250 replies to this topic

[Tempest]

Not much to report for today, was proofreading and tweaking lines in the various lovetalks. However, there's also something I'm thinking about, and would like to know if it would bother anyone. To underline the point that Darian is one of an elite group of elven warriors, I'm considering giving Darian a custom item: a suit of Avariel chain mail. It would have all the properties of standard elven chain mail (AC 5, no skill penalties), but as it is specifically designed to be worn by an Avariel, only they can use it (i.e. Darian and Aerie). For its appearance in the inventory screen, I'd use the same sprite/icon as the Armor of the Faith (to fit the white color scheme), and for its appearance when worn by a character, I'd use the same appearance as the white dragon scale armor (i.e. it would look like he's wearing white chainmail). I have no experience creating unique items with an item-maker, and don't know if giving Darian this custom item would bother anyone, but it is something I'm considering.

[Tempest]

Coding of the romance is under way, and I thought I should share some tips for the romance:

1. Most of the lovetalks are centered around Darian trying to figure you out-he may question your motives, your actions, try to learn your history, and more. He himself is a very private person, and keeps his own counsel-though there will obviously be a few exceptions to this. As such, Darian isn't looking for any specific type of response like the Bioware npc's (Aerie looking for sympathy, Anomen wanting reassurance, Jaheira seeking support, and whatnot), and is actually fairly hard to offend. Even if Charname infuriates and exasperates him, he may nevertheless fall in love with her.

2. As I said above, Darian is pretty tolerant of Charname's behavior. She can be just as wary of him as he is of her, she can be a deeply introspective and serious individual, or she can be light-hearted and take a flirtatious line with him. That last one in particular will drive him nuts, but so long as she doesn't seriously offend him, he'll sigh and put up with her.

3. The key thing you'll need to remember is that for the romance to go on to its final arc, Darian has to feel fairly comfortable talking to Charname (even if the contents of the talking aren't to his satisfaction). You can brush off a few of the lovetalks, but generally, hear him out, especially when he says something difficult for him (such as apologizing to you).

4. After you've reached the friendship phase (the lovetalk that seperates this phase is pretty easy to recognize), you can brush him off if you wish, but unless you're already in the final arc, doing so will kill the possibility of going into the final phase of the romance, though you'll remain friends.

5. You'll be able to talk to Darian at any time during the friendship phase and give him a "just friends" line, to kill the final arc before it starts.

6. The special romantic scenes are pretty easy to navigate, so long as you don't offend him (and you'll know these scenes when they pop up).

The special scenes will appear as follows (SPOILER WARNING):

Spoiler

1. In the first level of Spellhold, soon after arrival.

2. The first time you rest in Ust Natha.

3. Soon after finishing the talk with Elhan, in the Underdark Exit.

4. The final scene will occur when you rest in a forest after killing Bodhi in Chapter 6.

[Tempest]

You can now redirect all questions and comments on Darian's progress to the comments on progress thread. That's also where I'll be posting the semi-daily updates and whatnot, since this thread was getting cluttered.

Questions/comments/suggestions are all still welcome!

[Kitana]

There are two different ways to get into Spellhold - one which you end up with a guided tour, and one which you can fake insanity and be locked up. Will you be able to see the scene no matter which way you choose?

[Tempest]

Yes. It takes place after you get dumped in the dungeon with Imoen, not when you actually enter Spellhold.

[Kellen]

Heh. Talons. Not only a made up group

Talons: These elite warriors, trained in the defense of Aerie of the Snow Eagle. They are marked by their uniform appearance, wearing distinctive leather harnesses from which hang a number of weapons and at the center of which is a crest indicating rank and unit. They represent the ideal Avariel warrior, specialists in the military arts. Membership in the Talons is a common goal for many young warriors, but only the best are accepted as full members, rather than just employees. Their education is arduous, involving years of combat instruction and character-building exercises as the young Talons-in-training are forged into professional warriors. Talons are members of a guild that operated very much like a military force, and they are forced to obey the chain of command as well as a strict code of conduct. They can be rather difficult to work with, automatically expecting every group to function like a well-oiled fighting machine, which is simply not always the case.

Edited by Kellen, 16 April 2007 - 04:57 PM.

[Tempest]

Sorry, but remember that I'm using self-written lore for Darian and his Avariel. I had no access to all that lore, and to change things now is not possible, I'm afraid. Darian's Talons, and Darian's Avariel in general, are a very different race from the one in that file you sent me.

[Solstice]

Hi, I'm another board lurker who's finally decided to show herself-I really like Darian's concept and the fanfic you've wrote for him, but I had a few questions I wanted to ask:

1. Does Darian have any crossmod content planned? If not, I'd at least be interested to hear how you think Darian would think of some of the other, more popular mod npc's, especially other possible rivals for Charname (Kelsey, Xan, Kivan, Solaufien).

2. This may be ToB content, but it sounds like Darian is very much a deep, stable relationship once you actually get to the romance part of it. Will marriage/children/settling down/etc come up?

3. This is more a personal thing, but will Darian be getting the last word on the Bioware npc's a lot? Very few mod characters seem to give the Bioware cast an even chance (specifically thinking Kelsey and Chloe here), and I'd hate to see Darian fall into that tradition as well.

3. It sounds like you're downplaying the physical side of the romance-Darian doesn't seem like he'll be *attracted* to my character at all-he'll think of her as a person first, a woman second. I really like this idea-it's a nice change from Xan glazing over every time he looks at my character, Anomen having all kinds of un-knight-like thoughts, and from Kelsey humping my character's leg every two seconds. But will there be any times when we can have some... fun... with him? I know this may be mostly ToB content, but even the most dour elven Talon had better be ready for my chaotic good elven swashbuckler with a Charimsa of 20 (one from the tome in BG1, one from Lum's machine).

[berelinde]

OMG--you're killing me. How can you complain about Anomen's unknightly thoughts and Kelsey's... enthusiasm when your PC's walking around with a 20 charisma

Probably has a portrait to go with it.

Just joking, though, in case you're not familiar with my sense of humor.

[Tempest]

Welcome to Spellhold Studios, Solstice!

1. Does Darian have any crossmod content planned? If not, I'd at least be interested to hear how you think Darian would think of some of the other, more popular mod npc's, especially other possible rivals for Charname (Kelsey, Xan, Kivan, Solaufien).

Darian does not currently have any crossmod content planned, but after I release Darian for open testing/general release, I'll certainly try to get in touch with other modders to add crossmod content for Darian, but that's still a ways off. I'll certainly explain how I think Darian would feel/think about those characters, though:

I think Darian would completely dismiss Kelsey as anything but a general safety hazard. This is nothing against Kelsey or his writer, but Darian doesn't get along very well with the "young" characters (Aerie, Imoen, Nalia), and Kelsey is the most childish character I've ever encountered. He'd completely ignore Kelsey if at all possible, and if spoken to, would respond with polite but total disinterest at best, or outright contempt at worst.

I think Darian would have a measure of respect for Xan-they're both warriors after their fashions on assignments, and they both have pronounced senses of duty. Xan's general doom and gloom wouldn't bother him much, as I imagine Darian would be familiar with moonblades and their power, given his background, and I while I don't think Darian would ever use the word "friend" when it comes to Xan, he would have a certain degree of respect.

Unfortunately, I've never played Solaufien or Kivan-the character concepts never really appealed to me. I'd need to play a few games with them to get a good feel of their personalities and how Darian would react to them.

2. This may be ToB content, but it sounds like Darian is very much a deep, stable relationship once you actually get to the romance part of it. Will marriage/children/settling down/etc come up?

Oh, these will *definitely* be coming up in ToB, one of them in particular (and the folks who've sent me PM's and know about it, shush!). Even in his SoA lovetalks, you'll learn that home and family are very important to Darian.

3. This is more a personal thing, but will Darian be getting the last word on the Bioware npc's a lot? Very few mod characters seem to give the Bioware cast an even chance (specifically thinking Kelsey and Chloe here), and I'd hate to see Darian fall into that tradition as well.

I've worked hard to keep Darian from running roughshod over the Bioware cast. I'm learning that it's quite easy to let Darian get the last word on them, but he really won't do so very often. Darian is usually the one to terminate a conversation, but it's rarely going to be in a "last word" situation-he does try to keep party relations fairly civil (with exceptions for a certain couple of characters).

3. It sounds like you're downplaying the physical side of the romance-Darian doesn't seem like he'll be *attracted* to my character at all-he'll think of her as a person first, a woman second. I really like this idea-it's a nice change from Xan glazing over every time he looks at my character, Anomen having all kinds of un-knight-like thoughts, and from Kelsey humping my character's leg every two seconds. But will there be any times when we can have some... fun... with him? I know this may be mostly ToB content, but even the most dour elven Talon had better be ready for my chaotic good elven swashbuckler with a Charimsa of 20 (one from the tome in BG1, one from Lum's machine).

Yes, I am deliberately keeping the physical/sexual side of the romance low-key. It is quite true that Darian doesn't really think of the main character as a *woman*-he sees her as a *human* (or elf or half-elf) first, then as a friend, then as the person he's falling in love with. It will certainly be implied in ToB that Charname and Darian are spending the night together, but Darian is a man who loves you, not your lover. Most of his flirts will be along the lines of him being concerned/worried about you, caring about you, or (in ToB) simply being affectionate, but it's simply not in his nature to be actively sexually interested in the main character. You will probably have a range of... less uptight flirts in ToB that are player-initiated, but it's unlikely you'll see anything as extreme as the bathing flirts (Darian would see such things as rather unseemly, though I suppose he wouldn't object *too* much if Charname was feeling frisky-elf or no, Talon or not, he's still a man ). Though I suppose I'll be obligated to add lots of opportunities for Charname to have fun with his wings...

[Solstice]

I've actually been lurking around here for a while, and yes, my character does have her own special portrait to go with her-she's lots and lots of fun.

Tempest, aside from Mazzy, does Darian get along with anyone of a non-lawful alignment? Not that I object when it comes to my character-he sounds like a very sweet person once you get to know him, but he's just starting to sound really... stuffy.

Oh, these will *definitely* be coming up in ToB, one of them in particular (and the folks who've sent me PM's and know about it, shush!). Even in his SoA lovetalks, you'll learn that home and family are very important to Darian.

Ooooh! Please, oh please, tell me! I won't tell anyone, I promise!

I've worked hard to keep Darian from running roughshod over the Bioware cast. I'm learning that it's quite easy to let Darian get the last word on them, but he really won't do so very often. Darian is usually the one to terminate a conversation, but it's rarely going to be in a "last word" situation-he does try to keep party relations fairly civil (with exceptions for a certain couple of characters).

And just what characters might those be? I'm guessing Viconia for one-am I the only one getting the impression there could be all kinds of fun with Viconia and Darian?

Yes, I am deliberately keeping the physical/sexual side of the romance low-key. It is quite true that Darian doesn't really think of the main character as a *woman*-he sees her as a *human* (or elf or half-elf) first, then as a friend, then as the person he's falling in love with. It will certainly be implied in ToB that Charname and Darian are spending the night together, but Darian is a man who loves you, not your lover.

Interesting distinction-sounds almost like Jaheira, even though the flirt pack added lots of fun to that romance.

Most of his flirts will be along the lines of him being concerned/worried about you, caring about you, or (in ToB) simply being affectionate, but it's simply not in his nature to be actively sexually interested in the main character. You will probably have a range of... less uptight flirts in ToB that are player-initiated, but it's unlikely you'll see anything as extreme as the bathing flirts (Darian would see such things as rather unseemly, though I suppose he wouldn't object *too* much if Charname was feeling frisky-elf or no, Talon or not, he's still a man ).

I suppose it was too much to hope for that every knight would display as much skill and vigor in the bedroom as they do on the battlefield... *wink, wink*. Sounds like he's even more uptight than Aerie, and unlike her, he doesn't unwind in ToB very much. No matter! He should be lots of fun for my swashbuckling elf-the harder they resist, the harder their subsequent fall tends to be.

Though I suppose I'll be obligated to add lots of opportunities for Charname to have fun with his wings...

Yay! If you ever need a deliciously evil imagination for ideas, look me up...

[Tempest]

Well, it's good to hear you're interested in the mod, Solstice.

Tempest, aside from Mazzy, does Darian get along with anyone of a non-lawful alignment? Not that I object when it comes to my character-he sounds like a very sweet person once you get to know him, but he's just starting to sound really... stuffy.

Darian doesn't really get along with anyone period, aside from Mazzy, Keldorn, and LG Anomen. He does come to terms with most characters, and in ToB he'll be noticably friendlier, but in SoA, he does really only respect individuals with values and ideals similar to his own (A CG/CN Charname being the one huge exception). I've thought about making various banters specific to Chapters 2/3/4/5 and Chapters 6/7 to show how Darian's attitude changes, but instead, you'll be seeing the big change in the SoA/ToB gap. He's not so much stuffy as he is wary.

Ooooh! Please, oh please, tell me! I won't tell anyone, I promise!

Send me a PM, and I'll fill you in.

And just what characters might those be? I'm guessing Viconia for one-am I the only one getting the impression there could be all kinds of fun with Viconia and Darian?

You'll have to wait and see.

I suppose it was too much to hope for that every knight would display as much skill and vigor in the bedroom as they do on the battlefield... *wink, wink*. Sounds like he's even more uptight than Aerie, and unlike her, he doesn't unwind in ToB very much. No matter! He should be lots of fun for my swashbuckling elf-the harder they resist, the harder their subsequent fall tends to be.



Yay! If you ever need a deliciously evil imagination for ideas, look me up...

This does raise an interesting question for ToB... just what exactly would Darian do if he discovered Charname is... enthusiastic...

[berelinde]

Whatever it is, at least you can be content that your alias prevents friends or family from ever recognizing you as the author...

[Tempest]

I'm not going to go *that* far, Berelinde. For one thing, I just wouldn't feel comfortable writing that kind of content, and for another, Darian would probably be tempted to end the relationship altogether (by virtue of him being too embarassed to speak to Charname). Odds are, I'll leave it ambiguous, so players can imagine whatever they like. But that's still a ways down the line-I've been busy the last week or two and will continue to be due to the usual end of semester chaos, but I will work on Darian whenever I get the chance.

[berelinde]

Heh. Maybe I should have added the comment about my sense of humor to that post, too

[Tempest]

Nah, I knew you were trying to be funny. I'm just a little burnt out from exams (and have another one I leave for in half an hour...). Looking forward to having plenty of time to work on Darian once the end of semester turmoil's over and done with.

[Tempest]

As a treat, here's an example of what I'm thinking about for a flirt in the final arc of the romance:

(Your stride falters as your body is wracked by the emptiness of your soul. Before you can fall, Darian takes you in his arms and supports you until the attack passes, his face etched with concern)

I had always imagined the loss of Charname's soul to have physical effects on her, more than just the moment of disorientation that automatically triggers in Spellhold anyhow, and what I tried to get at with this one is the idea that Charname is shaking and on the verge of collapsing, but Darian steadies and supports her until the attack passes-he's privately very alarmed and frightened of what Charname is after the Slayer incident, but he's vowed to support her through whatever comes.

I'm planning on writing the flirts and player-initiated content after I finish the Anomen conflicts and special scenes, and if anyone has any flirts they'd like to see, both player and Darian-initiated, suggestions are more than welcome-writing flirts isn't my strongest suit.

[Solstice]

That's really a rather sweet flirt. I've played every romancable male npc out there, and I must say that none of them were as outright *concerned* about my character as it sounds like Darian will be-he sounds perfect for a woman who's deeply shaken by the events of the game and her own soul (or lack thereof ), and needs someone she can go to for strength. Every other character either wants me to be their therapist or just wants in my character's pants (or both), and I think Darian will be a really refreshing change.

In case you can't tell, I'm looking forward to seeing Darian get finished. Good luck with the end of semester ruckus, and get back to work! I want Darian!

[theacefes]

Darian looks interesting. I'm impressed by both the regular progress you've made and also at the fact that regardless of what anyone says, you stick to your backstory/lore/etc. It is *your* mod after all.

But yes he looks interesting. Very hard for my poor female fighter to find love. Maybe Darian will be the one.


Good to keep the extreme content down to a minimum, unless you want your mod to end up like the Auren Aseph Special Rated "M" release!

[Solstice]

I hate to keep bothering you, but since Darian's the only new npc in development for a lonely female Bhaalspawn (unless someone steps up the pace on Gavin for BG2, *poke* *poke*...), please don't mind if I proceed to drive you insane.

1. Will Darian care/react at all if my main character romances Anomen instead, or would he mind if I had a fling with Anomen, dumped him, and started flirting with Darian?

2. Will Darian ever actually be compelled to "take deadly action against Charname and the party" as you've put it, or are you just blowing smoke?

3. Is there any reason he wouldn't romance a halfling main character, if he's willing to romance Mazzy?

4. How about some love for the half-orc ladies?

5. What would happen if I had either A) a male elf main character in the same party as Aerie, Darian and Haer'Dalis, B) a female main character in the same party as Anomen, Darian, Aerie, and Haer'Dalis, or C) Darian, Mazzy, Edwin, Korgan, Valygar, and a male main character?