Osvir

For starters, I wouldn't want a jRPGish thing, that is conceptual to explain my point. I think we are pretty much on the same page Tigranes. The examples I've provided is just examples, concepts, different types of methods a la "These are several different ways to do it" but somewhere down this thread people assume I want it in an "anime" styled way? I'd prefer if it was more realistic, westernized, there are several concepts that I've shown where I present a more realistic approach, where there are subtle changes. When Forton smiles he smiles and doesn't go all super smile with stars in his eyes or whatnot, he just smiles as he would. The teardrop, the "+" sign indicating a vein, sweating, dooming (lines going down on the face, etc. etc.) the jRPG way of expressing things is "exaggerated". Theatrical in a sense where the game presents you with exaggerated and over-the-top "information" a la "This character feels like this right now". Anime voice-over in question, japanese is much better than english, because the japanese is way more "expressional" than what the english dub achieves. I'd say the "jRPG" way is parallel with the "Mime" way. My teacher in theater class told me that to be a good mime you have to create the illusion that the box exists, by pretending to push the empty air where it is supposed to sit you give the audience the imagination themselves to make up for it. In that way expressions could work well in only text, just saying that you'd get an actual representation of the "smile" visually. GW2, Folklore and other games gives of a more realistic impression. Also, check my examples (which aren't "This is how I would like it to be done!!!" but more "These are different methods". Here is another one: @AGX-17: ^that's a joke too haha (rofl) there is another one out there too. "Do you know what rhymes with 'election' Romney-sama?" xD The jist of my wishlist for dialogue would be something like this: * Visual representation (portraits) * Text representation (descriptive) * Sound representation (partial in dialogue, partial in adventuring) @Nonek: So with this in mind, perhaps there could be the enjoyable moments from PS:T and expressions for a character? Instead of reading "*the Nameless One said with a grin*" you'd also see it, and you'd base the dialogue on it whether it is in the text or if it is shown on his face. I am not saying that there should be lesser text (well, granted, it would probably be slightly less text). The point is that both of them (text & visual) would appeal to the representation. Path A; Text (Grin): Takes you to the same place as path B Path B; Visual (Grin): Takes you to the same place as path A EDIT: Also, by scaling down the size of the Portrait also gives an effect. If the portrait could just simply "grow larger" when Sagani screams something would also indicate that Sagani is trying to make herself heard. Edair's portrait (in my OP) I made smaller for a reason, it makes his appearance in the dialogue more "secretive", as if he is whispering.

Half-Life 2 kind of is like that. You did everything in Half-Life, start Half-Life 2, and you get thrown back into the midst of it as the world has changed greatly. God of War has the elements of being thrown down to hell and to work your way out of it. In an IE-styled adventurer game? Yeah, that'd be pretty cool. What about some Silent Hill thingy? Early game-mid game you can die, and that would set into motion "Hell". You're a soul in hell and have to get out somehow, and by the time you manage to get out you get to point B where you would've ended up anyways. Though that sounds like a workload, "if resources allow" (basically a 2nd path to Point B). Chapter 1a: Survive Chapter 1b: Death/Hell Chapter 2a: Survive Chapter 2b: Death/Hell Chapter 3: Continue game ---etc. Could Chapter 3 be affected by if you lived or died and returned? Would enemies be more difficult/apocalyptic until "X" has been fulfilled?

4th attempt at making some sense in this post!!! *sigh* Before we can discuss Level Scaling, really, Obsidian needs to give some flirts on how they are doing it. What is the plan? Kind of. It would be a lot easier to discuss the matter, what could be "bad", what could be "good"? etc. etc. Some other questions based on this logic: Whilst you practice and grow stronger, level scaling would imply that the "mobs" are training too. That they learn new things and that they are out in the world getting stronger by numbers, gear, or whatever. It could also imply that the Bandits could besiege a town (as designed) and either you can weed them out from the town after their siege, or before they even do it, and they could be "scaled" depending on if they are in their cave, or if they have besieged the town with bolstered numbers. Likewise, enemy adventurer parties or rival parties could adventure the world and loot caves etc. etc. you could either take them down in the midst of it (If they are supposed to be there at the time that you are there). Before they go there, after they've been there etc. etc. Let's look at some options/combinations: What is "Time-Based" Scaling? 10 minutes progress, enemies gain X% health/damage or whatever. This gives a sense of urgency, if you stand around and make sandwich your game would also progressively be harder. Enemies grow in strength because they are physically & technically & mechanically becoming stronger. What is "Difficulty-Based" Scaling? Easy, Normal, Hard, Hardcore? Do they do it differently? What is "Chapter-Based" Scaling? Chapter by Chapter enemies grow stronger depending on what you did Chapter 1. Heck, how is the encounters handled Chapter by Chapter? Can you make one group weaker in Chapter 2 (down-scaled) if you kill most of their kin in Chapter 1? Likewise, could they bolster in strength and become much more of a threat if you don't deal with them in Chapter 1? What is Level-Scaling? The only concrete examples I know of is FF8 and Oblivion and they didn't do that any good, however, mods for Oblivion (what I've read) made Oblivion good enough for fans (haven't tried it, vanilla Oblivion took all my energy and frustration). I think that Level Scaling might be an easy tool to work with for modders as well. So what is Level Scaling really..? Bowl 1 has 9 monsters and 1 monster that scales. To get to Bowl 2 you need to take down that 1 monster that scales. If you go about and take out the 9 monsters before, you grow in strength, but at the bottle-neck where Monster #1 stands you'd face an equal challenge if you went there first or if you took everything out first then went to #1. And if it is too difficult for you, you would simply be able to change difficulty to something easier. Vice versa, if it is too easy for you you could just crank up the difficulty.

8-wield, have one wand in-between each finger. EDIT: Jokes aside though, dual-wielding wands would be cool. Wandslinger vs Gunslinger duels.

Found this quote in this thread: Let's Play Baldur's Gate Trilogy Thought for this thread: Don't make it hardcoded!

Because visual representation is just as powerful as "text" representation. Just as powerful as sound representation. Not saying that it has to be in but it is a tool for sure. Not only do you read how Forton feels, hear him hum a short .wav file, but also sees how he feels when he smiles. In another picture, later on in the game, he instead shows concern of the task ahead, in voice+sound+portrait. If it is out of the scope in resources I can understand, just saying that narration can include texture as well.

I hear your sentiment AGX-17 and I agree, thanks. I agree, but I've also encountered the below. Baldur's Gate has this, you can get struck by a lightning bolt if you stand around for a bit. Or fatigue of course. Jaheira complaining. I am basically talking about taking that a step further. Warcraft 3 has it too I think? Also faced encounters when I left the game, bathroom, phonecall or whatnot. Return and I've lost one or two characters, other times not so much. Then I found the auto-pause function. In a sense it is "Player Karma" as well... if a moderator sees this could the title be changed to "Player Karma & Developer Punishment"? If there is any sort of rules in the game that you sort of have to follow (but can break by design) there could be some "slaps on the fingers" kind of. Another scenario, Obsidian makes an ability they think is cool and awesome! But realize quickly that it is very powerful combined with an item that they made earlier, how do they balance that? Both the item and spell is cool as is! Could there be, instead, some meddling "God" that messes with the player a bit, maybe both of the items could instead be cursed (or simply just incompatible). Kind of "This is great, but it is broken together with this. We know this, you know this [Do it at own risk]"

Well, realism is kind of stretchy. If you're talking about animations that make sense, rather than swinging every weapon like a club, I am all for it. But I prefer flashy combat to realistic one, frankly, be it cinema or video games. Historical fencing simply lacks the entertaining value of jedi fights or witcher combos. Well, I understand the sentiment, but what if a fighter fights against multiple opponents? Are the others going to be waiting their turn to clash swords with him? Are they going to hammer him in the back? Either way realism is officially done for the moment they start doing it. The idea is nice, but the cost of its implementation is a bit overwhelming for an isometric RPG. Like I said in my other post (with the pictures), I don't know exactly how modelling works but, if you could somehow put the models into the same "Object". Like a Warhammer statue. Can you put two of those in the same? 3? 4? Can you connect one species with another one in some fights? A pack of wolves attacks viciously and lunges at you from all angles, pause, wolves mid-air gnawing with their jaws through the air, party is covering up with shields and now you get to counter it. Move swiftly with the Rogue, dashing out towards some of the pack on the side. The Fighter targets the lunging one to stop it. Likewise, in another fight, you are fighting a goblin beastmaster and his kin, fighting one of the goblins, a wolf could lunge at the fighter just like he does in the wolf pack scenario. ^Basically is it possible to merge animations somehow into 1 animation? The "fight sequence" isn't based off of some individual animation (human attack vs goblin attack) but instead "human fighter vs goblin beastmaster fight scene"? EDIT: I wouldn't know the business (game industry economy). What costs what and how much basically, but I can imagine that "realistic combat" would cost more ofc. I'm just stretching dreams, that's all bro

It is a bad idea to design a strategic choice where the risk connected to it (journeying with poor health in this case) is eliminated by leaving the computer and going to get a sandwich. If P:E had a mechanic closer to Fallout, where you could choose the amount of time you want to "rest", then waiting around for health to regenerate on your pit fighter wouldn't be as much of an issue. But it isn't an issue. A has 40 Stamina, B has 40 Stamina A lose 10 stamina, B lose 10 stamina A makes sandwich, B continues game A gets +5 Stamina, B is at next encounter (ahead of A) +5 Stamina. It all depends on how fast Stamina is regenerating. I am not advocating for sandwich?

This is also an easy/simplified way to do it (found it randomly on the net, I'm not artist, thought of this thread):

Maybe some various "Hellfire" scenarios could take place there?

A G-Man God ofc!

Copy+Paste from here. Felt it needed its own topic. "In the current design"

Recent changes. Priest gets one ability and one level 1 spell. Sacred Circle and Recovery. Fighter got two abilities and one passive. Defender and Surge for abilities and Melee Accuracy for a passive bonus. Looks interesting EDIT: Sacred Circle: kind of like an aura "Bless". Is it channeled? Does the Priest need to enter "pray"-mode? Recovery - Generic [HP] Spell. Stamina-spell. Takes more time than Surge and heals more? Defender: I hope it could be used as an "obstacle" mechanically. So you could hold your Fighter with his shield up in a choke point and let archers and mages shoot arrows and throw spells over the Fighter. Perhaps I've got a Rogue laying traps and bait behind them. Surge - see Recovery. Surge should reward less than Recovery. Melee Accuracy: So there's going to be Ranged Accuracy for Rangers and possibly Rogues?

Ah, so that was a strawman pretty much? It was more general thoughts/brainstorming I guess, "What could be a problem with it unless addressed/discussed?".

Doesn't make it any less cool in my opinion. Convoluted also means "twisted; coiled" which in turn means doing a different thing. Twisting something we have seen with new elements that we haven't seen, "to combine, as two or more strands or threads...". Implying that it is coiled, that it needs to be uncoiled to understand fully. Which a good story has lots of. Maybe if the main character dies early game, it is possible to resurrect him mid-game using some sort of device, throwing back the "Hero" into the narrative from that point on. Basically when the main character dies it could set into action a quest for the companions to resurrect him/her "There is still a chance!", and if the main character isn't a "Key Figure" it could also mean that you could continue the game with the companions. Resurrection should be rare, once or twice type of things, tied to the world and side-quests. Maybe it'd be easier to "stumble across" one of them if you only follow the quest, but at least one method should be intricate and deep (regardless if it is the main character, companion or some npc). The philosopher's stone as an ingredient, allowing a 3 Magic Class Paths in synchronicity to resurrect someone, but at the cost of the stone. There could also be a sense of urgency. [if (Resurrection X = Found)] and its "state" is [Not Used], then you could have a limited time to get the main character to that location. There could also be a sense of no urgency as well, and you can continue without. Third solution is that you could continue without, but you wouldn't be able to progress the story (though then it wouldn't serve much of a point, ultimately). If companions do their own quests in P:E? Is another question: Example, you don't get Minsc+Dynaheir in Nashkel, instead you move through and do what you have to do. When you return, Minsc is gone. You continue the game and end up in Baldur's Gate, you meet Minsc+Dynaheir again and say "Hi" or whatnot. You don't recruit them. Later you want to go out exploring the wilderness, and find Minsc+Dynaheir there as they are on their own way. You recruit them and face the fight together, both of you have the same end goal. Likewise, if you don't go down that path, going there later might make it "looted" with some trinkets left but not all. Minsc+Dynaheir would only take what they need and what they physically can carry. New enemies could inhabit the cave, and if you followed a quest it could go "?" on you and if you meet Minsc+Dynaheir back in Baldur's Gate, Minsc could be bragging about it aloud and you'd figure out the quest as well. The point (Companion doing their own quests): Could you continue their narrative without the main character? And in that case, maybe you could finish the companion quest without the main character? But due to the "general evil element" that the main character was supposed to take down, the world becomes apocalyptic and that gives a reason for the companions to fight too? :D EDIT: How would the universe look like if Darth Vader killed Luke and the Emperor won? Maybe, if the main character dies, demons from hell are summoned everywhere and you still have a chance to continue the game, but it just got a lot harder and challenging (Hardcore Ironman Hellmode xD). I need to learn "it's" and "its"...

*leaves to make sandwich* A: Funny banters! Companions saying something funny, either something they say in "Area". B: Companions complain. C: Complain a little bit more. D: Hunger E: Lightning Bolt/Environmental/Alien Abduction/Enemies/Random Encounter (You leave the game just to return to see people gathering around wondering what's going on... kind of like leaving the game in some area and when you return there are brahmin saying "Moo I say!" herding up around the character. Birds landing on the player etc. etc.) G: Death/Developer Punishment *back* A-G: What would happen if you left the game too long (say... 10-15 minutes?). Where is it okay for the developer to punish the player and where is it not?

It has everything to do with the game's design, lol. All I'm trying to convey is that if you get a Pit Fighter (Modded kit) for BG you get a Perk which regenerates 1 HP every now and then. I could go (afk) make a sandwich and regenerate all health, or I could simply continue the game and I would've regenerated most of the health when I arrive at the next location (fast traveling) or until I face the next encounter. In BG, let's say I had 50/50 Health. Lost 30 in the fight, now at 20/50. If I walk around, and face the next encounter (in an area with few encounters), I might be at some 30/50. Fast traveling to a close location, 40/50 and to a far away location 50/50 (unless random encounter). Otherwise I could use a health spell to regenerate. Pit Fighter is a great concept, check it out. Made by Ghreyfain (just kudos, whoever that guy is, kind of). * Probably a typo since both the description and disadvantages say "Human, Half-Orc, Dwarf". ** Editted *** You gain Cure Serious Wounds and not Cause Serious Wounds (the latter would've fit much better so the author might've changed it or chosen the wrong one, regardless, Cure Serious Wounds is all good imo from a gameplay perspective, though Cause Serious Wounds probably would have been more fun) **** Doesn't add up to the Advantages in my opinion, still a great class. Magic Resistance could be an all time low (probably is though, but it should be in the description). --------------------------------------------------- This Class Kit is super fun, as a Fighter. Though, granted, it is a bit of an upgraded Fighter (Pit Fighter feels generally stronger than a regular Fighter, but in my opinion it also makes the Fighter feel much better. Not immortal powerful either, the Pit Fighter doesn't stand a chance against a seasoned team of mage's (with tactics/AI mods).

My thoughts from the Combat Animations thread. Could it be possible to sync it somehow? The problem with finishing moves (imo) is that they are much more fancy than the overall combat and it kind of takes away one of your characters for a period of time (pack of Darkspawn+an Ogre or two? Expect to have 1 character less when the Ogre goes down). If there was some way to combine the overall battle animations with the finishing move that would be sweet! Would it be resourceful as a development? Dunno. I would prefer no finishing moves+IE style combat (slow motion time phase when enemy gets struck by critical hit and becoming pieces of meat? Sure) or finishing moves+combined combat animations. Mechnically: Stamina could be "Taking Action" (blocking, parrying, dodging, casting, attacking) Health could be "Taking Damage" (stabbed, hit, damage, chopped, basically shedding blood) Dice roll example: Stamina = Shield basically. 1st Roll (You): Clash, enemy blocks with a shield. 2nd Roll (Enemy): Clash, you block with a shield. 3rd Roll (You): Attack! You broke through the defenses. 4th Roll (You/Enemy): How much damage do you do? How good was the attack? Does the enemy mitigate some damage? ^Does that even have to be visual? Could it be IE styled somehow, where the dice rolls are more narrated and/or representative to something similar as above? (Visually the enemy and player go "Chop chop" at each other, but in the Log it says "You blocked!")

A Wizard with 9 Strength wielding a Battle-Axe? Eeeeeeeh... sounds iffy. EDIT: Unless the game follows some mechanic where if you don't have the "requirement" (if there is going to be anything like that) you instead wield the weapon in question as a struggle (slower attack speed, bad accuracy, lesser damage, cost more Stamina to use). Give an sledgehammer to someone who is weak and let him go mad at a destructible wall against someone who has great physique against another wall, who will take it down first? The weaker person would have to rely more on technique, parallel to their strength, but the strong guy would take it down first most likely (what with fatigue and all).

Maybe combining 2 Level 1 Spells (or more) in the Grimoire gives you 1 Level 2 spell? Of course there are lots of other balance, you have to "know" or be "applicable" (Kind of how Legend of Grimrock does it, in concept). You need to have "researched" the correct skill before being able to combine or whatnot~ a combined spell could suffer more "cooldown" or "locking out" than a regular spell would or simply just follow the "Higher Level Spell" rules.

^So basically PrimeJunta would like a game that accommodates to as many different players as possible, and Valorian would like a game that accommodates only to him? *popcorn*

Could tiles and models deploy some sort of "iceberg technology"? Y = Model/Tile W = Image Z = Player perspective

Some thoughts~brainstorm. Random generated levels? As in, Level 1, then Level 5, level 3, Level 8 etc. etc. on one playthrough but on another it's mix-matched again. Or it could be a part of a puzzle, a sort of "3 Levels Loop" into infinity and you have to solve the trap that you are in, and when you figure out that you are by use of [Trigger] you set off the next set of the trap, which could be causing the floors being sucked into a black hole or something. A sense of urgency. Likewise, encounters could be treated like this as well to spice it up even further. On one playthrough you are facing another set of monsters on the floor than in another playthrough etc. etc. I think that's the most simplified way to give Od Nua a "random" feature. The more complicated and mathematical way to do it is "Tiles". Tiles are really good and cool but how do you make a tile set out of a picture game like the IE games? This is one way, picture is not meant to be pretty, just simplified: It would require lots of different parts of buildings, roads, trees, doors etc. etc. to be cut apart and how do you random generate that together with something else? The Sewers in Baldur's Gate could possible be random generated if you could cut it up into pieces and be some sort of mathematical architecture of programming. This is all related to development fluff, depends on how they do it. Is Hector going to draw everything first and then cut it all to pieces? Putting it that way kind of makes it sound cruel, but I think it could be beneficial to have some sort of tile system in-design, being able to click and draw different textures to create a "map". This is nothing but a texture, technically. A very pretty texture and a piece of art too A tile could possibly be that bridge, and the roadier dirt could also be one. Shore edges, trees. Statues, waterfall etc. etc. maybe be able to draw out the bridge easily, edit in photoshop or other similar program, throw it back in and voila. Perhaps remove the bridge and add more of the dirty road to the front? Perhaps that small hedge covering the water up to the edge of the cliff. Drag the shore up to edge and you get this concept below. I admit, I did polish a little bit, so it wasn't "flawless" entirely. That's why it should be easy to extract textures, modify quickly in photoshop, then throw it back in again. I'm in favor of the randomness of level generation that Diablo has, but to some extent maybe a whole world is created rather than everything changing every time I "log on"/boot up. I wonder if Obsidian could randomly generate tons of maps by code that they could base the art on as well, the mathematical aspect, tying piece B to piece G that is a completely different look etc. etc. what is compatible with what? How much polish? Etc. etc. A "Polish" function in some sort of Toolkit?

@Sacred_Path: It allows you to be able to play 1 character (which generates much more experience by itself) or a party of character who gain the same amount of experience but it is spread around 6-ways. The same mechanic in earlier Final Fantasy games (1-9), having lesser party members yields more experience for everyone in the party (this can be achieved by either choosing few party members or killing some of them in battles). This isn't a bad thing. You control how many companions you want and you can finish the game in whatever way you choose. You could also play a game and Aloth dies one game (with perma-death rules), and another game you manage to keep him alive all way through. @All: What I am advocating for isn't relevant to what Malekith said. Playing as 1 character and you die, you got wiped out. No more characters. The End. If you have 3 characters it is another question, 1 character dies but I can continue but another character dies I can't. Who is the main character?