Sunday, July 5, 2009

New Poll: All About the Whys

I've posted a new poll that explores what people want as their excuse for risking their virtual lives for a given adventure. Not quite backstory, as this looks more at what circumstances put this individual into the prediciment presented to them.

Hopefully I get some decent poll results and can better formulate how to establish my next project. While I have several details, events in mind for the next adventure, I want to take a look at what really pulls the player in on mod load ;)

I've posted a working beta of SoSIII: Crusaders of Shalihir that covers a very large portion of the module. After any bugs/issues are discovered/stomped with that portion, the rest should be a breeze. I'm very optimistic about a July release...as long as Dunkin' Donuts keeps selling large iced coffees with cream and sugar.

No screenshots tonight...all conversation work (pretty boring stuff visually). Although I must say positioning camera angles for various nodes is probably my 2nd favorite thing to do (right behind area design).

4 comments:

Josh said...

This is a very hard question to answer. I'm more inclined to take whatever is given to me, so long as the story is good. I do have to say one thing however. The whole "I do things just to save the world." has become a bit shallow after many games utilizing it.

My motive would also depend on the plot in question. If I'm a soldier in the army, then I'll likely be a war hero or doing it for money. However if I'm a mercenary/adventurer, it's likely I'm just doing it for the money but I would never risk my neck to save the world for money. That would just be a stupid thing to do. If the world is going to end, the world is going to end. I can't do anything about it.

**A hero who's title, reputation, and/or profession calls him to duty**

Not really prefered, but I can deal with it. Hopefully you don't make the character feel like they're obligated to go out and die for whatever it is you're going to be dying for.

**Destined for greatness, thrust into the center for divine or hereditary reasons.**

Not at all.

**A common adventurer in search of gold, magic, and foes to defeat.**

I'd be able to deal with this. Not preferred though.

**Caused by your profession, a class-based opportunity.**

A toss-up between this choice and the next one. If the story was non-personal, I would choose this motivation for my character.

**Forced into action by a previous or current predicament.**

If the story were personal, I would choose this one.

And the last one is not really preferred.

BTW: I went ahead and voted for the Profession one.

Josh said...

Also don't let others influence you to make it one way over the other. If you don't like the "chosen one" motivations and everyone voted for it, don't change it for their sake. Do whatever pleases you first and foremost. If you don't like it, then chances are no one else will either.

Raith Veldrin said...

I'd love to make a specific class-based module. A good follow up poll would be which class.

Naturally everyone wants options for clergy, footpads, bards, etc. Although to tailor a large story for all at once can be very limiting in some ways (and very module size heavy in others).

If I had to choose, I'd pick rogue. Always fun to use their toolbox of tricks. However, if there is a great demand for paladin for example, I think that would be fun to build too.

Ultimately, I'd never start a mod I didn't like (I just end up hating them by the end lol own worst critic). All it takes is the story, the desired character motivation, a few smoke-breaks doing walking laps around the garage to brainstorm, and I'm ready to rock.

I think that is why I am cranking this module out triple-time. Sooo much slacking being caught in that stage of half-finished old business, and mind dominating new business.

I need a clean slate.

Anonymous said...

Option no. 3: most likely to accomodate the grat majority of players, as it leaves the widest choice to RP your character.

on a personal level, I like it because I find this background stands to D&D as "once upon a time" stands to fairytales ;-)

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