One project I actually haven't talked about here much (if at all) is Aurora's Shoe Store, a mod for Baldur's Gate II--well, it was for BG2, but then Miloch1 joined the team and now it is for BGII, TuTu, and BGT.
Anyway, it was and is a fun little mod2 that adds a new character and some new shoes to the game. Those of you who play CRPG's have probably noticed that the cities tend to be a bit lifeless. If they're not giving the PC quests, the inhabitants don't have much to say.
Thus, Aurora, who was meant to have a few extra lines to entertain people while they shopped for their boots--a major focus of the mod, by the way, just not the part I had the most to do with. Oh, I enjoyed writing the descriptions3, but it was Aurora who took off for me. She was fun to write--bold, brassy, and saucy, she ended up with more than the minimum amount of conversation initially planned. I think it works, too, and helps give the idea that the city's inhabitants are more than window dressing .4
Oh, and she now has two assistants: The crabby gnome, Tomthal, who tends the shop at night and his cheerful cousin, Karaea, the shop's traveling saleswoman. Neither one of them says anything like as much as Aurora, but I think they add a good bit to the game--and make it possible to keep the shop open 24/7, which in Athkatla is no mean feat. I mean, how many people do you know who would tend an outdoor booth at night in a vampire-infested town?
What with one thing and another, though, it has taken longer than I thought it would--a lot longer. I thought it would be out last summer, and it looks like we might manage this summer. Thus, it is quite exciting to see that the shop now has its own advertising banner, courtesy of Khayman, the artist. At least, I'm pretty sure the above is its final form. When everyone has weighed in and it is definitely-for-sure its final form, I'll probably add it to the margins.
Just what this blog needs, right? More stuff in the margins.
1. The man responsible for making the shoes actually do what I said they would do, and for making the fighters fight, and for a score of other details.
2. A mod, for those of you who do not play computer games, is a fan-made addition to a game. It can add characters, quests, items, harder battles, some stuff I've probably forgotten to list, or all of the aforementioned.
3. Take these, for example, "Stinky Feet: His feet stank. They really stank. After several years of snide remarks and requests that he sit somewhere else, anywhere else he decided to take advantage of the situation. He is still remembered as Stinky Feet, but they say it with respect now. "
They turn foot odor into a weapon. How often am I going to get the chance to do that?
4. They are, of course, but there is no need to rub it in. The poor things are self-conscious enough about it already.
5. No, there is no footnote five up there. I just felt like adding another one.
Oh, and she now has two assistants: The crabby gnome, Tomthal, who tends the shop at night and his cheerful cousin, Karaea, the shop's traveling saleswoman. Neither one of them says anything like as much as Aurora, but I think they add a good bit to the game--and make it possible to keep the shop open 24/7, which in Athkatla is no mean feat. I mean, how many people do you know who would tend an outdoor booth at night in a vampire-infested town?
What with one thing and another, though, it has taken longer than I thought it would--a lot longer. I thought it would be out last summer, and it looks like we might manage this summer. Thus, it is quite exciting to see that the shop now has its own advertising banner, courtesy of Khayman, the artist. At least, I'm pretty sure the above is its final form. When everyone has weighed in and it is definitely-for-sure its final form, I'll probably add it to the margins.
Just what this blog needs, right? More stuff in the margins.
1. The man responsible for making the shoes actually do what I said they would do, and for making the fighters fight, and for a score of other details.
2. A mod, for those of you who do not play computer games, is a fan-made addition to a game. It can add characters, quests, items, harder battles, some stuff I've probably forgotten to list, or all of the aforementioned.
3. Take these, for example, "Stinky Feet: His feet stank. They really stank. After several years of snide remarks and requests that he sit somewhere else, anywhere else he decided to take advantage of the situation. He is still remembered as Stinky Feet, but they say it with respect now. "
They turn foot odor into a weapon. How often am I going to get the chance to do that?
4. They are, of course, but there is no need to rub it in. The poor things are self-conscious enough about it already.
5. No, there is no footnote five up there. I just felt like adding another one.
That's exciting and cool! I know you've been working on this forever. It's good to know that you're getting close to seeing a finished product. This really is a labor of love.
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