Erfworld: Battle for Wesnoth

[Symian]

Hi! I haven't really read the forums here in a long time and this struck me as a fairly obvious thing, so please excuse a well-meaning newbie if the following idea is already planned for or against.

Many of you know the open-source (er, pretty sure it's open source, maybe it's just free?) game "Battle for Wesnoth", a fairly generic hex-based turn-based combat strategy simulator aimed primarily at fantasy campaigns.

I was thinking that seeing as so far Erfworld seems to be set primarily in a turn-based strategy game setting, this highly moddable (just get it and you'll see how easy it is to make mods) game might be the perfect place for an official (or unofficial) Erfworld: Battle for Gobwin Knob game.

It just fits so perfectly that I'm sure I'm missing something.

[Wallyz]

Yeah, I have played Wesnoth, but I haven't done much with the programming and development. I would play it if you did it, but I wouldn't be much help in getting it together.

[jami]

Is this a computer game of some sort? I can provide templates for art assets if I get the specs. I'm sure Rob can help with some of the other stuff in terms of turns and such.

[Wallyz]

Hey Jamie-
http://www.wesnoth.org/
Its an open source project that is going pretty strong.

[jami]

Oh cool! They have a Mac version. I'll have to investigate a little more but it looks like pretty neat.

[Moechi_Vill]

/longtime Wesnoth player/

Yeah, those guys are awesome with their material. I know one of them. They don't like ripping though, so ask nicely first unless you go with adding on templates and/or campaigns.

[McDeath]

I agree. An Erfworld mod would be excellent.

[InaVegt]

Okay, just got Wesnoth and I'm reading through the modding section. I do however have a bit of computer programming knowledge (Basic, Visual Basic, Darkbasic, Turbo pascal, Free pascal, Delphi and some which don't really count)

[Om]

This game actually looks surprisingly good. If I wasn't up to my eyes in other distractions at the moment I'd check it out. Though I'd be happy to help out if an Erfworld mod does begin to take shape.

[Symian]

Crimeny - 8 replies and all positive!

Ok. So, we've got some serious interest here. I'm going to read up on the handily provided rules for fan derivatives posted here for the legality of a potential Erfworld Wesnoth campaign. I'd love a post from one of the creators, though.

Are people interested in a web forum where we can discuss the project in more detail? I'm going to be registering a web server soon anyway, and I could host that there. The domain name will, however, not be directly related to the project - I haven't decided on it yet, but I plan on using it for a long time and for a multitude of projects.

I'm suddenly very excited about this. I'm currently very highly involved in GMing for a NWN2 server, but I think I could perform in a leadership and organizational role for such a project. Is there interest?

[jami]

I think Rob and I are pretty excited about the prospects of this project. It may a bit early because we have a lot of things yet to reveal in the comic, but it seems to me that a project like this can evolve over time. I think we're both looking forward to what you guys can come up with. And Rob and I might have some suggestions on what to add and things of that nature.

[Symian]

Color me an idiot. Jamie! I love the comic! Your artwork is amazing!

I -totally- missed that you were the artist for Erfworld. There I was asking for an official post when you had already posted twice! And offered artwork templates!

Wow. That just makes this all the more perfect. Ok - I'm convinced, this sounds like a project I'd like to be a big part of.

Yes, you're right, there's probably loads more to be established before we can get anywhere. I was just fooling around with some of the unit types listed so far and it actually made for a pretty comprehensive army list for a battle or two for Ansome's side. I wonder what an "orlie" is, though. I imagine an owl, for the almost certainly incorrect reason that it sounds like "ORLY? YARLY!", which I have seen associated with owls. I dunno.

It occured to me that I was thinking in terms of me leading the project, and this being a community that simply isn't necessarily the case. Sure I posted about it, and sure I'd like to be a big part of the effort, but that doesn't make me the most qualified or the most ambitious. But rather than putz around trying to figure out organization, why don't we try this: I'll act all bossy and you guys can depose me as you like it. I won't mind.

To business, though: if we do this, I want to do it right. I want a campaign with original sounds, artwork, music, a complex and branching plot, and a game experience that will take hours to complete. I've played a lot of Wesnoth campaigns that were really half-baked, with spelling errors, and they only contain a few maps. Not much fun.

That means that we'll need scripters to script our stories, storywriters to write outlines for the battles and plotline as well as dialogue, we'll need artwork which I THOUGHT would be issue #1 but with Jamie's help should be a breeze. We'll need people to flesh out concepts for units, too, though I forsee that being something that really comes in to its own as the comic matures.

I'm thinking that if we aim to mobilize sometime around the 1st, then that work should be put towards making a mock-up. Something we can use as a testing model to learn WML (Wesnoth Markup Language), game balancing, etc. I predict a working model should be completed no later than early February, at which point we would stop and begin to work on the actual campaign, creating units and plotlines, etc.

Do you, Rob or Jamie, think that by February the 1st enough plot, unit details, etc., will be availible for us to begin working on an actual campaign? I don't want to box you in to any sort of schedule or something - we're fans and are doing this as a fan community effort - but if you know that that is likely then "woo!".

[jami]

It occured to me that I was thinking in terms of me leading the project, and this being a community that simply isn't necessarily the case. Sure I posted about it, and sure I'd like to be a big part of the effort, but that doesn't make me the most qualified or the most ambitious. But rather than putz around trying to figure out organization, why don't we try this: I'll act all bossy and you guys can depose me as you like it. I won't mind.

I think it'd be best for a project like this to have some sort of leader. Since it was your idea, I think it'd be great if you take the reins. Rob and I will probably want to give some direction on some aspects, but we're interested in seeing what you guys can come up with.

I think by February there will be enough plot details to give you some framework to base a campaign on.

I'll keep poking around to find out about more about creating art works. I anticipate giving some templates for people to work up but I am most interested in what you guys can come up with. Thus far, I love what's being done with Erfworld avatars over in the Arts and Crafts section. Great stuff all around!

So yeah, this sounds great.

[Symian]

I think it'd be best for a project like this to have some sort of leader. Since it was your idea, I think it'd be great if you take the reins. Rob and I will probably want to give some direction on some aspects, but we're interested in seeing what you guys can come up with.

Sounds fine - if you ever want us to do anything differently please just say so and it shall be done. Let's step this up a notch, then: who'd like to be a part in this project? We need people all over the spectrum, even if you don't have any sort of coding/graphics/sound/writing skills we could still use your help with ideas, beta testing, PR, etc.

Once I have about 5 people I'll start getting things in motion.

[Om]

It occured to me that I was thinking in terms of me leading the project, and this being a community that simply isn't necessarily the case.

Don't worry, every community needs a fall guy that we can blame when things go tits up

I've no programming or art skills but would be happy to help out with any of the plot/writing/other stuff.

[Wallyz]

I am in the same boat as Om there, but I am also interested in learning the programming language.

[InaVegt]

Sign me up as a scripter, I've been glancing over the custom content section and it doesn't seem that hard.

[Symian]

Well, I've been trying to think of a domain name for this server and I can't think of one for the life of me, but extra domain names are cheap. So I'm going to go ahead and make the domain name be related to this project directly.

So now the question is, what shall the title of our project be? Some ideas follow, as well as some domain ideas.

Titles:
- "Erfworld: Battle for Wesnoth"
- "The Battle for Erfworld"
- "The Battle for Gobwin Knob"
I personally prefer "The Battle for Gobwin Knob" since it allows sequals as the comic changes chapters (it's my understanding that there will be more chapters/arcs after The Battle for Gobwin Knob) and doesn't mention Wesnoth which might confuse people in to thinking the campaign is set in Wesnoth. I think it would be BETTER to call it "Erfworld: The Battle for Gobwin Knob", but I seem to remember that exact name being used somewhere else. ;-)

Some domain ideas, most of which correspond to above ideas:
- battleforgobwinknob.com or .net
- gobwinknob.com or .net
- erfworldwesnoth.com or .net
Here I'm not sure if I want "gobwinknob.net" or "battleforgobwinknob.net", or what. battleforgobwinknob is soooo long.

etc. etc.

Any ideas?

[jami]

Well, I've been trying to think of a domain name for this server and I can't think of one for the life of me, but extra domain names are cheap. So I'm going to go ahead and make the domain name be related to this project directly.

So now the question is, what shall the title of our project be? Some ideas follow, as well as some domain ideas.

Titles:
- "Erfworld: Battle for Wesnoth"
- "The Battle for Erfworld"
- "The Battle for Gobwin Knob"
I personally prefer "The Battle for Gobwin Knob" since it allows sequals as the comic changes chapters (it's my understanding that there will be more chapters/arcs after The Battle for Gobwin Knob) and doesn't mention Wesnoth which might confuse people in to thinking the campaign is set in Wesnoth. I think it would be BETTER to call it "Erfworld: The Battle for Gobwin Knob", but I seem to remember that exact name being used somewhere else. ;-)

Some domain ideas, most of which correspond to above ideas:
- battleforgobwinknob.com or .net
- gobwinknob.com or .net
- erfworldwesnoth.com or .net
Here I'm not sure if I want "gobwinknob.net" or "battleforgobwinknob.net", or what. battleforgobwinknob is soooo long.

etc. etc.

Any ideas?

Well, I don't want the development of the game to be tied too much up in continuity that hasn't quite played out. If you titled it "Battle for Gobwin Knob" there might be some problems. I don't want you guys to have to wait until like March to hash out full campaigns. Plus, since the development is going to be ongoing and thus non-cannon (at least, not completely), I think something bigger would be good. I like "Battle for Erfworld" because it gives you the opportunity to create new places in Erfworld for players to explore. This will give you some more freedom in development although I suspect Rob and I will be giving input when we feel it's prudent (like now).

[Symian]

That's a very good point. Hmm. What about "Battle for Erfworld", then? How do people feel about that?

[pclips]

That's a very good point. Hmm. What about "Battle for Erfworld", then? How do people feel about that?

Name's a go. Project's a go. But I wonder if you could even possibly have enough info at this point to do work that you wouldn't have to do over.

This is exactly the kind of stuff we want to encourage, but timing-wise we figured it would come later, after the story reveals more of the world's mechanics.

It is possible we might release some eyes-only background to the dev team, if you all don't mind the spoilers. Wanna write up a wish list of "things we'd like to know about Erfworld in order to make this mod work?"

[Symian]

Yes, I'm worried about that too. That's why I thought we'd just work on a mock-up for the first go. Not something we'd even release to the public, just something to get our team working as a team. Sure we'd try and make it in the erfworld setting. But that'd take back seat to things like learning how to make branching plotlines and units with unique attack types, etc.

Even if it means saying "OK, now let's take a break for three weeks." (which I doubt will happen - I've lead enough projects to know that even the smallest of tasks can take massive amounts of time with a brand new group of people) we will almost certainly not start work on actual intended-for-release things before February.

"Battle for Erfworld" it is. I will be announcing the website and the corresponding forums contained within it sometime within the next week. The first deadline will be assembling the core members of the team, and that deadline is January 1st.

Edit: Forgot to mention, no, I'd rather not have a spoilers list just yet. Thank you for offering, though! I might take you up on that some time in January, though.

[jlawson382]

You know, I've always wanted to get in on the ground level for one of these things. If you'll take a very-very-low post count team member with a smattering of coding experience (C++, VB & VBScript, and various and sundry other languages learned while working on my CS degree), 20 years of gaming exp. and lots of free evenings while his wife works on her doctorate degree, I'd be more than happy to help out however I can.

(I just wanted to sneak Thog in there.)

[InaVegt]

Before I start on this project I'd rather practice a bit, So I don't have a spoiler list yet either. I'm working on creating my own unit system for practice ATM.

[storybookknight]

Wesnoth is definitely a great game; I second the writers in saying that I'd totally rather wait for the comic than have things ruined for me in Wesnoth.

That game certainly sharpens your tactics, though...

[Xaspian]

You could call it: Erfworld: Battle for Resnoth.
Just to annoying and ironic.

Or not.

But this looks good. I wish I could help, but I'll still watch this project's future.
Good Luck!

[Symian]

Thanks for encouragement, everyone. For those of you worried, I'll go ahead and make this a core rule of this campaign: Nothing will be released that has not been covered in the comic.

At this point I'm not even 100% sure I want to make this campaign based on Gobwin Knob. We might instead simply use Erfworld-style units and Erfworld-style humor to make an Erfworld-style campaign all our own*. But even if we do cover the story of Gobwin Knob, we will never at any point ask for an advance list of story pointers and then release material based on those pointers before they appear in the comic.

And now I'd like to make an official "The Battle for Erfworld" post, but I will do so in a thread more appropriately titled.

*:Ownership of the campaign not implied.

[Darth Paradox]

I'm definitely interested, but won't have time to put into it before February or so, if even then. But if/when I have time...

I'm a coder with C++ experience. I know some Perl and a tiny bit of Java. I'm also a webcartoonist, so I can do art and some amount of writing for the campaign as needed.

[Symian]

Great - keep checking the forums I mentioned in the other thread and keep up to date! Tell us if/when you want to help out.

Could we please move discussion over to the other thread?

[Wallyz]

Which other thread?