Psionic system (semi) unification - any interest?

Development for CoPaP
Post Reply
Calzier
Noobie
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2010 4:53 pm

Psionic system (semi) unification - any interest?

Post by Calzier »

Hi,

I'm not sure if this forum is still visited/used by world leaders/ DMs etc., but I'll give it a go...

Is there any interest in producing a unified psionics system that would be applied across all worlds, while allowing sensible setting-dependent differences?

At present, the basic system across worlds is the same, but various ad hoc modifications have been, bugs get or don't get resolved in different ways across worlds, and some powers work (or don't work) differently across worlds with no clear indication of whether this is due to bugs or deliberate script changes. (Summon Planar Creature is a good example of this, and we're in the process of sorting out the Avlis-side problems)

I don't know the politics here, so I'm just floating an idea -

(1) We have a common set of scripts that deal with psionics - I suggest starting with the Avlis scripts as these are actively being developed (by me, in particular - we have plans for a host of new powers to balance out the different disciplines) and probably least buggy.
(2) Each world leader / head DM, Lead producer / whoever, determines what kinds of modifications to psionics in general or specific powers in particular are necessary for their world - it would be better if these were clearly IC / Setting dependent as it would make the next step / whole process more logical.
(3) A combination of spellhooking and edits to individual impact scripts would be used to alter the way particular powers manifested on different worlds (ie modules) - with appropriate VFX &/or text feedback to the PC/Player so that it is clear that they are dealing with intended differences, not simply lack of update or bug.

Implementation of some things would need to be varied between worlds - for example, the increasing use of chat commands in the Avlis code would need to find an analogous solution elsewhere. The 'psionics language' - which allows IC short range telepathy without cheesing / griefing - that runs on Hala (& I think Arkaz?), could be added to the Avlis repertoire.

This would make bug fixes & improvements (whether nerfs, feature changes or simple tweaks) a one-time affair; it would relieve individual worlds of the need to maintain the system separately; it would provide a greater coherence of psionics across worlds, while still allowing things to be 'different' in different places.

Calzier
Calzier
Noobie
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2010 4:53 pm

Post by Calzier »

Just to add - I"m just a player/code with an idea (and long time pre-nwn interest in psionics in AD&D); to the extent that codes or systems are owned by particular worlds' teams - that is going to require the various people to authorise anything. I wouldn't want this suggestion seen as an attempt to do anything improper with anyone else's intellectual property.
LadyPhoenix77
Loremaster of The Void
Posts: 435
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2005 1:08 am
Location: Den of Olidammara, Ysgard Hala

Post by LadyPhoenix77 »

Honestly, I would be all for a more unified psionics system/spellhooking system. I think some of the biggest problems that we come across is how both of these systems get intertwined into any number of other systems and scripts, that it becomes difficult to update them if a new version comes out from one world, generally Avlis, since as you said they are the most actively developed. It's not just as easy for us to import the scripts and go, a lot of other things end up breaking. I think the last time we did a similar straight import of the psionics scripts, and maybe one or two other scripts, changelings and several other systems went haywire. Time before that I think it broke our radial system for some of our spells. I know for spellhooking in particular, the last time I did a major update on it, I pretty much had to go through line by line of every script and make the changes manually, to avoid breaking other things.

Another problem that we run into, is while the scripts are being actively developed, once again mostly on Avlis, sometimes it gets forgotten, or just not thought about that other worlds use the same system, and so a lot of times we are unaware of changes or fixes applied, especially if our staff doesn't have characters of those classes, or whatever.

I'll admit myself, I don't have a psion, never played one, and never really had the intention to, too many characters as it is, but, that is beside the point. Basically I'm not too in the know of a lot of the psionics powers, or how some of the things are or aren't supposed to be working. Even playing mages and clerics, I don't always recognize the minor changes or fixes that might get done is a minor update.

So I suppose if all of that is looked at and there is a more painless way to make these implementations, I'm all for it really.
Zombie
Planewalker
Posts: 41
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:09 pm

Post by Zombie »

I like the sound of the idea in general. I can think of one specific power (time shift) that is a good example of things working VERY differently on Arkaz, Avlis and Hala.
spool32
Planewalker
Posts: 23
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 2:20 pm

Post by spool32 »

We can't even agree on what Muling is; I have low expectations for any project of this scope. Talk about things that work differently on Hala, Arkaz, and Avlis...
p0m
Planewalker
Posts: 40
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2005 2:12 am
Location: GMT+10
Contact:

Post by p0m »

spool32 wrote:We can't even agree on what Muling is; I have low expectations for any project of this scope. Talk about things that work differently on Hala, Arkaz, and Avlis...
Thanks for that constructive insight spool.

I'd be all for a unified spellhooking and psionic system.

There of course are some unique spellhooking cases for each plane/module but if spellhooking could be made more modular it would mitigate any problems with conflicting code.

The first step may be to document any changes specific worlds have put in place and then the ambassadors can nut out which ones need to remain.

Then we could make the spellhooking code more modular to allow for the module specific modifications without having to hack apart the base code.
[i]God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.[/i]
Post Reply