New Planar Idea

Squikker2001 · Post by **Squikker2001** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 10:19 pm

I realize the devs just put in 3 new planes, but I am throwing out an idea for another.

Etherial Plane.

If I remember correctly, it is supposed to be a connector plane (like the Plane of Shadows), just a little different.

To achieve this, you could have all the nexus versions of the faction guards in an outer area, and each could drop an item with their regular loot. Throughout the Etherial plane, there could be proto-rifts that could be configured with the aforementioned items to connect to the nexus of the faction that the special item came from., ie, you get an item from killing a distorted NC guard, you can make a proto-rift connect to the NC nexus.

I don't expect this to be made any time soon, I'm just putting the idea out here so the devs can see it and maybe discuss it for future implementation.

JesterOI · Post by **JesterOI** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 10:35 pm

Any thoughts on random spawns from any of the other planes showing up here along with the nexus freaks?

Post by **DM PHANTASM** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 12:04 am

that does sound cool erm um back to north

Post by **Mr. O'Dearly** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 12:17 am

thoughts...

it could be set up like a mini-aetheria. Use some of the original maps and faction cities. Have them connect to each other in generally the same way as they do now but fewer transitions. (Less work.

)

It could have a purple hazy fog. The faction guards would of course be tougher. Some interesting possibilities for parallels with current low level areas. i.e. bandits and giants are now epic.

all cities, including avendell would be in poor condition. Possibly have all the faction guards fighting in and around avendell.

What would eventually happen to Aetheria if the war never ended; if all factions were so driven to destroy the others that they ultimately destroyed the land they were fighting for?

Crymsyn · Post by **Crymsyn** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 12:33 am

That is a lot of development work...

I especially like this idea because of connection to other planes/faction cities through the new rifts. One major problem would be relic running through there - if the entrances are located anywhere around relic cities, you'll have a lot of travel through the Ethereal Plane.

On the other hand, if the item that lets you teleport rift to rift is taken on use, this might cut down on it a bit.

As far as random encounters go (from other planes, instead of just Nexus guards).. it seems almost a must. If you look at it from a pen and paper perspective, ANYTHING can have the ability to go ethereal (I believe..), so it makes sense.

Maybe in Aertheria, only certain types of races (undead, demons, etc) can have this ability (which would effect what kind of spawns happen in the plane, make them stronger of course) along with mages (who can cast an ethereal spell)... maybe give arcane classes (maybe even as a benefit of being pure classed 40..) an item that can be used X times per day to make himself or party members ethereal? And make the entrances to the Ethereal Plane spellcasters, whom you have to pay to cast a spell on you? Or in MA's case, maybe, it's a demon controlled by someone in the Tower of Sorcery. Comments?

P. Fricebottle · Post by **P. Fricebottle** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 12:45 am

Doubt it, great idea but the Plane of Shadow exists in the same way. The Plane of Shadow and Ethereal Plane both eclipse the regular plane/Aetheria. In the Ethereal Plane, as you have noted, its hazy and of course things would be tougher. Other then that, it looks extraordinarly a lot like Aetheria. Same with Plane of Shadow, except a few buildings are burned and zombies in place of citizens. However, that would take forever and when Plane of Shadows was implemented I'm going to wager that this idea in particular got shot down for it too.

But heck, maybe I'm wrong. It would be nice to see this.

disastro · Post by **disastro** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 12:33 pm

is there a way in the toolset to just "copy" a whole zone? (can you tell i've never done any nwn dev work, heh).

if you could clone a city zone as a starting point, then "etherealize" it by adding effects, modifying monsters, etc. that would reduce a ton of the work involved.

P. Fricebottle · Post by **P. Fricebottle** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 12:42 pm

I don't know, but I'm pretty sure theres such a thing as over-sizing a module. Aetheria itself is huge with 7 factions and tons of areas, just imagine duplicating all of them.

disastro · Post by **disastro** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 12:59 pm

P. Fricebottle wrote:I don't know, but I'm pretty sure theres such a thing as over-sizing a module. Aetheria itself is huge with 7 factions and tons of areas, just imagine duplicating all of them.

I dont think the whole thing should be cloned, but have the etheral plane contain "shards" of real areas. so a zone or two from each city, a few random other zones. the shifty nature of the ethereal plane lends itself to this concept.

more interestingly the ethereal plane could "intersect" with the real counterpart in certain areas, allowing you to enter the plane at points other than the nexus.

JesterOI · Post by **JesterOI** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:21 pm

What about a Central Nexus area that connects all the current Nexus areas?
Put a castle in it with 3 or 4 areas filled with random Nexus creatures and some sort of twisted screwed up gnome wizard boss. Make the boss the equivalent of CR30-35.

Blystos Re · Post by **Blystos Re** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:12 pm

Well........

Technically, Aetheria's falling apart anyway. I wouldn't be surprised if some pieces of it started to get sucked into the etheral plane.

Server resets, now Avendell is a big...nothing. You would have to find out where it went and try and bring it back?

There are a lot of places this idea could go. I like it much.

Dynmi · Post by **Dynmi** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:20 pm

Blystos Re wrote:Well........

Technically, Aetheria's falling apart anyway. I wouldn't be surprised if some pieces of it started to get sucked into the etheral plane.

Server resets, now Avendell is a big...nothing. You would have to find out where it went and try and bring it back?

There are a lot of places this idea could go. I like it much.

This sounds pretty intense, I really like it.