Possibly Strange Question: Layonara download

[diagnull]

So, I've played a bit of Layonara off and on, but I'm not much of an MMO\\PW type, so I didn't play much.

I do however like the lore and the way Layonara is laid out (at least, the parts of it I saw before getting my head smashed by a yeti, or killed by some other beast.)

What I wish, is that I could download the mods and haks for Layonara and just kind of wander through the world, maybe bump my level up a bit to survive, but just go sight-seeing?

As long as Layonara is live, I don't think that could happen (fear of exploits or s something) but I was wondering if maybe when the new Layonara goes live, if the NWN version might be made available for those of us who just want to play.

See, strange question, isn't it.



-D

[minerva]

You can always play the single player version of Layo. Towers of Dregar: Xora's Vial -- Neverwinter Nights 2 Vault
 
 
 Its lore is a bit outdated and it takes place before the defeat of Bloodstone and the revamping of the deities in preparation for the MMO.
 
 All in all its a good non linear mod with replayability
 
 About a year or so ago I attempted to DM a campaign set in the module but ran into two problems -
 1) its not designed for multiplayer and buggy in that respect
 and
 2) there was not enough continious long term interest to play as NWN is a dying animal for all but the hard core enthusiast I think.
 
 The fate of the NWN version of Layonara once the MMO goes live I cannot even guess at this point

[darkstorme]

Given that nearly seven years of work have gone into the NWN version of Layonara, I strongly doubt that the mods would just be made available for download; quite aside from that, they wouldn't work!

Like most PWs, Layonara employs NWNx (I assume), the game-changing development from the good people at Avlis that allowed interconnectivity 'twixt NWN and MySQL (or SQLite, if you swing that way, or possibly even Oracle, I believe).  So without extensive editing, the module couldn't actually be launched in the single-player client without crashing for the lack of hook functions.  The majority of Layo's particularly neat systems (and even the mundane ones, like persistent location) wouldn't work, deprived of this database connection.

So, really, before the MMO is released, providing the modules for download wouldn't make sense, because it would be giving seven years of work away for anyone to set up their own version of Layo - which we don't want.

And after the MMO is released, it would take a fair amount of work to make it so that downloading the modules would be good for anything but setting up another version of Layo - which we don't want.

So while I don't personally have access to the modules or a say in such things, I'd have to predict an unequivocal "no".

[Dorganath]

As far as the technical details, Darkstorme is correct.  The modules in their current state simply do not function properly without all the NWNX and database functionality, and to get them into a shape that will work in a stand-alone, non-persistent way would be rather time-consuming.

As far as the more administrative and intellectual property issues, those simply haven't been addressed, to my knowledge. This would be the primary factor in a decision to release the modules publicly.  At that point, whether or not we spend the time to make it more stand-alone or if we leave that as a burden for those who wish to try is largely secondary.

It's worth saying that currently, the Layonara modules are really rather void of "story", meaning in the sense that if someone were to load it up as a single-player module or as a multi-player game to "go through it" with friends, there's no story progression (in contrast to the NWN campaign modules, original and expansions), so without a GM or just the desire to hang out and RP, there's really no plot.  That said, it would work out great as a setting for GMed adventures.

At this point though, there's simply no plans one way or the other.

[diagnull]

Yeah, I pretty much figure IP and everything that it wasn't likely to happen. And I realize that without the scripts and everything there's no story or anything, just the setting.

But I thought that the visual design was good enough that I'd just like to see everything...without getting stomped into the ground.

Oh well, I can always try to level up my char and see if I can survive a little longer.

-D

[darkstorme]

And I realize that without the scripts and everything there's no story or anything, just the setting.

But I thought that the visual design was good enough that I'd just like to see everything...without getting stomped into the ground.

-D

IP aside, I thought I'd clarify a point; AFAIK, the modules wouldn't even load without a server setup.  It's not a matter of missing story - the modules themselves wouldn't function.  If you pulled out the scripts that would make the module crash, I'd be willing to bet that spawns wouldn't spawn, bindstones wouldn't work, you couldn't buy an ox (or anything else, for that matter), there would be no drops (if there were spawns), and even some portals would probably be broken.

As Dorganath said, even if the IP weren't an issue, we're talking days or weeks of work before the modules would be "explorable" in a single-player mode.

At any rate, as you say, you can try leveling your character - and attend quests, because those can often take you places you wouldn't normally go!  I'm a DM, and I'm fairly certain I've never seen a lot of places.

Cheers!