EFU Scripted Content Survey Post

[Howlando]

EFU has an enormous amount of scripted content that I've become increasingly aware our players sometimes simply don't know about it. This post is an attempt to mention some of the content and be a useful resource for new players.

DM XP

This is pretty self-explanatory. Do interesting things, make Awesome (even without a DM watching), pursue interesting stories, express your creativity, roleplay excellently  and entertain yourself and others... and, eventually, you will be rewarded. To really get into this subject requires perhaps a full post of its own, but it's worth noting DM XP can be rewarded for lots of different things: for example, if you beat a "spiced" quest there will probably be an extra XP award. Merely being present for an important event may also earn you some XP, and very often if I bounce on some players doing some plotting or interesting RP I'll throw everyone some XP.

It's also worth adding, though, that from the perspective of the DM client it is hard to pay attention to every PC and properly reward... sometimes we forget to hand out XP, so don't let it bother you too much. Over the course of a player's lifetime hopefully everything will balance out.


Exploration XP

Again, pretty obvious. The first time you go to many areas you will receive XP.

Deliveries

We have some pretty basic delivery quests around. I added another one recently.

Resource Gathering

Most spawn points offer an opportunity for low-level characters to gather different kinds of ingredients (animal meat, berries, fruit, herbal ingredients, water, rarer things...) and receive supplies in return. It's a viable way forward for gaining supplies on your own, and works nicely for slow hours or for solitary characters.


Combat Quests

We have a lot of these, some of which are practically never done. Recently I've gone through and tried to balance some out... it's encouraged to occasionally go out and try new ones, and not just the Well quest all the time.

Exploration Random Areas

We have more than a hundred of these, easily, and I just added a whole bunch more. I think these are pretty fun - basically, throughout the course of the day different transitions spawn in different areas that either a solitary PC or a group can explore. Some are insanely challenging, some are nothing more than an empty room with a huge pile of loot. They're fun, but sometimes very deadly.

Bounties

Dirty-haired scoundrels terrorize Ymph, and Sergeant Berry Pickhem want you to go out and find them. Bounty NPCs spawn randomly throughout the Island, and can be hard to find - and hard to kill - but if you take the quest and bring one in (with a group) the rewards are generous indeed!

Random Ambients

These are more for flavor I guess, but lots of different little small "things" spawn all around the module also. Strange shrines, or deadly plants... etc.

Wyrm Watcher Map

There's a Wyrm Watcher NPC in Muskroot's Tower that occasionally will offer a quest in which you (and whoever you want to bring) go to an area and "scou" it for him. When you return, he'll reward you a bit.

Caravans

Also announced by sending, bringing a caravan ox from Sis Liman to Mistlocke can be a very rewarding thing to do. Just watch out for bandits - and for potential bandit PCs, you are very much encouraged to prey upon these caravans!

Invasions

Also announced via sending, occasionally monsters invade the area near Stonehand's Scars... go and fight them!

Cooking/Herbalism/Alchemy

Cooking is a system by which your character can cook - cooking isn't dangerous, so this can be good practice for learning how these systems work.

Herbalism lets you make a lot of useful components and items, but the items generally aren't quite so powerful or dangerous to make as Alchemy.

Alchemy (note: I am referring to a special system, not mundane potion brewing!) is a very dangerous thing, perhaps one of the most dangerous things to do in EFU. Yet the rewards can be truly amazing. For the right kind of player, this can be a complex but satisfying undertaking.

Rare Spawns

There are a variety of rare random monster spawns that can be quite rewarding to kill. Some are "Hero Spawns" (specially named NPCs), others are just very rare...

Banditry/NPC Mugging

In addition to the (dangerous) past-time of mugging PCs, there are also several kinds of NPCs (some rarer than others) that can be "mugged" (attacked). Some even drop special items that can in turn be sold to other NPCs. Of course, this is an IC'ly dangerous if lucrative profession.

Scavenging

There's a lot of areas that can be "scavenged" - particularly with high search, you might find randomly find nice treasure just laying around or in rubble.

Rumors

We have a pretty nice "rumors" system by which we can very easily and dynamically update the rumors that NPCs or placeables mention via our web console. Thus, very often we'll hide lore or plot hints or other things in rumors or placeables. It can be worth speaking with NPCs and reading placeables scattered across the module...

Interaction NPCs

Recently, some NPCs have been added to the module that spawn occasionally and can be interacted with - with the random possibility of getting something very nice. For example, buying some patrons in the Mist's End a drink can occasionally end up being a very smart thing to do....

Merchants

Various merchants with randomly generated stores can spawn occasionally, particularly in some certain areas of the module, but also in outlying areas... including the Underdark and Underwater areas of EFU. Many of these stores sell mundane, flavourful wares... but you might also find amongst them something worthwhile, something to aid your roleplay, collectibles, keys, a bit of lore, or just something sort of interesting or unique.

Joining Associations

Joining an association (Muster, Aberdenn, Caermyn) doesn't require a DM and can be a good way to find some direction for your character, as well as receiving some decent perks.

Hopefully this post has been useful to some of you. I'm sure there are some things I'm forgetting but this at least covers the major scripted things.

We're trying to build a great module but, as always, it is up to the playerbase to make the really great stories. We're giving you the tools, now go out and make the kinds of character and stories that really rock people's socks off!

Let me know if you have any questions or if I forgot to add something (of course, there is other scripted content out there - but some stuff should remain secret!)

[Vlaid]

This is really cool, several of these things I didn't even know about. The random areas that spawn are probably one of my all-time favorite additions to the server. I love finding some of these randoms with just some little NPC who talks about some semi-hidden lore hints and you get a little xp bump for it.

[Kinslayer988]

Wow thanks DM team!

[Gotham]

Shit is tight yo

[morva]

Rumor system is awesome

[Aethereal]

I have an observation regarding the in-game public board in Mistlocke square and the one in the Mist's End too. At one stage I remember they would update with all manner of recent postings made on the public board forum, but now they seem to be repeating old messages or just displaying faction recruitment, old doggerel and weird scrawling. I am guessing that just became too taxing on whoever had to update it, but I do believe it added a lot to server as well! (Encouraging people to talk about public postings and react to them or being aware some major event was upcoming, etc.)

[Adhesive]

Very, very cool! A lot of people don't consider simple exploration as a means to get supplies/fun/RP, and just slam Well or Gnolls. How boring! Gotta get out therer and have fun, broskies!

[Guttersnipe]

I have an observation regarding the in-game public board in Mistlocke square and the one in the Mist's End too. At one stage I remember they would update with all manner of recent postings made on the public board forum, but now they seem to be repeating old messages or just displaying faction recruitment, old doggerel and weird scrawling. I am guessing that just became too taxing on whoever had to update it, but I do believe it added a lot to server as well! (Encouraging people to talk about public postings and react to them or being aware some major event was upcoming, etc.)

Yesterday the one in Mistlocke square was showing new postings. I saw one of mine there, and it was only two days old.

[Howlando]

It does not take long at all to update with fliers IG so feel free to prod us when things get out of date, it's just easy to forget.

[Corrigo]

Though this post is enlightening and all, I'm a little confused about the purpose of the term 'survey', which had me expecting to be filling out a form in order to share my critical opinion about relevant aspects of EFU.

[Howlando]

sur·vey   [v. ser-vey; n. sur-vey, ser-vey]  Show IPA verb, noun, plural sur·veys.
verb (used with object)
1.
to take a general or comprehensive view of or appraise, as a situation, area of study, etc.
2.
to view in detail, especially to inspect, examine, or appraise formally or officially in order to ascertain condition, value, etc.
3.
to conduct a survey of or among: to survey TV viewers.
4.
to determine the exact form, boundaries, position, extent, etc., of (a tract of land, section of a country, etc.) by linear and angular measurements and the application of the principles of geometry and trigonometry.

I understand your confusion but I guess I was using definition (1), as in - to try to collect basic info for all of these different and disparate features.

[THEDiamondJ]

As proof of how awesome the server is, I recently played a PC to L7 while only completing 2 scripted quests other than the solo stuff.

[Corrigo]

I understand your confusion but I guess I was using definition (1), as in - to try to collect basic info for all of these different and disparate features.

Apparently so! And here I was ready to gush all over you. Oh well.

[Pentaxius]

An idea for the consecration system which could be quite easy to implement :

Create a few random exploration areas which spawn a "defiled shrine",  guarded by unholy minions or something like that.

The first cleric who is able to defeat the dangers present can ''click'' the shrine and consecrate it to his deity, earning some ''points'' on his holy symbols on top of a little XP.

Perhaps even broadcast it on the sending system (A scout announces the discovery, or something).

This could open new conflict avenues for Faith based characters ! Furthermore, it provides an additional incentive for clerics to seek allies and convert for their faiths in order to gather support to claim those shrines.

[Mathamune]

EfU transcends any other NwN server out there, in my opinion.