What if we could have a child?

[Bos_hybrid]

[C2B]

No, too creepy and unesscary. Except if multiple Generations was actually a gameplay element like it was in DQV.

 

Would a child of a "mixed marriage" elf and dwarf be considered a half-elf or a half-dwarf?

 

Would that even work in the first place?

[Gorth]

No, too creepy and unesscary. Except if multiple Generations was actually a gameplay element like it was in DQV.

 

Would a child of a "mixed marriage" elf and dwarf be considered a half-elf or a half-dwarf?

 

Would that even work in the first place?

I don't know

 

It would probably result in a bulky elf or a tall dwarf.

[Grimnir]

Seems overly complicated and detracts from the game they are trying to make. Sorry, the line between Eternity and the Sims has to be drawn somewhere and this crosses it for me.

[Sacculina]

A kid, mmh...

Will I be ablt to kill it with fire? Or abort it? Or sacrifice him to a fake dark god? Or drain his soul to feed mine?

If the answer is no, I'm not interested.

 

I would only support the OP's suggestion if all of these options were also included in the base game. Make the most of that 'mature' rating, Obsidian! Give us a 'baby-eater' perk!

Edited September 17, 2012 by Sacculina

[septembervirgin]

I really don't know the OP well enough to answer this question thoroughly. Can the OP afford having a child with all of us?

 

To be serious though I think that multiple generations might be good expansion or sequel material. I have often hoped to play a CRPG where the adventuring party (and several non-adventuring NPC) are the descendants of the adventurers in the original game. It would be trees chick!

 

I can only shiver in horror over how much adding a single child to the game would cost on Kickstarter. Think about it, would you feel safe if one of the stretch goals achieved the entire Obsidian staff impregnating everyone on the bulletin board regardless of gender? Egads.

[HangedMan]

I think their could be something interesting done with it being an epilogue thing. And if their are sequels, maybe you get to play the son/daughter/spawn of the main character from the first?

 

Could be interesting to have an origins like childhood segment for the character in question, where they have to deal with some of the things their parent(s) did. Also, maybe some passive bonuses to skills; for instance, if your mother was a highly ranked swordswoman, their son might be a true natural at using a sword in combat.

 

Both parents were Vulcan-like in their logicality? Big bonuses to intellectual spheres, Diplomacy, and the like, with maybe some downside due to having shallow emotional development. Maybe the kid feels alienated because he just doesn't understand what motivates the people around him (emotions).

 

I do agree, however, that such a system would require a lot of work; maybe even more than it's worth. Ah well, one can dream.

Edited September 17, 2012 by HangedMan

[Darkpriest]

Sorry... no... I mean.. how would you put that in the "lifetime" of the game... I could get into the idea of having a sequel in which you are playing some descendant of a previous hero, maybe a child... but a romance + a child that's just not a good idea from a game design point of view...

[Semper]

the possibility that you've produced a child. I think it would make for interesting dialogue options.

 

kinda like:

- oh, i am the chosen one and our child will rule the world.

- do you abort? you really want to keep this thing? didn't you prevent, you filthy bia***?

- lets name it hensel and expose it in teh woods! sequel's mysterious antagonist incoming.

- would you like to end our adventure and chillax?

- lets discuss this genetical outcome of our interracial breeding in detail while sitting around the fire. fency tea tyme included.

- what hair color will it have?

 

i can't think of anything interesting a "real" baby could add to the game. should there be romances we could talk about an ending slide but everything else just sucks.

Edited September 17, 2012 by Semper

[Tagaziel]

The suggestion is not half bad. Wizardry 8 had children. Or actually, one child. Born out of the unholy union between the Rapax queen and a member of the party. The entire process was pretty terrifying, and the selected party member was uncoscious most of the time.

 

You actually met your kid later, leading the demonic army at Ascension Peak.

 

I never actually met him - that was the moment, when Dervish (our highly eccentric Rawulf priest and, incidentally, unwitting father) succeeded in casting Mass Death at max power, reducing the army to one tenth of its original number.

[Shadenuat]

The main question is...

...will there be children in the game at all? [trollface]

[qloher]

Options are always ok, just make sure we proud chilldfrees can avoid kids altogether without a need to avoid romances.

[Tagaziel]

"Proud" childfrees? What is there to be proud of?

 

Regardless, if you don't want children, don't romance or at least make sure she's taken her elixirs before charging into the keep.

[qloher]

"Proud" childfrees? What is there to be proud of?

In that case let's change it to "humble" if you want good sir/madam. It does not matter.

Regardless, if you don't want children, don't romance...

Well, this is exactly the requirement I do not want to be imposed on me.

...or at least make sure she's taken her elixirs before charging into the keep.

And that is exactly what I do want. So I voice an opinion that we need some kind of an elixir as an option present in-game in this case.

Edited September 17, 2012 by qloher

[Lady Evenstar]

Would a child of a "mixed marriage" elf and dwarf be considered a half-elf or a half-dwarf?

 

I think it adds a lot of complications to the game without adding much. It makes sense in some strategy games (like the Paradox games or some old KOEI games) where dynasties are important. In a crpg it would most likely require you to give up adventuring, settle down, build a cottage and do honest work for a living.

 

And be flagged "limited to parental duty" when your save is imported into a sequel! It's not that a game couldn't explore this theme, but it's the sort of theme that would need to be central to the game (and its target audience) to be worthwhile.

[Tagaziel]

Don't dissect sentences, please. It's one whole: if you're afraid of producing offspring in any given fantasy setting (provided it's possible under the rules of the game), keep your appendages on a leash, or make sure that the former's not going to happen.

 

As for the proud/humble dichotomy, just don't use any grading adjectives. There's nothing to be proud of.

[qloher]

Wasn't I clear enough? I would love to make sure I'm just telling you that an ability or inability to make sure is something that should be scripted by developers in-game in order for players to exercise this. Player is restricted by options presented, I may be willing to make sure as hard as humanly possible but if there is no according code presented my wishes does not matter. Should authors decide to have an ability for PC to have children and approach this task with a prejudice that everyone likes children and wants them when falls in love, than there is not much I can do about it unless I mod or something, also my RP gets undermined (again, unless I mod). And I do not want it. That's all.

[Tagaziel]

You'd have a point if you were posting on a Bioware board, about a Bioware point.

 

This is Obsidian. And knowing Obsidian, if children will be included together with romances, there may be a subplot somewhere, about an obsessive woman that attempts to snare the PC or a companion with a child, after feigning contraception, leaving to a lot of problems, particularly if there are courts involved.

 

That is, unless the Dark Elf in the party doesn't just stab her to death.

[qloher]

Maybe you are right. Still I was writing my post as an answer to OP accordingly to his vision presented, keep this in mind.

[JediMB]

I'd be fine with some of these things being brought up towards the end of the game, and during the epilogue. Wouldn't want to disturb or overly complicate the flow of the game. I love the Fallout series' and Dragon Age: Origins' epilogue style, where the long-term consequences of one's actions are showcased, and of course I'd appreciate if it touched on smaller details like promises made between the main character and companions as well.

 

Damn it. Now you've got me thinking about the possibility of single characters or same-sex couples adopting orphans. Something like if my Dalish Warden and Leliana could adopt a City Elf kid in DAO, once the whole dragon-slaying business was over.

 

At the end of the day, I'll just trust Obsidian to do what they think is best for the game.

[Suen]

there may be a subplot somewhere, about an obsessive woman that attempts to snare the PC or a companion with a child, after feigning contraception.

Or a creepy dude claiming he got himself fixed...

 

However... this is a fantasy world, where magic is widespread, preventing or fixing a little inconvenience could be even more easy than in the real world.

Magic condoms! Infertility inducing curses! Special slimes! Poison! Soul Eaters!

[fkldnhlsdngsfnhlsndlg]

I'm only in favour of babies if it means that we can sacrifice them to dark gods in exchange for powers untold. Preferably right in front of their mothers, who are then disembowled and strung up by their own entrails and forced to bear dying witness to the rebirth of Hell incarnate.

 

What can I say, I'm a family man.

 

In all seriousness, I am highly opposed to child-rearing in games, much like romance, unless it has some significant bearing on the story. Including romances, children, etc. for LARPing needs is silly and takes precious resources away from other aspects of development, like creating more lore, quests, and so on. While this sort of thing can be handled well (i.e. political strategy meta-game where you raise a noble family of your own within a castle), I think in general this sort of thing is contradictory to the spirit of most RPGs, and especially the "adventuring around the world" stuff that serves as their foundation in most cases.

 

Again, if it makes sense in the context of the story, and can be made into an interesting gameplay element, then I'm all for it. But I don't want Obsidian bending over backwards to include child-rearing for no other reason than a few players want to live out their fantasies in-game. There are other titles out there that allow them to do it much better already.

Edited September 17, 2012 by sea