Solasta - Dungeon Maker

HiddenX

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Redglyph spotted that Solasta: Crown of the Magister will include a dungeon editor:

Dungeon Maker Showcase - Create your own Dungeons!

Hey there folks,

You wanted it, we wanted it - modding tools to create your very own adventures in Solasta. We didn't make any promises back during our Kickstarter as we weren't sure we'd be able to make it before launch... But today we're happy to announce the Dungeon Maker - a map editor that will be accessible in-game to each and everyone of you! And we're not just making promises with a few screenshots here - here's a full video to show you what the Dungeon Maker is, and how it works!

Will the Dungeon Maker be fully complete when Solasta 1.0 launches?
No, the Dungeon Maker will be in a beta state for quite some time - even after the 1.0 launch of Solasta. In order to have a playable version of the Dungeon Maker and avoid putting the main game at risk, we've decided to start small and add features as we go (rather than being too ambitious from the start).

What are the current features of the Dungeon Maker?


  • Freely create dungeon layouts using a selection of preset rooms
  • Link multiple maps together to create larger dungeons
  • One environment available for now, the Necropolis, with its set of environmental props to decorate your dungeon
  • Almost all monsters and items from Solasta: Crown of the Magister main campaign to create your encounters and loot
  • A selection of traps (just a few for now) to punish greedy adventurers
  • Easy to share online, it's a simple .json file in a folder. We plan to add Steam Workshop later on so it becomes even easier to share.
What are the future features planned for the Dungeon Maker?
Provided we see people using the Dungeon Maker, we plan to add a Quest system, Merchants and other environments. After that... time will tell!

Can I import my own monsters / items in the Dungeon Maker?
No, at least not using the official Dungeon Maker tool on its own. That being said, it might become possible through the use of other community-created mods, as some have already started to create new classes and archetypes - so new items / monsters may not be an impossibility in the long run!

Where can I share my creation / download other people's Dungeon Maker maps?
While Solasta will eventually be on Steam Workshop later, in the meantime you could always take a look at Nexusmod - where you can already find mods from community members adding new feats, archetypes and other creative ideas! Note that we (Tactical Adventures) do not guarantee anything when it comes to user created mods - some may not work at all.

When will the Dungeon Maker be available?
Soon! That's all we can tell you for now :D

[...]
More information.
 
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That's great. It seemed like a missed opportunity not to have an editor, but I understood their reasons for it being out of scope. Seems they've managed to do it anyway. I think this could be an excellent platform for community campaigns. :thumbsup:
 
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I would be interested in this if it allows for the dungeons to be hosted in a master server for any number of players, so you could create online experiences similar to what NWN accomplished, and nobody has yet manage to replicate.

I believe in its current form it may end up being just another dungeon making tool that won't see much use. Still a nice and welcome addition, especially if NPCs can be added for talented users to provide meaningful quests and turn it into more than just more random user-created dungeons.
 
I would be interested in this if it allows for the dungeons to be hosted in a master server for any number of players, so you could create online experiences similar to what NWN accomplished, and nobody has yet manage to replicate.

I believe in its current form it may end up being just another dungeon making tool that won't see much use. Still a nice and welcome addition, especially if NPCs can be added for talented users to provide meaningful quests and turn it into more than just more random user-created dungeons.
Solasta is single player only. Even Owlcat Games, who have a much bigger team and an extensive experience in multiplayer games, preferred not to invest time in that feature.

There are many successful SP campaigns out there for NWN, there's little doubt on the potential success if the campaign design can be flexible enough.
 
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One major difference between NWN and Solasta, is that Solasta is turn based. There aren't many Multi-player turn-based rpgs...
 
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One major difference between NWN and Solasta, is that Solasta is turn based. There aren't many Multi-player turn-based rpgs…
Thank every holy god for that as I hate both Multi-player and turn-based RPGs.:p
 
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Solasta is single player only. Even Owlcat Games, who have a much bigger team and an extensive experience in multiplayer games, preferred not to invest time in that feature.

There are many successful SP campaigns out there for NWN, there's little doubt on the potential success if the campaign design can be flexible enough.
Indeed and I applaud them as multiplayer is a waste of resources in RPGs, and EA who's been pushing live service games has realized this as well. It's a blessed miracle.

As for both NWN games they are still my favorite games mostly due to mods. I just wish more RPGs would be easy to mod, and actually have a fan-base that makes mods.
 
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I agree with @Nereida; and see a limited utility of dungeon maker in a SP game. Perhaps it makes modding a tad easier but the lack of dungeon makers has not stopped modders from creating great content for games previously. Don't see what would be different in this case.

I don't understand the generally negative attitude toward all MP elements in RPGs on this site. Tabletop RPGs were developed as social multiplayer activities. It would only be natural for cRPGs trying to capture the tRPG spirit to include multiplayer. I do understand, however, that adding MP to a game is a huge undertaking and it is smart from Owlcat and Tactical Adventures to focus on SP content only and leave MP to bigger studios such as Larian.

My appreciation toward MP games has increased due to Covid. I get to be alone enough due to all the lock-downs. Much nicer to play a good game together with a friend than alone these days. Can be social at the same time…
 
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Hey I've been bitching about MP and live service games for years nothing new.:p

Maybe I should summon @joxer for a more fanatical opinion.:biggrin:
 
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Haha, you two are hilarious about your hate toward "MMOs"
 
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I also developed appreciation for MP mode but only for non story driven/story lite RPGs (otherwise, it'd create conflict between hubby and I). I thought Solasta would be really fun in MP mode. Hope it will get added in future or for their next game (if its in similar style).
 
One major difference between NWN and Solasta, is that Solasta is turn based. There aren't many Multi-player turn-based rpgs…
The Divinity: Original Sin 2 and Baldur's Gate 3 are two recent examples. Perhaps Wasteland 3 too, but I don't care much for this game so I haven't checked.
As for both NWN games they are still my favorite games mostly due to mods. I just wish more RPGs would be easy to mod, and actually have a fan-base that makes mods.
Exactly, Bioware was right when they insisted on giving the players the Aurora NWN toolset, it kept the interest for the game even long after its release.

I think it's key that fans are able to do that early, if they have to wait months for someone to guess how it works and create a mod, the next new game will be available and the interest will wane.

Dungeon Maker is not the tool they used to create their nice maps, though, it's much more limited. No multiple floors, square rooms, perhaps flat floor… hopefully they'll extend that, or make the sources available.
I don't understand the generally negative attitude toward all MP elements in RPGs on this site. Tabletop RPGs were developed as social multiplayer activities. It would only be natural for cRPGs trying to capture the tRPG spirit to include multiplayer. I do understand, however, that adding MP to a game is a huge undertaking and it is smart from Owlcat and Tactical Adventures to focus on SP content only and leave MP to bigger studios such as Larian.
I can only give my own feeling. I don't dislike MP, I have fond memories of coop games in NWN, but I like to do that with friends and not unknown people. The few times I've played MP on random servers, or in MMOs with some people I didn't know, it was rarely satisfying.

Even with friends, it adds constraints, you've got to agree on the game, to find a time that's convenient for everyone (chances are it will be multiple timezones…), and you have to commit to it or it falls apart. Those constraints are not for everyone, in the end I much prefer the flexibility of SP, I don't feel forced to play when I don't feel like it, and I can pause anytime.

So I'm not even talking about the microtransaction issue here, it's just practical considerations.

I'd enjoy the possibility of an occasional coop, sure, but it's not a big problem for me if that feature isn't there.
 
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Haha, you two are hilarious about your hate toward "MMOs"
More like distaste I've tried them and can't stand them.:cool:

Only thing I hate more is Single-player games that force you to connect to a server to play. They are basically MMO's but the developer is to much of a coward to call them that.
 
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True, I wrote "generally negative attitude". Still, the fact that some companies have raped the concept does not justify hating them all. I have enjoyed the MP in Larian's games a lot. Solasta would be a great platform for MP too as @purpleblob; says. There's hope that it will be added to this or the next game if the game is a commercial success. Seeing that it's a small team, making it a commercial success should not take too much.

Let's not go and discuss the forced SP MMOs, microtransactions, etc. We all dislike those equally much.
 
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I suppose it's a bit a matter of background. I believe people who grew up playing console RPGs when PCs were expensive and inaccessible for a kid, but a console was something you could ask your parents for as a Christmas present, SP became the staple, and there were pretty great console RPGs to support that.

In my case, I never really owned a console of my own, and although I played consoles at friends all the time, to me it was always a social activity. When I was a teenager I started to get into DnD, Hero Quest, Warhammer and other tabletop games, that also were primarily built around their social component, so to me, even though I can appreciate and love great SP RPGs, I always feel like there is a missing component in the fact that I can not have my friends to jump into the game with me and make it a shared experience that we can remember and talk about forever.

Now with Covid, missing that MP component in PC games becomes even more of what I think to be a missed opportunity. Now you can't gather together and have an evening of laughs and snacks around our Descent to Avernus game, so finding games to keep you connected and bonding with your friends is a boon, and I wish more developers realised this.

PS: When I say multiplayer, I mean more "co-op". I'm generally not interested in playing with strangers randomly selected through the internet that are more prone to grief my games than making them a memorable experience. Although I've met a couple of nice people that way in different types of games, it's not something I feel makes a RPG better in any way.
 
Years ago I was much into MMO for a few months, with some people I knew from a previous free MMO project that was pretty much in alpha. It has its upsides, and I can understand that with Covid it's almost natural to play like this. But it took so much time that it finally took the fun out of it.

Co-op is fine, I'd like to see that in Solasta, actually :) And we can safely say T.A. won't go the evil path with the transactions, MP DLC items and so on.

They said they were not ruling that out, but not making any promises either. Their general stance on such (sensible) additional features seems to be, they might do it provided there's enough time and demand.
 
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This little independent studio just keeps bringing more and more surprises. They may be the next Larian Studios. Support them in their infancy so that they mature into a power house for years to come!

Lue.
 
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