I Want to Crush Your Dreams.
Pages
| Author | Topic: I Want to Crush Your Dreams. |
|---|---|
|
BANNED
Member # 4
|
written Friday, January 6 2006 21:02
Profile
Homepage
Pshaw. It's not as difficult as it's cracked up to be, although truthfully, experience DOES help. Don't worry- scripting and town/outdoors design are learnable, and if you take up a really small idea, it's very doable. Plus, a first effort doesn't have to have all-that-complex scripting- there's nothing inherently wrong with just a human settlement and a dungeon that needs purging. Step 1 is "think of something neat". Step 2 is sorta a toss-up. I prefer to draw towns as I go and script the plot as I go, especially since it allows me to contol a scenario's pacing better, but that's all your choice. And heck, if you're lost, you can always ask a designer for advice. -------------------- * Posts: 6936 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
|
Infiltrator
Member # 3220
|
written Friday, January 6 2006 21:17
Profile
My first scenario is going to be fairly short: Party goes to training school. Mysterious stranger tells them of some bad guys to fight, but they must sneak out of school to do it. Party fights bad guys, gets some neat stuff, but gets in trouble when they come back to school. I'd like to participate in the chat and I'm on CST. About the only time this thrice-blasted connection doesn't drop is this time of day, though. I'll see what I can do. Posts: 437 | Registered: Sunday, July 13 2003 07:00 |
|
BANNED
Member # 4
|
written Friday, January 6 2006 21:22
Profile
Homepage
quote:WOW. I really, really, really like this idea. Do it. It's okay if midnight is the only time you can come- most of us will probably still be on then anyway. (And if nothing else, I'll be on AIM for another hour.) -------------------- * Posts: 6936 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
|
Warrior
Member # 5861
|
written Friday, January 6 2006 22:40
Profile
Homepage
I am interested in designing a BOA scenario. One problem - I don't have a story idea. I do know that I want it to involve unicorns some how, but i don't want to copy the unicorn thing that was done in the Za Khazi Run. Ooh just came up with an idea, it's small but (i'm gonna steal a bit of the plot from a book series called Diadem - i know the author): Party is travelling and stops to rest for the night. During the night they are woken up by a unicorn asking for their help. Unicorn tells party that the leader of their herd is dying but they don't know why and the unicorns have tried everything but leader is still dying. Party discovers that a rogue mage/sorcerer wants to have control of the herd of unicorns only to harvest their alicorns - somehow he's killing the leader(haven't figured that out yet). Party kills rogue mage/sorcerer. Party gets antidote and cures unicorn leader and saves the day. Not sure what to reward them with other than super healing elixirs made from ground alicorn dust. Pleeeease tell me what you think and if this kind of scenario would be feasible. If not, I welcome any ideas for a different scenario. I'm EST. Posts: 72 | Registered: Sunday, May 29 2005 07:00 |
|
Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
|
written Friday, January 6 2006 22:44
Profile
Homepage
TM, I think you're doing a good thing here. If there's any way I can help anyone, I'd like to. If there's a thing that someone wants to script but doesn't know how, I can toss in my two cents about how I'd do it. Have we set a day for this conference yet? Ought we? -------------------- Arancaytar: Every time you ask people to compare TM and Kel, you endanger the poor, fluffy kittens. Smoo: Get ready to face the walls! Ephesos: In conclusion, yarr. Kelandon's Pink and Pretty Page!!: the authorized location for all things by me The Archive of all released BoE scenarios ever Posts: 7968 | Registered: Saturday, February 28 2004 08:00 |
|
Master
Member # 5977
|
written Saturday, January 7 2006 00:02
Profile
Homepage
I don't think anything can be changed about my scenario at this point, but in short: You pass by a town where you drink, eat and sleep. next day you travel on, and encounter a burning city, the enemy looks cat-like. You charge them and get severely wounded. After a week or two you are able to go on in your traveling. you leave and (are supposed to) go to the capital of the province, Voughton, to ask about the cretures. You get a quest to qhipe them out. Afterwards you have to find out who did all this and kill him. its a bit like Avernum 3, I know, ut remember this: I made (am making) this scenario to get aquanted with the engine, and not really because I wanted to make this extremely original thing. Don't worry. I put in a few things that will make it all more interesting, one thing related to one of the grandsons of commander Johnson (who syill remembers him?). EDIT: And when will the next chat be? i heard it would be today at 5:00 pm EST, is that correct? Is that 10:00 pm GMT? If so, then again I can't join then. When will you guys finnaly think of a time that is good for all of us? 1:00 pm EST maybe? [ Saturday, January 07, 2006 00:05: Message edited by: Thralni, Nephil translators & co. ] -------------------- Play and rate my scenarios: Where the rivers meet View my upcoming scenario: The Nephil Search: Escape. Give us your drek! Posts: 3029 | Registered: Saturday, June 18 2005 07:00 |
|
Warrior
Member # 5274
|
written Saturday, January 7 2006 01:52
Profile
Edited for content. [ Friday, January 13, 2006 04:53: Message edited by: Poit ] -------------------- I assume my reputation for arrogant presumption precedes me Posts: 107 | Registered: Thursday, December 9 2004 08:00 |
|
Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
|
written Saturday, January 7 2006 02:55
Profile
Almost, thou persuadest me to become a BoA designer. Not enough time, though. Maybe some day. It's a great service to nudge people towards putting in that initial architectonic thought, which novices don't realize is needed, and without which the result is doomed to rise no higher than mediocrity no matter how much work is put in. But as I read through the above posts, wondering whether I might conceivably join in after all, I started feeling like some (not all) of the 'advice' was too much, and, especially, too detailed. I may never finish my scenario, but I'm sure as hell never going to finish yours. It's a fine line; it sounds like you've gotta walk it for BoA to thrive; I think some of your design hints are shading towards being design spoilers. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
|
BANNED
Member # 4
|
written Saturday, January 7 2006 09:51
Profile
Homepage
quote:Well, it's technically 6 sentences... The idea isn't a bad one (other than I don't know what an alicorn is, though that might be my fault). But who is this mage? Why is he doing this? Is he just generally evil? Here's an idea- why not have the mage who wants the alicorns want to heal innocents? Let's say that he has a child whose disease can only be cured with the alicorn elixirs you speak of, or maybe he just wants to supply the Empire with these things to cure their mortally wounded. He'd be a much more believable villain, a much more convincing one, and the party would have a moral dillema- Kill the mage and let many innocent people die, or kill the unicorn leader and let many innocent people die. (Or just leave the valley, in which case the unicorn leader dies anyway.) -------------------- * Posts: 6936 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
|
Shock Trooper
Member # 4445
|
written Saturday, January 7 2006 10:09
Profile
Archaeologist recruits party as escort for expedition. Party clears out nasty bug infestation. Archaeologist retrieves artifact, attacks party, disappears. Party finds archaeologist on throne, he calls party uppity slaves and throws them in dungeon. Party learns of ancient slave rebellion, finds artifact of some sort. Violent confrontation with archaeologist ensues, he comes to, confused, and he and party hightail it out of there. Posts: 293 | Registered: Saturday, May 29 2004 07:00 |
|
The Establishment
Member # 6
|
written Saturday, January 7 2006 10:56
Profile
quote:A decent start, but needs more fleshing out. I'll offer a few suggestions that you are free to use in any capacity you wish: Probably more interesting if the party is a bunch of students or apprentices to the archaeologist. The stock hired adventurers is a bit too cliched. It gives a better motivation to why the party is there. Also, freeing their master from possession later on would make a good plot motivator. The artifact needs to be defined. I assume it possesses the archaeologist so what is it, an idol, a sword, or something else? Answer this question before proceeding anywere as the type of artifact dictates the story. Bug infestations are a bit cliched. They could work well, but make the bugs special or unique in some way. Preferably related to the artifact at hand. Perhaps a cult of Aranea could be fairly interesting. Throne? I got totally lost here. Almost feels like two separate scenarios at this point. You really need to flesh out where this comes from. Perhaps instead of searching for the artifact outright, how about they are searching for a Lost City in the mountains? Perhaps the people in the Lost City would have the trait of immortality (they can still be killed, but otherwise live forever) and they enslave mortals. Not sure how the violent slave rebellion works in? Is the artifact a different one or the same one? I'd vote for recovering the artifact, feels less random and two artifacts are a bit much. -------------------- Your flower power is no match for my glower power! Posts: 3726 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
|
Warrior
Member # 5861
|
written Saturday, January 7 2006 20:55
Profile
Homepage
quote:Alicon is the proper term for the unicorn's one horn. I like your suggestion about the moral dilemma thing - kill a bunch of innocent people or a bunch of innocent unicorns - works good. What about he wants to sell the elixirs or alicorns to make a profit (sell to the Empire, maybe the Empire hired him to do this??)? Or perhaps he's just evil and hates unicorns for the good that they represent and wants to be rid of them? (don't worry, I'm not going to use a demon) I do like the moral dilemma with the sick child thing, but I might wait on that till I have a bit more experience at this, and time :) (I start school in less than two weeks). Posts: 72 | Registered: Sunday, May 29 2005 07:00 |
|
BANNED
Member # 4
|
written Saturday, January 7 2006 21:55
Profile
Homepage
Ya know, I'm just gonna toss this out there- making a more interesting story doesn't necessarily require taking more time to do it. "What about he wants to sell the elixirs or alicorns to make a profit (sell to the Empire, maybe the Empire hired him to do this??)?" If he's selling the alicorns to "make a profit", then that would make a particularly evil man who most people would not hesitate to put down. (This sort of thing is called "poaching".) "Or perhaps he's just evil and hates unicorns for the good that they represent and wants to be rid of them?" Demons or no, that's incredibly lame. I mean, what's a villain like that going to say to the party- "Fwuahahahaha!"? (Not that the villain has to spill his motives, but most villains should at least have some.) I mean, my suggestions don't even have to make the scenario longer. You can "force" the party to kill the mage by having the mage be particularly paranoid and not willing to reason with the party. That makes the surprise at the end even juicier- the party gets the reward, is a bunch of regular heroes, unicorns ride off... And then the party enters the town at the end of the valley whose widows and orphans are desperately begging for the cure to their plague, wondering when the mage will send his alicorn elixirs into town. The end. -------------------- * Posts: 6936 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
|
...b10010b...
Member # 869
|
written Sunday, January 8 2006 00:43
Profile
Homepage
quote:*cough* *cough* *Deacon* *gasp* *cough* *splutter* -------------------- The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
|
Warrior
Member # 6501
|
written Sunday, January 8 2006 05:03
Profile
Homepage
quote:1. Did you never play The Za-Khazi-Run, even there is a still used Empire Fortress and it´s even more remote than mine, ´cause I started to design the tunnels a bit to the north of Motrax´ cave! 2. Some good-trained Empire soldiers are hard to fight, even if they were for some yearse down in Exile. The dragon will be Pyrogs spirit, there shall be many other drakes in these tunnels, the tunnels to the north of Motrax´ cave were always full of lava and fire lizards. 3. Pyrog always hated humans as much as I know, I never met him in a game but I don´t think he likes his brothers and sisters, so why would he not try to keep a small Exile army from exploring drake territory and buriing Motrax´ bones with honor? Dragons are always mighty enemies for the end! :D -------------------- You know, why the Sliths are green - because of their scales. Maybe you know why some slith eyes were once red - ´cause the demons, which led them were red. But why are the eyes of the Slith Lord Followers red? Because they see the remains of their enemies always before the battle begins! Posts: 179 | Registered: Friday, November 25 2005 08:00 |
|
Master
Member # 5977
|
written Sunday, January 8 2006 05:19
Profile
Homepage
quote:I agree. Picture this: You are a hermit and you live on your own. You hate everybody, and espacially your nice friendly-to-all sister. She dies, just like you, but she gets a nice tomb and you don't. Wouldn't you be angry? -------------------- Play and rate my scenarios: Where the rivers meet View my upcoming scenario: The Nephil Search: Escape. Give us your drek! Posts: 3029 | Registered: Saturday, June 18 2005 07:00 |
|
Shaper
Member # 3442
|
written Sunday, January 8 2006 05:46
Profile
Homepage
Just to let everyone know, I sorted my problems. The party are a group of apprentices in the army. This is their last mission before their induction into the army. The bad guy - I chose a demon, exiled to another dimension by his brethren for taking part in a power struggle. He wasn't killed because of his high rank and status - the others didn't want to make him a martyr of sorts, and risk more demons doing the same as him. And if I neglected to mention before... I'm on GMT. -------------------- And when you want to Live How do you start? Where do you go? Who do you need to know? Posts: 2864 | Registered: Monday, September 8 2003 07:00 |
|
The Establishment
Member # 6
|
written Sunday, January 8 2006 07:50
Profile
quote:We have played Za-Khazi, and yes, it is a pretty bad scenario. In case you didn't get the whole story with the Empire soldiers down there, here it is: They were stationed in some very remote tunnels and in the confusion of the Empire defeat, for whatever reason, they were completely forgot about and they still think the Empire war is going on. That's the only reason the Empire soldiers in Za-Khazi make sense. Incidentally enough, there was an incident in the 1950s where some WWII Japanese soldiers that were stationed on a remote island finally surrendered, believing the war was still going on. It was off this that Jeff based that Empire Fort. So for your scenario to make sense it must take place during or very soon after the end of the Empire war. Make sure this is abundantly clear as you need to explain the presence of enemies. Also, if you are picking Empire soldiers because they are "tough" that really is not a reason. You could, with little extra effort, make level 100 Goblins although I would not recommend it. quote:Pyrog was really into power and his opinion of the other dragons was probably neutral. Yeah, he saw Motrax as weak I grant you that. His opinion of the other dragons was more neutral if I remember. The question that needs to answered is NOT "why would he not try to keep a small Exile army from exploring drake territory..." but Why WOULD Pyrog's spirit try to keep a small Exile army from exploring Drake territory and burying Motrax's bones?. Pyrog was in the northern waters and we have heard nothing of his possible haunts before. If he's just there because you want to Dragon fight, probably not needed. ****** I'll offer a setting: You are a hardened group of Avernite soldiers in the closing days of the Empire War. With their leader Garzahd slain and the aid the Vahnatai, the Empire is in retreat. You are far from any action and stationed in the Lair of Motrax. The dragon died a few hours ago and an Empire Dervish approaches the fort. It turns out the Dervish had his mind taken over by the Dragon Sulfras and is being used as an envoy. Sulfras brings a message to Avernum: Out of gratitude for freeing her, she has decided to give Avernum the honor of taking Motrax's heart to the Crypt of the Dragons and putting it into the eternal flame there. She opens a teleporter and you take Motrax's heart inside. Avernum, desiring good relations with the dragons selects you and now you have to get it to the eternal flame to return. ****** Feel free to use any of the above entry. It would make it a little more interesting than "cleaning out some arbitrary cave and fighting Empire soldiers and a Dragon". -------------------- Your flower power is no match for my glower power! Posts: 3726 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
|
Lifecrafter
Member # 4682
|
written Sunday, January 8 2006 08:15
Profile
I can't do that time. My school lets out at 4:10 and I don't get home until 5:00 normally. As for your idea, TM I like it. I'm gonna play around with it on paper. Thank you! -------------------- Do not underestimate the power of the mechanical pencil. Join the Dark side. We have cookies. Played in: Fiddler on the Roof Bye Bye Birdie "Hey, Patrick, feel this random pipe. It's squishy"-Nils Posts: 834 | Registered: Thursday, July 8 2004 07:00 |
|
Warrior
Member # 5861
|
written Sunday, January 8 2006 14:23
Profile
Homepage
quote:Ok - gotcha. I've got some ideas brewing. How's this?: Party is on way to town to be mage's apprentice. Unicorns ask party for help. Party asks mage. Mage lies and says nothing can be done - mage is also bad tempered for some reason. Party finds book on magic containing spell to kill unicorns. Party confronts mage. Mage has dying daughter - only cure alicorn elixir, feels best to kill first, capture later. Dilemma is here: Kill mage-cure unicorn-let child die(or is healed by unicorn but is now fatherless); help mage-kill unicorn-child lives-unicorns hate you forever; get unicorns to help mage and nobody dies. Posts: 72 | Registered: Sunday, May 29 2005 07:00 |
|
The Establishment
Member # 6
|
written Sunday, January 8 2006 15:27
Profile
It seems a bit weak to have an everyone happy situation in a scenario that hopes to present a moral dillema. For such a thing to work, there cannot be one truly good outcome otherwise we do not have a real dilemma. How I would see it, the mage has a dying daughter that REQUIRES a unicore die to cure it. The unicorns are understandably not very agreeable to help on this. You have to make a choice: 1) You help the mage get an alicorn by killing a special unicorn. Potion gets made, daughter lives, and you get magical training as reward. 2) You decide that unicorns are more valuable and side with them. Mage will do anything to save daughter and you end up killing him. Daughter dies of disease eventually, but is cared for by unicorns. Party gets some nature appropriate reward. Basically it comes down to take a life to save a life. -------------------- Your flower power is no match for my glower power! Posts: 3726 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
|
Warrior
Member # 5861
|
written Sunday, January 8 2006 16:33
Profile
Homepage
*sigh* - I see your point. If they all lived happily ever after there would be no point to the scenario. How about the mage believes that a unicorn must die to cure his daughter. His research has led to tell him so. The unicorns, when party tells them of situation, says otherwise. The unicorns say that it's much simpler than that. Unicorns don't lie, so you believe them. When confronted with this the mage won't believe you and in a fit of rage born out of desperation he attacks you and you are forced to kill him. The unicorns then cure the child with an elixir made from alicorn shavings. However for killing the mage you are banished from the town forever. Or..... It really is that the unicorn must die in order to save the girl. You either kill the mage, save the unicorn, and let the girl die; kill the unicorn and save the girl. Or...... Again, the unicorn must die to save the girl and the unicorn who is dying realizes that the life of this child is more important than his and sacrifices his life for her. The unicorns are greatly saddened, but you earn their respect, plus you receive an award from the mage plus experience. (a little weak, i know, but it's an idea) Or...... The "my child is sick" is a lie to get your help. You never even see the child but believe the mage nonetheless. Unicorn sacrifices his life for life of child, you get a reward from mage.....then, just before you leave you hear a cry inside your head and realize the unicorns are asking for help again, but you don't know why (or perhaps you meet mage's daughter who has been locked up this whole time and she tells you what her father is really after). You follow the cry and find that now with the unicorn leader dead the Empire has captured the unicorns. They intend to keep the unicorns in prison, and each time there's a battle one unicorn will be killed the heal the empire soldiers. The ringleader of this, of course, is the mage. You kill mage and gain eternal gratitude of unicorns, as well as some nature appropriate reward. Posts: 72 | Registered: Sunday, May 29 2005 07:00 |
|
Law Bringer
Member # 4153
|
written Sunday, January 8 2006 16:51
Profile
Homepage
quote:This seems like a much better start than #2 and #3 in that post, both of which seem really corny. But this could stand to be modified. Suggestions: -It might be better to leave the Empire out of it... they'd be more likely to just wipe out the unicorns without a second thought. -If the Empire is staying in the scenario, I imagine that the Empire's wizards would be more likely to want unicorns than the soldiers would. -You could always go with the old "Mage wants near-eternal life from drinking unicorn blood" plot device, and stick with the sick daughter being a ploy. Or heck, it'd be better if the daughter really was there, and the mage was just using her as a way to increase his own power. -------------------- Gamble with Gaea, and she eats your dice. I hate undead. I really, really, really, really hate undead. With a passion. Posts: 4130 | Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00 |
|
The Establishment
Member # 6
|
written Sunday, January 8 2006 17:00
Profile
You can have a scenario that ends with everyone happy, but it generally requires a lot of work to not make the whole thing trivial or require a lot of suspension of disbelief. For a shorter scenario, I would suggest a simpler dillemma. I'll call these options 1 through 4: 1) It could work, although it is a little complicated and would require more work than 2 or 3. It does beg the question: If it was so simple to cure this, why didn't the mage just ask the unicorns in the first place? They don't lie after all, and the mage presumably would know that. Any motive for not doing this other than lunacy or incompetence would be pretty shallow at best, and those would create other questions as well that need to be answered. The problem is that we are back to a suspension of disbelief for the reasons I stated above. 2) This idea I discussed above; no need to discuss further. 3) Essentially similar to idea 2 but it suffers similar problems as 1. Why is the party needed? Why didn't the mage just ask for help himself. Surely a father with a dying daughter would invoke much more sympathy than the party can. Additionally, I just don't see a whole lot here: no moral dilemma, no action, just some dialogue scenes. As it is it might make for a nice short story, but not a very good scenario. Adding some combat would just be adding filler as far as I can tell, which wastes everybody's time. 4) This one has potential. The main problem is that it would be significantly more work than the others. The motives of the mage are to help the Empire army in some combat with valuable Alicorn potions. To add another twist, the mage does not have to be entirely evil either. He could have been forced by the Empire to help them. The political climate can be such that refusal to help the Empire gets you thrown down to Avernum (if you set it before Avernum 1), or have his property and wealth confiscated, or something that the unicorns would not be overly simpathetic to. This solves the problem of why he needs the party. Suppose unicorns can detect lies. The mage knows this and needs you to honestly believe in a sick child. It could be he even made the child sick with his own magic to save himself and his family from the fate the Empire would provide had he refused to help them. I'll stop here, but in closing I will say 4 has a lot of potential to it if executed well, but it could be a bit more work than 2. 1 and 3 are problematic as they stand from a believability standpoint. Hope this was informative. -------------------- Your flower power is no match for my glower power! Posts: 3726 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
|
Law Bringer
Member # 4153
|
written Sunday, January 8 2006 17:05
Profile
Homepage
quote:This would solve a lot of problems... particularly since the Empire's tendency to eradicate magical creatures seems weaker in the post-war rule of Empress Prazac than before the Empire-Avernum war. -------------------- Gamble with Gaea, and she eats your dice. I hate undead. I really, really, really, really hate undead. With a passion. Posts: 4130 | Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00 |