noamineo wrote on May 24
th, 2016 at 1:02pm:
This is actually far and away harder than it sounds. Rolling the game back to pre-MotU would be possible(assuming someone has that version of the game and patches lying around), but no way to add the content created since then. MAYBE the turbine devs could do it with a lot of work and complete access to the game source code, but it'd be impossible as a private server mod
Ok, almost impossible.
Not that impossible... well in a sense yes, as it would require that somebody provides us the game data as they were at that time.
Adding the content is just adding new entries in the tables in the various dat files... and modifying the game client to deal with the split world ( mesh_1 = Eberron, mesh_2 ) Faerun )
Being able to run a Vault Server, means that he have to have access to at least part of the content code, after that it won't be more difficult than making PWs for NWN.
( well it will be... because there's no Aurora, so creating new content might be tricky, tweaking the existing content is a walk in a park as pointed below.
noamineo wrote on May 24
th, 2016 at 1:02pm:
Easy - drop rates are all just a field on a table, changing the drop rate for the Shard of the Sword of Shadow, for instance, is as simple as finding the value in the database and changing it from the current 0 to whatever you want, like say any number greater than 0. (Yes, I know the eSoS shard does drop, I've seen it, I'm being facitious, there's no reason to correct me).
yup.
noamineo wrote on May 24
th, 2016 at 1:02pm:
Adding shard/seal/scroll mechanics to other items actually wouldn't be very hard either. Creating items using new visual effects is a PTA, but making a "new" item based on an existing model, especially if it's going to do the same thing, is actually really really easy.
yup
noamineo wrote on May 24
th, 2016 at 1:02pm:
It'd just be a matter of changing the drop rate on the finished item to 0 and creating a shard/seal/scroll in the loot table. Adding the "trade these 4 items for this item" section to the Stone of Change would also be pretty simple. The hardest part would probably be getting the new scrolls to drop the way the old ones do, but even if that's too difficult it'd just be a matter of tossing them in chests - not a huge problem.
Not that hard, the on_death script exists to check if the mob drops collectible or not... just add to it with the correct drop rate ( or make a copy/paste of the existing script, then replacing the scrolls that drops by the ones freshly created ).
noamineo wrote on May 24
th, 2016 at 1:02pm:
Your 5-1 exchange might take a bit of macgyvering, but even that's pretty doable. You just need an NP or device that accepts them and the rest can be scripted. It's all plausible.
No macgyverism involved... Use the Sand NPC, you just have to extend his list of items.... just more entries in a list.
For the Private Servers to be able to live beyond a few weeks/months Turbine will have to release some of the content code, otherwise the servers will just be a snapshot of the game at a given time and totally static ( beyond local GM involvement ). That's the same for all the games... and that's what happened in NWN/NWN2. PWs that didn't give regular updates died pretty fast, as people moved to another one.