Post-Lv30 Content

Suggestions for Improving Existing Area Maps or for Altering Area Maps to Reflect In-Game Plots

Moderators: Moderator, Quality Control, Developer, DM

User avatar
Snarfy
Posts: 1403
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 12:14 pm

Re: Post-Lv30 Content

Unread post by Snarfy »

Planehopper wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 3:45 pm I really like the idea of requiring item(s) to start a (party) quest that opens access.

The quest piece would ensure that access wasn't restricted by crash or reset. The quest could end when the final area is exited.

The items piece would low for those of us not interested in 30+ content to still be engaged in the content via skill checks and RP. It could be various lore checks, spellcraft, a craft x skill, or anything really.

The items themselves could be more solo-friendly areas. Say, a room off of a existing area that require a tumble check to avoid a trap or hazard of some sort to acquire a piece (like some mushroom or something). Or an old library in an existing dungeon that requires a lore x skill to acquire information. Or a survival check to find something.

Gather it all up, bring it to a mage or something, he trades items to start the quest/allow access.

All of the items should only be able to be gathered once per reset per CD key and have a very high skill check to obtain.
This gave me ideas, I'll spit-ball something going off this, and using Spellhold as an example.

- Rather than taking a quest to get there, make it a flat gold sum to pay for passage there, let's say 3000gp (gold sinks anyone?). This at least gives everyone a chance to see it, whether they've found a group or not (no gold charge to return to the mainland).
- The exterior is fully explorable, has spawns, and has a few containers for characters to make a bit of gold back in case they're unable to find adventuring friends, or no-one else comes to visit the area during their play time(so non-peak hours players have something to do/see, at least).
- A quest NPC can randomly spawn in a number of locations, or even be a wanderer, throughout the exterior. The quest given will allow access to the interior.
- The puzzle quest to gain interior access can be 5 parts, each based off 5 classic class archetypes, Wizard/Sorcerer, Fighter, Bard, Rogue, Cleric/Druid, with each part requiring a randomized skill/stat roll needing to be made by its respective class(and trying not to have overlapping skills):
Wizard/Sorcerer - Spellcraft, INT, Lore Arcana, etc.
Fighter - STR, CON, fort save, etc
Bard - Perform, concentration, CHA, etc
Rogue - Tumble, DEX, disable device, open locks, etc
Cleric/Druid - Lore religion, WIS, heal, etc.
- Once all party members' quest is complete(... I think quest progression for these types works across party? :? Like the Durlags puzzle quest), they're each given a token/key that allows them to use the transition inside.
- From there... uhh, I hadn't thought that far, but another quest NPC, or even several, can be found inside, and the quests will require them to travel the entire scope of the (multi-level?) dungeon to complete all the quests, with scaling difficulty the deeper they travel. Maybe only one of these quests should be required to do in order to exit, being not insanely difficult, just in case players have to log, or the party is getting their butts handed to them.

That's all I've got, feel free to spit-ball on my spit-balling.
User avatar
gedweyignasia
Custom Content
Posts: 1288
Joined: Sat Nov 23, 2013 11:27 pm
Location: EST/UTC-4
Contact:

Re: Post-Lv30 Content

Unread post by gedweyignasia »

Steve wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 6:19 pm
gedweyignasia wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 12:32 am ...to revisit an area over and over and over...

- Randomized elements to explore/interactive environments
- Randomly located
- Randomization of chests
- Randomization of minor elements (chests, etc.)
- Randomization of key elements (e.g. randomized puzzles)
- Randomly and Extremely challenging combat
- Random bar to entry.
How could it be anything better than randomization to the Nth degree? The game gives diminishing returns, every game gives diminishing returns, once the Content has been experienced first hand. This is exactly why I've never, in all my years on BGTSCC, gone to the White Dragon area—I've saved myself a final surprise for the moment I decide my time has come to leave BGTSCC.

There is nothing more valuable than new experiences, and if you cannot get constant new experiences, then any chaotic "reshuffling" or randomization comes in as the second most valuable experience, in a Game.

Imho, you don't need complexity in a game to make it great, but you absolutely need surprise and the possibility for newness to always exist to make a game great.
As a counterpoint, Ulcaster Ruins and the dynamic quest system are pushing the limits of randomization in NWN2, and neither are very popular with our players.
User avatar
Steve
Recognized Donor
Posts: 7894
Joined: Wed Jul 08, 2015 5:42 am
Location: Paradise in GMT +1

Re: Post-Lv30 Content

Unread post by Steve »

I am unfamiliar with what is randomized in Ulcaster's Ruins area. And are the dynamic quests really random? Of the 2 that I followed some months—maybe years...— back, both seem broken to me, as either the quest instructions led my PC to nothing in the end, or the interaction between the quest giver and my PC was pretty one-way interaction and didn't seem to work either, in the end (this being the treasure map w/ shovel quest, and the Woman in Despair from Xvarts quest).

ARTHAYER ZORASTRYL — A Magistrati & Magefriend [Bio] * [The Wanderings of...]
PANLOS PAWFOOT — The Essential Nature of...
ERMMAR STONESORROW — Cavestalker of the Darkshard Deviants. Herb Trader.
User avatar
Theodore01
Recognized Donor
Posts: 2927
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2011 5:32 pm

Re: Post-Lv30 Content

Unread post by Theodore01 »

gedweyignasia wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 7:17 pm As a counterpoint, Ulcaster Ruins and the dynamic quest system are pushing the limits of randomization in NWN2, and neither are very popular with our players.
Some dynamic Qs are great fun (escort/rescue Qs) - others are way too common (Mom's ring - all days again & again) and some are just broken ..........
Would love to see much more of them.
User avatar
Svabodnik
Posts: 369
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2017 5:07 pm

Re: Post-Lv30 Content

Unread post by Svabodnik »

gedweyignasia wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 5:03 pm
Tanlaus wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 4:50 pm We’ve now got a UD based builder in Banovitsky who has really been working on some beautiful content I’ve had the pleasure of running through to look for issues.

So don’t despair fellow dirt dweller, help is on the way!

😀
I don't think most of you know Banovitsky's work yet, but he's a very talented and hard-working builder who's made some of the most beautiful areas I've ever seen. You're very lucky to have him there. I'm not sure which of his areas have made it in yet, but I know he went through and re-did all of the walkmeshes on Varalla's so that polymorphed players and players' summons can fit through its narrow passages now. Once the server-split happens he'll be able to add new areas and you're all in for a huge treat.
The changes in Varalla's were a definite improvement (can actually move to the western transition with map-click movement now!), so if that's a taste of what's to come to the realm below, you've got my hopes up already. :)
"...I know that kind of man / It's hard to hold the hand of anyone / Who is reaching for the sky just to surrender..." – Leonard Cohen, The Stranger Song
User avatar
gedweyignasia
Custom Content
Posts: 1288
Joined: Sat Nov 23, 2013 11:27 pm
Location: EST/UTC-4
Contact:

Re: Post-Lv30 Content

Unread post by gedweyignasia »

Steve wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 7:38 pm I am unfamiliar with what is randomized in Ulcaster's Ruins area.
The solution to each puzzle changes on reset, and each reset 3 out of 5 puzzles are randomly connected in series.
Steve wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 7:38 pm And are the dynamic quests really random?
Yes, both the location/availability of the quest-giver and the location of the target are randomized.
Post Reply

Return to “Areas”