Do you think it's a good idea for us to require the use of the two new tilesets in EFU?

(1) We will definitely, definitely use both of them (they're great) if we do include them (2) It is an extra download, thus a "hak"

Subterrainian Aquatic Elves!

Yes but I suggest it be left a good ammount of time to give alot of people time to have required them for other servers that Do need haks, and then eventually they can be implemented without anyone noticing pretty much.

I supose it would be nice, but a bit of a pain for us 56k people.

I feel that they are'nt exactly nessisary and just because they are bioware official tilesets does'nt make them anymore prodominant than any other hak available on the neverwinter vault.

At the end of the day if we get this hak we might has well get some other haks to do some neat changes instead of doing all that no hak scripting stuff.

I'd also point out that the bioware site ain't exactly to clear on the existance of those new tilesets (unless you research into the patches which I only did because of fish's constant posting/talking on irc XD)

Naga, the reason we'd be more likely to use a Bioware hak is because it would be more common for people to have it, and thus less likely to dissuade players from players here, which is the original concern with requiring haks.

The cep is also a very popular and widely downloaded hak which is advertised by bioware a good deal. Its a common download too. I just don't see how having a bioware sticker on it should really matter.

I'll probably end up downloading it just incase. But I still don't feel people should have to download anything other than the standard patch to play.

Before actually implementing these tilesets, you should think what good they would do for our server. I've looked at the tilesets, and they're basically Piraty Cove meets Hawaii exteriors. What possible benefit would these hold for our Underdarkish enviroment?

I say none, so best leave it as it is.

No one has to download anything.

I like EfU. I'd download a huge hak to play here. Even on a 56k, but hell...I can't fathom how you play at all on one of those.

We have looked at the tilesets and they would provide substantial benefit to the server in terms of expanding the number and variety of areas that we could design. They are also not as bloated as the CEP, making them somewhat less objectionable -- but, sadly, they still are a HAK, and as Naga pointed out, it's not something that the average player would necessarily have when searching around for new servers to try out.

I am not all sure what a hak is or mostly any of the downloads are but if it improves game play, story or plot I am in for the hak. All I would wish is that it is loud and clear to people that the hak needs to be downloaded to play and a clear and easy when to get is shown. Of course this goes all to waste if I have no idea what I am talking about...

I'm a bit torn, here. On a personal basis, I certainly wouldn't mind downloading something to enhance my roleplaying experience here. On a less personal basis, I fail to see the difference to having to download a new tileset, opposed to having to download a Hak-pak, except for the label. It will still mean a required download to be able to play on our server, which I believe is the biggest reason for not using the CEP today. How will this be any different?

I voted no. I've always been a fan of the no hak policy. Even though these are pseudo-haks, they're still going to require extra download to play on the server. I think the DM team have done a great job with the resources they have now and I wouldn't want to turn away any avid gamers who might want to check out the server by not have the tilesets.

Yeah... One of the best things sbout EFU is thae lack of haks. Everyone can join. I voted yes, but after reading this i realised i should have voted no.

Well... No one has actually said how big this "hak" is, or how easily available it is.

If it's front page on the Bioware website and, when you try and join a server with it when you don't have it the game automatically gives you a message saying "Go to the bioware website and download our extra tilesets to play here" and it's only a couple of mb, I don't see why we shouldn't have it.

But I don't know the details, so I can't vote.

The autoinstaller for the .hak files is 17mb downloading Here: http://nwn.bioware.com/players/167/downloads.html

I can't test the server message issue thing laddy, I'm behind a proxy so gamespy doesn't work. If someone else can test that, it would be great.

17 mb. It was done downloading before I finished typing this. I don't care if it's required. I want to open those tilesets up in the toolset and play around with them. :)

Is the greater majority of people using 56k? Because I've never understood the hak-free debate

The 56k debate is only part of it. The new player debate is reason number 1.

If I'm a new player, and looking for a game on gamespy, I'm going to go to the server that doesn't make me jump through hoops. If I have to go out of my way and get a hak, then I probably look for the next server.

Once you open up the hak door, then you have issues of updating haks, which means players then have to update to continue playing every time the server updates.

By constraining ourselves to existing resources, it focuses the builders on using things creatively without burdening our players.

As Wrexsoul pointed out, the issue is twofold: on one hand, the existing players would certainly not mind any enhancement to their gaming experience, whereas on the other hand, the point about new players is a valid one. Any required downloads would doubtless reduce the influx of new players. So it's a tradeoff of sorts.

I didn't vote because I don't think this is something for the playerbase to decide. Only our DMs can know how well the new tilesets could be put to use, and therefore only our DMs can have an educated opinion on what the tradeoff would in this instance really look like.

I was talking with *spoiler* in school today and he said that he might not play if this new tileset was added... And it got me thinking that some of the players now may not play after the tiles sets were placed in. Its just a thought...*shrug*

Unlike Vault HAK's, the new tilesets give an option for automatic DL and install, dont they?

In that case, only those in a hurry and/or on slow connections would probably avoid the new content... right?

Leurnid Unlike Vault HAK's, the new tilesets give an option for automatic DL and install, dont they?

In that case, only those in a hurry and/or on slow connections would probably avoid the new content... right?

Not necessarily so. While browsing gamespy for roleplaying PW's, people won't see how kickass a server this is by just looking at the pre-login server. They -will-, however, see the requirement for a download, and pretty quickly move on. I can pretty safely say that I would not have begun to roleplay online if CoA, where I started out, had ran a hak pak, or other required downloads.

Keep in mind that on that download page listed above, it states that these tilesets are already in with the Pirates of the Coast module. So if you have bought that premium module then I don't think you'll have anything additional to download.

Course if you haven't then you'll have to get the 17 MB file.

However there is another alternative. EfU could just extract the tilesets we absolutely NEED and post them here on this website, thus cutting out the stuff we don't need and effectively reducing the size of the download for 56k users.

And though I'd be interested in the quests that these sets would use, I'm also very much pleased that even the casual NWN player can join our group of players and experience good RPing without needing gobs of downloading and technical know-how.

So I'm torn. I'll go either way and will keep playing, but there must be some kind of notice on the connection screen letting new players know what the deal is.

Does that mean people will have to download something to play on EFU?

If so....

FOR THE LOVE OF TYMORA NO!

Haks = much, much, much less new players.

New players are the lifeblood of the server.

A few scant people might think EFU is nothing but "that other server" refugees(I admit I used to think that heh) but it seems alot of the server is *NOT* from "that other server" and just joined the server on the list and liked it enough to stay.

Sounds good to me.

People on 56k should realise that it is actually cheaper to go broadband these days, and make the switch.

MadCads.

OMG ITS CHEAPER NO WAY!

Heh now enough sillyness, I geuss you don't realise but some of us live in places where there IS NO BROADBAND at all. (like me)

There saying they'll have it in my area by the end of may or the second week in june but thats not a garantee.

I have o spend like 200 euro's on my 56k connecton to get my nwn fix too :(

Ouch.

For those of you who think broadband is cheaper than 56k you're outta your mind.

Here's teh break down of all non-56k connections

56k service = $10-$15 DSL - requires a home phoneline service of some kind ($30) + the DSL service itself ($15-$20) = $45 Cable - $45-60 Satellite - $60 but it only moves at between 64k and 128k at best.

So no broadband is not cheaper than dial up.

Hah I wish 56k was that cheap in my country, using 56k is like making a phone call here.

It all depends on your country, broadband works out cheaper where I am its just not available where I am now.

For me, at home I calculated that actually, btroadband WAS and can be cheaper than unlimited dialup (that I was on before). I know I can't speak for naga and his location, but in english towns/cities/suburbs DSL is cheaper for the useage I had.

Sadly, we almost certainly won't be adding new tilesets, if anyone was curious. Not for a while at least!

Ok I guess I'll state that I live in Chicago, IL , USA, and so I'm not familiar with other country's internet access costs. I'd imagine it's cheaper here since 11 of the 13 internet backbone servers reside here in the U.S. (the other two I believe are located somewhere in Great Britain and the other in Germany).

And now that I think about it, most other physically smaller countries (which comprise most of Europe, when compared to the U.S.) have much more upgraded telcom infastructure thus catering to the broadband boom we've seen in the last 5-7 years.

Anyway, the point of this post was that we shouldn't need a Hak to play on the server as new players are truly the lifeblood of any game/module/server.