Santhworld - The Lorehold Project

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About Masterplans
Santhworld: Program
SW.: Game Designer
SW.: Treasure Shoals
SW.: Lorehold
SW.: Nepris
SW.: Trivia
Santharia: Manthria
Nybelmar: Zhunite Pl.
Sarvonia: Icelands

World Map Overview
Distances in Caelereth
Climate Map of Sarvonia
Continent: Aeruillin
Continent: Akdor
Continent: Cyhalloi
Continent: Nybelmar
Continent: +Details NE
Continent: +Details NW
Continent: +Details SE
Continent: +Details SW
Continent: +Politics
Continent: Sarvonia
Lands: Icelands
Lands: +Tribes
Lands: Caael'heroth
Lands: Iol Peninsula
Lands: Kanapans
Lands: Kuglim Lands
Kingdom: Santharia
Kingdom: +Ancient
Kingdom: +Provinces
Kingdom: +Rivers
Kingdom: +Routes
Details: Manthria
Details: Vardýnn
Details: Ráhaz-Dáth
Details: Silvermarshes

Create Beasts
Create Plants
Create Races/Tribes
Create People
People Nomenclature
Create Places
Create Gods, Myths...
Create Spells/Magic
Create Library Entries
Create Misc. Stuff

Reserving Resources
Arbaon Pictures
Bard Judith Pictures
Eratin Pictures
Faugar Pictures
Grunok's Pictures
Ingeborg Pictures
Isilhir Pictures
Koldar Pictures
Linda Tso Pictures
Quellion Pictures
Quellion Pictures II
Shayan's Pictures
Seeker Pictures
Sheil Pictures
Sheil Pictures II

Proverbs & Sayings
Styrásh (Elvish)
Thergerim (Dwarvish)
Kuglimz'Seitre
Kh'omchr'om (Orcish)
Trollish

[Artimidor Federkiel]

Santhworld: The Lorehold Project

This project is a Santhworld project. If you're unfamiliar with the Santhworld concepts, make sure to first read the first question dealing with the program itself. Then move on to this project itself.

• What exactly is Santhworld?

• What is the Lorehold Project about?
• Are there Maps of the current Development Progress?
• What can I do?
• How do I make Rooms?
• How do I make Characters/Dialogues?
• Is there some advanced Development Stuff I could try?
• What is not possible to realize with Santhworld?

[Artimidor Federkiel]

What exactly is Santhworld?
Santhworld is a textbased adventure-like environment that allows a single player to walk around in a predefined area by entering commands (NORTH, SOUTH, EXAMINE BOOKSHELF, TALK TO BARD etc.) It is actually designed as a dynamic Flash 8 movie, that allows room and character additions rather easily and without altering the main program, but by just providing more data for the program which then can be processed. Santhworld can be played directly at the browser, you don't need to download it. You also don't need to have anything special installed to run it, except the Flash plugin, which is already standard at new browsers. So in general there's no need to worry about that. Otherwise - once you access Santhworld - and don't have a Flash plugin installed, you will be transferred to a page, where you can download it.

How to operate the program is explained in detail in the program itself, so it is recommended to check it out and read the instructions there to get a look and feel for what is possible with Santhworld. You can access the program here.

Santhworld of course also has its limitations. At the moment for example it is not possible to manipulate objects permanently, take things, display a different room description based on a condition etc. More on that in the answers to What is not possible to realize with Santhworld?.

Santhworld however is constantly expanded with new commands and features, so if something doesn't work as of yet, it might be integrated later.
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[Artimidor Federkiel]

What is this Lorehold Project about?
The Lorehold Project is a "module" that can be played by Santharian site visitors directly on the site through the interactive Flash movie/program Santhworld. More on Santhworld in the answer to the first question.

You can access the module in Santhworld by typing in the command
GO TO LOREHOLD

Goal of the Lorehold module is to let the player walk through the university/library of the Manthrian town of Lorehaven, the Lorehold. In the Lorehold the player should not only be able to discover interesting objects, learn about Santharian history in books, but also should have a chance to meet several developers of the Santharian Compendium, in order to answer questions or send the player around on little missions.

In the Main Hall of the module and its alcoves a bunch of interesting people to talk to should await (part of the staff of the Compendium and some visitors), ensuring an entertaining experience for the player. The Main Hall should be completely walkable, more expansion of rooms in various directions can be made whenever we need them.
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[Artimidor Federkiel]

Are there Maps of the current Development Progress?
Yes, there are maps of what we've developed so far.

Legend.
Beige ... Room already done
Red ... Room is still in progress
Green ... Rooms that currently send you back to another room (either intentionally, or because we definitely plan a proper room there later)

Main Lorehold Map



Characters:
Alysse the Likely (Kuglim Researcher)
Artimidor Federkiel (Sage and Royal Archivist)
Charlos (Philosophy Student)
Dalá'Valannía (Writer and Librarian)
Dame Sausade (Cook)
F'ash (Kuglim Bard)
Geoffrey Baijonan (Young Mage)
Hallvard Joskjan (Graven of Fief Mashdai)
Hubert (Lorehold Chef)
Quillbert Spellguided (Water Mage)
Yenneth of Strata (Bard)
Yvoncha (Orcish Student)

Magic Bookshelf



Characters:
A Ximax Rat

Lorehold Cellar



Characters:
Gamoren Brewer (Alchemist)

Lorehold Winecellar



Characters:
Nolan Drinkbrewer (Inventor)
Terrek Jurswanskan (Tavern Owner)

Lorehold Alchemist Courtyard (accessible from cellar)



Lorehold Southwest Tower (Construction)



Characters:
Mithwurt Bachim (Construction Overseer)

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[Artimidor Federkiel]

What can I do?
Helping hands are always needed. You can provide the descriptions for own rooms, put in characters and give them dialogues or even expand the map whenever it seems reasonable. The Lorehold project is one of the very first Santhworld projects, so we try to keep it simple and open for new developers.

If you want to help, make sure to check out what has already been done. Enter Santhworld and type GO TO LOREHOLD to access the module. Walk through the rooms that have already been integrated and search for a room that hasn't been done yet. You can also look at the maps on this page to get an idea where you can go, which rooms are already done and which aren't.

If you want to work on a room or have ideas where to integrate what, just reply in this thread stating which room you want to do and what ideas you have. Try to familiarize yourself on how to describe rooms and what is important when you do dialogues, and then - once you got the ok - go for it!

Write your texts in any word processor (see details below), then just post finished room descriptions and dialogues in this thread. Your project leader will then integrate your rooms and dialogues, and soon you'll be able to play through "your" rooms and to talk to "your" characters as part of the whole module.
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[Artimidor Federkiel]

How do I make Rooms?
It always helps to actually walk around in Santhworld first to see how rooms are supposed to look like when they are finished. Based on that you'll learn how to do rooms rather easily.

Here's what a properly defined room should contain:

Room Name
- Provide a unique name for your room whenever possible. This will be displayed on top of the room description once you enter a room.
- Some generic rooms might have the same names, like "Lorehold, West Corridor", but whenever possible try to avoid this to help the player to orientate.
- Examples:

* Lorehold Entrance
* Mage's Laboratory
*Prosperous Farmhouse, Kitchen

Room Description, LOOK
- Describe briefly what the player sees in the room.
- If there exists a picture you want to use, please specify!
- This text will be displayed if you enter a room and if you type LOOK.
- Try to keep it short, so that the player doesn't have to read through lots of lines in order to get to the important parts.
- Make sure that the room descriptions are independent from the fact when a player enters a room. It could be that the player enters the room for the very first time or that he/she hasn't visited the room before already. However, the same description is displayed, so try not to assume that you know when the player enters that specific room!
- Suggest new objects/keywords in the description, and then expand on that. So whenever you have more to describe in a room, let the player examine things by offering a new keyword instead of describing it with all the details immediately. - Example:

Lorehold Main Hall, Center

You are standing at the heart of the Lorehold Library, surrounded by four Cyhalloian snow white columns. Right in front of you is a huge square oak table, approximately three peds in length and with a two peds breadth, decorated with three golden candleholders. It is covered by all kinds of things.

Nearby is the sage Artimidor, who seems to be busy with working with the material spread on the table, right now checking out a map.

It is not necessary to describe what you can see on the table or on the map in detail in the room description. The boldly marked keywords tell the player what he/she can investigate in next. If it is an object this can be examined, if it is a person the player can try to talk to it. Just put the descriptions for these keywords into the text fitting to commands like EXAMINE TABLE, EXAMINE MAP etc. - this way the player will learn everything about the room, but only if he/she investigates more.

Object Description, EXAMINE [OBJECT]
- Suggest new keywords for objects or persons to examine already in the main description of the room.
- Write the text that you get once you examine that object.
- You can of course suggest further keywords the player can investigate in in such an object description.
- Example:

EXAMINE MAP
You look at the map overing most parts of the heavy oak table. You recognize the outlines of the Santharian province of Manthria with all major towns and villages carefully added in manually by a talented artist.

Here and there a tiny needle pins down small notes near certain locations.

EXAMINE NOTES
It seems Artimidor has marked various locations with these notes, its researchers and some tasks to keep track on progress. Some tiny letters are scribbled on these small scraps, which you could try to read.

Action Description, [COMMAND] [OBJECT]
- Special commands should have their own texts as well. Such commands are for example: READ, CLIMB, DESCEND, SEARCH, CALL, SIT ON, KNOCK ON etc.
- Example:

READ NOTES
You look at some of the notes. They read:
Keep Mistrash - Grunok, entry due early Singing Bird
Shady Grove - Arceon, confirm reports on bandits
Shrine of Baveras - Talia, check further details

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[Artimidor Federkiel]

How do I make Characters/Dialogues?
Here as well we recommend to play some dialogues in here first to understand how the system works. Dialogues work pretty much the same way as rooms do - you talk to a character and get new keywords offered (in rooms you get objects to examine). These keywords you can ask the character and get more keywords, until you have talked about everything with that person.

When you do a character, make sure to cover the following texts:

Character Name/Job
- Provide an exact name of the character.
- Provide the person's job, or at least a rough idea of what the person is.
- Examples:

* Name: ARTIMIDOR FEDERKIEL, Job: New-Santhalan Sage
* Name: ALYSSE THE LIKELY, Job: Kuglim Tribeswoman
* Name: GEOFFREY BAIJONAN, Job: Young Mage

Character Description, LOOK [CHARACTER]
- Describe what the player sees when looking at the person.
- If there exists a picture you want to use, please specify!
- Example:

You see a man of well-educated looks in his early sixties, with brown eyes and still partly dark hair, wearing the scholarly ruff as is common for notable scholars in the kingdom.

Also quite characteristic of that particular sage are a slight sceptical frown on his forehead and the three-day beard, as obviously sages prefer to dig in dusty books instead of making a regular acquaintance with a straight razor.

TALK TO [CHARACTER]
- This is the text the player will see if he/she addresses the character.
- Try not to use a greeting in this text, as there is an own GREET keyword.
- Example:

You approach the sage, noticing that he is constantly mumbling something to himself into his beard, then rolls his eyes to contemplate a thought further. Finally he writes a few more lines down.

As he sees you, he makes a final note on his scroll then bows and bids you to step closer.

- Once you address a character by TALK TO [CHARACTER], four keywords are automatically added to the topics list: GREET, NAME, JOB and BYE. These are the keywords which need to be covered at all persons to make a consistent dialogue.

GREET
- The player greets the character
- Keep in mind that the character the player is talking to doesn't know whether he's talking to a he or a she. Keep the dialogue neutral therefore!
- Example:

Artimidor nods back to you. "Welcome to you as well, my dear visitor, to the humble University of Lorehaven! I hope you enjoy your stay in this temple of infinite wisdom, right at hand in the middle of Lorehaven, this very traditional Manthrian port." He smiles. "What can I do for you, friend of wisdom?"

NAME
- The player asks the character about his/her name
- Example:

"Why, Artimidor of course, Artimidor Federkiel. Sage and Royal Archivist of his Highness the Santhran Tiandor, may the Twelve bless his reign. At your service!"

BYE
- The player finishes talking to the person
- Example:

"Farewell for now," Artimidor says, "I'm sure you'll be back again to quench your thirst of knowledge. Until then." With that he returns with his eyes to the map on the table, then starts scribbling again on his scroll.

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[Artimidor Federkiel]

Is there some advanced Development Stuff I could try?
Sure there are some things. Special features are constantly expanded, allowing you to do a bit more than just regular stuff in rooms or dialogues. Here are some of these features:

Combobox Usage
You can make dialogues more interesting by letting the person the player talks to ask questions as well, which the player has to answer by specifiying "Yes" or "No" or any other customized answer possibility. In that case comboboxes are used, where the player can select an option. Comboboxes can have several answer possibilities, so you're not limited to two options.

If you want to use a combobox, make sure to write different continuations of the dialogue for each answer. This is also a good way to make a dialogue branch, by suggesting new keywords in a branch, that the player wouldn't get when choosing the other option.

Example:

The boy continues: "I'm playing about that priate. Lyllek or something, don't know his right name. He hid his treasure at the grotto out there."

Pinn points to the sea to the northeast. You cannot make out anything in particular though that looks liks a grotto.

"You don't see it from 'ere," the boy continues. "Too far off. - Haven't you heard about that pirate?"

YES
You nod and Pinn smiles back at you. "Cool story, eh?"

NO
You shake your head.

"Everyone in town knows that tale," Pinn says, not believing that you don't know it. "Go to one of the storytellers here in the village and they'll tell you! It's a big story, I tell you!"

Comboboxes are also used e.g. when a bookshelf is examined and there are 4 books to look at. One then might ask the player which of the books he/she would like to read.

Picture Switching
During a dialogue or object descriptions you can switch between different pictures. Just specify when you want to change the displayed picture.

E.g. when someone shows you a waterfall by saying "Look up there!" In case we have a picture of that waterfall we can now display it (Flash can do some fancy stuff as well, like scrolling BTW when displaying pictures). Once the dialogue continues, we'll switch back to the dialogue partner.

Picture switching is also effective if you talk to a character and another character standing close by has to add something to the discussion. In that case we can display a picture of that person while throwing in a comment, and then go back to the main dialogue.
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[Artimidor Federkiel]

What is not possible to realize with Santhworld?
Santhworld is a program that develops as we go along and add more stuff. Right now it enables players to walk around, to talk to characters and thus to learn more about Santharia as a whole.

Not yet possible:
- Manipulating objects permanently
- Taking things
- Display a different room description based on a condition
- New keywords popping up in dialogues based on prior actions

Planned Features:
- The possibility to move around by clicking at arrows at the map
- Randomize function that displays different text
- Greeting texts according to the player's actual time
- Conditions
- Basic Inventory
- More commands

Santhworld might also have problems here and there, don't hesitate to report them. Problems are collected and fixed as soon as possible, providing time allows it. If you have further ideas, let us know as well here on the Forum.
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[Alysse the Likely]

Okay, will work on this.

I don't have time to tackle it all right now, but a name could be the Library's Music Room, as Alysse is picking out musical material here.  I doubt they'd have more than one.

Alysse

[Bard Judith]

That is really helpful, Artimidor!  With such in-depth detail I can now decide even more specifically what I'd like to happen in the rooms I'm writing.  Knowing what's possible and what's not makes it much clearer to picture and then write down a series of events, too...

[Artimidor Federkiel]

The project is now also faster accessible from the left side menu under Masterplans/Projects.

[Artimidor Federkiel]

I've finished the Mage's room (easternmost room) now, room and dialogue of mage Geoffrey - and uploaded it. Map above is also updated. The two other small rooms in the hall I've done (east and west from the center) don't need much mentioning, but they also display proper texts now.

With Geoffrey starts part 1 one of some sort of quest  as you will see, the second part is not written yet, so telling Geoffrey that discovered word that he demands doesn't prompt you with an answer from him yet. But he'll send you on another mission then...

For testing purposes the primer graphics were also already integrated. You can find the primer in the upper nortwest (close to Alysse's cat rooms, northern room). The room isn't made there yet (will be a children themed room). But you see the keyword PRIMER and you can already type EXAMINE PRIMER there and then READ PRIMER and go through the pages to look at the graphics. Guess the pics turned out pretty nice put into a book. Don't worry about the "Undefined" text there, but this room will be completed next. And it will also feature lullabies to discover and Alysse's heroic Scrap bedtime story...

[Alysse the Likely]

Here's the updated version of Alysse's room, there's more interactivity now and a few new possibilities to ask about.


You enter a room that has rows of high bookshelves, filled with heavy tomes and scrolls.  A dusty smell is in the air.  You see no-one, but can hear paper rustling a few shelves away, suggesting that somebody is there.  Perhaps you should explore more thoroughly…

EXAMINE ROOM, (or LOOK ROOM, or whatever)

Shelves of blue corded scrolls surround you on almost all sides.  They appear to be largely music, but you have no idea how they are organized, so you don’t really want to move anything.  The room has a rather gloomy feel, though a skylight overhead gives a bit of light.

RUSTLING

You can still hear a rustling sound and step around a corner to encounter a tall, dark young human woman.  She is looking through a scroll, and has a small pile of them beside her on the floor. A glass-enclosed lantern sits on a nearby shelf.

LOOK ALYSSE (EXAMINE if you prefer)

The young woman is lightly tanned,  lean but not unpleasantly so, and quite tall for a human, perhaps two or three palmspans below two peds.  She has long dark hair and eyes of a striking amber brown colour, almost gold in the lamp light.  Though not classically pretty, she has an interesting face.

TALK TO ALYSSE

The young woman turns from her scroll to look at you, long hair swinging around her shoulders.  She gives you a quizzical, almost challenging look.

GREET

“Hello,” you say.  “I’m just exploring this area.”  A swift smile darts across her face. “Be welcome here then,” she says.  “ I thought, when hear you I did, that another librarian you were, to try chase me from these treasures.” She looks scornful.  “Always fussing they are, for certain.”   She tosses her head and stamps one foot lightly, making you think of an impatient racehorse, anxious to be off and running.  Her accent is intriguing, with a slight roll to the r’s and a sibilance to the s’s.

NAME

You introduce yourself.

“Alysse”, the young woman says.  “Alysse the Likely.” 

LIKELY

"The Likely?" you ask.  "That's an odd surname."

Alysse laughs.  “They say of me, back in New Santhala,  that almost anything I am likely to do.”

ANYTHING

"Anything?" you query, raising your eyebrows.
"Almost anything," Alysse corrects you swiftly. "There are some things I will not do."  There is a slight edge to her voice, in spite of the smile, and you decide it would be unprofitable to continue that particular discussion.

NEW SANTHALA

“You’re not from around here, then.” you suggest.  Alysse shakes her head.  “No, too warm it is here for me, a Northern barbarian I am.”  There is a mischievous smile on her face.  She continues, in an overly solemn voice, “You know, from beyond the Tandalas?  Those wild Kuglimz horse maguses.”  You suspect that she is teasing you a little.

MAGUS

“So why is there a ‘wild Kuglimz horse magus’ in Lorehaven?” you inquire, amused in spite of yourself.
" Well, work I have here now to do, helping researchers, studying, writing and such things, but here I do not live."

JOB
 
"What exactly do you do here?" you ask.
“Oh, a researcher for the Compendium I am,” she says easily.  “Right now a friend I am helping with his work, he does not move so quickly, and I, well, swiftly can I move if I chose to.  The sage Artimidor, you may have met, he asked us to come and we did agree.  A lovely place, Lorehaven is, even though hot. And the university here, so much learning!  The amanters, the jewel crafters, the smiths…so interesting it all is!”  Her eyes are bright with enthusiasm as she scoops up her scrolls to continue working.

BYE

You recognize that she is trying to finish her work and politely take your leave of her.

“Fare well,” she says.  “May the All’Mother bless your path.”  She flashes you another quick smile and returns to her task.

[Artimidor Federkiel]

Okeydokey, Alysse - I'll get to integrating it tomorrow

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