Issues with NPC/Item Surveys

[Bryy]

 

 

 

 

 

And for anyone else designing an item, if you'd be interested in getting involved in designing a piece for of an entire set of armor, please PM me.  Need 4 more folks to make it work.  I'd like it to be full plate, but other than that I'm completely open to backstory and design.

 

 

No takers, huh?  Too bad...  Would have been cool.

 

That's a nice idea. I hope it works out.

 

I'm starting to think that it will be nearly impossible to convince 4 of the 50 or so pledgers who threw a grand at this project to get together in a team instead of designing their own ninja item.  Plus, I have no idea who the others are aside from who checks in here...

 

But until I learn of a deadline for this, I'll keep the request open.

 

 

If I had an extra grand of Fun Money just lying around, I would join like a rabid dog.

[MasterPrudent]

 

 

 

 

 

And for anyone else designing an item, if you'd be interested in getting involved in designing a piece for of an entire set of armor, please PM me.  Need 4 more folks to make it work.  I'd like it to be full plate, but other than that I'm completely open to backstory and design.

 

 

No takers, huh?  Too bad...  Would have been cool.

 

That's a nice idea. I hope it works out.

 

I'm starting to think that it will be nearly impossible to convince 4 of the 50 or so pledgers who threw a grand at this project to get together in a team instead of designing their own ninja item.  Plus, I have no idea who the others are aside from who checks in here...

 

But until I learn of a deadline for this, I'll keep the request open.

 

If you don't get any takers you should design a breastplate that's clearly part of a set (like, I dunno, a breastplate of elemental protection that only mitigates fire damage - I know, not an actual thing in PE) and see if obsidian bites and creates the whole set around it.

[J.E. Sawyer]

 

Not to disagree on the importance of quality low-power items, but wasn't the premise of the backer pledge that it would be an epic, high level item that would be one of the best in the game?

 

By all means, design whatever you want, but if every backer at this tier insists on proposing the equivalent of +5 holy avenger long swords, the likelihood that a given player will see any one of them will spiral downward.  Applebane was an example of an item that a huge number of players saw (and evidently, remember), not what I actually think backers should propose.

 

This is the backers' chance to design an item for the game.  Maybe you want to propose the equivalent of a +1 icy morning star or a suit of +2 hide armor.  Or, maybe you really do want a +3 long sword.  If a backer uses this opportunity to design something that's like hundreds of other items, it may not stand out.  My comments are not meant as a prohibition, just something to keep in mind.

[J.E. Sawyer]

Hello there everyone! Another item backer here.

 

A few questions for Josh regarding the backstory of my planned item.

 

Even though I'm creating a backstory for an item, some part of it regards the character who wielded it and therefor have questions relating to that.

 

1. Naming an orlan. I looked at your post a few pages back regarding names and they seemed to be categorized culturally (or regionally) and not racially. Does that mean an orlan could very well have the same name as a human (or did I totally missunderstand?)? And is it possible to PM the (two) names that occur in the back story of my item to see if they fit the setting at all (I think my names might be way offside)?

 

2. Military.

 

a)What can you say about the military structures in (or around) Dyrwood? Are there any armies (or perhaps slightly smaller units; regiment or brigades)?

 

b)If yes, are they structured like our armies are/were?

 

c)Are there any military forts (or equivalent) in Dyrwood?

 

d)Are the military units (regardless of size, I assume there are atleast minor units such as companies) tied to individuals (a warlord, a baron, a king, etc) or to a certain region or country?

 

3. Does lions exist in this setting?

 

That's all for now. Thanks!

 

1. Yes, people in the same culture often share names, regardless of race.  Orlans dominantly come from a few areas: Eir Glanfath (where they tend to have Glanfathan names), the Dyrwood (Glanfathan or Aedyran names), and Ixamitl (loosely, Nahautl names).  PM me your ideas.

 

2.

 

a) There are quite a few military structures/fortified areas in the Dyrwood ranging from fortified cities to castles.  The Dyrwood does not have a standing army, but many erls keep professional soldiers organized in groups the size of a platoon or (for high-conflict areas) a company even during peacetime.  The Saint's War was fought in part by these private armies but dominantly with peasant soldiers.  The Dozen, the twelve men and women who held Dana Eobhainn Bridge to ensure the destruction of St. Waidwen, were all peasants.

 

b) More-or-less yes, though there may be a few differences.  The "lieutenant" rank in the Dyrwood uses the title "steadman" but is functionally the same.  There are no subdivisions of steadman, sergeant, or corporal ranks.

 

c) Yes.  Fortified communities are not uncommon, especially near the Dyrwood/Eir Glanfath border.

 

d) Professional armies serve their employers, who often are nobles (though sometimes simply wealthy individuals).  Of course, all of those nobles pledge (and re-pledge) to serve the will of their elected duc.  This does not always work in practice.  When nobles levy armies in the Dyrwood, they only lawfully do so under a ducal order of conscription.  The service that peasants pledge is to the duc and their country, not individual nobles.  In practice, they always serve under regional nobles (typically erls and thayns).  Erls and thayns hold hereditary positions.  Ducs are elected by the seven erls.

 

3. Lions exist in this world, but are exotic in the Dyrwood.  Staelgar are the dominant big cat in Eir Glanfath and the Dyrwood.  They have a tiger-like build, lion-like mane and tail, "sabre" teeth, and a dark spotted coat.

[Tamerlane]

...

 

Do staelgar live communally like lions, or are they solitary like most cats?

[J.E. Sawyer]

They form prides, but may be found hunting alone or in groups.

[Sykid]

Thanks for taking the time to respond, Mr. Sawyer!  Happy new year!

[Labadal]

After having more words to use for the background, I suddenly feel less happy with my NPC 

[Gumbercules]

I don't have the design-an-item tier but thought of a question that might be relevant to those that do:

 

Does creating an item with magical effects always involve using souls or soul fragments? If so, is the process always unpleasant and morally questionable or are there consensual, soul-friendly ways to enchant an item? This could affect the backstory for some items.

[Chaos Theory]

After getting zero takers for the cooperative plate armor concept, I have decided to take the prior advice and design a lower-level item.

[vril]

I am finishing up the character survey.  The back story is 1250 characters.  However, when I save the survey for later and return to it  The backstory is cut off at 1000 characters.  Possibly the database field is only 1000 characters?

Edited January 2, 2014 by vril

[Labadal]

I am finishing up the character survey.  The back story is 1250 characters.  However, when I save the survey for later and return to it  The backstory is cut off at 1000 characters.  Possibly the database field is only 1000 characters?

 

I was checking up on what I had written and had the same thing happen to me. I don't even remember what I wrote for the last 250 characters.

 

[Tamerlane]

They form prides, but may be found hunting alone or in groups.

 

Rad.

[Guest Matt Sheets]

I am finishing up the character survey.  The back story is 1250 characters.  However, when I save the survey for later and return to it  The backstory is cut off at 1000 characters.  Possibly the database field is only 1000 characters?

 

 

 

I am finishing up the character survey.  The back story is 1250 characters.  However, when I save the survey for later and return to it  The backstory is cut off at 1000 characters.  Possibly the database field is only 1000 characters?

 

I was checking up on what I had written and had the same thing happen to me. I don't even remember what I wrote for the last 250 characters.

 

 

 

That issue is now resolved.

 

Sorry about that.

 

If you submitted your survey please email support (support@obsidian.net) so we can get everything resolved.

[Labadal]

I rewrote the stuff that went missing, and it seems that the issue has been resolved, like you said.

[vril]

That issue is now resolved.

 

Sorry about that.

 

If you submitted your survey please email support (support@obsidian.net) so we can get everything resolved.

 

 

Excellent, thank you !

[Droethan]

Dang, really wish I'd seen this thread before I submitted mine, I had to be very, very general in some ways, and I said my character should use a magic implement which it turns out is, ehh, not the case for their class.  Hopefully I can make some strategic edits after Feedback...

 

Just for my 2 cents, I think everyone should think not just about themselves, but also in context, as a player, when designing their items and NPCs.  Sure, it might be great to see everyone wielding your Smoking Brand of Icy Destruction Katana-Axe when they charge the Big Bad Evil Guy, but helping people get to that point is just as noble a deed and nearly as memorable.  Case in point, who here played Fallout: New Vegas?  Who's first character was a Stealth/Guns type?  Now, which do you remember more fondly, the Anti-Materiel Rifle you used to clear the game with, or *Ratslayer*?  Sure, it wasn't a great anti-Deathclaw weapon, but that gun (for the uninitiated, it was a low-tier Varmint Rifle with all the upgrades, scope, magazine, silencer, plus reduced weight) could easily carry you all the way to Vegas and back out again, letting you massacre low-level threats like ghouls, NCR patrols, etc. with utter impunity.  I never, ever sold Ratslayer in any playthtough, it's the sort of weapon you retire on a wall mount before you ever think of parting with it.

 

So that's my challenge to at least some of you.  Mercy is a heck of a find, and everyone likes their Thermic Lance, but Ratslayer is epic without being epically powered.  I think it's better to be wielded or worn for the entirety of the game's first half than to only be donned for the final couple of hours.

EDIT - For self-spoilers.

Edited January 4, 2014 by Droethan

[Sykid]

Dang, really wish I'd seen this thread before I submitted mine, I had to be very, very general in some ways, and I said my character should use a magic implement which it turns out is, ehh, not the case for their class.  Hopefully I can make some strategic edits after Feedback...

 

Just for my 2 cents, I think everyone should think not just about themselves, but also in context, as a player, when designing their items and NPCs.  Sure, it might be great to see everyone wielding your Smoking Brand of Icy Destruction Katana-Axe when they charge the Big Bad Evil Guy, but helping people get to that point is just as noble a deed and nearly as memorable.  Case in point, who here played Fallout: New Vegas?  Who's first character was a Stealth/Guns type?  Now, which do you remember more fondly, the Anti-Materiel Rifle you used to clear the game with, or *Ratslayer*?  Sure, it wasn't a great anti-Deathclaw weapon, but that gun (for the uninitiated, it was a low-tier Varmint Rifle with all the upgrades, scope, magazine, silencer, plus reduced weight) could easily carry you all the way to Vegas and back out again, letting you massacre low-level threats like ghouls, NCR patrols, etc. with utter impunity.  I never, ever sold Ratslayer in any playthtough, it's the sort of weapon you retire on a wall mount before you ever think of parting with it.

 

So that's my challenge to at least some of you.  Mercy is a heck of a find, and everyone likes their Thermic Lance, but Ratslayer is epic without being epically powered.  I think it's better to be wielded or worn for the entirety of the game's first half than to only be donned for the final couple of hours.

 

EDIT - For self-spoilers.

 

 

I used ratslayer all the way through the game.  It had a silencer which no other sniper rifle had (at least until the Old World Blues DLC was released), a night vision scope and a really high crit modifier which made it great for stealth sniping soft targets.  It had a unique combination of properties that no other weapon could replicate.

 

If PoE had items that were balanced around a variety of attributes like F:NV and not sheer numerical supremacy (+2 Sword > +1 Sword) then I think that would be great.

[vril]

Submitted my NPC design.  Your move Obsidian devs 

 

PM or email me if you have any questions.

[SophosTheWise]

I still didn't get a survey for the t-shirt.

[Lephys]

I still didn't get a survey for the t-shirt.

Now they can implement multiplayer!

 

Shirts versus skins!

[Guest Matt Sheets]

I still didn't get a survey for the t-shirt.

 

We're looking into that for you.

 

You should have received a survey for your T-Shirt and how your name should appear in the Credits.

[Mannock]

Is there a deadline for the texts for the items?

[Guest Matt Sheets]

Is there a deadline for the texts for the items?

 

Currently we don't have a deadline set.  When we do decide on the deadline, we'll make sure to give plenty of time for people to complete the surveys.

[Chaos Theory]

Out of curiosity, has anyone received feedback regarding their submitted surveys?