idea shop

[Goldengirl]

Since I dont have the full version I can't make scenarios. So I'm going to give my ideas to any one who wants them. Or I could help you with plots for your scenarios.

[Kelandon]

In the Designers\' FAQ , third question.

 

Just to say that it's not likely that you'd get taken up on this, but more power to you if you do.

[Solodric]

Eh, dont be too sure about that Kelandon ^.^ People could just throw questions out here, he could answer, and then some scenario designer could pop around and get inspiration.

 

for example, heres a random question designers might ask: What's a good way to make a really TENSE boss battle, almost like a final boss in a video game like Final Fantasy?

[Lilith]

Final boss battles, almost invariably, are the opposite of tense; they are battles of attrition against big walls of HP. Console RPGs are the worst offenders in this regard. A long battle that stays mostly the same throughout its length is almost by definition not going to seriously threaten the party; if you want a long fight, be sure to change the conditions of the battle during it so the party has to change strategy.

 

I'd also warn that console RPGs teach bad scenario design in general -- a customisable party leads to entirely different design requirements than a fixed party. Furthermore, unexplained wandering monsters are looked on pretty negatively in scenarios ("okay, WHY is this cave full of giant birds?"), while they're accepted in console RPGs.

[Solodric]

We've played some different games then Thuryl

 

I've played some console RPG's with long, boring final bosses. This I admit.

 

What I'm talking about is making a final boss battle that isn't too long, or short, and is hard. A battle that really threatens the player, a tense and difficult fight. I'm sure you know what I mean Any suggestions on how to go about that?

[Kelandon]

Plots are the easy part, and giving a general plot doesn't help much anyway, because someone who doesn't write well can still get bogged down in the details.

 

Anyway, the way to make a good boss battle is via scripts. Make the creature do something unexpected. Give it special spells. Give it a particular targeting AI that makes it harder. Match it up with some other creature that has a complementing ability. Anything like that will make your boss battle more difficult, and if done well, more interesting.

 

Also, the way to develop tension is to have a vivid and interesting plot that connects directly to the battle.

[Drakefyre]

Base idea: You don't have to kill them, you just have to keep them from killing you in x turns.

 

Addition number one: Add hostages you need to protect.

 

Addition number two: After x turns, have some allies show up that are much stronger than the party.

 

Addition number three: Maybe if you take them down some HP, they start to do less damage to you, to give an incentive to fight.

[Donald Hebb]

Bosses should either be short, or long and varying. They should not be short and varying, and they most DEFINITELY should not be long and unvarying. For instance, Khoth takes too long and has too little variety. Shroud takes a while, but alters his tactics on a regular basis. Zauberer is straightforward, but very short. Clearly, the latter two beat Khoth by a longshot.

 

Battles of attrition are only fun if things change at LEAST occasionally.

[Solodric]

Hm. Interesting points. Would I be wrong in saying that one way to make a boss battle realistic and tense would be to remove the "Cough" thing that saves your ass when you hit 0 HP? That way, the players actually need to watch out for big attacks, instead of letting a melee warrior fight the grim reaper face-to-face or whatnot, and just minor healing every time the warrior goes down to 0.

 

Also, I remember that one of the funnest boss battles I fought involved three different enemies, one a healer, one a spellcaster, one a fighter, each with different immunities (So you basicly had to guess and check which spells would hurt them) I remember the healer was constantly reviving the other two, but would heal herself whenever injured. Would something like that be construed as annoying, or fun?

 

Personally I loved the challenge.

[Goldengirl]

Solodric here are some of my ideas for the final boss fight

idea 1 make him seem suspicously weak, and when you're about to defeat him he does some thing like make 5 pumped up hims come out of the walls.

idea 2 he has annoying healer that you can't get at and you have to defeat him in X turns or he activates his doom bringer.

idea 3 you have X allies who every turn he tries to convince to join him, and on turn X he convinces them to join him, Or he convinces 1 ally per turn.

idea 4 your about to defeat him and he teleports you some where else. So you have to fight your way back up to defeat him.