Designer Ramblings: Influence

[Barzarel]

Really hope that the npc conversations are well worked through like in Hotu and BG2

[Ludozee]

Thanks Chris! I like the idea with the influence, makes you more involved with your party members.

[GhostofAnakin]

More designer ramblings, this time on Influence.

 

In K1, you would have the options to speak to your companions about their past or current problems, and these would usually be governed by a pop-up message ([Carth looks worried, perhaps you should speak to him]) or by leveling up.

 

In K2, we removed the leveling and "so and so looks worried" triggers and incorporated the same mechanic into Influence - instead of pop-up triggers, we've given you a few choices:

 

1. The amount you can learn about a companion's past, present, or even future problems depends on how much Influence you have with them, not level. So the more time you spend with a companion either crushing their spirit or helping them, the more options this will open in dialogues with them.

 

2. Influence is not gained simply by doing good and evil acts - it depends on the companion's personality. Some respond better to displays of strength, loyalty, betrayal, or other personality traits that don't always fall neatly into good or evil categories.

 

3. Influence markers will appear in companion dialogues when you make certain choices - these will be marked as [influence: Failure] and [influence: Success], and they'll let you know when you either have or don't have enough Influence to get an answer about a specific question about a companion.

 

4. The more influence you have with a companion will also begin to have an effect on their alignment (this also depends on the companion - some companions, no matter what your influence is, will not be subject to this alignment shift). In some cases, it will also begin to have an effect on OTHER companions, and they may start getting pissed off in a major way.

 

5. Some companions are very hard to Influence, and it is difficult to gain maximum Influence with all companions over the course of the game. This is done for replayability reasons.

 

6. You can only gain Influence with companions who are in your party.

 

7. And lastly, because some people just hate this crap, you don't ever have to speak to your companions at ALL and your Influence with them will never matter - whether you want to plumb the depths of their personality is solely your choice, and the game will not force it on you.

 

However...

 

8. If you do, almost every character has rewards for completing their internal or external Influence companion quests, and it can prove worthwhile in the long run.

 

Anyway, enough ramblings for now.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm liking this.

 

Any feature that adds to replayability is okay by me.

[Fardragon]

Crushing their spirit? Does this mean we'll have 'SOD OFF!' options in dialogues this time? I mean, in Kotor you basically had a choice to talk or not talk to the characters. I couldn't talk to them for a while and then tell them to shut up. So I had to keep talking to them when I got bored with their conversations.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I would imagine it will take more than a SOD OFF to crush the spirits of most companions. You will have to shatter their illusions, dispel thier hopes and dismiss thier dreams. Just the sort of thing a Sith Lord enjoys.

[Ivan the Terrible]

Purpose? Why would anyone want to fight alongside you or help you in any way except as paid mercenaries or other such tributes unless you are involved? Why would they even stick around or acknowledge you as leader unless they were totally lame?

 

Let the people who don't want to interact with the NPCs figure that out themselves.

 

Given that some people don't like it, and it has absolutely no effect whatsoever on you and I since we intend to interact with the NPCs and there's nothing stopping us from doing so, I see no reason to force the interaction down people's throats except sheer selfishness and a demand that everyone play the game the same way.

[DarthDoGooder]

More designer ramblings, this time on Influence.

 

....

 

2. Influence is not gained simply by doing good and evil acts - it depends on the companion's personality. Some respond better to displays of strength, loyalty, betrayal, or other personality traits that don't always fall neatly into good or evil categories.

 

 

*confused* So, what happens if you betray a betrayer? Partly joking, partly not....

[213374U]

Purpose? Why would anyone want to fight alongside you or help you in any way except as paid mercenaries or other such tributes unless you are involved? Why would they even stick around or acknowledge you as leader unless they were totally lame?

 

Listen? Why listen, If you dont want to get involved, pay them, ditch them or kill them. Should be a price, imo.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's been stated that every character has their own agenda and that they have their own reasons for following you. Most DS characters probably expect to get something out of you or from following you... you can guess what the LS characters expect to get.

 

On to the topic, it seems the RP part of this CRPG is turning out to be pretty good. Hopefully it won't be the only part.

[jaguars4ever]

If you do, almost every character has rewards for completing their internal or external Influence companion quests, and it can prove worthwhile in the long run.

:cool:

 

*confused* So, what happens if you betray a betrayer? Partly joking, partly not....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

TotJ is chock full of that stuff.

[Kazic]

Sounds pretty good. Thanks chris!

[DarthDoGooder]

TotJ?

[Meshugger]

...and another subtle, but great design ny Obsidian. Great job guys, i like it already.

 

(And i'm going to play the damn game by next week, thanks to the cheap dollar, i still pay the same amount of money for it as in europe.)

[mista_me]

IRT#1

Sounds like you guys have done a really good job with this part of the game!

[kumquatq3]

Sounds ok.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Ok? My God. A "Ok" by Vol transfers to like a 7.8 out of 10 on the Vol-o-meter.

 

If he said good I may have fainted

[KOTORFanactic]

More wisdom fom Chris Avellone.

I dont know how many times Ive said this but

Thx Mr.Avellone.

This influence thing sounds really interesting, now I am even more psyhed about KOTOR2.

[Exar_Kun]

7. And lastly, because some people just hate this crap, you don't ever have to speak to your companions at ALL and your Influence with them will never matter - whether you want to plumb the depths of their personality is solely your choice, and the game will not force it on you.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

thank you

 

8. If you do, almost every character has rewards for completing their internal or external Influence companion quests, and it can prove worthwhile in the long run.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

dammit...now there's a dilemma, listen to them whine (i hated carth's lack of faith, i really wished to kill him at the end of the game) or get some good sheet...

 

decisions, decisions...

 

too many decisions in this damn game...

 

btw, thx for the info Mr. Avellone and i wish you success on your next project...

[Darth_Gandalf]

Can you give us any more new character info, Mr. Avellone?

[ampulator00]

4. The more influence you have with a companion will also begin to have an effect on their alignment (this also depends on the companion - some companions, no matter what your influence is, will not be subject to this alignment shift). In some cases, it will also begin to have an effect on OTHER companions, and they may start getting pissed off in a major way.

 

5. Some companions are very hard to Influence, and it is difficult to gain maximum Influence with all companions over the course of the game. This is done for replayability reasons.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

In some cases, it will also begin to have an effect on OTHER companions, and they may start getting pissed off in a major way.

 

So, does that mean substantially, or not substantially?

 

it is difficult to gain maximum Influence.

 

It is possible, though?

[envida]

4. The more influence you have with a companion will also begin to have an effect on their alignment (this also depends on the companion - some companions, no matter what your influence is, will not be subject to this alignment shift). In some cases, it will also begin to have an effect on OTHER companions, and they may start getting pissed off in a major way.

 

5. Some companions are very hard to Influence, and it is difficult to gain maximum Influence with all companions over the course of the game. This is done for replayability reasons.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

In some cases, it will also begin to have an effect on OTHER companions, and they may start getting pissed off in a major way.

 

So, does that mean substantially, or not substantially?

 

it is difficult to gain maximum Influence.

 

It is possible, though?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This sounds good. Thanks Chris.

Maybe your party will start a mutiny against you :cool:

I guess if you are gonna get maximum Influence with all party members you would have too change who you take with you a lot and keep talking to everyone all the time, would be a long playthrough I guess :D

[Trooper]

Thanks Chris! Without your ramblings we would simply be whiny TSL fans clamouring for info.

[Icon]

Thanks for the info Chris? No.

Thanks for the implementation of ideas like this. One small step for Obsidian, one giant leap for CRPGs.

[BC83]

This game is sounding better and better. Also, thanks Chris.

[DSLuke]

So true, one can barely wait.

[Laozi]

I'll just be happy that they've gotten rid of, "Carth looks like he needs to take a dump. Do you want to talk to him?"

[jaguars4ever]

TotJ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Tales of the Jedi. :cool:

[Judge Hades]

More designer ramblings, this time on Influence.

 

In K1, you would have the options to speak to your companions about their past or current problems, and these would usually be governed by a pop-up message ([Carth looks worried, perhaps you should speak to him]) or by leveling up.

 

In K2, we removed the leveling and "so and so looks worried" triggers and incorporated the same mechanic into Influence - instead of pop-up triggers, we've given you a few choices:

 

1. The amount you can learn about a companion's past, present, or even future problems depends on how much Influence you have with them, not level. So the more time you spend with a companion either crushing their spirit or helping them, the more options this will open in dialogues with them.

 

2. Influence is not gained simply by doing good and evil acts - it depends on the companion's personality. Some respond better to displays of strength, loyalty, betrayal, or other personality traits that don't always fall neatly into good or evil categories.

 

3. Influence markers will appear in companion dialogues when you make certain choices - these will be marked as [influence: Failure] and [influence: Success], and they'll let you know when you either have or don't have enough Influence to get an answer about a specific question about a companion.

 

4. The more influence you have with a companion will also begin to have an effect on their alignment (this also depends on the companion - some companions, no matter what your influence is, will not be subject to this alignment shift). In some cases, it will also begin to have an effect on OTHER companions, and they may start getting pissed off in a major way.

 

5. Some companions are very hard to Influence, and it is difficult to gain maximum Influence with all companions over the course of the game. This is done for replayability reasons.

 

6. You can only gain Influence with companions who are in your party.

 

7. And lastly, because some people just hate this crap, you don't ever have to speak to your companions at ALL and your Influence with them will never matter - whether you want to plumb the depths of their personality is solely your choice, and the game will not force it on you.

 

However...

 

8. If you do, almost every character has rewards for completing their internal or external Influence companion quests, and it can prove worthwhile in the long run.

 

Anyway, enough ramblings for now.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I hope you keep this design philosophy in NWN 2. I very much like this.