11 réponses à ce sujet

[jackkel dragon]

I'd like to know what people find most interesting in a NWN module (or NWN2, or DA.) I'm currently working on the outline for my nwn module, and thought I'd see what people think about the aspects of a RPG story.

To get things started, I'll list a few of the aspects that I'm interested in hearing opinions on:
- Strong Story
- Non-linear Storyline
- Major Branching Story Choices
- Minor RP Choices
- Character Personality
- Character Backstory
- Character Interactivity
- Companion-related Missions
- Companion Romance
- Character Romance (NPC)
- Stong Setting
- Background Information of the Setting (like the Codex in recent BioWare games)
- Length of Dialog/Conversations
- Amount of Battles
- Difficulty of Battles
- Strategic Battles (requiring quick thinking and use of special powers/tactics)
- Amount of Equipment
- Variation of Equipment
- Customization of Equipment
- Creation of Equipment ("Crafting")
- Main Character (Generic? Defined? Pre-set? "Origin" selected by player?)
- Main Character Customization
- Epic or Simple Scale
- High or Low "Level" (Low experience or poweful characters?)
- Reactivity to Choices
- Growth in Power (effects of level-up or special abilities)

This looks like a lot, but these are only suggestions. I'd like to know what people like/find interesting in a NWN module.

[Skellimancer]

My favorite Module was a remake of Eye of the Beholder. They used a lot of custom scripting and a fun hack to really bring the module to life, the best dungeon crawl i ever played.



They also added more story to the campaign, lots of new dialogue and characters.



The atmosphere of the dungeons was great.

[DragonRageGT]

Being a sucker for all things Tolkien, a couple of LotR themed PW really.

War of the Ring and MERP_UK-

Lands of Arda were cool too but the 1GB paks required in many small pieces were a pain to install!

Amazing DM events, roleplayers, settings (all Ages of Arda and there so much content in each!) and those small details... script for different languages... elvish, orcish, draconish!!! ... full *type command* controlled animations like *waves*, *falls backward*, many other and the most impressive... *spasms*... if you haven't seen a big Dragon doing the matching dance, you really should try. (polymorphed into a Dragon and *spasms*) ... Even Smaug fell for that one!

And nothing will ever beat the gracefulness of the Rivendell's Dryad jump-turning her back at you and shaking her ass in contempt, when you denied her "Enchantment!"...ever!

[elys]

- Strong Story +++
- Non-linear Storyline +
- Major Branching Story Choices +
- Minor RP Choices +
- Character Personality ++
- Character Backstory +
- Character Interactivity ++
- Companion-related Missions+
- Companion Romance ++
- Character Romance (NPC) +
- Stong Setting ("Strong setting" I guess, but what does it mean?)
- Background Information of the Setting (like the Codex in recent BioWare games) Don't care.
- Length of Dialog/Conversations Similar to DAO
- Amount of Battles +++
- Difficulty of Battles +
- Strategic Battles (requiring quick thinking and use of special powers/tactics) Don't care.
- Amount of Equipment ++
- Variation of Equipment ++
- Customization of Equipment Don't care. I prefer more variety in original equipment.
- Creation of Equipment ("Crafting") Don't care but don't want it to be the only source of  good equipement.
- Main Character (Generic? Defined? Pre-set? "Origin" selected by player?)  Does not really care as long as I can do customization
- Main Character Customization +++
- Epic or Simple Scale Epic!
- High or Low "Level" (Low experience or poweful characters?) High if to play with existing character (like an sidestory module, expansion) else does not care.
- Reactivity to Choices ++
- Growth in Power (effects of level-up or special abilities) . Hmm level-up (which somehow indirectly gives access to new abilities)

Modifié par elys, 15 janvier 2010 - 10:29 .

[jackkel dragon]

Thanks for the replies so far. Just a little clarification:



Strong Setting: Highly defined setting, not just a generic stage for the plot. (Also the idea from the DA making-of videos: more than what you see in just one game.)



Customization: I was deliberately ambiguous here. I'd also like to know what kinds of customization is interesting. (Ex: Crafting in NWN, Face in DA.)

[Xiphias]

To get things started, I'll list a few of the aspects that I'm interested in hearing opinions on:
- Strong Story

Almost always a good thing.

- Non-linear Storyline
- Major Branching Story Choices

Waste of time, your module almost certainly won't be good enough that I'd want to play it a second time so I wouldn't put these in unless you've very confident of you're writing abilities AND have the time to flesh them out to the same extend you would with a single storyline.

- Minor RP Choices
- Character Interactivity

It's nice to have consistent dialogue for your character, but I'd think it's pretty hard to do without adding too many options.

- Character Personality
- Character Backstory

Generally a good thing.

- Companion-related Missions

Nice to have, but not essential.

- Companion Romance
- Character Romance (NPC)

I don't want any Romance.

- Stong Setting
- Background Information of the Setting (like the Codex in recent BioWare games)

Depends on the story you're trying to tell.

- Length of Dialog/Conversations

As Einstein said, As simple as possible but no simpler. Content is good, verbosity bad. 

- Amount of Battles
- Difficulty of Battles
- Strategic Battles (requiring quick thinking and use of special powers/tactics)

Whatever fits the module. Battles should do damage but not kill you and health potions should always be on the verge of running out. It's better to err on the side of easiness as things should never get frustrating (one or two attempts with different tactics is fine, but with most players familiar with NWN's combat any standard battles shouldn't kill the player.

- Amount of Equipment
- Variation of Equipment
- Customization of Equipment

As much as possible for all three, variation especially.

- Creation of Equipment ("Crafting")

Waste of time without a lot of work to make it so you can actually craft what you want rather than simply putting stuff together. 

- Main Character (Generic? Defined? Pre-set? "Origin" selected by player?)
- Main Character Customization

Anything that can be created in-game should be allowed. In-game the player should hopefully feel their character has a personality but doesn't need a background unless you're basing the story on the player. 

- Epic or Simple Scale
- High or Low "Level" (Low experience or poweful characters?)

Epic definitely, you do have more Balance issues but the NWN combat system isn't much fun at low levels. Some classes like shifter don't even really start working until level 15 or so.

- Reactivity to Choices
- Growth in Power (effects of level-up or special abilities)

As high as possible.

[jackkel dragon]

I'm liking the replies so far. If there's anything I missed that's important (good or bad) don't be afraid to mention it.

[Amberyl Ravenclaw]

What I've basically done here is write out a list of the elements that I see as crucial to my enjoyment of a module (and which also affects how much more I am likely to remember and return to it). By the way, my favorite modules for NWN were The Aielund Saga (AWESOME module not so much for the story but for the mesmerizing dialogue, crazy humor and companion interactivity and romance); A Dance With Rogues (again, story, pre-defined character RP and companions), and a few others like Tales From Arterra and Tyrants Of The Moonsea. All story- and RP-heavy. Battles and character customization and added abilities are fun, too, but I usually derive the most pleasure from a well-written story and characters that will definitely remain in my head for a long long time after the original adventure has concluded. So, in short:

- Strong Story
- Minor RP Choices
- Character Personality
- Character Backstory
- Character Interactivity
- Companion-related Missions
- Companion Romance
- Character Romance (NPC)
- Stong Setting
- Background Information of the Setting (like the Codex in recent BioWare games)
- Length of Dialog/Conversations
- Reactivity to Choices

Modifié par Amberyl Ravenclaw, 17 janvier 2010 - 08:54 .

[Seagloom]

My choices would not be dissimilar to Amberyl's and apparently I enjoyed the same modules. My criteria in order of preference...



- Strong Storyline: I do not mind linear events as long as there are enough choices to make along the way that it feels I have some say in what my character does. I suppose this would fall into...



- Minor RP Choices



- Character Interactivity: I like to talk to characters. There is no need to learn everyone's life story and become close friends with the local blacksmith, but I like a certain amount of interactivity. This, more than anything, is what makes a world come to life for me. Knowing there are other NPCs, living their lives, and not all sharing the same agenda as my PC. The last sentence especially holds true for party members.



- Character Backstory: This is important too and ties into interactivity. However, I accept that not every NPC needs a fully fleshed out backstory. As long as major players in the tale have enough history to justify their actions, it's okay.



- Companion Romance: I consider this a luxury. If it's there, great. I love a good romance. This is in no way necessary for my enjoyment of a story, however.



- Strong Setting & Background Information: I like it when a module creator takes the time to include smaller details about their world or stray from NWN's default if they remain in Forgotten Realms. Books with stories of fables or events in the world are nice. Items with at least a bit of history if they are not standard equipment is also nice. Nothing bores me more than finding an amazing magical item and finding it has the stock description. This also goes for NPC descriptions. I check these everytime I meet a new character. If coming up with a description for everyone interactive character is tough, leave it blank at least.



- Reactivity to Choices: This is a general immersion thing. Even most professionally made CRPGs rarely include this beyond making their NPCs comment. It's tricky because I want NPCs to react how they should toward a choice I make, but don't want them taking it in stride if it's something they find intolerable. Problem is losing a character often has gameplay consequences that can wreak the balance of your module. I tend to give creators a bit of slack here. If you're willing to spend ridiculous amounts of time balancing encounters or rewriting events to reflect the possibility a certain NPC may be dead or gone however; this a big plus for me.



- Simple Scale: I prefer to start off small and experience my character's growth through the story. If possible, I like that growth to be acknowledged at least a little by the world and story. I prefer most modules to end their last part before level 20, as truly epic scenarios are hard to pull off with a story getting silly or bizarre. Not that it's impossible to do. It simply isn't my preference.



- Generic Main Character: Unless your world has specific rules regarding the nature of certain classes, I prefer the freedom to play what I want. The module doesn't need dialogue that caters to every class as that would be insane, but equipment for the base classes at least are a must. Some module makers seem to think everyone prefers fighters.



- Predefined Character: This is not my preference but it is acceptable if I can get a bit of class flexibility and have a chance to learn a bit of my character's history before being thrust into the storyline. Sort of like Origins in DA I suppose, except there's only one every character uses.



- Growth in Power: Fast enough to feel like I've made progress, but slow enough to keep me from reaching mid levels in two hours. This is very tricky to balance, I admit. My main concern is not ending up a demigod until the storyline reaches epic proportions, if it ever does.

[jackkel dragon]

These have been really good replies so far, thanks.



Besides the things I've already asked about, I have a few more aspects I'd like to hear opinions on:

- For a new setting, how much should it diverge from common stereotypes? (Elves and Dwarves are good examples of a sterotyped aspect to a setting.)

- Story Pacing (How long are conversations/events, how many steps to each subplot, etc.)

- Gameplay Pacing (Scenes of slow conversation vs. constant combat and threats)

- Gameplay Time (How long does it take to "finish" the module?)

[Amberyl Ravenclaw]

jackkel dragon wrote...

...

As someone who believes in artistic license and integrity, I'm a fan of "do what you want" if you feel that it's necessary to your interpretation of the game and story. Nevertheless, be sure to get feedback from alpha/beta reviewers, since they'll be able to spot the strengths and weaknesses of your game plan (but also given that each individual has their own discriminating sense of taste, you should try to draw from a fairly large pool in order not to skew the results to a particular type of like/dislike that might end up compromising your vision as you originally planned it).

jackkel dragon wrote...

- For a new setting, how much should it diverge from common stereotypes? (Elves and Dwarves are good examples of a sterotyped aspect to a setting.)

It depends. See, for me it's not a matter of whether you use Elves or Dwarves or not, but the manner in which you present them. If you're worried about stereotypes, you might want to work at a more detailed and nuanced portrait of representation to show that you're not being lazy about it (i.e. instead of simply saying that "elves belong in the forest and dwarves belong in the mountains just because", you could work at codex entries and historical descriptions and cultural practices of elven and dwarven ways of life. For example, once upon a time I wrote that my Dwarves used sky burials (IRL a Tibetan practice and quite appropriate to the region IMHO, and not to mention that fantasy-wise it diverges from the common depictions of Dwarven underground tombs)). You may not be able to completely avoid stereotype, but you can think of ways to make whatever you're writing about unique and intriguing to your players, so that they'll take a second look instead of rolling their eyes and thinking "oh, here we go again".

jackkel dragon wrote...

Gameplay Time (How long does it take to "finish" the module?)

As much as your module requires. A short module can be awesome and memorable depending on how you play your cards. So can a long epic adventure. But for a first module, you might want to try not being too ambitious. Though I've seen some wonderful lenghty first campaigns come out from NWN module-makers, it takes a lot of work and time and effort that you may not necessarily have in reality.

Modifié par Amberyl Ravenclaw, 19 janvier 2010 - 04:59 .