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What would YOU like to see in the NPC Interaction Expansion Project?


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#1 Kaeloree

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Posted 25 December 2006 - 11:42 PM

I myself would like to see a lot of enhancement upon Imoen and Cernd - which is going to happen, since I'll be the one writing them. ;)

What would you like to see - more interaction in the Underdark? An NPC/NPC relationship already in canon, but expanded? Aerie's Romance rewritten slightly to include xyz?

We're still taking suggestions, so anything is considered, within reasonable boundaries!

#2 Raven_Song

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Posted 26 December 2006 - 03:01 AM

I myself would like to see a lot of enhancement upon Imoen and Cernd - which is going to happen, since I'll be the one writing them.



:Bow:

I'm so glad that Cernd is finally receiving some attention, he is one of my favourite NPC's but was treated rather woefully by Bioware. Perhaps thre could be the option for him to develop his relationship with his son, over time, and that going back to visit actaully has a chance of changing his future, giving him a better ending.

Other suggestions would be...

* Valygar - for the most part he is rather one-dimensional, his stock response to almost everything is "I hate magic". I'd like to see him fleshed out a little, with other aspects to his charcter becoming more obvious, perhaps through the development of the knight/squire relationship he has with Mazzy.

* Nalia - she nedds to react more to events during the de'Arnise Keep quest. She barely flinches if the party slaughters the keep's dogs (which would presumably have been considered pets by her at some point) or when she discovers the lifeless corpse of her father.

* More Keldorn/Mazzy banters. Considering they are both paladins (well almost) they have surprisingly little to say to each other, it could conclude with keldorn sponsering Mazzy for an honourary poisition at The Order of the Most Radiant Heart.

* LG Anomen needs to apologize to Mazzy for his cruel words, in one of the original banters.

(I'm a big Mazzy fan in case you haven't guessed)
Minsc: Flowers are beautiful, aren't they, Boo? I wish there were more to see.

Cernd: I see you have an appreciation for the small things, Minsc. You see the power in their simple nature.

Minsc: I don't understand much that is complicated, but the trees and the flowers are music to my eyes. Boo prefers the calm of the forest, though he suffers my company.

Cernd: Ah, you are his tree amidst the cities and people, and despite your bending and bowing in the wind, you are his stability, as I suspect he is yours.

Minsc: No, he is my hamster. You talk in circles, Cernd, but that's okay. Boo runs in them.

#3 berelinde

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Posted 26 December 2006 - 03:30 AM

I want to see little details that make the NPCs more real. BioWare seemed to pick a defining characteristic, and write the NPC around that, and forget anything that made them more 3D.

Jaheira: abrasive, maternal, and assertive, but maybe she also plays a musical instrument, likes strawberries, and can't wink.

Minsc: direct, childlike, uncomplicated, but maybe he is skilled in the Rashemi art of dancing. It isn't unusual for cultures that revere warriors to develop ritual dances for them.

Jan Janssen: annoying, long-winded, and... well, Jan-ish, but maybe he's also a good cook, if you hide the turnips.

Anomen: sure, he's got issues that define his personality, but he must have done *something* with his time besides cultivate angst and an inferiority complex. Maybe he also enjoys reading about heraldry, is on an eternal quest for exactly the right pair of gauntlets, and likes chess.

I'm sure you get the idea.

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#4 cmorgan

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Posted 26 December 2006 - 06:45 AM

I would like to suggest that my sister Imoen should get an opportunity to become more than my shadow; whether that is through interaction with other NPCs or an NPC/NPC romance is immaterial. Just so long as she gets either the opportunity to go completely Ophelia, and sink into the dark places (for evil players) or establish her own independence and strength coming forth to the light (for good players) (and away from her current role as Plot Device and Shadow).

#5 Pixel Kaiser

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Posted 26 December 2006 - 10:15 AM

I think the fact that Valygar refuses to worship any deity is largely under-represented. Don't gods enjoy killing and / or torturing mortals who don't worship them? Yeah, I think this should be brought up at least once. It would be much better than another "I hate magic" quip, that's for sure!

#6 Bookwyrme

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Posted 26 December 2006 - 01:24 PM

[quote name='Raven_Song' date='Dec 26 2006, 03:01 AM' post='276130']
[quote]
* LG Anomen needs to apologize to Mazzy for his cruel words, in one of the original banters.

(I'm a big Mazzy fan in case you haven't guessed)
[/quote]

Yes! When he's hoping to be a knight & worried that he won't be, the remark makes some (limited) sense as a jealous reaction to Mazzy's ambition. When he *is* a knight, he hasn't got that spurring him on, and it remains a nasty, lingering shadow over both of them.

(That & it'd be nice for the PC to respond when he makes his remark!)

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#7 berelinde

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Posted 26 December 2006 - 02:23 PM

I think the fact that Valygar refuses to worship any deity is largely under-represented. Don't gods enjoy killing and / or torturing mortals who don't worship them? Yeah, I think this should be brought up at least once. It would be much better than another "I hate magic" quip, that's for sure!


If FR, refusing to worship a deity is risky business. Once such a person dies, they have no patron to claim them in Kelevmor's realm, and they will become a lost soul. You can bet that should be a big thing for Valygar.

That was something I found out doing research for my generally tolerant cleric. He doesn't get too upset no matter who the PC says he/she worships, but he gets very worried when the PC says "no one."

But don't go into it too much! When I start on Gavin for SoA, you can well believe he's going to want to talk to Valygar about that.

Edited by BGhead, 26 December 2006 - 02:24 PM.

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#8 Kaeloree

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Posted 26 December 2006 - 03:29 PM

What I think I'm planning to do for Valygar is similar to what they are doing in a banter in the Mage Trio mod. Basically, Valygar thinks his spells are granted to him by Mielekki, but he doesn't feel this a reason to worship her. So, Gavin's fears for him would still be well-founded. :) Just telling you in the interests of avoiding story conflict and all.

I'll do maybe a dialogue on it or something, but won't touch on it too much :)

#9 -Guest-

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Posted 06 January 2007 - 05:47 PM

Aerie's romance needs a couple more PC voices for every talk, and maybe a few extra talks to dilute the "My wings, my wings!/Don't cry, don't cry!/Shut up, shut up!" repetitive bog of the mid-romance in SoA.

#10 Kaeloree

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Posted 06 January 2007 - 06:00 PM

While I am - eventually - planning to revise the Biowarian romances, that is very far down the track. As in, next year, unless someone wants to come into the project and do them. :) There's so much work to be done just expanding the other characters - especially ones like Cernd and Imoen, who are drastically underrepresented!

But I agree - ALL the romances need more PC dialogue options, not just Aerie!

#11 Mordokai

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Posted 08 January 2007 - 03:17 PM

I think the fact that Valygar refuses to worship any deity is largely under-represented. Don't gods enjoy killing and / or torturing mortals who don't worship them? Yeah, I think this should be brought up at least once. It would be much better than another "I hate magic" quip, that's for sure!


I would very much like to see this idea expanded a bit, because I like Valygar very much. And I too get a felling that Bioware let him a wee bit under represanted.

But I agree - ALL the romances need more PC dialogue options, not just Aerie!


Good, good. While I like romances as they are, any additional option is welcome, to make them more life like. Perhaps add a more "neutral" dialogue options? Not just, "we're on good terms" and "we're breaking up because you didn't say what I want to hear from you" style, if you know what I mean.

#12 -Guest-

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Posted 22 January 2007 - 01:46 PM

Korgan could need some more banters that go beyond his "I'm an evil killing machine" comments. He may advice the party on how to sharpen their weapons more efficiently for instance. Maybe he could also explain why he is feeling so much mercy with children (think of the Jan Janssen quest) for instance.

#13 berelinde

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Posted 22 January 2007 - 02:33 PM

"Just because I had a miserable childhood is no reason anybody else should have to have one," eh?

"Imagination is given to man to console him for what he is not; a sense of humor, for what he is." - Oscar Wilde

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#14 Aslyn

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Posted 23 January 2007 - 06:35 PM

"Just because I had a miserable childhood is no reason anybody else should have to have one," eh?


I am also a valygar fan, he is an awesome tank but his personality leave alot to be desired he gets only a few banters within the game and seems less than thrilled about mazzys interest in him as her squire.

#15 Bookwyrme

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Posted 23 January 2007 - 06:51 PM

I'd like to see some explanation of why Valygar was hiding in his cabin--with a bodyguard--while all hell broke loose in Umar Hills.

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#16 berelinde

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Posted 23 January 2007 - 06:57 PM

Oh, look! My favorite subject just dropped right in my lap!

I like Valygar. I used to hate him, with a passion, but now I like him.

Why? Because he doesn't want to make waves. He puts up with a lot of c*** from the rest of the party, and just wants to keep the peace. Yeah, he isn't thrilled with Mazzy's adoption of him as her squire, but I like to think he can't quite bring himself to break her heart by refusing her. I can almost hear that synapse close in his brain that causes the thought to form: "But it costs me so little. Why not let her think what she wants. It makes her happy, and there's little enough happiness in this world." As this is Valygar we're talking about, the literal translation of his thought process is probably "Whatever."

There are people who disagree with me, including those that wrote/are writing his romance. But that's all right. There's plenty of room for multiple opinions.

"Imagination is given to man to console him for what he is not; a sense of humor, for what he is." - Oscar Wilde

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#17 Kulyok

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Posted 23 January 2007 - 11:10 PM

I used to really, really dislike Mazzy for this. Like "I want to romance this guy, I cannot, and some pushy halfling just says a few words, and he is already going to travel with her to Waterdeep? And then marries some nameless woman in the epilogue? Valyga-a-ar? Hello-o? It's me, PC, 25 in all stats, waving at you! Sigh. It is hopeless."

#18 Kellen

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Posted 24 January 2007 - 07:05 AM

Did I ever mention that we were THIS close to bringing Yoshimo back to life (sort of) in ToB? Actually, he would have been undead, kinda...but Ilmater would have restored him to semi-life to repay his debt of guilt for betraying the PC (if that had happened...and, of course, if Yoshimo's heart had been surrendered to Ilmater). People would have gotten their full thief back (with some cool new abilities), and he would strike a tragic pose as someone who was waiting to die again...but wanted to die in peace.

I thought it was a cool story, anyway. But we just ended up deciding that our time was better spent elsewhere.

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Would this be something in the scope of this mod, or is it far beyond it?
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#19 Pixel Kaiser

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Posted 24 January 2007 - 11:02 AM

We talked that over before, and decided that it ruined the tragicness of Yoshimo's story. It's an interesting idea, though. :)

#20 berelinde

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Posted 24 January 2007 - 11:37 AM

It's still a cool idea, though.

Sorry. Throw fruit if you must, but at least make sure it's ripe. Oranges are prefered.

"Imagination is given to man to console him for what he is not; a sense of humor, for what he is." - Oscar Wilde

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