Help needed with Dungeon Master champions history

[Rasmus]

So I have moved on to next part of DMT 2. I need some background stories to all the champions, something that I really missed in the original DM.

I have been looking at Cows page where stories are told for most of the champions. http://chaos.zpc.cz/inn.html
But as I woun't use them without getting permission from their authors!

I have gotten permission from Beo to use the stories he told about some of the champions. And if the other authors would agree on me using their work they can PM me or write it here in the topic, and also tell me what champion stories they are authors too. Ofcourse the authors will get credit in the game and I would appriciate it alot

I have no problem in that the stories are told in diffrent ways because they are from diffrent authors, on the contrary I want it too be that way. As rumors are never told by one person, this it is perfect. I can also add the authors name (or what name he want to use in the game) as the storyteller, and therefore let the player understand why the stories are told in a diffrent way.

This is the layout I had in mind:
http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/ae36 ... Inside.jpg
When the champion are inside the "painting", the stats/skills are shown to the left.

http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/ae36 ... utside.jpg
When the champion are outside the "painting", their background stories are told in a scrolling version from the upper left corner to the lower left corner behind the hill.

Champion stories I have permission to use:
---------------------------------------------------
Stamm (Beowuuf)
Zed (Beowuuf)
Alex (Beowuuf)
Boris (Beowuuf)
Hawk (Beowuuf)
Halk (Beowuuf)
Nabi (Beowuuf)
Iaido (Beowuuf)
Linflas (Beowuuf)
Gothmog (cowsmanaut)
Syra (cowsmanaut)
Wuuf (cowsmanaut)
Hissssa (cowsmanaut)
Leyla (cowsmanaut)
Daroou (cowsmanaut)
Sonja (cowsmanaut)
Tiggy (Zyx)

Champion stories I need permission to use:
---------------------------------------------------
Elija

Champion stories missing and for everyone with a pen or keyboard and a active imagination to fill in:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chani
Leif
Gando
Azizi
Wu Tse
Mophus

This is not only for helping me with DMT, but also for filling in the missing characters at cows site

[Ameena]

Ooh, you've reminded me that ages ago, I started writing out background stories of the DM2 characters for someone...I think it was Kelly, the DM-Java person, who ended up becoming occupied with other stuff so didn't get around to needing it any more. I wrote a couple but then sort of never went back to it.
I could make up some brief little backstories for some/all of the original DM characters if you want...

[Rasmus]

Sounds wonderful
One of the persons Beo accually recommended for this task was you, but I didn't want to be too pushy by asking you

If you would like you could take on the missing stories first, maybe start with Gando because I have created him already.. But leave Chani for Sophia if she is interested..

I have noticed that some of stories on http://chaos.zpc.cz/inn.html have a connection with eachother, like Leyla, Wuuf and Hissssa if I remember correctly. Just so that you take that into calculation if you want to make more connections beetween the champions.

So, if you just tell me which champions you would like to begin with so that I can mark them of the list at the top of this page.
When you are done with the stories you could eiter PM them to me or posting them here so that everyone can judge them

Thank again

[Bit]

I just came to this lovely page too that weekend. Let's bugger them to complete it

[beowuuf]

I think I hinted that Chani, Hawk and even Gando had a connection to each other too, but not too strongly that it was binding.

I actually wrote a linflas story (not put up) connecting him to Syra, so you have my permission for that one (though people could write an alternate)

[Ameena]

I think what I'll do is just write whatever comes to mind, based solely on the portraits and starting stats/skills of each character and without looking at what anyone else has done or basing anything on already-existing text like what's in the original DM manual. Whether or not any of the characters already know each other, for example, is something that will pop up when I actually start writing. I'll give the info as backstories basically explaining where the character originally came from, probably a brief something about what their life was like, then how/why they came to the dungeon in the first place - since from there on it's obvious (they fail and get put in a mirror), I won't include that part . I'll also try not to make these things too long .
Roughly when will you need this done by?
Oh, and don't worry about asking me to write stuff - I've already done plenty for other people...backstories for some people's dungeons and also the contents of the current Conflux's Hint Oracle . It's been ages since I did anything, actually (unless you count the DM/DnD crossover game we've got going with Wuffy et al), so I probably should anyway .

[linflas]

(>_>) ... (<_<)

I don't know anyone called Syra.

[Rasmus]

@Beo: Thanks Beo, but then I put the Linflas story as done. But I really don't don't know how we will handle the stories, should we just put them up here in the topic? In that case we could always organize the stories later so that they will be easier to get and read..

@Ameena: The length is no problem, as I will scroll the text I can always put in a scroll list if anyone wants to jump over a part And there is also no hurry in creating them, as I have just released the 0.06 version, it will take a couple of months before I release the next. And even then it dosn't have to be finished because it will take along time for me accually releasing the final version.
And thanks Ameena, maybe I will need some background story for my dungeon I will create, or for the original DM and even CSB if I will input that dungeon too

[Gambit37]

This is actually very cool. I asked Cows if I could use his champion stories for my DMCodex site, to which he agreed, so I'm sure he'll be happy for you to use them as well.

If we get all the stories done, might I ask that I can also use them for DMCodex? The writers will get full credit of course

[Rasmus]

@Gambit: I have no problem with you using the stories, and I don't feel like I have the anything too say about that matter either

I must admit that I like the idea that we as a forum creates dungeon master background stories, and when they are used in others work they also mirror the forums love for this game

[Sophia]

You should attach the condition that Gambit only gets to use the stories if he actually makes the site.

[Rasmus]

You should attach the condition that Gambit only gets to use the stories if he actually makes the site.

I don't get it what you mean with "actually makes the site"

By the way Sophia, are you interested in writing Chanis story?

[Sophia]

Oh, it was just a joke. Gambit's DMCodex is kind of the Duke Nukem Forever of DM web sites.

Anyway, I might be abstractly interested, but I'm not sure if I'd be able to find the time to write a good story, unfortunately. I'm also not sure if my concept would really mesh with some of the other stories. We all have our own interpretations of the backgrounds of these champions, of course...

[Ameena]

Hehe yeah, I bet we do - I've never read anyone else's version of any character's backstory, and I deliberately won't look at any now so that it won't affect whatever ideas I might have been going to come up with .

[Rasmus]

Ahh, sorry for destroying your joke, I am familiar with that site, just didn't know it was gambits

Well, as I see it we will have about 4 - 5 authors for all the stories, and I was thinking about adding some headline text like "rumors from beowuuf about Stamm" or something like when telling the story. When doing this I don't think the diffrent interpretations is something bad, more like the opposite!

But anyway, tell us if you are interested

[Gambit37]

I am familiar with that site, just didn't know it was gambits

I'm not sure you can be that familiar with it, I haven't uploaded it yet

[Rasmus]

Hehe, well it has a very cool "comming soon" logo

[Rasmus]

I inserted Beowuufs Iaido story, this is how it may look in the future:

[Gambit37]

How do I read the hidden text?

[Rasmus]

The text are scrolled upwards inside the game.. And when pressing on the painting the champion walks out in front of the painting and his stats are shown.

[Gambit37]

Scrolling text has awful usability problems, not least the fact that the speed of scrolling may not match the player's reading speed. For good usability, you should really provide some way of letting the player control when and how they read the text.

I'd recommend that you put it in a smaller window with a scroll bar, and make it so that it doesn't run underneath the character title. Layered text is very hard to cognitively process. I'd also recommend you use a different colour scheme -- the cyan on red is very hard to read.

[Rasmus]

@Gambit: The reason I wanted a scrolling text is because it has an old fashion feeling over it. A scrollbar could be a great use here as you said, maybe that it starts scrolling automaticly and when pressing on the scrollbar it stops scrolling and I get full control over the text. You are right about the cyan and red, I will experiment with the colors alittle and see if I can come up with something better. Just don't want black background, and I am not very fond of the window idea because it would isolate the text and the scene would lose its feeling. I will post a new screenshot soon

[Rasmus]

Okey, scrollbar added and a more personal pose to the champions, and here is the result:

[Ameena]

I think the white stands out a bit harshly against the red background...maybe using some kind of dark green, or something, would work? Dark blue, maybe? I'm not sure. Or maybe have darker text on a lighter background, rather than as you have it now, with light text on a dark background. Maybe mess around with it a bit, put up a few different colour combinations and see which one seems to work best?

[zoom]

I would make the txtcolor grey

[Gambit37]

The main problem is the choice of typeface, it's very hard to read. Try something cleaner that's been designed for screen use, that one clearly hasn't!

[Sophia]

The font itself may be fine. I'd blame the lack of anti-aliasing in the font rendering.

[Rasmus]

I have changed the fonts, but doesn't have them time right now to post a screenshoot of them as I am going to a vacation to Egypt tomorrow and will be gone for a week

But you can all download and have a look at it in action here:
Download this: http://dmtribute.webs.com/Files/DMT2/DMT2v0.06.rar
And overwrite with this: http://dmtribute.webs.com/Files/DMT2/De ... ebug3b.rar

I will try to change it or make you guys able to change the font color and background color inside the game and then tell me what would be best..

Take care all

[cowsmanaut]

you can use them if you like... I wrote the rest of them I think. Shame I didn't see this sooner.. lost in my own little world I guess To be honest, I'd thought about redoing them.. with the paintings and all.. just never got around to it.. like always

[beowuuf]

Will try and get back on this this week. Would like to clean up the prose on the old ones too.