More adventure!

Ideas and suggestions for game mechanics and rules.
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oldgrayrogue
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Re: More adventure!

Post by oldgrayrogue »

Veilan wrote:
Ronan wrote: As Veilan has occasionally complained, my past PCs have tended to level very quickly (on account of me having lots of free time when I've been active in ALFA, and my l33t PGing skills).


In any case, adventuring is a risky and often non-lucrative proposition in ALFA - it is the one time where you may still have to surrender some narrative control over your character's fate (unless you have a friendly DM watching out or reason to have faith in the -6 stopgap), and it is not at all required to be "successful" in power terms.
Exactly. Which is why just do it is the only way it happens.
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Re: More adventure!

Post by HEEGZ »

Finally got around to doing a proper play test of my earlier idea tonight with a group of five PCs. I spawned several areas with mobs and some loot placeables. They seemed to like it, and it didn't take very long to set up. Will try it out again later as well as on other servers besides BG. I think maybe the rumor forums will work best for notifying about the areas with maybe some OOC filler about difficulty or PC level. I accidentally deleted my DM toon with my loot tokens so I'll have to remake him and decide how I'll handle that as well.
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Re: More adventure!

Post by Mikayla »

As one of the five players who tested HEEGZ's spawn idea thingy, we loved it. Thanks HEEGZ.

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Re: More adventure!

Post by Rumple C »

I am glad you guys took up the challenge!

*Raises a cup to adventuring*
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Re: More adventure!

Post by Twin Axes »

I'm not sure how well this relates to the OP, but, here goes. I had the following musings regarding statics. What if there were a series of chained statics, tied to a specific class or category of classes? The statics could only be unlocked and completed by a level 1 PC belonging to the specific class/classes in question. They would be solo quests, with the ultimate goal of bringing the PC to level 2. The statics would be themed appropriately for the specific class (and, ideally race). This would be a way to get a PC relatively safely (though there would be dangers involved, bad luck or incompetence could get you killed) to the more survivable level 2, at which it becomes possible to play the character with somewhat more confidence that he/she/it won't die from tripping and falling on something. The quests would introduce the PC to the server, tie into its background, politics, culture etc. Also, it would encourage people to start PCs in different classes, since you'd get a unique experience each time instead of running the same statics with every new PC.

This was somewhat inspired by the stronghold quests of BGII, and the introductory chapters of NWN1 and NWN2, I guess.
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Re: More adventure!

Post by Zelknolf »

Like the university in Silverymoon?


Doing that for every race/class/server combination is a major project that is unlikely to get adequate support (unless some person personally invested in the idea acquires the necessary skills to take it up and then takes it up).
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Re: More adventure!

Post by Ithildur »

Adding new static adventure content is somewhat a different topic, as the obstacles for such happening generally ends up being resources like people with the will, skills and time to toolset/script them in.

My question would be why some of the good ideas posted above that DON'T require toolsetting/scripting/building don't get implemented more on a regular basis? Or get implemented for a while, but eventually fade out?
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Re: More adventure!

Post by Twin Axes »

I understand that producing 5-10 quests for every race/profession is a gargantuan task, too much to ask from one single person. Maybe the entire community could be drawn upon to help out. Here's an idea for how: incentivise by giving a reward for writing or scripting such a series of statics. My suggestion would be to give 1000 xp to anyone who writes a complete series of quests for one category. That is, after all, the amount that anyone playing through those statics would get, so I think it's a fair reward. Since not everyone has scripting skills (I certainly don't and I don't know how much work in relation to the creative writing/composing part it would entail) maybe a similar reward should be given to someone who actually scripts and implements it, if it is considered a task of equal proportion. 1000 xp is pretty juicy, and might be enough to engender some contributions (which would benefit the community and project as a whole). Maybe people would start writing imaginative quest series for their favourite class/race/server/location. The submitted static series would have to be approved by the appropriate persons to be eligible for the reward of course.
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kid
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Re: More adventure!

Post by kid »

That wont pass a rule.

However if anyone does anything I will gladly offer a mini-plot for them in a theme/style of their choosing.
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Re: More adventure!

Post by Zelknolf »

No miniplots in the style of their choosing for the people who make quests possible in the first place? :P

But let's be honest there-- DMing doesn't go to productive people. The winning strategy seems to be some combination of server hopping, having alts, and giving nothing back, at least for someone interested in the actual numbers.


Though really-- short list of people who actually can build statics, and efforts to improve that state have all failed. Asking nicely hasn't helped; better support hasn't helped; more and more stable libraries haven't helped; better documentation hasn't helped, and the top folk want to use modern tools, which isn't an option for them any server right now-- the main reason that I'm not cranking out static chains routinely, for example, is the requirement of the email/FTP shuffle and 4-8 months of waiting to get a static into play. If it gets into play (I'm generally not told either way). Imagine the circumstance isn't much better for people who actually find building statics to be hard (perhaps the email shuffle seems like less-excessive overhead, though long waits and no feedback always sucks).
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Re: More adventure!

Post by Twin Axes »

Ok, but how about ingame rewards for the people who actually create stuff for the rest of us to enjoy?
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Re: More adventure!

Post by FoamBats4All »

Twin Axes wrote:Ok, but how about ingame rewards for the people who actually create stuff for the rest of us to enjoy?
The idea keeps coming up, to reward/incentivize DMs/builders/tech, but never goes anywhere.

Doubt it will. And I'm not sure if it's the right idea anyway.
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Re: More adventure!

Post by boombrakh »

FoamBats4All wrote:
Twin Axes wrote:Ok, but how about ingame rewards for the people who actually create stuff for the rest of us to enjoy?
The idea keeps coming up, to reward/incentivize DMs/builders/tech, but never goes anywhere.

Doubt it will. And I'm not sure if it's the right idea anyway.
Not every reward need be in the form of phat lewt and xp.

Easter egg stuff dedicated to current PCs are a great way to reward someone. :)
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Re: More adventure!

Post by FoamBats4All »

boombrakh wrote:
FoamBats4All wrote:
Twin Axes wrote:Ok, but how about ingame rewards for the people who actually create stuff for the rest of us to enjoy?
The idea keeps coming up, to reward/incentivize DMs/builders/tech, but never goes anywhere.

Doubt it will. And I'm not sure if it's the right idea anyway.
Not every reward need be in the form of phat lewt and xp.

Easter egg stuff dedicated to current PCs are a great way to reward someone. :)
Well, there is that. I'm more likely to get an abode created for my PC since I can make it myself, for example. More likely to get crafting done too, if I tool my own items. So there's stuff like that!
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Re: More adventure!

Post by HEEGZ »

Twin Axes wrote:Ok, but how about ingame rewards for the people who actually create stuff for the rest of us to enjoy?
There has been ongoing discussion about this for quite a while. The fact of the matter is very few people are willing or able to make more content.

I do some staged encounters on a somewhat regular basis still. I am not willing to learn how to script because I would rather DM or toolset an area for DMing in.
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