Neale Davidson Type: Freely Distributed Description: Kobolds and thieves are on the rampage in the little town of Augris. A starting band of adventurers is needed to rid the town of these dreaded Kobolds. DREADED KOBOLDS? This adventure was designed specifically to make you look twice at what was once considered popcorn. ReadMe file is included Don't be misled by the fact that you start with level 1 characters - this adventure poses lots of nice challenges! (SR) Disclaimer: We guarantee that each module released will, when properly installed, load into Unlimited Adventures. We do NOT guarantee that these modules are completely bug-free. They are downloaded on an as-is basis. Comments to the author are always welcome. Name: Lost Love Module Date: April 25, 1993 File: LSL.ZIP (59353 bytes) AUTHOR: Redman5 Type: Freely Distributed Description: This is my first lame attempt at creating an AD&D module. I just put it up quickly to stimulate others to do the same. Play time should be less than 1 hour. You have just returned to Espar and are going to visit your special someone in the village south of the town. Well good luck. There are lots of little bugs. I think the game is ok though. Please E-mail me about bad things. I can always give you the password to change things. Thanks and have fun... 1) If you use QEXTRACT or automatic unzipping with this file, you will not pick up the SAVE subdirectory in this package - with its characters and sample party. This module should be unzipped using PKUNZIP with the -D option 2) This module is rated PG-13 (or so :D) due to the pep talk by your overly enthusiastic NPC. ;D Disclaimer: We guarantee that each module released will, when properly installed, load into Unlimited Adventures. We do NOT guarantee that these modules are completely bug-free. They are downloaded on an as-is basis. Comments to the author are always welcome. Name: MALTRIAL: Trial of Champions Date: April 23, 1993 From: Wraithstar File: MALTRIAL.ZIP (13986 bytes) Description: to put this on here for an old "friend" of NeverWinters.. ;) It's kind of short but is quite good. It's a Mid-Level, one town, one dungeon adventure. This is the first one Mal has written so it may be a little rough around the edges but is Wanted to put this on here for an old "friend" of NeverWinters.. ;) It's kind of short but I wanted to put this on here for an old "friend" of NeverWinters.. ;) It's kind of short but is quite good. It's a Mid-Level, one town, one dungeon adventure. This is the first one Mal has written so it may be a little rough around the edges but is Wacool little adventure! (NOTE: The final battle is a REAL beauty in this one :D) Disclaimer: We guarantee that each module released will, when properly installed, load into Unlimited Adventures. We do NOT guarantee that these modules are completely bug-free. They are downloaded on an as-is basis. Comments to the author are always welcome. Subj: Ravenloft Adventure Date: April 23, 1993 File: RAVEN.ZIP (11897 bytes) Author: Curtis Morris Type: Freely Distributed Description: This is my first UA adventure so there are probably spelling mistakes,and other bugs.The reason i tried to get this out fast is to hopefully encourage others to get those adventures out this is a great product.If you find any bugs please e-mail me the names Loathar.If you want I'll give you the password to unlock the module so you may edit it.Oh,also there is a place on the overland map if you find it there is lots of treasure there. The story begins with your party in a strange realm and small village. It's not a long module but trust me it gets hard so try to build up your party on the overland map.The final castle is extra tough.If you finish it post your messages so I can get your reactions. When Loather tells us the final castle is extra-tough, he's not promising something he doesn't deliver. Be warned ;D (PC Simon) Disclaimer: We guarantee that each module released will, when properly installed, load into Unlimited Adventures. We do NOT guarantee that these modules are completely bug-free. They are downloaded on an as-is basis. Comments to the author are always welcome. Subject: In the Dread of Night Module File: DREAD.ZIP (29773 bytes) Author: Chet Tidwell - Programmer Ann Dupuis - Dragon #24 Author Needs: PKUNZIP (with -D option), SSI's Unlimited Adventures Type: Freely Distributed Description: This is my first AD&D module. I decided to write a short first level adventure game based on on of my favorite Dragon Adventures. If have used this module for several AD&D games as a starting place. If you wish to edit the modules, the password is dread. E-Mail me at susan.cs.andrew.edu with any comments. The party finds itself in a small rural town that has more than their fair share of wizard troubles. It is up to the party to figure out what is going on. Character should be be levels 1-3 of any class. Combat, while not stressed, does occur; and there are several challenging puzzles for you to enjoy. There are several endings, so keep trying. Disclaimer: We guarantee that each module released will, when properly installed, load into Unlimited Adventures. We do NOT guarantee that these modules are completely bug-free. They are downloaded on an as-is basis. Comments to the author are always welcome. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: 7) What UA developers can I communicate with? What follows is the most current list of developers available. If you want to get your name added to the mailing list, please send mail to John Kochmar (kochmar@sei.cmu.edu). kochmar@sei.cmu.edu (John Kochmar) E2KP@UNB.CA (Robert Trifts) fbruno@marsha.sanders.lockheed.com (F. Bruno) mason@holonet.net (Mason Reed) jnc4p@Virginia.EDU (Joseph Nicholas Colleran) tidwell@susan.cs.andrews.edu (Charles Tidwell III) atoenne@mpi-sb.mpg.de (Andreas Toenne) larwick@iastate.edu (Bret Larwick) mijate@ocf.berkeley.edu (Michael J Telanoff) sandoval@stsci.edu (John Sandoval) picasso@acs.bu.edu (David A. Ondzes) madmax@NeoSoft.com (Jack Stitt) dpotter@fndp2.fnal.gov (David Potter) donalda@cae.wisc.edu (Donald Allen) vonk@cs.rochester.edu (Peter von Kaenel) dan-ozeran@uchicago.edu (J. Daniel Ozeran) este0005@student.tc.umn.edu (Alan S Estenson-1) cfrye@ciis.mitre.org (Curt Frye) simmons@cs.washington.edu (Dave Simmons) drakonar@fubar.cs.montana.edu (Charles L. Stewart III) logan@lexmark.com (Stan Logan) brett@porky.oce.orst.edu (Brett Barksdale) wixer!wixer.bga.com!moroni@cactus.org (Captain Moroni) booga@eng.sun.com (Steve Jankowski) swkgohw@nuscc.nus.sg (Sir Launcelot du Lac) Kevin_Hurst@Novell.COM (Hurst, Kevin) Stcorrig@major.cs.mtu.edu (Steven Corrigan) slsherri@cs.mtu.edu (Scott Sherrill) chris@chrism.demon.co.uk (Chris Marriott) so@cs.duke.edu (Steve Owen) mmichaels@irvine.com (Mike) thekid@ornews.intel.com (Brian Kidby) flick@cwis.unomaha.edu (John Anderson) SVMAM@Levels.UniSA.Edu.Au (Mark McKay) jgould@ADOBE.COM (Jim Gould) vandenbj@imec.be (Jan Vandenbergh) labdg@unix.cc.emory.edu (Diego Gallina) tp001b@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Tom Parker) jwolf@nyx.cs.du.edu (Jon WolF) REICH@isf-n1.isf.rwth-aachen.de (Thilo Reichel) Garbett@utkvx.utk.edu (Shawn Garbett) kijewski@bcsaic.boeing.com (Ronald Kijewski) czorker@NMSU.Edu (Cory Zorker) brian@tasha.poly.edu (Brian Librandi) docken@neptune.convex.com (William Dockendorf) bizman@Panix.Com (Bernard Chase) dchow@muskwa.ucs.ualberta.ca (Chow Donald) Roy@cw-f1.umd.umich.edu (Roy Osborn) mke@qiclab.scn.rain.com (Mike Miller) keith@world.std.com (Keith B Richmond) crys@cave.tcp.COM (Crys Rides) ccastca@prism.gatech.edu (Celso E. Alvarado) hyseto1@ie.cuhk.hk (Uranus Seto) clay_p@summer.chem.su.oz.au (Paul Clay) ma2jswc@sunlab1.bath.ac.uk (Johnnie) rjs@citi.umich.edu (Rob Skrobola) steve@ginnungagap.tsd.itg.ti.com (Steven Schneider) snow@lyrae.colorado.edu (Martin Snow) mxj2361@ultb.isc.rit.edu (M.X. Jen) logden@tc.fluke.COM (Leonard Ogden) jas3@crux2.cit.cornell.edu (J. Andrew Scherrer) ferrell@bnr.ca (Wray W. Ferrell) ke_kimmell@vax.cns.muskingum.edu (Kevin Kimmell) clark@alice.wonderland.caltech.edu (Clark) mcs1@crux2.cit.cornell.edu (Martin Snyder) shoffman@iastate.edu (Scot Hoffman) davidh@ttsi.tandem.com (David Hernandez) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: 8) Can I differentiate between combats a party has won and combats the party has run from? There is apparently no way to differentiate between a combat that the party won (killed all the monsters) and one which they simply survived (all members either fled or where immobilized.) In other words, if the party runs from your super duper combat, the chain continues down through the next events, giving them quest points, etc. just as if they had won! In addition, if at least one party member is held, charmed, or otherwise being affected by a temporary spell that removes the character from players control, and all other friendly creatures are dead or down, the combat ends as if the held/controlled players had fled. Keep this in mind while designing your combats [although it isn't something you can do something about, its interesting]. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: 9) What cursed items exist? There appears to be only 2 cursed items in the game: a cursed crossbow, and a ring of vulnerability. So, players can safely use items without having them identified if they are not rings or crossbows. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: 10) Can I create my own items? No, and yes. No, you cannot create items like swords with special abilities, or make your own spells. The following is from James Young, who worked on the development of UA: Again this has to do with our license agreements with TSR as these items, spells are essentially owned by TSR. We were lucky that they allowed us to edit monsters (or did we get away with it:>). Also by allowing users to edit spells and items would have created an immense headache for the programers. So, it appears you can't create your +1 sword +3 against enchanted creatures. There also doesn't appear any way of deciding what spells go on a scroll, which means you can't tailor your scrolls to your adventure. However, you can tailor events based on the existence of an item in the party's inventory, so with a little work, you can special create items like "the bandage of St Skywiler" that reduces the damages inflicted by certain traps, or "the Scepter of Lord Kickbutt" that reduces the morale of monsters by 25% on combat events. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 11) How can I make secret doors, 1 way doors, and simulate collapsing walls? In FRUA, walls have properties that can create not only standard walls, but be used to create secret doors, 1 way doors, and even simulate collapsing walls. The properties that allow this are that you are allowed to whether a wall is solid or passible, and select art (with no art allowing the player to see past the wall), and that you can set these properties independent of what is on the other side of the wall. Secret doors take advantage of the fact that a wall with no door picture can be set so that the player can pass through it. A text event found when searching can indicate the directoion of the secret door to the players. A one-way door is created by making one side of a wall have a door picture and allowing the person to walk through, and have a solid wall piture on the other side and not allow the party to pass back through. Collapsing walls are created by having a wall with one side that has no wall art, and the other side having a wall, with a damage/text event on the square adjacent to the wall art. When the player passes through the wall from the no-art side, they hit the damage trap saying that the wall has collapsed. Upon turning around, the player will notice that the wall is now in place, and they cannot return that way. Note: to place 1/2 of a wall, use the cursor keys and wall placing commands to place the wall based on where the cursor is pointing. If you use the mouse and the mouse pointer, it will place both sides of the wall using the same wall art and passibility. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: 12) The combat icons .PCX template is misaligned, is there a way to fix it? Yes, you can fix it by grabbing the paint area that surrounds the icon frames, and dragging it down 13 pixels. Once done, you can use the Combat icon frames to create your own combat images. Of course, you should make a backup copy of any templates you intend to modify. For people who can't get this to work, John Kochmar can mail you a copy of his. Contact John by mailing to kochmar@sei.cmu.edu. Ed: Of course, this should go out to the art repository -- once one is established. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 13) What additional art is available? John Sandoval (sandoval@stsci.edu) has offered to take people's non UA art and convert it to a UA image for them. You can contact John via email, he expects there to be about a 1-day turnaround on most images. He'll accept formats in .GIF, .PCX, and .LBM. Joe Colleran uploaded the following files to ccosun.caltech.edu in pub\adnd\inbound: POOLPICS.ZIP POOLPICS.TXT The original icon for Thorne, the Super-Dragon was 3 squares long by 2 squares high. As Unlimited Adventures only supports icons a maximum of 2 x 2, I had to "compress" Thorne. That is why he looks a little squashed. minismap.pcx - Map of the Moonsea area after Bane nukes the cities. kalistes.pcx - Kalistes, a Type V Demon (also known as a Marilith) combat icon gothmene.pcx - Gothmenes, a Type VI Demon (also known as a Balor) combat icon tanetal.pcx - Tanetal, a Type III Demon (also known as a Glazebru) combat icon thorne.pcx - Thorne, the big, bad, Red Dragon combat icon bluemin.pcx - Blue Minion of Bane combat icon blackmin.pcx - Black Minion of Bane combat icon redmin.pcx - Red Minion of Bane combat icon draclich.pcx - Small picture of a Dracolich moranmap.pcx - Overland map of the body of Morander John Sandoval (sandoval@stsci.edu) has uploaded the following pitures. Contact him if you have any problems with these pics. The art is available under pub/MSDOS_UPLOADS/games/UA/Art on wuarchive: ansalon.lbm - Overhead map of Ansalon (with cycling water...) deadkngt.pcx - small pic of knight lying dead in snow dknight1.pcx - small pic of Lord Soth draco1.pcx - small pic of a draconian draco2.pcx - small pic of a draconian (different from 1) elf1.pcx - small pic of Tanis female1.pcx - small pic of Laurana fighter1.pcx - small pic of Dragon Highlord hill2.pcx - combat pic of Hill Giant (from UA) kender1.pcx - small pic of Tasselhoff magic1.pcx - small pic of Raistlin pair1.pcx - small pic of Caramon and Tika skelridr.pcx - big pic of skeletons on horseback ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 14) What are in the mage and cleric scrolls listed in the scroll item list? Well, since the scrolls don't list what spells they contain, here are the spells each has. The scrolls are listed, top to bottom, so that the first scroll in the list of scrolls will have the spells on it described under scroll 1 below. Mage Scrolls: scroll 1 - hold monster (level 5) fire touch (level 5) iron skin (level 5) scroll 2 - death spell (level 6) globe of invulnerability (level 6) stone to flesh (level 6) scroll 3 - delayed blast fireball (level 7) monster summoning (level 9) power word kill (level 9) scroll 4 - hold person (level 3) fire touch (level 5) dispel magic (level 3) Cleric Scrolls: scroll 1 - restoration (level 7) resurrection (level 7) restoration (level 7) scroll 2 - destruction (level 7) energy drain (level 7) blade barrier (level 6) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 15) what happens if I copy a simple monster into an NPC slot? Simple monsters (those without an * next to there names) can be copied into NPC slots. the resulting NPC has the stats the monster had and the level(s) that you had set for the monster. On the other hand, the NPC has 0xp (regardless of what level), and (if a Magic-User) has NO spells in his/her spellbook. Not even 1st level spells. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 16) What happens if I try and look at the spells of a dead mage? Don't do it! You get the screen with the spells, but the return button is mysteriously absent. Can you say reboot? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 17) Can I create a mage NPC? It appears you can create an NPC mage, but modifying the charcter stats (necessary to create the mage) will cause the mage to flee at the first sign of combat. There is no known (as of yet) solution to the fleeing NPC problem, and affects any NPC that is modified.. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 18) Can I make stairs/teleporters reference an entry point rather than a specific grid point? The GOTO ENTRY POINT option does not seem to work right on either teleport or stair modes. Using GOTO POINT ROW X COLUMN Y works fine, though. When it is set to GOTO ENTRY POINT, it always goes back to entry point 1. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 19) Can I make the starting point anything other than entry point 1? It doesn't appear so. From what people can tell, the starting point is always entry point 1. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 20) Is there a true "random encounter" in the game? One way to simulate random encounters is use the 'Pick One Combat' event. On the first page of the event, set the random percentage of occurrence to something like 20%. Therefore, after every X steps in Zone Y there will be a 20% chance of encountering a monster and since it is a 'Pick One Combat', the monsters will vary as well. This is how a DM would do it if you were playing the game, every turn roll a d10 and on a 1 or 2 the party encounters some monsters. Go to the monster list and roll a dice to see what group the party faces. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 21) I'm having problems in test mode, are there things that don't work right in test mode that work ok when playing the game? Yes. 1. Contrary to the manual, you cannot go from one module to another while in test mode (i.e. when you try to go from overland to the test dungeon it won't work!). The only way to truly test it is to play the module with a real test party. 2. You do not enter the module in test mode at one of the entry points, but rather at the spot where the yellow arrow is, no matter how it is set. You do enter the module from another module at the preset entry point, though. There may be more. As they are found, they'll be added to the list. But, if something isn't working, and you think it should be, try it in real (game play) mode. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 22) Can you import new sounds into the game? Doesn't appear so. There is some hope that SSI will release additional enhancements to the game (there are posts to that effect), and maybe they'll include new sounds, but that about the best you can hope for right now. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 23) How can I implement an armory? You can create shops that charge nothing. In this way, you can create an armory for your dungeons. You still have to pay to identify items, though, at the fixed cost of 20 pp. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 24) Can I add new pictures without replacing old ones? No. The system works with a fixed number of slots, and adding a new monster means eliminating an old one. However, no one has run into the problem that they didn't have enough monster slots for any one adventure (yet.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 25) How can I go about capturing art for UA? -- What follows is from John Sandoval (sandoval@stsci.edu). If you -- need to contact him about any of it, you should just send mail to -- him directly. Ok, there's been a lot of talk lately about importing pictures into UA. I'm sure that this is something we all want to do, since it's fun to put in your own pictures. First off, let me say that, while it's easy to do in principal, there are a few tricks to it. Most importantly, you need to have a painting program that will allow you to manipulate the palette easily. This is necessary, since the first 32 colors of the palette are "off-limits" for the small pics and large pics. The best program I've seen is Deluxe Paint II Enhanced. It supports both of the formats that UA uses (.PCX and .LBM), and it's got LOTS of tools to make importing easier. I've used DPIIE extensively for the past year for my Jack Nicklaus Signature Edition designs, and it's proven invaluable. The second trick is to find pictures that will fit in the 88x88 square for small pics, and 300x120 for large pics. This is tougher than it sounds, if you aren't using screen captures from other SSI games. If the picture is much larger, then you are going to lose a lot of the resolution when it shrinks down. I have begin creating small pics using screen captures from Might & Magic III. They are working quite well, and I can create a UA pic in about 5 minutes from a screen capture. All that being said, I'd like to make an offer to all you other designers. If ANYONE out there wants to have their screen captures or pictures converted to UA pics, I'd be more than happy to do it. There are a few conditions that I'd like to state right out in the open: - Try to keep the desired pic as close to the two sizes as possible. If you don't then you won't be as happy to see it as a UA pic. - Screen captures from other RPG's (ESPECIALLY other SSI games) is the preferred pic. All those screens and characters from the Gold Box games should be easy to do. - Your pics should be posted on some FTP site, if at all possible. I'd be willing to accept mailed disks, if some people don't have FTP access. E-mail me for my address. - If you do post your pics on an FTP site, include a text file with any special instructions for your pics. And zip them up, so it's easier to get them all. If someone else would be willing to find and setup an appropriate FTP site, then I could post ALL of the pics that I create there, so that we'd have a common spot for all pics. I'd expect the turn around time to be one day for most occasions. If anyone else has DPIIE and would like some tips, or if you'd like more details about DPIIE, feel free to ask... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 26) Why can't I make self standing adventures? What follows is from James Young, a SSI developer who posted this America Online. 1) Why no self standing game? Answer: This was due to the fact that AD&D is owned by TSR and not by SSI. Hence were had to maintain some product control as per our license agreements with TSR. BTC is a generic FRPG system owned by EA and therefore they could do a stand alone system. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 27) when working with art, can I change the color palette? For UA art, palette can be manipulated. The only constraint is that only certain positions in the palette can't be changed (the first 32 colors for big and small pics). John Sandoval has taken a screen capture from Might & Magic III, and has made a pic for UA. The palettes were completely different, but what he did was remap the palette from his screen capture into the template for UA. Then, he set those first 32 colors back to their pink values. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 28) When I import art into one design and then switch to a different one, the imported art shows up in the other design. Does the art import into all designs? The game remembers Art imported for one adventure design when you switch to a different design. To make the game "forget" about the imported art, you must exit the game and restart it with the other design. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 29) Can I move a party from adventure to adventure? Yes, you can copy the saved adventure files from the first design directory to the second design directory. The players will begin with their old saved experience points, and not get the experience points that you set for that design. They'll also bring with the all of their old equipment. Note: You must remove the characters from their previous party before you can copy them to the new adventure. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 30) How do I keep a party from using the overhead view in a module? Turning off the overhead (area) view is available through the global information editor. It can be turned off on a module by module basis (some areas can have it, while other do not) within the same adventure design. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 31) When I try and create a party for a module I picked up, it keep asking for a save disk. What is going on? What the game wants is a directory named "Save" in the design directory for that particular game. Creating the directory will clear up the problem, and allow you to create and save players for the adventure. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 32) My NPC runs from combat. What's going on? Dubbed the cowardly NPC problem, an NPC who's stats are modified will run from every combat encounter. The problem only appears when you modify a particular NPC. If you use one of the NPC's unmodified, the NPC will do the right thing (stand and fight in combat, that is ;^) You can change the NPC's name, items, and even art without affecting the cowardice of the NPC. A list of NPC stats can be picked up from the Misc archive areas. The file is named default_npc.list, ir was not included here to save space. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Kochmar | Estimated amount of glucose used by an adult human kochmar@sei.cmu.edu | brain each day, expressed in M&Ms: 250 SEI Computing Facilities | -Harper's Index, October 1989 
