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[DangerousDan]

Hello adventurers,

We're excited to announce that our refreshed website is now live! This transformation wouldn't have been possible without the incredible efforts of DangerousDan, whose expertise has brought this vision to life. Please enjoy!

https://www.efupw.com/

[What is it?]

Or, if you have time to say the whole thing, Escape from the Underdark Status and Logging version 2 is up and running!

http://www.efupw.com/efusl2

Take a look:



What is it? Similar to EFUSL1, it is a web based system running that interfaces with the NWN game server to provide statistics for players and DMs alike. It is not intended to be a full replacement of EFUSL1, but to replace the most common functionality and add new features in a fresh UI. As with its predecessor, the vast majority of features are built for DM eyes only, but this new version begins to introduce features built specifically for players.

What's new? Glad you asked.

A modernized UI that is mobile friendly.



Character comments. This is a personalized feed designed specifically for your character. You can write short comments to keep the DM team up to date on your character's goals and initiatives. This makes it easier and more accessible for DMs to keep up to date with what you're up to. Information that needs to be presented in long-form should be referred to in a link to your post on the Personal Character Notes forum.



DMs can also comment on your character page so that they can coordinate plots and initiatives regarding your character amongst themselves. This helps keep us organized and cohesive with your character's plots.



Charts! While the majority of analytics are for DM eyes only,  we are exposing some of our server traffic charts to the public.



...and more!


I hope that these additions to EFUSL will be a useful tool to the community. Bug reports and feature requests are welcome.

[Disclaimer]

Lately, I've been frequently giving out this tidbit of info to players on an individual basis, and someone recommended I make a post. Okay, here I go.

Disclaimer These are my thoughts only. They are not always correct, or may not be correct at all. Not all DMs operate the same way I do.

How Plots Work, Where You Fit In

The way plots work is that a DM identifies a change we want in the gameworld. An example of a change might be that we want to implement a new and interesting NPC, add or kill a faction, or fundamentally change an existing faction.

Rather then make those changes overnight in the toolset, it is tasteful for us to introduce changes to the gameworld gradually through storytelling. So we outline and identify the gameworld changes we desire, then we identify how those changes can be made tastefully with a plot that involves players. We glue those pieces together and then begin.

At least initially, we prefer to use DM Factions as a mechanism to push our plots. DM Factions are reliable. We control all the variables in a DM Faction, and it is a good source to pick up players to push and interact with our plot.

Why not Player Factions? Player factions are unreliable. A player might die, get bored, get frustrated, and choose to disappear one day. That leaves a giant hole in our plot.

So how do Player Factions fit in? Player factions are best used as auxiliaries to an existing plot. Identify current plots and see how you can be involved with them. To be involved with a current plot, either some magic can happen to organically involve you in-game, or you can have a discussion with a DM about your player faction and how it can be potentially involved with the current goings-on. To be aware of current plots, stay in tune with the rumors thread, which can tell you what is happening and who is involved.

We design our plots to be dynamic because we want player initiatives. If a player were to ask me, "Hey, I'd like to do with your plot, what do you think?" I will try to accommodate that player as long as everything lines up. It helps if you have an in-game presence, have a group with you (groups involve more players, individuals involve less), and if I can trust you as a player. Player trust means that I know you have a good roleplay style, that you will stick around, and that you're pretty mature overall. As long as those things are met, I will make an effort to involve you as an auxiliary in my plot.

Speaking from personal experience, the plot I am currently running has already adopted multiple player initiatives into it. Some initiatives have changed large fundamental points of the plot, but this is how we prefer it. It is a form of "organic" collaborative storytelling. This works.

Disclaimer, it doesn't always work. I might not be interested in your idea, I might just be too busy, or maybe someone else is more interesting or has more players backing them and I want to do that instead. This can be highly frustrating to some players. EFU is not perfect.

EFU is not perfect

EFU is imperfect because we have limited manpower. We have a limited playerbase, a limited number of DMs, and a limit to how many hours we want to invest playing the game. As a result, the game isn't fully populated. In a perfect world, we would have initiatives being pushed in Upper Sanctuary, Lower Sanctuary, Fort Mur, random parts of the Underdark, maybe even select portions of the surface... Instead, because we are limited, EFU comes in waves.

Sometimes the wave of attention focuses on Upper Sanctuary, or Lower Sanctuary, or beyond Sanctuary. It just depends on where DMs and Players focus their attention to plots. I'll apply this idea to current events.

Currently, the DM team is receiving a very common complaint. Nothing is happening in Lower Sanctuary. From a gameworld standpoint, Lower has been gassed and everything is dead and sad. Not much is happening there by design of storytelling. While it's possible for an entrepreneurial player faction to dominate the lawless, dead land of Lower Sanctuary, it is difficult to do while maintaining interest and being relevant with current plots.

Meanwhile, there are currently several plots running in Upper Sanctuary. There is intrigue, mystery, conflict, and more players and DMs that have focused attention there. If you are not having fun in Lower Sanctuary, there is no shame in placing your character on hold so you can enjoy plots that are being currently driven. Some people might feel that is "selling out," but EFU is fun because players and DMs interact with each other in a complex and high-risk environment. If you are alone and feel like nothing is happening, then you are probably not having fun.

That said, remember that EFU works in waves and that plots are used to enact gameworld changes. Rather than change Lower Sanctuary overnight, we are running plots to gradually make gameworld changes there that will be interesting. As a super obvious hint, many current plots in Upper Sanctuary will tie into plots that will later develop the gameworld in Lower Sanctuary. Things that happen now will influence the future, and the wave of attention will focus away from Upper and towards Lower, or wherever else it chooses to focus. That is the imperfect nature of EFU.

What about pure player initiatives?

It's difficult and uncommon, but pure player initiatives without any DM support can strongly impact the gameworld. I can recall many player factions in the past that had zero DM support at its onset become wildly successful and indeed changed EFU lore forever. From a DM perspective, when we see a wildly successful player initiative, we try to reward it somehow and keep that train going. It's tough, it's not for everyone, but if done well it can be highly rewarding.

Take Home Message

• Be aware of in-game plots that are being pushed and which players and DMs are pushing them. Use the Rumors Thread as a resource.
• Find ways to attach yourself to existing plot trains. Do this by communicating your ideas with DMs and players. This will not always work, but doing this will give you a supremely higher chance at being closely involved with current plots than not doing so.
• DM Factions are the central mechanism to drive DM Plots. PC Factions are welcomed auxiliaries to existing plots.
• The core of EFU's attention operates in waves. There is no shame in putting a character on hold so you can explore an interesting plot. (DM Team strongly encourages me to note that this is bad advice.)
  
• EFU is imperfect, so we need to work around the imperfections as best we can to be awesome.
• The information I wrote in this post may not be always correct or correct at all. Remember, I am The Worst DM Ever. Digest this information as you please, and I hope this shed some light on how EFU Plots operate.

[Prelude Event]

Prelude Event

In many dedicated Scrapper circles, respect can be won by enduring a "Trial of the Machine," where a few Scrappers are sent deep into the most dangerous bowels of the Machine to scavenge a highly valued part. If the Scrappers return alive, they are deemed worthy of lifetime acclaim. Attempting a "Trial of the Machine" is often done by young, wet behind the ear Scrappers who wish to prove themselves to the community. Lately, experienced machine dwellers have been attempting to obtain a part of great value from a mechanism so scary it has been termed the "Monster in the Machine." This part has such high value that a hidden community of Scrappers call forth a Trial of the Machine, and several young, inexperienced Scrappers choose to take the call.

This prelude will have three to five players with designated roles. They are:

• [taken!] The Wizard. A physically weak Scrapper that has greater interest in the complex magical themes throughout the Machine. Class requirement: Wizard, Race requirement: Halfling, Skill requirement: Spellcraft.
  
• [taken!] The Stealther. A highly dexterous halfling who is quite skilled at sneaking around the machine and defusing its defense mechanisms for further exploration. Class requirement: Rogue or Ranger, Race requirement: Halfling, Skill requirement: Disarm trap, Hide, Move Silently.
  
• [taken!] The Dwarf. Highly temperamental, and with full reason to. As a dwarf, he is often teased by the halfling dominated community, who blindly assume he is all muscle and no brains, yet most do not realize he is rather skilled at understanding how and why the machines work. Class requirement: Fighter/Rogue, Race requirement: Dwarf, EFUSS Skill Requirement: Engineering.
  
• [taken!] The Confident One. Boldly confident to the point where it is occasionally dangerous. It's a wonder he's still alive, but maybe surviving the traps he has survived within the Machine has fostered this confidence. Charismatic and can be a good potential leader of the group. Race requirement: Halfling, Ability requirement: Charisma 14 or above.
  
• [taken!] The Obsessive Collector. He collects things obsessively, as every Scrapper should. Nothing more to say, right? Race requirement: Halfling.
  

Prelude is scheduled for Monday, January 13th, 2014 at 6 PM CST (GMT-6). Please send me a Forum PM with the role you wish to take. After a day or so, I'll start randomly picking from the pool of interested people. While I welcome casual players who just want to check out the prelude, if you have interest in playing your character permanently (if you survive), let me know and I'll factor that in. Be aware your character can die embarrassingly and permanently. If I cannot find at least three players, I'll reschedule to another date.

Hey all,

I'm trying to get NWN to work on a laptop so I can play when away from home. I have installed NWN Diamond Edition on GOG.com, ran the EFU Launcher, input my CD Keys into the nwncdkey, and set it to play in Windowed Mode in the nwn.ini. I am running using Windows XP SP3 Compatibility and Running as an Admin. I can play the game in single player using those default modules just fine, but when I try to log into EFU, the screen looks like this...



Any ideas? Thank you!

[[taken!]]

The Dread Empire are constructing massive icy spires on the glaciers of the surface. In response, a squadron of Purple Dragons from Cormyr travel far north to discover what the Dread Empire intends. Unfortunately, the squadron are spotted and battle for their lives against aberrants of many horrors. In the aftermath and under several inches of snow are a handful of wounded survivors who awake from the battle. With a blizzard oncoming, they must limp forward towards the spires and complete their mission.

This prelude will have four to five players with designated roles and attributes. They are:

• [taken!] Purple Dragon Swordcaptain (Lieutenant). Leader of the group. Grew up in a family of wealth, and chose to enlist as an Officer as an honorable profession in this time of war. He is wounded and nearly all of his equipment is broken from the fight. Class requirement: Fighter or Paladin.
  
• [taken!] Purple Dragon First Sword (Sergeant). Right-hand man to the Swordcaptain. Grew up in wealth, but was not educationally qualified to be an Officer, something he is bitter about. He has been quickly promoted to the rank First Sword. Severely wounded, but he retains some equipment from the fight. Class requirement: Fighter.
  
• [taken!] Purple Dragon Blade (Private/Corporal). Grew up in the commons and enlisted to fight the Dread Empire. Is a scout for this mission. Wounded, and retains much of his equipment. Class requirement: Ranger.
  
• [taken!] War Wizard Battlemage. Illithid Scholar. Just completed his apprenticeship and is taking a sabbatical, traveling to extreme parts of the world to study magic in more detail. This Battlemage wants to learn about the intentions of the Dread Empire in the frosty North, and protects his soldiers from their mind games. Class requirements: Wizard, focus on Abjuration.
  
• [taken!] Friendly Native. Finds the wounded soldiers and provides them with momentary hospitality before joining their quest. Class requirement: Barbarian or Druid.
  
• (No evil characters, please!)

Prelude is scheduled for Monday, Dec 23rd at 6 PM CST (GMT-6). That is approximately 30 hours from this post. Please message me with the role you wish to take. If you plan to stick with the character permanently after the prelude, tell me that too and I'll give preferential choices to those players. Don't worry about writing up a biography or anything fancy, just RSVP with the role. Be aware that your character could die horribly and permanently. If I cannot find at least three or four players I'll reschedule this prelude to Friday. I will update this post as people scoop up roles.

Major props to ABalfour for brainstorming the idea.

We here at EFU Headquarters are about mass producing this thing known among our inner circle as "the awesome." "The awesome" has been the center of our core values and has been the driving force behind all our decisions. Previously, "the awesome" has been contained to digital media, but today I would like to introduce a new frontier for "the awesome" that will bleed into this new world known as "IRL." Presenting... swanky Escape t-shirts!



Purchase your t-shirts now at http://efupw.spreadshirt.com/ !

EFU is low on funds for the year 2014, and all profits made with t-shirt sales will be used to combat server expenses.

Grab your t-shirts by December 13th if you want to receive them in time for Christmas. Around New Year I'm thinking about having people in the community take photos of themselves wearing shirts all around the world, so if you're interested grab 'em now!

Happy Holidays and Vote Illithid in 2014.

[A Wishing Well]

During these final days, the people of Sanctuary are turning to religion more than ever before. While a few followings can support entire temples, priests of most gods preach from the streets of Sanctuary, sharing their dogma and a holy story to any who will listen.

I am gradually introducing priests with tiny influences around Sanctuary to reflect the increased spirituality and environment in these end days. So far I've introduced two, which you can find in Lower Sanctuary (Tyche and Ilmater). I'd like to introduce more, but it does take lots of time to write up each NPC. So, I'm inviting any player who is interested to help me write up more NPCs that I'll gradually introduce over time.

What is required:

1. Choose your deity
2. Tell me a little bit about the NPC himself
3. Write a story of faith that he can share to any passerbys
4. Tell me where you imagine he would be loitering in Sanctuary
5. If I use your idea, I will give you a generous XP reward! Hooray, everyone wins! :-)

Here are two samples that I wrote up. You can see their implementation in-game to get a feel for it.

[hide="Tyche"]A Wishing Well

In Lower Sanctuary, there is a Wishing Well attended by a Tyche Priest by the name Oddo Borne. Denizens of the area come to toss coins here to wish away the bad luck of their lives, or to wish bad luck unto others.

The story he shares...

Once upon the time there was an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically.

“Perhaps,” replied the farmer.

The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “What great luck!” the neighbors exclaimed.

“Perhaps,” replied the farmer.

The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune. "Such bad luck," they said sympathetically.

“Perhaps,” replied the farmer.

The day after, the King's men came to the village to draft young men into the militia. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.

“Perhaps,” replied the farmer.[/hide]

[hide="Ilmater"]A Broken Beggar

There is an elderly and broken war veteran by the name Rodrick Kilpatrick. In war he was crippled, losing toes, having his hands broken, and is missing a nose, an ear, teeth, and an eye. His injuries gave him humility that he lacked as a young, confident warrior, and it was humility that could have saved him from these injuries. He sits on a street corner and preaches suffering for the weak to any who will listen.

The story he shares...

Long ago, a troop of brave soldiers were passing through a thick jungle full of tangled vines that would shred the muscles of those who lost the path. As the soldiers passed through the jungle, a comfident one among them became lost and did not return to them. The rest of the soldiers chose to go forward without him.

When the soldiers reached the fortress that was their destination, they loudly celebrated their survival. As they sat cheerfully around the fire, the friend of theirs that they had lost reappeared to greet them. His clothes were tattered as a beggar's, and there were many bloody cuts on his muscles, yet in his eyes they could find nothing but deep bliss.

They asked what had happened. He narrated about how he was lost for many days and nights, becoming shredded and bloody. At first he refused to suffer and continued stomping through the jungle as his spirits wore down. Eventually he lost his confidence and decided to lay down and content himself with death. As death approached, a heavenly angel held him by his hand and guided him down a zigzag path until he found a light so bright he forgot about his many wounds and became spellbound with joy. The soldier knelt and praised the saint who saved him, and he learned to never allow confidence to blind his path ever again.[/hide]

If you are interested in contributing, send me your idea via Forum PM. Thanks!

Have we done one of these before? I have no idea. Anyway, I find myself curious about our global community. If you're inclined, mark your area of the world on this map. Obviously don't put an exact address. ;-)

http://www.mapservices.org/myguestmap/map/efumap

Hello! teig won the DJ contest, so as promised I am running a gladiator prelude. I apologize for the short notice, but I am on a tight schedule lately. Here is the premise of this prelude:

In the lands of Thay, the Noble Houses compete against one another to see who has the mightiest gladiators in all of the land. Players will primarily represent gladiators, while three or four will represent team managers of their respective houses. The Noble Houses promise their team managers that if they are responsible for their House's victory, they will give the manager his own ship and the gladiators so he may go start his own life elsewhere. The gladiators and managers collectively fight in the arenas for their freedom and a prosperous future.

All players are invited to join this prelude. Anyone can make a gladiator of any type. However, if you are interested in being a Team Manager, please fill out this form. I will hand pick the team managers who are best suited to play the role.

In order to join as a gladiator, just have a character ready and show up at 3 PM CST (GMT-6). (If you are late, you are also free to show up if the games are still going since the Team Managers can still purchase you as a slave.) You will be given a random level of 3-7 (which will be removed if you survive to Mistlocke).

The game mechanic rotates through the following phases:

Phase I: Slave Purchase. Team Managers bid on slaves until they run out of interest or until money runs out.

Phase II: Team Meeting. Team Managers can assign or purchase equipment for slaves, and give any needed communication, motivation, or strategy.

Phase III: Combat! Houses will either fight one another explicitly or compete against one another in some sort of obstacle. Team Managers will assign which of their gladiators will enter the combat.

Losers of the fights or obstacles are likely to be permakilled in the process.

Victory Condition: Each House begins with 10 points. For each loss a House incurs, they lose one point. A House is disqualified once they hit 0 points. The last House standing is victorious.

My goal is to have the prelude completed by 7 PM CST (GMT-6), which is four hours of time. We'll see how well I keep to that schedule.

There will also be cool perks to the winner(s), so fight to win! :-)


If you have questions, find me on IRC or send me a Forum PM. Hope to see you guys tomorrow!

I am interested in expermenting with a quest style to wrap up a small plot line I have been developing. It will happen this Sunday at 11 AM CST or 3 PM CST (GMT-5). To attend this quest, you need to have a Corrupted Zodiac Totem that you acquired through a quest I ran for you, or one you received from another character. (You'll know you have one if it has a story in the description and is titled, "Corrupted Totem.")

Since I vaguely know who still has Corrupted Zodiac Totems, please send me a Forum PM if you can make it on Sunday. Please mention your preferred time (11 AM or 3 PM or whether you can make both), and which totem animal you have.

There are a small handful of totems that I am redistributing since a few got destroyed. I'm going to take a spam risk here and say that if you can make it on Sunday and are interested, ask me on IRC, and if I have some totems leftover, I might run you a quest so you can join in.

I'm looking forward to it! =)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shbgRyColvE

I don't even care that I'm posting this a day late.

http://thenicestplaceontheinter.net/

Happy Valentine's Day. :)

[Law/Chaos axis]

I found this while browsing the interwebs. Thought you guys might like.

Law/Chaos axis

Lawful = "I do what I must do..."
Neutral = "I do what I do..."
Chaotic = "I do what I want to do..."

Good/Evil axis

Good = "...for the benefit of others."
Neutral = "...regardless of who benefits."
Evil = "...for my own benefit."

Combine and you get:

CN = "I do what I want to do regardless of who benefits."
LG = "I do what I must do for the benefit of others."
NE = "I do what I do for my own benefit."
etc.

::( DM Shout : Please send me happy tells if you think I am a better DM than BigOrcMan )::
stern wins after the epic plane trotting adventure from last night
no contest
Sternhund gave me my first custom dm loot and made me feel loved.
Stern also wins because of all the griefing Jayde does to Barber.
That was a pretty cool plot Sternhund
::( DM Shout : The consensus is that Sternhund is a better DM than BigOrcMan, and that a reset will happen shortly. I`m going to start a five minute counter in a moment )::
SuckyOrcMan

I really enjoyed the prelude last night so derflar0 and I are doing a second one. You will be allowed to play a prisoner or a prison guard. More details to come, but like last time, we are not expecting many, if any, players to survive. We are encouraging throw away characters in addition to the more serious ones, so everyone is invited.

This will go down in about 1.5-2 hours. I'll make an announcement on shout/IRC closer to the time.

I'm feeling particularly nostalgic so I'll be running a prelude where you are slaves attempting to Escape from the Underdark from your evil overlords. If you are interested in participating, I suggest making a new character immediately. Throw away characters are absolutely welcome and encouraged, and I do not expect very many players, if any, to survive.

Watch IRC and in-game shouts for the timing. I am setting it up now and my goal is to be done in an hour. The entire quest and set-up should be done before 3 hours from now.

Cheers!

I had some interesting ideas for new potions to add to the gameworld that I plan on implementing later. If you have any ideas throw them up here with a spot of flavor text and I'll add the particularly good ones in my future toolset updates.

I'll add: The potion effect does not have to be a spell! I can script in custom effects that do wonderful and amazing things. Get creative!

[Factions]

Factions

Clan Aberdenn
(Association)

[hide="Clan Aberdenn"]Tradition, Isolation, and Honor
"Locked in Cold Mist, We Endure."

The Aberdenn value tradition and honour above all else. Claiming descent from the legendary Donyarth Aberdenn, they are soldiers and wildsmen, and have lead warbands from the Village more than any other bloodline of Mistlocke. The Aberdenn were once well respected, but have fallen upon hard times of late. While known for their honor, they are also known to hold grudges - many Caermyn sourly claim it is the consistent antagonism of the Aberdenn that has perpetuated the grudge for so long. The Aberdenn remember their grudges, it is said.

In Mistlocke the Aberdenn are the main propagators of a rule in isolation, believing that Mistlocke must be safeguarded from Apocalypse; that is its purpose. They are alert for any intrusion of foreign powers as they may carry the taint of H'bala and shatter the village.[/hide]

Clan Caermyn
(Association)

[hide="Clan Caermyn"]Trade, Politics, and Wit
"The Crow Sees."

The Caermyn Clan claim descent from Rhemar Caermyn. They are a politically shrewd and cunning breed of men who have made their considerable fortune by exploiting trade routes, signing lucrative deals, and marital alliances with the various trading consortiums, political factions and noble houses within Old Port. Today, the Caermyn are lead by Menaster, the ancient Patriach of Caermyn blood. Nearing a venerable ninety years of age, issue over the succession has spread throughout the Clan due to his shortness for the world. His various sons and heirs are locked in a bitter competition for his favour amidst grandiose plans of final victory over the ailing Aberdenn.[/hide]

The Wyrm Watchers
(DM Faction)

[hide="The Wyrm Watchers"]Expression, History, and Mythology
"Lost in the Woods, We Watch"

The Wyrm Watchers are expressionists, philosophers, and adventurers, to whom myth and history are the same thing, personal integrity is more important than law, and the past and present and future are all one. They are nomadic and questionable, strangely conservative in their values, rich in tradition and oral history, sometimes valorous and blastingly altruistic, and oft shunned for their disbelief in the apocalypse which preys upon the minds of the people of Mistlocke.[/hide]

Stewards of the Ark
(DM Faction)

[hide="Stewards of the Ark"]Preservation, Balance, and Order
"The natural order must be preserved."

The Stewards of the Ark is the hierarchy of druids on Ymph. They, along with a small number of dedicated guardians, devote themselves to the preservation of the natural world and opposition to the slow corrupting influence of H'bala.[/hide]

Allies of the Zodiac
(Association)

[hide="Allies of the Zodiac"]Tribal, Unity, and Guardianship
"Only together may we defend our home."

The Allies of the Zodiac is the unification of many Stargazer tribes, most notably the Tribes of Bear, Jaguar, Parrot, Eagle, Wolf, Tiger, Frog, Scarab Beetle, Trout, and the People of Starwood. They are closely aligned with the Stewards of the Ark in their common goal of preserving the natural world and opposing the corrupting influence of H'bala.[/hide]

The poll text is black and hard to read on the current theme. I have to highlight it all to read it and that's a pain. I would fix this myself but I'm simultaneously lazy and too stupid to figure out where in the style manager this color variable is.