Hall of Heroes - Additional thought

[DocDoomII]

I know it's still not a reality, but I'm pretty confident we can get to 2.6 million before the Kickstart ends (and we still don't know how the paypal section is going), BUT

 

I had an interesting Idea.

 

As I gather the Hall of Heroes will give us the ability to create custom companions much like Icewind Dale saga did.

But, what's the main difference between IWD dale companions and BG and P:T companions?

Party banters and personal quests!

 

So... how about this:

When creating a custom companion we can choose a prefabricated 'story' for him and that will grant us banters and quests!

It doesn't need to be too specific, like an only rogue past, or only elf past and such. There could be maybe up to five 'story' and they don't even need to have the same detail and complexity of normal companions. They just need to give the feeling that the custom companion is not 'lifeless'.

 

I know that this is well beyond the scope of the 2.6 million goal and will probably need more founding, but I think it is a much needed addition for all of the players that don't plan on using the Hall of Heroes for how 'blank' the companions could end up being.

 

Thoughts?

[Monte Carlo]

It's a great idea. Not essential for me, but a good idea nonetheless.

[Infinitron]

Adventurer's Hall, not Hall of Heroes.

 

 

Man, this game already has companions. Are we going to have another "PLZ NO SOULLESS PCS" debacle like with Wasteland 2?

[Bloody Hypocrite]

I like it, but as you said it may be beyond the scope of the goal. Also, folks might prefer a silent party so that they can project their characters' reactions.

[DocDoomII]

Adventurer's Hall, not Hall of Heroes.

 

Right. Total failing on my side. Can a Mod please fix my title?

 

Pwetty pwease?

[C2B]

Not really.

 

Please no, actually.

 

I want to create my own personal backstories for the NPC's if I go that route. Not having to choose between several pre-made ones.

 

If anything, we should have additional options in dialog to reflect the personality I gave them and chose them accordingly.

Edited October 6, 2012 by C2B

[Shades]

So you mean... Perhaps if you could make them sorta like the BG1 companions? While the proper companions would be more like BG2/PS:T companions. I can see how that would work (though might require VO work unless they were dialogue-only with the same assigned soundsets that the PC chooses from) if they have the time and funds spare to do it. Otherwise we're bound to eventually get mods adding more companions in sooner or later too.

[DocDoomII]

 

I want to create my own personal backstories for the NPC's if I go that route. Not having to choose between several pre-made ones.

 

Meaning that you want a 'user-editor' to allow you to give them personality? That seems thousand miles more complex.

[DocDoomII]

So you mean... Perhaps if you could make them sorta like the BG1 companions? While the proper companions would be more like BG2/PS:T companions. I can see how that would work (though might require VO work unless they were dialogue-only with the same assigned soundsets that the PC chooses from) if they have the time and funds spare to do it. Otherwise we're bound to eventually get mods adding more companions in sooner or later too.

Indeed, if the companions created with the Adventurer's Hall end up to be blank, I'll wait for some community created fully fledged companions.

[C2B]

I want to create my own personal backstories for the NPC's if I go that route. Not having to choose between several pre-made ones.

 

Meaning that you want a 'user-editor' to allow you to give them personality? That seems thousand miles more complex.

 

No? It's a simple text field I write the history in.

 

This isn't really revolutionary.

Edited October 6, 2012 by C2B

[Majek]

Bad idea. Waste of time and funds. It's bad enough they gave whiners the Adventurer's hall.

Edited October 6, 2012 by Majek

[Crusty]

I think a lot of personality can be handled naturally through the game mechanics rather than complete pre-fab plotlines.

 

Like, when you create characters, there would be a variety of traits you can choose from which effects their behaviour and AI. A curiosity trait that causes NPCs to run and open chests when they see it unless ordered to hold (and get hit by traps). A kleptomanic trait that has party members steal from others (Wasteland had this dynamic IIRC). And the like.

 

To me though, the flaw with the OP's idea is that the plotlines would have to be repeatable or handled procedurally. It's impossible to have each story scripted like normal story branches as there are potentially/presumably an unlimited amount of characters that can be created with the Adventurer's Hall. Add to that, I just don't think it's a good use of resources.

 

As long as you can create characters from scratch, that's all that matters.

Edited October 6, 2012 by Crusty

[Osvir]

Mod support! <3 That's all I've got to say for now :D

[diablo169]

It's a nice thought but it simply isnt needed, they are going to try and make the game mod friendly so you will get this sooner or later. For now I would rather not stretch Chris Avellone even thinner.

[villain of the story]

It's an "Adventurer's Hall". Narrative-wise, it will be like hiring nobodies so I'm not sure I'd like it if they pulled some personal crab on me or nagged me about their personal bullshot. However, if you could just up and create new characters once you reached whatever necessary level, it would also be kind of disappointing. Too easy, no? So I sort of agree with Crusty. I'd like behaviour traits (though not annoying things like autonomous looting) to balance it.

 

Jagged Alliance 2 comes to mind. Characters had all sorts of traits that made them authentic. Some hated the water. Some, the heat or rain or desert or night or each other. Some were psychotic and went on auto-fire sprees even though you had only wanted to shoot once. Etc.

 

In fact, it might have been far better if you could just hire (as in, keep them paid for as long as you wanted one) premade and reasonably fleshed out NPCs at this Adventurer's Hall with behaviour traits and very brief backgrounds ala JA/JA2 sans the plot-narrative depth promised for the companions.

 

More so, they could use "the custom NPC" reward exclusively to fill the Adventurer's Hall roster.

 

Either case, having to pay to keep a custom character from Adventurer's Hall would be a good point to balance it and give world currency extra meaning. After all, it's extremely likely that we will become crazy rich by mid-game.

Edited October 6, 2012 by villain of the story

[DocDoomII]

@villain of the story

I like the idea of the fee to keep them in the party, and the behaviour thing.

[SnideCipher]

DocDoomII: I am sure your post was awesome, but I was so distracted by your awesome sig that I couldn't read it!

[Uomoz]

DocDoomII: I am sure your post was awesome, but I was so distracted by your awesome sig that I couldn't read it!

 

QFT

[Ieo]

I want to create my own personal backstories for the NPC's if I go that route. Not having to choose between several pre-made ones.

 

Meaning that you want a 'user-editor' to allow you to give them personality? That seems thousand miles more complex.

 

No? It's a simple text field I write the history in.

 

This isn't really revolutionary.

 

As Osvir says, mods could be really useful here, but it's just too early to tell.

 

It's a nice idea, but probably beyond the scope, yes.

 

It would be nice if optional premade backgrounds were optional alongside a plain build--I can see people who despise a specific companion but who don't like full-on IWD personality-less tactical engagement go for a "prefab" with *some* banter to fill out the party.

 

Actually, having basic voice sets for selection, combat cries, and stuff could help a lot in that regard (some personality) without requiring full banter writes. I dunno.

[Larkaloke]

Not really.

 

Please no, actually.

 

I want to create my own personal backstories for the NPC's if I go that route. Not having to choose between several pre-made ones.

 

If anything, we should have additional options in dialog to reflect the personality I gave them and chose them accordingly.

 

I quite agree. It's an interesting idea, and I can see that some people would like it. As an extra option I would not mind it, since I wouldn't have to use it.

 

However, for me at least, it would defeat the entire point of creating your own party -- that being, to create a whole party of your own characters, and roleplay them how you like. If I want NPCs, I'll take the ones that are already there. I see absolutely nothing wrong with how Icewind Dale does it.

[Chippy]

I'd use the hall for creating familiars/animal companions if possible - likely until I replaced them with a fully fledged companion. So it would be cool to assign a soundset to that familiar. Maybe (at a cost of some sort) they could be sent back to the player stronghold to defend it if needed.

 

I can see my army of vopal bunnies manning the ramparts right now!. Well, you get the idea.