THE BUILDERS PROJECT’S GUIDE TO BUILDING II *** THE DESIGN MANUAL Version 0.05 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 BUILDING A MODULE............................................................................................................................................7 1.1 THE BUILDING ESSENTIALS.....................................................................................................................................................7 1.2 MODULE CATEGORIES.............................................................................................................................................................7 1.2.1 Story Oriented Module.......................................................................................................................................................7 1.2.2 Role-playing Oriented Module...........................................................................................................................................8 1.2.3 Combat Oriented Module...................................................................................................................................................8 1.2.4 Single Player Module.........................................................................................................................................................8 1.2.5 Multi-Player Module..........................................................................................................................................................8 1.2.6 Persistent World Module....................................................................................................................................................8 1.2.7 Combining Module Types ..................................................................................................................................................8 CHAPTER 2 DESIGNING YOUR MODULE ................................................................................................................................8 2.1 GETTING ORGANIZED ..............................................................................................................................................................8 2.1.1 Team of builders.................................................................................................................................................................9 2.2 TARGET AUDIENCE..................................................................................................................................................................9 2.2.1 Restriction on Player Characters.......................................................................................................................................9 2.2.2 Scope of the Story...............................................................................................................................................................9 2.3 CHARACTER PROGRESSION ...................................................................................................................................................10 2.3.1 Giving XP points ..............................................................................................................................................................11 2.3.2 Giving loot and other treasures .......................................................................................................................................11 2.4 ESTABLISHING THE RULES.....................................................................................................................................................12 2.4.1 Rule sets ...........................................................................................................................................................................12 2.4.2 Resting systems ................................................................................................................................................................12 2.4.3 Death and re-spawning systems.......................................................................................................................................12 2.5 USING CUSTOM CONTENT .....................................................................................................................................................13 CHAPTER 3 WRITING A STORY................................................................................................................................................13 3.1 SETTING OF YOUR STORY ......................................................................................................................................................14 3.1.1 Using an Existing Setting.................................................................................................................................................14 3.1.2 Creating a Unique Setting................................................................................................................................................14 3.2 GOOD, EVIL AND NEUTRALITY..............................................................................................................................................14 3.2.1 On using Good .................................................................................................................................................................15 3.2.2 On using Evil....................................................................................................................................................................15 3.2.3 Neutral behaviour ............................................................................................................................................................15 2 3.2.4 Alignment summation.......................................................................................................................................................16 3.3 WRITING A SYNOPSIS.............................................................................................................................................................16 3.3.1 Broad Considerations In Writing.....................................................................................................................................17 3.3.2 Start the ideas flowing......................................................................................................................................................18 3.3.3 Boil it down to its base elements......................................................................................................................................18 3.3.4 Write a first draft..............................................................................................................................................................18 3.4 WRITING PLOTS AND QUESTS................................................................................................................................................18 3.4.1 Writing the Plot................................................................................................................................................................18 3.4.2 Plots and quests ...............................................................................................................................................................19 3.4.3 A few plot and quest points to consider: ..........................................................................................................................19 3.4.4 Main/Sub Quests Methodology ........................................................................................................................................19 3.4.5 Side Quests.......................................................................................................................................................................20 3.5 TIPS ON WRITING THE STORY................................................................................................................................................22 3.5.1 Retaining logic in the writing process..............................................................................................................................22 3.5.2 Give a tone to your story..................................................................................................................................................22 3.5.3 Establish the content rating and respect it.......................................................................................................................23 3.5.4 Avoid repetition................................................................................................................................................................23 3.5.5 Stay consistent with the choices you have made ..............................................................................................................24 3.5.6 Use of realism ..................................................................................................................................................................24 3.5.7 Linear / Non-Linear .........................................................................................................................................................24 CHAPTER 4 DESIGNING AREAS ...............................................................................................................................................25 4.1.1 Area Lighting and Sounds................................................................................................................................................26