Could we get a "Read First" thread, please?

[Alcator]

Would it be possible to create a REAL "Read First" topic that would actually explain what QuestMania is?

I thought that maybe I'm not looking in the right place, so I used google. "What is questmania" does not give an answer to the question, unfortunately.

What I'm looking for, specifically, is something like this:

What is Questmania?
- QuestMania is Nadeo's "Diablo-clone", enhanced by the presence of easy-to-use map and adventure editor, which means our beloved community will be able to create thousands of custom adventures with Plots, Quests, Unique Enemies, Heroic Equipment and Quest Rewards

How will, on a high level, the editor work?
- Just like in Trackmania and Shootmania, creators will be able to use the standard map editor to build 3D dungeons and landscapes, but because RPGs require more than just maps, the following enhancements will be present:
- - Ability to link maps, creating multi-map adventures and packing them together for easy sharing. Each map can be connected to dozens of other maps, so complex branching will be possible.
- - Placement of objects into the maps on a more granular level than the environment blocks (i.e., multiple different objects in the same "cubic tile")
- - Graphical trigger-and-consequence editor (so, without a single line of programming, you can eg. make a treasure chest appear once all monsters in a given area are killed)
- - Graphical conversation module with simplified branching (So you can easily create conversations where the player can choose from multiple options and this gets reflected in the subsequent statements).
- - Simplified object authoring tools and the ability to import advanced objects created in other tools (You can take any of the hundreds of predefined objects, incl. monsters, and create your own variations without leaving the editor, or you can create brand new objects elsewhere and import them into the adventure).

Where in development are you with this game, and what do you think is the main competition advantage against eg. Torchlight II, which also provides editting tools?
- (...)


You see? Absolute basics, so we can actually start discussing the more advanced stuff like "What should be in it?"

[TMarc]

Very good point,
but since Nadeo is working on the release of ShootMania and of long awaited new TrackMania² titles,
the work on QuestMania was put on hold for unknown time.
At the moment there is only speculation
QuestMania : Centralized News about the game.
How could QuestMania Work?

I think we will get more information about QuestMania earliest mid of this year.

[Alcator]

Well, while I understand you like Nadeo and want to defend it, there are some things that are an absolute minimum prerequisite to announcing a game. QuestMania has been mentioned for the first time more than 2 years ago (if not 3), and it simply makes no sense to open discussion forum for a game for which you don't have even "one-pager".

I'm sorry to say so, but Nadeo is acting extremely amateurish with ManiaPlanet and its components, I'm surprised they are not out of business because of that

[TMarc]

Perhaps they don't know yet themselves and only wanted to appetize a bit and then get to know the opinion of the players, e.g. if they would be interested in a quest related game with the look&feel of TrackMania?
Agreed that there is really not much information about QuestMania, but I think right now (for the next few months) it is absolutely not the right time to ask for it.
A "one pager" information is also not very useful anyways if the developpment was stopped for some while. Many things certainy have changed in between.
And it is not about me liking or not Nadeo, it is only a call for more patience given the actual situation.

[MPeti]

Nadeo announced Questmania along with Maniaplanet, and they set up the forums. Instead of adding new boards gradually, they decided to create all boards for the planned games at the beginning, sort of as a sign of where they plan to go with Maniaplanet, to make the forums complete even when the games were nowhere near ready. I don't really see the problem in that.