USH'S STAR WARS GAME- Christmas Thread 2008

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Ushgarak
Welcome to this year's Star Wars RP Christmas thread!

Well, we are back to the PT gaming at last. The current situation is that off-line play has been under another hiatus as we finish a very popular Judge Dredd campaign instead. For this reason I am not in a hurry to crack on at immense speed, but I am fairly confident we can carry onto the next Episode through to completion smoothly. After that I cannot say, but we'll try our best and I shall try and keep you updated accordingly.

So- other than discussing the storyline/mocking each other, what is going to happen for the Christmas Thread this year? Well, I- more precisely, my brother- have a little gift for you. This has actually existed for some while, but I could not give it out until the Dark Siders got to Briande in the Desert of Stones, and in the end I decided it would make a good thing to wait until Christmas for.

So we therefore present a bonus story, very much part of the current Campaign mythology and also acting as a taster of the kind of thing that might happen if we ever play a KOTOR style game.

The story is called 'Fall of Damaria' and takes place several millennia before the stories you are currently playing.

The story has been written in Z-format- more precisely zblorb. This makes it, technically, a text adventure, a format which some of you may be used to and some not. However, it doesn;t matter anyway because my brother, experimenting with Inform7 (an attempt to make naturla language programming work- i.e. when writing the game you type 'The Lounge is a room. There is a chair in the lounge. South of the lounge is the kitchen' and the game engine will then have created those things for you)...

... means he has actually made this a 'choose your own adventure' format. The game should tell you all you need to be able to play, though do feel free to post in here about it.

To play, you will ened a z-machine interpreter. Easiest thing to do is to get the latest version of Windows Frotz 2002- top link here.

http://www.inform-fiction.org/zmachine/windows.html

This link:

http://www.ifarchive.org/if-archive/

contains several folders of interpreters containing absolutely anything you could need. For example, 'Filfre' for Windows (in the 'multi' folder) is a relatively new fancy multi-platform interpreter, and probably provides more features than Windows Frotz (for example, upon opening the game, Filfre gives you the intro panel, which Windows Frontz does not).

All that remains, then, is the game file- link is here. It is not very big.


http://under-the-gun.org/christmas/Fall%20of%20Damaria.zblorb


Enjoy- ask any questions you like, and discuss what you like. Try and find as much as possible- there is a lot of stuff in there. See who can find all the hidden bits, and who can get the highest score!

Marry Christmas... and May the Force be with you.

(incidentally, this is the second release version- I tested the first- and it is possible bugs remain. Please report any! My brother will be more than happy to fix them)

(also- sorry for the delay! Needed someone to host the game file for me...)

Jedireaper
'fraid I lack the computer needed. sad

Ushgarak
Just about any computer created in the last 20 years will do...

Captain REX
Hmm, interesting... now let's see what we find here...

Jedireaper
Uhm... I only have a Nintendo DS, and a PS3 to do my bidding and RPing.

Peach
Ahh. Well, yeah, that's not going to do much good.

Meanwhile, I am playing away big grin

Jedireaper
I have a 95 computer with no net connection, its crap!

Ushgarak
You'll be amazed what you can find if you look around. One of those links I gave above even has a Gameboy-based Z-code interpreter.

Captain REX
Yeah, I saw that. Weird.

Peach
Oops, and I died...

Peach
Sweet, finished it without dying this time around (got kinda close at one point though), and I got 9 points.

Ushgarak
9 points = big Jedi girly Padawan.

Peach
Or really poor luck when trying to decide things!

Also the 'dice' hate me. As always.

Ushgarak
Big girly Padawan...

Peach
11 points the second time!

Fights while playing as an acolyte are much more of a pain.

And I am girly, damnit! stick out tongue

Ushgarak
But there are alternatives to fighting...

Peach
Yeah, well, Obi-wan's not always right.

Ushgarak
Not when YOU play an Acolyte...

Peach
Can't do much but fight when you walk into a bunch of soldiers. I don't think they're very interested in tea parties, anyway.

General Kaliero
Obi-Wan was a drunken hypocrite anyway, so there you go.

Ushgarak
At least he would have had the balls to take Trayas in a duel...

Not like Lana's Swordsman.

Peach
I am going to throw things at you.

Meanie. Teasing me because I was playing around seeing what things would do. Hmph!

Ushgarak
"Oooh, I know, I'll try the SHIP, even though I'm not the pilot..."

Exactly what you said. True story.

Peach
Your psychic powers suck!

Besides, it did cause a big explosion at least.

Ushgarak
Because you touched it.

Peach
Yay explodey things.

General Kaliero
Explodey things are awesome and always, always good.

Captain REX
Hehe, driving a six-wheeler over rooftops like Batman...

Jedireaper
Sounds cool...

Peach
Originally posted by Captain REX
Hehe, driving a six-wheeler over rooftops like Batman...

Niiice. I must find that option next time I go through it...

Newjak
This sounds like fun. I may so this sometime next week.

Peach
And just played through it a third time (this is a lot of fun) and got 13 points. Woohoo!

Captain REX
I keep nodding off when I sit down at the computer, so I still haven't made it through. Damn laptops and the comfort of my bed...

Newjak
Of course blame the bed stick out tongue

Peach
Originally posted by Captain REX
I keep nodding off when I sit down at the computer, so I still haven't made it through. Damn laptops and the comfort of my bed...

Wow, I've already played through entirely three times stick out tongue

Captain REX
Well, I died via orbital bombardment after Trayas made off with his prize... buggy bastard.

Should we start sharing our finds that connect to the current game? Because in the starport segment, when you are checking out ships, there is a ship there of 'unknown design' that is assymetrical and somewhat crescent-shaped. Kara Katai sets one down on our mountain at the end of New Blood...

Spidervlad
Awesome, thanks alot Ush!

I just started this. Decided to be an Acolyte stick out tongue
This should do well to fill up some of my vacation time.

Captain REX
I managed to get all the way through as an Acolyte, scored 11. Need to try getting that 15!

Captain REX
I reached a score of 12 with the Swordsman. It's satisfying cutting up a Sith Lord... though I also had a short chat with Malphas. Spooky.

How would Trayas work in the current system, Ush? You would duel him as three separate individuals?

Captain REX
And 13, but I went around in circles fighting Jovanos and Walkers for a second...

Ushgarak
I am not sure Trayas would work with the RP system...

Those ships are only a clue if you think Katai is a cat. They are actually Kilrathi ships from Wing Commander...

Captain REX
Yeah, I wouldn't know. And no, he probably wouldn't...

Craft
Not too much of a spoiler, but I'll put them up for people who don't wanna have anything at all revealed. Dark Siders might start poking me a little after this though...

It may interest the Darkies that while playing as an Adventurer, attempting to play the game as though Wentar was the Jedi, I found out the race of Mr. 4 armed jedi guy and a few bits and pieces of other info concerning the data crystal. =P

Brit
I haven't kept up with the Dark Siders, but this looks like fun! big grin

I hope everyone had a good Christmas.

Peach
Originally posted by Craft
Not too much of a spoiler, but I'll put them up for people who don't wanna have anything at all revealed. Dark Siders might start poking me a little after this though...

It may interest the Darkies that while playing as an Adventurer, attempting to play the game as though Wentar was the Jedi, I found out the race of Mr. 4 armed jedi guy and a few bits and pieces of other info concerning the data crystal. =P

Already found that stuff stick out tongue

Trickster
Haha, I like it. Got 11 my first time through...

Where's the HHGG reference?

Trickster
Quick bug report (at least, I assume it's a bug):
As a swordsman, when you choose to fight the walkers outside the temple, and then to attack the sentry gun with your lightsabre, the result you receive is the one from when you choose to dodge past the walkers. P332 is the paragraph that comes after the result (sorry, I didn't get the page for the options.

I just quickly ran through, it's the option on P326 - selecting option 1 leads to P327, then P322.

Lord Melkor
Hi there!

I had a busy Christmas, but I will try to play the game tomorrow, I am sure it will be fun! You choose lightside templates for this, I understand?

Alkaselzer
Yeah, you are an Adventurer, Swordsman, or an Acolyte.

Needless to say, I took the Acolyte!

Lord Melkor
I have just started as Adventurer. I just started resistance against invaders and have 2 points.

How do Jovano soldiers look like, like the Sith soldiers in KOTOR?

Edit -just died in first fight, what a shame. Should I try to play the same way to the point I lost, or play differently this time?

Peach
I did Swordsman first, naturally big grin

Captain REX
If you play the Adventurer, Melkor, you're not totally incompetent in a fight but you're going to want to play witty.

Yeah, I noticed that one too, Tanic. That's how I got a 13 as a Swordsman, haha.

Peach
Pfft, you got 13 points by cheating then!

Captain REX
Yes, but it was totally the Galder option. Kill everyone... twice!

Lord Melkor
I just finished the game as Adventurer, with score of 9. I died three times before.

Well done, Ush, I like it and I am replaying as Swordsman asap!

Newjak
I just finished my first time through and got a 12.

Lord Melkor
Finished as Acolyte and got 11.

What do you mean that there is "one true path" to finish the game, Ush?

And Rex, how did you get the chat with Malphas?

Ushgarak
'One true path' means although it is a multi-path story, there is one path through the game that is considered to be the 'actual' one as it were- or, if you prefer, the one that happened historically.

Thanks for bug reports- I will forward them all to my brother.

Some points now we are a few days in:

- To get maximum points you must get to Trayas' command center before you reach the starport (you'll know because there is a save point there which you can otherwise bypass, but if you bypass it you don't score for that section)

- There is a skill based, a sword based and a force based way to kill Trayas so no template is left out. My brother implies that Trayas is actually underpowered for a Darth and has made up for it with his multi-forming; a decent Jedi was able to overcome this

- If you are searching for the correct ship to look for, then you've missed a bit; The max points path has the chance of you knowing what ship to look for (skipping the search section) before you get there.

- Both the family you can rescue near the start and the pachyderms you can calm near thr start will turn up again later in the right place.

- The max score of 14 was scored by me as an Acolyte. It involved a lot of risk taking, but my philosophy was that I seemed to be able to make up for bad fights with med kits more than I could fluffed Force rolls that I needed.


Meanwhile, we can play the 'my first time I got to the starport' game...


The first time I got to the starport... was through the underpass whilst helping refugees.

What was yours? There are many different paths.

Peach
I basically stormed the place with a group of guerrilla fighters.

Rather predictably me, I think :P

Newjak
Ok then just played for the second time and got a 13.

Lord Melkor
My first time- I saved the family and organized armed resistance against Jovani.

However, even with overhearing what Trayas is after is seems I am missing something in later sections, because I always get similar amount of points there, and few short of max score....

Captain REX
My first time I got to the starport, I had decided to check out Parliamentary Park and then escaped using the six-wheeled all-terrain vehicle (which rather reminds of the Batmobile from the Nolan films just because of how it was used). I only did that once, so I don't quite remember what that path was. I collapsed the tunnel and blew up the flyers and all that, then limped my way to the starport.

Lord Melkor
There is actually a kind of bug I found- on page 257 the protagonist says that he fought Darth Trayas in single combat- and on my current path I avoided fighting him, only spied on him.

And I got 13 points this time, which I heard is the best you can get without using a bug. To get this you need to help people at the beginning, then get to camp of Darth Trayas and spy on him, and speak to Darth Malphas in the temple.

Captain REX
Galder wants to find the Melonath Opus... really really bad. Just another thing to toss into the pile of things the Dark Siders need, not that they actually know about this one.

Ushgarak
Max score is 14, as mentioned.

Many a Dark Sider would (and did) kill for that Opus.

Captain REX
Did Kuylen know about it? Aside from the one crystal we have.

Ushgarak
Does it even exist any more?

Captain REX
That's another good question... you know, why didn't the craftsman aliens just destroy the damn thing if it was so dangerous?

Ushgarak
That's history for you... it's actually a vital part of Deradax culture in its own way.

Put it this way- we don't bother doing any stories about all the records that actually were destroyed at the time.

Alkaselzer
I don't think those would be much fun. And the Deradax designed those crystals, they probably revered the work they put into it, even if the Opus itself was considered an evil thing.

Craft
I arrived to the Starport with the refugees under the cover of smoke from the fuel after trying to distract the fighters.
I'm pretty proud I didn't die on my first go. Loved how I killed Trayas in the end, piloting through the city at break neck speeds.

Captain REX
I haven't tried the piloting ending yet.

Lord Melkor
So what is official way Trayas died? I assume lightsabre duel?

Craft
The pilot ending is badass, biggest 'Yeah, you screwed that up Trayas' moment in the game I think.

Tptmanno1
Will play this as soon as I get home, as I am fairly certain my grandmothers computer would explode if I put one more piece of software on it...

Tptmanno1
P3222
I was running past a sentry gun, but then I was fighting walkers that I had never seen before. I think that it routed me to the wrong page

The sentry gun detects the statue and swiftly points it gun so it is pointing straight up. The statue is just above the gun when it fires. The plasma bolt strikes the statue and vaporises it in a single shot; only small fragments of rock land on the gun and these harmlessly bounce off. It looks like you will have to risk the dash across to the gun after all. Enter 1) .

> 1
You brace yourself, take several deep breaths, and then dash out towards the sentry gun. The sentry gun has detected you by the time you take your first step, the first plasma bolt is fired by the time you take your second. You duck and roll just in time as the bolt sears past, punching a hole in the building behind you and then another hole in the building behind that one. The next hundred meters is going to be the most difficult to cover in your life.

Skill test.

The dice have thrown 6 and 3 to make 9. (You have passed the test).
Enter 1) .

> 1
You run between the legs of the flame-throwing walker. It fires as you do so and you feel the heat of the flames on your back but you are not hurt. Once you are past the flame-throwing walker you expect the rocket walker to take its shot. True enough it launches four rockets in your direction. The blast from anyone would be fatal but having anticipated the attack you are ready with a leap forwards. The rockets explode harmlessly below you, and the leap takes you right to the door into the temple. You slip in just before the door closes, and then a lightsabre thrust through the controls quickly seals the door. You hurriedly move on through the building as the alarm starts to reverberate around the temple. Enter 1) .

> status
SKILL: 9

STAMINA: 20

FORCE: 8.

Your score is 6. You have 4 medikits remaining.

The page number is P322.

>

Captain REX
Yay for a change of targets...

Peach
Haha, how random.

I haven't had that happen, and I think every time I went through the back with the sentry gun...

Craft
I dropped a statue on the sentry gun, was amusing.

Ushgarak
Well, if people are coming to an end with this... I can reveal that there is a sequel being written.

General Kaliero
Sequel! eek!

Captain REX
It will be revealed that Trayas was the Jedi's father, am I right?

Ushgarak
To the best of my knowledge, said Jedi is not in it.

Peach
I already knew there'd be a sequel...hee.

Tptmanno1
Yay! Now I'm gonna go play it again!

Captain REX
I played it like... ten times. Haha. It's amusing trying to find the different paths.

Jedireaper
HAPPY NEW YEAR!! from Jedireaper.

Captain REX
Almost 2009, weird. Seven-and-a-half more hours to go in California.

Jedireaper
Yeah, its 38 minutes into 2009 here!!! Woooohooo!!

Craft
Late Happy New Years all! Would have been sooner but I've been in little state to get online for the past day or two. stick out tongue

Captain REX
Woohoo! How's 2009 treating you?

Craft
So far, very well. I've grown quite fond of 09 already. =P Yourself?

Captain REX
Haha, okay I guess. How are you doing in the Renegade game?

Craft
Alright I think... Busy blowing Vulture droids outta the sky. Should have the skies clear in a turn or two, then I get to play the bombing run game.

Captain REX
Big explosions are fun.

Ushgarak
At this point I'll announce the title of the sequel.

It is called 'Island of Fire', and I feel someone will find the reference very quickly.

Ushgarak
New version, bug fixed and with release notes, now available!

Peach shall link you.

Peach
Link!

http://under-the-gun.org/christmas/fallofdamaria.zip

Lord Melkor
Concerning this part of release notes:

"where both choices were linked to the wrong paragraphs (thanks Trickster), couldn't repeat bug report on p257 where the text says you have fought Trayas - irrespective of how you get to the star port you always fight Trayas in the space port (either by the Deradax ship or as they make their escape)."

If I remember it correctly, the protagonist mentions fighting Trayas in the speach before the obligatory fight in starport - and you can avoid fighting Trayas in the getting to the starport part.

Ushgarak
"Island of Fire" is actually approaching release relatively soon!

With one of his Lords dead, Darth Malphas carries out the threat he made to the Jedi on Damaria, that he would promote another to the exalted title of Darth.

But who to promote? Many are the Dark Side servants of Malphas who would seek such an honour- and such power. Malphas is not short on talent or enthusiasm in such potentials- but you need something a little extra to be a Darth.

Yet Malphas has always had the creation of new Darths in mind- and at the infamous Island of Fire, the potentials will meet to decide who will beome a new Sith Lord of legend. And Malphas favours a 'competitive' examination...


Take control of a skilled Fallen Jedi, a fearsome Brute or a cunning Cultist as you seek to become the newest of Malphas' most honoured, as our tasters of what a KOTOR style game would be like continue- this time on the Dark Side.

Captain REX
Exciting! It will be nice to examine that time period once again. Whether we play a KOTOR game or not, this seems to be kind of the backdrop to the current campaign.

Peach
...Island of Fire just makes me think of Guild Wars now...

Also, yay Dark Siders! big grin

Captain REX
Yay evil triumphant!

Lord Melkor
Cool, go Darkside! I hope you that you can do some evil backstabbing in this new game.

Ushgarak
Hard to backstab in a game of all against all.

Captain REX
Now we know not to be your character's friend, Melkor. stick out tongue

Definitely trying out Brute to start with. Is that in the same vein as Chion?

Ushgarak
Yup!

Vera21
Yay! The last one was neat. This one should be too!

Ushgarak
Update- Island of Fire has begun testing! Err, by me.

It is a considerably more complex piece of programming to get bug free, as instead of having branching linear paths it is instead set in one large non-linear setting; you can constantly re-visit locations and change things (by killing opponents or disabling traps etc.) and the game needs to accurately reflect what you have been doing, rather than have dead enemies be in the same place again etc. That being the case, bug-testing will take a little bit.

I can, however, report the following:

- The game opens with a Jovano ceremonial funeral- with three coffins

- The all-rounder this time, the Marauder, has taken the Guns option rather than the Pilot one.

- There is a whole cast of rivals to face off against

- You get to meet and talk to Darth Malphas in person

- The death descriptions are as gruesome as you might expect for a Dark Side game. The general violence/unpleasantness levels are definitely up!

- It is considerably more difficult than Fall of Damaria. You WILL need to make a map.

General Kaliero
Sounds complicated.

Eeeeeeexcellent.

Peach
Hey, I've proven myself to be not terrible at map-making.

Wanna play wanna play wanna play...

big grin

General Kaliero
Originally posted by Peach
Hey, I've proven myself to be not terrible at map-making.

Wanna play wanna play wanna play...

big grin
You mean like your Paranoia maps? stick out tongue

Peach
I meant more the one I made in Matrix because everyone was getting all confused, thanks stick out tongue

General Kaliero
...I like the Paranoia maps better. stick out tongue

"How big are the holes?"
"Um... here. This big?"

Captain REX
Three coffins, hmm? I don't suppose that is related to Belseraphon in any way?

Sounds exciting, can't wait.

Tptmanno1
And not the Map made in Techno right Lana?

And Man I wanna play Paranoia... I was thinking about that last night.
I might just up and buy the books or whatever and try to run some games around here..

Peach
If I remember correctly, I didn't actually make the Techno map. I just took it from a word file and stitched it together in Photoshop to make it much easier to deal with stick out tongue

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