Q&A - The development of FOnline: 2238

[Lexx]

Inspired by a different thread I am opening this one:

If you have any questions about the old FOnline: 2238 and its development, origins, thoughts or ideas, then ask away. I (or other original devs strolling by) will try to answer them and provide insight, if possible.

[fonliner]

Thank you, I have few questions.

1. When did you hear about FOnline for first time? What were your reaction?

2. How did you get access to FOnline source which you used for creating 2238?

3. Who were early developers and what they were resposible for? (example: Dev1 - combat system programmer, Dev2 - mapping)

4. Did you have any secret ideas which you wanted to introduce but never told about that?

5. Can you shortly (or more detailed) write about launch day of 2238? What were your reactions, how did you prepare for it?

And the last one question (but not the last) right now:

6. Were you playing the game in your spare time when you don't develop the game? If yes write how and when, if not tell why you weren't playing.


So that's at the moment. Thank you all 2238 devs for your amazing work.

[Lexx]

Keep in mind, it's quite some time since, but I try to remember as best as I can.


1. When did you hear about FOnline for first time? What were your reaction?
Don't really remember, but it was a few years before the first open beta. Never made much of it, because "it was just another Fallout mod" at that time. Everyone was skeptical about this ever getting a real release anyway... People were working on other Fallout-like engines ever since and none ever finished (IanOut, FIFE, etc).

2. How did you get access to FOnline source which you used for creating 2238?
I wasn't really involved at that time, so I am not 100% sure- someone else from us back then (before I joined) asked cvet about it and he agreed. Maybe scypior or ghosthack can share some more details on this.

3. Who were early developers and what they were resposible for? (example: Dev1 - combat system programmer, Dev2 - mapping)
Again, probably not going to get all the details right, but what I can say right away:
- Atom was reverse engineering lots of stuff from Fallout 2 and scripted new combat.fos, hit calculations, etc.
- Ghosthack and scypior wrote many scripts as well (scypior made the famous junk clutters in random encounters \o/ ... he scripted it and I've tested + checked the maps while we were at work... woops. :>)
- Ghosthack and Atom also worked on our tools, with the Worldmap Editor mainly being Ghosts thing. Honestly, without that tool, fiddleing with the worldmap and encounters was a god damn mess.
- Lisac did quest stuff, some mapping and dialogue as well.
- In the early days, I worked mostly on maps and ported dialogues from Fo1/2 (I ported many maps, but not all- don't know who did the first batch, as I wasn't around yet). Later I did some quest design and stuff like that, when working on maps became a bit less important (till the end I kept fixing holes in walls, though). Oh, and Lisac and me both were nazis about the Fallout lore. Whatever we did somehow had to fit into the lore... else I'd consider it shit.
- Slim Charles worked on dialogues the most at the early times, I guess. He wrote famous Metzger... and with all the different nodes and options, etc. everyone who looks at that dialogue in the editor will die a horrible death. :>
- Prefontaine and / or Lazlo(?) had been working on map and dialogue stuff too.

I think that's everyone who was there at the very beginning. Could be that I missed someone, though...

Fun Fact: Our project leader, AHS-9, never existed. He was a joke.

4. Did you have any secret ideas which you wanted to introduce but never told about that?
Me personally: I totally wanted a hot air balloon as vehicle (like the vertibird, but cooler). Graphics etc. exist since years, but they were originally made for my Fallout 2 mod, which is not yet released- never wanted to release the graphics before my mod was done, because then vultures would have ripped and used it without ever giving credits. :> Hey, maybe my Fo2 mod will be released some day, then this thing can hit FOnline too (the vehicle was already in 2238 & working. I just removed the graphics). Junktown was to have a workshop for them, inclusive quest to get one, keep it repaired, etc.

5. Can you shortly (or more detailed) write about launch day of 2238? What were your reactions, how did you prepare for it?
We were 110% stressed, every one of us. The weeks before were spend on full crunch mode. Wasn't sleeping much, because when I wasn't at my real workplace, I did nothing but working on 2238 and occasionally eating. The past days were also spend on writing the manual, which was even more stressing... (and kinda a waste of time. It didn't took long till it was completely outdated and we never worked on it again. Making a wiki would have been a wiser decision).

Launch day was awesome. We had like 1.000 players and counting. Server was running hot and lag was big. Have to say, the interest was way bigger than I've (and probably anyone else) expected. Thought we'd get like what... 100 people or so at max?

6. Were you playing the game in your spare time when you don't develop the game? If yes write how and when, if not tell why you weren't playing.
Me personally not that much anymore after launch. We constantly had to fix bugs and exploits and people wanted more content of any kind. It was just impossible to get it all under one hat while at the same time having a real job or school or kids.
I know that some from us were playing it every once in a while. Especially Solar later on, to test the economy balance and stuff like that.

[fonliner]

Thanks, nice answers.

The question which I ask now isn't mainly related to early development... but what was happen with rest of devs? I can recognize only few which sometimes visit this forum. Would you like to still develop or contribute in some fonline projects?

[Ghosthack]

Thanks, nice answers.

The question which I ask now isn't mainly related to early development... but what was happen with rest of devs? I can recognize only few which sometimes visit this forum. Would you like to still develop or contribute in some fonline projects?

A lot of us still lurk on IRC and few of us are semi-active on this forum.

As for the state of FOnline in general, unless the engine is open sourced (by cvet) or someone creates a new engine that is open for the whole community, I don't think that much will happen to FOnline. From what I've seen, all the current projects are stuck on certain versions of the server/client and can't do any big changes without complicated hacks of the binaries.

I hope that there will be some more collaboration, but it looks like everyone is doing their own thing for now mostly. But I could be wrong, I don't have any contact with current projects except via this forum.

[lisac2k]

Thanks, nice answers.

The question which I ask now isn't mainly related to early development... but what was happen with rest of devs? I can recognize only few which sometimes visit this forum. Would you like to still develop or contribute in some fonline projects?

I'm here...

We lost some, like Solar. He does drop by, though every second year or so. The others not. Such is life, as Hakunin would say.

I doubt I would be taking part in a FOnline project or contribute under current circumstances. Can't say for others... Except for Wipe - if I understand correctly she is contributing almost all current projects continuously, however within certain limits.

4. Did you have any secret ideas which you wanted to introduce but never told about that?

Lynch mob. At one point I was really disappointed that people started to kill town NPCs, which were crucial for quests and a broader background picture in the game (or killing traders, too). So, I came up with an idea that killing one NPC in a town wouldn't be seriously sanctioned, but as you kill more and more NPCs, the chance is getting higher that on the outskirts of that town you'd get ambushed by a lynch mob.

This was supposed to be an encounter next to impossible to survive or to flee from, so the player would die and lose all his items/money. Traveling in party wouldn't help, cause the ambush could take place when you're separated from the rest of the group (for the sake of role-playing, let's say you stay behind the group to urinate or unload your excrement behind a rock). Also, imagine a situation where well equipped party of five goes into battle, and then one is suddenly missing because the lynch mob got him/her. This brings a whole new situation for the rest four members of that group regarding their tactics and upcoming combat.

However, the idea was presented at a bad time. We had a lot of other critical issues to take care of back then, so it was eventually forfeited. I think only Atom and I discussed shortly about it once, but nothing serious came out of it. So, yeah, you could say it remained a "secret idea" for the rest of the world.

[Lexx]

4. Did you have any secret ideas which you wanted to introduce but never told about that?

I found some more stuff I've worked on, but never finished. Beware shitton of text...

FOnline: 2238 NCR Prison (NCRCF)

#=======================================
# FOnline: 2238 NCR Prison (NCRCF)
#=======================================

On the horizon you see: A New California Republic Correctional Facility.

#=======================================

Just some rough ideas.

The NCR has a prison / correction facility in the north west of the Boneyard. The location is visible either through outdoor-skill (>= 100) check or if the player is taken there, which can happen if:

   - The player has a lot negative reputation and gets killed in NCR (Shady Sands)

   - (OUTDATED) NCR Rangers in encounter find him. They activate dialogue and then the player can:
      - Blast them away, as always.
      - Talk his way out of it.
      - Go with them.(/OUTDATED)

   - (NEW) NCR Rangers in encounter find and kill the player. It's more simple this way and doesn't need lots of additional changes / adjustments.(/NEW)

   - Maybe Ranger bounty hunters, if the reputation is really really deep down. It would have the same options as rangers in normal encounter, just with more difficult skill checks AND they can happen in different zones of the worldmap (far away from normal NCR territory, but not everywhere on the worldmap).


#=======================================
#    So the player is in the prison, what now?
#=======================================

FIRST: Player will get a bald head. :p

SECOND: This is like a normal quest location. The player can run around inside the prison, talk to a few npcs, etc. Also he can take up various generic quests that repeat all the time.

Examples:
   1) Go, smash some stones and give them some npc. With collecting stones, you gain "Prison Points"

   2) Clear away the rubble on rail lines. Player gets teleported to a new location with rail lines and rubble. It's a bit like caravan lifting: Pick up stones from rail, place them somewhere else. Again, with collecting rubble piles, you gain "Prison Points." The player doesn't have to clean everything, he can always talk to some npc and get back to the prison.

   3) Kill animal XY in some area around the prison. Kind of a suicide mission... the player can chose between a melee or a range weapon.

   4) Something else?


#=======================================
#    How do I get out of the prison?
#=======================================

There are multiple ways how you can get out of the prison:

   1) Earn enough "Prison Points" to get free. This will also clear players negative NCR reputation. The palyer talks with the prison overseer and will get teleported to the worldmap (or maybe entire in front of the prison entrance?).

   2) Escape on a outside quest like rubble pile cleaning, etc. You just try to run to the exit grid. Either you manage it or the guards kill you and you go back to the prison and loose "Prison Points"

   3)  Other players attack the prison and free the convicted. NCR guards have to be very very tough, so that this will not be a cake walk. Also every player who is attacking the guards will get A LOT negative NCR reputation. Every prisoner who leaves the prison map, will loose all his prison points and get negative NCR reputation as well.

Every prisoner who dies will respawn in the prison again. Every non-prisoner who dies will respawn in normal respawn locations.


#=======================================
#    In case of combat in the prison map
#=======================================

If someone activated combat mode in the prison location, the following will happen:

1) alarm_beep.ogg is played once, followed by alarm.ogg in a loop until combat is over. Both files can be found in graphic repo, faction004 folder.

2) All guards in the map will draw their weapons (most have their weapons drawn by default, but not all).

3) The security lights in the facility switch: From non-animated to animated with shiny light.
   -> Non-animated: PID 9692 AND 9693
   -> Animated with light level set: PID 9690 AND 9691
   -> Alternative: Just spawn the animated objects on the position with the non-animated ones. They should cover it and look pretty good. Later delete these objects again and all is fine.

4) All NPC convicts run to their barracks (placed waypoints, they go to the closest waypoint or randomly, I don't care).


#=======================================
#    What is needed
#=======================================

DONE:
   - Prison map.
   - Half done, rail map for rail cleaning.
   - Basic dialogues.
   - Adding location to worldmap.
   - Prison governor dialog.
   - Script for trigger: If player steps on it, let guards attack him.
   - Guard patrol routes.
   - Come too close to guards and they start combat.

NEEDED:
   - Location becomes visible if player enters the location.
   - Location becomes visible if player has a high outdoor skill.
   - Prison Overseer dialog.
   - Rail Overseer dialog.
   - Scripts for what happens in combat mode (see above).
   - Script with "Prison Point"-system.
   - "Don't come closer!" Guards have to reset after short time, else player goes to guard, runs away, comes 10 minutes later again and the guard will open fire and start combat. This is not good.

FOnline: 2238 - Boneyard Police Station

#=======================================
# FOnline: 2238 - Boneyard Police Station
#=======================================

"Hah! You thought I would be trapped and in danger somewhere, huh? Oh well... Guess I just forgot the time here. This place is amazing! The dogs not so, though."
   - April Clayton, Follower of the Apocalypse

An old police station in the ruins of the Boneyard. It's not yet taken over by the Regulators. The building is occupied by dogs 'n stuff (level 1 and 2). The cellar door is locked up and behind it, some security robots are still patroling their lonely paths. In the armory, the player can get some riot armors.

In the station is a broken terminal. The player can repair it with a high repair skill. On it will be some pre-war information about the Boneyard. Also a few encrypted files. With a high science skill, the files can be encrypted. This makes a new location visible on the worldmap, where a broken police car is standing around (some highway patrol outpost). The car can be repaired.

In some computer terminals, the player can find reports about actions that took place short before the Great War. This includes reports about civil depredations, riots going on in the streets and police squads beeing cut off from support units.

New RobCo police units (Cyberdogs) have been used for the very first time in a non-simulated combat enviroment. The tests have been quite positive, but various cyberdog models tendet to overload after some time, which made their system to shut down. A software bug caused them to not restart again. The bug was fixed later, but the new models didn't made it into production anymore. It is noted, that the Denver Police got tree new models of Police Cyberdogs already in use.

#=======================================
#   Quest Stages
#=======================================

1. Get Quest from NPC xy to find April Clayton, who moved out to salvage and learn from old pre-war stuff.

2. Search April Claytons locker in order to find clues about her location.

3. Go to the old Police Station.

4. Find April on the first floor.
   - Go back to NPC xy, quest done... or:

5. Help April to explore the Police Station.
   - Repair the power generators in the basement.
   - Activate the power in a terminal on the second floor.
   - Read about the Boneyard history / the last police reports.
   - Learn hints about the New Plague virus (Limit 115).
   - Find out about the cyberdogs and salvage parts of them for April.
   - Find out about the Highway Patrol Station.
   - Open the armory for pieces of old Riot Armor and Combat Shotguns.


#=======================================
#   Choice & Consequence
#=======================================

-


#=======================================
#   Combat
#=======================================

In the police station (basement and second floor) are police cyberdog units that will recognize the player as intruder and therefore attacking him.


#=======================================
#   Other things to note
#=======================================

= Rewards =
LA Riot Armor for armor crafting. (Or if we don't use it yet, a batch of Combat Shotguns in good and bad condition.)

The armory with riot armor items is in the basement. The door is locked with some electronic lock. Impossible to open with lockpick skill. To get into the armory, you have to fix a terminal first. If you have repaired it, you can open the door to the armory.

A power generator has to be repaired.

If the player is really good in science (100+ skill), he can encrypt an additional file, which is the report over an old Highway Patrol Station, in the close desert north of the Boneyard. At this station, the player can find an old Highway Patrol Car. With a good repair skill (100+), it is possible to get it into working condition again.

On the top level is a computer room with video material about dog training. Using this will give the player +5% on outdoor.


#=======================================
#    What is needed
#=======================================

DONE:
   - Highway Patrol Station map.
   - Police Car added.

NEEDED:
   - Police Station 1st floor map.
   - Police Station 2nd floor map.
   - Police Station basement map.
   - Quest giver dialog.
   - April Clayton dialog.
   - Police Station terminal dialog.
   - Scripts.
   - Various police barrier scenery graphics.

#=======================================

Variables:
q_la_police_station
   0 == Quest inactive
   1 == Quest active, find clues about Aprils location.
   2 == Clues about Aprils location found.
   3 == Found April.
   4 == Explore the Police Station with April.
   5 == Back at the Library, quest ended.

q_la_police_station_power
   0 == Power off.
   1 == First generator online.
   2 == Second generator online.
   3 == Third generator online.    # All online and working.
   
TERMINAL DOCUMENTS:
q_la_police_station_terminal      # Terminals are working?
   0 == inactive.
   1 == player used terminal the first time

q_la_police_station_limit115      # Learn about the virus.
   0 == inactive
   1 == player got hints about New Plague Virus.

q_la_police_station_dog_training   # Learn about police dogs.
   0 == inactive.
   1 == learned about police dogs.

q_la_police_station_cyberdogs      # Learn about police dogs.
   0 == inactive.
   1 == learned about the cyberdogs.

q_la_police_station_riots      # Learn about the riots
   0 == inactive.
   1 == learned about the riots in the boneyard. Also learn about the splintered police forces.

q_la_police_station_patrol_car      # Learn about Highway Patrol Station (only with high science skill)
   0 == inactive.
   1 == Files decrypted, location marked on worldmap.
   2 == Car repaired, remove location on exit with car, else normal 7 days timer.

[Lexx]

Post Part 2, because of character limitation.

FOnline: 2238 - Angel's Boneyard Gold Reserve

#=======================================
# FOnline: 2238 - Angel's Boneyard Gold Reserve
#=======================================

"NCR's gold reserves are kept in various stashes right in front of our noses: The Angel's Boneyard! We just have to go and grab them, can't be that hard, can it?"
   - Some shady guy with no name yet.


#=======================================
#   The Heist
#=======================================

This is a high-level quest for level 20+ characters, in which one of the NCRs gold reserve in the Boneyard will be the target for a heist. The quest is split in two stages: 1. explore the location and 2. get a team and do the heist. For stage 2, a team of at least 3 players is needed to activate it, but not more than 6. Stage 1 can be done alone.

This quest requests the players to have a set of various skills like speech, lockpicking, traps, stealth, first aid, doctor, etc. Why:

   - Speech: Trick guards.
   - Lockpicking: Obvious, opening doors.
   - Traps: Opening doors with power. Will result in alarm activation.
   - Stealth: Maneuver around guards.
   - First aid / Doctor: If you die in the location, you can't get back. So better stay alive.
   - Gambling: Try to trick a guard. Can win or fail, randomly. Can be used in combination of speech.
   - Throwing: Get a rope over a wall.
   - Steal: Keys for doors.
   - Repair: Manipulate computer or power generator.
   
Also special stats:
   - Agility: 7+ allows to climb the wall without rope.


#=======================================
#   Choice & Consequence
#=======================================

This quest offers various things to decide for the player:

1.) You can blow the whole operation, if you go to Tandi and tell her about it. This will result in one alternative quest, where the player can go with NCR rangers to blow the shady quest starter npc. It's a very easy combat way, but hey... players choice.

2.) If the player has the gold, he can keep it for himself. This will result in bounty hunters following him after x time passed. EVERY player who was in that quest involved will get a bounty hunter encounter. If two or more players of the group get into a bounty hunter encounter, both are "done" with it and don't get a new one.

3.) Killing quest giver npc and keeping the gold. Like 2, will result in bounty hunters, but not as many as it would be if he is kept alive. EVERY player who was in that quest involved will get a bounty hunter encounter. If two or more players of the group get into a bounty hunter encounter, both are "done" with it and don't get a new one.


#=======================================
#   Stages
#=======================================

The quest has officially two stages. First beeing exploring and second the actual heist.


#=======================================
#      Stage 1
#=======================================

A simple run & look quest. You go to the map and can walk around. The player is NOT ALLOWED to talk to any guard. If he does, it will have influence in Stage 2. Right now, the player can't get into the inside. In the map are various points the player has to go to in order to get "Explore Points". If the player has earned x of them, the quest giver will be fine with it. If not, the player has to go back and search for more.

   # Find the wall for the rope.
   # Check the front gate.
   # Check the north, east, south and west part of the map. (each of these gives +1 "Explore Points")
   # Examine at least one guard to see their equipment.

If the player activates combat in this stage, stage 2 will have more guards, as the NCR is sending more troops to defend the gold.


#=======================================
#      Stage 2
#=======================================

Now the player has to get a team with other players. The npc will give some hints like "get explosives, just in case" or "care for first aid", etc. but nothing more fancy. Most important: He will note that all players are needed to have COMBAT ARMORS. If a player is seen inside the building without CA, combat will start and alarm gets activated. The shady npc will give the player one item of poisoned meat. If the player eats it, he will go down to 1hp over a short time and maybe die. :p

   How to get into the courtyard:
   # Easy: Use a rope on the wall to get into the inner courtyard.
      - There is one outside patrol, so the rope should be removed later, because alarm will sound if the guard sees it.
   # Medium: Use your speech skill to convince the door guard your team is a replacement guard unit.
      - This will not be possible, if the player talked to a guard in Stage 1! They will recognize him.
   # Hard: Shoot your way in. Prepare to die and fail though.

   How to get into the building:
   # If you convinced the doorguard, you can simply pass. Nobody will ask anything.
   # If you used the rope, you have to pass a speech skill roll check.
   # If you can't pass the speech skill roll, give the guard the poisoned meat and he runs to the toilet.
   # Yeah, kill everyone...

   How to get into the safe room:
   # You will need the poisoned meat now to get rid of the guard.
   # You can convince the guard that there is some serious shit outside and he has to come. He will leave for a short time. If he comes back and the safedoor is open, alarm will start.
   # Use your lockpick skill to crack the door. (Very hard)
   # Use explosives to bomb it open. Results in alarm.

While the whole Stage 2, you can use the poisoned meat on any guard in the inside. Short after the guard will run to the toilets and stay there (will not attack as well, if not attacked directly).


#=======================================
#   Combat
#=======================================

If combat is activated, alarm will start and NCR support units arrive. Maybe alarm will not start, if unarmed combat is used and not more than one or two guards are involved in combat. But this depends on how good it can be scripted.

The support units will keep respawning every x time!

If the alarm is started, fancy security lights will be animated.


#=======================================
#   Other things to note
#=======================================

In the guard room, the players can find a stash of NCR Ranger Combat Armors and ammunition for various weapons that are used by the NCR.


#=======================================
#    What is needed
#=======================================

DONE:
   - Surface map.

NEEDED:
   - Underground map.
   - Generic guard dialog outside.
   - Generic guard dialog courtyard.
   - Generic guard dialog inside building.
   - Generic support unit dialog.
   - Outside door guard dialog.
   - Inside building door guard dialog.
   - Safe room door guard dialog.
   - Scripts.
   - ?

FOnline: 2238 Train Ambush Encounter

#=======================================
# FOnline: 2238 Train Ambush Encounter
#=======================================

Train encounters appear for players while they travel with the train on the worldmap und specific conditions. Between each train encounters, some ingame days should pass. Else the player will maybe get spammed with encounters...

For every of these encounters, the players have to be "kicked out" of the train and into the new encounter map. This way, the original train can continue his actions without interruption, which means less annoying work with fixing possible problems.


#=======================================
# ENCOUNTER: Rail Raiders
#=======================================

DESCRIPTION:
   One-time encounter. A generic encounter map with train, rails and stones on the rails in front of the train.

CONDITIONS:
   - Possibilitie for train ambush, if >4 players in train.
   - Location specific (Desert zones)

FUNCTIONALITY:
   - Players spawn in the new encounter map. No hostility yet.
   - In front of the players, a few evil foes standing around.
   -> As soon as more than one player comes too close (closer than 10 hex?), they start combat.
   -> So only one player can go to them without activating combat. This one player can try to talk to them.
   -> He can provocate them, to activate combat or use diplomatic skills to make them retreat (+ dialog options based on amount of players in the map and their level, etc).

   In order to continue their travel, the players have to clean up the stones on the rails (using them, placing them somewhere else, like box lifting jobs).

   After the combat is over, train conductor comes out of the train, waiting on his spot. With him, players can talk and continue their travel to the next train station. Point for discussion: One player enough to make the whole group travel again? Or setting timer like on train station, in which players have to talk to him.

WORKFLOW:
   - Players in train from station A to B.
   - Ambush! Players teleported into encounter map.
   - Get rid of the foes with combat, talking or whatever else.
   - Players talk to train conductor (if he is still alive).
   - Players clean stones from rails.
   - Players talk to conductor.
   - Travel to station B continues OR they get teleported directly to the station, as a kind of reward (the whole encounter should take more time than driving anyway, so it's not like they are faster, except if they really ninja through it).

STATUS:
   DONE:
   - Map
   - Generic Rail Raider dialog
   - Conductor dialog
   - Parts of the questlog text
   - Rail Raider leader dialog
   
   NOT DONE:
   - Scripts


#=======================================
#    Variables
#=======================================

$   7095   q_rail_raider_conductor
**********
0 == Conductor scared.
1 == Not scared anymore.
**********

$   7096   q_rail_raider_path
**********
0 == Path blocked.
1 == Path cleaned.
**********

$   7097   q_rail_raider_status
**********
0 == Inactive
1 == Ambush begins!
2 == Raiders gone / dead
3 == Raiders gone / scared
4 == Raiders gone / paid money
5 == Raiders gone / talked over -- not used, merged with scared away.
6 == Player left map, filthy punk!
**********


#=======================================
# ENCOUNTER: Buried Rails
#=======================================

DESCRIPTION:
   One-time encounter with special encounter map in the mountains. A long path of the rails are buried by stone that fell down from the cliffs. The train can't continue forward before the rails aren't cleaned up.

CONDITIONS:
   - Possibilitie, if > 3 players in train.
   - Location specific (Mountain zones)

FUNCTIONALITY:
   - Players spawn in the new encounter map.
   - Players have to move away the stones on the rails, while this fight some wild desert dogs.
   - At one point, they will find a cave entrance, which they can explore. Or they don't explore and go back to the train.

WORKFLOW:
   - Players in train from station A to B.
   - Rails blocked! Players teleported into encounter map.
   - Get rid of the stones on the rails, fight dogs.
   -> The dogs spawn in small groups along the lines from points where players can't go to.
   - Explore cave.
   - Go back to train, continue to station B.

STATUS:
   DONE:
   -
   
   NOT DONE:
   - Map outside
   - Map inside
   - Conductor dialog
   - Scripts
   - Questlog text


#=======================================
# ENCOUNTER:
#=======================================

[Slowhand]

As for the state of FOnline in general, unless the engine is open sourced (by cvet) or someone creates a new engine that is open for the whole community, I don't think that much will happen to FOnline.

Had the same idea a while ago.

I found some more stuff I've worked on, but never finished. Beware shitton of text...

That's just cool Ofc, these will not likely happen, as most people don't consider RPG elements core values.

[Wipe]

1. When did you hear about FOnline for first time?

It was after OBT2 ended or something like that, so about half of 2009 i think? Admin of some shitty polish *chan sticked some post with screenshots of it. After it ended, yes, so i just missed it. Just my luck.

I've since then visited that *chan only to get info when next OBT gonna be. When finally there was another did, i landed on original TLA server, in some shithole part of the WM, and for some reason i just *had* to go to VC. Nobody to help/advice, no "how do git gud", just me - total noob, and a harsh wasteland. Anyone who remembers 2009 TLA - it's that time when you can feel sorry for me.
After finally reaching VC some nice russian fella not only flooded me with top tier stuff, lot of advices and understable english, but - most importantly - gave a link to 2238 board on NMA and hinted that it may be more in my style. Heck, it was. Never had chance to thank a guy later, don't remember either his or mine char name, but he still remains as my favourite russian in FOnline world

Funny fact: exactly same *chan admin who posted FOnline screenshots was banned on #rotators for some reason until late 2014? 2015? when one of ForestNet failures finally cleared ban list, so i was being reminded how it all started over all these years.

2. How did you get access to FOnline source which you used for creating 2238?

I know it's about how Rotators got access to FOnline, but i got a funny one how i got access to 2238 itself.

After Rusty kidnapped my sorry ass and made me GM, i was given access to some FTP which was earlier used to distribute client among CBT players (mind you, it was long before SDK release). There wasn't much use for it honestly, except one thing. Full backup of TLA server, together with all scripts, tools, maps, .client files (with plaintext passwords, sic!), well everything to run and dev your own TLA at home.

It was later called 'leak of the year' among Rotators.

I toyed with it for a few days, tried some very first scripts, started asking Atom/Ghosthack how things works, until they realized that i know a bit too much about server/client than i should After cvet took backup out of FTP, i continued to write some shitty scripts which i sent to them and - after review - was put into 2238 or not. Fast forward, they got tired of such extra work and i got an access to 2238 repository.

Funny fact: Some of scripts from send-review-include era are still, nearly untouched, in 2238, as i get eye cancer and hearth attack, at same time, every time i try to read them (... weather*.fos ...)

4. Did you have any secret ideas which you wanted to introduce but never told about that?

Ha, todays IRC talk reminded me of one of them, and made me post this very wall of text.
So, there was such thing as FOnline: Battleground back in a days. One map, pewpew, team combat. Simple stuff. My secret stupid idea was to use Hinkley to allow different combat settings - one with TLA rules, one with 2238 rules, one with some custom rules, etc. That should go together with items availability, perks, traits, burst mechanics and whatnot... Yeah.

6. Were you playing the game in your spare time when you don't develop the game? If yes write how and when, if not tell why you weren't playing.

Yeah, for me it was mostly play or dev; or rather - dev a thing and then dev+play it out to catch bugs, annoying things, and a general "feel" of given thing. After feature was settled i either continued to play only or went back to dev another thing. In retrospection, with FOnline i always had more fun from making stuff happen [dev], than using it [play]. Good example for that would be GM commands, which was always high, or medium-high on my priority list, to counter "old" devs which had it bit lower - after all i started as only GM with repo access (until Jovanka took over expanding GM things). It was weirdly rewarding to see events organized by someone else which used stuff i wrote, sometimes in totally different ways than i had in mind.

Would you like to still develop or contribute in some fonline projects?

If only there would be one which would give me such a kick as 2238 did back then, heh.

I kinda still contribute to some of them [read: english ones which are still alive], if they need. Less in writing code, more in digging out source how to make thing happen/not happen, tracking FOnline quirks, and collecting some gems about a whole thing. More one know about FOnline, more chance to get my attention (as question have more chance to be interesting one ) as i left teaching FOnline basics to people who have more patience than i do. Some of them i learned what i know back in a days, it's their time to shine

Anyway. I'd be more interested in taking some older SDK and tune it to devs needs without drastic changes (so completely different way than where cvet is going), than making game itself. But. That's a story for a different time and different dimension~

[FrankenStone]

dam Lexx your quest ideas are really great and structured.

[Balthasar]

Most questions I'd also ask were touched so far.

I still have two questions, though:

I started at OBT3 (or was it 2, dunno anymore) together with a bunch of guys from the FONow German Forum. I remember Lexx beeing helpful by guiding us into the game and all. Was only 1 or 2 weeks and russians took over whole test server basically. Then after this 2238 was born...

...my first question now: At this point (i mean after the last OBT before official servers were started), did you already planned to do 2238 server or was there some kind of motivation in the background that drove you to come up with the idea to split up from TLA server and do your own thingy?

@Wipe goes my second one:

Found dat chess script within the SDK. Were there any plans to implement this in-game? And if so, how would it have look like?

Thanks and greets,

B.

[Wipe]

Found dat chess script within the SDK.

Onoz!

Were there any plans to implement this in-game? And if so, how would it have look like?

Heh. It was supposed to create e_desert1-like map, teleport players as bluesuits, make sure they won't be able to attack anything, spawn board and figures using fitting graphics/skins from Fallout (i think there was some setup of some kind for this), and give players -somehow- control over figures. Regular chess game from this point. I wanted to utilize some fancy/random anims, maybe add some effects, etc. Basically porting Battle Chess to FOnline reality :p

There wasn't any place for such thing ingame (maaaybe Hinkley during madness times, but gods, it would be horror to code) so it had to be GM-controlled, at least for spawning/deleting chess map, maybe make it a part of famous npcmap... But. Gave up on whole thing as i couldn't find a good way to control figures... creating custom interface is the only option imho [there was some ~command-based attempt but it sucked big time] but it was and still is a pain in butt. Had some funs writing it (and later reading comments about script "quality" on reddit ), but it was mainly done to relax :p

[Balthasar]

Thanks for this insight Wipe .

[Wire]

When was the thing, the turning point when you thought to yourself that things went bad/wrong/not to your liking for 2238?

ps. Have you ever figured what happened to Solar or Slim Charles?