Ida Sculler/Professor Maitland and the Shadowlands

Ok, while everyones running around looking at Radiman and Co, been running around looking into well, my usual NT things and looking to see if there's any news about Jobe, Shadowlands, and well an NT which doesnt fumble and does decent damage :P

Anyhow, here's a copy of an interview I did a while back with Ida Sculler, a Nanomage NT working on T-Dim experiments for Omni-Tek (NPC found in Omni-Trade if you want to chat with her yourself).

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Nyadach: Hello

Ida Sculler: Hello.

Nyadach: Might I enquire who are you?

Ida Sculler laughs nervously. A sort of high pitched whine that quickly gets annoying.

Ida Sculler: I'm Ida Sculler. I'm a nanotechnician. Although I do more research than fieldwork. I see a lot of dedicated people utilizing our latest research, and that makes me proud. I am assisting the most notable of technicians in their research at the HQ labs. We've got stuff there that would blow your mind. Literally.

Ida Sculler: Anyway. I talk too much.

Nyadach: What kind of research might that be?

Ida Sculler: Oh, we're working on some fabulous stuff. I've had the pleasure of seeing it myself. Professor Maitland did this amazing T-Dim experiment a while ago, and actually burned a hole in space. I was so impressed!

Ida Sculler smiles

Ida Sculler: Anyways, I digress. We have a lot of really good projects going, which will really help out the general public once we've made it safe to use. We even have Eva Pourais come by one of the clone la...

Ida Sculler gives of a little whine of a laugh.

Ida Sculler: Well, I guess I shouldn't brag about it too much. We're far from done with our research in most departments. We're on the bleeding edge, you know.

Nyadach: The leading edge of what?

Ida Sculler: Hmm?

Nyadach: Ok, subtle hint taken. What kind of fieldwork?

Ida Sculler: I don't care much for that. It's dirty and it's definitely not a controlled environment. I'll gladly let you guys do all the fieldwork.

Nyadach: What has Eva Pourais to do with thing?

Ida Sculler: She comes in every now and then to see how we're doing. She seems to always be in a hurry and is constantly bossing people around like she was on a schedule or something. I don't like her.

Nyadach: Professor Maitland? I’m unfamiliar with his work, can you tell me anything about it?

Ida Sculler giggles.

Ida Sculler: Professor Maitland is the greatest. He's really dedicated, and sad to say, he doesn't get out much. I make sure to get lots of air. The labs can get quite stale after a while. Maitland is the best scientist in in the field of nanotechnology. I really admire him. He's so smart. Plus he's really cute too, in a distracted and detatched kind of way.

Nyadach: Whats the T-Dim experiment?

Ida Sculler: It's short for trans-dimensional. But I really can't talk about this.

Nyadach: Trans-dimensional you say?

Ida Sculler: I really can't talk about this, I’ll get in trouble.

Nyadach: I don’t suppose I can help you at all with these experiments?

Ida Sculler: Eh? I don't think I got that right.

Nyadach: Can I assist your experiments?

Ida Sculler: Hmm I don’t think so?

Ida Sculler: Omni-Tek will employ you, just look for the nearest mission booth.

Nyadach: Its been nice meeting you, and thank you for the time in answering my questions.

Nyadach: Goodbye, and may your nanites not fumble.

Ida Sculler: Bye

Thanks for posting this. I tried to find Ida Sculler after reading this but couldn't get through the mess. Although I did meet a rather grumpy fellow in Trade south.

It's good to know someone's been having fun with the NPC tools ;)


Just a though - in case someone at FC is reading this - having the dialog triggers in slightly lighter text (or underlined) in the chat window would be very helpful. As much as I like free-form conversations, being hit with the "Hmm?" and "I don't know about that" constantly does get tiring (despite all the variations Ragnar has put in). It breaks the mood all too often, far more than highlighted keywords would. Just my thought.

Tap

Quote:

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Originally posted by Tappert
As much as I like free-form conversations, being hit with the "Hmm?" and "I don't know about that" constantly does get tiring.

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I actually edited all those out as, lets face it they are a pain in the butt...and when passing the info on like this did everyone really need all my attempts at different key words to get an answer.

If I remember right I think she was on the north side of trade wandering around, not sure how far she wonders though. It's wierd though, the NPC's in trade seem to be either breed or prof specific...I tried talking to Ida with a Solitus Trader and she totally dissed him.

- Nya

Quote:

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Originally posted by Tappert
Just a though - in case someone at FC is reading this - having the dialog triggers in slightly lighter text (or underlined) in the chat window would be very helpful. As much as I like free-form conversations, being hit with the "Hmm?" and "I don't know about that" constantly does get tiring (despite all the variations Ragnar has put in). It breaks the mood all too often, far more than highlighted keywords would. Just my thought.

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I agree with you, and we're addressing these concerns as we speak.

I've not worked on any of the NPCs that are currently in the game, although I am working on a bunch of the new ones that will be arriving on Rubi-Ka at some point in the not-too-distant future.

We're also going to change the way you interact with the NPCs. How? Wait and see!

-Ragnar

Quote:

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Originally posted by Ragnar
We're also going to change the way you interact with the NPCs. How? Wait and see!

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Hey! could you then plz fix Harry in Harry's as well? he talk about how half of his buisness was lost when the clans took Athen(Omni-2)... around 270 years ago in AO time... how can that be?? is harry really THAT old? :)

He could be just dying A LOT. :D

Tap

Ragnar's being coy again. :) For more immediate information, check out his diary here:
http://www.ragnartornquist.com/thoughts.html

There is even a small screenshot of the system he is using to write new dialogue for NPCs. It is a week or so back, if I remember.

Scorus

Quote:

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Originally posted by Ragnar
We're also going to change the way you interact with the NPCs. How? Wait and see!

---

So as well as NPCs to tell the story (town cryer kinda things?) coming, dare I even enquire as to when we may be getting the continuation to PWH? I was chomping at my keyboard waiting for a continuation....ok I know your busy, and have so many projects, heck I know that myself trying to dream up a history for our org which doesnt clash with anything you've written while still running around sticking my nose where it shouldn't be and general playing in the few mins between. Either way, just saying loved the book as did many of my guildmates, and we can't wait for more :)

Quote:

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Originally posted by Ragnar


I agree with you, and we're addressing these concerns as we speak.

I've not worked on any of the NPCs that are currently in the game, although I am working on a bunch of the new ones that will be arriving on Rubi-Ka at some point in the not-too-distant future.

We're also going to change the way you interact with the NPCs. How? Wait and see!

-Ragnar

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Just want to say you have done a great job. The new chat system is great.

What lacks is a little bit that the Questmobs which where found already or maybe not found until now if they really out there, could just found by "falling over them".

Some hints to them (like talking barkeepers with rumors for example) would push the atmosphere much more then the system now.

I recently went back to Omni-Trade to see Ida again, she seems like she had a bit more information for us yet was unable to record any :( ((basically the new click link thing for info works great, problem is I can't log any of it)).

Anyhow, I would definatly recommend you all go see her. She has info and snippits now on the "true source" of Notum, how the universe was actually created (let's just say it ain't the big bang), and a few other teasers including a little on the clone things (but not much unfortunatly).

Well another update to Ida in the last patch....She had recently learned that the true source of notum, although couldnt tell us...and how the universe was created and how notums involved, and how its possible for OT to form there own universes through it now, and do experiments in dimension hoping.

Anyhow, shes now been fired it seems :( no more information just one very upset npc :( Shes also worried at why OT has closed down the experiments into dimension hoping and that shes worried that the Clans might get the information and not control it well enough and cause some kind of disaster. Anyhow...guess she's not got much info now :( And it seems no more info on Prof. Maitland either.