RinpocheSchnozberry wrote...
But I don't want to wander around doing nothing for a portion of my game session. Or, maybe this better expresses my feelings: Every place I go, every area I interact with should reward me with story, dialogue, and character.
...and every time I push a button, some awes- okay, okay, bit of a low blow.
But we really do come from opposite directions on this. I was absolutely fine sticking 'walk' on during journeys through DA:O's Deep Roads. In fact, I've used walk for the vast majority of all DA:O playthroughs, because forcibly slowing things down not only gives more time to appreciate the artwork and atmosphere, it also adds to the sense of it being a long journey broken by moments of danger.
I'm also someone who was quite happy trekking halfway over the map in Morrowind and Skyrim. I don't mind immersing myself in the world because its a world worth immersing in, it doesn't all have to be about things having to leap up and demand my attention and offer rewards in the form of loot, dialogue, side-quests, etc.
SeanMurphy2 wrote...
Also is there a practical way to
improve the sense of exploration within an urban area like Hightown,
Denerim or Redcliffe?
I always
wondered how Bioware are so great at creating emotions and attachment to
your companion characters and bring them to life. But not as effective
in creating emotional feelngs towards a location.
Redcliffe was
good. It felt like a functioning community, I cared about the people
there and it was a beautiful setting next to the lake.
I'd say there are three parts to this. Genuine exploration, the illusion of exploration, and distraction.
Genuine exploration is the Morrowind / Oblivion / Skyrim approach of making anything habitable enterable. Might be locked, but you can learn to pick it. Or find a way in through a window. There won't necessarily be much inside every place as a result, but you can go anywhere and do anything the game allows you to. And from time to time, you'll stumble on something very unexpected. But it requires a fair chunk of resource to set up, and really requires the entire world to be built in that way, or it somehow seems odd.
The illusion of exploration avoids going that far. So the map is fixed, but little tricks like scattering a number of side roads and paths across it are used, often with multiple entrances and exits to other areas. Elements of these side-sections are used for main-quest or side-quest locations, and some will have unexpected elements for people who do explore the path less travelled. Random snatches of conversation, things you can see or experience that bring the world a little to life, but that don't need to be experienced by someone who'd rather not explore.
Distraction is something I feel TES also does fairly well. The worlds are actually relatively static, when you get down to it. Like MMOs, they don't usually undergo any fundamental change (of course, neither did Kirkwall, which was a massive missed opportunity). However, you can rework that in a number of ways - changing seasons, changing weather on a random basis. The first time I tried to get to Ald'ruhn in Morrowind, having to walk face on into a dust storm with my character holding his hand up to shield his eyes...very, very memorable.
So you don't necessarily change the static build of the world, but you do change what happens within it. If it rains, people might run for shelter rather than standing outside and talking in the sun. People's clothings may adapt with the weather, as might their introductory comments to you. The idea being to make you want to slow down and look around, to see the same world again in a new light, and get the sense that it is actually a world where things are happening around you, rather than just a series of paths you need to follow to progress the main quest and/or get your next epic piece of loot.
Retour en haut
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