Arelith - Hak Server

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High Primate
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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by High Primate » Wed Mar 29, 2017 7:32 am

So, I'm going to chime in here and side with the camp of people saying skip the gated server and just cut right to the haks (joke not intended). I'm seeing good arguments for this position being delivered by mod developers whose judgment I trust implicitly, and right now we have one of the most capable teams to ever grace a NWN server. Have any of the other major servers faced a sudden barrage of potentially ruinous technical issues upon migrating to haks? That might be worth looking into, but I'm guessing no, seeing as how they've retained a sizable playerbase.

Although it would certainly take time to implement many of the new features (as Dunshine cautioned), my understanding is that it could also make updates with regard to mechanics and balance more simple for the coding team, so that might be another reason to just go ahead and use them. Why spend time adding more virtual console features, class tweaks, etc. if they might very well be replaced by haks at some point?

It doesn't sound like installing them would be a problem--I've heard this concern voiced by some Linux users, but I'm sure the devs would provide everyone with the tools and instruction to make this as easy as possible.
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Iceborn
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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by Iceborn » Wed Mar 29, 2017 9:16 am

For as much as we love HAKs, a trial time is required.
It is a -very- big leap for the server, a server which prided itself on being plug-and-play for a very long time.
Misc Changes, with the Feats and Skills sublinks.
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Skibbles
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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by Skibbles » Thu Mar 30, 2017 2:10 am

A few years ago I did a good amount of building for a HAK server called Thessir, but it all fell through well before launch. I can't find my module anywhere, sadly, but I do have a host of screenshots that might help people understand the sheer mind-boggling amount of extra creativity and immersion that is available through using HAKs.

Having a toolset with dozens of tilesets, and thousands of placeables really makes the game into something new. And that's all before you log in with new outfits, weapons, models, heads, and everything else that's possible.

Battlefield: http://imgur.com/a/HDWip

The story here is of a siege undertaken centuries ago that culminated into one of the sides casting an apocalyptic spell that devastated the battlefield and in some places froze the fighting into an endless loop where the soldiers forever fight to the death in repeating battles. There are broken siege towers, parapets, skeletons of all different kinds, discarded shields and weapons, burnt houses - it goes on and on.

Gnome "Steampunk" City: http://imgur.com/a/X1mnO

A city founded by gnomes, and later settled by humans and dwarves, is built up on a steampunk design with all the pipes and steam and forges you could expect from such a place. A mighty castle, built into the side of a mountain, sits watch over the city below.

Wizard's School: https://imgur.com/a/3VPdt

Here's a wizard's school. There will probably be wizards there, doing wizard things with wizard spells and wizard wands.
Irongron wrote: [...] the super-secret Arelith development roadmap is a post apocalyptic wasteland populated with competing tribes of hand-bombard wielding techno-giants, and strewn with the bones of long dead elves.

So we're very much on track.

Seven Sons of Sin
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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by Seven Sons of Sin » Thu Mar 30, 2017 2:15 am

Gotta admit, I super dig those environments.
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Scimiter
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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by Scimiter » Thu Mar 30, 2017 7:35 am

I'm currently inactive but remembering first joining almost a decade ago I'm on the fence. For a time I played on Amia and watched them deploy a full HAK server in a revamp around 2010 and visually it was stunning BUT it was a lot of work for Disco and the team and new players dropped off for awhile due to not being able to just log in and play without learning where to copy the HAK files. I do remember this topic coming up once before in my time and Jjj responded with just that concern *shrugs* Getting a little off the fence at the end of the day the graphics may be 15 years old but it is still the people that inhabit the world that make it why I spent five some years of my life contributing to that ever moving world. HAK or no HAK those of us who played, still play and will play create fond memories here that will never depend on the method of delivery.

Just an old vet's thought of the day. DEVs will not lose my respect going one way or the other.

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Rooshy41
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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by Rooshy41 » Thu Mar 30, 2017 3:53 pm

So on the topic of HAKs, I fully plan on joining the Dev team as soon as possible and would LOVE to help with the development of a more advanced Arelith in terms of moving forwards with HAKs.
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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by Hunter548 » Thu Mar 30, 2017 7:12 pm

Rooshy41 wrote:So on the topic of HAKs, I fully plan on joining the Dev team as soon as possible and would LOVE to help with the development of a more advanced Arelith in terms of moving forwards with HAKs.
I look forward to all your attempts to buff your character via buffing dragonshape.
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Rooshy41
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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by Rooshy41 » Thu Mar 30, 2017 7:26 pm

I would never! #lettheDShatecontinue
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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by DM Symphony » Thu Mar 30, 2017 7:48 pm

Skibbles wrote:Wizard's School: https://imgur.com/a/3VPdt

Here's a wizard's school. There will probably be wizards there, doing wizard things with wizard spells and wizard wands.
I always liked that wizard school.

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Skibbles
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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by Skibbles » Thu Mar 30, 2017 8:45 pm

Thanks! It was a work of passion. Having such a wide variety of tools really awakens creativity.
Irongron wrote: [...] the super-secret Arelith development roadmap is a post apocalyptic wasteland populated with competing tribes of hand-bombard wielding techno-giants, and strewn with the bones of long dead elves.

So we're very much on track.

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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by Stath » Sun Apr 02, 2017 10:45 am

A question for the Admins. Please excuse the curt nstute of the post ans bad spelling/grammar, on phone. What is the nature of haks being considered?

Are we talking basic, like CEP with ACP? This is going to sound funny, but hear it out. Sinfars character customization is unparalleled and professional quality (mostly). How feasible is character scaling, along with the body model and armour customization, and the acessory system? Obviously non pg13 stuff would have to be pruned out.

Another point, how far would haks go? This may be pretentious, but i believe the majority of the playerbase just want new tilesets and character customization rather than changes to feats, spells, etc.

Have your plans changed/are you considering feedback feom the players on the forums in reguards to their ideas on hak implementation?
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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by OverTheSeaToSkye » Sun Apr 02, 2017 12:26 pm

Who are you and what have you done with Stath.
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Lorkas
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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by Lorkas » Sun Apr 02, 2017 12:27 pm

I'm glad I'm not the only one. Stath apologizes for curtness on his least curt post of all time. :)

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A Mystery Clock
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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by A Mystery Clock » Sun Apr 02, 2017 12:57 pm

I personally love haks. Arelith was the first server I have ever been on that did not use them. As for installing haks, it is literally as easy as downloading a zip, and unzipping in a specific folder. Heck, it would even be possible to make your own downloader/installer and just tell players "download and run this exe".

Haks allow a -great- deal of customization in exchange for taking five minutes to download/unzip. The more, the merrier.

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Iceborn
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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by Iceborn » Sun Apr 02, 2017 1:56 pm



This is what kobold dragon disciples look like with Haks.
Now tell me that you don't want to be that mammal and praise your Draconic overlords!
Misc Changes, with the Feats and Skills sublinks.
Available races
Spell Changes
Class Mechanics
Command Guide

Take a look before asking your questions!

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My decency
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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by My decency » Sun Apr 02, 2017 4:50 pm

OverTheSeaToSkye wrote:Who are you and what have you done with Stath.
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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by Sceptical Platypus » Sun Apr 02, 2017 5:23 pm

Stath wrote:Another point, how far would haks go? This may be pretentious, but i believe the majority of the playerbase just want new tilesets and character customization rather than changes to feats, spells, etc.
Actually, as a casual player I would really appreciate that all the changes to feats, spells, etc. be reflected in the actual game. I really like that the current dev team is trying to balance the spells and feats, so that more of them are actually worth using, but the more they balance the more confusing the game becomes. As things are now I am staying away from rolling a caster, because half the spells no longer do what they say they do in game, and I am too lazy to go to the wiki and learn all the spells by heart. Once I logged onto my old ranger, and suddenly his animal companion had been replaced by a gigantic rothe!

So even though the initial transition to HAKs might be daunting to some of the less tech-savvy users, I think it would actually make the game more accessible to newbies and casual players that have not memorized the entire wiki (like most older players seem to have done).
Last edited by Sceptical Platypus on Sun Apr 02, 2017 6:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by Rwby » Sun Apr 02, 2017 6:17 pm

Should it matter at this point, I am firmly in agreement with the above poster. While I'm certainly not _against_ shiny new tilesets/appearences/cookies, I would be much keener on mechanical changes actually reflected in game documentation. [And then I'd be after new feats and mechanical changes, more than cosmetic ones.]

Sceptical Platypus
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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by Sceptical Platypus » Sun Apr 02, 2017 6:25 pm

That said, those kobold models look rad.

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Romeo and Jubilex
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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by Romeo and Jubilex » Sun Apr 02, 2017 9:20 pm

The spells haven't changed that much? I rolled up an arcane caster without playing in Ages and it's not hard -- the only spells that have really changed in a big way is stuff like Find Traps.

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Iceborn
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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by Iceborn » Sun Apr 02, 2017 9:45 pm

Basically what did "pew pew" still explodes, and "whazam" is still a "whazam!" of sort, but the deep nuance and effect of most spells have been altered, so if you want to employ magic at its best, you'll probably need to know what you are doing exactly, and not in the format of the examples above.
Misc Changes, with the Feats and Skills sublinks.
Available races
Spell Changes
Class Mechanics
Command Guide

Take a look before asking your questions!

Sceptical Platypus
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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by Sceptical Platypus » Sun Apr 02, 2017 10:13 pm

Romeo and Jubilex wrote:The spells haven't changed that much? I rolled up an arcane caster without playing in Ages and it's not hard -- the only spells that have really changed in a big way is stuff like Find Traps.
As Iceborn said, it is true that the nature of the spells haven't changed too much. But according to the wiki 58 spells have been changed on Arelith, which is a good 20% of all the spells in the game. This is not even counting epic spells or the changes to groups of spells, or the fact that the dev team keeps tweaking the number. Most of the time you can still count on your fireballs to explode things and your summons to summon things, but it's not very accessible to the casual player when one out of five spells does not reflect their description in game.

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Rooshy41
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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by Rooshy41 » Mon Apr 03, 2017 3:37 pm

I agree with both Iceborn and Sceptical Platypus on the matter. In my opinion, a wizard is a thinking person's spellcaster and without knowing exactly what ends and odds do exactly what it can be very difficult to do what a wizard needs to be able to do.

The ability for spells to exactly reflect what they do in game would be a tremendous help for alot of new players who arn't used to spending the first week they play a game spending half their time on a wiki or forum hunting for information.
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Re: Arelith - Hak Server

Post by Shadofury » Thu Apr 06, 2017 3:19 pm

should this be pinned some new people who wander to the forums might get to see it?

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