Text Based Encounters (King of Dragon Pass & Darklands)

[Felithvian]

Multiple choices through a vast range of events both mundane and fantastical with different possible outcomes, leading to small/large penalties or small/large rewards. Much like a jackpot based on the background lore.

 

 

 

 

 

[Eiphel]

I believe the intent is to include text based, interactive 'cutscenes', although they are much more 'micro' in scale than the example given above. The activity above wouldn't make sense as a text based screen, since it includes dialogue, exploration of a location, and monster encounters - the specific stuff that is the meat of IE gameplay. What we have seen is an example of such a scene in which the player is presented with different options regarding crossing a collapsed bridge, which makes much more sense since jumping, climbing, engineering and the like are not part of the core gameplay.

Edited June 2, 2013 by Eiphel

[Felithvian]

Given the narrative format of all events, dialogue, exploration and battles would all be resumed by a new set of words.

 

 

You know, if you "launch an investigation", you might lose 300 experience points, or you might end up gaining 500 gold coins. That sort of stuff.

 

Not as complex as some sequential events in Dragon Pass or Darklands, but more like an introduction to the world's lore with a "mini-game" attached to it.

 

[Micamo]

Actually, the IE games sortof already did this. When you interact with an object or talk to someone, the isometric world freezes and all the action takes place in the dialogue box down below. Like in Torment, taking the items off the zombies in the mortuary, or dealing with pickpockets in the hive, or messing with the modron cube. The functional difference here is instead of showing a frozen view of the isometric world, the player is instead presented with a piece of art showing what they're messing with.

 

That said, I'm worried that they'll let these scripted events scenes replace actually wandering around and exploring the world. If I have to explore a city, for example, by navigating through a Darklands-style dialogue tree instead of physically walking around and clicking on everything I want to check out, I will be monumentally disappointed. By all appearances this is the direction they're already taking: The crossing the bridge example we've already seen is a *perfect* example of something that should be done with the characters in isometric view that they're instead doing with a scripted event scene. In a rush to appeal to nostalgia by cribbing aspects of other old RPGs I'm worried they'll destroy the foundations of the IE-style game they were setting out to build in the first place.

[Osvir]

Yes! In some instances (or singular instance) I would love to battle with words rather than with swords. That doesn't rhyme, but it should!

Regardless, I had this odd thought/idea that sprung to mind seeing this pictures.

Idea: An illusion. A puzzle, where you have control of your 6 party members, walk on top of a picture with choices and some background art. The choices themselves you choose heckle the player, as the villain has trapped him/her in this "realm" or whatnot. Perhaps would fit better in a game like Torment but for some reason I envision it being an awesome (and frustrating) encounter.

[Nonek]

Far prefer a mix of good prose and fine artwork to an animated cutsecene you simply watch, prose can convey complex images and emotions far more effectively than even the latest top of the line graphics. Pour an evocative soundtrack over the top, to glue it all together and personally i'll be more than content.

[melkathi]

I loved text based encounters in King of Dragon Pass, loved them in King Arthur: the Roleplaying Wargame and am loving them in Expeditions: Conquistador.

[WorstUsernameEver]

The crossing the bridge example we've already seen is a *perfect* example of something that should be done with the characters in isometric view that they're instead doing with a scripted event scene. In a rush to appeal to nostalgia by cribbing aspects of other old RPGs I'm worried they'll destroy the foundations of the IE-style game they were setting out to build in the first place.

Crossing the bridge is something that would have been done in dialogue either way, so I don't really understand your complaints here? It seems to me like you're making a leap and assuming that core aspects of the gameplay will be handled a-là Darklands to save on the budget, but there's simply no evidence of that.

[Lephys]

It seems to me like you're making a leap and assuming that core aspects of the gameplay will be handled a-là Darklands to save on the budget, but there's simply no evidence of that.

*Sees what you did there.*

 

On-topic, I'd have to say that there are certain things *namely skill checks* that could be spiced up a bit, and those little scripted events might be a perfect way to do it. Maybe Lockpicking could get some (with rarer/story-based and/or elaborate locks and such). You already see this in a lot of games. Something that's already handled via direct gameplay mechanics, but then, it comes up in the story, and it's handled differently.

 

I think there's definitely a place for these little scripted events, where they can be significant and appreciated.