I Want to Crush Your Dreams.

[*i]

Too add: It does not even have to be the soldiers, just an important aging Imperial governor or something has demanded that they make him an alicorn potion so that he can extend his life another 10-20 years. Suppose the Imperial official is protecting the unicorns from extermination for this reason alone.

[Iluvhorses]

Quote:

-You could always go with the old "Mage wants near-eternal life from drinking unicorn blood" plot device, and stick with the sick daughter being a ploy. Or heck, it'd be better if the daughter really was there, and the mage was just using her as a way to increase his own power.

I like this one. What I'm going to do is the daughter is real, but not sick. Mage has her locked in her room and drugged so that you believe she is sick. Unicorn leader sacrifices his life for hers, you get reward and the promise that the child will be healed. Next day daughter wakes up from drugs (unfortunately for the mage) and sends you a mental call. You meet her and find out that the real mage is her and that she's not a child - her father is a fake, learned the unicorn killing spell from her and wants the immortality bit from drinking unicorn's blood - the blood of the one that just died. He wants to do that then capture all the other unicorns and take their blood as well. You kill "mage", and you get rewards.

EDIT: I wrote this before I saw some of the previous posts - so scratch this idea, at least the last half of it

[*i]

Quote:

Originally written by iluvhorses:
I like this one. What I'm going to do is the daughter is real, but not sick. Mage has her locked in her room and drugged so that you believe she is sick. Unicorn leader sacrifices his life for hers, you get reward and the promise that the child will be healed. Next day daughter wakes up from drugs (unfortunately for the mage) and sends you a mental call. You meet her and find out that the real mage is her and that she's not a child - her father is a fake, learned the unicorn killing spell from her and wants the immortality bit from drinking unicorn's blood - the blood of the one that just died. He wants to do that then capture all the other unicorns and take their blood as well. You kill "mage", and you get rewards.

Seems VERY cliched and we are back to a "mwa, ha, ha!" style villain with shallow motive.

Why is the party even needed? Why does she manufacture an overly complex ruse and not just kill the unicorns herself? This is probably more untenable than any of the other four options you had discussed previously.

[Donald Hebb]

Quote:

Originally written by iluvhorses:
Next day daughter wakes up from drugs (unfortunately for the mage) and sends you a mental call. You meet her and find out that the real mage is her and that she's not a child - her father is a fake,

You see all of this? This is concentrated absurdity.

1. How can a girl give out a "mental call"?
2. Why? What makes this a good story? Girl instantly pops in, reveals bad guy, then what? You kill him?

Why not just have the daughter legitimately believe that she'll be cured, and then have the party demand to see the child after the unicorn makes his sacrifice? Of course, that could lead to a few things- maybe Imperial soldiers ambush the party. Then, maybe the mage escapes during the fight, but the party catches up with him. The party goes ahead and kills him off, but they're too late- the Unicorns without their leader have already been subjugated. Party is forced to flee the valley. The end. (Although perhaps the party, in the mage's tower, actually could find some of the alicorn elixir and feed it to the still-imprisoned sick girl as a sort of extra, moral bonus.)

[PoD person]

Quote:

Originally written by *i:

Quote:

Originally written by PoD person:
Archaeologist recruits party as escort for expedition. Party clears out nasty bug infestation. Archaeologist retrieves artifact, attacks party, disappears. Party finds archaeologist on throne, he calls party uppity slaves and throws them in dungeon. Party learns of ancient slave rebellion, finds artifact of some sort. Violent confrontation with archaeologist ensues, he comes to, confused, and he and party hightail it out of there.

A decent start, but needs more fleshing out. I'll offer a few suggestions that you are free to use in any capacity you wish:

Probably more interesting if the party is a bunch of students or apprentices to the archaeologist. The stock hired adventurers is a bit too cliched. It gives a better motivation to why the party is there. Also, freeing their master from possession later on would make a good plot motivator.

The artifact needs to be defined. I assume it possesses the archaeologist so what is it, an idol, a sword, or something else? Answer this question before proceeding anywere as the type of artifact dictates the story.

Bug infestations are a bit cliched. They could work well, but make the bugs special or unique in some way. Preferably related to the artifact at hand. Perhaps a cult of Aranea could be fairly interesting.

Throne? I got totally lost here. Almost feels like two separate scenarios at this point. You really need to flesh out where this comes from. Perhaps instead of searching for the artifact outright, how about they are searching for a Lost City in the mountains? Perhaps the people in the Lost City would have the trait of immortality (they can still be killed, but otherwise live forever) and they enslave mortals.

Not sure how the violent slave rebellion works in? Is the artifact a different one or the same one? I'd vote for recovering the artifact, feels less random and two artifacts are a bit much.

I neglected to mention that the scenario takes place in a ruin. I like your suggestion that the adventurers are not simply hired, but I don't think they should exactly be students of the Archaeologist. Rather, I'll say that they're students at the university where he teaches. They aren't archaeology students, they're military/magic students, and they're coming along as research volunteers, because the archaeologist doesn't know what's in the ruins, whose location he has learned of through some cliched means.

I chose bugs to infest the ruins because they have the potential to be quite nasty while not being in any way supernatural. Basically, they're just the justification for bringing non-archaeology students along. I'm thinking though, that I might put the ruins in the snow and use some sort of Yeti/Abominable Snowman creatures. Or, perhaps, something using the swamp dweller graphics from ASR.

Anyways, the nasty but not too challenging infestation defeated, the party and the archaeologist discover, in a place of prominence, an artifact. After messing with it a while, the archaeologist realizes that it is some sort of incredible advanced information repository, and starts reading from it. Perhaps, he even shares some information with the party, and they get boosts to certain stats/spells. As it goes on, he becomes more and more engrossed in the artifact. Eventually, the party gets bored and goes to sleep. When they wake up, Herr Professor has vanished.

Without their chaperone and ticket home (try returning from a UROP without the sponsoring prof), the party goes into the ruins to look for him. When they find him, he is seated on a throne in the ruins. The throne room has remnants of an ancient battle everywhere. The party is relieved to see the professor, but he doesn't seem to know them. Instead, he seems to think that they are uppity slaves, and he reads some spells from his artifact, teleporting the party into a dungeon.

I'm thinking the cell the party winds up in will just have a crumbled wall - the "professor" doesn't realize that the city is a ruin. While in the dungeon, the party should notice yet more signs of ancient violence - skeletons in loin-cloths weilding crude weapons collapsed next to ones decked out in flimsy ceremonial gear. Eventually, as they approach the throne room, they should find one, massive, armored skeleton holding a wand/orb/spell-casting item of some sort. When one character uses this on the "professor," the character should be transported to some abstract astral arena and square off with the shade possessing him.

I can't really figure out a way to work a moral dilemma in there, except maybe for the party to run away or to just kill the professor instead of exorcising the ancient ghost.

[Kelandon]

Moral dilemmas are not required for a good scenario. Yours may not need it.

[Iluvhorses]

Quote:

originally written bye *I
Seems VERY cliched and we are back to a "mwa, ha, ha!" style villain with shallow motive.

Well, you were the one to initially suggest the blood drinking, but I've scratched that idea anyway.

Quote:

originally written by Kelandon
Moral dilemmas are not required for a good scenario. Yours may not need it.

How so? Please enlighten me. I started with something simple, which is what I was initially told was all I needed: unicorn is dying, bad mage is killing unicorn, kill bad mage, save unicorn, get reward. Alright, I admit, the bad mage does need some sort of a motive other than "fwah ha ha". So then I'm told, make it moral (or political) dilemma, someone must die in the end, no happy ending either way.

Look guys - I'm a girl. I like unicorns. I wanted to make my first scenario about something i like, especially since i'm extremely new to avernumscript. I like fantasy, and I also like happy endings. All three are what I get for being a girl. So can someone please tell me how I can make a convincing scenario about unicorns that isn't corny(aka girly or cinderella-like), that is simple to make, that has some sort of a happy ending, and that people will actually want to play. That's all I'm asking. I'm going to stick with the sick child ruse, but beyond that I'm clueless.

Also - I'm planing on naming the scenario "Amari's Love", Amari being the unicorn leader who is dying. Perhaps that might help in the suggestions area.

[Kelandon]

I was referring to PoD Person, but I guess I can address your idea, too.

 

I don't see a heck of a lot wrong with your very first idea, except that the evil mage needs some justification. It would be fine just that he's sick and needs alicorns to survive. He could be written as a very believably desperate but selfish and cruel person. You have to kill him to save the unicorns, but you feel a little bit sorry for a moment when you realize that you can sort of identify with him.

 

Or if you want an even more cut-and-dry happy ending, maybe he makes money selling them in some sort of black market, like ivory; greed is also a very understandable motivation, but it's less sympathetic.

 

A motivation needs to exist, and it needs to be realistic, but not all people are self-sacrificing and noble. You can create a bad guy who is motivated by greed or revenge or hatred as long as there's some reason for it, and greed is pretty easy to justify (he lives in a nice house and wants to keep it).

 

Honestly, after a certain point, it's better if you just choose an idea and get to work making it.

[dareva]

The headmaster of my scenario's school is a shady character, and I'm toying with the idea of making him the head bad guy for the sneak-off mission, but I don't know if that's too silly.

[Smoo]

What I'm working on right now: "It's just a remote valley plagued with a rat infestation. What COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG... more wrong?"

 

Needless to say I'm not being very serious with this one. Basically the party is a bunch of level one nobodies who are looking for a quest so that they can be heroes and such. So they wander into Untitled Land (I'll probably keep it untitled, since I already figured out why it would be untitled.) and soon find out that the land is infested with rats. But who is behind the rat infestation? Is it just a rat catcher the villagers beat up and rolled around in tar and feathers or is it... RENTAR-IHRNO? No, most definitely not. I don't ever plan on using vahnatai in any form in any of my scenarios.

[*i]

Sorry if we are frustrating you. It's difficult to learn how to write an exciting story and we all know I have yet to master it.

 

Actually the blood drinking was suggested by Ephesos, but that is a small point. I believe Ephesos was referring the Harry Potter plot.

 

It is true one does not need a moral dilemma to make a good scenario. However, what one needs is for characters to be real and their motivations to be believable. The thing is there are very few people out there who do evil things because they believe they are evil. Everyone has rationale behind what they do.

 

So here are some questions:

 

1) What does the villain gain from killing unicorns?

2) Why does the villain need the party anyway?

 

I'll offer a similar suggestion that I had earlier without a moral dilemma that I feel would make a good scenario. Generally I don't like to get this detailed, but in this case I will. The main characters are as follows:

 

An Imperial Governor

The Governor's granddaughter

A local mage which you are apprenticed to

The eldest unicorn

 

The scenario takes place during the reign of the oppressive Hawthrone III.

 

You recently left the academy and have been accepted as an apprentice to a wizard in a remote forest village. The village is small, but is home to an important Imperial Governor who lives in his manor with his orphaned granddaughter. The wizard is in his early thirties and has a wife and two small children.

 

Upon arriving, the mage is seriously bothered. He tells you his dilemma of having to find a cure for a rare and horrible disease that the governor's granddaughter has. WIth all of his research, the only option is to get an alicorn potion, a draught that can heal the most serious wounds, cure any disease, and even stave off death for decades.

 

The governor arrives soon after this first meeting and asks about progress on the cure. He hands him a blood colored potion and tells him, here is the potion he asked for and that he working on procuring an alicorn. Your master introduces you to the governor, he smiles, and invites you to visit his mansion.

 

Not wanting to refuse an invitation of such an important person, you oblige. In his manor he introduces you to his sick granddaughter as he gives her a spoonful of the blood colored liquid. He urges you to reason with the unicorns as your master has been unable to do and convince them to give up an alicorn.

 

So you go into the forest to find the unicorns. You meet the leader of the unicorns. A curious thing about unicorns is that they always tell the truth and can always tell if someone is lying. Also, killing a unicorn curses a person to a lifetime of misfortune and pain, therefore the mage or the governor cannot get the unicorn horn himself. The leader of the unicorns is now over 400 years old and his health is failing. You speak with him about the governor's granddaughter and his plea. The unicorn is touched and gives you his horn, knowing full well that he will soon die.

 

You take the alicorn back to your master and he is able to make the alicorn potion for the governor. Late that night, you hear an argument between two men outside. You creep around the house to get a closer look. It is your master and the governor.

 

The governor is apparently not satisfied with one alicorn potion. He knows that by sipping the amount over time would only prolong his life by another five or ten years at most. The governor wants more and threatens the mage and his family that he will have them sent to Avernum. He also tells him to supply more of the blood poison so he can keep up the ruse of a sick granddaughter. He says to tell the apprentices that the alicorn was not enough and another is needed.

 

The governor leaves and you confront the mage. Your master tells you that he does not have a choice. He is doing this to protect his family from the governor's influence. The mage's wife overhears the conversation and now also knows the truth. She convinces her husband that he has to tell the unicorns of the lies he created.

 

You and your master head into the forest and meet the unicorns and tell them the truth. The leader is still alive, but barely. The mage begs for forgiveness from him. The dying leader offers it on the condition that he free the governor's granddaughter from the wicked man.

 

You head to the governor's manor. You and the mage stand outside. The governor looks out of his balcony. The mage tells him to release his granddaughter, he laughs, and orders his guards to kill the trespassers. Suddenly creatures emerge from the forest and help defeat the guard. Your master is wounded and you go on ahead to find the granddaughter.

 

You manage to find the governor fleeing with his granddaughter. You trap him, he sets the sick girl aside, and pulls out the alicorn potion. He drinks the rest of it and gains incredible strength and vitality (normally he would drink it slowly over years to prolong his life rather than waste it all). You fight the governor and are able to kill him.

 

You bring the granddaugher outside. The unicorns have shown up and they heal your master and the granddaughter. They offer to find the granddaughter a caring human home. You are also informed the leader has passed on. The unicorns express sadness at their leader's passing, but they understand that all things must die eventually and that death is a part of life.

 

The unicorns offer a bit of natural magic (+1 nature lore and an item that can be used for healing once per day). The mage returns with his family; he knows they must leave here soon and go somewhere far (probably settle in wild Valorim) where he and his family can live without so much fear of the Empire. He sends you back to your school to find a new master, but not before offering you to view his spellbooks.

 

THE END

 

Basically, we have no real moral dillemma for the party. The governor was old, but wanted to live longer. He did not dare kill the unicorns himself, nor did the mage do it because of the curse. He needed to trick someone to intervene on his behalf and convince the unicorns to give an alicorn willingly, for no rational person would kill a unicorn.

 

That is why he made his granddaughter sick, so that he could fool you into telling the unicorns the story. The unicorns can only somewhat detect lies, but they can only see intent. If one honestly believes a lie to be true, the unicorns will believe it is true.

 

This incorporates the mage, a ruse of making a sick family member, and the unicorns. It would require three towns (perhaps a few more for multiple levels): mage's house, governor's manor, and the unicorn grotto, and one outdoor section (which could even be optional).

 

The motivations for the characters are decent:

1)The mage is generally good, but driven to evil by the desire not to see his family not be harmed. He is also able to redeem himself at the end.

2) The governor has a lot, and people with a lot tend not to want to lose it, even by death. He sees his struggle against death as one of survival of the order he made in Empire. Like many in the Empire, he sees humans as a superior race and all magical creatures as resources. He believes he is doing the world a favor by keeping himself around.

3) The leader of the unicorns is generally a caring creature that was able to give her life for a human in trouble, or so he believed.

 

The ending is more or less happy for most: the unicorns are free of the wicked governor, the governor's granddaughter will get a good home, the mage was able to redeem himself and will find new opportunity in the wild land of Valorim.

 

Anyway, I hope this is an idea of how to do something. As always, feel free to use any of it that you like. At very least, I hope you enjoyed reading my story.

[Iluvhorses]

I really like that! I will change, however, the unicorn leader dying of old age. I've done a lot of research into unicorn legends and unicorns can only be killed, not die of natural causes. It has also been said that the actual removal of an alicorn would kill the unicorn. So I was thinking that the unicorn leader, believing that he/she is helping the girl, willing gives up his/her alicorn knowing that it will kill him/her. The rest I will use, if you don't mind.

 

Thank you for your help. Sorry I was getting a bit frustrated. I just was being told different things at different times by different people and was getting confused.

 

My intro pages into the game will explain a lot of the unicorn lore to the player: alicorn potions, how unicorns die, the curse of killing a unicorn, etc.... Also, if there are pictures i want to use in the intro pages, how do I do that???

 

Now, to start designing. oh boy, it's gonna take a while (school starts in a week and a half).

[Niemand]

To put in intro pictures, you need to, put them in the .cmg file if on a Mac, or in the scenario folder as a bitmap if on a PC, and then in the Blades Editor program select Scenario->Set Intro Text X (where X is 1,2, or 3). There is a small box in the corner of the resulting dialog box in which you enter the number of the picture to be displayed with the text.

 

I'm not sure how familiar you are with the whole process, so please excuse me if some or most of the above is stuff you already know.

 

If you haven't already, be sure to look at the BoA Editor Docs, which are bundled with the editor program.

[nikki.]

Quote:

Originally written by dareva:
The headmaster of my scenario's school is a shady character, and I'm toying with the idea of making him the head bad guy for the sneak-off mission, but I don't know if that's too silly.

Erm, maybe I'm out of place for offering advice here, but I'd not do that. The original idea was great fun on it's own, and to factor in all kinds of double plots and twists meaks it a little... I dunno, but I get the feeling I wouldn't.

Of course, it wouldn't involve any more work, so go for it if that's what you want!

[dareva]

Quote:

Originally written by Staralfur:

Quote:

Originally written by dareva:
The headmaster of my scenario's school is a shady character, and I'm toying with the idea of making him the head bad guy for the sneak-off mission, but I don't know if that's too silly.

Erm, maybe I'm out of place for offering advice here, but I'd not do that. The original idea was great fun on it's own, and to factor in all kinds of double plots and twists meaks it a little... I dunno, but I get the feeling I wouldn't.

Of course, it wouldn't involve any more work, so go for it if that's what you want!

Hey, no problem. Anyone who wants to advise certainly may. I need all the help I can get, considering I can't seem to make a dungeon with proper back walls yet. Story I can do. I think it may be the other bits that will get me.

[Grain of Salt]

Can we do plotlines for BOE here? If so, here goes:

 

The Empire is trying to colonize a remote, swampy island off Valorim. Unfortunately, the island is infested with gremlins. Much tougher, more magically skilled gremlins. Gremlins who want to keep their homeland. A full Imperial task force has been sent out.

 

The party is soldiers for the Empire, stationed in a fort. The party maybe does a few minor quests for their mage captain (I'm trying to keep it short), and then the fort gets attacked. Gremlins flood the fort, the pary fights their way to the center and sees a gremlin mage dueling the captain. The gremlin mage, beaten, casts a spell on the party in desperation. You black out.

 

The pary goes through a few dream sequences before they come to a wall. They've dreamed of the wall before, but this time they see a door.

 

The go through the door,and suddenly wake up. With a sudden flash of realization, they understand that they have been charmed by the gremlins. They've been fighting for the wrong side all along. They must sneak out, and after that I'm not sure.

 

Suggestions?

[*i]

A few hints of suggestion:

 

Skip the "first few minor missions". It would be interesting to have the fort be completely out of food from the beginning. The soldiers are starving and are getting desperate. I'd make the gremlins just very mischievous and always stay in hiding making stealthy kills; the powerful magical race is old hat.

 

On a side note, for a longer BoA scenario, you could make food a usable item linked to a special node, if you do not eat for one day, you suffer consequences (like reduced endurance or something until you eat). Although I would keep it short enough that it probably would not matter.

 

Have the party go out and find food. It's risky, but the situation is dire. Party finds orchard of fruit or something. Gets 'charmed' by Gremlins. Have eating the fruit make you feel a strange care-free sensation or something.

 

Not knowing you have been charmed, you return to the fort with fruit, but the soldiers "attack you" once you are past the main gate. Actually, this is part of your perception. The party is told that they have to escape by opening the main gate (allowing the gremlins to enter).

 

Wake up, return to gremlin fort, find gremlins engaged in huge party at fallen fort. Soldiers are kept for jeers and the such. You have to free the soldiers and defeat the gremlin leader. With their leader gone, the gremlins flee.

 

This scenario is probably pretty short and simple. Probably only requires 3 towns (fort, the orchard, and the ruined fort) and 1 outdoor section, but still has enough plot twist to be interesting.

[Grain of Salt]

Sorry, I'm not making myself clear. There is no scene in the scenario where the party is charmed (except in recalled dreams).

Charming makes every gremlin seem like an imperial soldier and every soldier like a gremlin. The whole fort is a gremlin grove, as is it's occupants. Subtle clues will be dropped throughout. The "gremlin mage" casts a dramatized version of Unshackle Mind.

 

You're idea is cool, but not my scenario.

 

Also, I plan to have a final fight with the fort's commander.

[*i]

Okay, sounds interesting; just offering suggestions.

 

Keep in mind this is NOT a topic for just posting scenario ideas that you have no intention of putting to scrutiny or even seeking advice on.

 

So my question is, what sort of advice do you want with respect to design?

[Grain of Salt]

Thanks for understanding Stareye. It's just that I started making the original plotline already (not far at all) and don't want to change it.

 

What I want help with is the huge gap after you wake up and sneak out. I want it to end pretty soon, but a staight-out fight with the captain turned gremlin seems like a bad idea.

 

Also, I'm open to any suggestions changing parts of the earlier plot (just NOT the whole story). I think I'll put just one minor quest at the beginning, so the player get used to the fake world before it is shattered. Maybe you have to fetch someone gremlin wine as foreshadowing

[*i]

I'm not sure I fully understand. At first you say the party gets charmed, then it is not, and then it is. I am not sure I know exactly when the party is charmed and when it is not and what is "real" and what is not.

 

A few questions you should answer:

 

1) Why does the Empire want a remote, small, swampy, and otherwise seemingly unextraordinary island? What can they gain by a settlement?

2) The gremlins. Does the Empire know about them before hand? If so, why doesn't the Empire just do a full assault on them?

3) The first mission. What does it have to do with the main plotline? Why does the party need to do the mission other than to make the game longer? I would suggest doing the hunger thing I stated above as it makes a dire survival need.

4) When exactly does the charming go on? Who is the "wrong side" that you mention in your original post?

5) So the party wakes up. Why do they fight the fort captain?

6) How is the party going to get off this remote island after they sneak out?

[Grain of Salt]

Okay, I'll do the hunger thing. It has far less holes than my plot, and probably way easier to make.

 

1. Fruit & Wine. The whole place is one big orchard. Unfortunately, the gremlins murder anyone who goes out, and the soldiers can't send a big force for fear out gremlins taking the fort.

2. Empire does not know about the gremlins, and their first attack destroyed the communication devices.

3,4: Adressed by switching to hunger plotline.

6: Maybe a powerful mage was held captive and charmed just like you. After you kill her controller in the final fight, she comes to and makes a portal? I'm just throwing reasons around randomly.

 

Here's what I'm thinking:

 

Fort is starving, you're sent out on last-ditch attempt to get food.

Find orchard, grab a bushel and eat some.

Charmed by gremlins.

Get back to fort, open gates.

Gremlins stream in, you are knocked unconcious.

Dream sequence (I just really like dream sequences)

Wake up uncharmed in a cell, fight to center.

FINAL BATTLE: I'm not quite sure what this should involve. Help?

[Drakefyre]

Aww, the hunger thing is boring! I liked the charming plotline, and I understood it fine. I think it's a great idea if done properly.

[*i]

For the record, in my last post, I was just saying use "we need to get food" as the motivation for your minor quest you want to do.

 

I don't want to discourage your ideas, just want to challenge them and make you make sure that they make sense in addition to offering suggestions as to alternate methods of a approaching a similar situation.

 

Your idea has a lot of potential, I just couldn't entirely make sense of it after reading it a few times the way you had written it; that's the main reason why I wrote up a alternate idea, because I couldn't fully understand it. I'd recommend you do something you want to do and has your own ideas, but that you really clearly work them out so other people can understand them.

 

In somewhat response to Drakey's assertion: Hunger would serve as a hook or motivation to begin the plotline, a logical reason everyone can relate to. The charming would still be the focus of the story, the hunger just something to give the player a sense of urgency and direness.

 

Then you have the choice of making the player aware he is slaughtering his fellow soldiers or not. Both are intriguing: Suppose as you suggest, everything changes so the player thinks he is slaughtering gremlins. The value you get is the "Oh, crap!" moment when the party wakes up. The other one is to make the player fully aware of his charmed state. Emulations sort of explores this concept. Both can be really good and effective. I'm leaning toward the first one becasue (1) it has not been explored as much and (2) it has shock value.

 

I hope I've made you aware of a couple design choices you have in creating a storyline.

 

Oh and, Drakefyre, when are we going to see that great scenario you intend to release?

[Kelandon]

Yeah, I understood the "charming" plotline also, and it seemed fine. I don't know why there has to be much more to the scenario than that — they just figure out that they've been fighting for the wrong side, and then somehow they have to break the spell, and then they run home. That's plenty for a first scenario.

[Grain of Salt]

Wow, I have Stareye, Drakefyre and Kelandon helping me. I feel so... small.

 

Okay, I've decided to go for a compromise of sorts.

Advantages of Stareye's idea: Priceless moment when you wake up and realize that you just, by opening the gates, lost the fort for your own side.

Advantages of my idea: Being charmed the whole game makes it less obvious, so does fighting gremlins instead of soldiers.

 

Here we go:

 

Player STARTS OUT already charmed in fort (actually gremlin grove).

 

Player goes on minor mission (again, I think this is necessary but I can't use hunger since we're starting in the gremlin grove. Help? It could just be combat, but...)

 

That night, party has dream of a shadowy figure casting a spell on them, and of a huge wall that they want to get past but can't.

 

Next morning, the party is told that today is the final push against the gremlins. Commander teleports party inside the "gremlin" fort and mentally commands them to open the gates.

 

Fight gremlin guard who calls you a traitor as he dies. Party opens gates even so.

 

"Soldiers" stream in through the gates, slaughtering all in their path. "Gremlin" mage appears behing you and casts an unknown spell on you. You black out just slow enough to see him slain by an arrow.

 

Dream/Vision Sequence: We revisit the wall and the stranger casting a spell on you. You then see yourself in a dimly lit prison, covered in chains. The chains shatter, and you see a gremlin and your commander laughing at you. Then they merge into one gremlin.

Back to the wall, but this time, there's a door. You walk through...

Everything becomes clear. The whole story. The gremlin mage ambushed you outside your fort, charmed you, and took you back. You see the dead remains of soldiers that the gremlins killed, and a huge, wild party they're throwing in the center over their victory.

 

You awake in the cell with by grim determination to get to the center and avenge your comrades. Fight way out, final battle with gremlin mage. The End.

 

I consider this the final draft. I still don't know what the minor mission should be, and I'm open to any suggestions on details (scene that should be in vision, final fight idea). I reserve the right, though to reject any idea.

 

I'm going for an atmosphere similar to the juicy parts of Tomorrow or Emulations. Any suggestions, anyone? Anything not clear?

[Kelandon]

For the minor mission, perhaps a simple fetch quest to the basement or something. Keep it inside the fort — you want the player to become familiar with the surroundings as being normal, so that when the surroundings mutate into something else, it feels horrifying, right?

 

Sounds good, though. Time to start planning how to make it (what kind of layouts for the towns, names and personalities of characters, etc.).

[*i]

Sounds pretty good. I agree with Kel, make it something simple. Maybe even kill a "gremlin" infiltrator for them.

 

Quote:

That night, party has dream of a shadowy figure casting a spell on them, and of a huge wall that they want to get past but can't.

This might be a bit too obvious. I wouldn't just chalk this up to a normal dream as it gives way too much away about the motives of the Gremlins and what happened.

 

Perhaps the party sort of comes out of it in a daze, dreamlike state (the party thinks they are dreaming) where they are wandering around a Gremlin Grove, perhaps even killing some Gremlins. A gremlin sees them and casts a spell on them and they "wake up" back in their beds. They conclude that they must be dreaming about the oncoming attack. Convine the player that the "dream" is what will be rather than what "was".

 

Quote:

You awake in the cell with by grim determination to get to the center and avenge your comrades.

Revenge is a strong motive, especially for a nameless, faceless party that is undeveloped. Personally it would make me a bit uneasy to just be told I should take revenge for people that I (the player now) have never even met.

 

Perhaps keep some of the soldiers still alive. Gremlins are hedonistic folk and would probably keep some captives to jeer and torture. Rescue is a lot easier to swallow as it goes to the premise that the party is noble and generally good, which is almost universally accepted as the alignment of a nameless party.

[Kelandon]

Quote:

Originally written by *i:
Personally it would make me a bit uneasy to just be told I should take revenge for people that I (the player now) have never even met.

Well, that's the point of having the first few scenes actually in the fort: the player gets to meet the people that the party already knows.

But I agree that your point about rescue vs. revenge is a good one to consider anyway.

[Grain of Salt]

Uh, Kel? The first few scenes aren't in the fort; They're in the gremlin grove that is perceived as a fort.

 

Stareye: It like those ideas. Rescue seems much better than revenge. I'm trying not to fall into the trap of telling the party what they feel, rather than them feeling it. I like the "awaking" idea too.

 

First mission: I like inside the fort, and I like killing a "gremlin" infiltrator. I'll go with that, I think, but I'm still open to suggestions.

[Drakefyre]

Well, *i, I'd say it's about halfway done, and I only got to work on it in August and September. I should be able to have more free time in March and begin working on finishing it.

[Aran]

Quote:

Originally written by Drakefyre:
Well, *i, I'd say it's about halfway done, and I only got to work on it in August and September. I should be able to have more free time in March and begin working on finishing it.

Wait, is this RiB we are talking about here?



And when you say March, do you mean March '06?

And if so, do you mean 2006?

[Kelandon]

Quote:

Originally written by WonkoTheSane:
Uh, Kel? The first few scenes aren't in the fort; They're in the gremlin grove that is perceived as a fort.

Wait, did I misunderstand you? What the player is seeing is the normal, original fort, right? That's how the player would be familiar with the characters who then appear in the gremlin grove. Right?

[Grain of Salt]

What the player sees are the characters in the actual fort, yes. Charming uses the subject's mind to make convincing illusions. Still, it's a lousy way to meet someone.

 

Question, Drakey: When did you start working on RiB? Or do I not want to know...

[Kelandon]

Quote:

Originally written by WonkoTheSane:
Question, Drakey: When did you start working on RiB? Or do I not want to know...

It started as a BoE scenario. He promised it for the... what... the Third Contest, I believe? Anyway, the story is here .

[Drakefyre]

I wasn't talking about RiB, which started in 1999/2000 as a BoE scenario, was destroyed by two HD wipes, somewhat streamlined and reincarnated, and then 'destined for BoA'. For a long time it was the only scenario idea I liked long enough to keep working on for more than a week or so. Then I came up with the idea for the scenario I'm 'currently' working on, which amazingly has also kept my interest for a long time. Unfortunately, my life has gotten incredibly busy at the same time (I'm sure Aran could do a graph of my posting statistics), so it was put on hold, but it looks like things are clearing up somewhat.

 

And as for Wonko's scenario, you start out as charmed and in the the fake fortress, aka the gremlin grove. I suppose you could do it the other way too, but that's not what he was intending.

[Grain of Salt]

If no one else has any suggestions, I guess I'll start work. Thanks for the help guys!

[nikki.]

Okay, I've created my outdoors, and one town. The thing is, I want to populate it with bad guys and to be honest, I suck at it.

 

I placed some rats in for my level one party to try their hand at, and they dispatched them incredibly easily. So, what I guess I'm asking is how do I make combat situations harder for the player - I know how to make tough bad guys after reading the article, but I need interesting battles - something more than just picking them off one at a time.

[Thralni]

When I make a tough battle, I first ask myself for what party I make the battle. I presume you want a level one party here, as you said that in your post?

 

Assuming you are talking about a level one party, I advise the following things, although most of these tips you can use with all party's:

 

- In what situation/evnironment is the party in? A ruined city? A remote cave? You said something about a city in your post. If it is ruined, what ruined it? bandits? Soldiers, or was it the elements, after the people left the city and animals took the ruined city over. if the city isn't ruined, what sort of people inhabbit the place? Is it a bandit town? A hostile fort? try this sort of things, and that way you'll come to enemies that fit with their environment, and therefor won't make the wholke fight unrealistic (like a bandit in the most remote cave where you don't expect humans at all).

 

- Then, when you thought about what enemies you think would fit in the place the fight will be, think about what the enemy can do and can not do. The bandits example: is there a mage, or anly normal bandits? It will make them harder to beat and the combat more interesting, but is it realistic? that sort of questions. basically, what you now do is thinking of the enemy's ability's. mages make it all a lot more interesting, but can also make it to difficult. archers are also nice, but but they do have to fit in with the environment. Unless they make arrows completely of stone, it is strange to find archers there where there are no trees to make arrows from.

 

- next step: composing the battle. This step is only about where to place the bad guys. mages ussualy at the back, and warriors in front. same with archers.

 

- be sure not to put in to many monsters, or else it will still become boring if you have to beat 20 brigands and 1 archer. In three words: balance the fight. When you have set everything up, look at it again, and see if mosters are necessary. if not, take them away.

 

- the most important and final step: testing, but that is quite obvious.

 

I hope I helped you with this. It is the way I compose my battles ussualy.

[nikki.]

OKay, yeah, maybe should have been more clear, although I did mean in general.

 

This particular "town" is a swampy cave infested with rats. So I tried to place a few rats in, threw in one or two mung rats to deabilitate the party and added one or two lava bats further in.

 

The thing is, it's incredibly easy for my level one group (for which the party is intended) to dispatch them all by employing next to no tactics at all.

 

For instance, is there a way to get a group of the same monsters to attack one at a time, to stop the party rushing off behind a wall and attacking one-on-one?

[*i]

Having random, unimportant monsters be a bit on the easy side is okay, especially for inexperienced players. I suggest saving the challenges for the more important fights.

[Thralni]

You could try two things:

 

- higher level mosters. Instead of the level 3 rat, the default one, make its level higher by putting the code set_creature_level(creature_number_what_level) (or so I think, better check that in the doc appendix to be sure of it) and making it, say, level 7. Maybe level 10 even, so even if he party manages to get to them one by one, the monster itself is harder to beat.

 

- more mosters that attack the party from affar. the party will have to get to monster, instead of the monster to the party, so the party will have to face more then one moster at the time.

[nikki.]

Quote:

Originally written by *i:
Having random, unimportant monsters be a bit on the easy side is okay, especially for inexperienced players. I suggest saving the challenges for the more important fights.

Yeah, maybe. Actually the town isn't plot specific, but it fills in the background for the islands previous inhabitants... I ran with the idea that the island was inhabited before, but it doesn't go anywhere plot wise. Just adds interest.

[Thralni]

It would be cool if you would put in that cave a small sttlement, if there is any room. for an example, think of the Slime pit in Avernum 3, where there was a house in the caves. Maybe it is only me (or is it I?) but I love that sort of surprises.

[nikki.]

The cave does have a settlement of sorts in it's centre... theres a brick wall, and the party get flashed a dialog. For a non-specific thing, its quite elaborately done.

[Dikiyoba]

Maybe a lava bat or a few mung rats can be on a ledge that separates them from the party so that the party has to use magic/missiles to kill them. But the party should eventually be able to get onto that ledge.

 

Dikiyoba.

 

Edit: Spelling.

[Kelandon]

Checking back in...

 

Nicothodes

iluvhorses

Slith Lord

Arachnid

dareva

PoD Person

 

And anyone else who has posted with interest on this thread: where do you stand? Have you been able to get to work? Are there specific things about town design or scripting that you need help with? Are there any other plot points you're struggling on?

 

We'd like to see as many scenarios get completed out of this as we can.

[Dikiyoba]

I have a scenario I'm working on. It's a bit larger than recommended but it's a simple creation. I'm not planning on doing a huge scenario with new creatures, new graphics, fancy scripting, or anything like that. But it has an interesting story and there will be a lot of exploration and details that will hopefully keep it from being boring or repetitive. The only problem is I'm really busy right now so it won't be done anytime soon. Hopefully some day it will be.

 

At least Dikiyoba is working on it whenever Dikiyoba can spare the time.

[Hawk King]

Im making a scenario 3/4 town's Im pretty much done with town 1 2 and 3, I haven't even started town four which is the second level for the large town, I have not yet written dialog that is for after town design Im still nitpicking the plot I have motivation for the baddy why he is there ? is he really bad ? what does he want ? Iv got all that but that's about it.

 

You know what really made me mad ? when I couldn't contain items in the big cauldrons I mean Iv got this cauldron And it very clearly has stew in it but is there any food in it nooo it's empty! what's with that Im very obsessed with my town design and that just Grind's my gears

[Lilith]

You could always make a custom terrain with the cauldron graphic and the container property.