An Irreverent Look at FAQ's - CTP
Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 4:20 pm
Against everyone else's better judgement, I'm releasing this CTP FAQ. I was a bit punch drunk when I wrote it. I hope it amuses somewhat. Take it as an attempt to spice up the rather droll aspect of providing info to the community:
Scene Opens: Two men standing at a crossroads. Both appear to be waiting for someone or something.
Camera zooms in to sign reading: Zesty Pilbar's Wagon Stop. Wagons depart every month on the month.
Man 1#: Heh
Man 2#: Meh
Pause
Man 2#: So that's an interesting mark you have branded on your forehead. What's it say?
Man 1#: CTP
Man 2#: What does CTP stand for?
Man 1#: CTP is short for Community Tileset Pack.
Man 2#: Ok, but what is it?
Man 1#: The CTP is a collection of content made by the NWN community that relates to tilesets.
Man 2#: Come again?
Man 1#: Ok. Certain members of the community have made different models that can be used in the NWN Game. There is a website where these models are published called NWVault. What the CTP team has done is to take a large number of these models and combine it into a single download. If you have heard of the CEP, you will be familiar with this concept. However, the CTP is different from the CEP. The CTP focuses on just one part of the user-made content: Tilesets.
Man 2#: Perhaps this would be a little clearer if I actually knew what a tileset is?
Man 1#: Good thinking. Ok, when you play the NWN Game, you travel around different areas: Forests, Caves, Farmlands etc. Each one of these areas is made with a tileset. To make a Forest area, you would use the forest tileset. Clear enough?
Man 2#: So what exactly are you offering then?
Man 1#: Well the CTP is pulling together a lot of content on the Vault so that builders can use it in their projects.
Man 2#: Builders? Who? What? Where? When?
Man 1#: You know the members of the community that have made modules or persistant worlds for you to play in. Those are builders.
Man 2#: So is this FAQ going to be filled with idiotic questions and answers?
Man 1#: Umm. Well... That sort of depends on you...
Man 2#: Ok, so where were we... Oh yes. So, I just download this CTP thingy and then what?
Man 1#: Well, if you are a player, you can now visit worlds or play modules that use the CTP. If you are a builder, you can use the CTP to add areas and content to your project.
Man 2#: Hey, I just thought of something... The stuff you're selling me. Its already available for free. So what do I need you for?
Man 1#: Well, the CTP is free too.
Man 2#: Yeah, but its already there on the NWVault. You said so yourself. So what good are you to me? What do I need you for if I can get what I want without you?
Man 1#: Yes, you can get that stuff of off the vault. But, we're also adding in some CTP only content that you can't get on the vault.
Man 2#: Oh, really? Like what?
Man 1#: Ha. Like we're gonna tell you. Just you wait and enjoy the surprise.
Man 2#: Grrr!!! Fine. Have it your way. But what about the other stuff. I don't need you for that, do I?
Man 1#: You certainly don't. But there is a reason why we're doing this. We're trying to collect as much content as possible and release it to the community for a specific reason. So if you are a player or a builder, you can share this content with each other without having to download multiple files.
Man 2#: Whaaat are you saying?
Man 1#: If there are twenty different modules out there with their own tilesets, you will have to download all twenty of their hak packs. If, instead, they all use the CTP, you will only have to download the CTP once. It encourages PW's and Modules to share the same content.
Man 2#: Hey, now you're talking about hak packs. What the heck are those?
Man 1#: They're just files that hold all the custom content.
Man 2#: Ah, ok. Gotcha, I think. Ok, so when do I get this CTP thing. Can I have it now?
Man 1#: No, you cannot.
Man 2#: Um, why?
Man 1#: Because it isn't finished.
Man 2#: Why not?
Man 1#: Well, it takes a long time to build it.
Man 2#: Build it? Its already built. Its already there on the vault. So what's the hold-up?
Man 1#: Hehe. If only you knew. There is a lot of work to be done to make sure every piece of the puzzle plays nicely with every other piece of the puzzle. There is a lot of bug fixing and bug hunting to be done.
Man 2#: So how long does that take?
Man 1#: Well, a long time.
Man 2#: How long?
Man 1#: How long can you afford to wait?
Man 2#: Not very. when will it be done?
Man 1#: When we finish.
Man 2#: When will you finish?
Man 1#: When its done.
Man 2#: And when will it be done? Wait, stop going in circles!! How long will it take to finish the CTP?
Man 1#: We honestly can't tell you. There are too many unknown factors to consider. How much time our team members can devote to the project can always change. How many bugs we find. How long it takes to fix them. There is no way to tell, quite simply.
Man 2#: Ok, then how about a ballpark figure?
Man 1#: Sure. I can say with a degree of certainty that the CTP will be done before my kids go to college.
Man 2#: Great!!! How old are your kids?
Man 1#: Kids? What kids? I don't have any kids.
Man 2#: Yeah, I gotcha. Very clever. So, what you are saying is that it will take a while. I got it. Nice weather we're having, huh?
Man 1#: Nice? Its a thunderstorm!
Man 2#: Yeah, but thunderstorms. They're nice. Right?
Man 1#: When you're indoors they're nice.
Man 2#: Say I don't suppose you have thunderstorms in those tilesets of yours do you? That would be nice, huh?
Man 1#: We do. They're called sky boxes and they'll be in the CTP.
Man 2#: Boxes? Never seen a sky box, have you?
Man 1#: As a matter of fact no.
Man 2#: Sand box?
Man 1#: No.
Man 2#: Pilot light?
Man 1#: What's a pilot?
Man 2#: An Easter egg?
Man 1#: What?????
Man 2#: Sorry. Got carried away. So this CTP thing. You do it for a living?
Man 1#: No we don't. It's all for the benefit of the community.
Man 2#: You get paid?
Man 1#: No, we don't.
Man 2#: Well that makes no sense to me. What do you get out of it?
Man 1#: Not much really. We get to enjoy the CTP too and it helps builders by giving them more tools to use on their projects.
Man 2#: Hahahaha. Yer a sucker then. You do all this for free for a bunch of people you don't even know. Sucka!!!
Man 1#: Don't be rude!
Man 2#: Sorry. So why do you do it?
Man 1#: It's a hobby. We do it because we enjoy it.
CUE Violin plays a melody in the background.
Man 2#: Well, er. That's very um, nice of you.
Man 1#: Thanks. Although I think you're just being overly polite now.
Man 2#: Welcome. So when will the CTP be ready?
CUE Violin playing ends abruptly
Man 1#: When's it done.
Man 2#: Oh, right...
Men stand and stare at each other for several moments.
Man 2#: Soooo... While you CTP people are busy writing this garbage, who is working on the CTP?
Man 1#: Huh, what? Did you say something? Oh look, a bird.
Man 1# exits stage left.
Scene Opens: Two men standing at a crossroads. Both appear to be waiting for someone or something.
Camera zooms in to sign reading: Zesty Pilbar's Wagon Stop. Wagons depart every month on the month.
Man 1#: Heh
Man 2#: Meh
Pause
Man 2#: So that's an interesting mark you have branded on your forehead. What's it say?
Man 1#: CTP
Man 2#: What does CTP stand for?
Man 1#: CTP is short for Community Tileset Pack.
Man 2#: Ok, but what is it?
Man 1#: The CTP is a collection of content made by the NWN community that relates to tilesets.
Man 2#: Come again?
Man 1#: Ok. Certain members of the community have made different models that can be used in the NWN Game. There is a website where these models are published called NWVault. What the CTP team has done is to take a large number of these models and combine it into a single download. If you have heard of the CEP, you will be familiar with this concept. However, the CTP is different from the CEP. The CTP focuses on just one part of the user-made content: Tilesets.
Man 2#: Perhaps this would be a little clearer if I actually knew what a tileset is?
Man 1#: Good thinking. Ok, when you play the NWN Game, you travel around different areas: Forests, Caves, Farmlands etc. Each one of these areas is made with a tileset. To make a Forest area, you would use the forest tileset. Clear enough?
Man 2#: So what exactly are you offering then?
Man 1#: Well the CTP is pulling together a lot of content on the Vault so that builders can use it in their projects.
Man 2#: Builders? Who? What? Where? When?
Man 1#: You know the members of the community that have made modules or persistant worlds for you to play in. Those are builders.
Man 2#: So is this FAQ going to be filled with idiotic questions and answers?
Man 1#: Umm. Well... That sort of depends on you...
Man 2#: Ok, so where were we... Oh yes. So, I just download this CTP thingy and then what?
Man 1#: Well, if you are a player, you can now visit worlds or play modules that use the CTP. If you are a builder, you can use the CTP to add areas and content to your project.
Man 2#: Hey, I just thought of something... The stuff you're selling me. Its already available for free. So what do I need you for?
Man 1#: Well, the CTP is free too.
Man 2#: Yeah, but its already there on the NWVault. You said so yourself. So what good are you to me? What do I need you for if I can get what I want without you?
Man 1#: Yes, you can get that stuff of off the vault. But, we're also adding in some CTP only content that you can't get on the vault.
Man 2#: Oh, really? Like what?
Man 1#: Ha. Like we're gonna tell you. Just you wait and enjoy the surprise.
Man 2#: Grrr!!! Fine. Have it your way. But what about the other stuff. I don't need you for that, do I?
Man 1#: You certainly don't. But there is a reason why we're doing this. We're trying to collect as much content as possible and release it to the community for a specific reason. So if you are a player or a builder, you can share this content with each other without having to download multiple files.
Man 2#: Whaaat are you saying?
Man 1#: If there are twenty different modules out there with their own tilesets, you will have to download all twenty of their hak packs. If, instead, they all use the CTP, you will only have to download the CTP once. It encourages PW's and Modules to share the same content.
Man 2#: Hey, now you're talking about hak packs. What the heck are those?
Man 1#: They're just files that hold all the custom content.
Man 2#: Ah, ok. Gotcha, I think. Ok, so when do I get this CTP thing. Can I have it now?
Man 1#: No, you cannot.
Man 2#: Um, why?
Man 1#: Because it isn't finished.
Man 2#: Why not?
Man 1#: Well, it takes a long time to build it.
Man 2#: Build it? Its already built. Its already there on the vault. So what's the hold-up?
Man 1#: Hehe. If only you knew. There is a lot of work to be done to make sure every piece of the puzzle plays nicely with every other piece of the puzzle. There is a lot of bug fixing and bug hunting to be done.
Man 2#: So how long does that take?
Man 1#: Well, a long time.
Man 2#: How long?
Man 1#: How long can you afford to wait?
Man 2#: Not very. when will it be done?
Man 1#: When we finish.
Man 2#: When will you finish?
Man 1#: When its done.
Man 2#: And when will it be done? Wait, stop going in circles!! How long will it take to finish the CTP?
Man 1#: We honestly can't tell you. There are too many unknown factors to consider. How much time our team members can devote to the project can always change. How many bugs we find. How long it takes to fix them. There is no way to tell, quite simply.
Man 2#: Ok, then how about a ballpark figure?
Man 1#: Sure. I can say with a degree of certainty that the CTP will be done before my kids go to college.
Man 2#: Great!!! How old are your kids?
Man 1#: Kids? What kids? I don't have any kids.
Man 2#: Yeah, I gotcha. Very clever. So, what you are saying is that it will take a while. I got it. Nice weather we're having, huh?
Man 1#: Nice? Its a thunderstorm!
Man 2#: Yeah, but thunderstorms. They're nice. Right?
Man 1#: When you're indoors they're nice.
Man 2#: Say I don't suppose you have thunderstorms in those tilesets of yours do you? That would be nice, huh?
Man 1#: We do. They're called sky boxes and they'll be in the CTP.
Man 2#: Boxes? Never seen a sky box, have you?
Man 1#: As a matter of fact no.
Man 2#: Sand box?
Man 1#: No.
Man 2#: Pilot light?
Man 1#: What's a pilot?
Man 2#: An Easter egg?
Man 1#: What?????
Man 2#: Sorry. Got carried away. So this CTP thing. You do it for a living?
Man 1#: No we don't. It's all for the benefit of the community.
Man 2#: You get paid?
Man 1#: No, we don't.
Man 2#: Well that makes no sense to me. What do you get out of it?
Man 1#: Not much really. We get to enjoy the CTP too and it helps builders by giving them more tools to use on their projects.
Man 2#: Hahahaha. Yer a sucker then. You do all this for free for a bunch of people you don't even know. Sucka!!!
Man 1#: Don't be rude!
Man 2#: Sorry. So why do you do it?
Man 1#: It's a hobby. We do it because we enjoy it.
CUE Violin plays a melody in the background.
Man 2#: Well, er. That's very um, nice of you.
Man 1#: Thanks. Although I think you're just being overly polite now.
Man 2#: Welcome. So when will the CTP be ready?
CUE Violin playing ends abruptly
Man 1#: When's it done.
Man 2#: Oh, right...
Men stand and stare at each other for several moments.
Man 2#: Soooo... While you CTP people are busy writing this garbage, who is working on the CTP?
Man 1#: Huh, what? Did you say something? Oh look, a bird.
Man 1# exits stage left.
