Writing Side Quests for Beyond Boulder Dome

[Bdthemag]

I totally agree with the above poster, the whole "Big Final Battle" thing is overdone and can't really be done well in Fallout New Vegas.

[LordGawaine]

I like to be able to *SEE* what I've accomplished. One of things I'm working on in my mod is making it so that you're physically able to see a fortification change over time based on all your deeds, etc: a fence is built around the building, new lights are put up, etc...

[Druid12]

Yeah, damn good idea to make noticable consequences to show that we are actually working and helping someone, not just putting a tick next to another "thing to do". As for final battle - hell, it's a must, but in previous games it was done like a duel, with many ways to help yourself dealing with boss like turning on turrets or shutting down his protection or getting yourself new allies.

As for New Vegas - Fallout Final Battles must NOT be massive and large-scale. It always was a battle of player and boss, not a battle of armies.

 

Though NV final battle is just ridiculous. And well as it's armies. Hell, Soldiers in Skirts wiped my mind out.

 

Also I suggest some possible conflicts between quest-giver and player and a possibility for quest-giver to refuse to pay so we should pass [speech] check or use another way to make him submit.

For example, QG hates NCR/SkirtArmyLegion/Ladies (I can wright a whole dialogue for him :biggrin: Long live sexism) or just Humans, if he's a ghoul or something like that.

The thing I recommend and appreciate for quests is many decisions, options and skill checks. That will put some challenge in quest even after it's main part.

[looloolooigotsomeapples]

I like quests that challenge the player mentally, but only if they choose and are creative enough. In other ways, multiple ways to complete a quest. For example, there is a quest that is a seemingly clearcut "Find this guy, kill him", but a there is a subtle ring that the quest-giver may not be truthful. You have to do digging, which could involve a combination of dialogue and rummaging about people's belongings, both challenging your stats and skills. I also like passive resolutions, without superfluous boss battles.

[greenknightfury]

For me what makes sidequests great or memorable is:

 

1.) Lore: If I find all kinds of interesting little personal bits of info about the kinds of people that worked or lived in a place I am crawling through, be it prewar or recently, I enjoy it. (the office building full of feral ghouls and Lovecraftian overtones in FO3 as an example)

 

2.) Characters: Be they memorable for being just totally gonzo-outta their head-nuts or total pricks or just some unique quirks and interesting dialog (Raul, Veronica and Cass are great examples of the cool quirks and dialog bits, while Lily and Tabitha are great examples of the nutcase greats; though FO3 has an example that is both in my opinion Moira of craterside supply author of the Wasteland Survival Guide [which I still half think is a nod to an awesome old post apoc game Wasteland..it was the name of the players guide the covers are even similar]).

 

3.) Unusual or unique gear/items: Even if it is a slightly different named version of a standard piece of equipment with a bit of backstory tied to it these are an excellent addition to sidequests or rewards.

 

4.) Unique tone/play/solution : Sidequests are where the tone can be totally different, the playstyle changed (would love to see a mystery solver sidequest somewhere in a building or small settlement...though the fact that you could do a full map one in Boulder is a cool idea...something like the spy mission of FO3's Point Lookout), or solutions that you don't have in the main quests/normal play can be used; flood the sewers to sweep out the infestation but have to seal off the access or they swarm the streets, find the guy that stole the (insert maguffin here) or find the parts and plans to construct a new one or everything goes to hell.

Edited November 26, 2011 by greenknightfury

[gunslinger6792]

being able to see the effects of the players choices and have the quest mean something. in f3 when the enclave kills your dad for me that meant something and i was on a enclave killing high. in lonesome road though i could've cared less about whats his name because he had no real motive for hating you and vice versa. in the end the story has to be worth the fight or journey.

[Ashven]

I seek permanence and repercussions from my decisions in a quest - things I don't often get with vanilla Fallout or mods, sadly.

 

Whether the outcomes of my choice are good or bad, it's still good to see that outcome affect you for the rest of your game. Something you never see? Outcomes of a quest that are equally bad and good, and you're forced to pick the lesser (in your view) of the multiple evils.

 

Raven Rock from Morrowind was a good example of permanence, by the way. Being able to come back and visit a town I helped build from the ground up was thought-inspiring. Coming back and finding Megaton in pieces...evil outcome and affected you personally, which made it perfect.

 

 

I'm not asking for hours of branching quests, just saying - if you want quests that stick out, make them hurt, make them lasting, make them memorable. I often look back upon my darkest times as my best ones, such as my visit to Vault 3.

 

Oh, and just for starters, that whole thing with the BOS when you first meet them and don't have Veronica - golden. Shouldn't have been so short. Making the player helpless is a good way to throw them off their feet.

[Warhorse1055]

I hope this project is still in progress because it sounds awesome.

 

Here are a few ideas I had while reading the main thread; about the permanence you are talking about Ashven, what about incorporating a few (~3) side quests that deal with the psychological issues that are affecting a few of the npcs. IE, if I remember correctly, the scientists that survived are wearing, essentially, life support suits that effectively isolate them (physically) from everything going on around them. Furthermore, the NCR kill team could be suffering from PTSD, and despite being some of the best, this assignment is really difficult; they know that what their doing can help people, but they really think there could be better ways, they just don't know how.

 

So as a breakdown:

Scientists: being isolated (literally) from physical contact and isolated from the world. Also, maybe have one who acts self centered but only because (s)he is doing it to convince him/herself to carry on (so that they became so focused on their work to keep their will to live going that it also started having negative consequences) and/or a doctor that suffers from survivor's guilt (though that may be too similar to Honest Hearts' Survivalist) and that a loved one (husband/wife) actually died in the cold sleep.

 

NCR: PTSD > again, they realize that what they are doing could be for the best in the long run, but they are not sure if they really are doing the best thing. Maybe also incorporate some aspect of learned helplessness and frustration, these soldiers are trained to be some of the best, but that training really only extends to killing things as opposed to actually sitting down and solving a wider range of problems. The learned helplessness could refer to their inability to really do much outside of being soldiers, they are not trained as scientists so every problem to them can (realistically for their situation) only be solved with guns. Furthermore, they are frustrated because they can't change their situation, they aren't used to feeling helpless, but that is precisely the situation they are in. (And just to cover myself, the main thread mentions the mission is merciless, but nothing about the actual soldiers)

 

As a final point, what if failing one of these psychological side mission resulted in a key scientists committing suicide. This could be done so that there are also quests that would be given out by this npc, not main quests, but a number of side quests, essentially reinforcing the permanence of the issue and for the player. (Some people like myself go for the story, others for playing the game, maybe getting all unique weapons or something; that's a reason I never got Callahan's Magnum in F3 because I couldn't bring myself to bomb the BoS)