Not Used: Portal Codes Fot The Color Blind

Might I suggest a numeric code for the portal clues?

Not only would this be a valuable tool for those that may be color blind, but also for those that end up in Limbo more often than not due to mis-dials, lost notes, lack of caffine, etc. While I personally prefer Teleport magic, not everyone has access to those spells unfortunately, and the portals are being seen more as an inconvenience rather than a boon to a few.

Thanks!

I usually try not to harp on things... but this exact portal vs. teleport concept is something I visited more than once in the past, and met significant resistance/rejection.

Portals are better than nothing, sure. Nowhere near as cool or convenient as teleporting. If some folks will only have the portal option, I think making them more user friendly can only help us.

I bring it up because a new Player mentioned their color blindness and frequent trips to limbo; not to mention their somewhat hesitant reaction to use a portal to speed travel. Some time was spent in trying to work around a fix, while instructing them on Teleport scrolls which may be available to them soon.

Plus I figure after all these years in service, either one of the Players or a NPC might have marked their own clues nearby for just such an occurance.

Isn't it true that it's only in figuring out the clues to the portal addresses that one needs to be able to associate the correct color to the clue and then know which gemstone is that color, i.e. dusk is purple = amethyst? Once you have the order of the gemstones for a particular address, they are always referred to by name in the dial list, no color perception necessary. If a colorblind person doesn't have the reference to associate the clues to colors, a list of the gemstone order for any address could be provided. I already have a list of most all of them transcribed, that I'd be willing to contribute.

Not really the answer I am looking for, as lists and Google searches are fine if one is willing to switch between them and the game, but some do not want to mess with all of that every time for every character. And add the problem of translating colors on top of it all, and the Portal seems less appealing and more problematic.

Personally I have used every portal at least once I beleive, and have solved the clues to do so. But I certainly do not recall the answers for the more obscure puzzles (eg birthstones), and simply opt for Teleportation instead.

But as previously mentioned, not every character design will have access to such magics, esp early on as lowbies, and portal use should be promoted and encouraged. The current method is not terrible, but it is not encouraging use; instead it has folks looking for alternatives. And the Portals are associated with Aenea frequently in promotions, and should be more a positive implementation.

I was seeking an easy solution, but another could be the primary character unlocks all the Portals for subsequent characters somehow. This way the puzzles must be solved once, but after that the solutions are gieven in subsequent play. is that possible?

I personally enjoyed solving the riddles, and was even dissappointed that a couple of them pretty much told you the order. I don't think the colors are too difficult to handle for the colorblind, since the color names are written out in many cases and can be researched via wikipedia if necessary. As for short cuts... once I had them figured out, I wrote down the number of the gem responses in the conversation script. The script responses can be chosen via the number pad for any script. I had (a while back) a little scap of paper next to the game machine with the portal codes as a sequence of numbers... (e.g 1,2,3,4,5,6). That way could punch them in pretty fast and error free when the portal dialog was started. With the ability now to inscribe the description on items you can save the information on items to be read back completely in game.

And I have written lists mext to my system for games that date back to NWN launch (or in a box nearby). My problem is all the scratching starts to look alike after a while, as do all the boxes. But this is not about me, as I prefer Teleport, and all but one of my characters use it.

This is about seeing a fairly new player of double digits that was hesitant to use the Portals because they ended up in Limbo frequently. And as I recall, that wait for hp to return ain't exactly the thrill ride folks probably came to try.

Puzzles can be fun to some, but not for all. Add in an element that further detracts from the enjoyment, and I see this as a small problem that could be easy to repair. If one wishes to still use the puzzle answers, they are still right there. But adding a numerical code to speed things along for others would... well, actually speed things along.

Or am I the only one being asked about solving the puzzle of Plaincross?

I thought Plaincross was fairly easy to get through, granted, I must have been lucky to get through the labyrinth in all but ten minutes time or so with Celestin on my first try -ever-. I was a bit disappointed actually since I had heard so much ill will on the forum about people running through the areas for hours without finding the right path to take...and found it on my first try (almost ...)! >.>

I, as eeriegeek, do enjoy riddles too, so haven't really found it bothersome; the only thing I find cumbersome in using the portal over teleport is you have to equip an amulet to use it...it's the only negative side I can see with it (my wizard doesn't use it because it would require her to remove the amulet of power which grants spell slots ... ), but that's not really a hindrance since she's able to teleport an unlimited amount per day through her prestige class ability anyway... (I can understand if others would find it cumbersome to switch amulets back and forth when in need of using it though ...)

In answer of the OP's post though, I haven't ever looked at the colours on the controller...the conversation in is enough for me really, I know every gem's colour from memory (I am a gem enthusiast though--so there is that <.<); I have written the gem order for each portal key down in my in-game journal for easy access (once I learned them) making it that much quicker to click in, too.

I see the Plaincross puzzle, and raise a couple of mazes that were once here.

Thing is, almost everyone has their limits of endurance to such things, and if color is the basis for solving them, including a method for players that have increased difficulty for getting through them seems to be advantageous.

I can, actually, refuse comment on the mazes you refer to since I have never seen them in person myself...it was long before my first day on Aenea (only been around 1½ year since I made Celestin here, give or take a day or two). It's unfair to give an opinion on something you haven't tried at least once. . .


Maybe the solution to the problem could be to add a small OOC text in the bottom of the controller's description which give the colours of each gem?

Alike,
OOC:
Amethyst = Purple
Emerald = Green
Sapphire = Blue
Topaz = Yellow
Aquamarine = Cyan
Ruby = Red
Diamond = White

Or something like it?

Angel of Death wrote:...
Maybe the solution to the problem could be to add a small OOC text in the bottom of the controller's description which give the colours of each gem?

Alike,
OOC:
Amethyst = Purple
Emerald = Green
Sapphire = Blue
Topaz = Yellow
Aquamarine = Cyan
Ruby = Red
Diamond = White

Or something like it?

Now this is something I could support; something IG that can be easily viewed and is user friendly.

Go gem collecting.... with Jay until I had learned the colours I kept those 7gems in a small bag, to refer to whenever I was like "What colour was Topaz again?... ((look at gems))... oh yeah , the yellow".....

Something to identify the gem colour already exists in-game, as ..erm... gems.... and there are a)plenty of gem sellers and b) plenty of monsters that drop gems.....


The problem with the portals is they require you to think outside the box and don't hand everything to you on a plate, you have to earn the passage. If I had one bugbear with the current implementation it would be the "key" swap... even if only because the "key" that is used has long been replaced by a better looking model (using the off-hand slot too) that would greatly reduce the "don't want to swap my uber-item out and loose my spellslots" problem.... ....

Elhanan wrote:I was seeking an easy solution, but another could be the primary character unlocks all the Portals for subsequent characters somehow. This way the puzzles must be solved once, but after that the solutions are gieven in subsequent play. is that possible?

The solving of the riddle and 'unlocking' of the color code does not grant you use of the portal, it only puts it in your journal, and not even always in completely solved fashion. You can certainly use the portal code without having 'unlocked' it. (I know this, as I've tested it with my secondary character which is another persona of my first and therefore has some of her knowledge.)

So, I have the list in my character journal, and it is easy to access when dialing a portal. It would be actually quite easy for me to send my text file of this to anyone who could OOG copy paste it directly to his Journal (in the local vault, charname.txt) , and then be able to see it once IG.

I know it isn't the immersive frustration of solving the riddles, but it will solve an access code issue. You can even replace the gems with numbers if you like, as was suggested.

Final entry for me- Pls forgive me if I accept the word of one actually having the troubles currently over those proposing solutions or current walkarounds that should be enough. Long story; short here is that there is a problem extant that needs addressed, and it is my hope something easy and fast can be done to help those with the issue no matter the cause.

Well, it would be helpful if we could actually get a better idea of what the specific problem actually is, from one having the issues. So far it really hasn't been explained if the problem is solving the riddles with color associations, knowing what colors go to what gems, flubbing the code pick procedure, or what. Thus the proposed solutions have just been guesses at what might make it better. I still use the portals, and since I made a list for each one, I've had no issues --thus my own suggestions.

I have long toyed with the notion of Crideas posting a plaque in the Sleeping Dragon with a list of all the portals and codes in both gem and numerical (hermetic) notations as a sort of thank you to the place where he got his start... I held off because I figured made it a little tricky to learn how to work them on purpose.

I can't count how many times over the last 5 years new players have expressed frustrations with both the trackless path and the portal codes. I have tried very hard to restrain myself to clues only, resisting my desire to hand out the solutions in the interest of folks feeling a sense of accomplishment when they finally get it.

The problem is, some give up on Aenea out of frustration. I respect their choice, and I certainly wouldnt try to track them down and convince them to come back... But, it doesnt have to be this way.

We can offer an "I give up, tell me the answer" type of strategy guide mechanic for folks who don't enjoy puzzles. Put it in limbo. Warn them that it has spoilers. Then leave the choice to them.

Lastly, and I think this point is just as if not more important than the above, rusty's idea of using the off-hand holdable "key" item is inspired. I would advise strongly against an auto-swap, because I know many characters have upgraded the original to avoid swapping issues. I would instead recommend simply adding the new item if the old item is present. Allow the control panel check to accept either flavor of "key".

daveyeisley wrote:I can't count how many times over the last 5 years new players have expressed frustrations with both the trackless path and the portal codes. I have tried very hard to restrain myself to clues only, resisting my desire to hand out the solutions in the interest of folks feeling a sense of accomplishment when they finally get it.

I am one of those who got very frustrated with the Trackless Path, but in the end was grateful that the ones that helped me with it did so with clues. Sometimes I've been a bit thick, and so I'm grateful that those giving clues had the patience to continue to give me more clues, even when the clues necessarily had to get more and more obvious. But the sense of accomplishment at the Ah-Ha moment is indeed priceless, and to go out of one's way to take the trouble to preserve that self-affirmational moment for someone is, in my mind, a kindness.

But I'm well familiar with some who are prone to impatience, so I'd understand if some think we should make an OOC forum cheat sheet, labeled Spoilers. I even might have found such a thing helpful myself, to get one slight clue a while back (about the code for 'dusk', because it took me forever to get beyond thinking that dusk was blue).

And about the Amulet... I agree, now that I play a wizard who might not want to remove her amulet, that some held object to activate the portals would be good. Could even make it one of those amulets that you hold out in front of yourself, I can't recall if they go in a weapon slot?

They fill the off-hand slot; which 'small' characters cannot use with another weapon as far as I understand it.

Thank you for starting this thread.

Being the colorblind player struggling with the riddles, I finally managed the right order of sapphire, amythest, aquamarine and am able to travel between the two places I have riddles for.

Basically the biggest issue was that the sky, the bottom of the ocean and grapes are all similar hues and riddle clues and determining the appropriate order of sapphire, amythest and aquamarine became a trial and error process of mostly error. It was tricky because from my perception amethyst would be either grape or ocean's deeps, sapphire could have been any of the three and then aquamarine could have been sky v ocean...

I mean, it is only the one puzzle so far that was troublesome and a lot of the trouble could have been resolved by better note taking on my part. I mean there are only a few combinations of the three shades of blue. Getting from limbo back to the vale was hell on top of the guessing colors blindly.

If you need any more help with codes, just jet me a PM. I can give you the whole list, just one destination set, or just one association, as you need.

And remember, Dusk is not blue here!

Just wanted to say as one who is affected by color deficiency this thread has made a huge difference in my ability to solve the portal clues.

Thank you!

Haven't read all the posts in the thread...

My only suggestion to add is...

Once you've figured out the code (ie, you've actually gone through the portal), there should be a way where you DONT have to re-enter the numbers again and again...

I can't count how many times I've lost my PC's txt journal file, and have had to re-figure out the portal codes.... how many times I've gone to limbo because I've accidently hit the wrong color in the sequence (which happens quite a lot now a days with the overly sensitive double-tap feature of my laptop's touchpad)....
\

The journal code for the portals has been updated, so that if you have a portal code already and correctly use it, that journal entry should be permanently updated with the correct code (in proper gem order) at the bottom.

The overall journal code has been updated as well, no longer working off an external database (that cursed "nbde" that doesn't work well for large PWs), but instead working off variables stored directly on each PC's "database item". Individual PC's notes are still stored on your own computer, but the portal entries should never again be lost, and prove easier to use after the first time.

I won't be replacing the color-based clues with numbers, since so much of the Wanderer's portal system is based on those gemstones. They've even been built into portal part models for several years now.