Merlin's eA Fork Project

[Merlin]

Most of you may or may not know that I have recently set out to create my own personal version of TMW. I have made some great progress and have now found myself in a spot where I can't do "all of it".

I've decided that the only name that fits is "Avalon" (I'm Merlin and this is the Island I went to after I left england. It was even suggested that it's actually an island off the cost of Maine in the US called "manna island" ((Strange....))) I was against calling it this because It might be confused with Len's Wisper's of Avalon ManaServ project.

As of last night my server went live. The game server doesn't work yet as I'm having problems getting it to use my updates and some other odd errors, but the simple Intro site that I started is up. I've decided that this is too much for me to do alone and I need some help so...

I'm lazy and just redirected my TLD to my IP until I can figure out the DNS thing. XD

Avalon is looking for the following:

Web Administer : A very important job. I would like someone experienced with this as my own experience lacks in this. Tasks would include maintenance and further dev of the simple info site as well as securing and making sure I don't mess anything up. (If you look at my site then you can see I really need some help on this! XD)


Forum Administer: This is a less skilled but something that can be done by someone with moderate to little skill. They would be in charge of starting a free forums based web forum to support the project. I could do this myself but wouldn't mind if someone would save me from the headache and handle it for me.
Since this is a small project this would provide someone an opportunity to learn-by-doing.


eA scriptwriter/code moneky: I need someone who's better at the technical side of eA then me. While I can do almost everything in eA somethings still elude me. (Like how I don't know HOW to get this thing to use custom updates.) While this is taking me forever to figure out I'm sure there's someone that could do this and not even miss a blink.


Other stuff: Even thou I really don't need any creative help I wouldn't mind anyone throwing stuff out way that might not have a place in TMW. I don't have a very strict guideline to graphics and this might be a place for the less experienced to try and produce work.

I can be contacted in game or VIA this forum for more information. I don't want to take anyone working on TMW Projects to work on mine, but this might offer the chance for people that are not in TMW's dev group to learn and work on a similar project.

My original goal was to have something playable online by the first but with the problems I'm having with my update server I doubt I will be ready in time.

My lame into site can be found at http://digitalmasterminds.net
It's my old wordpress blog domain and since I quit the blog and still had the domain I figure I might as well use it.

[Chicka-Maria]

As i told you in game id be glad to help out with your server and version of tmw, As you can tell i love forums so i can help with that, and some graphics (will get me experience on making stuff as well) And whatever other help you need
I think this will be a great server when it gets content and items in it.


Regards,

[Crush]

hi Merlin.

Good luck with your TMW fork. I hope you will not fail as badly as the many TMW forks which failed before.

What exactly is your goal? Do you want to create a new game world or are you rather aiming for a TMW with a few extra quests?

[zxzack]

Im just about completely inexperienced with the stuff you stated you wanted help with, but i can help with testing any new stuff you put on, and stuff like that. Good luck with it!!!

[Matt]

Somehow the name "Avalon" rings a bell in my head, you may want to check first if there isn't already a TMW fork called like that. Well, its likely dead anyway, so where is the point

[Zutan]

First congrats, you are taking a step(or several) and that is a brave thing to do.

Second, do not put yourself or your work down. If you can, you should edit your post. No need to be all "I am the best in the Universe!" however you are doing work that others have not done give yourself some credit and remember you want people to work with you.

I really hope you succeed. Competition is always a great thing. I will be happy to give my two cents with regards to play testing now and then. Maybe after I get my own site up(company site) I'll feel in a position to help more.

Until then, I'll be sure to watch.

[Merlin]

@Crush
The only way to truly fail is to not try. I'm using the existing world as a loose template. I'm using an assortment of CC and GPL works for content.
I have been scouring all the work I could find on other servers and will pick and choose among some of the interesting things and add them as well.
There is LOTS of unused stuff around just in the TMW forums that was cast aside or forgotten that I might use as well. It will be similar but not an exact copy of tmw quests. This will also serve as my experimental test bed for ideas that I wish to try. For example I'm working on creating a set of armor that has a high def value but gives INT and decreased M attack as well as decreased weapon attack and agility. This creates a healer with a large mana pool that is defensive but can't really output damage. Once implemented it can be adjusted as I see fit and eventually could be used in tmw. (Dyeable Savior's Armor, but the cloak is an issue with the glove layer. I'll get around to editing it a bit better.)
@Matt
I think you might be thinking of Len's ManaServ Project "Whisperer's of Avalon". When I orginaly considered the name I asked him if he thought I shouldn't name it that in order to avoid confusion, but atm he wasn't going to pursue the project further. If there was another fork named "Avalon" then I've never heard of it.

@zxzack
A long time ago I knew next to nothing about the technical or creative side of this game. I think it was Crush who answered the questions I had and I remember bumping my head along the way in the creation of Dimond's Cove. I will need players to test content and the more players I can get would help get good results.

@Zutan
Thank you. This isn't something I just thought up one day. I've actually been thinking about doing this project for a few years.
I could edit the post but I hold myself to high standards of craftsmanship if it's a house I'm building or just a simple web page. I think RL might have this project on hold for a bit but it will have my full attention soon enough. I don't know if I deserve "credit" for the work I've done. I've just built off of what is already here and picked up some odd things here and there. I do it because I love this game and want to create my own version of it for the players to enjoy. It's not mean to be a direct competition to tmw and I'm not sure if any fork would even come close to the popularity of the original game. (TMW BZ might but only in Central and South America)

To All: A little bit of TMI that I thought of when responding to Zutan but something I wish to share.
I logged into TMW one day and some asked me if I knew about the new skills. I didn't know and they took me to Luca. I didn't know the answer to the first 2 questions. When I saw the third question I busted out in tears. I don't know how to explain it without really giving you TMI.
Still to this day people thank me for making the cove. (Someone even thought I was an NPC and not an actual player! XD)
The gratefulness of the players and love of the game are all the "credit" I will ever need.

[Crush]

@Crush
The only way to truly fail is to not try. I'm using the existing world as a loose template. I'm using an assortment of CC and GPL works for content.
I have been scouring all the work I could find on other servers and will pick and choose among some of the interesting things and add them as well.
There is LOTS of unused stuff around just in the TMW forums that was cast aside or forgotten that I might use as well. It will be similar but not an exact copy of tmw quests. This will also serve as my experimental test bed for ideas that I wish to try.

This sounds exactly like another Aethyra or TAW.

[Merlin]

nope. Not even close. It's not going to look anywhere near the same. I'm dropping most of the tmw tiles. They basicly used carbon copies of tmw's maps. I think the lack of an original look is what dooms most forks. From what I saw TAW used some REALLY bad graphics IMO and some RPGMaker tiles and didn't even try and edit them so the fit the rest of there tilesets. Aetheyra had the same maps but some re-colored tilesets. I have lots more stuff they ever did. I did like the concept of the starter island but I really think they did a bad job on the graphics on some of the stuff. Since there's been some changes in mapping layers I've found I've been able to get a bit more intricate with my map design then the original TMW world. I've even taken you 2x fringe grass trick to a whole new lvl.

I'm going to try avoid what I consider mistakes by the other forks. Let's hope I fail less then the forks that came before. XD

[zxzack]

Just tell me what to do when, and ill help you anyway i can!!
I agree with what you say about TAW, although I am currently very active on that server, a lot more than this one. I really like the Hitomb idea, which is one of the reasons i made the switch, and also the portal thing with Anaxoramus is really good. just some suggestions of what i think are some of the best points of TAW.

[Matt]

OMG, I totally forgot WOAs spelling, sorry :/